Do you think my boy Sky would ever make that mistake? Of course not. Clearly Krueger made an exception.

"With the truest sword in the Galaxy I will right all wrongs."

It's a great line. Also, 1 minute 34 seconds.

Thanks for timing it. So good.

Episode 13: Abandoned

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0r3q5ElXkg

This one was... alright.

Like, I get the general idea here: The team is getting complacent and needs to realize that if they start to slack, their mission of defending Earth is doomed.

More specifically it's about not over-relying on the Shadow Ranger to carry all the weight, and reinforcing that as a team, the Rangers can accomplish many great things, just as they always have.

I just don't think the execution was the best, especially given that the overall plot of this episode features something that features a surprising bit of continuity with two past seasons: Lightspeed Rescue and Ninja Storm. More specifically that The Abyss comes into play.

And heck, you could easily write an entire episode centered around that! It's the first time that magic has come into play in SPD's' setting, and the continuity inherent in "The Evil's'" existence is ripe with crossover material, even if it'd have to be more subtle or minor stuff like what we'd end up seeing in Disney seasons beyond this one.

Even ignoring that though, I feel like the overall message would've been alot better had the monster of the week just been a rather average criminal that the team needed to deal with, rather than a superpowered unique beast. Then Cruger would've been even more justified in his refusal to contribute to the case. With how things are, one could very much argue that he was being reckless in risking total annihilation over something relatively petty.

But for what it's worth, the message itself is fine, and many of the usual things that tend to make help make an average episode of SPD work is still here; Namely the way everyone plays off eachother. I just felt like this should've been two separate episodes, mainly. One about The Abyss and the other about taking things for granted. It's not a particularly great episode of the show, but it's not anything horrendous either. I overall just kinda shrug at this one.

Yeah, this is one of those episodes they adapted wholesale from the Sentai equivalent to fill a slot. The main differences being that the rock is more apocalyptic (it’s only power in Dekaranger was to make the vampire immune to sunlight), there wasn’t a kooky old green guy (the line about him planning to move to Zealand is one it took me years to get) and there’s a gag scene before the credits where the question of how Kruger’s nose fits inside the DekaMaster suit is raised.

And said episode had, in one of the blatant examples of every alien’s name being a pop culture reference, the vampire alien be called Ferley from the planet Kristoff.

Of course, but the PR haters probably don't remember them.

For sure. Bennett was a coward for closing the door on this.

Yeah, Kat's great, I actually prefer her to her Sentai counterpart. While Doggie is a wise mentor, he's still fallible and when he pulls rank to dismiss the valid concerns of his Rangers, it's good that Kat is around to be the firm voice of reason whenever he needs scolding.

I got the reference!

Even Gruumm knows firsthand, or rather firsthorn, that Doggie is a formidable enemy. Doggie becoming a Ranger almost seems like overkill and yeah, his debut as Shadow Ranger is awesome, showing off his strength, skill and cunning all at once!

I always saw him as a Black Ranger due to the dominant color of his suit and Morpher and since I really didn't know what to call that other color, but you're right that he stands out for his unconventional design, along with another Ranger appearing later in this show. It's a cool and intimidating suit for sure! While his Sentai counterpart isn't officially a Sixth, I think it's fair to count Shadow Ranger, since PR is more inclusive about such classifications and I recall Disney did plan for him as a Sixth before they found out about the other guy.

They should've kept it that way. Would've improved my enjoyment of the episode, I think.

I'm glad someone did, haha!

Episodes 14+15: Wired

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtKuwsQk-6k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG6BS1jg7Yg

I've already talked about this two-parter pretty extensively for a separate project, so rather than repeat a bunch of stuff I've already said, I'll just try to highlight what few things I neglected to bring up in that old review. Be warned though, that old review has a few minor spoilers for future episodes.

Firstly, this is the fourth time that Jack uses his civilian power. And speaking of those powers, man, Bridge's' power just gets more and more OP the further in we get. He can read your emotions, he can see your memories, and in these episodes, it's shown that he can even get brief flashes of the nearby future. Bridge is cracked, man.

Second, this episode continues the trend of SPD being good at interweaving stock footage. It's especially notable here though, because they even went through the effort of having the lighting of some of the original footage match the Sentai stuff. Especially that shot of Shadow Ranger catching the card.

Third, they reused the food materializer from Power Rangers in Space here! Probably unintentional, but it's still a neat callback to that season. The same prop and all, too.

And last, Name and I recorded a podcast where we watch the episode live. Check that out if you want some other scattered thoughts.

This is my favorite pair of episodes this season, and there's so many reasons why.

The downside of that would be even more pathetic to see the Rangers begging Doggie to help them defeat an average criminal. It's not like Doggie's inaction here is malicious or anything, he believes in his Rangers and wants them to believe in themselves so they can handle the mission when he's not around. I think this is a good mentor move and I respect how he pretends like he's not there, like a shadow I guess you could say, as he waits for them to reach the conclusion on their own. After all, he's not the leader, Jack is, so he doesn't want to intervene unless necessary.

SPD can easily explain this with Morphin' Grid universal dimension-bending properties, which is convenient since SPD-Doggie's nose is a lot longer than Deka-Doggie's.

Any episode that carefully deals with prejudice is a good thing to have. It's the kind of thing that kids should learn early. Honestly, if RIC gets a pass, then so should Sophie, but of course the contradiction is the whole point, as bigotry doesn't make sense anyway. That's why people need to think about their ideals to determine if they're outdated and need to change.

Oh and Delta Command Megazord is cool! Sucks for anybody inside who has to suddenly move though.

Sure, but on the other hand, it being an average criminal would help sell the idea that the team is slacking on their input.

Indeed. And it's why I never understood the complaints later seasons got about a given human actor not being the same height as a suit actor. Guess we all already forgot about Cruger here as well as Justin from Turbo, huh?

Absolutely agree. I think the writers did a good job with this one wherein the general idea is upfront enough for kids, yet subtle enough for adults to pick up on real world parallels.

Makes me wonder if that got added to the contract at some point. "Must be willing to have room shift around at a moment's' notice." Haha.

Episode 16: Boom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gIYO1ahUU8

Kelson Henderson is a treasure.

While this technically wasn't the first season of Power Rangers he was in(that would be Dino Thunder), SPD is what put him on the map.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that every character he's played, both since and including Boom, has been a big fan favorite. Kelson's' comedic stylings are always a delight, and Boom was the first role where he really got to show it off.

And yet, it's kinda funny in hindsight, because up to now he's kinda barely been in the show? Don't get me wrong, he's certainly been around, but it's been an average of like one scene per episode, if that. Which, in my opinion, make it all the cooler that they decided to dedicate an entire episode to the guy.

This episode details the antics that come from a lie Boom told his parents: That he is, infact, the Orange SPD Ranger and leader of the team. As said during the premiere, Boom in reality flunked out of Cadet Training, and hard. But he managed to find work regardless by being the Chief Gadget Tester as well as Kat's' assistant around the lab.

Now, it might not be what the episode itself was going for, but the angle in itself not only makes for some decent wacky hijinks, but also as a but of a keen response to certain bits of the tokusatsu fandom at large. Because, see, there are a surprising amount of people who feel that if a character isn't a Power Ranger, or a Kamen Rider, or an Ultra, then they're frankly, worthless. And this episode's' story goes completely against that idea.

Sure, Boom isn't a Ranger. Heck, he can't even put up much of a fight. But he still knows his way around machines, is a great guy at heart, and is always willing to help where he can. He did help Bridge upgrade RIC, afterall(heck, RIC turns into a bike in this one)! And even if none of that were true, he's still a great friend to all of B-Squad and a valued member of the team. His occupation and position within the SPD Organization is one to be proud of, not ashamed. And in the end, his parents love him regardless.

It's why I really can't agree with the people who say that Boom should've become the official Sixth Ranger in SPD; because doing that would go entirely against everything presented in this episode. It's a bit harsh, but there are some things people just can't do. Boom can't be a Power Ranger, and he learns to fully accept that by the end of this. I get the dissatisfaction that some had with who the show's' actual Sixth ends up being, but I really don't find making him Boom to be the wise alternative. But, that's getting off topic, so we'll save more of that discussion later down the line.

In the end, this is a fun episode that helped Henderson become a regular when it came to the Power Rangers franchise as a whole, and I honestly couldn't be happier with it.

Oh, and Morgana is fully a thing now. But more on her in a later episode.

The one with the debut of a franchise mainstay - this guy.

Have to admit, when I first saw this episode, I thought the Orange Ranger would be real. But he does get to be one of the PCs in Super Legends (a game I have never played), so there’s that.

Also what happened to the bad guy when Boom pressed the delete key? Did he die? Get forced back into the real world where he could be arrested? Then again, it doesn’t matter that much, since neither is the most “bad guy gets away with it” outcome.

The Orange Ranger suit is real good!

I imagine he just kinda went poof.

Episode 17: Recognition

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

I like this one. Though I don't feel it's perfect.

The setup is that a dangerous criminal known as Wootox manages to swap bodies with Sky, and plans to steal the Delta Command Megazord.

Now, that's all well and good, but that very setup of the episode has a pretty significant plothole. That being the question of why the Rangers decide that handcuffing Wootox is enough over trapping him in a card like usual.

But, if you're willing to overlook that, the rest of the episode makes for a decent thriller I suppose. The scenes with Sky in Wootox's' body are alot more compelling than the scenes with the reverse scenario though, and I think the main part of that is in RIC, who's another key player this time around.

See, the opening scene details how RIC tries to form a bond with Sky, just like how RIC did with Syd earlier in the show. And while RIC is also a key player in the climax, outside of those two scenes he doesn't do too much. I personally would've preferred more scenes with RIC rather than Wootox just kinda being creepy while in Sky's' body. It lets Chris Violette show off more of his acting, I guess?

It also doesn't help that despite there being scenes of the other Rangers noticing that something is up with Sky, none of them really act on it? Even Jack, who normally looks into such things. Though to Jack's' credit, he is the one with the idea to throw the ball at the end. But outside of that, the only one to put two-and-two together is Cruger, and only because he stumbles upon a crime in progress. It's a pretty mixed bag all around.

But, for what the episode ended up being, I did still enjoy it. I just wish that there were either more scenes of RIC, or of RIC and Sky together, kinda like how the Syd episode was.

So this is another direct adaptation of the Japanese script, only omitting the details that the Rangers have no idea who the criminal is or what he’s done (hence why they bring him in) and Blue isn’t the first body “Wootox” has body swapped into to escape punishment for his crimes: he’s been doing it for 1000 years on multiple people. Though one thing they bizarrely didn’t change is the inner monologue wherein Blue notes that he’ll be “deleted on sight” in his alien body. “Deleted” being Dekaranger’s term for blowing up the monsters. Essentially, it was a death penalty that incinerated the corpse afterwards to ensure they couldn’t be cloned or bought back as a zombie.

I love the little exchange after they morph.

"Big deal!"

"Yes, it is."

Never change Sky.

Two-Face Ginyu was certainly something to adapt, but I'm glad they did, even if there's a few rough spots. Plus, watching Sky walk around like he's trying to star in a slasher movie is a hoot.

Aaand Sky was willing to kill his body to stop a crook. Put some respect on him.

So assuming most of the rest of the episode flows basically the same... is the Dekranger squad just ignorant of like, everything around them alot of times, or?

Sky was real good this episode, for sure.

Episode 18: Samurai

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPV33Q-YqAY

Believe it or not, this is another of my personal favorite episodes from SPD.

The premise being that an alien samurai from hundreds of years ago ends up getting pulled into the future, and Gruumm takes advantage of it.

There's alot to unpack with this episode, so bear with me. First off, it establishes a natural anomaly in the Power Rangers universe: That rifts in space-time can just open randomly at times. This is important for later.

Second, the episode establishes that Cruger has started teaching Jack swordsmanship. Which makes sense. Jack doesn't have the Delta Rods like the other Rangers do, and thus would need the extra practice in melee combat. It's not like he's Syd, who's already a fencer.

Third, Gruumm here ultimately doesn't care if the Rangers are destroyed are not. Sure, it'd be nice, but his real goal is to steal a large supply of a special metal that strengthens other metals. This is the second time he's pulled a major heist(the first being the diamonds from awhile back). It once again shows that the Emperor of Evil can make more tactics than simply blowing things up.

Fourth, we get more cool showcasings of the civilian powers here, with the only person missing out being Syd, which is a shame. This is the fifth time that Jack gets to use his power, Sky shows that he's able to fire his shield off as a projectile, and we once again get to see Bridge read minds. And while it might seem a bit odd that the others are surprised at Bridge since he's read minds infront of them before, maybe they're more shocked that he didn't need direct contact this time? Eh, it's whatever.

And last, this episode features two things that appeal to me big time: Stylish swordplay and an intriguing atmosphere. Being an episode featuring swords so heavily, we get to see some pretty cool action sequences, with the final duel between Katana and Jack being pretty nice to see play out. Heck, the whole episode has some surprisingly good shots throughout it, which only does even more to carry the overall mood of the story.

Now, it's not perfect. There are some minor hiccups here and there such as Cruger somehow knowing Morrato's' name, and the fake Shadow Saber that Jack has somehow turning back into a Saber during the last few moments of the episode. But again, it's minor stuff, so I'm not really stressing over any of it. I'm far more enthralled by over just how much stuff this episode sets up for the future as well as the cool dynamic Jack has with both Cruger and Katana throughout this one. Cruger with his usual sly dog way of mentoring, and Katana's' honor being, well, honored Jack was some great stuff to see play out.

From what circles I've been around, this episode isn't really talked about all that often, which is totally fine, but I just personally dig it alot.

I wonder what's up with that sprite that came out of the time vortex at the end of the episode though? How curious...

In which Jack develops an obsession with using the Shadow Saber never seen before or after because… the source footage has Red using it.

Also as a relic of the Sentai episode that’s slightly less notable than the “deleted on sight” line from last episode, the samurai Katana meditates wih in the exposition sequence is played by DekaRed’s actor (since in the equivalent Dekaranger episode, he was Red’s ancestor)

It's less an obsession and moreso a fixation due to the circumstances. It also disappears after this episode because Jack learned his lesson.

Episode 19: Dismissed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdpZ1LE97so

This is an episode that hits way harder for me as an adult than it did as a kid.

Because I've seen how true to real life this scenario is: Where someone at the top thinks they know better than everyone else solely due to their title.

And thankfully, Supreme Commander Birdy isn't portrayed as being in the right or even any sort of sympathetic in this scenario. His expectations are ridiculous, his leadership is awful, and he shuts out any voice that isn't his.

All he ends up doing is making the lives of everyone at the Earth Branch of SPD even harder, especially after firing Cruger. It only gets worse when Gruumm arrives on Earth, accepting an earlier challenge that Cruger sent out. And he has a sick bike ontop of that.

Speaking of which, this is the second "bike" episode, as Shadow Ranger also gets his ATV during the episode's' climax. And just like with the first bike episode, this one features an uptick in fireballs; though not as many as what the first one had. And at this point, it seems clear to me that the "slo-mo explosions" that some obsess about during the "Kalish Era" of Power Rangers are really only pronounced specifically for the vehicle episodes in SPD.

My hot take? I actually support it, because it ends up meaning that both of the aforementioned episodes end up having their own unique style in terms of the stunt and camera work. And it's not like the more tradition PR style of action is totally gone either, because plenty of that gets to be seen during both Megazord fights as well as the fight against the monster of the week.

There's some little things that stand out in hindsight too, such as Birdy noting that Katt deserves a promotion, the flashback of Cruger cutting off one of Gruumm's' horns, and I just love the Mexican flavoring of the MOTW's' design. This episode has a surprisingly solid balance of action and story, with both happening almost simultaneously.

It didn't suddenly become one of my favorite episodes, but it is one I've definitely grown to appreciate more during this rewatch.

Given the episode the footage used her comes from involved Pink getting drunk and had a one time thing with the Shadow Ranger suit in the Pink Zord, I’m guessing the production team had an easy time choosing what to make a subplot out of for a mostly original episode.

I think the only weird thing is when someone shrinks when they morph. Like, I remember seeing the Grid Battleforce Rangers standing next to Mayor Daniels and the Mayor looks like a giant, it's crazy.

I forgot about that. RIC keeps getting better!

Henderson got to be a Red Ranger 12 years later anyway, so patient fans were eventually rewarded. I'll save my mild complaints about the Sixth for his debut, but yeah, it's hard to see Boom being a better alternative when this episode shows why he would suck at being a Ranger, which is fine as he's already a valuable asset as a techie. However, Trakeena also sucked at fighting, until Villamax gave her a training montage. So anybody with the right spirit can learn to fight, but Boom doesn't have time for that.

Man, we haven't even talked much about Mora yet.

Must've been in a portable console version, I guess. I only played the PC version and the SPD representatives were Shadow and Omega, with Red and Yellow as unlockables.

Anyway, if you like PR games, then I'd totally recommend Super Legends. It's got a decent plot and the gameplay is simple yet good. Only complaint is that Tommy isn't playable.

Violette totally sells his depiction of a villain! I recall the fight scene between Blue and Shadow in the cockpit was pretty cool, with Shadow holding back due to not wanting to harm Sky's body.

Jack's counterpart actually catches on to the body swap earlier thanks to Wootox's counterpart failing to say Sky's counterpart's catchphrase, "Don't call me 'partner'.", when prompted.

Now that you mention it, that's a good point. Jack specializes in guns, so he could benefit from some sword training, like, just in case of him getting a new sword as part of a power-up for example. Between Doggie and Katana, he gets some good experience from the masters here.

Dude should look in to getting some Ninja Steel.

Meh, probably nothing important.

Not just an ancestor, but a member of the Shinsengumi, one of the elite swordsmen chosen to serve the Tokugawa Bakufu.

Yeah, they certainly made the right call there.

In due time.

I've only played the DS version myself. And I had a rather good time with it.

For sure. I especially love the cold and stiff way that he Morphs while his body is swapped.

Perhaps someday Jack will get an animal themed saber of his own.

Ideas like this are why I'm so sad that the Original BOOM PR comics got cut off the way they did. There was so much potential to see other things had they gone on to cover seasons past MMPR S2.

Episode 20: Perspective

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvT9XeCh2o4

While "Wired" is my favorite two-parter, I think this is my favorite singular episode.

Why? Because it is absolutely hilarious.

The setup is that the Rangers are sent to stop a gold heist, but the surveillance footage gets interrupted. So, after the mission, each member of the team give a (biased) report on what went down. Each to really funny results.

Yeah, it's a comedic spin on the Rashomon style of plot that many a story has done before, but the character humor in and of itself is what carries the entire thing and makes it incredibly enjoyable. To the point that I dare not spoil any of the comedic moments.

While at first glance that might make this episode look like a one-off, and it very easily could have been, not only is this the third heist that Gruumm has orchestrated, but SPD is now made fully aware of that sprite that arrived through the time portal a couple episodes back.

As for what it is, well, that's a point of contention for many fans, and to be fully explored soon enough.

The only thing they all agree on is that Bridge lost count of how many Krybots he scrapped.

Also, in a weird inversion, whereas most Ranger seasons will adapt an episode that didn’t feature the 6th Ranger after his PR debut and try to shoehorn him in or ignore him entirely, this one is an episode featuring Dekaranger’s 6th, which cuts out his role in things (notably, his Megazord was part of the battle with the robot).

And for some stock footage relics, the reason the guard goes crazy once he’s been released is because in Dekaranger, he comes from a species where the words they use to communicate are the opposite to what they actually mean. So he was told to stay out and decided to run free.

Honestly, it's a shame that we can't get more high quality PR games like this and Battle For The Grid. Could even use some of the unadapted Sentai.

Kat is so consistently good at her job that even Birdy can't fault her, good to see that. While it's not an outstanding episode, certainly not as entertaining as the aforementioned Pink getting drunk, I think adults and kids alike can agree that Birdy deserved to get knocked off his perch so he could realize that soldiers are people as well.

I recall Sky's jealousy of Jack getting exaggerated for comedy and Syd saying "Bridge" a lot in a swoony voice. I appreciate how the actors got that balance between being in-character and humorously OOC at the same time. Real chill episode with enjoyable dialogue sequences.

That's my favorite bit in the whole episode!

The best part about the Syd thing is however everyone recounts the story as if she's their fangirl, and then instead of doing the opposite Syd's' version is basically her just going "Yeah, I'm awesome." Haha.

Episodes 21+22: Messenger

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiL_6Q161uU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9QemhcJ-Uo

July 11, 2025. The day SPD fell.

Morgana is done playing games, and decides it's time to take on the Rangers directly, alongside two devious friends of hers.

We haven't really talked about Morgana much, and this being where she shows herself in full, I wanted to wait until now to do so. Cruger describes her as a twisted criminal with the imagination of a 10 year old, and he's not wrong.

She's also known as Mora, the little girl with the ability to create monsters for Gruumm. She cut a deal with the Emperor that he'd use his magic to keep her young so long as she served him. But it's not just her magic that Gruumm benefits from, because Morgana is an incredibly capable combatant, too.

I always saw her a sort of "Evil Ranger" in this show, even though she very much isn't a Power Ranger, what with having her very own spandex suit and materializing helmet. Not to mention her having a signature color with purple. But in the context of this two parter, the most important thing about her is that she and Z are both connected to the same boy: Sam.

And that's important because there's a new Power Ranger on the block: The Omega Ranger, the self-proclaimed "Force from the Future." The guy is incredible, having tech and abilities far beyond anything our Rangers currently have. His Zord is nothing to sneeze at either, since it can become a Megazord on its own. And one thing that immediately sets him apart from how SPD normally operates is that he's the first officer to just straight up execute a target.

Omega isn't all smoke though. He really does come from the year 2040, and traveled back in time in order to prevent the apocalypse caused from SPD's' downfall. And as a self proclaimed savior, he initially has a hard time working with the others; Telling them to stay out of the way so that way he can handle Morganna, Shorty, and Devastation all on his own. But in the end, even he doesn't have all the answers, and learns a valuable lesson in teamwork, and as such becomes the newest member of B-Squad, as well as the official Sixth Ranger of SPD, with his official color being White.

The biggest strength of this two-parter is that it does a great job at carrying its mood all throughout. Part 1 really does feel like a doomsday scenario all throughout its run time, to the point that they even fire the team cannon at the giant monster(which I think is a first?)! I remember as a kid not knowing how in the heck our heroes were supposed to make it out of this one alive. Meanwhile, Part 2 carries itself through with excellent action scenes and a high energy that never really misses a beat. Like, catching lazers in your hands? Throwing a giant smoke stack? Having an attack that's a reference to Kamen Rider Stronger? New Rangers in SPD certainly know how to make great entrances! And the bike handle Morpher is cool too!

It's all in all a great time, and signifies a significant turning point in the overall story for Space Patrol Delta. I enjoy them quite a bit, so you can pretty much consider the review over right here.

However, given the sort of reception that these episodes, and more specifically the Omega Ranger himself has garnered over the years, I feel like I need to address some things, meta-wise. So if none of that interests you, feel free to not bother with the rest of this post. Do note that it will also contain some light spoilers.

If you hadn't caught on before, the identity of the Omega Ranger is revealed to be none other than Sam. And that alone has caused quite a stir over the years. See, Omega is quite the controversial character; Possibly the most contentious Sixth Ranger in the franchise, due to how he was handled all throughout SPD's' run. To give the quick version of the argument: People didn't like that he was Sam, they didn't like that he was the sprite that arrived from the time vortex, and they didn't like his overall lack of screen time throughout the show.

Part of these complaints are explained by Disney once again screwing over the show runners. My understanding of the situation is that Omega was originally going to be another character entirely, but Disney wasn't willing to hire a new actor under Ranger Pay, and as such the team ended up hiring Brett Stewart to voice act, and came up with the idea that Future Sam's' body ended up as a light ball as a side effect of the time travel. This is of course a bit of a plot hole, given that time travel hasn't had this sort of effect on anyone else nor will it in future episodes. And after this bit of information got spread around, fans were quick to come up with judgment calls and what they felt were more proper solutions to the situation at hand and... I agree with none of them?

I'll say it right out the gate: I feel like the team behind SPD did the best with what they could at the time, even if I myself don't think the entire scenario is perfect. Having the Sixth Ranger be Sam makes alot of sense, especially thematically. He was the sixth child to be born with the same genetic mutation that the rest of B-Squad has, and the timeline would have him being in his mid twenties at minimum once he became Omega(funnily enough, this makes Sam both the youngest and oldest member of the team at the same time). It's a much better starting point than what many others have suggested: That being making Boom the Sixth. If you want the short version of that argument, Boom's' entire focus episodes goes against the very idea of him becoming a Power Ranger.

Claims that Sam gets literally no screen time nor character development doesn't hold any water with me either. Not only did he have that entire shared two-parter with Z, wherein we learned alot about him, but he actually has alot of moments throughout the show that speak volumes about his character, even within the second half of these two episodes. It's all but outright stated that he modeled himself after the B-Squad as he grew up; Most especially Z and Jack. As a Ranger he's over confident and showy, yet is still a good and caring guy at heart. When he tells the other Rangers to stand down, it's not a simple "I'm awesome and you guys suck" stance. He very much does it because he's concerned for the safety of his friends, and wants to be the one to save them just as they saved him. He comes from the bad future, and he doesn't want it happening again.

Granted, yes, I too would've liked to have seen atleast one or two episodes devoted to Future Sam in their entirety, but I do think we got enough out of him, and I'll be sure to point out some highlights as we go along.

But again, I'm not claiming the actor scenario(nor anything about Sam) is totally perfect. So what would I have tried to get away with in that scenario? Well...

Anyone remember Justin from Power Rangers Turbo?

Yeah, I personally would've just kept Aaron James Murphy, the kid actor who played Sam, around. Either via him becoming the Omega Ranger somehow or maybe even having him around to interact with his future self, whether it be directly or indirectly. And if they still wanted to play the arrogance angle, have it be where Sam is high off of all the power he suddenly wields after becoming the Sixth Ranger. But who knows, maybe that angle was considered and it just wasn't feasible for whatever reason.

In the end, I like these episodes and I like Sam, and I'll always be willing to stand up for both.

Fun Fact: In Dekaranger, her two devious friends are also her siblings, so they resemble the Saima Family from GoGo V.

It was a surprising plot twist to learn that Mora isn't actually a little girl at all and that Morgana was her true form all along, albeit one that she clearly doesn't identify with. Really shows her immaturity that her only ambition is to be physically a 10 year-old and have tea parties forever, but she's certainly dangerous as she will do anything to get that and Gruumm knows exactly how to leverage her when Mora's drawings keep losing.

Makes sense that the show decided to get more use out of this weirdly evil pseudo-Ranger MOTW suit by adapting it for the recurring villain Morgana.

Before I get to my mild complaints that you've kind of already summarized, I'll take this opportunity to add to your commendation that Omega Ranger is awesome for sure! I love the suit, powers, the Roman numeral VI in place of 6, the gold badge, all of it. I especially love his Megazord though, for how it also functions as a mount for the Delta Squad Megazord. That climax where this combination debuts against Devastation's mecha and jumps through a hole in debris made from buildings is honestly one of my favorite Megazord fight scenes of all time!

Firstly, I will say in defense of Sam that he's still a much better Sixth than Daggeron. I wish Daggeron was the ball of light instead, or just stayed as a frog.

Secondly, I don't even mind Sam being Omega, he's got the setup, but I think people on both sides can agree that the execution with the whole ball of light thing was pathetically cheap in a way that diminishes the narrative, even by just a small amount. It feels difficult to connect with Sam emotionally, as 15 years have passed since we last saw him, but he's always in the suit or as a ball of light and has limited interactions with his fellow Rangers, so we don't really get to know who he is outside of being a Ranger or what we already know about that kid Z helped.

I look forward to hearing the rest of your argument. And of course, I'll try and bring up any points that I think could've been handled better. I know I've got one for Reflections.

Good luck selling that to Androzani.

I'm pretty sure it's the first time we've seen an evil human child in the PR-verse too, which only helps her to stand out all the more.

Oh yeah, I love the Megazord too! Probably unintentional, but I do love how it shares elements with the Zord piloted by the Blue Senturion.

Hmm. If I had to pick a Sixth that I liked the least, I'd probably go with Tyzonn from Operation Overdrive.

Likewise!

I can certainly try!

Episode 23: Zapped

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2zILr0ijd4

This episode is sort of the inverse of the "Abandoned" episode.

And really, I'd put them both on par with eachother in terms of execution. Overall, it's fine, but it could've used some fine tuning.

I think my biggest issue lies in the premise in and of itself, as it essentially follows a very bad faith read on the ending of last episode. Because while the previous episode ended with everyone learning to come together, this episode follows it up by saying that the feelings of jealousy on the part of B-Squad still linger.

It also doesn't help that the point of view ping-pongs all over the place on this one. It starts with Sam, then shifts to B-Squad as a whole, then it becomes a Syd+Bridge episode? It's odd in how it's handled. But it does establish that the SPD Morphers can dispel mind control, atleast.

But it's not all bad. While the face value stuff wasn't working too much for me, there are still some bits that shine here. I really love the interrogation scene, and there are actually some subtleties in play all throughout the episode that I rather dug and wish that the episode had focused on more. For example, the implication that one of the reasons Sam is so gung-ho is because he's used to working solo.

And on that note, I do feel like there is a version of this episode that could've been really cool, had the view points been a bit more balanced. For example, the opening scene has Sam hanging out with the rest of the crew, but it's clear that he's not exactly being included in the conversation. I think it'd've been neat to highlight not only the apparent special attention that Sam has been getting from Cruger, but for Sam to lash back with how the team still really hasn't done much to fully welcome him in yet, and for both sides to reach an understanding.

All of that aside though, the biggest takeaway for me in all of this is actually Broodwing. For a guy with only two scenes total this time around, they say quite alot. Basically, Gruumm has overstepped the deal between him and Broodwing, and because of that, Broodwing is taking matters into his own hands. I always really loved how Broodwing became a third faction in this show, both in terms of narrative as well as just how naturally it comes about.

In the end, it's not a particularly great episode for me, but I still found a nice bit of things about it to enjoy.

Brooding being a third party basically came about because he’s the big bad of the Sentai and with the show saving money for the finale, having an original villain as the big bad in every episode was a bit of a cost stretcher.

Also we learn that if a brainwashed Ranger gets morphed, then the brainwashing is undone (at least in this show. The jury’s out for other series).

In terms of personal opinion, have to say a cowardly stage magician is not the most intimidating foe as to warrant a new Megazord formation.

Turning the big bad into another character? Another similarity that SPD shares with Time Force!

Ah! I forgot to note that! Thanks for the reminder. I'll add it to the original post.

It's an odd choice for sure, but hey, atleast we get a cool mech out of it.

Episodes 24+25: Reflection

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89zBH234Ue4

I honestly could've separated this into two different posts.

Because, see, while this is technically a two-parter, the structure isn't the same as the previous ones have been.

Rather than being one big story split into two separate parts, the first episode instead provides details needed in order for the second part to be executed. Outside of that, they're almost two separate episodes entirely.

As such, I'll be structuring this post just a tad differently than what I have for other two-parters. Rather than talk about both at once, I'll start by focusing (mostly) solely on episode 24, and then transition into talking about mostly 25. Sound good?

If one were to sum up part 1 in its most simple of aspects, well, it's our Battlizer episode! And man, the SPD Battlizer, while not my favorite in the franchise, IS really cool, just like how most of them are. In terms of pure aesthetic, I love how it has two modes it can swap between, the finisher is one of the coolest in Power Rangers, and it's the biggest function of our boy RIC!

It ties into the overall story rather nicely as well; showcasing just how far that Jack has come with his swordsmanship, and while it's never directly stated, I like to believe the technology for it came about thanks to Sam, given how the suit also utilizes a recolor of the Omega Morpher. The mere existence of the suit itself and how it's exclusive to the Red Ranger is also what triggers some painful memories to come to the forefront for Sky.

While it is a shame that Sam wasn't around for this one(explained as him having been sent off on a different mission), it does at the very least help serve the narrative in making sure that B-Squad can't get a clean victory against Slate, gives Jack and Sky more screen time(which is important for this particular tale) and also helps to set up for events to come in Part 2. But if we're talking just a pure character angle, then sure, I can see how some might be disappointed. Me though? I didn't really mind.

It's also the third episode to utilize the fireballs more extensively. So for those obsessed with the explosions, yes, I am keeping track.

Combine all that with the emotionally powerful scene featuring Sky and Mirloc during the episode's' climax and it's an overall solid setup episode, even if one or two extra details might've been nice.

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

Sam has a great showing in this episode.

One thing that both Power Rangers and its source material, Super Sentai, have always been great about is showcasing their characters through body language. And Sam's' mission to save his friends from the Infinite Reflection is no exception to that rule.

Through Sam's' Dance Battling and general attitude while fighting Mirloc, we can gleam a good deal about his character.

He's got the instincts of a leader, is great at distraction and misdirection tactics, and is quick to assess a situation and what needs to be done. And as shown in these past few episodes, being able to turn into a sprite has its advantages.

So put this information together with the old "Sam" two-parter, and what we get is a kid who comes from a troubled upbringing who eventually was able to find the good in himself and did all that he could to become a sort of Paladin for the Power Rangers. Even symbolized by his White suit and the lenses on his forehead being shaped like angel wings. Do any of those characteristics sound familiar? If not, it should, because what I'm getting at here is that Sam shares many a trait with the most famous White Ranger ever, and you're all free to hate me for that comparison all you want.

But really, the big, juicy bits of these two episodes have been Mirloc and especially Sky. Mike Drew does a fantastic job playing Mirloc with his iconic raspy voice. It's not exactly subtle that Mirloc is based on Hannibal, and with that comes a truly memorable villain in the Power Rangers franchise. He knows how to hit people where it hurts, in more ways than one.

And then there's Sky. Chris Violette does a great job at showing the emotional turmoil Sky goes through in alot of his focus episodes, and most especially these two. His lashing out at Jack and Cruger is totally understandable, and it's absolutely believable how much Sky loved his father. The climax of the episode, where Sky gets to be the Red Ranger and equip the Battlizer is one of the most iconic scenes in the entire show for many a good reason. It's not even a fight; Mirloc stands no chance from the start, and it is oh so satisfying to see.

While I'm sure certain bits of both episodes could be fine tuned to a degree, I just love how it all plays out in the end. And really, the only complaint I could even think to go into with this one has less to do these episodes in and of themselves, but moreso a certain event that happens afterward. But, we'll have to save that for the near future.

Like always, SPD does a great job at delivering strong character development and emotional resonance with these two episodes. Fantastic stuff.

Introducing the one PR exclusive suit that worked its way back into Sentai. Specifically, the Battelizer saw use in Magiranger vs Dekaranger as a new power up for Deka Red know as “Battelise Mode”. Though the transformation and finisher stock footage were both reshot, I assume for some bizarre copyright reason.

And this two parter is in the weird position of being a direct adaptation of the Sentai episodes, and not being at the same time. The major differences.

The two-parter was focused on Omega’s counterpart DekaBreak, down to the dead parents backstory motivator (which is why Sam is the last man standing and there’s a pointed shot of him smashing Mirloc’s mirrors).

The reason “Mirloc” is in regular prison is because he’s trapped 10,000 people in his mirror world and heave no idea what will happen to them if they use the usual methods on him. After smashing his mirror frees everyone he trapped ever, the Rangers have the go ahead to judge and defeat him.

And during part 2, it’s revealed that “Slate” was hired by “Mirloc” to force SPD to send someone to consult him, with him anticipating they’d send the member whose parents he’d killed so he could make him cry and use the reflection in his tears when that memory was brought up to escape.

And the reason “Broodwing” just happens to have the DNA for several past villains to provide for this plan in Dekaranger is because he has them sign his contracts with fingerprints.

As for some other thoughts.

Slate is such a copycat criminal that even his robot is a straight reuse of Devastation’s, with none of the usual repaints that other reused robot suits get.

The reason the robot in part 2 looks feminine (which seems like an odd choice for a non-sentient mecha) is because the costume was modified from B-Robo Kabutack’s heroine Tentolina.

And people try and say that Toei doesn't pay attention to Power Rangers.

I definitely prefer this version; where Mirloc is a more on the fly manipulative genius.

Episode 26+27: S.W.A.T.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kb84EmJyN0c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5raOQjQ-qSA

This is arguably the most famous two-parter in the entire season.

Many fans have fond views of it, and even many of the actors have said that it was their favorite set of episodes.

It's certainly an involved paired of episodes, with all three factions at play against eachother, various different sets being utilized, and of course, the introduction of the super mode for the season: SWAT Mode.

As such, I imagine it was alot of fun for the cast to film, especially given the very obvious nods to other Drill Sergeant shows/movies ontop of the near constant action scenes all throughout both episodes. And in terms of the fanbase, it helps that SWAT Mode itself ties into a certain other piece of the show later on.

Which is why I hate to be the stick in the mid in this situation, because these episodes are the closest in the show that I come to not liking. The short of it being that I feel like they sort of fly in the face of not just what SPD built itself on, but alot of the things that Power Rangers in general has worked with since the franchise's' inception.

The very premise, that, in Cruger's' own words, that the team has done almost nothing but bicker at eachother for the entire year, goes against all of the character development that the cast has gone through for the past... entire show. Which also in turn puts a dead stop to the very strong continuity that the season has otherwise had up to now. If this were the premise of an early episode, sure, I could see. But now? 26 episodes in?

And on the note of continuity, this two-parter directly follows the introduction of the Battlizer, which, given both the timeline placement as well as how the Battlizer fails to defeat our two villains of the week yet the two are easily defeated by SWAT Mode, makes it look as though the Battlizer, the thing that should be the ultimate weapon in any season of Power Rangers, look like it's gotten immediately outclassed in every sense of the word. Can poor RIC really never catch a break?

I take serious issue with Silverback's' lessons to B-Squad too. The biggest sticking point being his idea that the Rangers should instead always be on the offense and be as overkill toward any criminal they can. Not only does that have some very uncomfortable real world implications, but Power Rangers in general have a golden rule: Never escalate a fight, and in turn, only use your powers for defense. It's right there in the Mighty Morphin' theme song! And if that's not enough for you, here's another rule that really should be followed: Villains Act, Heroes React. Flipping that isn't good for anyone involved, especially not in terms of storytelling.

This is gonna sound like serious blasphemy, but I also think that SWAT mode is probably my least liked Super Mode in the franchise? It certainly looks cool, sure, and the added functions to the visors are neat, but outside of that? I really don't like how everyone's' primary weapon is now suddenly just a giant firearm. It'd be fine if it were just Red who got that, but replacing the Deltamax Strikers in their entirety means we go from having a cool, multi-purpose set of weaponry to... another blaster, with really nothing special about it. Even the finisher is just another big fireball that the K-9 Cannon already does better. Again, I feel like poor RIC is getting replaced here!

But, all that said, there is one shining aspect to both of these episodes that overall keep them in my good graces. And that is how much all of the side characters shine in this one. Sam, Piggy, Broodwing, Kat... all of their personalities really shine all throughout these episodes and I very much enjoyed whenever they were on screen playing off those around them. Had this been one or two episodes that more focused on all of the side crew, while the main five of B-Squad were off on a training mission or whatever, I think I would've thoroughly enjoyed that way more than what we ended up getting. Throw Boom in there(who was mysteriously absent this time around) and man, we're set. Such a missed opportunity, here.

If you find these episodes to be alot of fun, that's great, more power to you. But they don't do a whole lot in terms of appealing to me, specifically.

If anything, this also contradicts the principle of SWAT work. That is, the task of this service is to be called in cases when the police fail to neutralize criminals and destroy the threat. So their action is not even a reaction, but the execution of an order.

This is another shot for shot episode, with the most changes being the whole “stolen specs” subplot (in Dekaranger, it was a total coincidence that the second mid-season upgrade for the villains was body armour like what the Dekarangers were getting, so props for tying the two together I guess?), the Battlizer getting subject to the Worf Effect and the few seconds where they swipe a blank containment card against their new big guns.

And since I initially watched the series on DVD, this was the earliest “new” episode I saw after I stopped watching it (since the DVDs only went up to the previous two parter, plus one later episode included as a bonus on Mystic Force’s first dvd). And yeah, it does feel slightly contrived to have the cast suddenly at each other’s throats to serve the plot here (it was less of an issue in the source, since the Dekaranger team had a different resulting plot)

Well, what's a magic show-themed episode without a little misdirection, right? :p

Yeah, I figured. Without SPD in the bad future, Sam wouldn't have much training in synchronized tactics. I guess he's kind of like Aiyon in that way, with how he tries to aggressively carry the fight so his comrades don't have to risk their lives, not realizing that his life is also important and Rangers should protect each other.

It adds extra play value to the toy, but in action, it's kind of disappointing compared to the awesome bike action we got in Episode 22. Maybe it's a credit to the Omegamax Cycle that it actually does more than I need it to do.

I appreciate how Jack's swordsmanship training actually paid off, as this retroactively shows that Episode 18 was a lot more important to his arc than it may have originally seemed, even more than the episode it was adapted from. Like Doggie taught him, the sword is only as strong as its user and Jack totally makes this Battlizer look cool!

More functionality for RIC further proves that he's still far from being obsolete as well. These two guys are both underdogs in their own ways, so it's fitting that they emphasize each other's hidden strengths and this concept of two becoming one must have been popular, as the next 2 shows repeated it.

The repaint of the Omega Morpher is good symbolism to remind the viewer that this power only exists thanks to the intervention of Omega Ranger that saved SPD. Could even be a case of reverse causality, if this inspired the Omega Morpher in the future. Even if it didn't physically exist, there might've been a blueprint or something.

Sky earned that Red Ranger moment for sure. He's come a long way from being that self-entitled a**hole at the start to becoming a reliable teammate and close friend. Him conceding the Morpher back to Jack after the fight is a good moment of acknowledgement that he knows he still has more to learn as the Blue Ranger before he can feel worthy of a permanent color change. The old Sky would never have done that so unreluctantly.

This being mostly a Sky focus episode though, I think it would've been better if he had a more active role in foiling Mirloc's scheme, instead of Sam having to bail him out along with the others. As mentioned, the episode this was adapted from was focused on Sam's counterpart, so him getting to be the hero made more sense there. Of course, I'm not going to deduct points for meta stuff, but with Sam being such a big part of this episode, I believe this is another case where the lack of emotional connection to him, as well as between him and Mirloc, is a detriment to the narrative.