Season 12, Episode 27: Fighting Spirit

"Fighting Spirit"
Episode 27
Air Date: August 28th, 2004

You know, this whole arc with Tommy being trapped in his suit has been so jarring compared to the rest of the season.  I know the behind the scenes reason for it, since Jason David Frank made a deal with the producers to do the show but would have to miss a good portion of the season to fly back to Los Angeles to take care of his dojo...but storywise, it just seemed like a waste of such an iconic character of the franchise, especially when the writer's set him up as the newest mentor for a team of Power Rangers.  I mean, one of the longest running ranger in history commanding the latest incarnation of the multicolored superheroes was seriously a  genius idea for the first run of episodes, but ever since Tommy was kind of brought to the sidelines because of Frank's mini-departure in the middle of the show, the dynamic just hasn't been as strong with Hayley often times playing mentor AND technical expert of the team while balancing her job at the Cyberspace.  It just didn't work for me seeing Tommy just being used so periodically and having him being trapped in his suit when in reality, dude should dying for a snack....I mean, he can take his helmet off at least right??? O_o But luckily, once again, do to some of the finest writing of the show this season, we get an episode that not only brings back Tommy to his regular form but uses it to create one of the most exciting and historic episodes of the show as the Dino Thunder Rangers are seriously being tested with their toughest battle yet!

The episode begins with Tommy, in his invisible glory, telling the three teens that Hayley has figured out a way to make him visible again.  Of course, Hayley is quick to remind him that the procedure could be sseriously dangerous and they don't even have a power source with enough energy to make it work.  Tommy soon suggests his dino gem and gives it to Hayley, tho she is clearly still apprehensive about the whole thing!  Meanwhile, Elsa and an army of tryannodrones are digging deep inside a cave and soon get to a mysterious glowing rock she finds that she has "finally" found and looks very similar to the rangers' dino gems.  Turns out, the rock is made from the same material as the rangers' dino gems and she uses it to give the evil White Ranger's second (and honestly even MORE badass looking! :) Terrorsaurus enough power to overpower even the combined strength of the Dino Rangers' dino gems...uhhhh...yikes??? O_o  Anyway, Hayley and the teens begin the procedure to revert Tommy to normal but once again, a serious malfunction happens and Tommy, while thankfully visible again...is now stuck in a coma....seriously, trapped in ember, unable to demorph, made invisible, now in a coma, Jesus, no wonder this episode gets so uncharacteristically psychological for this show!!! O_o So while the Hayley and the rangers check Tommy into the Reefside Hospital, we soon see in Tommy's mind that he is in a sand dune yelling out for help.  Gotta love how this sequence is shot...especially when...GASP! Zeo Ranger 5 shows up!!! O_O  Holy sh!t, this is awesome! Oh and I love how Tommy says "that's impossible" like he didn't just use those powers two years during that massive mission to the moon with all the other red rangers that came before and after him....Jesus, no wonder he's in a coma! O_O Seriously tho, this fight sequence is amazing, wonderfully directed and the fight choreography really standing out against the gorgeous New Zealand desert.  As their fight ends, Zeo Ranger 5 tells him he pretty much one this fight but he warns him off how well he'll do against the "others"...hmmmmm...:)

Meanwhile, in the real world, the news reports the new Terrorsaurus attacking the city as the three teens leave Dr. O's side while Hayley watches over him so they can defend it.  Unfortunately, with that new power source that Elsa has given him, the Terrorsaurus easily defeats the rangers; quickly draining them of their morphing energy and leaving them powerless.  Uhhh ohhh!!! Meanwhile, in Tommy's mind, he is now is a haunting forest surround by fog before running into...the White Ranger!!! You know from Season 2 of MMPR, not...anyway! :P The White Ranger quickly mentions Tommy's new haircut before they fight and once again, great direction and choreography.  After Tommy cleverly uses a new move to outfight the White Ranger, he tells them this fiight was "easy", but the last one won't be.  Oh yeah....we know what's coming!!! :) As the teens helplessly watch over Dr. O with Hayley, the Terrorsaurus continues to go on a rampage now that the rangers are currently out of commission.  But soon Connor says he can't just stand here and do nothing as the rest of the rangers join him to face off against the Terrorsaurus even without their powers!! God, I love moments like this that just shows justifiably why these individual are so worthy to be rangers as even without their powers, they are willing to put their lives on the line to continue their fight, especially when Ethan mentions "that's what Dr. Oliver would do" before the rangers go into battle.  Awesome!

Back in Tommy's mind, the ultimate showdown commences as the freakin' Dragon Dagger materializes next to him as the OG Green Ranger approaches him.....with that dumb gray strip on his helmet now......yeah....O_O.... That aside, once again, the fight is just epic and uses some fine stunt work like when the Green Ranger kicks a freakin' pillar at Tommy. LOL As the Green Ranger prepares to finish him, he asks if Tommy is ready to give up, but he says "no matter what, he'll never stop fighting"...which apparently is what the Green Ranger needed to hear as he tells Tommy "he passed the test".  Tommy soon gets up all confused as his other ranger incarnations come back to tell him he "hasn't been fighting them but fighting for his life".  Apparently, they had to say if he still had to will to live above anything before handing him the three shattered pieces of his black dino gem! WOW! :)  As Tommy wakes up to the utter joy of Tommy's recovery, the four teens are getting seriously getting owned by Terrosaurus...as those random, over the top explosions knock them down many feet away...behind them! -_- I just!!! Anyway, soon ole Tommy arrives to save the day by morphing into the Black Dino Ranger and seriously kicking some ass like a veteran ranger should!  He even unlocks his super dino mode which is able to defeat Terrorsaurus before he finishes him off with his Brachio Sword.  While the rangers are overjoyed to see him alive, their celebration is abruptly ended by Terrorsaurus growing.....I guess this is Lost Galaxy all over again with monsters that just grow with no method now??? -_-

 Anyway, after summoning their zords and forming the Thundersaurus Megazord, they realize they must continue the fight like Dr. O and unleash their Super Dino Mode to power up the megazord beyond before to finally drill the crap out of Terrorsaurus through a freakin' mountain; destroying him for good.  As the episode ends, we get an emotional reunion between the teens and their mentor as Hayley even comments how proud they should be during Tommy's absence during all of this.  Connor even springs a tear to everyone else's hilarity! Lol  All and All, "Fighting Spirit" is an genuinely psychological thrilling little episode for a kids show that not only touches on the lengthy history of one of the franchise's greatest characters but develops these current team of rangers into fully fledged out heroes who don't need their powers to save the day! Seriously, even the sub-plot with Cassidy and Devin was exceptional; finally showing Devin sticking up for himself and taking a stand which inspires Cassidy to do the right thing instead of furthering the career through deception.  Bravo writers!!! One of my favorite episodes of the entire show thus far! :)

Final Morph: A+