[DreamSword]

Episodes 1+2: Beginnings

These two episodes originally aired as a 42 minute special, so that's how I've always watched them. And today is no exception.

And I'll just say it: This is my favorite premiere in the entire franchise.

Don't get me wrong, "Day of the Dumpster" is an absolutely iconic episode and I love both versions of it to bits, but when it comes right down to it, "Beginnings" never once misses a beat, even if it's doesn't 1000% mesh with the rest of the show.

It helps that in regards to plot, not only is the special a great setup for the rest of the show in itself, but there are no conflicts at all. No, the very minor disconnects rely on the characterization.

And I do mean minor. It's stuff like how Bridge's' vocabulary is a bit more "academic" than how we'll normally hear him speak for the rest of the show, or how this is the only time I can recall that we'll hear the "Blue Heads" talk. Things of that nature. But really, if we're talking about these episodes in and of themselves, the characterization is incredibly strong all the way around.

Both the writing and the actors do a wonderful job at giving you a glimpse in how each character operates. Every character absolutely oozes with personality and all in ways that make them very immediately endearing and likable while still having everyone be unique. Even Sky, the "hardass" of the group, is made fun by not only showcasing his faults for what they are, but having other characters notice and make fun of him for it. But in that friendly, ribbing sort of way.

The episode really does fire on all cylinders though, because the characters both are enhanced as well as further enhance everything else that these episodes have to offer. The action, for example, is really intricate and very fun to watch all throughout. There's of course the signature physical and wire stunts that the franchise is known for(thanks, Koichi Sakamoto!), but throw in the very cool dynamics brought about by the civilian powers each Ranger has as well as the interweaving of the Dekaranger stock footage alongside some original visuals, and every single action scene is just a wonderful time all around.

Speaking of the civilian powers though, one common misconception that the show often gets is that the premiere is the only time that Jack uses his power to phase through objects, and that's actually not true. I'll be sure to bring this up again when we see him utilize this power again. And adding to that, another misconception is that the B-Squad is always shouting whenever they're morphed. Watching the second part alone proves this to be untrue, as most of the time they're talking at a very standard volume.

What's that? They're called B-Squad? That's right. Something else unique to SPD is that our main heroes are actually the runner-ups to a different set of Rangers: SPD's' A-Squad, which are designs original to us here in the United States. While mostly their own designs, A-Squad noticeably retools the In Space helmets in their suits. It's something else that the fandom has thrown a fit about over the years, and I feel that it's a bit of a double standard given that whenever shows like Kamen Rider retool old suits/props, no one really complains all that much. But I digress, it's an aspect of the show's' production, and the lack of budget is the blame.

Yeah, for those curious, Producer Greg Aronowitz recently posted on his socials about the decisions behind retooling older stuff for SPD, and while the short answer is "budget" he also elaborates that the In Space helmets were specifically chosen for A-Squad because they were the ones that most resembled the SPD helmets at the time, and they are not meant to indicate any sort of direct continuity with In Space itself. The same logic(sort of) applying for some other reused props that we'll see later on. Personally, it never bothered me when watching the show as a kid, and it still doesn't bother me even now. The suits look cool, and that's all I need, really.

I could go on and on forever about how much I love every little individual aspect of these two combined episodes, but for the sake of brevity, I just want to highlight one other major aspect of any Power Rangers season, and that's that the music is absolutely fantastic, dude! The SPD theme song featured the return of Ron Wasserman composing the theme song for a PR season, and he absolutely knocked it out of the park with a song that never fails to get me hyped up. Major props have to be given to Bruce Lynch too, who is the head composer for the score of the season. He did a great job making background tracks that not only perfectly capture the mood every scene needs, but also stick out as immediately recognizable in a very pleasant way to my ears. Dang near all of my senses get the time of their life with these episodes!

I just... I just really love this two-parter, is what it comes down to.