Season 5, Episode 15: Cars Attacks

"Cars Attacks"
Episode 15
Air Date: May 20th, 1997

I forgot how much maturity and realistic characterization comes out of "Cars Attacks".  Jenny makes for an intriguing character that helps make Katherine see that some people aren't worth being friends with unless THEY change their ways.  It's a very refreshing message from the show that seems far more mature not just for Power Rangers, but for a kids show in general.  I absolutely LOVE Katherine telling Jenny she doesn't want to be her friends because of the way she acts toward people so harshly, which is completely the opposite where you think the scene will go.  You think her and Kat are gonna have a typical Power Rangers heart to heart; Jenny even saying at the beginning of their conversation that they will.  But writer Doug Sloan takes a more realistic approach for once by teaching Jenny it isn't okay to push people away.  Hey, that rhymed! :)  I just really love how this episode concluded and how much stronger Kat's characterization was because of it.  Showing that she is gullible in being friends with someone who clearly has none because of her own fault. Nice!!!

I also enjoyed her relationship with Lt. Stone as it seemed realistic as well.  The reluctant but caring uncle taking after his stubborn and off putting niece.  When money goes missing from the cash register, he of course, makes Jenny even more mean than before as no one seems to trust her or want her.  It's a shame, sad but a more adult approach to the show.  It makes me wonder if an episode like this can be so well written than why has the majority of this season so far been a major suck-fest???  O_o

Meanwhile, the monster of the week plot deals with yet another detonator being used as the catalyst for another monster attack being just a distraction.  I have just come to accept the dumb detonator plots as we only have a couple more episodes of them; if none at all anymore.  So the monster of the week is Wolfgang Amadeus Griller, a creature who can bring music to life with the sound of his music. Hey, there have been worse monster MOs and powers so old Wolfgang is alright with me.  As he recruits himself for Divatox, he controls the cars of Angel Grove and makes the attack the rangers.  Hence the name of the episodes as well as making fun of the sci-fi parody film "Mars Attacks".  The fight here is mostly American footage (Thank God as the Carranger footage that has been used has been, for the most part, has been head scratching! o_O)  The Blue Senturion soon arrives to help the rangers when Elgar and Rygog come to help Wolfgang with squad of Piranathron.  After Tommy and Blue Senturion destroy Wolfgang with their blasters, the rest retreat as the rangers have won as usual.  But once again, the dilemma of the day far exceeded by expectations of what the show was capable of in writing outside of saving the day from silly, rubber suited monsters! Katherine just came off so strong at the end that I'm proud of her.  This easily makes up for the poor character development in "Weight and See". "Cars Attacks" was both entertaining and interesting in it's moral dilemma as well as the Turbo action. Not bad, not bad at all.  Hopefully, the season can improve before the switch over of the cast??? O_o

Final Morph: A