But, honestly, I think you actually did miss some important stuff. Imho, the finale relies heavily on seeing/feeling the bond between the characters, which is mostly established in the middle part of the show. I mean, the action and stuff is nice without that, but to really grasp the emotional side, I think the filler does matter quite a lot.
It really depends on what you're watching it for, I guess.

Well, there is always some room for surprises. But I mean... your first series just has to get you interested in the franchise as a whole, it doesn't need to become your all-time favorite after all. I mean, my favorite show was the third one I watched and at that point, I was so hyped about Shinkenger that I thought I wouldn't find a show I enjoy more. But I did find plenty of them.

Gekiranger was awesome for me because of all the kung fu easter eggs and references. Starting with this reference.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...iL._SY355_.jpg

That is one hell of a reference

I definitely agree that the middle third of Shinkenger is the weakest part of the show, but I'd recommend at least watching the first 18. Shinken Gold is introduced in episode 17 and his origin and motivation is pretty cool. It gets real, REAL dumb when Gold keeps pulling new gadgets and mecha out of his ass each episode. I sorta wish he had just stuck with Sakanamaru, Ika-chan, and Ebizou.

Yeah, go through episode 18. I guess I underestimated how much I got through in that first go-round. :lol

Has super sentai feel bad lately with ToQger & Ninninger?

I think the problem with ToQ and Ninnin is that the adults know it isn't for them and they may feel a bit betrayed. There are other seasons that are obviously for kids, but are easily enjoyed by adults. Kyoryu walks the line that ToQ and Ninnin exploded over. It is a different direction for this era of the show and that is okay. It may last for another season or two or for the next five or six; there is no way to tell.

Toei is very aware of their Otaku fanbase and these last two years they have basically told them to take a backseat to the target audience. I can't say that is a bad move since the toys are still selling (11 billion JPY is nothing to frown at), but I can see why it has caused some of the adult members of the fandom to be a little peeved.

That's entirely up to personal opinion. Not to mention the fact neither can necessarily be lumped together. I love ToQger but don't like Ninninger very much at all.

I'm rather lucky, really, because Shinkenger, my first series, bored me to tears. Really, I don't know why I stuck around, since the first series I could never get into (I think it was Shinken and Bouken).

To be fair, it's really hard not to catch that little homage :lol

I watched the first 20 or so during my initial viewing.

Well, it boils down to what you're wanting to get out of Sentai. For me, I don't mind the simpler designs or the gimmick oriented weapons, but it's the simplification of the characters that kills my joy. While characters can grow over the course of the series, initial impressions during early episodes makes everyone seem so flat and one dimensional that I really don't grow attached to anyone and drop things quickly out of disinterest.

Well, there's no doubt that the "bond" is deepened during those episodes. And I've since revised my recommendation to Matrix to skip ahead after ShinkenGold is introduced.

Still, I didn't have any trouble grasping the emotional side when I watched Shinkenger finale arc for the first time. I was actually pretty overwhelmed by it, as a matter of fact, and even then thought it was a Sentai franchise highlight. Since Matrix has no interest in watching the whole show, I think this is his best shot at deriving enjoyment from Shinkenger.

Having since revisited the episodes I skipped, while some of them are pretty great, I think there's an argument to be made (mind you, it's one I don't necessarily subscribe to) that watching the same character beats hit over and over again in episodes 2-38 could actually detract from the emotional impact of the finale. Cause by the end we've seen so many "Ryunosuke is so in bro-love with Takeru" episodes (just for example) that one's reaction might be like, "UGH, we get it already, these characters are annoying, I don't care about what they do in the finale." Again, not sure how much I support this argument, but it's interesting to think about.

In general, I think all Sentai series could drop about 15-20 episodes and be way better. These days I'm too much of an OCD completionist to skip anything, but I always wish the shows were tighter paced. (Although there is probably also a case to be made that fighting your way through the bad episodes gives you a sort of Stockholm Syndrome-esque attachment to the show and its characters. :lol )

Then you're perfectly primed!

I totally agree.