[Androzani84]

Week 9 begins with our continuation of the unusual update schedule.

Timeranger Case File 11: Town of Deadly Fighting 23/04/2000

In an unusual moment, we open on the staff of a restaurant, who are dealing with some unusual customers that terrify them.



It turns out they?re talking about Dolnero and Lila, who are out having a fancy dinner for fun. And the reason Gien isn?t there is surprisingly not ?he?s a robot and doesn?t need to eat?.



As it turns out, Gien is selecting this week?s criminal, according to his standards. Namely, his love for chaos and destruction established a while back.



Meanwhile, back at the restaurant, the same paparazzo from two weeks ago snaps pictures of Dolnero and Lila in the middle of their meal.



The next day, the woman, here named as Moriyama Honami, hands the picture over to her editor (if this show were made three years later, I guess he?d be a parody of JK Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson), in exchange for a blank cheque. She then promises an even greater scoop: the identities of the Timerangers (Oh boy, here we go).



Later that day, a signal is sent out into the town, with all who hear it being driven to commit violence and destruction.





The next day, at Tomorrow Research, the heroes receive word that 38 people were injured in the riots last night, and the people identified as taking part in the mayhem have no memory of doing so. Yuri, being the resident detective, figures out a lead.



And the answer is, perhaps unsurprisingly, yes.



The riots lasted three days and resulted in mass property damage.



But fortunately, they managed to capture the one responsible and locked him away in Londar Prison.



Domon assumes that he went around and hypnotised those people, but the others correctly guess that he just sent out a hypnotic wave. Meanwhile, Honami sees the police setting up a blockade to keep people out of danger. So of course, she runs right into it, knowing that the Timerangers will show up and she can use that chance to photograph their identities (Saying it now. I really hate plots focused on nosy reporters who see dangerous stuff going down and run towards it because ?What a scoop?, instead of doing the smart thing and running for the hills). Meanwhile the heroes they have to find the source of the wave and stop it before tonight, or someone might actually die this time.



Later, the Timerangers have also snuck into the affected area thanks to Tatsuya and Domon disguising themselves as officers (that?s a criminal offence, you know), and begin looking around. Tatsuya soon finds himself surrounded by the uncanniness of the whole place.



He then comes across brainwashed townsfolk, one of whom throws an EXPLODING DOLL at him (What and how?). Domon, Sion and Ayase likewise escape from a falling potted plant, a lady with a bat full of nails and a reckless driver respectively.



Yuri?s search proves just as fruitless, but she does come across Honami under attack.



After saving her, she tries getting the woman to leave, but despite Yuri making some very good points as to why she should, Honami refuses, insistent on getting her scoop. Especially once she realises there?s only one reason her rescuer would be running into the town she?s warning the other woman away from.







The group reunite, just in time for Sion to detect Gougan?s machine. They reach it by sunset, as the criminal returns to the scene of the crime to reset the device.



And for once, they have a clean victory. Yuri just has to set the VolSniper to its lethal settings and shoot the hypnotic transmitter, allowing everyone to go home.



Unfortunately, Honami chose a nearby spot to take photographs, meaning that they can?t carry out the plan without killing her. And she ends up giving herself away to Gougan.



As such, the Timerangers are forced to leap into the fray. Which unfortunately, Gougan was expecting, allowing him to trap them in a barrier, before leaving to behold the carnage.



The heroes escape by shooting the barrier?s weak spot twice, before Domon punches it to death (I shoot you not). But by then, it?s too late, as Yuri points out by slapping Honami as she resumes taking pictures. The sun goes down, and the carnage resumes.





Honami has a breakdown over how all this is her fault (It really was) after a brainwashed kid scratches her hand with a fork. But as the others head off to stop Gougan?s path of destruction, Domon stays behind to comfort and reassure her.



The Timerangers are able to stop the carnage before it begins by using the Time Flyer to explode the transmitter, which inexplicably also extinguishes the mob?s torches.



Domon, despite not doing anything of note in the episode so far, faces Gougan in one on one combat while the others destroy his Zenits, defeating him with the Vector Dividing attack.



As Honami gushes over how cool he is, Gougan Rebounds, and proves himself a surprisingly better fighter at giant size, managing to fight Beta on even terms.



But the heroes get the upper hand by changing into TimeRobo Alpha after using the Time Flyer as a distraction, and managing to freeze Gougan. As they walk away with him, Honami, who clearly learned very little from this experience, photographs the group as they walk away, now guessing correctly that they?re the Timerangers.



Meanwhile, Lila scoffs at Gien?s choice in criminal, purely because he didn?t bring in much cash. But he counters that unlike his compatriots, his idea of fun isn?t centred around getting money.





And following that creepy note, we cut to next morning, where Domon reveals that he?s glad that the reporter lady expressed interest in him.



But then Yuri arrives in the middle of Ayase?s latest attempt at sniping, havong discovered she?s the reporter taking photos of their shenanigans. She warns Domon to stay away from her, lest he risk the exposure of their secrets.



Fortunately for the heroes, Honami has guessed TimeYellow?s identity from nothing but the picture she took. s/



Next time, Sion meets another alien on Earth who?s befriended a child and fallen foul of a bullying Londarz in Case File 12: A Wish Upon a Star.

Final thoughts: Honestly, between the obnoxious reporter and the rather uninteresting criminal, this was probably the first major dud I?ve come across in this thread. And as you can probably tell by the fact I took pictures for it, this isn?t one you can skip, unfortunately.