Season 7, Episode 13: Orion Returns

"Orion Returns"
Episode 13
Air Date: May 7th, 1999

Well, I think I speak for a group of seriously impatient fans of this franchise by saying freakin' FINALLY!!! It took WAAAAYYYYY tooo long for this moment to happen with the rangers finally gaining the power of the Lights of Orion.  It took a gratuitous run of episodes in an arc that made absolutely no sense.  A legendary power source on a newly built space colony possibly being in anything from a camera, sunflower statues, a cave, etc??? I know the writers had A LOT of trouble adapting this story from Gingaman behind the scenes but I would have been like screw it! We have the increased budget this season, lets make this arc make sense according to our adaption of it by having the rangers travel to defeat worlds to find this ancient source of power.  But whatever, it happened and we have no choice but to accept it.  At least the final episode of the arc is possible the best of them all as it is exciting to not only finally see the rangers wield the lights but the journey throughout the episode it took to get there.

I swear Maya is SOOOOO random being able to sense to presence of the lights as they return to Terra Venture.  So does she have this sixth sense to understand animals and when energy sources are around??? Like many things this season, it's just never mentioned and explained which is just weak writing on the writers' part.  Anyway, we both the rangers and Scorpius hot on the trail of the lights, we get a cool space battle between them. First as the Megaship is blasted by the Scorpion Stinger and second when the rangers morph and blasts some Sting Wingers with their Jet Jammers as they chase after them.  The Lights of Orion head back to Terra Venture....for some reason....as Treacheron orders Destruxo to capture them.  It leads to a brutal confrontation between Destruxo and the rangers as he bests them in a fight to get to the lights.  After he captures the lights, Trakeena prepares to sabotage Treacheron's plan to seize the lights for her father by having her own monster, Impostra find a way to stop them.  She transforms into Treacheron and sets Trakeena's plan into motion.

As Destruxo makes his way with the lights, the Magna Defender tries to stop him but "Treacheron" intervenes and knocks him over a cliff. Next, "Treacheron" manipulates Destruxo into taking in the power of the lights...but not before giving him some beads for his loyalty.  As the rangers approach, Destruxo tests the lights and takes in their power; morphing into a more powerful version of himself.  As Destruxo attacks, he blasts the rangers until they demorph down a hill.  As the rangers recover, they are randomly attacked by Sting Wingers while Destruxo goes mad with power and begins destroying everything in sight. As Trakeen manipulates her father to thinking Treacheron betrayed them, Treacheron arrives to watch as Destruxo wrecks havoc on Terra Venture. Scorpius soon orders Treacheron to be taken away to Trakeena's glee.  Gotta love Trakeena, she make we weak as hell but she still knows how to trick Treacheron into being seen as traitor. Anyway, Destruxo continues to burn down to forest until the rangers morph and come out of a raging inferno in an awesome Sentai sequence! As they confront Destruxo, he is waaay too powerful for their weapons.  Soon the beads poison him as he realizes Impostra was behind it all. She reveals herself and plans to take the lights back when Magna Defender arrives to stop them. As he blasts Impostra, she retreats never to be seen again.  Magna Defender just attacks Destruxo and manages to free the lights from him.

As the rangers try to protect the lights from Magna Defender, he just blasts them and goes for them.  But the rangers plan to destroy the lights before he can get them. But before they can, the lights head over to the rangers and shines bright over them.  Turns out the lights are choosing the rangers to wield them. As the rangers reach up to grab the lights, an epic lightning storm surrounds them; knocking out the Magna Defender in the process.  The lights of course give the rangers an upgrade in their sabers and suits; which design wise looks amazing!!! O_O  They use their lights to destroy Destruxo who charges at them by initiating their "power up mode" that creates a ball of pure energy that goes right through him.  As the rangers demorph, the lights split into 5 components that go into the rangers' morphers.  As the Magna Defender laments losing the lights forever, Treacheron is imprisoned in the Scorpion Stinger to Trakeena's glee! All and All, this was a really great episode that concluded the arc well but it's a shame it took the end of the arc for it to be exciting and thrilling. I'm just glad now we can move on to better episodes!

Final Morph: A