[Den-O]

So I finally sat down to watch this one. Here are my thoughts.

Let me preface this by saying I really did think this was a better and more polished episode than the previous 5. But "better" doesn't mean much when talking about this show.

- I'm going to have to say this every week. But the ADR is absolute garbage and still has not improved since the first episode. It's just awful in every possible scene it can be.

- I know a lot of people have lauded Jason Smith for apparently being really good for the franchise. But he was terrible in Jungle Fury and is somehow even more drastically unnatural here. And his writing has been nothing to speak of at all this season. Yet again Azim appears to be the only actor who emotes on this set.

- VERY happy to see that "New Powers" were not present in this episode. However, too little too late if you ask me. The damage from the complete lack of editing and any form of continuity or respect for the franchise was thrown out the window long ago by this show. It's great they got their act together I guess. But we've already seen a ton of sentai stuff sneak in here with no context at all. And no matter how much people desperately try to piece something together with plot threads that don't exist, it just doesn't work. Call yourself a "true fan" or "diehard" or whatever you want, but you should expect better of something if you truly love it. Not settle for what we've been given.

- Still trying to keep up the uselessness of the Megaforce suits eh? Still see no point to that at all. They've basically turned them into the ninja costumes from MMPR. They're just a pointless in between state now.

- The bits with Emma & Jake were actually really enjoyable. I honestly mean that. Their interaction with Casey was very akin to Ahim & Doc's with Jan in Gokaiger. That was meaningful interaction for once.

- The episode itself was overall good though despite any criticisms I may have. It distilled the most core point & plot of the episode it's adapted from and presented it pretty decently.

The show actually has improved. I'll give it that. But improvement hardly matters when the show is still this bad. Oh and Troy was a total prick this week. For no apparent reason. Ridiculously out of character the entire episode.