Season 13, Episode 9: Idol

"Idol"
Episode 9
Air Episode: April 2nd, 2005

You know, this has got to be the most impressive and immersive episode of S.P.D. so far.  It manages to really engage you in the ongoing rivalry between Skye and Jack as well as seeing Skye for the first time this season in an emotional, even vulnerable light.  When Commander Krueger is off for a very important meeting, things have been extremely slow in terms of danger in the city when a spaceship lands out of no where.  When the rangers head their in their zords, they soon discover that the ship is destroy but was inhabited by former student of S.P.D., Dru, who Skye is completely shocked and elated to see again; both sharing the same wrist bands they got when they were cadets together.  Apparently, Dru was thought to be lost during an S.P.D. mission 3 years ago, but says they he wasn't lost but was tracking down a dangerous criminal.  Of course, everyone but Jack isn't really buying his story , especially when Jack catches Drew snooping  around S.P.D. in the middle of the night.  Jack pulls rank on Dru despite Skye trying to vouch for him but it's too late as the animosity between the two reaches it's boiling point.  During the next scene featuring the rangers, Jack tries to apologize for coming to rash conclusions but Skye has just had enough of his arrogance as he knows Dru more than Jack, so he trusts him.

It's really a heartbreaking scene as these two clearly just can't agree on anything, even tho they are both trying to do the right thing.  Also, it doesn't help that Dru was such a close friend of Skye's, seen a different side of him and seems like the perfect cadet when it comes to weaponry as he shows during a shootout practice with Jack and Skye.  Of course, one could say that Jack's heightened suspicions of Dru are warranted considering he does in fact turn out to a monstrous alien out to assassinate Commander Cruger but one could easily mistake it for outright jealousy considering Dru has something that Jack can't seem to get yet: Skye's complete trust and loyalty. Of course, Skye follows Jack's orders as he is their leader but it's more because of protocol than actually believing he should be the rightful Red Ranger. Definitely some nice genuine conflict even if it was pretty predictable that Dru would turn out to be exactly what Jack thought he was. Anyway, it turns out Dru is after Cruger because of Broodwing paying him for the job but soon Skye and the others realize that the Dru is in fact the powerful monster they just faced, especially after Cruger's life is put in jeopardy after Dru succeeds in shooting him down.  Luckily, in a genuine heartwarming scene, Cruger manages to survive thanks to his alien biology but it was a very close call.

With Cruger's life still in jeopardy, the rangers split up to find Dru; leading to a tense confrontation between Skye and Dru.  Can't help but feel sorry for Skye, espeiclaly when Dru's machinations turned out to be so evil.  They were close friends and it turns out, it meant not much in the end compared to his new agenda in being a assassin for hire.  If that wasn't bad enough, Dru almost kills Skye but leaves him alive just this once because he truly did care about him as a friend.  Once again, I like how this storyline isn't so black and white.  On the surface, it seems like Skye has no choice but to give into his duty as a ranger and stop Dru but they have history and bond that makes things far more complicated; adding a genuine human element to the story that this show needs more of honestly! :)  Finally, Skye confronts Dru one last time and manages to out beat him at his own shooting game in an awesome Sentai original scene. After defeating Dru with the Delta Megazord and arresting him, Skye is unfortunately pushed for bringing a criminal into S.P.D., tho I think punishing him for being manipulated isn't nice either! Geeze, give him a break!  But otherwise, "Idol" is definitely the finest episode of the season by developing Skye and Jack's uneasy relationship while exploring Skye and his past with a old friend turned new enemy.  Very nice! Superb stuff actually! :)

Final Morph: A