Mighty Morphin #2.01 – The Mutiny: Part 1

Here we go, guys! A whole new season! Get ready for new villains, new Rangers, more multi-parters, and a few sloppily-done goodbyes that I am in no way ready for.

But that’s all to come. Where do we actually begin our second season of Power Rangers?

Well, after a theme song identical to last episode’s, we see what a local announcer calls “The Fifth Annual Children’s Hospital Charity Motor Marathon.” Because that sounds like something that 1) would exist, and 2) local teenagers would be allowed to participate in.

There’s really nothing I could say here that wasn’t already perfectly summarized by Linkara, so I’m going to let him take this one:

“Say, you know what I did in high school? I was on speech team, I was in several musicals, I played violin. But you know what I didn’t do? Dirt bike racing. I mean, what the hell is up with Angel Grove? We frequently see the teenagers doing every frigging thing under the sun, and yet still have time to work on homework, save the world, and simply hang out at the Juice Bar. Oh, and let’s not forget the fact that they teach their own classes at the Juice Bar — be it martial arts, dance, or gymnastics — and are all working staff on charities. It astounds me that this is the conception of high school life that was presented to us. Nobody could do all this stuff just in their high school years. It simply doesn’t happen.”

Thanks, Linkara. I couldn’t have said it any better myself.

Bulk and Skull arrive and talk some smack about how the teens will be eating their dust, but the Rangers pay them little mind. Kimberly reminds them that the event isn’t about winning, but raising money for charity, while Tommy laughs and credits them on their confidence.

Billy calls everyone together to review the map of the course, and we cut to the moon, where Rita’s usual speech about how this will finally be the day she defeats the Power Rangers is abruptly cut off by a rain of lightning on the palace. Goldar is immediately on top of things:

“This could mean only one thing. Lord Zedd, the true emperor, has returned.”

Back at the race, Caplan explains that everyone will have to figure out where the finish line is through clues left on the maps. Again, this seems super safe for teenagers.

The racers take off to a swell of music that sounds an awful lot like the middle of the Lost Galaxy theme song (Maya’s part, if you’re curious), and we jump from there to our first glimpse of Lord Zedd.

If you’re unfamiliar with Lord Zedd, he’s an entirely American creation, meaning the show won’t be beholden to Sentai footage for his scenes. He’s also widely considered one of the greatest Power Rangers villains of all time, so buckle in, kids.

Additionally, as someone who’s been watching a lot of competition reality TV in quarantine, I want to give a shout-out to the creature effects supervisor for Power Rangers, Conor McCullagh, who would go on to win the first season of Face Off almost twenty years later. I loved him the second I saw Lord Zedd in his portfolio at the beginning of the show, so I thought it only right to call him out here.

Zedd informs Rita that due to her constant failures, he’ll be taking over the reins of her operation. He orders her to prepare the palace for his return and disappears with another lightning storm.

Goldar’s loyalty switches immediately, but Rita is clearly unhappy about his arrival. She’s sure he’s going to “ruin everything” and groans that she already has a headache. At this, Goldar snaps:

“Deal with it! I’m going to meet my emperor!”

Zedd’s storm is audible on Earth, and Jason signals his team to pull over when he hears the clearly unnatural phenomenon. As the teens remove their helmets, Billy confirms it’s definitely not normal thunder.

Zack advises everyone keep an eye on their communicators in case Zordon tries to reach out to them, and Jason, who’s apparently started wearing an earring between seasons, agrees, adding that something doesn’t feel right.

On the moon, Zedd’s theme roars in the background as a bolt of lightning blasts his throne into existence. Squatt and Baboo teleport away, sensing trouble, but Goldar practically drools all over himself as the emperor slowly turns in his chair.

Zedd rises to his feet and transfigures a snake into a staff. Not really sure why he was carrying a snake around, but it’s cool nonetheless.

He demands Goldar identify himself, and the general immediately bends the knee. He can’t believe Zedd doesn’t remember him, and upon his reintroduction, Zedd does in fact recall:

“Ahh, yes, Goldar. The groveling one.”

Zedd is pleased by this revelation, believing that Goldar’s “spineless, sniveling attitude” will ensure his loyalty. He holds out his staff and “returns” Goldar’s wings to him, which I don’t think we’ve seen thus far in the show?

Next, Zedd turns his gaze to the cardboard cutout of Earth hanging on the wall of the base, wanting to get a look at the children Rita has been unable to defeat for the past sixty episodes.

Rita arrives to kiss ass, hissing “traitor” at Goldar before bending her own knee and pleading for another chance to crush the Rangers.

Zedd is having none of it, demanding to know how Rita dares to call herself an Empress of Evil when she’s been losing to children for the past year.

Goldar fully sells out Rita, agreeing with Zedd and stating that the empress isn’t “fit to destroy a cockroach.” The emperor screams about how angry Rita has made him as the entire room turns red.

This sends the Command Center’s sensors into a frenzy, and Alpha calls down to the Rangers at Zordon’s behest. Jason receives the call and pulls everyone to the side, ditching the four-wheelers and checking to make sure no one is around before teleporting away.

Alpha flails around in a panic as Zordon tells the teens that Lord Zedd has returned. When the Rangers have no idea who that is, Zordon starts to explain and hang on did Billy get contacts between seasons?

The ramifications of a greater evil than Rita sink in for the Rangers at the same time Billy’s glasses-less face does for me. According to Zordon:

“Lord Zedd has been ruling over darker places within another galaxy. Eons ago, he left Rita in charge to carry out his orders.”

Zordon is concerned that the Rangers’ Zords aren’t strong enough to beat Zedd’s magic. Back on the moon, the emperor is making plans as Rita kisses his feet.

Goldar proposes sending down a squad of Putties to defeat the Rangers, which sounds to me exactly like what we’ve been doing for the past sixty episodes. His argument is that the Rangers are “out in the open” and thus easy prey, which is very much untrue — they are, in fact, in the Command Center.

Zedd cackles maniacally and ups his street cred by shouting about how ineffective the Putties are. Instead, he has his own army of Putties that he promises are much stronger than anything Goldar has ever seen.

Their arrival via lightning startles Bulk and Skull, who promptly run their four-wheelers off the road and pitch themselves into a nearby tree. They scamper back down to examine their vehicles and realize they’re damaged beyond a quick fix. Skull whips out the map and proposes trekking to the finish line on foot, but another crash of lightning stalls their plans entirely.

Rita begs for the chance to send down another of her monsters and prove to Zedd that she can “finish the job.” Neither he nor Goldar are having it, and Zedd confiscates her wand and sentences her to further time in the cosmic trash can she entered the show in.

Zedd shrinks her to the size of an action figure and Goldar sticks her in the barrel, closing the lid on her as she shrieks about how they won’t get away with this.

Zedd promptly hurls her “into the farthest regions of the universe,” where I’m sure she’ll never be heard from again. Indeed, she screeches as she soars through space that we haven’t seen the last of her.

Zedd does another dramatic chair turn and demands Goldar send down the Z-Putties, which I guess didn’t go down when all that lightning was happening around Bulk and Skull? Speaking of the bullies, they stumble across the Rangers’ abandoned four-wheelers and instantly realize they can steal them to continue the race.

Unfortunately for them, the Z-Putties arrive just as they approach the vehicles, and the two scream and run in circles. Fortunately for them, Alpha spots this occurring on the Viewing Globe and alerts the Rangers.

Kimberly points out that these clearly aren’t the Putties they’re used to fighting, and Zordon breaks the news that the Z-Putties will be “significantly more difficult to defeat.” Zack realizes that the ambush was meant for them, and Trini urges everyone to action to ensure Bulk and Skull aren’t hurt in the crossfire.

The Z-Putties are smart enough to back off of Bulk and Skull once the Rangers arrive, recognizing who the real threats are, and the bullies skitter off to hide behind a bush. They profess their love for the Rangers as we get our first fully-American morphed fight sequence.

Bulk and Skull postulate that the teens bolted when the Z-Putties showed up, thereby leaving their four-wheelers out in the open. Wrong conclusion, but at least they’re starting to connect a few dots.

The Rangers struggle in the fight, managing to get only a few good hits in before Trini is thrown back into Jason and Zack has to be helped up by Billy and Tommy. Speaking of Tommy, he begins to feel his powers weaken, finally giving credence to that long-talked-up plot line.

Jason comes to the rescue, striking an advancing Z-Putty on the Z in the middle of its chest. It instantly explodes, and Jason shares the newly-revealed weak point with the rest of the team.

Armed with this information, the Rangers are quickly able to get the upper hand over the foot soldiers. Once the day is won, Jason checks that Bulk and Skull are okay, making sure not to address them by name. The bullies are ecstatic to see their heroes care about them, and the Rangers teleport away as soon as they’re sure the two are unharmed.

Skull doesn’t think anyone will believe the Power Rangers saved them, which leads Bulk to propose the duo’s ongoing plot line this season — uncovering the true identities of the Rangers. As he points out, they heard their voices, so there must be people inside.

At the Command Center, we get yet another Power Rangers first:

No idea why it took them this long, but damn it looks good. I also like the detail that both Kimberly and Trini’s hair is up, which it would have to be under the helmets.

They reflect on how difficult the battle was, and Tommy points out that his powers even started to fail. Zordon says that they were lucky to figure out the Z-Putties’ weak points so quickly, and Trini bets Zedd wasn’t counting on that.

On the moon, Zedd is clearly on the same track, as he’s already plotting to start sending down his own monsters, which he promises will be much more effective than Rita’s ever were. He thrusts his staff into the air, and I suddenly remember that this is a multi-parter.

The Rangers get word at the Command Center about the monster — named Pirantishead — and we get a funny moment in which Zack asks, “You mean man-eating?” about the fact that it was born of a piranha. Are there a lot of piranhas in Angel Grove Park?

Tommy is given the instruction to stay behind for re-energizing while the others head out to battle Pirantishead. He begrudgingly agrees and wishes his friends well.

The Rangers leap back into action and find Pirantishead in downtown Angel Grove, where it’s using its…double-headed fish-shaped flute nunchucks…to knock down buildings left and right.

Jason summons the Zords, but Pirantishead stops the footage in its tracks — MY DREAM — by freezing the Zords in place. I love this season so much already.

Jason remarks that they’re history without their Zords, and we get our first “To Be Continued” of season two.