Season 4, Episode 13: Mean Screen

"Mean Screen"
Episode 13
Air Date: May 8th, 1996

It's not that "Mean Screen" is a bad episode, it's that the episode hasn't aged well...AT ALL. I mean, chat rooms, computer viruses, floppy discs, etc. It's a VERY 90s episode of Power Rangers. I mean I couldn't keep a straight face through that opening sequence of Raymond, a new character and technical expert whose not Billy, trying to save the computer lab being shut down by a computer virus. I mean even Tanya and Adam's panicking was pretty laughable. Of course, King Mondo gets an idea from Sprocket who steals it from Klank that if they were to use a powerful computer virus to shut down all the software in Angel Grove; it would leave the city defenseless. How are they going to do this??? By Mondo's latest creation, Mean Screen, who goes with Klank and Orbis to the Angel Grove Computer Center to start affecting all computer based devices, networks, etc. He even manages to get the blue prints of the Zeo Zords and effect them.

While Zordon and Alpha contact Kat, Adam and Rocky about the situation, a squad of Cogs attack them outside Angel Grove High to delay them. They morph and engage them while Tommy and Tanya explore the Angel Grove Computer Center where they run into Mean Screen; who begins attacking them. After dealing with the Cogs, the three rangers rejoin Tommy and Tanya but find that their weapons are ineffective do to Mean Screen's computer virus. As they continue to use their weapons and it's no use, they try to escape as Mean Screen chases after them. After a huge explosion that sends them falling out of the building, the rangers try to use the Zeo Blaster against Mean Screen but once again, their weapons don't work. Alpha and Zordon soon tell the rangers they are sending the Defender Wheel, since they were able to save it from being effected by the virus. It works and Tommy uses it to temporarily defeat Mean Screen.

Mondo, unhappy with how the fight is going, sends Klank and Orbis to make him grow and he does. But before the rangers can call on their zords, unfortunately the virus has effected their software making the zords inoperable. Adam gets an idea and teleports to Angel Grove High where he meets Raymond and asks for his anti-virus to help save the zords. After getting it, he teleports to the Power Chamber and gives the disc to Alpha which he uses cure the zords of the virus. As Adam teleports back to rejoin the rangers, they enter their zords and form the Zeo Megazord to battle Mean Screen. When Alpha tells the rangers of the monster's weakness, they break his main screen; destroying him for good. As Mondo is furious over his defeat and Zordon congratulates Adam for his quick thinking during the virus, they receive a transmission from Billy on Aquitar that he is coming home. But Mondo and Machina have other plans......  Overall, like I said, "Mean Screen" is a bad episode, it's just feels very dated and tacky.

Final Morph: D+