Season 9, Episode 1: Force From The Future, Part 1

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"Force From The Future, Part 1"
Episode 1
Air Date: Feburary 3rd, 2001

Out of all the premieres so far, "Force From The Future" possibly takes the world building to new heights as well as introducing some of the boldest storytelling from the writers thus far from the franchise at that point.  What makes this premiere so exciting and inventive is the setting we are placed in right away as a mysterious announcer tells us 1,000 years into the future, the world has become some kind of peaceful utopia thanks to a elite team of officers called "Time Force".  Apparently, every criminal has been captured except for only one named Ransik! Boy, Ransik, it's like the writers saw how much Lightspeed Rescue suffered from boring villains and created Ransik to apologize to the kids following the show for it! Immediately, Ransik just looks very imposing and vicious as he prepares to use some temporal device to travel to the past.  The warehouse he is at is meanwhile, being surrounded by the very Time Force as many of them prepare to fire.  As Ransik declares he will rule the past, a very awesome looking Red Ranger approaches him as he is also a Time Force Officer.  He tells Ransik he is taking him in as they proceed to fight and man, is this fight awesome!  Great action and choreography as Ransik proves to be a very agile and aggressive fighter who tosses the Red Ranger around at one point. YIKES!!! O_O If that wasn't bad enough, Ransik can apparently summon weapons from his body by pulling out the bone!? Dude, just LET him win!!! O_O

Anyway, another officer soon arrives named Jennifer or Jen for short as she asks her Captain where "he" is and tells him he is inside.  As Jen joins the other officers, the door to the warehouse blows up with a massive explosion.  As Jen calls out for the Red Ranger named Alex, he slowly pushes a captured Ransik out with one arm and the temporal device in the other.  As everyone is cheers and celebrates Ransik finally being captured, Alex demorphs (in a very wonderful looking effect by even today's standards!) and gives the Captain named Captain Logan the device.  As the Captain tells him a job well done, Jen goes up to him and slowly jumps into his arm indicating they are obviously a couple!  We also see the soon to be other rangers Katie, Lucas and Trip in the background in an awkward group hug initiated by Katie. lol Next we see a captured Ransik being help on trial while a mysterious pink haired woman who makes eye contact with suspiciously.  Oh Nadria.....moving on..... As Katie and Lucas talk about the possibly of Ransik going to prison for good, Lucas isn't too optimistic about his sentence.  We are also briefly introduce to Circut, Trip's robotic Owl sidekick and technical expert for the rangers this season aka Alpha!  Outside, Alex and Jen are talking about their future now that Ransik and his crew of mutants being capture before he pops the question.  Oh boy1 Jen is overjoyed and says yes as the judges are finally ready to deliver their verdict.  Ransik is found guilty of ALL charges but even as everyone celebrates, Jen looks very concerned as Ransik is angrily taken away and the mysterious pink haired girl leaves.

Soon after, Jen's team of Lucas, Trip and Katie are chosen to escort Ransik to prison, though considering how dangerous he is and how hard it was to catch him, shouldn't there be more Time Force officers guarding him to the prison??? O_o  Anyway, on their way to the prison, Ransik is smiling cockily as the officers stop and are attacked by Nadria who plays died in the middle of the road.  Can't say I don't mind Jen telling Lucas to go even after Katie and Trip are hurt, Ransik is proving to be unpredictable and they can't afford to have him escape now.  Unfortunately, a helicopter fires multiple missiles at the truck; stopping it in it's tracks.  As Ransik escapes, we are also introduced to Frax....oh Frax.....I LOVE him!!! :) But more on him later.  As an injured Jen tries to stop them, Ransik just laughs it off as she falls to the ground unconscious and the three villains leave. WOW!! :)

After Captain Logan pretty much fires the four officers for losing Ransik (Thanks Captain Dick Ass! -_-), Ransik and his crew head to the cyro-prison where criminals are being shrunk into action figures and frozen for life.  Jesus, the future has  a bizarre incarceration system! O_O Anyway, Nadria attacks the guards who seem surprised she's free and knocks out one after he pushes the alarm.  Oh....then there's Glutto...-_-...moving on again!  Alex immediately heads over to the prison while the fired Time Force officers receive word of what's going on when Trip has a vision of Ransik taking over the prison.  Apparently, Trip is some alien who can tell the future and it makes sense why he's a Time Force officer as he would be a huge asset to the force because of his premonitions. Katie, is apparently superstrong as when Jen attempts to ask a guy to use his vehicle, Katie just throws him like 10 miles away! LMAO!!! I like Katie already!  Lucas also can apparently drive anything, which will makes sense in future episodes and also be a useful skill.  What I mean is, these future rangers are already being well defined and shown what they bring to the team individually very nicely!

Back at the Cryo-Prison, before Ransil takes off into the past, he faces off with Alex one more time out of vengeance and boy is this battle even harder to watch then the first time.  It shows Ransik clearly let Alex capture him as he bites him with such ease this time.  As the other 4 Time Force Officers arrive, Ransik seemingly destroy Alex in a huge explosion.  As Ransik teleports away, Alex demorphs as Jen runs over to him.  We get a heartbreaking scene as Alex tells her take his morpher and go after him.  As Alex seemingly dies, the Cryo-Prison takes off into the future as an angry Jen goes after him with the other three Time Force members.  The episode concludes with the 4 Time Force officers heading to the past as Captain Logan tries to stop them.  They use the Time Ship, which needs to be pushed by a giant robot to enter the time portal.....yeah, time travel stories have more bizarre forms of time travel so whatever, it's cool. Anyway, this is a fantastic first half of the premiere with excellent storytelling, wonderful fight scenes, an immediate terrifying villain and well established new group of rangers. On to Part 2! :)

Final Morph: A+