Season 11, Episode 10: Return of Thunder, Part 1

"Return of Thunder, Part 1"
Episode 10
Air Date: April 12, 2003

Wow! The villains actually scored a victory over the rangers again and isn't it funny that it once again involves the most interesting villains of the season so far in the Thunder Rangers.  It's really good to see these two again even if it's been like three episodes.  Honestly, the Thunder Rangers continue to pose the most threat to the Wind Rangers while any other threat just feels weak in comparison, especially when it comes to our main baddies this season! -_- I find it funny how Lothor managed to trap Blake and Hunter on his ship by getting Chuboo pretend to have reformed and lead them there to defeat Lothor once and for all.  But you know what so pathetic about this plan??? That it's soon revealed after Blake and Hunter are captured that Chuboo was the mastermind behind the whole thing.....I just....WOW!!! o_O  Does Lothor do ANYTHING beside make monsters grow and look like some horrific mexican wrestler from hell!??? -_-  SO yes, Chuboo succeeds and Lothor just promotes him to general despite making Zurgane look like he hasn't done crap so far this season!  For God sakes, Kapri and Marah even start fighting over Chuboo once he becomes general and want to date him...I mean....WHATT??!! o_O  I just......-_-....anyway!

With the Thunder Rangers under their captivity, Chuboo comes up with some last minute continuation of his plan by convincing Lothor to brainwash Hunter and Blake into thinking the other rangers are their enemy.  One wonders why Lothor didn't do this in the first place and someone as dimwitted as Chuboo can come up with a plan on the spot to use their strongest opposition against the rangers.  That's right writers, just keep making Lothor look bad despite his overly ridiculous and hideous aesthetic.  So with their plan...I mean, his plan underway, Chuboo summons a monster named Toxipod to begin attacking the city while the other rangers think Blake and Hunter have returned to help them defeat Lothor.  But once the brainwashed pair return, they begin acting like jerks to Dustin as he tells the other rangers how bizarre they're acting once again even after learning the truth about their parents.  Also, there's this dumb and pointless subplot of this motorcross coach searching for Blake and Hunter but it literally make a cameo storywise in the episode.  Also, Blake randomly chasing down Tori while she's riding Dustin's motorbike is so dangerous and forced considering she could have gotten badly injured.  Dude, you like this girl right??? O_o  I mean the following scene has them flirting and practically laughing it up after Dustin's bike is trashed and you know, Tori could have gotten killed??? O_o  You couldn't have just tried talking to her at the beach after she got done surfing or something??? o_O

Anyway, the following fight scene between the Thunder Rangers and Wind Rangers is fun and exciting to watch as usual; despite Toxipod just kind being there.  I mean his intro was all cool with the smoke and coming out of nowhere, but once again, the Thunder Rangers just outshine the often mediocre monsters of the week this season.  As the Wind Rangers use some tornado spin attack against the monster, which is random but kinda cool.  Would have been nice to learn where they learn that apparently "ninja" technique! :P  Also, the hilariously over the top ninja tricks were goofy as hell but reminded me of MMPR Season 3 when the rangers were in their ninja forms and did similar tricks with their powers.  Anyway, Blake and Hunter mind control begins to come and go while the rangers' battle with Toxipod leads to a typical zord battle and they destroy him with the Storm Megazord's Lightning Mode Finisher and Serpent Sword.  As Blake and Hunter begin to wonder why they are fighting, Chooboo puts them under mind control again as they form the Thunder Megazord to fight the rangers.  Soon Chooboo reveals there is even more to his plan as he uses the remnants of Toxipod to freeze both megazords and transport the rangers elsewhere.  As Cam and Sensei wonder where the rangers could have been transport to, Shane wakes up unmorphed on the shore of a deserted island far from anywhere else on Earth as the episode concludes on "to be continued".  DUN, DUN, DUN!!! So far, this was solid start to another multi-parter featuring the Thunder Rangers as they return and see them being used once again to defeat the core rangers.  Some annoying plot points irritated but it's still very much enjoyable. :)

Final Morph: A-