Season 8, Episode 12: Truth Discovered

"Truth Discovered"
Episode 12
Air Date: April 29th, 2000

Well, like I said at the end of my last review, these unforeseen turn of events have left me and I'm sure many with so many questions??? How did Captain Mitchell know that was Ryan when his visor open, I mean you can barely see his eyes, let alone his entire face??? Oh and how the hell is Ryan alive anyway??? Well, it turns out that fatal accident wasn't so fatal as Captain Mitchell tells the rangers what REALLY happened that night?  Little Dana and Ryan were in the back while Captain Mitchell was driving them home during a very rainy night when the idiot took his eyes off the road for too long and swerved through a cliff.  He grabbed his kids before the car fell off the cliff and was destroyed but they were left hanging off the cliff.  Dana was in his arms but Ryan was barely hanging on to his shoe....Jesus!!!  This is actually really sad, especially when Diabolico shows up out of no where offering him to save Ryan but then his life would belong to him....uhhh....isn't Diabolico suppose to be trapped with other demons in the sarcophagus during this time!? O_O  Anyway, after disappearing, Ryan finally falls and in a moment of desperation, Captain Mitchell yells out to save him as Diabolico flies into to save him.  As he holds Ryan in his hands, Captain Mitchell pleads with Diabolico to give him back his son, but Diabolico says he won't see his son til his 20th birthday and disappears with him to his shock and horror.  Dana, of course, is surprised by this and remembers today is Ryan's 20th birthday.  Carter speaks for the rest of the rangers saying that they won't hurt him and will try to find a way to get him back.

Meanwhile, back in the Skull Cavern, Diabolico continues to fill Ryan's head with lies as he tells him his father let him die in favor of his sister.  Though one wonders why Ryan doesn't remember, he was very young I know but why would he just believe Diabolico without getting both sides of the story first?? O_o  Anyway, Captain Mitchell and Dana continue to discuss the situation at hand as Captain Mitchell keeps saying he's been waiting 20 years for this moment and has regretted his decision for 20 years.....ummm....don't you mean like 16 or 17 since Ryan was clearly like 3 or 4 then??? Maybe even 5 or 6??? Baaahhhh!!! Despite all these glaring plotholes, this arc is the most interesting thing to happen to this season yet.  I love the family drama it brings to show with Captain Mitchell showing some humanity for once and walking off to parts unknown the day after and Dana going after her brother when Ryan begins attacking the city again.  Mind you, the Titanium Ranger is the first completely American made Power Ranger with NO Sentai counterpart, so kudos to the writers for making this arc original! Anyway, Dana faces off with her brother in an intense fight with Ryan clearly not remembering all the details of that night and her filling in the details. When she starts to get through to him, the other rangers arrive and he runs off to parts unknown as well.  When the rangers try to go after him, they are intercepted by Acting From Hell and a new monster, Litzwin....yeah.  The other rangers morph and they all fight him while Death of An Actress teleports away.  After defeating him in battle with the Rescue Bird, Jinxer quickly makes him big as the rangers call on their Rail Rescues! We get to see that awesome beyond words Super Train Megazord again as it faces off against the monster.  While the rangers struggle at first a bit, they eventually manage to use all their weapons to destroy Litzwin.

Meanwhile, Ryan runs to the area where the accident happened and demorphs.  He runs into his father there as he tries to tell him what really happened that night and tries to get him to remember.  Ryan is so sexy!!! <3 .....O_O I mean....Ryan still can't remember and still believes Diabolico's version of the story; leading him to pushing them both off the cliff and hanging from that same branch hanging off the cliff.  As Captain Mitchell holds on to his son and tells him so, Ryan begins to remember what happened that night and climbs up to hold the branch with his father.  But...the branch won't hold and he decides to sacrifice himself so Ryan can live this time.  Ryan quickly morphs and saves his father as they both tumble and land on the ground beneath.  As Ryan demoprhs, the rangers arrive to help as Captain Mitchell apologizes for Ryan suffering all these years.  Ryan decides to take off...but not before taking off his Titanium morpher and dropping it to the ground.  He walks away; seemingly never to be seen again.  Next we see Ryan telling Diabolico he is leaving, to which Diabolico threatens him if he walks away from him.  This would all be intense if I didn't notice Ryan still having his morpher on his wrist!!! Seriously, WTF?! Prop department FAIL!!! -_-  Anyway, despite the numerous plotholes and glaring errors, this is probably the best episode so far this season as we get a gripping backstory and a serious plot for once that holds the viewers' attention.

Final Morph: A