Season 10, Episode 18: Secrets and Lies

"Secrets and Lies"
Episode 18
Air Date: June 8th 2002

WOW...."Secrets and Lies".....I'm honestly floored by this episode and how mature it handles both Cole's personal arc and the episodic dilemma at hand for not only him but for the whole team.  I'm baffled how Power Rangers, a show that can have such absurd and overly laughable storylines that will even stretch your imagination to the point of insanity that it can still have episodes that really are touching and emotionally resonating.  Especially considering the most riveting thing this season (so far) has been the Zen-Aku arc and Merrick's very brief redemption arc that lasted all but in one episode ("The Lone Wolf").  But here, thanks to the writers actually foreshadowing and carefully hinting at Cole's past we get an episode that deeply explores the truth behind said past and how that could tragically effect Cole, especially when the Org of the week, Signal Org (uhh huh! Just go with it!) causes Cole to lose his memory.  Ok before I go further, I just want to address Jessica Rey's acting as Alyssa because it's the only thing that hurts an otherwise flawless episode in the narrative apartment .  I'm sorry but her acting is painfully atrocious! Continuing to fail at every single emotion: pain check! Excitement check! Embarrassment check! Guilt check!  The only time I could stand her on screen was when she was compassionate and comforting Cole in the graveyard but that's only because Alyson Kiperman  upstaged her thankfully by taking over the scene and giving it the genuine hope it needed because in the hands of Jessica, it would have fallin' flatter pizza dough on a pizza maker's face! o_o

Also, I LOVE the little side with Cole finding a little farm family to take him in while he gains his memory back.  The scenes between him and Clare, the daughter, were very genuine and sweet as well as incorporating Cole's ability to understand animals.  Funny how the writers of Wild Force are handling that little ability of his better than Maya during Lost Galaxy...WOW! o_o  Anyway, when the rangers find Cole, they find themselves in a serious dilemma when Alyssa finds out the truth about Cole's parents via an article she printed from the internet.  Cole has been searching for his parents for so long yet to find out they are dead would destroy him if they tell him the truth and bring his memory back.  It would literally destroy him; a topic of discussion that quickly divides them.  But I love how Taylor comes out of no where to rational their collective thinking by telling them Cole needs to know the truth, no matter how good or bad the news of his parent's livelihood are, especially reminding them that Cole is their leader and they need to be there for him.  It's a very mature moment for the show, the most mature even, especially as we see how far the team has come in just 18 episodes! Taylor not only accepts Cole as their leader but wants him to return to that position when earlier in the season, she would have taken that opportunity to take back her place as leader in his absence.  It establishes her as easily second in command of the team and showing her immense character growth! Stunning! :)

What follows is a brilliant confrontation between the 4 rangers, Cole and Clare who actually comes to Cole's defense when Taylor tries to bring him with them.  I just really LOVE how this story was handled with Cole eventually sensing he can trust them and lives his new farm family behind.  In just a handful of scenes, I find it very believable that Cole would be so close to the Johnson's and that is strong writing! Next, the team is suddenly attacked by Signal Org, Jindrax, Toxica and an army of Putrids.  As the other 4 rangers try to protect Cole and tell him to get out of there, Cole stinks around to witness the team morph.  Cole stays behind as they struggle to fight them off, especially Signal Org who knocks them all done.  When Cole refuses to leave and says he knows he can help, Taylor believes in him and gives him back his growl morpher to morph.  I really like that moment between them as it's a nice callback to the premiere. Very subtle!  So as Cole struggles to help them fight and eventually uses the Jungle Sword to destroy the Signal Org, he begins to remember who he is just as Toxica makes Signal Org grow.  The rangers summon their Wild Zords and create the Wild Force Megazord: Spear Mode to easily defeat him.

Meanwhile, the villains also get some serious story progression in this episode as when Jindrax comes to save Toxica from being killed by the Master, Toxica uses the opportunity continue her personal suspicions on who Master Org really is.  She leads her and Jindrax down to an underground lair where they discover the old photograph of Cole, his parents and Master Org apparently.  As Master Org approaches them, Toxica soon attacks him to reveal his horn is fake and mechanical. As Jindrax reacts in shock and horror, Master Org uses his staff to trap them in deadly vines like he did Cole's parents and change them into more hideous forms of themselves under his control.  So the episode ends with this despairing loss on the villains end as Master Org succeeds once again in covering his secret while the rangers come together, lead by Taylor to give Cole hope that his presumably dead parents may still be alive.  It's a remarkable contrast of events that is so well done and I applaud the show for once for making me care about everything that's going on for once! :)

Final Morph: A+