Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: Season 1, Episode 14: Foul Play in the Sky

It's no secret by this point that Amy Jo Johnson is the best actor out of the main five Rangers, and no surprise that she would go on to have the most successful acting career after she left the show.  But there was another Power Rangers alum who would go on to be known as one of the greatest television actors of all time.  He voiced two monsters during his tenure on PR, and the writers even gave Billy his last name.  That's right everyone, acclaimed sitcom and Breaking Bad actor Brian Cranston voiced a monsters on Power Rangers.  And although this is an enjoyable episode all on its own, that fact makes this episode all kinds of surreal.  Shout! Factory even did some promos for the Mighty Mophin' DVD boxset when it came out that featured Cranston, and they were all kinds of hilarious.  This is one of the very few times that any kind of big-name actor (post-show or otherwise) graced Power Rangers with their presence, despite the show's immense popularity in the mid-nineties.  But with a non-union show, what can you do?

Kimberly's Uncle Steve is a pilot, and today he's taking Kimberly out for a ride in his private plane.  But just before they leave, Bulk and Skull show up and beg to be taken along, which Uncle Steve doesn't mind (much to Kim's dismay).   But before they take off,  Rita orders Squatt to spike Uncle Steve's drink before takeoff.  That's one too many roofie stories for me, Power Rangers.  While in the sky, Steve passes out, leaving Kimberly to fly the plane on her own with some help from Alpha.  Meanwhile, Rita has Finster create the Snizzard monster (Cranston), a lizard creature that uses a snake-like bow and arrow.   The other Rangers are called into action, but Snizzard's snakes get them all tangled up.  Will Kimberly be able to land the plane in time to help the others?

There's a greater sense of danger in this episode than usual, pretty much thanks to Johnson's performance.   Her panic is played pretty straight, and her frantic acting makes you feel the tension. The entire plane situation is actually done pretty well; I was expecting the same plane-flying shot to be duplicated over and over, but was surprised to see so much variety.  Alpha's plane-flying instructions actually seemed legitimate (I know nothing about planes, it could completely wrong), and the script paces things nicely.  Is this a major point of character development for Kimberly?  Well, not exactly.  But it was noble of her to not want to just teleport out of the plane to save her life, since it would mean leaving her Uncle and Bulk and Skull behind.  It's good to see that the Ranger powers can't solve all their problems.  Plus, gotta love that she destroys the monster single-highhandedly at the end.

In fact, the Sentai footage once again looks pretty fantastic, with a unique Putty fight shot through a water fountain (and by Easter Island heads?), and Kim's energized bow shots are nice special effect.  Snizzard is just as silly as they come, with energy-sucking snakes and the whole bow and arrow/apple on his head that references the William Tell legend.  And also, you know, Bryan Cranston.  Bulk and Skull are used more creatively than usual here, although they do get food dumped on them once again.  Still not really funny guys.  In the downtime scenes, the cast chemistry shines once again, with Jason and Zack coming off like actual goofball friends in the Juice Bar.  Dialogue may not always be sharp between them, but they're all fairly likable.

I think this is another classic Season One episode.  It may not have a Megazord fight, but it's still got plenty going on to make it entertaining.  It handles the "real world" danger well and the monster has something extra-special.  Also, someone gets roofied again?!  There's something wrong here.  While Mighty Morphin' still has its flaws, it's still a fun time.

Mighty Morphin' scale : 8/10

Power Rangers scale: 7/10

Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: Season 1, Episode 13: Peace, Love and Woe

With so many "monsters of the day" the Power Rangers face week to week, there are bound to be times when I want to know more about one or want to see it come back later.  One of those monsters is Madame Woe, from Peace, Love and Woe. She has a cool design, wasn't created by Finster, and seems to be a good match for the Rangers.  Why Sentai disposes of so many potentially cool villains so quickly is beyond me, but I suppose it's to keep the episodes self-contained.  In any case, it's unfortunate that we get a unique villain and just as things are getting good, she's gone with the wind.  Oh, and Billy likes a girl this week.

Nobody puts Billy in a corner.

With a big dance! dance! dance! on the horizon, Billy's feeling a bit down because he's certain he'll never find a date.  Zack tries to encourage him after Bulk gets covered in cake, but to no avail.  Meanwhile, Rita gets the idea to send Madame Woe out to fight the Rangers, who actually appears to be a monster out on her own instead of a Finster clay-creation.  As Billy leaves the Juice Bar to work on a "weather-analyzing device," he bumps into a girl named Marge, who appears to share Billy's habit of saying big words and obsessing over science.  It's a match made in heaven, but when they attempt to meet up later that day, Madame Woe captures Marge thinking she's a Power Ranger.  It's up to Billy and the other Rangers to travel to Woe's pocket dimension (full of trees, fog, and a nifty lake) to save Marge.  Will Billy save her in time for the big dance? The suspense must be killing you.

"I'm not interested in engaging feminine attention through bodily gyrations."

Actual line from Billy. I love this show.

Peace, Love, and Woe is a pretty basic episode, that has some fun Sentai footage and at least gets one of the characters in a situation they've never been in before.  So far, Billy has been the science geek and pretty much nothing else.  So to see that he has other interests (hormonal or otherwise) is somewhat refreshing.  I like Madame Woe as a villain, and even though it's not explained for one iota of a second, it's interesting that she's the first Power Rangers monster not directly created by the main villains.  She has a cool power set, and the morphed fight with Billy was solid (although she's defeated pretty easily, and that close-up of her face in the American footage did not blend well).  Her voice actress is clearly having some fun with the evil laughs, so that's a big plus.

Fear the power of my fog machine...

This putty fight wasn't nearly as bad as others have been, but it still wasn't great.  The actors are clearly talented at doing the fight choreography, but it's not filmed or edited in a dynamic way.  Not to mention the music is still the generic "Go Go Power Rangers" background music, which is just standard at this point.  The fight footage from the Sentai footage fares much better, and it was cool to see Billy fight a monster on his own.  He still can't fight worth a damn unmorphed, but that makes sense for his character.

Pretty in pink spandex...

The Rangers combining their coins to teleport Billy out of the dimension made absolutely no sense, and will likely never be referenced again, but I did like the visual of all the Rangers holding up their coins and shouting their animals out the way they do when they morph.  It just reinforces my love for the aesthetics of this season... the helmets, the weapons, the coins and morphers... I love it all.  The one big disappointment I have with the episode is that (spoilers) Marge never returns or is even mentioned again.  Not that Billy and her had crackling chemistry or anything, but a recurring love interest for Billy might have been nice.  Guess we'll never know.

We go swimming?

So this may not be essential Power Rangers, but it's mostly harmless.  There isn't anything too stupid or something major that made me cringe like a lot of early MMPR, but it's not great either.  The show is still finding its groove, with Putty fights still being mediocre and the Sentai footage either being used or a crutch or a major hinderance depending on the episode.  Peace, Love, and Woe mostly works, and for Season One, that's a passing grade.


Mighty Morphin' Score: 6/10

Power Rangers Score: 4/10

Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: Season 1, Episode 12, "Power Ranger Punks"

Something that's been a constant on Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers thus far has been that the Ranger teens don't really have major character flaws.  Is Zack a bit cocky? Sure, but it hasn't been an issue for him.  They're always pretty sweet and happy with each other, with a distinct lack of conflict between them.  This is why episodes like Power Ranger Punks are both a welcome change and also a disappointment; on the one hand, it's fun to see the Rangers acting out-of-character and having problems with each other.  But on the other, it's all caused by a spell, making the conflict a false one.  This is a trope that Power Rangers will employ many, many times throughout its run, with varying degrees of success.  Punks is mostly fun with some so-bad-it's good elements tossed in, but it's also not exactly great.

The Ranger teens are playing volleyball in the park when they are attacked by putties.  Little do they know that Baboo has been brewing a "punk potion," which apparently changes the Rangers into obnoxious idiots.  After the fight, Kimberly and Billy take a drink of their water, spiked with Baboo's potion.  They're suddenly pissed off by anything that moves, and storm off after insulting the others.  At school, Billy and Kim pick on other kids, fraternize with Bulk and Skull, and wear hilariously hideous clothing (actually I take that back; you rock them short shorts and 80s hair, Kim!).  At the command center, Zordon deduces that the two are under a spell, and the only way to break it is to use the "singing squash," which is basically a mandrake except... no, wait.  It's just a mandrake.  While the other Rangers are busy fighting Rita's Terror Toad, Alpha is sent to another dimension to retrieve the sentient vegetable.  Will Billy and Kim be cured of their punkishness before the floppy toad gobbles up the other Rangers?

I kind of love how weird Power Ranger Punks is, between terrible Putty fight, the wacky "punk" outfits Billy and Kim wear, and the craziness of the Terror Toad scenes.  I know that the face-hit shots had to be edited out of the early Putty fights, but my god this has to be the absolute worst one.  The choppy slow-motion, the awful close-ups, the poorly-timed sound effects... it's all just awful.  But once again, the cast brings their A-game and the Sentai footage is strange and awesome.  Amy Jo Johnson and David Yost seem to be having fun playing their punk alter-egos, even if some of the dialogue they spout is kind of... bad.  I like Skull's reaction to Kimberly asking him out, and you can't help but feel bad for him when she backs out of it later.  This will be done much better in Season 3, but we'll get to that later.

So ignoring the terrible footage mixture of Baboo pouring the droplets of punk potion with a city backdrop when the Rangers are in a grassy park, I like that it was him who came up with the plan.  It's good to see Rita's minions acting on their own, and it gives me some hope that their personalities might develop beyond what they've been so far.  Also, why do I love the Terror Toad so much? Well, he eats the Rangers. This isn't exactly out of left field at this point, but what's odd (and even kind of creepy) is the way eats them; their legs kicking wildly as they try to escape, his puppety teeth chomping on them as they go down... The first time I saw it was on my friend's Lord Zedd's Monster Heads VHS tape when I was about six, and I honestly found it a bit disturbing.  Very nice finisher though; it was cool to see that Kimberly can land the finishing blow with the Power Bow.

Mostly notable in the episode has got to be a little flashback Zordon shows the Rangers about the singing squash; we get to see a little glimpse of Zordon when he was human!  This isn't something that's ever referenced again, so it's great to see.  This is really creative use of the Sentai footage, re-purposed from Barza, the Zyurangers' mentor on that show.  It adds a little something to Zordon's character, and that's pretty cool.  We also get to see that Alpha 5 has some kind of defense mechanism, and manages to take out some Putties all on his own.  The dimension he travels to might look like shit (garbage bags on the floor and fog machines blasting) but at least Alpha gets to play hero.

So while not totally unmemorable, Power Ranger Punks isn't exactly a great episode.  It's fun for sure, but not much more remarkable than the average episode.  The show is still finding its groove, between proper usage of Bulk and Skull, decent putty fights, and the lack of actual character conflict, there's much room for improvement.  The charm that comes from the Japanese footage and Saved by the Bell-style high school scenes is still strong, and when it comes to Season 1, that's all one can reasonable expect.

Mighty Morphin' Score: 7/10

Power Rangers Score: 5/10

Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: Season 1, Episode 11, "No Clowing Around"

Why is Kimberly on the box?  Shouldn't it be Trini? Oh well.

So rounding out the series of "episodes I watched on VHS and are therefore classics," we've come to No Clowning Around.  It's an episode that's notable for nothing much other than that we finally get to see the Ranger teens A.) not fighting in another friggin' rock quary and B.) hanging out in a place other than the Juice Bar.  And don't get me wrong, I like the quarries and Juice Bars, but I still need a change of scenery once in a while.  And we get a good one here; a carnival, featuring a creepy, child-napping clown that can turn people into cardboard cutouts.  I take what I can get.  Bottom line? It's an enjoyable episode that actually generates some tension and some creepiness, courtesy of none other than Pineapple the Clown.

Creepin'

 The Ranger teens are having fun at the local carnival, playing on stilts and enjoying the rides.  We are introduced to Sylvia, Trini's younger cousin, who makes fast friends with Pineapple the Clown.  Little does everyone know that Rita has set a trap; the carnival is littered with Putties disguised as clowns and Pineapple is actually (in Finster's own words) the horrible Pineoctopus.  He leads Sylvia away from the others and turn her into a cardboard cutout before Trini can get to him.  The other clowns assault the Rangers, which leads to some theme park-style fights.  When Pineapple shows off his true form, the other Rangers morph and try to take him down.  Can Trini get her cousin back to normal and take down the Pineapple with pedophile-like undertones?

"Clown, back off."

I'll say this for No Clowning Around, there's no shortage of imagination when it comes to the utilizing the carnival setting.  Clowns, rides, and cotton candy all integrate themselves perfectly into the episode, giving us great visuals (the famous credits scene with Bulk and Skull, the clowns turning into Putties), a story with actual tension (the scene where Trini can't find Sylvia amid the chaos is really well-edited), and fight scenes that utilize the setting (my favorite being Jason turning on a upside-down swinging ride with a putty on the outside, but there's no doubt that the whole Putty fight is the best we've seen so far).  Hell, even the Zord battle is entertaining!  We finally get to see the individual Zords get to do some damage, with the Mastodon doing some freeze-ray steam and the Triceratops launching horn grappling hooks.  I want more of this!

The episode paints carnivals as a frightening place, full of optical illusions and chaos.  And when you're a little kid, you may see it that way.  I really liked the creativity on the part of the American writers and production crew; it was like all the budget saved from the last 10 episodes went to this episode, and it shows.  I love little things like Pineapple suddenly jumping fifty feet away from Billy in the span of a cut, Trini's panic as she searches for Sylvia in the park, and even the silliness of the cardboard cutouts.  It may not make much sense, but it is pretty original.  And let's talk about Pineapple for a moment; in short, I love him.  He's probably the most charismatic of Rita's monsters we've seen so far, and his mannerisms are a touch disturbing.  Even the way he melts into the Pineoctopus is unsettling, at least for Power Rangers.  And come on, the "stranger danger" metaphor? I thought it was pretty well done, and am surprised even to this day that Power Rangers was able to incorporate a theme while blending it seamlessly into the episode's story.

 While I usually detest the child actors on this show, I must admit that Sylvia isn't too terrible.  I'm glad she's out of commission for the last half of the episode just the same, but we're not talking Maria levels of terrible here.   I've said it before and I'll say it again: in Zyuranger, the child characters were introduced so randomly and their relationship to the other Rangers was inexplicable.  In Power Rangers, there's always an explanation for why they're hanging out with Sylvia: she's Trini's cousin, and they took her to the carnival.  Done. Simple.  And what's better is that the episode isn't about Sylvia, it's about Trini.  We get to see how she acts in a parent-like situation and how she can protect the ones she loves.  It also helps that Thuy Thrang does a great job with portraying the horror of seeing her cousin turned into a cardboard cutout. 

 "I think she's a bit... board..."

I get the feeling that this episode was originally going to feature Bones, since his Sentai footage shows him gallivanting at a carnival exactly like the one the Rangers are at in this episode.   I'm guessing something happened with the scheduling of the carnival or something and the writers just had to adapt whatever footage was next when the park was available, but it does seem a shame.  As soon as the Rangers morph, they're at some outdoor theater that's nowhere near the fair to have a Putty fight that I'm pretty sure we've already seen.  Not a great transition.  Also, is the whole carnival Rita's trap?  It continues afterward, so I guess the only ones in on the attack were the clowns.  It's muddled, but its negligible.

"It won't hurt a bit! But it might hurt a lot."

 No Clowning Around is, in many ways, a Season 1 filler at its best, and probably the best episode the series has seen since the premier.  I liked seeing the teens play on the stilts ("My big, strong hero! Mwah!"), and something about the way the setting and story interacted was just so natural.  I know it must seem like I'm giving the episode tons of credit for getting the bare minimum amount of content right, but honestly, that's been a problem for Season 1 thus far.   It's taking its sweet-ass time finding its tone and flow, and with Clowning, I'm seriously hoping it's gotten close to finding it.

Mighty Morphin' Score: 9/10

Power Rangers Score: 7/10

Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: Season 1, Episode 10, "Happy Birthday Zack"

"Do I look any older to you today?"

So were you starting to worry that Zack wasn't going to get a focus episode? I mean I wasn't, because I use to rent the Happy Birthday Zack video tape from the library once a week.  Well finally, here it is: an episode that is quintessential Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers not for being particularly dramatic, but simply for being a solid execution of nearly all the things I love about the show.  I've mentioned before that as a young kid, I only saw the show's first season via those video rentals, so is it nostalgia talking or is this episode just too much fun to resist?  I think it's a combination.  Yes, I can recall fond memories of Billy and his foam-spewing cake machine, but I also recognize some solid cast chemistry and a slightly-better monster-of-the-week than usual when I watch the episode with adult eyes.  After so many episodes that are awkward and uninteresting, it was nice to see one that made me smile.

The Ranger teens are busy at the Youth Center after-hours decorating for Zack's surprise birthday party the next day.  Bulk and Skull come in to cause problems and do other bully-like things, but the teens know how to handle them.  The next day, everyone acts like they forgot Zack's birthday, which understandably bums him out.  Rita sees an opportunity to give Zack her own birthday present; the Knasty Knight, armed with a super-powered sword.  On his own, Zack fights the monster and Goldar but loses badly.  Zordon and Alpha get the other Rangers in there, but they can't beat him either.  The Knight fries their weapons and deflects their energy blasts, and before the Rangers can even stand back up, Rita makes him grow. Can they defeat the Knasty Knight in time for Zack's surprise birthday party?!

I like this episode a lot for several reasons, but chief among them are the character interactions in the first half.  Sometimes early PR drags a bit during the civilian scenes and then things get more interesting in the battles, but here I really liked how the rangers played off each other in the juice bar (especially Amy Jo, who's starting to show that she's the best actor on the show).   The teens' scenes may be a bit goofy, but they're also very charming.  Plus, Bulk and Skull got to be a bit meaner than usual, with Bulk blowing his nose in Trini's banner and picking Billy up like he was a toy. When Kimberly tells Zack that she forgot her poodle's birthday, I just liked his reaction.  It may be a childish reaction, but it was still well done.

The Knasty Knight is a solid monster as well, and it was nice to see that Finster had to put more effort into creating him than any previous clay creature.  Rita doesn't even wait until the Rangers get the upper hand before she makes him grow; quite a rarity.  The plan to defeat the Knight might not make a whole lot of sense, but at least it's Zack who comes up with it.  Similarly to the Pudgy Pig, it was cool to see a villain actually give the Rangers a good fight since the Rangers can usually whoop monsters and putties without breaking a sweat.  Speaking of putties, there was no putty fight in this episode.  Honestly, I think it helped with the pacing, plus we got to spend more time with the characters.

For the most part, the show is holding up in terms of its aesthetics (music, Sentai fights, zord battles), but one thing I cannot stand is that "comedic" fast motion.  It was kind of funny when Gilligan's Island did it, but it doesn't work here.  As far as the writing goes, I think everything came off pretty naturally.  Although we shouldn't expect much character development (it's a cartoon, remember?), it still might have been nice to learn something new about Zack.  I didn't like him whining about no one remembering his birthday, but I suppose giving him some vanity could be considered a character flaw.  I'm really stretching here, I know, but there's not much to work with.  It fits with his cocky personality anyways.

 It was fun to watch the Ranger teens dance at the party at the end while Billy deals with the deadly cake-o-matic.  Just watching these people hang out and have a good time with that cheesy birthday song in the back is a perfect encapsulation of what Mighty Morphin' is: innocent, fun, and likable.  When you compare this episode one to others that focus on random people (or have no focus at all), I think the quality difference is noticeable.  It's just a better show when it focuses on the main characters, like most television shows.  Happy Birthday Zack is pretty much the standard for a Power Rangers filler episode that keeps tight pacing, lets the characters be themselves, and has fun with every aspect.



Mighty Morphin' Score: 8/10

Power Rangers Score: 6/10

Also, as a side note: Batman confirmed as part of the Power Rangers Universe.  Thanks Ernie... thanks...