Season 11, Episode 32: Eye of the Storm

"Eye of the Storm"
Episode 32
Air Date: September 27th, 2003

I always love episodes where we get to psychologically dive into a ranger's mind and discover new things about like their flaws, failures, weaknesses or in this episode's case, their fears! :) Turns out, Shane has a MUCH older brother who's coming to town and visit him for a few days, which is a major bummer to him to the other guys' surprise as he tells them he and his brother have always been at odds.  Mostly cause his brother thinks Shane's extreme skateboarding is utterly time consuming and a complete waste of time.  What I really love about this episode is seeing the uneasy relationship between Shane and his brother Portor; not to mention it really helps the authenticity of the relationship that Portor's actor is actually Pua Magasiva's real life big brother, Rua Magasiva! Awesome! The scenes between them just feel so heartfelt and emotionally rewarding as Portor just wants Shane to take his life more seriously while Shane IS...considering...you know....saving the world on a weekly basis as a Power Ranger but unfortunately can't tell him because secrecy and protection.  But that doesn't stop Portor from accidentally discovering his Shane is a Power Ranger during a battle the rangers have with Lothor's new monster.

Speaking of Eyezak, the monster of the week this time has a pretty awesome power in forcing fear collars onto unsuspecting civilians as well as rangers themselves which makes them live their deepest, darkest fear is a bizarre looking room full of eyes.  Though, I have to say the most pathetic fear has to be Tori....who's deepest, darkest fear is....someone cutting her hair??? I mean...WHAT!? O_O  She's like the most responsible and least superficial of the group yet the writers give her a fear that is soooo out of character.  I mean one could say losing her locks would mean she'd lose her female identity/role on the team but I don't even think that's what the writers were going for when Dustin's fear of highs seems more plausible than Tori's own fear! Jeeze! But what I do adore about the episode is how Shane develops nicely by showing that even his brother now knowing his secret doesn't change how much he fears being a disappointment to his family.  Even when Shane is talking to Sensei about his brother knowing, he makes Shane realize he doesn't need his brother knowing he's a Power Ranger to be proud of him and shouldn't assume that will resolve all his reservations of his family looking down on him.  Of course, in trying to save his brother, Shane gets collared himself and we see he STILL feels like a disgrace to his family...leaving Sensei to try to free him and the other rangers from their fears.  Of course, that whole Ninja Jedi mind trick is pretty lame at this point since it seems so powerful that it can help the rangers temporarily face their fears to go after the monster themselves while Blake and Hunter get trapped inside Eyezak when Lothor makes him grow.

After Tori and Dustin rescue Blake and Hunter from inside the monster while Shane uses the Storm Megazord to free everyone, we get a first time all three megazord get to form into one BIG one.  The Hurricane Megazord is a thing of beauty and while it's first outing isn't as long as you want it to be, it's just awesome seeing all 6 rangers in one cockpit as a team like previous seasons for the first time here.  Also the Hurricane Megazord's finishing move being an enormous tornado is soooo badass and refreshing as opposed to the usual multiple blasts and sword slash from other megazords so great job on the Sentai's part for that.  I also adore how the episode ends with Shane learning that his brother's greatest fear was letting his brother down just as much as he feared letting his family down.  It's a genuinely touching and insightful moment that works so well for the episode, showing the ones we love and try to make proud are just as scared to live up to our expectations of them as we do to them which is unexpectedly mature for this show once again.  But I love it when the writers can make the moral of an episode that's not so shoehorned or forced but feels natural and rewarding for the show's young viewers. Nice! :) Definitely a very superb episode if you ask me!

Final Morph: A+