Season 16, Episode 9: Good Karma, Bad Karma

 

"Good Karma, Bad Karma"

Episode 9

Air Date: April 15th, 2008 (Jetix)/ April 21st, 2008 (TV)

Sigh...only on a show like Power Rangers can you get a episode with a time travel/psychological sub-plot with a A plot about a monster that is so slimy that the rangers can't even touch him aka fight him because he's too slippery! LOL I guess that what happens when you mix the often times outrageous slapstick of the Sentai footage with sometimes serious approach the show tries to has.  It just comes off kinda of jarring despite being thoroughly entertaining...which this episode is by the way.  Once again, I like that Dai Shi is proving to be a disappointment even to himself that he needs to seek out his own master to train him to be an even better lead villain.  Last episode, Camille gave him one of the bracelets of the Overloads and journeyed to where Carnisoar, the Sky Overload was entombed after the great battle when Dai Shi was captured.  After morphing into his Lion warrior form and badass punching/kicking a wall made of rock, he resurrects Carnisoar and they immediately fight.  We quickly see that despite Dai Shi being so powerful that his future master is too much even for him as he is defeat and reverts back into Jarrod. Carnisoar sees that he has too much humanity in him as Dai Shi pleads with him to make him a much better warrior which leads them to Carnisoar taking them...through Jarrod's past as a child.  Now one wonders why they would go to Jarrod's past when Dai Shi is only using his body as a host but this opens up the moral ambiguity here in a very intriguing way as Carnisoar has to essentially rewrite Jarrod's history so that Dai Shi becomes more evil and powerful...hmmmmmm.  By corrupting Jarrod's humanity, making the evil him stronger is kinda deep for this show and it makes me wonder if Jarrod was such a great kid like that what made him turn into a complete jerkfest as a teenager/adult?? O_o Also, that sequence of little Jarrod going apesh!t and giving into the "dark power" which leads him to beat the crap out of his various bullies all at once is pretty chilling.  You actually feel bad for the man behind villain this season, giving Jarrod some layers despite Dai Shi being in control.  But who's really in control here...Dai Shi??? Jarrod?? Both??? Hmmmmm.....

In ranger plot news, Casey befriends a little kid as well named Josh and he isn't a bad actor, thank god! While it's your typical Power Rangers PSA message about doing what's right instead finding the easy way out, I really enjoyed watching Casey quickly develop a bond with the little brat! :P  I especially liked how he used the Power Rangers as a way to make him realize you can't love the good guys while being the bad guy.  It's simple but a very understandable theme that the show has done before but it really works here again by making Casey seem very wise and mature instead of the inexperienced cub who was forced into his calling as a ranger.  It really develops his character nicely and plants some more seeds throughout of his own personal arc this season.  Where the episode lacks for me tho is the monster of the week plot, where Camille has her monster, Slickagon, the aforementioned slimmer that the rangers can't touch and literally slimes them away at the end of their first fight with them.  Also, Casey's random resolution to get past his slime was kind of random as he uses a red ribbon to rub off all the slime from Slickagon....ummmm considering how much slime is on him and he can create that makes no sense, but I guess let's make Casey look all resourceful and badass without explanation or logic??? O_o

Of course, after seemingly defeating him with their Claw Cannon, the monster grows; leading to a megazord fight and thank God, no Flint in sight! Seriously, what's his deal again??? -_-  Anyway, when Slickagon gets too tough for them during the fight, they summon the spirit of elephant to one again use the elephant power formation of the megazord to destroy him once and for all.  The episode ends with Camille getting some harsh mistreatment from Dai Shi do to Carnisoar's manipulation and Camille realizing she needs to get him out of the way to get her old Dai Shi back....ohhh Camille, gurl, we gotta talk! O_o All and All, despite the lunacy of the villain plot, slime and all, the plot with Dai Shi and Carnisoar lays out some...layers for the future main baddie of the season while also making the whole Dai Shi/Jarrod fusion a bit more complex than originally thought.  Also, Casey's arc gets a nice boost with him mentoring a small kid to do the right thing which is mandatory for this show apparently. lol :)

Final Morph: A-