Oh, and one of these episodes is the worst Power Rangers episode ever, by the way. I’ll let you figure out which one it is.

Ep. 26: “Zedd Waves”

The writers took their sweet time pushing Jason, Zack, and Trini out the door. It was a smart strategy at the time, as the kids at home would be gently eased through the transition like it was their parents’ divorce. But it was weird that the trio never hung out with Tommy, Kimberly, and Billy anymore. Rocky, Adam, and Aisha did so it was okay. They rebounded. They didn’t need Jason, Zack, and Trini anymore.

Episodes like this one sold us on the prospect of the new characters joining the main cast, who wind up saving the day with the help of Zordon. The rushed production is still groan-inducing (as is Not-Jason’s overaggressive dub job) but “Zedd Waves” is a brightly colored puzzle piece that connects us with the new kids from Stone Canyon.

Ep. 27-28: “The Power Transfer” Pt. I & II

Do it! Make Rocky, Adam, and Aisha the Red, Black, and Yellow Rangers already! There. Phew. That feels so much better. Bye Jason, Zack, Trini and Felicia. Have fun at the Peace Conference. Can’t wait to see one of you again in Zeo! Whoa, check out Lord Zedd’s giant zord Serpenterra! It doesn’t do much, does it? WTF is that? A giant floating pyramid with an eyeball?! Oh…kay.

Ep. 29: “Goldar’s Vice Versa”

Scorpina’s back and she has her eyes set on Adam, who she plans on asking to the vice-versa dance per Zedd’s orders. This time, she’s played by a US based actress named Sabrina Ly. She’s no Ami Kawai, but we’ll take it. So why was this the last time she appeared on the show?

Apparently, Scorpina was supposed to come back later during Season 2 in a scrapped three part filler saga titled “Zordon I Shrunk The Rangers” (which you can read here). So what gives?

Ep. 41-43: “The Wedding” Pt. I, II & III

Fresh off the heels of a decent stretch of standalones that more or less continue to familiarize us with Rocky, Adam and Aisha (should I say their names in a different order at some point?), we’re treated to yet another turning point in the series. Yes, another one!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyrfiWnpd7o

The teens head to Australia to film their big summer movie – er, I mean go on a field trip. But while they’re gone, Rita Repulsa returns, gets a makeover (i.e. is recast with another actress who can lip sync), and puts Lord Zedd under a love spell that convinces him to marry her immediately. They have a bizarre quasi-Jewish wedding on the moon while the Rangers are trapped inside a creepy theater on earth, harassed by past monsters who are distinctly goofier and more sluggish than we remember.

I don’t necessarily recommend watching these, but they are crucial. (There was supposed to be a follow-up episode continuing the Rangers’ vacation in Australia but it was never filmed.)

Ep. 44-46: “Return of the Green Ranger” Pt. I, II, & III

Another insane three parter picks up after this, also filmed in the land down under (though they don’t acknowledge it on screen this time). Rita summons the Wizard of Deception to clone Tommy to resurrect her evil Green Ranger. Somehow, it happens, and the real Tommy is beside himself. (See what I did there?) The rest of the Rangers are sent back in time to…drumroll please…colonial California. Um, right.

I’ve heard Power Rangers likened to Doctor Who before, but this is ridiculous.“Return” doesn’t quite live up to the greatness of its title, as this is just another rushed splice job like the rest of mid-Season 2. But it’s what we got. Be thankful.

Ep. 51: “Best Man For The Job”

Right after the cast and crew returned from their tumultuous shoot in Sydney, they cranked out a final string of episodes that finally got it right. This is definitely a highlight of the bunch, if not the funniest. When Rita causes mayhem by pitting Kimberly against Tommy during the school presidential election, she steals Saba and forces the Tiger Zord in battle mode to fight the Thunder Megazord in a rare stateside produced mecha battle. Highly recommended.

Ep. 52: “Blue Ranger Gone Bad”

It’s been a long and bumpy road, but now we’ve reached the end of the what is perhaps the most clusterfucked season of Power Rangers ever produced.

Fortunately, it leaves off on a high note with a tightly written standalone in which an evil clone of Billy runs around screwing things up for some new girl that has the hots for him. (I guess she doesn’t know yet, huh?) The dialogue is sharp, the humor is crisp, and the action is fast. “Blue Ranger Gone Bad” is less of a finale per se as it is an indicator of Season 3’s higher quality.

Hit the dropdown for season 3!

MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS SEASON 3

Season 3 is much different beast than the previous two, as the show finally embraces its serialized format and grows confident with long-form storytelling.

Let me clue you in on the brilliance of this season. This is a year of TV that has goals, people. Goals! Some of them are ambitious, some of them are functional, and others are good old fashioned fan service. One of its missions was to lay the groundwork for writing out Amy Jo Johnson, who was exhausted with the tiring lifestyle being a Power Ranger demanded. Since she gave advanced notice, the writers were able to pace her exit neatly while cleverly foreshadowing it at the same time.

While watching Season 3, one gets the impression that the Pink Ranger herself is no longer a necessary part of the team. Because Kakuranger didn’t have a Pink Ranger (as you’ll soon find out), this was sadly true. And despite what Ban Dai of America wanted you to think, there were no pink colored Zords to be found anywhere. She was treated more like a sixth Ranger than anything else, flipping her character arc into a mirror image of her significant other’s. That’s genius.

This year also was one big setup for next year’s Zeo launch, which you’ll hear more about in a minute or two.

Ep. 4-7: “Ninja Quest” Pt. I – IV

The third season kicks off with a three-part Masked Rider crossover/backdoor pilot that does a nice bit of world building and ends Bulk and Skull’s obsession with finding the Power Rangers’ true identities once and for all. But “Ninja Quest” is where the real story arc begins. (We also get a long overdue new US version of the Thunderzord summoning sequence. Was that so hard? Also, another US zord battle.)

This four part mini-series is an alternate (read: lower budget) retelling of the events from Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: The Movie. Instead of Ivan Ooze being unearthed and brainwashing the parents of Australian Angel Grove, Rito Revulto – Rita’s boneheaded brother – appears instead. He lands on the moon, bringing with him an army Tengas (formerly Tengu Warriors) to replace Zedd’s tired putties.

After he demolishes the Rangers’ Thunderzords with the help from past monsters, the kids journey to The Desert of Despair (not Phaedos) to find Ninjor (instead of Dulcea) who grants them the power of Ninja (don’t say Ninjetti). He also gives them shiny new Ninja Zords too, but they’re not CGI, and the Megazord doesn’t knee anybody in the dick this time.

I like the movie and all, but I’ve always preferred “Ninja Quest” because it was authentically Power Rangers.

(Interesting sidenote – there’s a fanfic I read long ago that claimed the movie was a prophetic dream Billy had the night before the events of the series happened. That’s always been stuck in my brain and adopted as personal head cannon. Hope it gets stuck in yours too now.)

Ep. 12-13: “Stop the Hate Master” Pt. I & II

Everybody but Aisha is turned into an asshole by a monster who thinks he can spit like Pumpkin Rapper but can’t. This is also glorified filler, does not need to be two parts, and is a bit too simplistic for the series by this point. But hear this: we get to meet Aisha’s grandma.

What’s really of note here though is that Titanus comes back to us. And it’s not a big moment or anything like that. Adam admits that he needs some help and Tommy is like oh, I know who to call. Then he summons Titanus like it’s no big deal, like they haven’t spoken or seen each other for almost two seasons. The Ninja Ultrazord debuts in the next episode, “Final Face-Off” but I’m not going to list that as essential because I don’t feel like writing about it.

Ep. 15: “The Potion Notion”

One of the first times that Power Rangers played fan service before Zeo aired, this episode is a sweet opportunity to play up the more romantic elements of the show that were on stealth mode most of the time. It’s also an excellent way to mix things up by having a bewitched Kimberly fall for Skull, making Tommy nervous in the process. It also brings attention to the dangling subplot of Rita’s magical roofie-ing of Lord Zedd during the previous season.

Perfect watch for Valentine’s Day if you’re corny like that.

Ep. 17-18: “A Ranger Catastrophe”

In this two-parter, we meet a mysterious young woman named Katherine who can turn into a little kitty cat and spy on the Rangers, much like an Animorph would. That’s because she’s actually an emissary of Rita, who is up to her no good brainwashing antics again. The addition of Kat into the mix causes a ripple in the main cast’s dynamic which sparks romantic tension between Tommy and Kim. (“Who’s that girl?” Kimberly asks when she sees the two together in the viewing globe.) It also preps us for what’s to come. Yes, there’s a recycled Zord battle with Rito. We can get past that, can’t we?

Ep. 19-21: “Changing of the Zords” Pt. I – III

In one of the finest, most dramatic sagas the series ever cranked out, Katherine targets Kimberly and steals her Ninja Power Coin to weaken her life force. While she’s vulnerable, the Tengas kidnap the Pink Ranger during a fight. Zedd holds her hostage – as well as Ninjor and the Falconzord, which puts the rest of the Ninja Zords out of commission. (Shit!) His demands? He wants the other Rangers to pilot his new Shogun Zords to destroy the city. And he visits the Command Center to tell them this!

Emotions soar higher than ever when everything the team has worked so hard for is put at risk, not to mention Tommy’s relationship with Kimberly. While most of this drama is fueled by production necessities (i.e. the mecha stuffed Kakuranger footage, AJJ’s bowing out, and a major rebranding looming on the horizon), it’s masterfully executed for a show that had offended my intelligence on multiple occasions throughout Season 2.

This is MMPR at its most exciting, and precisely the kind of storytelling it should be remembered for.

Ep. 21: “Follow That Cab!”

You can skip this one if you want to, but I wouldn’t recommend it. It provides relevant information about Katherine’s backstory, plus it’s a nice breather that gives us a final one-off adventure with Kimberly before she packs her bags and heads out the door. But she doesn’t morph or anything. Instead, she drops some acid with Bulk and Skull while stuck in a monster cab. But it’s the last time we get to spend with Kim on a week-to-week basis, so I wouldn’t want you to miss it.

Also, the Shark Cycles make their big debut. They’re not around for long, but it was satisfying to see MMPR Productions finally have the balls and budget to pull off a (modest) motorcycle chase scene.

Ep. 22-24: “A Different Shade of Pink” Pt. I – III

This is it: the final sendoff for Kimberly. Instead of a Peace Conference, she leaves the team to train for the Pan Global Games with Coach Schmidt. (Sounds nicer, doesn’t it?) Katherine takes over her role as Pink Ranger after the other Rangers break Rita’s spell, so it all evens out and we get to keep your precious Pink Ranger.

Wait a minute – how can you transfer your Ninja Power Animal to another person? Shouldn’t Kat go on a spirit quest to find her own gosh darn spirit guide? (And wouldn’t hers be a cat anyway?!) Oh, that’s right. Ninjor’s stuck in a jar somewhere. And there are no cat themed mecha toys to sell. It’s towards the end of the season anyway. That would be too much of an investment. I get it.

(And while we’re on the topic, how you can use ninja animal powers to to morph into dinosaur themed warriors is beyond me.)

Even though I praise Kimberly’s exit story arc to high heaven, it does have one huge flaw: she spends most of its duration playing the damsel in distress. But, to be fair, Tommy did too, and for a lot longer. That made the situation poetic, like their fates were intertwined right from the beginning. Or something.

That another original cast member could leave the show felt like a massive shakeup at the time. But now that Kim was gone, where was MMPR heading now?

Ep 27: “Another Brick in the Wall”

The first Kat focused episode ever sees her learning the ropes at being a Ranger while organizing a community clean-up crew. (Looks like she’s fitting in well so far.) We’re also treated to a rare Ron Wasserman song that no one remembers during a cheesy montage that no one wants to.

This episode rocks because Billy dashes in at the end and whoops the monster-of-the-day’s ass singlehandedly like a boss without the rest of the team or a Megazord. It was an incredible reminder of just how far Billy had come as a character and a Ranger, even if it was constructed around a particular bit of sentai footage.

Ep. 29-31: “Master Vile and the Metallic Armor” Pt. I – III

It might not have the most creative title in the world, but it’s still my personal favorite “mini-series”. It also happens to be MMPR’s last. This arc serves as a climax to the season of sorts, laying the groundwork for the fast approaching shift to Power Rangers Zeo. Another new villain is introduced: Rita’s father, Master Vile, who is at least somewhat more serious about ending the world. Ninjor escapes during all the commotion and returns to the command center.

When Tommy and Kat sneak into Rita and Zedd’s palace on the moon to steal the Zeo crystal, they also rescue the Falconzord. That means they can use their Ninja Zords again. Hooray! We missed those things. A thrilling mega-brawl ensues involving both Megazords and a monster that Vile puked up.

If that’s not enough excitement, the Power Rangers’ first power-up ever debuts: the Metallic Armor, which might have been created to move those leftover metallic Movie edition action figures that were still warming pegs in toy aisles everywhere in fall ’95.

Ep. 32: “The Song of Dischordia”

There’s a 50/50 chance you’ll hate me for labeling this one as essential, but hear me out. Yes, it’s goofy. Yes, it’s campy. Yes, it’s an assault on the ears and good taste in general. But that zord fight at the end! That’s worth the price of admission alone. Not sure why Saban used a perfectly amazing battle on such a moronic episode, but it’s better than most of Season 2’s run time so shut the hell up.

Let’s not forget Kat and Aisha singing their classic “Angel Grove High” duet. They’re just like Gwenyth Paltrow and Huey Lewis. Does anybody get that reference? Probably not. It’s okay. You will one day.

Ep. 33: “Rangers in Reverse”

The third season ends on a major cliffhanger. When the gang takes Kat to the carnival for her birthday, Master Vile grabs the Orb of Doom and reverses Earth’s rotation. This makes time to go backward, turning our heroes turn into kids. Yikes! Luckily their clothes shrank sizes along with them; otherwise, we’d be stuck with a bunch of naked kids running around fighting Tengas, and that would be creepy.

For those who don’t know, the exact same scenario happened before back in Season 2. I just didn’t deem those episodes as essential because they kind of suck. Not as bad as, say, “Storybook Rangers”, but pretty damn close.

Anyway, back on track. “Rangers in Reverse” is an action-packed culmination of all the dread that had built up over an eventful year. But it ends abruptly, with Rita, Zedd, Goldar and Rito all making themselves giant size to attack the defenseless Angel Grove of – what – 1988? ‘89? Kinda makes you wonder why they never did this kind of thing before. Oh wait, that’s right. They didn’t have the footage for it.

Ep. 34 – 43: The Mighty Morphin’ Alien Rangers Miniseries

According to Saban and Netflix, Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers is its own damn series. I respectfully disagree. To me, this ten episode event will always be the final arc of Season 3 and MMPR as a whole, because it was originally advertised as one. So there.

Some of it might be tedious, some of it might be eye-rolling, and certain long stretches are highly reminiscent of the most unbearable moments from Big Bad Beetleborgs. But you’ll find some diamonds in the rough here, such as Billy’s transformation back to his older self by magical means, the subsequent destruction of the Power Coins, and Bulk turning into a monster for the first time.

Plus, you can’t forget the Zeo Quest arc, where the junior Rangers travel through time to find their own Zeo sub-crystal which will eventually morph them into their respective Zeo Ranger suits later on. This storyline shows Aisha the door and brings in Tanya as her replacement, which is one of the oddest and rushed departures in the series’ history.

Throughout it all, Billy’s departure in the following year is also slowly layered, even if it wasn’t intentional. In retrospect, his relationship with the Aquitians was part of a long-term exit plan that mostly unintentional, which is another stroke of narrative genius.

In the last episode, “Hogday Afternoon”, the Zeo crystal is reassembled and time is restored thanks to its mystical properties, the Alien Rangers head back to Aquitar. (Why would they call themselves Alien Rangers by the way? Never understood that.) But the Rangers face a great loss when Rito and Goldar blow up the Command Center. What will our heroes do next? Find out next time, on Power Rangers Zeo! But before you do, you should probably watch this first.