I mean, I dunno if the writers were thinking much past SWAT being "higher police with big guns" but yeah, that's a solid point.

Having the two be connected does raise the question of why the villain's' armor is so different though. I guess maybe they modified the tech?

One odd side effect of this thread is making me think I might not have the best of times with Dekaranger.

Yeah. While one certain character showing up way later will bring up some questions about it, it's becoming more and more clear about why Omega was sent to the past alone.

It's a really cool concept! And while both those later examples have their own ups and downs, I will never knock any of these three Battlizers overall.

I wouldn't be surprised if the two were more directly linked than what the show itself lets on. Heck, one easy headcanon I could see someone making is that the Omega Morpher was scrounged up from the scraps of the planned Battlizer that never ended up finished.

"Heroes come in all colors" was such a great way to cap it all off, too!

I can see where you're coming from. While it might've been a bit tricky to edit around, Sam and Sky tag-teaming against Mirloc would've probably worked alot better. Given how well this show has been able to edit around stock footage in previous episodes, it's a shame there wasn't much of an attempt there, though maybe the dimished budget just didn't really allow for it this time around.

Episode 28: Robotpalooza

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F8VR_D5DwE

Bridge at long last gets a second focus episode!

When he starts having a premonition of the Rangers losing to a squad of robots in the near future, both him and the others start having a very tiring day.

The overall plot of this one is a zerg rush against the Rangers, and while it's not the first episode of Power Rangers to do this type of plot, it pulls it off pretty well. Mainly in how everyone's' personalities play off eachother.

It's also the debut of my favorite Megazord in SPD, the SWAT Megazord. I absolutely love the SWAT Flyers, the overall look of the Megazord itself, the way it fight while dual wielding blasters, and who could ever forget that awesome finisher where the mech turns into a giant gun!?

As simple and straight-forward as this one is though, I could see people making a stink about some things I personally consider minor this time around. The main one being that despite Bridge being our center character, he doesn't exactly get any character development. He just sort of headlines the scenario. And the other aspect being, well, Sam.

This is probably the most blatant "Sam might as well not even be here" moment in the entire show. He helps in a few of the fights, sure, but then comes a scene where Bridge asks him to tail the main criminals that B-Squad is after while they take care of a horde of Krybots and... the Omega Ranger just kinda disappears from the episode entirely. What happened to him? Did he take a wrong turn somewhere and ended up on the other side of town?

Anyway, like I said, I consider those things to be relatively minor, as the episode is very much just meant to be a fun, action filled one off that introduces a sick new Megazord, and as that, I'm all for it.

Even after a few watches, I’m not sure how Bridge can suddenly dream the future.

And in an era of this show where most episodes are shot for shot the Sentai episode with a few additional scenes added, this one actually gives the focus a different main plot. Originally, it involved a child alien stealing from an elderly alien Green befriended in a prior episode (one which had as its villain of the week a living gas creature that could possess people), which ended up with the kid leading them to uncover the robot plot and eventually getting to live/work with the grandma alien he stole from. I’m guessing it was changed to avoid introducing a load of new characters.

It's really just an extension of the powers he already has. We've seen that he can get brief glimpses of the future while he's awake, so doing it while he sleeps isn't much of stretch.

Episode 29: Katastrophe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyk9ZBQQP3c

This is another of my personal favorite episodes.

But before we get into the primary meat of it, I wanna point out just how many wonderful subtleties there are throughout this episode.

It's mostly in the language of alot of the cast, both verbal and physical. This episode is written by Jackie Marchland(who also wrote "Wired") and directed by Britta Johnstone, and I feel like these two put alot of work into these aspects.

The biggest highlight for me being Sam, wherein this episode has a scene showing that he does hang out with the rest of B-Squad during his downtime, and there's a specific line from Cruger that I feel explains his role in the story rather well. That being that Sam is the first Sixth Ranger in the franchise that is primarily a supporter, rather than a frontliner like most are.

All the other scenes are no slouch either. Not only is the trend of how SPD very skillfully intermingles with the Dekaranger stock footage still preserved, but the inner logic of the cast is portrayed very clear cut without feeling as though it's being just pure exposition. The way that the cast treats Kat's' situation in this episode feels rather natural, understandable, and in character for all involved.

So what's the situation? Well, remember when Supreme Commander Birdy noted that Kat deserves a promotion? He's back to make good on that statement. Kat is conflicted about whether or not to take the job at Supreme Headquarters, and while the Rangers aren't 1000% comfortable with the idea, they understand that it's probably what's best for Kat in the long run, and thus do all they can do nudge her into going. It goes a long way in showing just how close nit the main cast has become, and I dig it.

Notably though, when things go awry without Kat around, her decision to return is treated with just as much respect. It's the sort of thing that on a base level, kids can dig because it means a likable character gets to stay around, but adults can appreciate due to the relation it has to the working world. Some people genuinely don't care to move up the corporate ladder for one reason or another, and that this episode portrays such a mentality as equally valid as those who do strive to be at the top is very much appreciated. Episodes like this really stand against the idea some have that the franchise totally leaves its older fanbase out of mind.

But regardless of your age range, the one thing that nearly everyone remembers most about this episode is the Kat Ranger, and over the years, the primary reason for that has shifted quite a bit. In the early days, it was simply cool to see a side character that many liked become a Power Ranger, even if only temporarily. Then as time passed and knowledge of Super Sentai grew, the more vocally critical sections of the fandom complained about the suit being called Kat Ranger when the suit is "obviously" swam based(because it's known as DekaSwan in Japan). And... I dunno, maybe I'm just biased due to having seen SPD first, but the suit really looks more catlike to me?

The big ol' cat ears are the biggest signifier here, but even besides that, the suit actor notably fights via clawing her opponents. Really, the only thing that kinda-sorta says "swan" to me is the feathers on the shoulders, but even then it's not like this is the only instance of wings being used as a motif on these suits(see: Omega Ranger). Regardless, SPD knows how to make every new Ranger give a grand entrance, and Kat Ranger here is no exception. I absolutely love her fighting style, with the swirls, twirls, and clawing curls that make for a very fun action climax to the episode. It being immediately followed by a fun emotional resolution, with Kat, Boom, and the rest of B-Squad really only helps make the whole thing even better in the end.

While that basically sums it all up for the episode itself, there is one other aspect that I wanna bring up, because it's another reason that people remember the Kat Ranger nowadays; And that is the debate over what color she is. Some say she's White, others say she's Orange, and her suit being very half and half on both those colors don't help matters. Now, officially, she's classified as a White Ranger, but what doesn't help is that other media has referred to her as an Orange Ranger before(such as Battle for the Grid), and fuel was only added to the fire when Hasbro advertised Cosmic Fury as having the very first Orange Ranger in the Power Rangers franchise. Many would argue that Kat deserves that title instead. Me personally, I side with White primarily due to it being one of the two colors Kat tends to wear, as well as it being the color of her Morpher.

Either way one sees it though, I really just dig Kat Ranger as a whole, and I've always been rather sad that she was temporary. Probably a relief on the part of the show runner's' budget, though.

This is clearly based on the swan ears of ballerinas. The helmet is even lined to resemble feathers. Even ignoring that, I see a cobra more than a cat.

In terms of colours, the DekaSwan suit was intended to be bronze, since they’d done a one-shot female Gold Ranger in the movie, and had a one-shot female Silver Ranger set to appear a few episodes later. The reason given there for why the suit is one off is because Swan (Kat’s Sentai counterpart) only transforms once every four years. (What sporting event with that interval was going on in Madrid in 2004?)

Also thsi episode features the one time SPD films a wholly original Judgement Time sequence (not counting the addition to the one in episode 12 where Cruger finds that Benaag is innocent of murdering his wife), since in the equivalent episode, the criminal attempted to commit suicide after his scheme failed, and was talked into serving time to atone for his actions instead.

And one cool detail is that Moony’s robot, the reactor that gets focused on aside, is made up of parts from previous Giant Robot suits.

Well that's certainly a unique take.

If that were the intent they should've made either the orange or the white parts brown at the very least.

Oh yeah, that was really cool to see.

It does feel a little sudden that Doggie only snaps at them for this now. Like sure, they bicker a lot, but they've progressively been getting closer and you can always rely on them to come together as a team when the chips are down. Kind of feels like Doggie got possessed by Birdy to say something like this. Doggie and Sam getting captured suggests that maybe they should endure some harsh training instead. It gave the Rangers a good opportunity to prove their worth though. But yeah, I'll admit these two episodes didn't really do much for me either.

The Battlizer is still the strongest, but SWAT's appeal is that it's, 1) A team power-up, 2) Portable and 3) Useful for tactical operations. If you're the Red Ranger and you want to blow something up on your own, then RIC's totally got you!

No offense to Zordon, but I think there are times when the rules need to be broken. As long as the spirit of the rule is respected, to consider the danger to civilians, then it might be possible to safely escalate a fight under certain conditions. SWAT is basically designed to reduce the risk of such dangerous operations like Black Ops. However, I just dislike Silverback in general, he's kind of an a**hole just for the sake of looking big and tough, which would be less annoying if he was actually depicted as being in the wrong for this, instead of making out like the Rangers deserved the punishment he gave them.

I like SWAT for what it is, but I agree that the guns are probably the least exciting part. SPD's regular weapons are much more memorable, especially Red's dual magnums. I think something cool about SWAT though is how it makes the Rangers look more like A-Squad, showing how much experience they've gained since having to take over their share of the work.

Dekaranger's good, IMO! It has a lot of the same qualities you praise SPD for. Give it a chance.

I appreciate how all of these Battlizers play important roles in the story as well, rather than only being a new thing for Red to push the merchandise. Actually feels like a step up from previous Battlizers in that way.

Sounds like a plausible explanation.

Seems like some exclusive footage would've been useful here, so real shame if that budget limitation is the reason Sky got benched in his own story until the climax. Oh well. The last fight scene was worth waiting for nevertheless.

Alot of R. Lee Ermey clones forget what happened to him at the end of his movie.

Oh I'll get to that soon enough.

I've been rather on the fence about giving Super Sentai another shot. The purists tend to keep me away more than motivate me, though. But then, with the future of Power Rangers currently so up in the air, I might not have many options.

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.

While that does make for a better plan on Broodwing's' part, what we got instead does make for a better emotional connection with Dino Thunder fans. And you know, the original plan raises the question of what exactly would've happened to those clones come the end of the episode.

Seems like a pretty solid explanation for the scenario in SPD as well. But I personally like to think that, since it was Sam headlining the mission, he opted to just kill the thing due to all the trouble it was causing him, like he did with Shorty.

A quick note before we start: The official uploads on YouTube actually have the episode order wrong, so from here on out the order in which I cover episodes won't line up with the titles of the YouTube videos. But I assure you, I am following the original, official episode order. With that out of the way, let's begin.

Episode 32: Impact

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67l1poE_mEo

This episode directly follows up on the events of the previous one, to the point that you could argue they make a two-parter.

And yet, I feel like it would've been better if this part happened first?

Given that half the plot involves a giant meteor headed towards Earth, I feel like that would've been a much cooler way of bringing the Dino Gems back, rather than Broodwing just kinda randomly finding them on another planet.

That aside, this episode is sort of like the Jack & Sky version of "Missing" in that half of it is an intense thriller episode, and in that regard it does just as well if not even better. I think the fans agree too, because that climax of the episode is often brought up as one of SPD's' finer moments.

Now, there is a minor error here in that the start of the episode says that Sky is a better shot than Jack(which would fall in line with what was established in "Idol"), yet come the halfway point it instead says that Jack is the better shot and Sky is the better pilot, but hey, maybe they were talking about when it came to Zord stuff specifically(even though Jack's' Runner doesn't have any guns but whatever).

Again though, that's minor, because yeah, I was super into this one, both as a kid and now. That climax really is very powerful, with Jack and Sky arguing over who should be the one to take on the suicide mission, and Jack ultimately being the one that needs to finish things. That fakeout at the end actually legit got me as a kid, and even now on rewatch, the entire sequence of Jack and Sky going their separate ways, and Sky talking about how he respects Jack despite everything? Very good stuff all around.

The rest of the episode's not exactly a slouch though. The fights are of course great, and all the stuff with the Megazords is in top form this time around. Most notably, this episodes debuts the amazing finisher that involves all four Megazords, with the gun mode of the SWAT Megazord being powered up by the other three. It's a very cool concept!

It's just a great time all around, this one.

The benefits of when the footage gets to the end of the year Sentai episodes is that the writers can get a more epic episode out of it (which is probably why from Dino Charge through Dino Fury, they were used as the final Megazord battle). And the most I can gripe about the episode is that Monica May had clearly only seen the word “Cerebral” or similar words written down, given how she butchers the pronunciation of “Cerebros” when Kraw is rumbled (which creates a mildly famous riddle for the ages: what happened to the real Professor Cerebros?)

I think they would have gone to live a new life and learn about the world of the future behind the scenes. Maybe into space, to explain why they were not asked for help in critical situations.

I guess you could say that Bridge almost became buttery.

Which is pretty ridiculous when you think about it, since the only way to destroy planets without committing (mass) murder is to only destroy uninhabited planets. So Bork's sentence is mostly for being, like, a space litterer. Sounds lame, right?

Especially weird that the animal they changed it from, a condor, was already acknowledged as the Green Galactabeast. Maybe it's a Disney thing, repeated by Hasbro.

Dino Thunder is both my first and favorite PR show, so I enjoyed this crossover a lot! Honestly, I would've been satisfied if this had been the only one in SPD, as the ending was already conclusive. Hearing about the thriving careers of Connor, Ethan and Kira makes me curious to see what happened to Trent after high school as well.

I can relate! When I first saw the SPD trailer without knowing the premise, I thought Doggie was going to be a bad guy, since good guy aliens were a novelty back then and part of what made SPD unique. Connor's unscripted reaction is a realistic depiction of culture shock for a guy from 2005.

I imagine it would be like the Lord Zedd Reanimizer thing in Dino Fury, with the main difference being that the teenage Dino Thunder clones would be alive at the same time as their originals.

The implication is that Kraw killed him, but hey, they never directly say so who knows?

Dang, you're on a roll with these.

It's very cool all around for sure. But I can see why the demand for the eventual follow-up was there.

Cruger's' famous trailer line of "The end is coming" can sure be taken many ways!

Episode 33: Badge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4svZElMifE

I could recite this entire episode in my sleep.

And by that I mean that out of all the episodes this season, this is the one I remember rewatching the most as a kid, and even now I still love it.

If you've been reading my reviews for awhile, this statement probably won't be any sort of shock to you, but the biggest thing carrying this episode is its overall mood and atmosphere. It helps make the entire episode feel big in scale.

And it is! Not only is an emotionally powerful episode for all parties involved, but it's essentially the signal that SPD is starting to enter it's endgame. With one of the following episodes hammering in that nail. It managing to be both close and personal as well as a big piece for the grander plot is impressive.

Icthior, Cruger's' old rival, is also my favorite monster of the week this season. Him being the evil counterpart to Cruger always stood out to me due to how much both his design and attitude lean into that idea. The Ocean Saber opposing the Shadow Saber, his predominantly red design standing against Cruger's' blue, and how Icthior fights for personal gain, when Cruger fights to defend others.

The guy being a "hero killer" of sorts is also a big plus. That Icthior is able to take out the entire B-Squad with such ease and brutality, to the point that he even fractures some of their bones, makes for a very big threat even compared to alot of the other crooks that SPD has gone up against. And it's of course what leads to that great "heroic stand" moment from Jack and Z. There's so much good character work here, just as there always is in Power Rangers.

And I can't possibly end this one without noting how I believe this episode highlights more than any other how smart and careful the writing on SPD is with its wording. Yes, TV censors are much different in the USA than they are in Japan, but SPD almost always puts in the effort to still make the dialogue sound as natural as possible despite the limitations. Case in point, this episode features Morganna stealing giant gallons of blood for Gruumm, and to get away with it all they not to do was not say the word directly.

It's just a really enjoyable episode all around, and I'll always have a soft spot for it even if it's not my personal favorite episode(but man is it a good one).

Rather fittingly, this one is half a straight adaptation, half new material. Though somehow, both have a reveal regarding the big bad which hints at their endgame. SPD reveals that all the times Grumm has seemingly been talking to himself in his room… he hasn’t. While the equivalent episode had Broodwing’s counterpart Agent Abrella have a facedown with the 7 Dekaranger’s who transform regularly in which he reveals his motive is to create “a universe of crime, in which law and order does not exist”.

Jack and Sky are both better shots in different ways. Jack shoots fast and on the move a lot, while Sky is the steady sharpshooter. In this case though, precision is the most important, so Jack could just be boasting as a way to cover up his intention to ensure that at least Sky returns safely, while relying on his own instinct to make the shot. Seems like something he felt like he had to do in that moment.

The fact that colors aren't personal in this show does create an illusion of expendability. After all, wouldn't have been the first time a Ranger sacrificed their life immediately after a crossover and the show does seem to be leading up to Sky taking over Jack's place someday. I'm glad Jack survived of course, but it's intriguing to think about how it would've gone if only Sky came back.

Between Icthior, Gruumm and Benaag, there are a lot of people who have a beef with Doggie. I can totally see why you like Icthior as a villain so much, as he's also the only MOTW to appear as a boss in Super Legends. He's clearly strong as hell and having the police be on the run from him is an effective way to show that! But ultimately, a guy who fights for the sake of fighting cannot win against Doggie who fights with a heart of justice.

Gruumm sure has been going on about "The Magnificence" in the latest string of episodes, huh?

Yeah, that makes sense.

Indeed. In the case of an alternate timeline where Disney let them get away with that though, I do wonder who'd rise up to fill the void left by Jack. Sophie maybe?

All of Anubis' stories are very personal, which is probably a big factor as to why he's popular. And I totally get it.

Episode 34: Wormhole

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT-OdEY6K5g

I'm technically cheating with this one.

While officially, this episode aired on TV as episode 35, in terms of where it takes place in canon, "Wormhole" is 34, and thus I am covering it here.

Fun fact before we get started though, the YouTube uploads aren't the only time this episode has been misplaced. Back when you could find all of Power Rangers on Netflix, Netflix had it listed as the final episode for some reason.

Anyway, this is the second crossover with Power Rangers Dino Thunder, and it serves as the inverse of "History" in practically every way. And personally? I feel that it was not only the right call, but that it was handled very well for the most part. I can't imagine many PRDT fans being displeased with this one.

Well, maybe there might be some displeasure with one detail: While Dr. O shows up, Jason David Frank himself is absent, as Disney was not willing to pay to fly him out for the crossover. Instead, Jeffrey Parazzo, Trent's' actor, does an impersonation of Dr. Oliver as the voice for the Bracchio Ranger. And honestly? His impression isn't bad!

Outside of that though, I found this crossover to be even better than the previous one was, and given how much I liked "History" that's some high praise! Like I said, it's an inverse in many ways. Such as the SPD Rangers traveling back to the past, the B-Squad only having three of their members at first, and there being more film tricks that Dino Thunder had. They even use its screen transition here!

The action is top notch all the way through like always too. Surprisingly though, there's no Super Dino Mode or SWAT Mode to be seen, but we do get some great Double Battlizer action from both of our Reds. Though sadly, if memory serves, this will be the last time we see the SPD Battlizer. Regardless, it's high flying, fun team-up action all the way through. And for anyone who hates the fireballs, they're at a minimum here, with most of the explosives being the classic Sentai Sparks. So you can't blame all of the US footage for those!

But the biggest thing most people remember about this episode is the (in)famous "No one gets inside our circle!" scene. Fans and even other actors have mocked it as silly over the years, but me? I dunno, I think it really works for what it was. It not only showcased the heroic resolve of all of our Rangers, but the resulting fight scene where everyone is holding the line against a horde of enemy forces was just really cool to witness. Maybe I'm just lame though.

Also, it's a small detail, but this is the episode where we learn that Gruumm's' ship is called The Terror. I like it.

Overall, it's a very fun episode, and it's a shame that due to budget cuts, this would be the very last Power Rangers team up episode until Samurai came around.

So given that History was meant to feature clones, it can be assumed his was meant to be the actual crossover episode (Jack’s “We wiped your memory the last time we met” feels like an especially tacked on acknowledgement of this, given that the line doesn’t make sense with the timeline presented there).

We also get two SPD series traditions, in the form of using random footage to save costs (Jack and Bridge’s solo fights) and reusing monster suits we can’t do the full episode for with our budget/censorship (Specifically, the guy with the tendrils was murdering random women to harvest their organs to save his sister’s life, the one in the robe trapped Pink in a nightmare so she could drain the latter’s life force to become immortal and the green guy wasn’t evil, he just had a crush on Omega’s counterpart he took to creepy levels).

Also, since neither Tommy or Sam are in the mind wipe scene for obvious reasons, one wonder what the conversation that ensued afterwards went down like.

I mean, it does make sense if you're looking at it from the perspective of B-Squad. No one other than arguably Kat knew the exact time that the Dino Rangers were pulled from, and come the end of "History" they were sent back with the Dino Gems. So yeah, from Jack's' perspective, he is telling the truth.

I wonder if the mind wipe would even work on Sam, given his unique physiology at the moment.

It probably would've worked better if they all nodded to eachother then had a big ol' windup to the whole crew shouting it at the same time.

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY: Tommy lost his 1v1 with schmitty of all people and had to be bailed out. If only Disney had paid to have the real Tommy flown in he would've been done.

Episode 35: Insomnia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UXITbwVMac

Recap episode.

...

What? You're expecting more out of me? Well actually, I do have a bit of a personal history with this one, and it's an episode that's gotten a surprising amount of attention lately.

The short of it is that while I've always had a soft spot for this episode, it's not one that I feel "changes everything" about SPD as some have claimed.

In essence, this is an episode where most of the team meets up in the middle of the night discuss not only how far they've come, but also putting the pieces together on what Gruumm's' larger goal might be. The catalyst being them overhearing Cruger wondering about the fate of the A-Squad.

So let me get it out of the way up front: Yes, this is a good episode, especially as far as recap episodes go. There's a surprising amount of effort put into all the pieces of it. However, it does not infact "change everything" when it comes to the story or characters of SPD. Rather, it reiterates what has been built up over these past 35 episodes for those who don't have all the pieces together.

And in the eyes of an adult viewer, that could easily come across as condescending, but believe me when I say I fully support this episode. I remember when I first saw this episode on TV as a kid. Keeping up with the show weekly, there were plenty of details I'd either forgotten or overlooked, and having it put here at the forefront of the show's' endgame was a huge help; I felt like I was uncovering the mystery alongside the cast!

On rewatch, there are two aspects of this episode that stand out to me: One positive and one negative. Let's start with the negative, and that's that Sam doesn't make an appearance, even as a light ball. Granted, the episode is pretty dense as it is, but even just giving him a few words or just some nods in the background would've helped to keep the idea of him being involved. Sure he does technically get a mention via the flashbacks that Z provides the episode, but him not contributing anything personally is a missed opportunity.

Now, as for the positive, man, I really gotta give it to whoever was in charge of wardrobe on this one. A big chunk of the episode features the B-Squad in their pajamas, and it could've been so easy to just get everyone the same outfit but in different colors, but no! Every set of night wear is unique to each character ontop of matching their Ranger color. And the style of each outfit is very fitting to the characters ontop of that. I especially love the big green onesie on Bridge, which highlights his more goofy and sometimes childish personality. And interestingly, Jack's' clothes have the least amount of color out of everyone's'...

And of course, the episode itself is plot important, because we finally get a shot at the true big bad of the season, but more on... that thing, at a later time.

Tommy just didn't wanna hurt his old friend, of course.

Episode 36: Resurrection

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChZoImNb8vE

If there have been at least two things consistent about Jack throughout SPD, it's been that he falls for a pretty face quite easily, and that he never really wanted to be a part of the SPD lifestyle.

So when he stumbles upon an woman who offers him a chance at returning to his old lifestyle, but legally? This raises a bit of a dilemma.

Make no mistake, Jack has certainly become quite good at being the Red Ranger of B-Squad over the past year, but it's not like the passion he had for his old life ever faded. Remember, the only reason he even joined SPD was out of concern for Z(and not wanting to rot in jail).

So in the end, which side will Jack choose?

Not a whole lot of time to think that over though, because not only is a new monster on the loose, but the A-Squad has finally returned! And in what was a major twist at the time: Their Red Ranger is a woman! A first for the franchise, despite what both Samurai and Cosmic Fury might try to tell you. Notably, the team also has a male Yellow Ranger and an alien Blue.

So for those who don't know, when penning the show, Greg Aronowitz and Bruce Kalish originally wanted the Red Ranger of Power Rangers SPD to be female, but Disney veto'd the idea with the same logic they had for why Syd and Z weren't allowed to have motorcycles. So as a compromise and workaround, the show runners made A-Squad's' Red a woman instead. It really makes me wonder just how much of Jack's' personality was altered as a result, if at all.

The episode overall makes for a very interesting hook into the finale of the show as a whole, although not without a couple of caveats. The first being that it's a shame that Z doesn't have much input into the whole situation, given that she was Jack's' (literal) partner in crime for years. The other being a question that doesn't come up often in SPD discussion, but one that I find valid: Does this hook with Jack come into the show too late? Afterall, in many other shows, a conflict of interest like this typically comes along at around the halfway point.

While I personally think that this final bit to Jack's' arc works well for what it is, I don't blame anyone for thinking it should've maybe gotten a little bit more emphasis at an earlier point in the show. I'm slightly more miffed about Z than anything, but in the end it's all fine. I still rather enjoy this episode for what it is. The lead in to the finale is certainly one thing, but the actual finale? Well, we'll have plenty of time to discuss that next time.

So the fun fact of the day is that a guy on Rangerboard called the twist of A-Squad Red being a woman because he had experience with sound editing and could tell the voice had been deepened. And no-one believed him, since Power Rangers had never done a female Red before. After this episode, he had a t-shirt made and got Kalish and the cast to sign it.

And on a lesser note, the first half of the episode with Delex is the last major example of relics from the Sentai script. Most notably, Sky and Z get paired up to take him down because the source episode focused on their shared trauma of what happened the last time they’d met him (namely, the previous DekaRed at the Earth branch seemingly died, but the episode has the current Red, seeing how much not knowing what happened to their former leader is getting his team mates down, flies to SPD’s central headquarters out in space, barges into the Supreme Commander’s office and demands to know what happened to him. Turns out he’s alive and on another assignment, which he’s considering his replacement for by episode’s end). And he doesn’t get a Judgement time sequence because the criminal in Dekaranger had been found guilty for his crimes after 15 years of him being sighted doing so, including attacking officers.

Honestly, I'd've done the same thing in his position.

Thankfully SPD covers itself here by having Cruger note that Delex has already been found guilty in other galaxies when briefing the team.

There is so much to unpack with this finale that I'm separating the post a bit, just as I did with "Reflection." Even though I'm like 70% sure that the finale originally aired as a combined episode like how "Beginnings" did. Hope that's not an issue!

Episodes 37+38: Endings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQXZvd5PV8Y

The short of both of these episodes is that they're practically nonstop insanity!

Almost right out the gate we've got fighting, fighting, and even more fighting! Lazers, explosions, intense character drama, giant robots! Absolute madness!

And the timing on this part of the rewatch couldn't have come at a better time, because not only is A-Squad a huge part in all of this, but Greg Aronowitz recently made a post on his socials about another very important aspect of SPD: SWAT.

Namely how, when the show first started production, the US crew had no ideas that SWAT Mode was going to even be a thing, let alone what it'd look like. All they knew at the time was that the super mode for the Power Rangers this time around was going to be called "Super Space Mode."

Some viewers might then immediately que in on something, and that is how Greg got incredibly lucky when designing A-Squad, because their design mirrors SWAT Mode perfectly, lending to some incredible visual symbolism alongside the fated duel between the two Squads. And man is it a firefight to be had! B-Squad proves once and for all that nothing they've done up to now has been a waste.

It's a really great fight too. Of course there's plenty of lazer fire given both sides wield giant blasters, but I have to give a huge shout out to both Syd and Jack here. Not only are their contributions very well choreographed, but both of their duels feature the two pulling out their Deltamax Striker and Delta Blasters, respectively, showing that SWAT Mode does not infact lock off the Ranger's' old weaponry. It makes me like SWAT Mode a little more, honestly.

But the final note about A-Squad is that SPD actually had some tie-in comics, and in those it was stated that A-Squad was actually brainwashed by Gruumm. And while some fans liked this angle, I personally never did. Because it flies completely in the face of the entire bit of foreshadowing that's been surrounding the team since the very first episode, and is also far less emotionally impactful than the team deciding to walk down the wrong path in contrast to our heroes. It's a moot point anyway though, because remember, it was established earlier in the show that Morphing with the SPD Morphers undoes mind control. Regardless, as far as I know, those comics aren't ever really considered anymore.

Oh but Part 1 isn't quite done there. Because Broodwing is here to show that Gruumm isn't the only one who can use diversion tactics. While most of the Rangers are busy, he launches a direct take over of SPD Command. Sure, the base getting sieged is somewhat of a tradition for Power Rangers, but tell me, has any previous team had their very own base turned against them!? And then said Rangers have to then perform a siege on their own base in return?? It's such a great scenario all around!

I appreciate that literally everyone is getting in on it too other than Cruger, who's been captured. Kat shows off her flips again! RIC gets to take out two monsters and blast a door open in a callback to the first episode! A monster gives Boom a wedgie! No one is safe here! And especially not when the bigger bad, The Omni, is looming on the horizon.

Oh yeah, The Omni. The giant brain with a tentacle eye. Not much is revealed about it here, but Aronowitz has said that Gruumm's' brain being exposed is an intentional design choice made to subtlely hint at how this creature came to control Gruumm in the first place...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ns4u4sGdps

When I said everyone got in on this, I meant everyone.

A bunch of the extras gets to be part of the big explosive final battle too! Cruger's' wife, Isinia, gets to join in! Piggy gets to join in! Silverback and Birdy show up out of nowhere to join in! It's all hands on deck!

It's also here that we fully see what the end goal Gruumm has been building to was: He was putting together parts to turn The Terror into its own Megazord known as The Magnificence, which serves as a new, all powerful body for The Omni. And I always liked its golem-esque design.

It's not like the whole episode is one giant Megazord fight though, because again, so much happens here. Piggy has a change of heart, Boom gets to give a rousing speech, and another Power Ranger from the future arrives: The Nova Ranger! She's the Silver Ranger of the team, and is friends with Sam. Makes one wonder if Sam has any other Rangers he knows in the wings...

Speaking of Sam, while the action is all well and good in these two episodes, the emotional climaxes of a ton of the character involved are where this really shines.

Keeping note of Sam specifically, having his goodbye scene being punctuated with a brief talk with Z is an incredibly great touch, given their history together. And we even get to see Sam and Nova unmorph before leaving! For a long time, it was unknown who these two actors were, but within the past few years we actually got the answer. Sam is portrayed by Kevin Dufty, who was a makeup artist on the show. Meanwhile Nova is portrayed by Naomi Alice Marsh, though voiced by Antonia Prebble, who'd later play Clare in Power Rangers Mystic Force.

Having the actual final fight of the show be a standoff between Cruger and Gruumm is also a great move, given how the two's' rivalry was established very early on. Heck, Cruger himself has a ton of great moments throughout the episode. Like his cold cutting down of Mora's' monsters(and great one-liner when he confines her), and the sheer lengths he goes to in order to not only save his wife, but the world at large.

But of course, the big thing most people remember about how the episode, and the show itself, ends is that Jack steps down from being a Power Ranger, and Sky gets promoted to take his place. It's a great scene that calls back to the test of character that Cruger gave Sky during the very first episode, and everyone getting to meet up again at the very end is very heartwarming after all that's happened. Jack might not officially be in SPD anymore, but he's still very much a part of B-Squad's' found family. But duty calls, and the adventure never ends. I honestly couldn't think of any better way to cap this all off!

Apparently Disney, Aronowitz, and Bruce Kalish had some ideas though, because now I get to talk about what might be the final bit of production trivia I have for this thread: Did you know that SPD was almost the first Power Rangers season since Mighty Morphin' to have a second season? From what I understand, given what Greg himself has said on socials as well as at cons, Disney really didn't like how SPD was being produced at the same time that Dekaranger was, and thus was thinking of calling for SPD to get a second season that would use what little stock footage of Dekaranger they had(including the Dekranger movie), as a means of stalling for time to let Magiranger get further in production.

The plot would've involved Jack temporarily rejoining the team in order to help fight whatever new threat the Earth faced at the time, though it's unclear if he'd've returned to being the Red Ranger, or if he'd end up being Blue or Green, given the promotions of both Sky and Bridge. In either case, the idea was later reduced down to a movie that'd air the following year instead, until eventually Disney just went "screw it" and went ahead with production of Mystic Force anyway. That didn't stop Greg Aronowitza from trying though, as he proposed the idea to Disney to let him and the other writers begin writing Young Adult Tie-In Novels to SPD as a mean of telling a bunch of story ideas that the crew had. Disney, however, said no to the idea.

That's not to say that the story of Space Patrol Delta was over forever though, because it did infact get one big follow-up many years later. But we'll be talking about that next time.