[DreamSword]

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Originally Posted by Mesnick

If anything, this also contradicts the principle of SWAT work. That is, the task of this service is to be called in cases when the police fail to neutralize criminals and destroy the threat. So their action is not even a reaction, but the execution of an order.

I mean, I dunno if the writers were thinking much past SWAT being "higher police with big guns" but yeah, that's a solid point.

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Originally Posted by Androzani84

This is another shot for shot episode, with the most changes being the whole ?stolen specs? subplot (in Dekaranger, it was a total coincidence that the second mid-season upgrade for the villains was body armour like what the Dekarangers were getting, so props for tying the two together I guess?), the Battlizer getting subject to the Worf Effect and the few seconds where they swipe a blank containment card against their new big guns.

Having the two be connected does raise the question of why the villain's' armor is so different though. I guess maybe they modified the tech?

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(it was less of an issue in the source, since the Dekaranger team have far less of a close knit relationship)

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

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Yeah, I figured. Without SPD in the bad future, Sam wouldn't have much training in synchronized tactics. I guess he's kind of like Aiyon in that way, with how he tries to aggressively carry the fight so his comrades don't have to risk their lives, not realizing that his life is also important and Rangers should protect each other.

Yeah. While one certain character showing up way later will bring up some questions about it, it's becoming more and more clear about why Omega was sent to the past alone.

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More functionality for RIC further proves that he's still far from being obsolete as well. These two guys are both underdogs in their own ways, so it's fitting that they emphasize each other's hidden strengths and this concept of two becoming one must have been popular, as the next 2 shows repeated it.

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.

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The repaint of the Omega Morpher is good symbolism to remind the viewer that this power only exists thanks to the intervention of Omega Ranger that saved SPD. Could even be a case of reverse causality, if this inspired the Omega Morpher in the future. Even if it didn't physically exist, there might've been a blueprint or something.

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.

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Sky earned that Red Ranger moment for sure. He's come a long way from being that self-entitled a**hole at the start to becoming a reliable teammate and close friend. Him conceding the Morpher back to Jack after the fight is a good moment of acknowledgement that he knows he still has more to learn as the Blue Ranger before he can feel worthy of a permanent color change. The old Sky would never have done that so unreluctantly.

"Heroes come in all colors" was such a great way to cap it all off, too!

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This being mostly a Sky focus episode though, I think it would've been better if he had a more active role in foiling Mirloc's scheme, instead of Sam having to bail him out along with the others. As mentioned, the episode this was adapted from was focused on Sam's counterpart, so him getting to be the hero made more sense there. Of course, I'm not going to deduct points for meta stuff, but with Sam being such a big part of this episode, I believe this is another case where the lack of emotional connection to him, as well as between him and Mirloc, is a detriment to the narrative.

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.

[DreamSword]

Episode 28: Robotpalooza

Bridge at long last gets a second focus episode!

When he starts having a premonition of the Rangers losing to a squad of robots in the near future, both him and the others start having a very tiring day.

The overall plot of this one is a zerg rush against the Rangers, and while it's not the first episode of Power Rangers to do this type of plot, it pulls it off pretty well. Mainly in how everyone's' personalities play off eachother.

It's also the debut of my favorite Megazord in SPD, the SWAT Megazord. I absolutely love the SWAT Flyers, the overall look of the Megazord itself, the way it fight while dual wielding blasters, and who could ever forget that awesome finisher where the mech turns into a giant gun!?

As simple and straight-forward as this one is though, I could see people making a stink about some things I personally consider minor this time around. The main one being that despite Bridge being our center character, he doesn't exactly get any character development. He just sort of headlines the scenario. And the other aspect being, well, Sam.

This is probably the most blatant "Sam might as well not even be here" moment in the entire show. He helps in a few of the fights, sure, but then comes a scene where Bridge asks him to tail the main criminals that B-Squad is after while they take care of a horde of Krybots and... the Omega Ranger just kinda disappears from the episode entirely. What happened to him? Did he take a wrong turn somewhere and ended up on the other side of town?

Anyway, like I said, I consider those things to be relatively minor, as the episode is very much just meant to be a fun, action filled one off that introduces a sick new Megazord, and as that, I'm all for it.

[Androzani84]

Even after a few watches, I’m not sure how Bridge can suddenly dream the future.

And in an era of this show where most episodes are shot for shot the Sentai episode with a few additional scenes added, this one actually gives the focus a different main plot. Originally, it involved a child alien stealing from an elderly alien Green befriended in a prior episode (one which had as its villain of the week a living gas creature that could possess people), which ended up with the kid leading them to uncover the robot plot and eventually getting to live/work with the grandma alien he stole from. I’m guessing it was changed to avoid introducing a load of new characters.

[DreamSword]

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Originally Posted by Androzani84

Even after a few watches, I?m not sure how Bridge can suddenly dream the future.

It's really just an extension of the powers he already has. We've seen that he can get brief glimpses of the future while he's awake, so doing it while he sleeps isn't much of stretch.

[DreamSword]

Episode 29: Katastrophe

This is another of my personal favorite episodes.

But before we get into the primary meat of it, I wanna point out just how many wonderful subtleties there are throughout this episode.

It's mostly in the language of alot of the cast, both verbal and physical. This episode is written by Jackie Marchland(who also wrote "Wired") and directed by Britta Johnstone, and I feel like these two put alot of work into these aspects.

The biggest highlight for me being Sam, wherein this episode has a scene showing that he does hang out with the rest of B-Squad during his downtime, and there's a specific line from Cruger that I feel explains his role in the story rather well. That being that Sam is the first Sixth Ranger in the franchise that is primarily a supporter, rather than a frontliner like most are.

All the other scenes are no slouch either. Not only is the trend of how SPD very skillfully intermingles with the Dekaranger stock footage still preserved, but the inner logic of the cast is portrayed very clear cut without feeling as though it's being just pure exposition. The way that the cast treats Kat's' situation in this episode feels rather natural, understandable, and in character for all involved.

So what's the situation? Well, remember when Supreme Commander Birdy noted that Kat deserves a promotion? He's back to make good on that statement. Kat is conflicted about whether or not to take the job at Supreme Headquarters, and while the Rangers aren't 1000% comfortable with the idea, they understand that it's probably what's best for Kat in the long run, and thus do all they can do nudge her into going. It goes a long way in showing just how close nit the main cast has become, and I dig it.

Notably though, when things go awry without Kat around, her decision to return is treated with just as much respect. It's the sort of thing that on a base level, kids can dig because it means a likable character gets to stay around, but adults can appreciate due to the relation it has to the working world. Some people genuinely don't care to move up the corporate ladder for one reason or another, and that this episode portrays such a mentality as equally valid as those who do strive to be at the top is very much appreciated. Episodes like this really stand against the idea some have that the franchise totally leaves its older fanbase out of mind.

But regardless of your age range, the one thing that nearly everyone remembers most about this episode is the Kat Ranger, and over the years, the primary reason for that has shifted quite a bit. In the early days, it was simply cool to see a side character that many liked become a Power Ranger, even if only temporarily. Then as time passed and knowledge of Super Sentai grew, the more vocally critical sections of the fandom complained about the suit being called Kat Ranger when the suit is "obviously" swam based(because it's known as DekaSwan in Japan). And... I dunno, maybe I'm just biased due to having seen SPD first, but the suit really looks more catlike to me?

The big ol' cat ears are the biggest signifier here, but even besides that, the suit actor notably fights via clawing her opponents. Really, the only thing that kinda-sorta says "swan" to me is the feathers on the shoulders, but even then it's not like this is the only instance of wings being used as a motif on these suits(see: Omega Ranger). Regardless, SPD knows how to make every new Ranger give a grand entrance, and Kat Ranger here is no exception. I absolutely love her fighting style, with the swirls, twirls, and clawing curls that make for a very fun action climax to the episode. It being immediately followed by a fun emotional resolution, with Kat, Boom, and the rest of B-Squad really only helps make the whole thing even better in the end.

While that basically sums it all up for the episode itself, there is one other aspect that I wanna bring up, because it's another reason that people remember the Kat Ranger nowadays; And that is the debate over what color she is. Some say she's White, others say she's Orange, and her suit being very half and half on both those colors don't help matters. Now, officially, she's classified as a White Ranger, but what doesn't help is that other media has referred to her as an Orange Ranger before(such as Battle for the Grid), and fuel was only added to the fire when Hasbro advertised Cosmic Fury as having the very first Orange Ranger in the Power Rangers franchise. Many would argue that Kat deserves that title instead. Me personally, I side with White primarily due to it being one of the two colors Kat tends to wear, as well as it being the color of her Morpher.

Either way one sees it though, I really just dig Kat Ranger as a whole, and I've always been rather sad that she was temporary. Probably a relief on the part of the show runner's' budget, though.

[Mesnick]

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Originally Posted by DreamSword

The big ol' cat ears are the biggest signifier here, but even besides that, the suit actor notably fights via clawing her opponents.

This is clearly based on the swan ears of ballerinas. The helmet is even lined to resemble feathers. Even ignoring that, I see a cobra more than a cat.

[Androzani84]

In terms of colours, the DekaSwan suit was intended to be bronze, since they’d done a one-shot female Gold Ranger in the movie, and had a one-shot female Silver Ranger set to appear a few episodes later. The reason given there for why the suit is one off is because Swan (Kat’s Sentai counterpart) only transforms once every four years. (What sporting event with that interval was going on in Madrid in 2004?)

Also thsi episode features the one time SPD films a wholly original Judgement Time sequence (not counting the addition to the one in episode 12 where Cruger finds that Benaag is innocent of murdering his wife), since in the equivalent episode, the criminal attempted to commit suicide after his scheme failed, and was talked into serving time to atone for his actions instead.

And one cool detail is that Moony’s robot, the reactor that gets focused on aside, is made up of parts from previous Giant Robot suits.

[DreamSword]

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Originally Posted by Mesnick

Even ignoring that, I see a cobra more than a cat.

Well that's certainly a unique take.

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Originally Posted by Androzani84

In terms of colours, the DekaSwan suit was intended to be bronze, since they?d done a one-shot female Gold Ranger in the movie, and had a one-shot female Silver Ranger set to appear a few episodes later.

If that were the intent they should've made either the orange or the white parts brown at the very least.

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And one cool detail is that Moony?s robot, the reactor that gets focused on aside, is made up of parts from previous Giant Robot suits.

Oh yeah, that was really cool to see.

[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.

[DreamSword]

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

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.

Alot of R. Lee Ermey clones forget what happened to him at the end of his movie.

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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.

Oh I'll get to that soon enough.

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

I've been rather on the fence about giving Super Sentai another shot. The purists tend to keep me away more than motivate me, though. But then, with the future of Power Rangers currently so up in the air, I might not have many options.