Season 7, Episode 23: Memories of Mirinoi

"Memories of Mirinoi"
Episode 23
Air Date: October 26th, 1999

Maya.....out of all the characters, seems like the most missed opportunity out of ALL the rangers, including Mike.  We've all gotten a hang on each of them: Leo is courageous but overly impulsive leader, Kendrix is the compassionate nerd, Kai is all about the rules, Damon is a jerk of course but loyal to being a ranger and Mike....well Mike is just plain heroic and awesome beyond words!!! We know things about Maya but we don't really know much about her as a character.  She can understand animals, she's apparently psychic as she's able to sense energy sources around her and she can't help but start off her sixth sense without saying "There's something in the air...." -_- So if Maya is this super psychic alien who can understand other species, jump around like a monkey on crack, etc. than how come she couldn't tell that Shondra, her friend from Mirinoi who miraculously found her way on to Terra Venture, was not the REAL Shondra??? O_o

So you're telling me Maya can't detect when someone is disguised as someone she knows??? You know this whole fish out of water crap made WAAAAAYYYY more sense with Andros last season.  He was alien trying to get accustomed to Earth and we gradually saw that as well as getting close to other rangers slowly but surely.  But here, Maya just feels freakin' random and I don't understand how she could be so easily fooled.  Sure, Shondra's story makes sense since Maya went through the same experience but she should have been asking more questions instead of accepting Shondra's claims at face value.  Also, how is it that Shondra aka Rykon know so much about Maya, Shondra and Mirinoi???  Not to mention, how the HELL does Trakeena know about the Galaxy Book and why the hell would she want it!!! Ehhhhh this episode makes know sense!!! Rykon should have been an old enemy of Mirinoi and after Maya, using her pain and fears of losing her homeworld to Scorpius as a weapon to make her feel weak and incompetent.  This could have been a great character exploration of Maya and finally explore her devastation over Mirinoi being turned to stone and how much she misses home but NOPE, it's all glossed over at best and not touched upon in depth like it should have.  I mean my god, Lost Galaxy had some real potential to be as amazing as In Space's storytelling and while we've had enough moments to capitalize on extraordinary character development, darker plot movement and interesting villains, it's unusual that the writers kind of dropped the ball with Maya. ODD!!! O_o

Anyway, if that wasn't bad enough, Kendrix catches Shondra in the act and when she has confirmation about Shondra trying to steal the book, Maya overreacts by saying Kendrix is just jealous!!! WOW!!! Not a good episode for Maya at all!!! I mean at least the writers had the decency to make Maya at least check out Kendrix's story by following her but wouldn't Maya be at least be a little suspicious of Shondra "having things to do" on a space colony she just arrived on and knows nothing about??? Hello, earth to freakin' Maya!!! -_- Anyway, after Maya catches Shondra in the act of stealing the Galaxy book, she chases after her and they end up in a pretty impressive fight.  Shondra eventually reveals her true form, Rykon as Maya morphs to try and stop her.  The other rangers soon arrive to help and the fight leads to a zord battle where the rangers destroy Rykon with the help of the Stratoforce and Centaurus Megazords.  The episode ends with Maya apologizing to Kendrix for being a b!tch! Too. LATE GURL!!! -_-  As Maya promises one day to return to Mirinoi to free her planet from Scorpius' spell.  Awwwwww....sure you will Maya!  Anyway, "Memories of Mirinoi" could have been a lot better in it's focus and exploration of Maya's past on Mirinoi and her friendship with Shondra by showing more of her regrets and sadness over the lost of her homeworld but it's all done so half assed and the plot is really convoluted. It's a shame really!

Final Morph: C-