Season 18, Episode 2: Origins, Part 2

 

"Origins, Part 2"

Episode 2

Air Date: October 22nd, 2011

Clearly when reacquiring Power Rangers, Saban was looking to recapture the magic of the original MMPR and try to match its success!!! I mean how else do you explain the remake of the original Power Rangers theme song for Samurai. But this time adding the cast saying their character's name while their credit pops up onscreen like they wanted kids to shout it as it came.  Ewwww!!! The theme is fine but it doesn't need the extra cheese and dumbing down just for the kids. It's a bit to patronizing for my taste!  Then again, I'm not the age demographic for this show but come on, you'd think the 18th year of the show would produce something more mature and engaging for all audiences considering the last season of the Disney Era prior to this one! O_O  If that wasn't obvious enough as a nostalgia cash grab, we have Bulk returning with Skull's son, Spike, who is clearly Skull's biological son in all things annoying and jarring!!! Oh god, that laugh! O_O  Now added by a follow up snort! -_-  Apparently, Skull sent Spike to his uncle Bulk for a while and Bulk plans to teach him the ways of the Samurai Rangers, since he has such familiar history with the Power Rangers.  Of course, running away from them and making yourself look like a frightful idiot counts I guess.  Ok, "Countdown to Destruction" was awesome for Bulk so I'll give him that, but I don't exactly think that gives you insight on how to train someone to be a ranger.  Just more of the obvious gags that Bulk and Skull use to do back in the day now being replaced by Spike to annoy and make his uncle all messy or angry.  Great! -_-

I guess I'll talk more about the villains and their M.O. this season since I glanced over it mostly instead of talking about it more in-depth.  So that other dimension is called the Netherworld, which is full of the Sanzu River.  Apparently, the Nighlok are trying to create so much fear and terror in our world that the Nighlok, especially Master Xandred, can come through to our world by flooding it and ruling it after the world is drowned by the Sanzu River.  All things considered, it's definitely a lot more interesting than just conquering Earth but Xandred so far feels like he might be all talk and no action in terms of a villain with yet another episode dedicated to him complaining about his headache and drinking medicine. Sigh....Let's see what our team of rangers are doing.  Oh learning to harness their power symbols by drawing them accurately to create their individual element.  Everyone suceeds aspect Mike, who rather take a break and grab a smoothie....one wonders how he go this far and was chosen to be a ranger with such horrible basic skills as a samurai in training. O_o Of course, Kevin is all serious minded and overly dedicated but I just can't get past the atrocious performance to take him seriously. Oh and Emily for some reason goes missing, leaving Mia and the other guys, sans Jayden to find her in the city.  I guess this would be what is considered getting to know the characters and their motivations behind their calling like Kevin taking his Samurai life style too seriously despite having a potential career as a swimmer, even being able to be in the Olympics.

But of course, Najee makes Kevin look like some monotone jerk trying to emote so who cares at this point in this little plot point in his character.  After finding Emily, it's revealed that she wasn't suppose to be the Yellow Ranger but her big sister before getting terribly ill.  With Emily having to fill in, she is quickly trying to catch up to the others since her in-experience might get them in danger even tho the others think she is just fine.....uhhh huh....you don't even know this girl and just met her! How could you possibly know she'll be fine??? Where's the Mentor to come in and advise this ranger that wasn't suppose to originally be one??? Oh he's sends them out on a mission to save the city alongside Jayden without any mention of this to him or knowledge??? O_o Oh boy! So Scorpionic is sent with an army of Moogers, the foot soldiers of the villains, to attack the city and make the people fearful that the city will begin flooding.  The rangers soon arrive and morph (being drawn out for time I'm sure) before heading to battle. Honestly, the fight isn't great and mostly Sentai footage with no real context besides Emily getting severely hurt alongside the other 3 rangers while trying to protect Jayden from the monster.  This is where you can tell the writing is just a direct translating of the original Sentai instead of actual dialogue you'd hear from American teenagers.  I just....WOW!!! After Jayden saves a child from Scorpionic, the other rangers after being forced to demorph by protecting their leader, morph again and help Jayden defeat the monster with their spin swords. Of course, he grows in his second form and the rangers call on their folding zords to now try to form their megazord.  Kevin messes this up some how, not explained, leaving Jayden to come in and properly form the Samurai Megazord for the first time.  I like the megazord a lot aesthetically since it reminds me of the Thunder Megazord from Season 2 of MMPR. After taking out some overgrown Moogers (literally! O_o) the rangers use their megazord saber to destroy Scorpionic for good...with Jayden once again delivering his "Samurai Rangers" victory one liner at the end of the fight.  

....And everything is just ok! Couldn't be better! With Emily's fears of replacing her sister and possibly putting the rangers in danger swept right under the rug in favor of a forced ending with Mike using his Samuraizer to make...confetti and dance to everyone's amusement! Hahahaha, cause that was waaayyy more important than mastering his power symbol for his element right??? -_- Oh boy, here we go with the infamous Neo-Saban era as this two part premiere is a complete indication of where the heart of the show is and it's clearly not on quality anymore. :( At least the show looks stunning in HD for the first time with Nickelodeon as its new network! That's about it! Next!

Final Morph: D-