MMPR // 1.2 "High Five" [review]

Episode 2 “High Five”

                This second episode begins what is, so far, a fairly formulaic strategy in the writing of these episodes.   Something funny starts off the episode with Bulk and Skull.   Rita unleashes putties, which the Power Rangers defeat.   Then Rita unleashes a special baddie (In this episode, it is Bones, a skeleton looking dude) and the Power Rangers are defeated… until they form the Megazord.   This seems like the plot (with slight variations) of nearly every Power Ranger episode.  So for this episode, I am simply going to ask some questions that I feel need answering but are thus far left untouched.

-          Why does Rita Repulsa hate the Power Rangers so much?  Sure, they stand in her way and are aligned with Zordon (Who it is revealed in this episode was put into the time warp by Rita) but she really seems to have this personal rivalry with them, like they killed her parents or something.  What gives?

-          If putties are made like baked goods, why don’t they try baking something that isn’t so much like clay and maybe more of a metal in order to defeat the Power Rangers?  An army of Iron Men would be unstoppable.

-          Why does the time warp look like a mini space shuttle?

-          Why is Alpha such a lame robot?

-          How did Billy “accidentally” create teleporters with earth technology?

-          Why does Bulk always embarrass himself?  Can’t Spike have a turn?

-          If “California Dreams” was like “Saved by the Bell” with a band, why isn’t this more like “Saved by the Bell” with giant fighting robots and kaiju?

-          Why does Billy always wear overalls?

       At the end of the first episode, the Pink Ranger explains how she doesn’t think she can handle being a Power Ranger, only to end with the ‘90’s classic: “NOT!”    In this episode, when Billy creates the communicators/teleporters, she says “This is so ‘90’s!”   I’m certainly hoping she grows out of her stereotypical ‘90’s catchphrase, but I’m not going to cross my fingers.

               
       In this episode, it doesn’t even take the Megazord to defeat Bones, only the normal zords.  I’d say it’s funny, but at 0-2 Rita Repulsa is already looking sad and defeated.