You're right.

Pretty solid choices.

And yeah, having Samurai debut with its third episode was uh, certainly a choice.

So, one thing I wanna note before we get into this: some of the episodes on YouTube have a weird framerate issue; usually thought to be due to the source DVDs that the channel used for their rips. Whatever the case might be, if you ever come across an episode that seems to be going just slightly too fast, go into the video's settings and set it to either .90 or .95 speed and you should be good to go. With that out of the way, let's get into today's episode.

Episode 3: Confronted

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HcNdxpMwh0

Jack might have been assigned Red, but the only person he's ever worked with before now was Z, his best friend, so he's not quite Leader material as of yet.

This is the first episode focused primarily on Jack, while simultaneously introducing us to many more aspects of the setting of SPD such as New Tech City and how Emperor Grumm goes about conducting business.

Let's start with Jack. As someone completely foreign to the idea of both the police force as well as being on a team, he doesn't exactly fit in in regards to well, everything. He shows up late to meetings, doesn't take his training seriously, and when he finds out that he has authority, he kinda goes overboard with it.

But the thing about Jack, his biggest strength? It was showcased in the premiere and it's put on full display once again during the climax of this episode: He'll always come around to doing the right thing in the end. He learns from his mistakes, and although his methods might be unorthodox, it's also the out of the box thinking he has that ends up being the key to victory.

Case in point, he does right by his team by not only getting the Megazord combination to work(humorously, by literally jamming the Zords together), but puts himself through the same trials he put everyone else through during the events of the episode. And it's what gets everyone to trust him again despite their very understandable decision of kicking him off the team earlier on. Even Sky is willing to set his frustrations aside after seeing that.

Fun fact about the mud crawl scene, by the way: Did you know that Bridge's' actor, Matt Austin, was actually injured during the filming of that scene? The story he's told at cons is that he actually broke his nose while him and Sky's' actor, Chris Violette, were horsing around on set. And Matt had to act through that(what a trooper)! It's why the mud is smeared across Bridge's' face the way is: So that it's hard to tell that his nose is broken. Just goes to show why exactly stunt doubles exist, don't it?

Probably the other biggest thing shown off in this episode is how the various Ranger aspects of the show work out. From the suits to the Zords. When it comes to the suits, while they are generally liked, I've heard some complaints about the helmets, and really, I never got it because I love the way that they're designed. From the siren lights on the sides to the sides of the eyes lighting up whenever anyone is in their Zord's' cockpit, it really seemed like alot of smaller details were considered when designing them, and it just makes me love how they look. I've especially always liked how the numbers are integrated into the chests.

As for the Zords, well, I always love it whenever the Zords get to fight individually in any Rangers season, even if it only happens on an average of once or twice. And the Delta Squad Megazord? Even if it's not my favorite Megazord in Space Patrol Delta proper, it's still one of my favorite Megazords like, ever. Not only in terms of looks, but also in its arsenal and how its moves. Love the giant metal handcuffs, as well as the Robocop styled way in which it stores weapons in its legs. And that's not all when it comes to mecha either, because SPD is the first season wherein most of the villains actually pilot their own mechs against our heroes; which is a really neat twist on things!

The last detail I want to mention is this, because it has to do with another misconception about Power Rangers SPD as a whole: Many fans have (lovingly) mocked the show for its aspect of somehow having giant energy blasts blow enemies up yet somehow trap them in cards at the same time. This... is only half true. When it comes to alot of episodes, the earlier ones especially, the various finishing attacks typically only incapacitate/stun the opponent, and the Rangers then use the Morpher to trap the criminal in a card prison. This episode actually showcases that exact scenario, with the Megazord blowing up the drill machine and then Jack taking down and arresting the monster piloting it. Later episodes will indeed feature the setup that fans make fun of, but it's by no means something that happens every single time as they'd lead you to believe.

I could go on, but this post is getting long enough as it is. So I'll simply end this off by saying that, yeah, this was another fun episode that managed to have a little bit of everything, with nothing feeling forced or out of place. It's just as great a showcase of Jack as it is so many other things in regards to the story, and it's a great time as a result.

https://i.imgur.com/Fj5Unhh.png

Sky judges those who blatantly abuse their power.

Never noticed the peach fuzz on Sky there.

Just so we're clear, this post is not an April Fool's Day joke. While I was considering doing one, I ended up deciding against it, as I felt none of the ideas I came up with were very good. With that out of the way, let's get into today's episode review.

Episode 4: Walls

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkwY1b10sgs

This is our first episode focused on Sky... technically. Lemme explain.

While Sky is definitely the head of the episode and his character is the one that's most developed, this episode juggles quite alot at once.

Notably, we get alot of established character traits on the rest of the team too. Bridge is a mechanic, Z dislikes cutesy things, Syd is likes everyone to be playful, and probably most importantly, Jack's' intuition is usually on point.

Still, Sky is the headliner in all this right? While the overall idea of knocking him down a peg is definitely still in effect, this episode specifically is more about getting him to trust in his team more and not act as if he has to be number 1 all the time.

Case in point, not only does his stubbornness cause the mission to ultimately end in failure, had he stopped to not try and be so "above it all" he would've seen how much his talents and presence are desired by the rest of the team. In universe, Sky doesn't get a new motorcycle because he already does fine without one, and it's because his combat skills are so good that Jack trusted him on guard duty.

But, right, the motorcycles. While the in-universe justification for why only Jack and Bridge get them is fine enough, in a meta sense, well, it's not great. From what's been said in interviews and at cons, the real world reason for why the bikes were handled the way they were is because Disney wanted new toys to advertise, but didn't want to spend too much money on props. Adding onto that, the reason why Z and Syd are stuck in a hummer is because, in Disney's' words, "No one wants to see girls riding around on motorcycles."

And that brings me to the other major aspect of this episode: That it's essentially one gigantic action sequence. And honestly? I'm here for it. It definitely helps that not only is alot of the action very fun to watch, but the episode has just enough character interaction and development to keep things interesting. There's a story to this mini-action movie, and it never feels like one aspect is totally drowning out the other or is that anything is really out of place.

Well, I say that, but I suppose this episode is as good as any to address one big elephant in the room when it comes to the actions sequences in SPD: The explosions. For those not in the know, a certain (in)famous internet reviewer coined the term "Kalishsplosions" in regards to how the style of pyrotechnics used in this season got shaken up compared to past Power Rangers shows. Said review thought up this term because he apparently has no idea what role an executive producer actually plays and thus blamed Bruce Kalish for "the overuse of giant fireballs." (Paraphrased)

So let's address this here and now. Is there an increase in fireball explosions? Yes. Is it anywhere near as bad as what said reviewer, and consequently much of the viewerbase likes to exaggerate? No. If one was to believe them, they'd think that every second of every action sequence was nothing but Michael Bay-esque explosives. And while the extended motorcycle action sequence in this episode does make frequent use of them, I think many viewers are totally missing how exactly they're utilized here. They really only happen whenever a big group of mooks is getting blown up all at once, and is a way to showcase how strong the firepower of these new vehicles really is in comparison to the usual weapons out heroes use.

With that out of the way, all aspects of the action in this one are alot of fun! It's not just the new bikes, but also the brief hand to hand combat and of course the typical Megazord fight. Really, any complaints I have about this episode are actually rather minor such as how the Delta Max Striker is erroneously called the Delta Max Blaster here(and, infact, the show will flip-flop between these two names going forward), and how the Pink Ranger is wearing red boots at times for some reason(though that's more the fault of the stock footage). When it comes to the high energy of the fighting and the more down to earth moments with Sky, I feel like this episode did a nice job at showcasing both.

Sky certainly has a tough exterior, but he does still have a playful side, a petty side, and isn't immune to rash decisions. Just like anyone else, he is human.

So fun fact, while never given an official name, the Hummer was nicknamed by fans as “Machine Dingo”, since all the vehicles in Dekaranger were “Machine (breed of dog)”.

Also gotta love how Sky gripes about not getting a bike, and then he gets one later (granted, it’s not as fancy or cool looking as the other two)

This episode features a weird new zealand child arguing with a man-bat arms dealer to determine who the skeleton man listens to. SPD can be a weird show, man.

Also, without Sky they'd all be done.

It's a good idea to show Jack at his absolute worst here, since it's a pretty realistic outcome for a social outcast thrust in to a position of responsibility to suck at being responsible. This casts doubt on Doggie's judgment, leading to the eventual revelation of why he put faith in Jack. For the first time, Sky is actually depicted as the voice of reason here as he stands up for Bridge, Z and Syd, rightly calling out Jack and telling him that being the Red Ranger doesn't make you the leader. Rather, the leader makes Red. Like sure, this team has a hierarchy, but when Jack initially failed to be an example of trust and morale expected of his high position, he was left as a leader to none and realized he was the one who needed to improve to carry his team forward. And yeah, as a leader, he did it on his own initiative, showing recognition of his flaws and working hard to overcome them.

You mean, he broke the bridge of his nose? :p

There are people who actually dislike the SPD helmets? Yeah, that's crazy. I think it's cool how the visors manage to depict a different emotion with the same basic shape, as well as the number of lines corresponding to their chest numbers. Those black numbers extending throughout the entire left torso is a clever way to compensate for the lack of a Black Ranger (at least on the core team) and they look great when the Rangers are lined up in sequence.

While I'm generally not a fan of overly simple limb-swappers, I do like the overall appearance of this one with the uniform white color accented by the Rangers' personal colors. The fact that each Zord brings something unique to the functionality, with Pink's in particular providing the totally essential Judgment scanner, mostly makes up for the lack of variety in combining.

Congrats on your 5000th post!

Bridge also confirms that he is Jewish, a rare mention of religion in PR.

Sky is such a big baby here, like, he's the only one with a flying Zord and yet he's complaining that he doesn't have a new bike. It's sometimes comedic how jealous and insecure he gets whenever someone gets something that he doesn't. Like, he feels like he's losing to not only Jack but also Bridge, even though he's literally the only one who thinks that. If the previous episode was about Jack learning to be a good leader, then this one is about Sky learning to be a good team player and do what the team need him to do.

I'm not surprised at all. While the setting is 2025, the production is certainly stuck in the 00s.

That describes like half the episodes of this show.

I suppose that's better than calling it the "Risky Dingo."

The villains have such a fun dynamic in this show!

Oh for sure. It's really smart character work all around. I think having Jack's' episode be first was a smart move too, because it shows that even though he was chosen to be Red, he's by no means perfect and just has just as much growing to do as everyone else on the team does.

Oof, good one.

Yeah. It's a complaint that's died down over time, but back in ye olden times I remember reading posts about how people didn't like the "angry eye" look and whatnot. Totally agree with all you had to say!

Yeah, having every component be a tad more important than just being a limb is a rather nice touch to be sure.

I actually didn't even notice that. Thanks!

Just like Lord Zedd!

Oh yeah, he's for sure being childish. What I find interesting about it though is that the episode shows his childish side as being both a good and bad thing, depending on context. Like yeah, it's bad in the sense that he compromises the team's' operation and has a jealousy fit over some relatively minor stuff, but on the other hand, it's also what gets Syd to get him to open up a little when the two are alone. It's a surprisingly balanced viewpoint on this sort of thing.

Episode 5: Dogged

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGFvHFGMc3E

If the opening fooled you into thinking that this was the first Bridge episode, I wouldn't blame you.

Yes, this episode is the origin of the famous "buttery" line/tick for Bridge. And yes, it is very funny and helps to further establish Bridge as a quirky guy. I'm not hating on this moment in the slightest!

Another funny story we learned thanks to Matt Austin though: Bridge's' "buttery" bit came about when he was making casual conversation with some of the showrunners, and he did the now famous hand gesture as a joke, thinking nothing more of it. Then the very next day it was added to the script.

Anyway, this episode has shared focus between Syd and RIC, the robo dog!

And I won't lie, this is one of my favorite episodes in all of SPD. Sure, it helps that I'm a sucker for canines, but this episode just does a whole lot for not just helping to establish and develop Syd, but also introduces even more cool and unique aspects to the show as a whole ontop of helping to set up a few things in regards to future episodes.

So one might immediately think, "then why the opening with Bridge?" Well not only is it funny and helps to showcase him a bit more, it sets the stage for the important role that he and Boom play later on, as well as giving us more look into Syd's' distaste for machinery. See, that's the thing in all of this: Being a spoiled rich girl, Syd has trouble seeing machines, and especially robots, as anything other than junk to be replaced.

This is what brings us to RIC, the robot companion(so I guess you could call him this season's' Alpha-5) who hasn't done too much outside of the premiere. And the reason for that is that RIC's' technology has become outdated over the years, and he still barely functions, and as a result is set to be decommissioned. Despite this, RIC still has all the heart and feelings of a loyal canine. Despite the rejection he faces, he still does what he can to support the team, and even tries to make a bond with Syd despite her initial objections.

But after a bout of heroism, Syd begins to have a bit of a change of heart. I think it spoke volumes how she not only went through the effort of getting RIC rebuilt, but I don't think I'll ever forget the scene where she spends an entire day digging in the spot that RIC points towards when the squad is looking for evidence. The spoiled rich girl, having such strong faith in a robot to the point that she doesn't care that she started getting covered in rain and mud. Syd's' not heartless, and it's been shown that she puts more faith in others than most do; Like how she did with Sky just last episode.

And in the end, not only is RIC re-accepted as an honorary member of SPD, but he even gets to turn into the Team Cannon for the season! I always loved the K-9 Cannon not only for its connections to an actual character, but in how unique it is compared to other Cannons that Power Rangers has had before and since. There's not even a Megazord fight following its debut. Heck, there's one specific scene with it in a later episode that I hope I remember to call out, as it's another example of what I'm going on about.

If it seems like I'm avoiding talking about the plot for this one, well, I'm not. It's just that there isn't too much to it. And the reason it's probably not given too much focus in the episode itself is because it's the sort of thing that could've easily been way darker had they dived into it. In short: It's an episode where a monster turns people into slime. Slime that can be used up to power machinery. Don't think about it too much.

Oh, and this episode also is the first instance wherein we see that Bridge likes to think about things via doing headstands. This episode is just a great time all around, man.