[DreamSword]

So, one thing I wanna note before we get into this: some of the episodes on YouTube have a weird framerate issue; usually thought to be due to the source DVDs that the channel used for their rips. Whatever the case might be, if you ever come across an episode that seems to be going just slightly too fast, go into the video's settings and set it to either .90 or .95 speed and you should be good to go. With that out of the way, let's get into today's episode.

Episode 3: Confronted

Jack might have been assigned Red, but the only person he's ever worked with before now was Z, his best friend, so he's not quite Leader material as of yet.

This is the first episode focused primarily on Jack, while simultaneously introducing us to many more aspects of the setting of SPD such as New Tech City and how Emperor Grumm goes about conducting business.

Let's start with Jack. As someone completely foreign to the idea of both the police force as well as being on a team, he doesn't exactly fit in in regards to well, everything. He shows up late to meetings, doesn't take his training seriously, and when he finds out that he has authority, he kinda goes overboard with it.

But the thing about Jack, his biggest strength? It was showcased in the premiere and it's put on full display once again during the climax of this episode: He'll always come around to doing the right thing in the end. He learns from his mistakes, and although his methods might be unorthodox, it's also the out of the box thinking he has that ends up being the key to victory.

Case in point, he does right by his team by not only getting the Megazord combination to work(humorously, by literally jamming the Zords together), but puts himself through the same trials he put everyone else through during the events of the episode. And it's what gets everyone to trust him again despite their very understandable decision of kicking him off the team earlier on. Even Sky is willing to set his frustrations aside after seeing that.

Fun fact about the mud crawl scene, by the way: Did you know that Bridge's' actor, Matt Austin, was actually injured during the filming of that scene? The story he's told at cons is that he actually broke his nose while him and Sky's' actor, Chris Violette, were horsing around on set. And Matt had to act through that(what a trooper)! It's why the mud is smeared across Bridge's' face the way is: So that it's hard to tell that his nose is broken. Just goes to show why exactly stunt doubles exist, don't it?

Probably the other biggest thing shown off in this episode is how the various Ranger aspects of the show work out. From the suits to the Zords. When it comes to the suits, while they are generally liked, I've heard some complaints about the helmets, and really, I never got it because I love the way that they're designed. From the siren lights on the sides to the sides of the eyes lighting up whenever anyone is in their Zord's' cockpit, it really seemed like alot of smaller details were considered when designing them, and it just makes me love how they look. I've especially always liked how the numbers are integrated into the chests.

As for the Zords, well, I always love it whenever the Zords get to fight individually in any Rangers season, even if it only happens on an average of once or twice. And the Delta Squad Megazord? Even if it's not my favorite Megazord in Space Patrol Delta proper, it's still one of my favorite Megazords like, ever. Not only in terms of looks, but also in its arsenal and how its moves. Love the giant metal handcuffs, as well as the Robocop styled way in which it stores weapons in its legs. And that's not all when it comes to mecha either, because SPD is the first season wherein most of the villains actually pilot their own mechs against our heroes; which is a really neat twist on things!

The last detail I want to mention is this, because it has to do with another misconception about Power Rangers SPD as a whole: Many fans have (lovingly) mocked the show for its aspect of somehow having giant energy blasts blow enemies up yet somehow trap them in cards at the same time. This... is only half true. When it comes to alot of episodes, the earlier ones especially, the various finishing attacks typically only incapacitate/stun the opponent, and the Rangers then use the Morpher to trap the criminal in a card prison. This episode actually showcases that exact scenario, with the Megazord blowing up the drill machine and then Jack taking down and arresting the monster piloting it. Later episodes will indeed feature the setup that fans make fun of, but it's by no means something that happens every single time as they'd lead you to believe.

I could go on, but this post is getting long enough as it is. So I'll simply end this off by saying that, yeah, this was another fun episode that managed to have a little bit of everything, with nothing feeling forced or out of place. It's just as great a showcase of Jack as it is so many other things in regards to the story, and it's a great time as a result.