Season 10, Episode 8: Soul Searching

"Soul Searching"
Episode 8
Air Date: March 23rd, 2002

Sigh...everytime I get hope this season...Wild Force kind of spoils it!  Everytime is always seems this team is getting pushed to their limits and forced to rely on their quick thinking in a time of serious desperation...until they just get a new zord and the day is ohhhhh so conveniently saved! -_- Ehhhhhhhhh!!!  Honestly, last episode's sudden cliffhanger was a great way to put the rangers in a serious pickle.  The Red Lion is seriously ill after the combination of both Bear Zords on the megazord.  It was nice seeing the episode opening with Cole not only comforting his Zord but also his close friend in such a short amount of time  Still don't get how he can talk to and understand the Wild Zords tho.  At least with Maya, she was an alien, so that ability made more sense but Cole??? He's just a human who grew up in the wild all his life!  Last time I check, that doesn't give you some sixth sense to talk and communicate with nature but whatever, Power Rangers' logic! O_o

Anyway, Princess Shayla decides to be helpful for once for the first time this season and tells the rangers of an ancient Soul Bird that use to heal the Wild Zords but stay behind in the forest 3,000 years ago and hasn't been seen since.  Cole is all anxious to find the Soul Bird to heal the Red Lion as the rangers are now VERY vulnerable without being able to form the megazord.  A sudden and unfortunate dilemma for the rangers that I like as it forces them to go on a mission besides freeing or finding some Wild Zord...even tho technically the Soul Bird is one but whatever.  Meanwhile, Jindrax and Toxica run into a Bulldozer Org in the same forest after Master Org senses the Soul Bird there and wants them to destroy it before the rangers can heal the Red Lion.  During their search for the Soul Bird, the rangers run into Toxica and Jindrax and finally morph; only to be confronted by a giant sized Bulldozer Org.  I love how conflicted and worried the rangers as they must continue the fight without their megazord but Cole as their leader fears for their safety.  The Red Lion calls out to Cole despite that and says he will fight anyway; leading to the rangers calling the Wild Zords and forming the Wild Force Megazord.

Unfortunately, the megazord isn't strong enough to defeat Bulldozer Org; leading Taylor to suggest the Double Knuckle formation. While Cole says it's too dangerous, the Red Lion once again says it will put its health on the line to stop the Org.  This is really awesome by the way! :)  So they form the Double Knuckle version of the megazord and are easily able to fend off the Org but before they can finish it, the Red Lion succumbs to the weakness of holding the megazord together because of the Bear Brothers.  The Org uses the opportunity to brutally blast the Wild Force Megazord as it disassembles and the rangers fall to the ground because of it.  As Cole tries to stop the severly weakened Red Lion from fighting, the other Wild Zord come to his aid and defend him while the other rangers order Cole to find the Soul Bird while they continue the fight against Jindrax and Toxica who summon Putrids.  Once again, very intense and awesome!  As Cole rushes to find the Soul Bird, he demorphs and suddenly runs into Master Org in kind of a horror movie like introduction.  Nice! :)

Oh the overacting between these two is....REALLY something but once again, Ricardo Medina Jr. hams it up like no actor I have EVER seen! Jesus! O_O  Master Org proves to once again be a not to be taken lightly badass main villain as she brutally blasts and tortures Cole with his powers.  Seriously, OUCH!!! When a picture of Cole and his parents falls to the ground after the attack, Master Org stops for a moment and picks it up; reminiscing about chasing after his parents when he was a baby and seemingly killing them??!!! O_O  Uhhhh...Holy SH!T!!!  I already LOVE this unknown connection between the two of them and Cole being unaware of that is kind of cold and heartbreaking! Brilliant foreshadowing there.  Then when the Soul Bird finally appears, Master Org tries to destroy it and it flies away never to be seen again. Wow...this episode is just giving the rangers no hope and I'm absolutely LOVING it! :)  Then Master Org prepares to finish off Cole but gets scared off by a Gorilla...roaring...oh please God don't do it! -_-  As Cole is devastated by the lost of the Soul Bird, a large Gorilla shadow appears behind him as he....sigh...yet another ranger gain a crystal for their new Wild Zord.  So yeah, Cole returns to the other rangers to reveal the Gorilla Zord!  It even has it's own theme music and throws...bananas as it's primary weapon!  I just! Maybe this is a gratuitous problem in Gaoranger with the constant handing out of new zords EVERY. SINGLE. EPISODE! But I'm sick of it!  Yes, the new Conga Megazord is awesome looking and very powerful but once again, the rangers are handed a victory without truly working toward one on their own.  This just conveniently happens out of no where and seriously hurts the episode for me when it was going so well; feeling like the best episode so far this season! But nope!  More new zords to come in and save the rangers! Makes it easy! -_-

Anyway, after destroying the Bulldozer Org, the rangers head back to where Cole saw the Soul Bird as they discover it left a large egg behind that they are clearly planning to nest.  But my thing is...where the hell did the Gorilla Wildzord come from???  Was it protecting the Soul Bird???? I just.....a pretty great episode nearly ruined by this season's continue redundant storytelling but I'll take it. Sigh.....

Final Morph: B-