Season 11, Episode 18: The Samurai's Journey, Part 3

"The Samurai's Journey, Part 3"
Episode 18
Air Date: June 7th, 2003

Ummmm, you see, this is problem with multiparters this season, mainly this one and "Return of Thunder", we get a really strong two part or three part story that feels naturally tight and self contained.  But then you have these final parts to them that feel needlessly tacked on and have barely anything to do with the actual parts that followed it.  Like "Return of Thunder, Part 4", Part 3 of "The Samurai's Journey" feels almost completely separate from what came before even more so with a beginning that heavily picks up where Part 2 left off....then quickly feeling like a filler episode than a genuine ender to the multiparter that Part 2 actually was. And it's a shame tho, because the episode really does start with some serious promise; even ramifications from Cam's journey to the past as Lothor, looking more useless and pathetic than usual, immediately sets out to destroy all 6 rangers, now that Cam has altered history and is the owner of the Samurai amulet he once tried to steal.  Love how the rangers are shocked by the revelation of Lothor and Cam being uncle and nephew.  Luckily, the rangers Sensei is able to teleport back to Ninja Ops again; out of harm's way just when Lothor and his forces were about to end them right there.  I just love the utter enjoyment and almost immediate acceptance of Cam as a new ranger from the others as well as his father being proud of seeing Cam return as a ranger he can be proud of.  It's all really heartwarming as well as saddening hearing both men quickly talk about Lothor and how blood doesn't always make you family; especially when your brother gave into evil and plans to take over the world.

But! Like I said, from there, the episode goes from story driven to...the unfunny slapstick of Lothor and his crew of Space Ninjas (Seriously, the look more a rundown, discount sideshow family of clowns at the local county fair) than actual progressing the story arc with Cam's introduction as the Green Samurai Ranger. Which is said because it gives the episode a rather standard, even average tone at times because it just feels like just another day in the lives of the Ninja Storm team.  Sure, it's nice seeing Lothor sending out multiple monsters and having the rangers have to split up individually to fight each of them one on one, but for an episode that's not only continuing but concluding the "Samurai's Journey" trilogy....it's just kinda weak.  Especially when Cam goes onto his first official solo mission as the 6th ranger of the team and gets....slowly turned into a bug.  YUCK and REALLY!!? o_O Not that Cam can't ALREADY make mistakes but it isn't some character developing moment that shows Cam the repercussions of being a ranger out on the field and that it's not all heroic, all the time...it's just played mostly for laughs as Cam disturbing turns into a bug thanks to Lothor's latest monster....Sucker....O_O......YEAH...... I mean the whole lesson of this is just quickly brushed over at best and make Cam look like an overzealous newbie, which he is, I get it since he wanted to be a ranger for so long...but this was not the way of going about doing it.  Luckily Cam wises up and his father is able to help him figure out how to reverse the effects by getting Sucker to drain back what he put into him....again...EHHHHHH!!!

Anyway, while the Wind Rangers are battling a monster in their Storm Megazord and the Thunder Rangers are handling yet another monster on the loose on the beach, Cam confronts Sucker again and uses his Super Samurai Mode (Oh boy!) which makes him able to kick Sucker's ass so he can force him to suck out the effects of his initial sting.  Super Samurai Mode is ridiculous and over the top; but I guess the fact Cam can take off the shield portion of his suit and twist the top half of his helmet is cool??? O_o  Anyway, as the Wind Rangers struggle to defeat a revived and grown Sucker, Cam once again arrives with his Samurai Star zord and tell Tori to detach her Dolphine zord from it so he can attach his zord as an arm to the Storm Megazord.  With this new configuration,  the rangers are able to destroy Sucker once and for all.  The episode concludes how this sort of multiparter should have instead of meandering to the finish as the rangers congratulate their newest member with a Ninja training suit like theirs but green as his father tells him no father could be prouder of his son as the rangers surround him to Cam's joy and the last shot is of his family during his infancy.  While not how I want the three parter to end, it could have been MUCH worse.  "Part 3" is definitely the weakest link of the three episode arc but there are a couple moments of merit that capture what made Part 1 and especially Part 2 so amazing! Overall, a strong start, superb middle but pretty disappointing end.

Final Morph: C+