Season 1, Episode 13: Peace, Love and Woe

"Peace, Love and Woe"
Episode 13
Air Date: September 21, 1993

YAY!!! A Billy centered episode and one I remember fondly! As kids, we all had our favorite ranger and my favorite definitely was Billy. Watching the series over again, I still have a soft spot for the character; so he's probably one of the most stereotypical nerds of the 90s and his dialogue is mostly forced, brainy non-sense, but you can't help but feel for the guy and root for him this episode!

The school dance is coming up and Billy doesn't have a date. Mr. Cool aka Zack thinks he can help him land the ladies with some fly dance moves but Billy isn't interested...until he literally bumps into a girl just as socially awkward and nerdy as him. Oh Marge....her actress is trash...but then again the acting has been a mixed bag for the most part all season! Marge and Billy talk, exchanging words of geekdom until the other rangers ask him to come over for a second.  Billy is a bit upset that the urgent message is "Ask her to the dance already" but luckily Marge is very forward and asks him herself. Billy then tells her they should get to know each other better and meet near the lake at 4pm. Awww, this is not gonna end well.

Meanwhile, Rita is all anxious for her new plan; summoning Madam Woe. An evil female monster this time around who apparently is almost as bad as her as her minions point out. I like Madam Woe's design, given she's the first female monster of the week; she really sticks out and her powers are cool. Her design is also simplistic but special.  Rita summons the old great one and tells her to kidnap Billy before he can met Marge.  Too bad Madam Woe is dense af and accidentally captures Marge! I mean didn't Rita at least show her what the rangers look like? Jeeze!! O_o  Billy arrives at the scene soon after, finding Marge's necklace (Funny how these kidnapped people of the week conveniently drop an item before they get captured so they can tip the rangers off that something is amiss) A lame group of Putties appear and surround Billy.......of course he can't fight them off and contacts the others for help. (God, I can't wait until Billy can fight!) The other 4 rangers arrive and dispatch the Putties. Then they teleport to the Command Center where Zordon does his exposition of Marge's disappearance, the monster of the week, etc.  They morph (that morphin' call is actually getting better!) and as soon as they get to where Madam Woe is, she traps them in her dimension.  Billy sees Marge, quickly checks on her before the 5 rangers fight Woe. Cool action, yada, yada, yada, but she's kicking their a$$es as none of the weapons work on her.  Billy reminds the rangers that Zordon said they must use their power coins together and only one of them can fight her back in the real world. Billy who volunteered earlier, uses the power of all five coins to fight Madam Woe back in the real world (this is a true story, of seven strangers....oh not that real world!). The fight...is pretty brutal! Poor Billy gets tossed around like a rag doll until finally putting up a decent fight and destroying Madam Woe's jewel.  The other 4 rangers and Marge are freed in a ridiculously shot "returning to the real world" scene and the rangers destroy her with their combined weapons. Hmmmm, no zord battle to finish off the monster of the week again?.....I kinda like that we don't have to have every episode end that way!

Back at the dance, Billy gets to first base with Marge; Bulk and Skull......oh god, anyway. Ernie gets a cake to the face and just....dances it off....to Bulk and Skull's amazement!

This is a pretty good episode! I like the villain of this episode aesthetically; even though she wasn't the brightest. The episode didn't do much to further Billy's characterization but it did show he is the bravest of the rangers despite being the weakest in terms of fighting. I knew there was a reason he was my favorite as a kid! :)

Final Morph: B-