History of the Power Rangers: Turbo part 2

Yesterday, Lewis Lovhaug introduced us to the world of Power Rangers Turbo, and his seething hatred for it. So now that we have the new cast, Bulk & Skull are visible humans, and we’re about to meet Divatox’s brother (thus again making us wonder if everyone was forcibly adopted), will Lewis soften to the new series? Let’s find out.

http://blip.tv/file/3588546

Let’s just ignore the pizzas, shall we? Although it does get a mention in the “Forever Red” team-up of Wild Force. Yesterday I said I’d discuss the new Rangers, except for Justin who already had his bullet point. So let’s start there.

• TJ: A rather good leader. He obviously cared about his new friends, and wasn’t afraid to put his butt on the line for them. I liked him.
• Cassie: She may have started out a bit self-interested, but she had a good heart. I think she was better served in the next series, but really they all were. As far as the “romantic” subplot with the Phantom Ranger, I actually never saw it that far. That may have been intended, but honestly all I saw was that she was concerned about him and they did connect on some level. Maybe it’s because he never had a mouth that we saw.
• Ashley: It’s nice to see a cheerleader that wasn’t some empty-headed bimbo. You don’t get that out of cheerleaders in shows much, as if the writers in Hollywood hated the popular crowd. Again, better served next time.
• Carlos: Probably the most developed between Turbo and Space, he did Adam proud taking over for him.

I am in total agreement with Lewis when it comes to General Havoc. Not only should he have taken over, but he was the leader of the enemy in Car Ranger. The “space base” was actually the enemy base from the series, and his troopers were the actual henchmen from that show. Instead Saban decided to create the Piranhatrons. Go figure. I guess this was during the debate of the direction of the series, and those things do look like (my apologies to the gay community) the queer brigade. How were they space bikers in the original again?

Of course we have to discuss the destruction of the Command Chamber, because while we already saw the Command Center getting blown up at the end of the Mighty Morphin’ era (rebuild for Zeo into the Chamber), this was the real beginning of what has become the franchise’s biggest troupe (beyond the giant robots and monsters). Every season from this point forward ends with the Ranger headquarters getting destroyed, sometimes the powers themselves destroyed, and the epic final battle against overwhelming odds, which the Rangers will in the end. That last part started with In Space, but it’s now a staple of the series. It’s how you know your on the last two episodes.

Next time it’s the best developed season of the series to that point, Power Rangers in Space, featuring the most bizarre guest appearance in the series, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! It’s not close to being epic, but I’ll take my pop shots at The Next Mutation and the only dull spot in this series next time.