I really do understand where you’re coming from regarding Super Sentai especially considering the purists among the fandom. Most, if not all, seasons of the franchise are still worth checking out, Dekaranger among them. I even rewatched that particular season just last year and it is a legitimately good series despite its differences with Power Rangers SPD and I even gained a much better appreciation for Dekaranger in said rewatch especially under much better English subtitles to the point where it's now on my Top 20 favorite seasons of Super Sentai.

Episode 30: Missing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hl3ZwQNCZM

This is technically another Bridge episode. Technically.

When the latest criminal manages to kidnap Bridge and place him in a death trap, it's up to the rest of the team to try and find their friend before it's too late.

I've found that "Missing" is one of the more underrated episodes in SPD, as no one seems to really talk about it much. And I find that to be a real shame, because there's some rather good stuff here.

I think the biggest strength of the episode overall is that it's legit tense nearly the entire time through. With the race against the clock to find Bridge, as well as the ever closing threat of him being crushed to death, it makes for a bit of a mini thriller movie for kids, and I really dug that about it.

This episode also introduces another vehicle into the mix, which of course means it's the fourth to feature increased use in fireball explosions, but this time it's also a giant Attack Vehicle equipped with laser cannons and a turret. It's just short of being a literal tank with how much it just plows through everything. Man, imagine if AIMS had a Van this well decked out?

All things considered, it's a very simple and straight-forward episode, but that's also what makes it fun. And it's only heightened by the usual antics of our cast(Bridge's' idea of a stealthy entrance never fails to get a chuckle out of me). Is it the best episode of SPD ever? No, probably not. But it's one that's good at what it does, and I could see it being a very good episode to come back to if one ever wants a quick fix of Power Rangers without committing to an entire arc.

That's good to know. There are a few seasons that I've been considering, but I just haven't had the urge to pull the trigger just yet. Perhaps one day.

I always felt that the disdain some tokusatsu fans had for PR had less to do with the show itself and more to do with the place it occupied. That is, MMPR may have been part of the popular culture of the 90s, but after the show lost popularity and was transferred to other companies, the franchise was treated like something third-rate. And even Saban, although he valued the show itself, treated his employees like dirt. And this is difficult to hide in the age of the Internet and involuntarily causes rejection. I think that is why some people may simply not want to be a PR fan. At the same time, Super Sentai for Toei, although not the most profitable, is the most reliable flagship, which is treated accordingly.

While it's certainly part of it, the hate for the show really does come mostly from elitism. Basically, as people grew up, Power Rangers in the US started being seen as this "dumb kiddy show" that everyone was supposed to grow out of. Meanwhile, as the internet grew and the larger Toku sphere became more well known, people began to push the idea that shows such as Super Sentai and Kamen Rider were "adult" and such.

Or, to put it in one quick sentence: It's just a dumb double standard that some people upkeep to try and make themselves feel smarter than others.

So Missing is another “mostly the same” episode, even down to the bad guy of the week killing a dude offscreen (which is likely how they got away with it). The biggest changes are Piggy’s scene and Bork’s sentence being for somehow blowing up more planets than Benaag and the Devastation Bros rather than for murder. (That’s pretty much the most common form of censorship in SPD. Anyone who committed a family unfriendly crime in Dekaranger simply blew up more than the last planet killer in SPD).

And fun fact: Bork’s VA went on to portray Warden Garcia in Dino/Cosmoc Fury, ending up on the other side of both the law and his relationship with the local Green Ranger.

SWAT Megazord is pretty cool. Reminds me of the redundantly-named Omega Megazord, my favorite from Lightspeed Rescue. However, my favorite from SPD has to be Omegamax Megazord.

It's a good reminder that the Rangers and Boom aren't just Kat's colleagues, they're her friends and her desire to continue supporting her friends in the way she does best is a perfectly respectable reason for sticking around, as well as a fitting moral about loyalty for PR. Kat's a great character for sure!

I guess Kat Ranger might've been one of the first cases of PR changing an animal, but it's happened so often since with RPM's "eagle" and BM's "mantis" that it seems futile to complain about it now. I also see cat more than swan, but even if it looked more swanny than catty, the person inside the suit is Kat, so the name makes sense regardless.

Team OrangeKat FTW! I believe Kat is the original and GOAT Orange Ranger! SPD doesn't need two Whites on the same team. However, I acknowledge that there's enough evidence to support both arguments, so this is just my personal opinion, which just happens to be backed up by Lord Drakkon who has an intimate relationship with the Morphin' Grid.

They could've just pushed this episode towards the final arc and let Kat Ranger be more active from that point if they didn't want to shoot too much exclusive footage. Perhaps this is a complaint for Dekaranger though, as Toei had the budget but gave an incredulous reason for not keeping her around. At least I could enjoy playing Kat as one of my mains in Battle For The Grid.

The important thing to remember is that the purists are a vocal minority and the only people who think they're grown-up and bad*ss are other purists. To the average jock, we're all the same nerds anyway, so the purists are denying themselves for no reason. And if you're abstaining from Sentai just to spite them, then you might be losing out as well. The only way to win is to judge each franchise on its own merits and flaws, without concern for stigma. Watching Sentai can actually enrich your love of PR if you keep an open mind. I'm saying this as someone who openly enjoys PR, Sentai, Rider, Metal Heroes and even Satria. The more shows you can enjoy, the better.

And yet both are equally as villainous.

All choices are valid for the mechs of this season!

It's just a feel good time all around.

I'm glad you brought "Eagle" up, because that's an example I've never really seen anyone complain about, yet "Kat" and "Mantis" are just the absolute worst things ever, apparently.

I certainly won't argue with anyone who sees her as Orange. Having her be her own unique color is definitely a big appeal for sure.

Her and Shadow are both so fun to play as in that game! It was nice to see SPD get such good love from the devs.

I appreciate that. The value in trying out new franchises has definitely been hitting me over the past couple years, having now see a bunch of Toku outside of the Big 3. And really, it's something I recommend to anyone who's been hitting burnout with Kamen Rider or Ultraman or whatever they're usually dedicated to. In the age of the internet, something fresh and new is mere moments away.

Episode 31: History

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLb3C0r0crQ

It's the first crossover with Power Rangers Dino Thunder!

And while it tends to go the more basic route of many a Power Rangers crossover, that in itself is still alot of fun to be had, especially in the minor details.

The premise being that Broodwing pulls Connor, Ethan, and Kira into the future world of SPD, in an attempt to force them to work for him. That ingenious idea goes south pretty quick, but Gruumm sees it as a chance for opportunity.

While the action is almost nonstop all throughout the episode, the character interactions are alot of fun, and there's plenty here to enjoy for both Dino Thunder and SPD fans. And really, what more could you want from a crossover episode?

Because, see, one big strength that an episode like this has in a meta sense is it being appealing on multiple fronts. Viewers who enjoyed PRDT but didn't make the jump to SPD can watch this without feeling lost, and also get rewarded with getting a glimpse into what becomes of the main trio of that show in the future. Meanwhile, SPD fans keep getting more that signature style they've likely come to love.

Speaking of style, one detail I've been holding off on until now has to do with the (in)famous "Kalishsplosions." Yes, this episode has them, but it's more than that. See, this episode features some stock footage from DT, and guess what's featured in it? If you guessed "giant fireball explosions" you'd be right. See, Dino Thunder actually featured them before SPD did, and yet SPD still gets all of the flack for "starting" the trend. Which in turn makes both the critique as well as the term itself make even less sense.

That aside, the action really is great here. My personal favorite sequence actually being the more relatively subdued civilian fight against the Krybots towards the start of the episode. Jack especially shines here; Showing off his gun skills while still throwing down hand-to-hand at the same time. Carter Grayson would only be more proud if Jack hit a monster with a firetruck.

While that basically sums up the episode, I do wanna note just one piece of fun trivia before signing off: When filming the episode, Connor's' actor, James Napier, hadn't actually seen the Commander Cruger suit beforehand. So the scene where Connor sees the big blue dog and instinctively steps up to protect Ethan? That was actually a genuine reaction from the actor.

But, yeah. It's a fun, action packed episode filled with some fun character interactions, and that's certainly enough for me.

So fun fact, the reason the Dino Thunder elements are so sparse (and the reason the former Rangers are introduced at an implausible 1 year reunion) is because at the draft phase, Broodwing would’ve cloned the Dino Thunder Rangers rather then dragging them through time. It was changed because Disney felt kids would be confused by the whole thing (though personally, I think they were confused by it, given records of a similar attempt to avoid apparent confusion from Man of Steel screenwriter David S. Goyer).

And while it’s not really explained why SPD blow up the Draghoul rather than contain it, the Dekaranger episode explained that since the monster was a wild animal, it couldn’t be held accountable for its actions and was impossible to contain, so they had the go ahead to destroy it.