Season 17, Episode 6: Ranger Green

"Ranger Green"

Episode 6

Air Date: April 4th, 2009

While I am VERY eager to get to know the main 3 rangers in terms of personalities and backstories, I honestly don't mind getting more focus Ziggy!!! He's a hilariously charismatic character despite being a so called "weasel" as many would probably see him as since he can be seen as annoying and constantly getting himself into trouble.  But like Ziggy mentions to Dr. K as she hilariously points out his endless lack of qualifications to use the Series Green powers, he does have a lot of heart and what "Ranger Green" does so well in a tremendously heartwarming way, is finally showing that Ziggy may not be psychically or mentally capable to handle the power, but his incredibly altruism towards those so deserving of help makes up for any quality he doesn't have.  After a hilarious opening sequence with Dr. K and Ziggy trying to test out his individual suit power of teleportation and Ziggy failing embarrassingly by losing everything but his underwear and help, we see in his past how he became involved with the mob as Fresno Bob were looking for a driver to bring them to various locations to collect but Ziggy unfortunately kept failing his driving test as we see.  Unfortunately, that's when Venjix's army started his full scale attack on the world as Ziggy and the Cartel made their way to Cornith.  Awwww, we even get a cool shot out to Jungle Karma Pizza....I really hope this universes RJ was dealing with the mob yikes!!! What about Casey, Lily and Theo too??? O_o

Anyway back in the present, the rangers, hilariously getting use to Dr. K in physical form, must contend with Venjix's latest monster, Magnatron (Oh so we DO get monster puns??? O_O) who is leading an army through Corinth to attain the shield codes to open all of the defenses of the city so Venjix can conquer and destroy it.  I just love the immediate urgency of this series since this is the last city of humanity and if the rangers fail.....Venjix will pretty much succeed in destroying all of mankind.  WOW!!!! Unfortunately because of Magnatron's powerful magnetism power, they need Ziggy's teleportation power to get behind him.  But while the four struggle to stop him with their weapons, Ziggy accidentally teleports himself to a bank vault, looking like he was planning on stealth from one of Corinth's banks.  He gets arrested and interrogated by Colonel Truman as well as Dr. K as they believe he would do such a thing despite being a ranger as the Colonel has done his research on Ziggy and realizes he had ties with the mob and all 5 Cartels in the city are after him.  Ziggy is strangely adamant about NOT telling them what he owes to them as we head back into the past that during one job, Ziggy went to a children's hospital lacking supplies before Fresno tells him to drive cargo to a specific location in Corinth for his latest.  I'm more baffled at the utter ludicrous looks of the other 4 gang groups.....ummmm, Ha! Anyway, in the present, Dillon and Summer are interrogating Fresno Bob as well as he tells him that Ziggy stole the truck full of the expense items he told him to deliver....but doesn't tell him what was in it??? Hmmmm....O_O

Anyway, as Magnatro returns with some more Grinders, Scott and Flynn try to hold him off but clearly he is too much for them.  As Summer and Dillon check on Ziggy in prison, they hear the call of their teammates and head out, just as Dr. K demands he give his morpher back and Ziggy sadly gives it to Truman.  Back at the city dump apparently, Summer and Dillon arrive just in time to finish off the Grinders but Magnatron is still far too much for the four of them, forcing them to demoprh and watch him head toward one of the city's gates.  They follow him and fight off more Grinders unmorphed, just as he begins to open the gate.  The four immediately re-morph and fight him; managing to seemingly destroy him with their Road Blaster....until Venjix "begins the download" and he grows. The three main rangers quickly summon their zords while Dillon deals with the Grinders but the fight immediately goes wrong as Magnatron summons the megazord's saber with his powers and beats the rangers with it.  Damn! Back in prison, Fresno Bob's men manage to get in and kidnap Ziggy to his shock while Dr. K is annoyed by a visitor who is clearly working for the mob as well but wants to save Ziggy.  Despite her hilarious irritation at being bothered while saving the world, she lets him in and tells him the truth about what Ziggy stole....turn out it was a truck full of medical supplies and he gave it to that very children's hospital he went to before.  He continues to tell them, Fresno went after Ziggy but he helped him get out of the city, which is where Ziggy ran into Dillon, trying to take his car and escape.  Moved by this, Dr. K. actually goes to save Ziggy, using that untested device that Ziggy touched earlier and proceeds to own them in humorous manner.  After saving him, she gladly gives him back his morpher to help the others as Ziggy joins up with Dillon to summon their zords and attack Magnatron.  We even get a new configuration where the Tail Spinner becomes a new arm/hand for the megazord and uses it to finish off the monster with its twisting tail slash attack....hey that's what it looks like! Overall, "Ranger Green" is a spectacular character centered episode on the Zigman as we see his true morality and instinct to do the right thing; making his sudden ranger calling mean more than you could realize despite not being meant to be.  The flashback were so well written and executed, the action once again was stunningly solid and the interaction between Dr. K and Ziggy is by far even more outrageously brilliant comedy than Ziggy being a comedic foil for Dillon.  :)

Final Morph: A