Season 10, Episode 2: Darkness Awakening

"Darkness Awakening"
Episode 2
Air Date: February 9th, 2001

Better...but could be better!  There's more plot movement in this episode than the premiere but I think that's more because there has to be at this point of they'll lose viewers' attentions and you gotta start making these makes sense. While Cole reminisces about the jungle and bonds with the Red Lion, the other rangers discuss how that Org grew big again and Taylor brings up a good point about it getting help.  Cole secretly believes there is another way to confront the Orgs than fighting and brings up the idea of talking to them instead of fighting.  See...if the Shayla and rangers properly told Cole about their mission and the history of the Orgs maybe he (especially us the viewers) would understand why he doesn't make sense.  Of course, I like the idea of Cole choosing a more passive route as it speaks volumes about his personality and we've never had a ranger up for talking it out before fighting so this is kind of refreshing.  Of course, this causes the group to temporarily split up as its Alyssa who has to tell Cole why talking to the Orgs is useless while Max and Danny try to reason with Taylor who ain't got type for jungle boy being all "let's be friends".  For once, this team is at odds and we sort of see everyone's individual dynamic to the team.  Though, Alyssa bringing up how Taylor been a ranger for a over a year while the other 3 have been rangers for only a couple of months speaks volumes again of why SHE should be the leader until Cole gets use to the outside world; not just his ranger duties but like I said...Red means automatically means leader on this team! So....

Anyway, we also continue to follow Jindrax and Toxica as they head to their old lair from 3,000 year ago called "the Nexus" where all Orgs are born as well as home to various General Org statues.  While they rejoice in returning home, they run into the main villain of the season....finally! Apparently, after the great battle 3,000 years ago when he was defeated, both Duke Orgs took human form and have been roaming the Earth until the age of Orgs again.  Interesting enough, during Master Org's speech, Toxica feels there's something "different" about him while Jindrax thinks she's being delusional since so much time has passed. Nice foreshadowing there already! Master Org soon orders them to help the new Org that is attacking the city, Barbwire Org, in destroying the rangers.  Barbwire Org huh???  Something tells me I'm gonna miss those monster puns from the Saban Era! -_-

Anyway, Jindrax and Toxica soon confront the new Org and give him something that will give him a serious advantage over the rangers.  It turns out to be the foot soldiers of the season called Putrids, who are like cavemen who are seriously sticky! O_o  As Barbwire Org and the Putrids attack the city, Cole and Alyssa arrive to help but Cole eventually tries to reason with him while Alyssa tells him no.  Cole does his "listening with his heart" thing to the Org's amusement and realizes he doesn't have one. "And you, don't have a brain!" HA!!! Bonus points for this episode for that shady insult!!!  When Alyssa and Cole are attacked by Barbwire Org, the rest of the team arrives to help them.  After Taylor gives Cole encouraging words as their leader, he realizes they have no choice but to fight as the team morphs and prepares for battle.  I also want to mention how much I LOVE the Wild Force morphing sequence.  While it's direct copy of the Gaoranger morph sequence, it still looks stunning! Not so awesome is the rangers feeling to have to do a role call before a fight and Cole's "Guardians of the Earth, Unite We Roar!" It feels like a precursor to the Neo Saban Era where the rangers just won't shut. up! -_-

Anyway, after the rangers individually kick ass and once again use their weapons to form the Savage Sword to destroy Barbwire Org, Jindrax and Toxica appear to finally introduce themselves to the rangers.  We see the monster growing method this season is....Toxica summoning peanuts from her staff that make the Orgs grow.  Nice effect overall and after last season's bizarre monster growing method, magical peanuts is not surprising on this show! O_o  So the rangers once again call on their Wild Zords from Animarium to help them fight and we finally get to see them combine into the Wild Force Megazord!  Already the megazord looks so majestic and awesome, LEAGUES better than the near personality free megazords of last season.  The megazord's first battle is badass too, able to hold it's own against Barbwire Org without moving and it's finisher with the Ultra Roar is a nice alternative to a Saber finisher.  The episode ends with Master Org promising to act on his 3,000 years of revenge on the rangers while Cole finally gets a bath and some new clothes like the others.  Overall, a decent follow-up to the premiere! :)

Final Morph: B