[DreamSword]

Episode 16: Boom

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.