Season 17, Episode 28: Run Ziggy Run

 

"Run Ziggy Run"

Episode 28

Air Episode: October 3rd, 2009

One of many things that I have thoroughly enjoyed about this season is the serialization of the series.  Almost every episode either picks up directly from the last or has to do with plot progression.  Even the character centered episodes had the main storyline with Venjix juxtaposed to their own backstories being revealed.  I'm saying this because " Run Ziggy Run" feels like the first true filler episode of this season and that's not necessarily a bad thing.  A show often times can get suffocated by a heavy story as it makes it extremely hard sometimes for viewers to keep track while watching (that's why living in a post-streaming service world have become a HUGE game changer! O_O) Now people can watch TV the way THEY instead waiting for repeats/reruns (Oh wow!) of their favorite show to keep up with the series.  Unfortunately tho, "Run Ziggy Run" isn't really much progress for Ziggy himself as well as the Venjix storyline.  The whole Fresno Bob threat rearing its ugly head again doesn't make much sense to me.  Now I understand with the world seemingly ended and Corinth constantly needing to be protected by the rangers as well as Truman and his soldiers, I just don't understand why the rangers don't just quickly deal with Fresno Bob since...you know...their rangers!!! O_o  Sure, Fresno Bob has very powerful leadership and alliances with the various Scorpion Cartel but these are the freakin' rangers who can easily overwhelm the mob and force them into imprisonment or permanent silence since the cartel doesn't have anything to match ANYTHING the rangers' have in terms of power and their arsenal.  I get protecting Corinth comes first but you're telling me the only thing Ziggy could do was try talking to Fresno himself and get out of his debt??? 

I don't know, I just wish the writers did more with Ziggy here in finally resolving his beef with the mob all season like with Fresno stealing ranger tech and using it to finally get Ziggy; forcing Ziggy to stand on his own and face him.  Also, once again, Ziggy isn't just some small time weasel working for the mob.  He's Power Ranger now.  He knows it. THEY KNOW IT! Why is he so afraid of them still??? The heck??? O_o  Anyway, I guess what I enjoyed was finally Kilobyte directly confronting the rangers for once and kicking some serious a$$.  It's not everyday a general can take on and defeat 7 rangers at once so easily but it just goes to show how much Kilobyte has been severely underused this season if he's THAT powerful. O_O Jesus! But it's a shame he was defeated in the end of the episode.  I would have liked for moments of him being a savage fighter throughout an episode or two but doesn't stop the fact that the final zord battle against the rangers wasn't impressive and visual satisfying.  We finally see all 4 megazords with the Road Attackbot all coming together to fight him and it's really a sight to behold.  I especially LOVED the sequence of Kilobyte seemingly destroying all the zords with a rocket launcher....only for all 12 zords to come out of the explosion and form the RPM Ultrazord to finish him off.

Another development this episode from the last tho is after General Shifter's defeat, Venjix and Kilobyte designed the ultimate new body for Venjix with parts from his destroyed parts.  I gotta say his final form looks amazing, if not a bit clunky. O_0  His last 2 versions of his body were very well designed and more sinister looking to be but hey, it was definitely cool to see Venjix back in a body and ready to get his hands dirty again in the fight to stop the rangers.  But once again, the story lacks in spots, like the brief alliance and double cross with Tenaya and Fresno Bob....I mean it really IS dumb of him to try to bargain with Venjix's forces for Ziggy when their machines and trying to take over humanity with you living in the last city of Earth. Tho it did lead to a nice(ish) resolution of Ziggy saving the Fresno's life and calling it even but still, it's a bit underwhelming how this particular story concluded.  Fresno could have made for a nice human villain against Ziggy for a bit but it just doesn't make sense considering Ziggy could end him and his goons with his ranger powers.  No Zordon in this universe with his proclamations "using your powers to escalate a situation" or "in everyday situations" like Sensei Watanabe so......ehhhhhh!!! But there seems to be a component that does move the story forward as Tenaya manages to get her hands on something in a briefcase from one of the city's top secret areas.  It's all glowy too! :)  Seems Venjix will be using for the "final strike" against the city....hmmmmm....waiting on that to be seen. Meh.  Average all around.  Some interesting bits but plot points that irritate in logic.

Final Morph: C