Season 12, Episode 16: Burning At Both Ends

"Burning At Both Ends"
Episode 16
Air Date: May 22nd, 2004

Just when I think this White Ranger saga is over, I remember it only gets BETTER as this episode picks up right where the last left off.  While Kira for some reason think Tommy is joking about not being able to demorph, Tommy quickly confirms he's serious.  Apparently, being trapped in that ember for so long fused the dino gem power with his morphing ability or something and now he is stuck....soooo how is Tommy gonna eat and go to the bathroom then??? O_o  Anyway, the White Ranger is at it again, forcing the other three rangers to morph and prepare for battle.  After the rangers call on their zords to form the Thundersaurus Megazord, they call on the Parsaurzord for a new attachment.  But the White Ranger soon traps the megazord in chains and when the rangers call the Dimetrozord and Cephalazord for help, they are also captured by the White Ranger who fires at the rangers to disappear with their artillery zords quickly after.  Back at the Dino Lab, while Connor goes off about Trent being out of control and needing to be stopped, Tommy quickly defends Trent and tells him he knows what he's going through and they can't afford to give on his friends.  Yeah Tommy....Trini is still recovering from you punching her during your cockpit ambush of the original megazord but whatever, take his side!! :P  Meanwhile, Mesagog being furious that the White Ranger's immense power is not his, especially stealing two of the rangers' zords, comes up with a plan of his own to finally get him on his side.  While the rangers lay low, Connor runs into Trent, who unveils his dino gem power being phasing I think as Tommy already has the whole invisibility thing. O_o Also, it seems the dino gem truly is continuing to turn Trent evil as the White Ranger completely takes over him in his human form now. As he and Connor morph and fight, Connor tries to reason him before they both knock each other out with their weapons.  Soon Zeltrax arrives with Insectolite, a monster who puts Trent seemingly under a spell and makes him go back to normal.....hmmmmm??? o_o

Connor soon shows the others the reformed Trent, who tells them he will give them back their zords and even give them a peace offering if they meet him at the warehouse.  Yeah, this is clearly a trap as we soon see the White Ranger and Mesagog making a deal at his castle; the rangers' lives exchange for his powers of course.  But Mesagog isn't a fool and knows as the White Ranger departs, he will double cross him! Wow! Smart villains!!!? O_O Anyway, at the warehouse, the rangers arrive to meet Trent and I'm glad Tommy came along as back up just in case.  It just once again shows how smart and badass Tommy is as a veteran ranger; able to trick Trent into revealing he hasn't reformed and it was a trap.  As Tommy and Trent battle on the new Dino ATVs, the three rangers deal with Insectolite and a swarm of Tyrannodrones in the warehouse.  The chase/ATV fight sequence isn't bad at all and actually makes for a nice visual instead of the usual hand to hand fight...yet...those explosions are already starting to looking too over the top and stylized...shhh...more on that next season! -_- Anyway, after summoning their Super Dino Mode and drawing Mesagog's forces back, Insectolite manages to get the upper hand and seriously damage their Dino Cycles before retreating as the White Ranger and Tommy arrive back at the warehouse.  The rangers once again try to talk some sense into him but his deal with Mesagog is done and he plans on destroying the rangers' zords by nightfall.

Mesagog doesn't take Trent's betrayal well at all while Tommy, Hayley and the others try to form a plan to bring the White Ranger to them so they can find the location of the zords and free them.  They try to draw him out back at the warehouse but he only proceeds to own all 4 rangers before making his exit after they try to make the deal with them.  Luckily, Insectolite is close by and the rangers manage to capture him after their battle with him to uses his specific power to free their captured zords.  As they try to make it to the zords' location before nightfall, they are too late and the White Ranger seemingly destroys them...until he reveals he has only turned them evil as they connect with his Dino Stegazord....YEAH, you guys are screwed now! Of course, the Thundersaurus Megazord isn't strong enough to handle the uprgaded megazord and get tossed around something ugly before Insectolite miraculous comes in to fight the White Ranger as well.  A gift from Mesagog for his doublecrossing of course! ;) But the White Ranger quickly destroys him and retreats, leaving both sides once again at a loss for the White Ranger outfighting and outsmarting them again! Jesus, this was an intense episode!! Only made better by the shocking but obvious revelation of Anton Mercer being Mesagog the whole time as well as Trent phasing into the lab soon after to continue his own machinations against Mesagog.  Such a phenomenal arc episode in this tense and terrifically written White Ranger storyline.  He really seems like an enemy unlike previous evil rangers as he is a problematic foe for both sides and keeps playing them against each other to serve his own motives and agenda.  Awesome! :)

Final Morph: A+