Season 15, Episode 32: Crown and Punishment

"Crown and Punishment"
Episode 32
Air Episode: November 12th, 2007

For a season that has been almost entirely unwatchable, it surprising how the season finale gets so much right! No time for dumb jokes, self involved rantings, idiotic dialogue, poor characterization, etc. as "Crown and Punishment" starts right where the last left off and really wastes no time with the rangers final battle against Flurious.  The jewels have revealed the last jewel to them as the creepy mummy gives them a small metal container that turns out be the pink jewel.  Unfortunately, Flurious barges into the mansion with an army of Chillers after destroying the mummy right in front of them. Jesus, what did the mummy ever do to you! He could have wanted to see the world is like being...you know dead for 1,000s of years dude! O_O  But all jokes aside, this is one of the best final fights I've seen from this show with the rangers taking on the Chillers as they destroy the mansion in a massive brawl.  It really helps that we've NEVER seen a fight sequence in such confined spaces aka a mansion and I like how each ranger is fighting the foot soldiers in various locations of the mansion despite it being a set.  The stunt team really must be commended for this as it looked awesome and was directed nicely. :)  Too bad tho as the rangers are morphed and winning, he blasts Mack and grabs him after he demorphs.  The rest of the rangers demorph as Flurious threatens to kill him if they don't give him the jewels.  I honestly really like how the main story arc and Mack's personal journey come together here as his father valiantly sacrifices the last jewel to desperately save his son.  Ehhhhhhh, the feels!!! The rest of the team follow and give him the rest of the jewels to save their friend.

It's a moving moment followed by an incredibly tear inducing scene of Mack's father telling him why he sacrificed the jewels for them.  It really shows after everything that Mack has been going through since his android revelation, that his father truly does love him and he is priceless to him as Spencer told Mack at the beginning of the season.  Also, Mack finally calling his father "dad" again really hit me harder than I expected.  Honestly, I don't understand how the writers could write such a solid character arc like this one with such depth and emotional pay off yet the rest of the series is drenched in horrendous personalities, awful story progression and empty heroism.  But anyway, Flurious wastes no time in planning to take over the galaxy by first taking over the Earth but orders his Chillers to get rid of Norg and Vella first.  I'm just gonna ignore their sudden friendship and Norg suddenly kicking ass by saving them....cause.....no! -_-  You made him look useless all season and now he can fight his way to save Vella, who's a rescuer from a distant planet??? OK! O_O Anyway, after the rangers have a last group meeting before going off to stop Flurious, we see Flurious and his army in a quarry as he plans to activate the true power of the Corona Aurora.  As the rangers arrive to attack, Flurious wastes no time in activating it as an enormous freezing wave engulfs the rangers as well as the entire city of San Angeles in ice.  Luckily, the rangers were in the middle of morphing and are able to break from the freezing a nice after effect.  But before the rangers can charge into battle, Flurious uses the crown to give him the crown's full power which turns him into an even more hideous looking creature that truly does look unstoppable.  Of course, the features mostly Kalishplosions in slow motion but at least it shows the rangers combining forces like never before as hit him with everything they got.  Unfortunately, Flurious is just overpowered now with the crown and makes himself grow in response to their attacks.

Mack soon summons the zords as the DriveMax Megazord comes riding on top of the Battlefleet zord....but it goes about as good as you'd expect as Flurious catches the megazord's saber and tosses the megazord like a ragdoll following after.  Flurious just relentlessly blasts the rangers' zords until they are all knocked out from them and unmorphed. As Flurious shrinks and reminds the rangers of how unstoppable he is by summoning a seamlessly endless army of chillers, Mack takes the moment to make his last stand as he is not human like the others and is willing to fight to the bitter end.  It's the first and only moment where the rangers come off so brave and ready to be true heroes like I said they needed to be like all the other previous teams....tho the Power Rangers forever chant was really ummmm...random but it's Power Rangers, whatchu gonna do, the cheese is major guarantee on this show so what can you do.  Also I love how the rangers morph into battle with their trackers by sliding them off either themselves, each other or while fighting.  Really gives the episode a badass and epic feel as the rangers fight to save the world one last time. But the last minute poses from each ranger as they defeat the chillers is a little too on the nose, but this show has had MUCH, MUCH, MUCH, MUCH, etc. worse attempts at explosions as you know! Mack summons his Sentinel Armor to destroy Flurious and while he severs his connection to the crown which restores the city back to normal; he uses the all of his energy to destroy Flurious once and for all....at the cost of being destroyed him.

Back at the mansion, everyone mourns the loss of Mack as even if Hartford were to rebuild him, he wouldn't be the same Mack.  As the Sentinel Knight returns in his original form with the crown, he congratulates the team on a job well done but they are anything but happy as they cry over Mack being gone.  The Sentinel Knight makes a wonderful observation about Mack fighting with such heart but not having one (which I'll go deeper into in my overview) and use the crown to magically restore Mack back to life.  Gotta say, the acting here is so touching and moving, especially by Ronny's actress.  But not only has Mack been restored but he's been brought back as a human! WOW! O_O Why does something tell since the show was being financed by Disney at the time, they wanted to go with a Pinocchio type ending??? Oh who cares! Mack is human and alive! Yay! The episode concludes with each ranger taking off to do their own thing once again like Dax directing, Ronny racing again, Rose going back to her teaching and Will using his skills as a thief to create a task force to recover ancient artifacts.   Tyzonn is gonna search the universe for Vella but there she is with Norg as they reunite and embrace!  Yeah.............no happy about this extremely insulting and casual resolution to Tyzonn's story but it's one of many weaker aspects in an overall trite and trivial season so.... As for Mr. Hartford and Mack??? Well, the series ends with he and father finally going his expeditions together as they both jump for their lives in an Indiana Jones-esqe freeze frame.  Overall, a surprisingly strong finale with lots of heart and a solid final battle between the rangers against the last of the villain factions this season.  Hard to believe this was such a step up from last season's "Mystic Failure" of a two part wrap, especially when this is the first one episode finale in a long while! O_O  But unfortunately, a terrific end does not make up for a season of seriously agonizing torment...not by a long shot....so on to my overview shall we! :)

Final Morph: A-