Season 10, Episode 15: The Ancient Warrior

"The Ancient Warrior"
Episode 15
Air Date: May 11th, 2002

Well, we are finally approaching the conclusion of the tense and serious Zen-Aku arc...despite this episode having its share of problems from earlier in the season as well as sudden plot holes.  I don't mind Zen-Aku being more of a puppet this episode now that General Nyzar has full control over him as Zen-Aku hands over the ranger' animal crystals to him before Nyzar gives them to Master Org.  What I don't understand tho is how the rangers and Shayla come to the conclusion that the full moon is powering Zen-Aku when he has attacked them in the daylight dozens of times!  Also, Animus is being are cryptic and vague giving Shayla visions of what happened to Merrick while she was asleep.  He could actually do more...by you know....helping but I guess I'll give him a break cause he does cover the full moon with an eclipse long enough for the rangers to talk to Merrick but whatever.  Merrick himself.....boy, is Phillip Andrew's acting really....incredibly....awful....o_o.......  I mean everything from him first meeting to ranger to Zen-Aku taking control of him again was just....astoundingly trash in the delivery department, only highlight by the back and forth questioning and exposition he gives the rangers.  Man, Jessica Rey will have some stiff competition this season from now on (No pun intended....maybe! ;P)

So apparently, after old Mer Bear sent Shayla off packing into the sky with the Wild Zords, he witnessed the destruction of Animus at the hands of Master Org; leading him to go after the legendary Zen-Aku Wolf Mask to give him more power to defeat him.  After taking it from General Nyzar's tomb, Merrick quickly put on the mask to gain immense power and use it to fuel his Predazord with even more strength to destroy Master Org.  But the mask eventually got too strong and he was taken over by the evil spirits of the mask becoming Zen-Aku.  Not a bad backstory all things considered, tho I wish the resolution of it wasn't so quick in freeing Merrick and defeating Zen-Aku.

Lastly, I am sick and tired of the rangers getting these convenient new zords again that save their @sses at the end! Suddenly, the Bison Zord calls on two new Wild Zords to form a new megazord formation out of no where.  Aren't these things suppose to be lost and hard to find???  Yet, the rangers are finding them left and right...scratch that...the Wild Zords are just popping out of no where to help because the plot demands it when the rangers don't really need it, especially this time.  Oh and Shayla suddenly gets the idea that destroying the Predazord will free Merrick from the cursed Zen-Aku mask???  Weren't the Dark Wildzords good at some point???  What do they have to do with Zen-Aku when they're Merrick's zords??? I'm so confused as how destroying sentient machines out of no where would save the day??? O_o  Anyway, the Rhino and Armadillo Wildzords form a new version of the Wild Force Megazord....sigh...allowing it to use the Armadillo like a soccer ball....and even has a soccer stadium in the background when it's being used that way.  Only in Power Rangers can the fate of the world being at stake and the rangers lives being in danger being juxtaposed to the silliest and absurd plot resolutions like this.  Anyway, after destroying the Predazord (Yeah, you just potentially killed off three Wild Zords guys, nice! -_-)  Princess Shayla goes to a cured and injured Merrick all sappy and crying until she hears the rangers coming and just....runs off....the F^&*?! O_o  Anyway, as the rangers run to Merrick and check on him, the episode just abruptly ends...weird much?! O_o  Anyway, another great episode despite those annoying plot habits of the show and plotholes on top of that.  Bad acting.......Hey I did say it was a great episode right??? :P

Final Morph: B+