[Sh Ranger]

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Originally Posted by DreamSword

Episode 26+27: S.W.A.T.

The very premise, that, in Cruger's' own words, that the team has done almost nothing but bicker at eachother for the entire year, goes against all of the character development that the cast has gone through for the past... entire show. Which also in turn puts a dead stop to the very strong continuity that the season has otherwise had up to now. If this were the premise of an early episode, sure, I could see. But now? 26 episodes in?

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.

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Originally Posted by DreamSword

And on the note of continuity, this two-parter directly follows the introduction of the Battlizer, which, given both the timeline placement as well as how the Battlizer fails to defeat our two villains of the week yet the two are easily defeated by SWAT Mode, makes it look as though the Battlizer, the thing that should be the ultimate weapon in any season of Power Rangers, look like it's gotten immediately outclassed in every sense of the word. Can poor RIC really never catch a break?

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!

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Originally Posted by DreamSword

I take serious issue with Silverback's' lessons to B-Squad too. The biggest sticking point being his idea that the Rangers should instead always be on the offense and be as overkill toward any criminal they can. Not only does that have some very uncomfortable real world implications, but Power Rangers in general have a golden rule: Never escalate a fight, and in turn, only use your powers for defense. It's right there in the Mighty Morphin' theme song! And if that's not enough for you, here's another rule that really should be followed: Villains Act, Heroes React. Flipping that isn't good for anyone involved, especially not in terms of storytelling.

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.

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Originally Posted by DreamSword

This is gonna sound like serious blasphemy, but I also think that SWAT mode is probably my least liked Super Mode in the franchise? It certainly looks cool, sure, and the added functions to the visors are neat, but outside of that? I really don't like how everyone's' primary weapon is now suddenly just a giant firearm. It'd be fine if it were just Red who got that, but replacing the Deltamax Strikers in their entirety means we go from having a cool, multi-purpose set of weaponry to... another blaster, with really nothing special about it. Even the finisher is just another big fireball that the K-9 Cannon already does better. Again, I feel like poor RIC is getting replaced here!

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.

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Originally Posted by DreamSword

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

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

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Originally Posted by DreamSword

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 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.

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Originally Posted by DreamSword

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.

Sounds like a plausible explanation.

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Originally Posted by DreamSword

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.

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.