Season 16, Episode 23: Fear and The Phantoms

 

"Fear and the Phantoms"

Episode 23

Air Date: August 4th, 2008

Wow, it's been a while since this show has left be this shook after a very intense, unforeseen cliffhanger during my 2 year watch of the show.  Honestly, over two and going on three really!!! O_O  Jesus, I REALLY am committed to this more than your average marriage now a days!! LOL But I digress, that ending reveal with those three ominous looking new rangers confronting the Jungle Fury rangers really is beyond awesome; leaving the viewers eager to see where the story goes next by this unforeseen twist.  I have to admit, "Fear and the Phantoms" does a terrific job in setting that ending all up, especially as we finally get to see what the big deal is with these Phantom Beasts has been all along as Camille tells Dai Shi she hasn't been able to find Jellica, we see the literal slimy last of the Overload reform herself and place those 3 crystal eyes so the ceremony can begin to resurrect them.  Soon three Phantom Beasts arrive, introducing themselves: Scorch, Snapper and Winger as Jellica plans to use them to destroy Dai Shi and reclaim the throne for herself.  ......unfortunately, after a terrifying introduction by them with Jellica, they immediately turn on her and destroy her!!! Damn, that's a sad end to the last Overload, especially since I kind of liked Jellica but major points for that tense plot twist! WOW! So the Phantom Beasts rather serve Dai Shi since they feel they would have won the legendary Beast War if they originally followed him, so they summon their 8 warriors: Lepus, Grinder, Osiris, Dynamir, Unidoom, Sonimax, Badrat and Rammer. While their first warrior Sonimax deals with the rangers, Dai Shi wants the three Phantom Beasts to kidnap the three Pai Zhuq masters for him.

The three Phantoms get to work quickly with Scorch going after Master Swoop, where Theo goes to visit and find his fan destroyed as well as his training area.  When Theo returns to Jungle Karma, he tells the other rangers that Master Swoop has been taking making him think the other master might be in danger.  Lily goes to check on Master Phant while RJ stops by to see if his dad is ok.  They talk about how luckily that the ceremony to raise the Phantom Beasts was avoid (Oh boy!) while Master Finn reveals to his son that his telescope is not to be touched but contains a special "light" within it.  After being called by the other rangers and leaving his father, Whinger soon arrives and attacks Master Finn.  As Sonimax arrives in the city, the four rangers arrive as he reveals himself to be a Phantom Beast warrior and immediately shows them that he's the strongest monster they have ever faced.  Meanwhile, Lily arrives in time as Master Phant is being literally tossed around by Scorch and begins defending him with her animal spirit.  She soon morphs and she along her Master combine forces but are just no match for the Phantom Beast.  After defeating Lily in her Jungle Master Mode, he grabs Phant and finally takes him away; to Lily's shock and horror.  Back in the city, as the fellas continue to get their asses handed to them, Lily arrives to help out and she's clearly pissed by Master Phant's capture since she kicks some serious a$$ against Sonimax initially until all 5 rangers combined forces and literally charge through him.  But it ends up leading to yet another megazord as all three megazords are formed to fight Sonimax.  Unfortunately, Scorch arrives and not only knocks out the Rhino Pride Megazord, but uses "Rinzin" power (Which is far more powerful than Zocato power, clearly!? O_o) to punch away both the Jungle Master and Wolf Pride Megazords away before taking off with Sonimax.  If that wasn't bad enough, the three masters have been held hostage for a ceremony by Dai Shi who uses the same 3 crystal eyes on the Masters as they cry out in pain.  As the 5 rangers regroup and wonder why the master were taken by Dai Shi in the first, we get that phenomenal ending like I said with the arrival of the yet to named Spirit Rangers as the rangers look at them with complete shock and disbelief.

Not does the A-plot feel intense and highly concerning but the amount of effort put into the B plot is appreciated as Lily is helping Master Phant's niece, Gabby, with a dance competition but clearly is too intimidated to compete in a dance competition that's coming up soon.  We get a nice moment early on between Lily and Master Phant which is very heartwarming and comforting since we see that the Masters and their new students have been getting closer in the intervening time we've been seeing them together.  He inspires her to make Gabby realize her love for dancing like he saw in her as a child which makes Lily tell Gabby a story about facing your fears, hence the beginning "Fear" within the episode title.  She suddenly gets enough courage to enter the competition and despite Lily not being able to be there to cheer her own, she manages to make second place.  It's one of the simple, sentimental but otherwise moral invigorating storylines this show loves to promote for kids and it does a fine job of it considering so much going on with the Phantom Beasts and the taken three masters.  Overall, "Fear and the Phantoms" is a superb episode that charges until its shocking conclusion while also telling a relatable story about overcoming fear and embracing one's love for their skill to conquer it. :)

Final Morph: A+