Season 8, Episode 7: Cyborg Rangers

"Cyborg Rangers"
Episode 7
Air Date: March 25th, 2000

Finally, a good episode and one that shoehorns in a message about heart and humanity giving the rangers the advantage in the fight against the demons.  Now I know what you are thinking, an episode that shoehorns a message is good!!! I mean....yeah...it's not always a good thing but considering this season has dragged in terms of story, character development and villains so far, I rather have an episode that show why humans, especially this team of rangers are essential to being Power Rangers instead of a team of cyborg fighters.  After the rangers are nearly defeated by Diabolico's latest monster, Strikning, they are saved by a new team of rangers that quickly dispatch the monster as he retreats.  As the rangers are curious as to who these new rangers are and want to thank them for saving them, it turns out they're robots who are being controlled by a man with a huge remote.  At the Aqua Base, while Captain Mitchell and Ms. Fairweather are baffled at who might have sent the cyborgs, a man named General McKnight arrives and tells him that the Lightspeed Rangers are being replaced by them.

As the ranger arrive back to the Aqua Base and are excited to be working with the Cyborgs, General McKnight tells them that Cyborgs aren't additions to the team but their replacements.  As the rangers begin to bicker toward General McKnight, Captain Mitchell eventually tells them to stand down as they are ordered to give back their morphers.  Of course after being fired, we get the scene that sums up the meaning of the episode as after General McKnight gloats about the perfection of the Cyborg Rangers, she of course says they are missing one thing, a heart! Yes, very on the nose and forced but it shows that being a ranger isn't about how strong or perfect you are, but the willingness to connect with people and put their lives on the line among overwhelming odds.  Anyway, when Strikning attacks again, the Cyborgs are sent once again to dispatch him while the fired rangers talk about what they should do now; looking to Carter for advice. As the fight continues with the Cyborgs and the monster, Strikning manages to use his spikes to strike the Cyborgs with lightning; severely damaging them as he retreats.  As the man with the controller checks on them, it turns out they survived but they circuits have been seriously fried and they begin attacking him as well as the other scientists with him.  As the rangers see the explosion, they decide to help but Joel and Kelsey are reluctant since they aren't rangers anymore. As the Cyborgs continue to attack and corner one of them, Carter comes out of no where to save him as the other rangers arrive.  I like how Carter is able to kick the main Cyborg down unmorphed but Chad has a tough time latter kicking his counterpart MORPHED!!! LOL Anyway, soon Captain Mitchell arrives to give the rangers back their morphers to combat the Cyborgs and destroy them.  It's a pretty awesome fight showing the rangers using various tactics like their blasters, flipping and other moves to destroy their counterpart.

But after the Cyborgs are defeated, the rangers must still deal with Strikning who soon arrives but the rangers finish him off with the Rescue Bird. Jinxer, of course, comes to make him grow (I'm just glad there's an official monster growing method this season!) as the rangers call on their Rail Rescues.  They form the Lightspeed Megazord and destroy him with the megazord's saber once and for all.  The episode concludes with General McDouche apologizing to the rangers and telling Captain Mitchell to continue his operation without his interference ever again; to the rangers and everyone else's excitement.  Like I said, it's a forced message of what it means to truly be a ranger but it's the best episode we've gotten so far this season! :)

Final Morph: B