Season 14, Episode 14: Long Ago

"Long Ago"
Episode 14
Air Episode: June 12, 2006

Well, isn't this one full of surprises!!! :)  Only in an episode of Power Rangers you can get a badass 6th ranger introduction alongside a scene of Madison kissing a frog to become human again.  Then again, I should have seen it coming with the brand spanking new opening we get with visuals that kind of spoil some things we have yet to see.  Sigh...I guess I'm just use to the credits changing a new character or two is introduced, NOT before they are about to.  Might as well has changed the theme song because who the hell thought a hip hop flavored tune would be awesome for a magically themed Power Rangers series??? O_o  Anyway, I'm glad Imperious isn't wasting anytime with summoning the army of darkness (Seriously, where's Ash when you need him?! :P) to the surface world as well as getting rid of the rangers by bringing forth an old servant of his named Jester....who has accordions on his fore arms...oh boy....what's next, he's gonna attack the people of the city with a magical pen and give them silly drawn mustaches??! -_-  Meanwhile, Udonna is actually teaching the rangers something...just cause Udonna hasn't done much since she lost her snow staff.  I get she's not as powerful without it, but she's still an incredible sorceress able to hold her own enough.  I mean even later in the episode, we see Udonna stand up to Imperious' magic even if she is severely weakened without it.  Anyway, the crystal ball alerts the rangers to dark magic in the forest while Clare is nursing little Fire Heart (Luckily, that's pretty much the only scene of nonsense with them, lol)

In the forest, the rangers stubble upon some mysterious creature who wants to know what children are doing there.  After that apparent insult, the rangers begin fighting him but before they can morph, Udonna tells them to stop as the creature transform into a human named Calindor, who we learn is an old friend of Udonna during that magical war against dark magic.  While we learn more about Calindor through his backstory, Udonna mentions "Daggeron" and Calindor tells her that he betrayed him as well as the Mystics of that time.  Meanwhile, the rangers handle Jester in the city but are unable to keep up with him in battle and he eventually takes off to continue drawing strange symbols around the city.  Of and his full name is Jester the Pester.......dear gawd why!!!?  Not to mention, that sequence of Madison saving those two civilians with the dumb mustache drawings over their mouth...yeah....O_O...absurdity never seems to be absent from this show season after season huh??? I should be use to it but the writing just finds more over the top gimmicky moments like this all the time.  Luckily, Madison is able to decipher what the symbols mean as the rangers eventually go after him again to stop him from opening a large seal around the city that will bring the army of darkness to the surface world.  Not a bad plan all things considering, especially considering Imperious' very second plan as Clare becomes wise to Calindor's odd behavior after insulting her.

She runs into Phineas in the woods as they both realize they don't like the ancient ally.  Turns out, Calindor was the true betrayer with the Mystics' forces and switched over to evil.  After Clare manages to save Udonna from drinking a poison, Calindor quickly reveals himself to be Imperious himself!!!??? HOLY $%#%!!! Didn't see that coming and the following sequence with Clare and Udonna fending him off is intense.  Seems the dark wizard is after the Xenotome itself and performs a spell to be able to take it while Udonna and Clare are frozen by one of his spells.  I guess I should just skip over that obvious "The Princess and the Frog" moment (and yes, I know the movie came after this but it was such an on the nose fairytale sequence that was just blah...then again, this was when Disney owned the rights so....LOL)  Turns out that random frog that has been stalking the rangers, especially Madison since last episode is in fact Daggeron himself as he quickly transforms into Solaris Knight, pretty much our 6th ranger this season.  Also, Jenji and his lamp are apparently his weapon called a laser lamp, yes a lamp that becomes a gun and surprisingly, it's freakin' efficient a$$ weapon, able to take out enemies in multiple shots and....turns Jenji into a blast that's able to destroy Jester The Pester (AH!). O_o  With the rangers wanting more answers about who the new ranger is, Daggeron quickly leads then back to Root Core to stop Imperious in time.  Seriously out numbered, Imperious departs for now while Udonna is surprised and eager to catch up with Dagerron about what happened to him as well as her son, Bowen...hmmmmm.  Turns out Daggeron doesn't know during his last battle, but Phineas of all people or magical creatures seems to know since he's afraid of Mystic Force finding out the truth about what he did......say it ain't so Phil! O_o  "Long Ago" has some strong story progression, plot twists and a masterful 6th ranger introduction (sans the kissing the frog part! -_-)

Final Morph: A-