Season 2, Episode 52: Blue Ranger Gone Bad

"Blue Ranger Gone Bad"
Episode 52
Air Date: May 20th, 1995

Well, it's nice to know that the rangers aren't idiots...at least for the most part. At this point, when a ranger is under a spell, kidnapped, copied, etc. it would be stupid of them not to come to the conclusion that the rangers in question acting out of character is definitely not themselves and have been turned evil or duplicated by the villain. That's what I like about Judd Lynn's writing, he always makes the rangers sound and think competently when usually the naive and too goody good to comprehend when one of their friends is not "them". "Blue Ranger Gone Bad" is a great episode because of that. I mean as a season finale of Season 2, it's pretty underwhelming in terms of stakes as it pretty much just you average Power Rangers episode but it's because of how well the rangers are written that makes the episode more fun and enjoyable to watch.

So Billy has another love interest in this episode named Violet (I wonder what happened to Laura....or was it Lauren??? O_o) While Billy is apprehensive of asking her out, I just plan think he should since the girl mad sculpture out of him. Can you say, obsessive stalker alert?!! O_o Turns out Violet is all in love with Billy while the others think he should ask her out. At the park when the rangers are trying to convince him, they are attacked by Putties who kidnap Billy during the fight as Goldar traps him in his prison dimension. They give his communicator and morpher to the evil clone Rita hilariously made with Lord Zedd's staff.  After getting his orders, the fake, evil Billy reunites with the rangers and already they are starting to see something is up with him. Even at the Youth Center, when Billy coldly avoids Violet and asks the rangers for their communicators, Tommy decides to keep his just in case. Smart decision Tommy!!

As the teens continue to hang out, they grow more suspicious of Billy as Tommy contacts Zordon and alerts him that things aren't all as they seem with Billy. Zordon order Alpha to check on Billy to see if it's really him while Tommy tells Kimberly Billy lied to them. Meanwhile, Lord Zedd and Rita order Goldar to attack the rangers, who are now without their communicators and morphers (Seriously, they just keep them in their backpacks....WHAT!? -_-) Anyway, when Kimberly asks Billy for her communicator they are suddenly attacked by Goldar and more Putties. As fake Billy turns on them, Kimberly hilariously steals Billy's backpack as they fight out the Putties and Goldar powerless. It's a pretty fun sequence, with the teens trying to get at the backpack and fight off the Putties at the same time. Meanwhile, the real Billy figures out how to use his latest hologram device to free himself from the sleep inducing fog machine as Alpha finds his whereabouts and Zordon tells him to teleport him to the park with the others.

At the park, Billy confronts the evil version who has the backpack, takes it and gives the communicators as well as morphers back to the rangers.  As Billy gets his morpher and struggles with his evil duplicate, they both morph and begin to confuse his friends as to who the real Billy is. Kimberly, cleverly tests out both Billy with the hologram disk and the fake Billy gets it wrong, revealing who the real Billy is. After the rest of the rangers morph, they uses their power blasters to destroy the fake Billy once and for all. A pissed off Zedd meanwhile uses his staff to turn Tommy's ugly art assignment into a new monster, Vase Face. The rangers quickly summon their zords and defeat him with their combined attacks. Following that, Billy apologizes to Violet and asks her out on a date. Bulk and Skull....oh God, I don't care. The episode was great like I said because it showed the rangers acting smart for once when Lord Zedd and Rita messes with one of them. Not a great finale by any means but a decent end to the season none the less.

Final Morph:  B+