https://i.imgur.com/lyf9DjL.png

Subtle nuance here, but Bridge and Jack both put on a yikes face when the poor hound is suffering, but not my boy Sky. He's concerned. He even objects when he hears he's going to be decommisioned and the sheer degree of his mock laughter when Syd says her father will cut them a check for a new dog? *Chef's kiss*

It's also foreshadowing for later on in the show!

Episode 6: A-Bridged

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

Bridge is my favorite character in SPD, and my favorite Green Ranger of all time.

Sure, he's a very funny character, which is the immediate thing many gravitate to when it comes to him, and that's understandable. But there's so much more.

He's got such an endearing personality in general with his actor bringing alot of charisma to the role, and I always felt that, while it's never been outright confirmed(as far as I know), that he served as good representation for those on the autism spectrum(if I'm way off on that, by all means correct me).

And then there's episodes like this, where the ultimate lesson is to not judge a book by its cover, and Bridge, being the "weirdo" of the group, likely knows all about that ideology, also tying into his role as an empath.

This episode also marks the first time that a civilian power is actually majorly plot important, as Bridge's' Aura Sense is what kicks off the events leading into a more thorough investigation on the series of bank robberies going on around the city. While the meta reason for Bridge's' gloves is that Disney wanted to cover up Matt Austin's' tattoos, but in-universe the justification is that they limit Bridge's' powers, which must mean he has trouble turning it off. Dude feels big. Literally.

While not judging things as they first appear is the major theme of the episode, there's actually a secondary theme running throughout that poor communication kills. Had T-Top and B-Squad just talked things out, everything would've been smoothed over pretty quickly. Likewise, had the rest of the group put their faith in Bridge, everything would've went much faster too.

The episode also features the first time that a monster actually grows giant sized in this season. This time via the bite of a vampire bat sent out by Broodwing. And humorously, the Megazord has a pair of handcuffs that shrink monsters down. While on its face it's a bit silly, it does make sense. This show is set in a future where the Power Rangers are now common knowledge. After literal decades of giant monster attacks? Yeah, I could see some tech being developed to reverse the effects of gigantification.

Oh, and of course we can't forget that this is the episode where Bridge throws an ENTIRE CAR at the criminal. Haven't seen a move like that since my favorite episode of Mighty Morphin'. This episode has a little bit of everything sprinkled in with some wonderful character development. You know, like alot of episodes of SPD. For example, yes, this episode is very funny, but alot of episodes this season have great comedic beats; And not just from Bridge, but from the cast as a whole. While that might sound like I'm saying that this episode isn't anything "special" I mean it in the sense that it, too, is a great one in a long list of great episodes that this season of Power Rangers has.

The short of it is that Bridge, much like the show he's in, is just always a joy to be around, and this episode does a pretty good job at showcasing why.

It's a simple little detective episode, but I like that we actually follow Bridge in his investigation. Plus the clues make sense. He doesn't magically discern the criminal because she made a funny face in the background when they arrived on scene or some other such nonsense. However...

https://i.imgur.com/Ztm1ETN.png

"Commander, I had criminally few lines this episode."

There is definitely a method to Bridge's' madness, and it was nice that the viewers gets to follow his process every step of the way.

Before we start, I wanna give a slight correct to a claim I made about the premiere. In it, I said it was the only time we heard the Blue Heads talk, and these episodes proved me wrong... kinda. The climax features a Blue Head that isn't voiceless, but all it does is grunt. So, if you want to make the argument that it thus has a voice and as such "talks" then, sure, I won't counter that. Personally, I don't count it, but I could see if one wanted to. With that said, let's get into the second two-parter of the season.

Episodes 7+8: Sam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHjbP7c8jow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHsukyHXj1g

What exactly does a title signify?

On its face, that might sound like a pretentious question, but no, really. I'm asking because I feel it's important here.

Does it signify the most important aspect of the story? The most memorable? It is merely something to help the writer(s) remember which script is which? Or is it perhaps the indicator of the thing that the audience should be most focused on?

I bring this up because I feel like the title of this two-parter, "Sam" is important, as it signifies both an aspect and a character that I've seen many people outright ignore when it comes to certain aspects of SPD that I can't quite bring up as of yet. The titular Sam is important in more ways than one.

While these two episodes are technically our first episodes focused on Z, her spotlight is shared with Sam. It's through Sam that we learn more about Z and vise-versa, and it's something that I feel many viewers sort of either forget or ignore outright when it comes to these episodes. The two are mirrors of one another, and in terms of the narrative, very purposefully so.

Both are outcasts who became desperate for acceptance due them being born with powers that most "normal" people don't have. Growing up on the streets definitely didn't make life any easier either. But the big difference between the two is that whereas Z eventually found Jack, Sam has no one; Seemingly not even having any sort of parental figure in his life either. Sam is thus easily lead by his craving for acceptance, while Z has always had someone to keep her grounded.

Speaking of Jack, not only is this the second time that we get to see him use his power of phasing through objects, but including him in all of this was a very smart move. Given, as mentioned before, he grew up with Z, but also he too mirrors Sam in that Sam eventually grows the same intuition that Jack has. All throughout these two episodes we get some pretty solid hints as to the type of person that Sam will eventually grow up to be. Heck, he even becomes an SPD Cadet at the end.

But hey, Sam, Z, and Jack aren't the only ones with powers, right? All of B-Squad does, and it becomes a rather important plot point in these episodes, as we learn of the deeper connection that everyone has not only with eachother, but with SPD as a whole. Turns out it wasn't just Sky's' parents who worked with SPD, but so did the rest of the Squad's', with everyone eventually breaking off on different paths. And while it's glossed over in the episodes themselves, if one thinks about it, paints a very interesting picture of the kinds of parents our heroes were born to. Not everyone who works with the police is a 1000% goody-goody, you know.

On the technical side of things, these episodes also feature some of slickest action yet. It's relatively simple, but I've always loved the bit where Jack rebounds off of the fence in order to keep firing on the Orange Head. And the rest of the action is no slouch either. From the Orange Head's' cool lightning finisher move to the grenade discs that are revealed to be a part of the D-Rods, to the great hand-to-hand choreography that the franchise is known for, there's really never a dull moment in these episodes. Oh, and yes, there is a new elite mook known as an Orange Head and it does talk in this one. And while I think it's the only time that they will, I'm not 100% on that one, so we'll see. Either way, it puts up one heck of an impressive fight against our Rangers!

Since I brought up titles, I suppose I'll end things off with these piece of trivia: The reason that every title in SPD is one word is because this was Bruce Kalish's' first season as an executive producer, and as such he wanted every title to be one word as a subtle way to reflect that. I don't feel too strongly about it, but hey, I guess maybe I'm a sucker for shows that pull this sort of thing, given my love of shows like Kamen Rider Kuuga and SSSS.Gridman.

Overall, it's some wonderful character work as always with Power Rangers, and I await Sam's' promised return.

Oh, and this episode establishes that Bridge can read the minds of those he comes in direct contact with. Yeah, I can see why he needs to keep the glove on.

I don't have a lot to add here, but one line I really like from Sky is that while they may all have powers, "that's all we have in common." It highlights how, to him, actions define a person far more than feeling or associations. It's a very law man way of looking at things.

Honestly, I remember this two parter for how I disliked the kid in it. And I’m generally more tolerant of child characters than many in any fandom you can name.

Syd's digging scene is memorable for me as well. Despite being a snob, she does have a strong sense of guilt, responsibility and faith that makes her the heart of the team and it pays off here with RIC being proven right. She also holds her own against the MOTW, putting her on a similar level to Kimberly or Amelia.

RIC certainly has a lot of functionality that proves he's far from being obsolete. He's a detective, a friend, a cannon and something else that we'll see later.

The "Thinking Pose", as it's called in Dekaranger.

If we're excluding Tommy as a Sixth Ranger, then I'm inclined to agree.

I know you said Jack's intuition is one of the reasons why he was chosen for Red over Sky, but when it comes to pure intuition, I think Bridge is unrivaled. There had to be not a single modicum of doubt in his mind when he threw that car, or else a civilian would be dead. And he was totally right, which makes him look like both a genius and a bad*ss! It's a good moral that to succeed as a detective, you need to be a little ruthless and suspect people even when they seem nice on the surface.

Yeah, I appreciate that Bridge's deduction relies on hard evidence and his method relies on everybody thinking he's a fool so they drop their guard. It's dangerous to underestimate him.

He's also kinda, ya know, being obstinate. As Sky is one to do.

That's a shame. I like Sam. I even related to him some.

She wasn't kidding when she said not to mess with her!

I don't blame ya. Tommy is some serious competition.

You make a good point. Bridge was also the only one who thought to give the A-Squad a once-over at the start of the show, afterall. And we'll see how that pans out eventually.

Tricking the suspect into blowing up the balloon for him so he could analyze it later was pure genius.