Season 11, Episode 31: Double-Edged Blake

"Double-Edged Blake"
Episode 31
Air Date: September 27th, 2003

Well, if this episode proves anything is that no matter how many more villains or in this case, generals you add to this season's rogues gallery, they honestly can't look anymore pathetic than they already do.  I mean there is an actual scene of Motordrone, Zurgane and Shimazu going after 3 rangers on their own but Shane, Dustin and especially Hunter manage to beat the living crap out of them outside the villains getting a few hits on them at first. Sigh. I mean there is even a scene at the very beginning of the episode where Lothor and all 5...yes....FIVE generals are watching a replay of all the times they've lost to the rangers so far with Lothor and generals making fun of each other about how much they truly suck against them.  Lol Wow! If the villains realize this at this point, how can we even route for them??? O_o  It's like the writers absolutely know this at this point in the season and have just stopped shying away from how disposable these villains are! I mean, I can barely watch the scenes with Lothor and his fools coming up with plans to "stop" or "defeat" the rangers when Marah and Kapri are even once again shown to be so worthless and laughable that even Lothor traps them in a cell for an episode so they don't f$%^ up his plans.

Anyway, this episode centered around Blake obviously when Tori is very suspicious about why Blake is always bailing and in a hurry to not talk.  Of course, this is building up on the Tori/Blake romance and I'm glad that the writers are really bringing that little plot back to the forefront of the show.  Seems the reason why Blake is always leaving is he seems to be fighting or more or less training with some serious fighter in a secret area of the city.  Meanwhile, Lothor sends out Shimazu with the monster of the week in the form of...Inflatron....a monster that using multiple balloons to damage the rangers in battle.  I mean....you can't even laugh at this point...it's Power Rangers! O_O So while the rangers are getting their collective asses kicked by balloon animals, Blake finally arrives after missing for so long and uses some strange new double bladed staff to force Inflatron as well as Shimazu into a retreat.  As the rangers wonder and question what's up with Blake and his new toy, he is eager to go back and train some more with his mysterious opponent.  This time Tori can't help but follow him to know more and finds him going through some very narrow corridors to a cliff outside where he seems him being attacked. Tori immediately tries to save Blake but his opponent just knocks her over in defense.  Turns out, the opponent is the hot girl with Blake earlier in the episode but she's just helping him master the Thunder Blade since she is a recent alum of the Thunder Ninja Academy. Though, one wonders why Blake didn't tell anyone, not even his brother and kept this a secret.  What exactly was he afraid of?  Did Leanne tell him to keep it a secret? I'm confused? O_o  Anyway, after some Kelzacks discover their location, the three fight them off until Cam calls on Blake to go after Inflatron at the beach solo....while of course, the other rangers deal with the three generals.

At the beach, Blake finds it hard to master the Thunder Blade...all of sudden...even tho, last time he owned Inflatron but apparently, he is starting to doubt himself; especially as he reminisces about his training in the past with his Sensei and Leanna.  He finally figures out that it's not about the weapon itself but how you use it and breaks it in half to use each halves destroy the monster.  As soon as the other 4 rangers arrive to congratulate him, Lothor summons the Scroll of Empowerment to revive Inflatron and make him grow.  After the rangers call on their zords to form the Thunderstorm Megazord, Cam summons the Mammothzord with the Lightning Riff Blaster to combine forces to destroy him for good.  The episode ends with Leanne lamenting when the Thunder Ninja Academy was destroyed as we learn Blake and Hunter's Sensei was her father....ohhhhh, makes sense now! Tori and Blake once again dance around their feelings for each other before fighting and chasing each other down the beach.  Overall, not a bad episode! :)

Final Morph: B