Season 5, Episode 26: The Darkest Day

"The Darkest Day"
Episode 26
Air Date: September 22nd, 1997

YEESSSSSSS!!! VIVA LA DIVA!!! Hilary Shepard Turner's gloriously returns to her role as the original Divatox and I couldn't be happier! I'm sorry but Carol Hoyt's performance was just so bland and such a typical "Evil Queen" performance that I just couldn't stand her as a villain.  Of course, the writing didn't help with the constant and relentlessly annoying detonator plots but Divatox just dragged in the first half/  Immediately, Shepard's Divatox seems more lively and her delivery is hilarious as she sends Elgar down to finally straight up kill two of the rangers when they go on hike by causing a rock slide.  They barely manage to escape by calling on Lightning Cruiser and Storm Blaster to help them.  The cars arrive and Storm Blaster gets Cassie and T.J. to safety while Lightning Cruiser fires at them.  T.J. and Cassie surprise them with an attack of their own as they take care of the Piranathron. They eventually retreat but Divatox isn't pleased that she can't seem to defeat the rangers until she gets a surprise of her own when her brother, General Havoc comes for a visit.

I absolutely and positively LOVE General Havoc.  He has such a calm and commanding presence about him when he immediately shows up.  While Divatox is reluctant to see him, she is happy to hear he finally brought with him the Space Base he promised to build her a century ago.  They prepare to live at once waiting for Elgar to show up.  Once he does, they leave the lake, Angel Grove and Earth's orbit to dock at the Space Base.  I like the Space Base since it's huge and is a much better villain base than the cramp, damp Subcraft.  As Havoc gives Divatox a tour, he gives reveals to her his own zord he will use to defeat the rangers: Metalasaurus.

As the rangers and Alpha detect Divatox's exit from the Earth, they get a message from General Havoc demanding that the rangers all surrender or he'll just destroy the Earth. HA!!! I like this guy already!!! :)  Not wanting to take any chances, the rangers morph and arrive  at the Angel Grove pier.  I love how Havoc is just calming sipping some tea waiting for them and straight just orders them to surrender again.  All the rangers of course refuse and Havoc orders his robotic soldiers to destroy them. After the rangers defeat them, he summons Metalasaurus who almost flattens them with its foot.  They try to blast it with the Turbine Laser (Why not just immediately call your zords??? O_o) and of course has no effect on it. DUH, guys!!! Just call the zords!!! Even T.J. says any suggestions as I scream at my screen, "Call the zords!!!" -_-  They finally do and form the Turbo Megazord as we get a brutal fight between Metalasaurus and it.  The Metalasaurus is even able to stop the Turbo Megzord's Spin Out finisher by destroying its Saber. DAAAAMMNNNNN!!! O_O

Havoc continues to beat the crap out of the rangers' megazord with his own until he wraps Metalasaurus' tail around it.  Havoc then orders his soldiers to attack the megazord cockpit as they climb up and kick the rangers out of it during a fight inside of it. AWESOME!!! After the rangers are kicked out of their zord, Havoc steals the Turbo Megazord and brings it back to the Space Base.  Divatox, of course, is overjoyed (even if your brother defeated the rangers in one episode and you couldn't in over 20 episodes!!! But sure, take all the glory!!! lol) Meanwhile, the rangers are bummed out about losing the megazord and wondering how they will protect the city without it when the Phantom Ranger arrives being all cryptic, telling them there is "one last hope"....but they're gonna have to wait for that! Seriously!!!? What a dick move!!! -_- All and All, this was the best episode this season as it saw the return of Hilary Shepard Turner and started an awesome new arc with a badass new villain!!! What's not to love about it??? :)

Final Morph: A