Season 12, Episode 21: Copy That

"Copy That"
Episode 21
Air Date: July 20th, 2004

I think what I liked most about this episode was how morally grey the battle between the rangers and Mesagog is becoming.  I find it oddly hilarious yet surprising moving the scene that takes place after a fight sequence of Trent training with some Tyrannodrones (which reminded me of Tommy doing the same to earn the Sword of Darkness back in Season 1) on his dad's property.  We find out that while Mesagog and Anto Mercer share the shame body, they have two completely different agendas, especially for Trent.  While Trent is growing more evil because of the gem's overwhelming power over him, Anton shocking grows more sympathetic here as he tells his son how Mesagog came to be born.  Although, one wonders why Anton would test his experiments on him instead of a lab rat or something!!!?? O_o Anyway, it just makes this struggle between sides more complex as Anton shows the humanity behind the sinister switching scientist and prehistoric madness driven alter ego.  Latham Gaines once again shows some great ranger as even if Anton seems distant and cold, he deeply and truly loves Trent but Trent is so far gone because of the White Ranger, he storms off and would rather side with Mesagog! Wow! O_O

As for the plot of the episode this week, Zeltrax is still after the White Ranger, especially after Elsa laughs at him for losing their last battle against each other.  Fueled by his hatred for Mesagog favoring Trent because he's literally his other half's son, Zeltrax comes up with a plan to make a monster, Copyotter (Why do I even bother??? Or why do they even bother sometimes is more like it!?? O_o) to go after the White Ranger and copy his weapon.  Of course, during his attack, Tommy seens the trio over to stop him but because of his ability to copy and even master their weapons, they are no match for him as he runs off.  Of course, we have to throw in some wacky and as usual NEEDLESS comic relief when Copyotter accidentally makes 3 copies of Cassidy.  Wonder why I rated this episode so low at the end when I really enjoyed it....well....there you go??? I mean for God sakes, Devin can't even realize that there are 4 Cassidys now and would rather believe he just needs to start wearing his glasses like his mom told him because he thinks his vision has gone bad just for various pathetic punchlines through the episode. Ewwww!!! -_-

At the main plot makes up for that unnecessary trash of a comedic sub-plot as Zeltrax's plan actually works by making the White Ranger look like he destroyed his lab after Copyotter copies his weapon after a quick confrontation between him and Trent.  Mesagog of course is pissed and literally drags Trent through a invisi-portal to finally get rid of him for his betrayal.  Meanwhile, the rangers are once again getting their asses handed to them in battle against Copyotter; who even is able to copy their Z-Rex Blaster after Connor cleverly thinks he won't know how to use but boy was he wrong!  Luckily, Tommy arrives for backup but Copyotter eventually copies his Brachio Sword and owns the rangers with a devastating attack! DAMN! o_O  Meanwhile, at Mesagaog's castle, Mesagog prepares to literally suck the life out of Trent as he doesn't know what he's talking about and begs for him to stop.  Luckily, Trent's outcry for his father is some how able to force Mesagog to transform back into Anton and he desperately rushes to free his son.  Turns out, the energy beam that draining Trent of his life force ricochets off seevral parts of the lab before hitting the white Dino gem.  Apparently, Trent is now free from it's evil power as the beam some how destroyed the evil within it and now he can use the power how ever he feels as his father tells him to get out of there before Mesagog returns.  Trent quickly rushes out there and to the other 4 rangers' surprise, comes in to help them.  I love how skeptical they are of this as Trent fights Copyotter, especially since he tricked them into thinking he has reformed before. What's also cool about this sequence is seeing the White Ranger in his Super Dino Mode for the first time.  Yeah, I know I said it's stupid and dumb looking but the White Ranger's design for them is actually pretty badass; looking like actual spikes coming out of his suit like a dinosaur with blades on his wrist...instead of the others, especially Kira's suit looking like it has some IParty add ons on hers.  Seriously! -_-  Anyway, Trent in badass White Ranger fashion, destroys Copyotter before Mesagog revives him to make him grow.  As the rangers battle him in their Thundersaurus Megazord, Zeltrax once again uses this as an opportunity to finally destroy Tommy but during their fight, Trent quickly intervenes to save him and adds in fighting him back with Tommy.  As Zeltrax retreats, Tommy is still not believing Trent's reform until Trent asks him desperately to hear him out this time.  After the rangers defeat Copyotter for good with the Ankylozord attachment of the megazord, the three teens are shocked to find Trent back at their home base.  While all three are skeptical as they should be, Tommy reveals he wouldn't have brought him there if he didn't trust him and for the fact he saved his life.  Of course with Dr. O's approval, the teens come around, with even Kira giving him one last chance.  But you gotta love how they force him to clean the zords being the new ranger on the team and all.  Jesus, being a reformed evil ranger ain't like it use to be huh, Tommy??? :P

But before the episode wraps up, we learn that Zeltrax was smart enough to save the copying part of the monster and has used it to make a copy of the White Ranger but this time, without Trent's humanity to get in the way. Uhhh Ohh!!! O_O Overall, "Copy That" is a solid episode with some ambiguous ideas being thrown around with refreshing father/son dynamic of the villains/allies that are so close to the rangers and finally seeing the evil White Ranger saga end with Trent being brought on as ranger #5 on the team.  The Cassidy stuff with the copies is dire and mind-numbing so, no need for that and spoils an otherwise good chapter of the season. :)

Final Morph: B