Season 10, Episode 9: Soul Bird Salvation

"Soul Bird Salvation"
Episode 9
Air Date: March 30th, 2002

Well, this is a step in the right direction! Still plagued by the relentless issues this early half of the season has, AT LEAST the rangers themselves are continuing to prove themselves as a team with and especially without their powers....even if some last minute Deus Ex Machina is constantly coming out of no where to save them in the end.  Sigh....I'll take what I can get so far this season as there are still interesting things going on despite those annoying weak elements of the show for now.  So Jindrax and especially Toxica track down a General Org to a train station named Retinax.  Apparently, he was Master Org's personal bodyguard 3,000 years ago and he excited to prove himself to him by destroying the rangers.  I love how both Jindrax and Toxica are excited to recruit him themselves, especially Toxica as she talks of using him to prove her suspicions about Master Org true....as Master Org watches them leave from afar....uhh ohhh!  Meanwhile, Princess Shayla is....uhhh....mothering the Soul Bird Egg while Retinax begins terrorizing the city.  When they arrive to battle Retinax, he introduces himself and tells the rangers he is hear to destroy them to prove himself to Master Org.  And the dude means business as the combined strength of their Jungle Sword finisher just bounces off him and he blasts the crap out of them.  OUCH! O_o  Suddenly, Toxica and Jindrax arrive with a new Org recruit in Freezer Org.  I LOVE how Cole points out "He's freezing things!" O_O  Seriously, these in-fight pieces of dialogue are quite horrendous.  The individual fights between Alyssa and Toxica as well as Taylor and Jindrax would be find if they didn't spew out the most random and ridiculous one-liners between hits...it's like...WTF???? -_-

Anyway, the male rangers are able to trick Freezer Org into thinking he defeated them but as soon as comes in close, they brutally team up against him.  Hmmmm...must have saw something about that with the Lightspeed Rangers, huh?? ;)  After destroying the Freezer Org, Retinax orders Toxica to make him grow and the rangers summon the individual Wildzords that can form the Conga Megazord.  But during the fight, Freezer Org sacrifices himself to freeze the megazord itself; living both the megazord frozen solid as well as the rangers' morphers and animal crystals! Damn! O_O  Meanwhile, the Soul Bird begins....making some humming noise and talks to Shayla; leading her out off the Animarium.  As the rangers realize they are powerless, they immediately soldier on and face off again Retinax, Jindrax and Toxica.  While they put up a hell of a fight, the upper level Orgs are simply way too much for them as they laugh at the rangers before preparing to kill them!  Once again, everything up to this point was awesome, intense and building up to a stellar climax....BUT...once again, the rangers are save by not a new weapon or new zord just handed to them but the Soul Bird coming to revive their morphers, crystals and zords.  Yup, just like that, the rangers can morph again and kick ass but it's just WAAAAAYYY too easy for them.  Sigh....

Anyway, after Cole strikes down Retinax multiple times with his Lion Blaster, Retinax grows and forces the rangers to immediately enter the Conga Megazord to continue their attack.  But still, Retinax is a General Org and he's waayyyy too powerful for even their strongest megazord.  But don't worry, the Soul Bird soon flies out of Shayla's hands and attacks Retinax to hatch as well as reveal it's true form.  Shayla tells them to jump on the Soul Bird as it merges with their Conga Megazord and gives it more power than ever.  Yeah...it's THAT easy for this team! :)....-_-  Anyway, as the rangers literally toss Retinax around, the Red Lion orders them to form the Wild Force Megazord so the Soul Bird can merge with it and heal the Red Lion.  With the Soul Bird, even their primary megazord is unmatched in strength as they easily destroy Retinax......I just.....  Anyway, Shayla tells the rangers the Soul Bird sensed their courage and strength, that's why it came to their aid...which makes sense this time...but what about all the other times the Wildzords would come to the rangers aid giving them new weapons, crystals, etc. for no apparent reason.  At this point, the Wild Force Rangers are needless given new stuff because of......what exactly???  In the course of only 9 episodes, they have two megazords, new motorcycles, multiple new zords, new weapons, etc. out of no where cause the show just calls for it.  Mabye this was a thing in Gaoranger but HERE? It makes absolutely no sense. -_-

Luckily, the episode ends very promisingly and ominously as an injured Retinax rises from the rumble of his defeat to be confronted by Master Org.  I LOVE how Master Org does say a word as Retinax realizes he's not his real Master before mercilessly destroying him to keep his secret.  Seriously, this Master Org arc is being lay out so brilliantly that it's making the glaring flaws of this season more apparent but whatever.  Solid episode all around! :)

Final Morph: B