Season 10, Episode 21: A Father's Footsteps

"A Father's Footsteps"
Episode 21
Air Date: July 6th, 2002

I'm seriously trying to understand something...especially with disastrously bad episodes like this.  Now I'm sure they are a good few who like or even LOVE this episode but let me ask you something...WHY??? Yet another episode that highlights this season's irritating weaknesses but focusing on one of it's more irritating characters in Alyssa is quite unforgivable!  Let me also ask you something....what character development is there for Alyssa???  The girl up to this and especially in this episode is treated like some kind of perfect Mary Sue who can literally do no wrong.  She can cook wonderfully, go to college and get all As, work out like it's nothing and do ALL of this with a continuously forced smile on her face! -_-  It also doesn't help Jessica Rey is a unbearable actress to watch at times.  I'm sorry, but with the exception of Merrick and sometimes Princess Shayla, Alyssa's actress is the worst of the bunch, delivering her lines with laughably unconvincing charm and compassion. When she's decent, it comes as a surprise but the majority of her performance are frighteningly bad.  Also making miss Jennifer Yen as Vypra (Oh yeah, I went there! -_-)  The thing is...I would accept ALL of this if "A Father's Footsteps" actually did something with her character that made Alyssa's personality make sense!  But it doesn't solve the problem, it contributes to it.  Now all of a sudden, Alyssa is this master martial artist who is easily the best fighter on the team as she kicks Max and Danny's asses right before making a fabulous breakfast....ehhhhh!!!

Apparently, Alyssa's father, Mr. Enrile, played veteren actor Branscombe Richmond (man, it's the guy from Renegade! My childhood! :) Was a great sensei at a dojo who has decided to come visit Alyssa after he uneasy decision to go to Turtle Cove University affected her training as well as their relationship.  While I enjoyed the way the flashbacks were incorporated the present, they really don't do much to advance the story and give Alyssa any layers to her characters.  Also, there is no rift or animosity between her and her dad over this whole thing; almost making the point of the episode kind of pointless.  Alyssa was only doing what she felt in her heart was right and after hurting his daughter during training, he decided to let her go to college and support her decision even when Alyssa's mother feared the legacy of their family's fighting style wouldn't live on.  Alyssa even overhears this and knows how much her father loves and supports her decision that he is putting her hopes and dreams first before his so....WHAT'S THE PROBLEM again?! O_o  I'm honestly scratching my head.

Besides, Alyssa can just walk out of class with no consequences after her phone rings in class (seriously, why are they rangers using their phones publicly like that???), get up and walk out after telling her professor it's important....right??? -_- Also, this whole time limit between their latest fight and when she has to see her dad isn't clear.  So are the rangers fighting this Samurai Org for hours??? Sheesh, talk about time consuming work! O_o  I don't get the rest of the episode though.  Alyssa gets insulted by the Samurai Org trashing her family's fighting style and her father watches on to discover that the White Wild Force Ranger is his daughter.  This is all sweet but still forced.  I just don't by this from Alyssa and even after the rangers defeat Samurai Org, Conga Megazord and all, the resolution of the episode seems tact on when there is absolutely nothing to resolve.  Honestly, if the writers wanted to develop or make Alyssa a better character they should have explored the reasons why she's so happy and seemingly perfect because of how her father treated her when she decided to go to college.  Have him through her out and Alyssa putting on this fake facade of doing everything right when it kills her inside the fallout between her and her dad.  Not THAT would have been worth watching, not this crap that feels juvenile and utter flat at the end of the day.  Oh well...worst episode this season thus far. :(

Final Morph: F