Season 9, Episode 27: Frax's Fury

"Frax's Fury"
Episode 27
Air Date: August 11th, 2001

This is without a doubt my favorite episode of this season as well as one of my favorite episodes of the entire series as it unravels one of the most devastating villain origin stories of the franchise at that point.  At least, before a certain computer virus was unleashed upon the world in an alternate reality where a child genius sought revenge on her government captors that unfortunately led to the near extinction of the human race...BUT...I'm getting ahead of myself and I'm not even done with the Saban Era to start talking about the morbid brilliance of RPM!  The fact it, Frax's secret machinations for wanting to overthrow and destroy Ransik becomes to tragically clear as we learn why he hates his boss so much.  But first, let's start with the introduction of one of the most terrifying looking one of monsters of the show in Venomark! Dude, just look creepy af as he moves faster than a speeding bullet and can bite his victims; unleashing upon them a deadly venom that has no means of a cure.  Turns out after Frax releases Venomark, Ransik reveals it was he who caused him to have the painful mutations that he needs his serums for.  After being beaten by Venomark, Ransik was helped by a human named Dr. Fericks, a brilliant scientist who gave Ransik the serum to begin treating the venom.  Unfortunately, despite the Dr. 's tremendous kindness shown toward him, Ransik attacks Dr. Fericks, takes his serum and leaves him for dead after destroying his laboratory; which we learn where the Cyclobots were created. More on that horrifying tale later....

Meanwhile, as Venomark continues to attack innocent people of the city, the Time Force Rangers finally arrive to save the day!  Too bad Venomark is TOO fast and strong for them as he manages to infect 4 of the rangers with his venomous bite.  Before he can finish them off by biting Wes, Ransik attacks Venomark to the rangers', especially Wes' surprise.  After an intense but short fight, Ransik is unable to finish off Venomark due to the intense pain of his mutation.  As Venomark retreats, Wes notices Ransik taking the serum to stop his mutation before taking off with the rest of the team.  As Wes helplessly looks after his infected team and learns of the widespread attacks throughout the city, he remembers Ransik's mysterious serum and heads back to the same area where they fought Venomark to see if Bio-Lab can remake and distribute the cure.  I LOVE how Wes doesn't take Erics shit this time as he storms into Bio-Lab to meet his father.  Of course, Wes' father only does what Wes' ask to make money off of ALL the distributions instead of saving the city but whatever! O_o  As Venomark talks to Frax about Ransik and tells him just to focus on destroying the rangers while he takes care of Ransik, Wes heads back to the Clocktower to cure the other rangers while Eric and the Silver Guardians get the cure out to everyone else in the city.

With all the rangers cured and reassembled, they head back to Bio-Lab to save Eric just in time as Venomark attacks him.  The 6 rangers take him on all at once but he's tough; needing Eric to call on his....sigh....Battlizer to knock him down.  Soon Venomark makes himself grow; leading to the rangers have to summon all of their zords to defeat him.  Both the Q-Rex in Megazord Mode and Shadow Force Megazord Mode Red combine forces to recapture Venomark as he shrinks back down to an action figure.

The NOTHING compares to the gripping and painfully shocking end to the episode!  As Ransik arrives to find ALL of his serums destroyed but one left in Frax's hands, we learn that Frax was in fact Dr. Fericks himself! GASP!!! O_O  Turns out, after Rasnik nearly killed him, he decided to turn himself into a robot and seek revenge for Ransik showing the utmost hatred toward him.  It's just a beautiful twist from this show that STILL gets me every. TIME! Frax is just such a complex and masterful villain in that regard as the build up to this moment was so well written and paced! Jesus!  As Frax shatters the last vile of serum and Ransik tries to destroy him as he teleports away, we are left with the devastating screams of a main villain who has just been outsmarted and temporarily defeat by one of his own! AWE-SOME!!! :) Such an incredible episode! Truly shocking and worth all of the build up to it's immense pay off! :)

Final Morph: A+