Season 18, Episode 5: Day Off

 

"Day Off"

Episode 5

Air Date: February 20th, 2011

One thing that this era of the show is notorious for is telling us about these characters with very little to show backing it up.  "Day Off" is suppose to be a lesson about Jayden learning to balance being a Samurai and having a normal life ala Carter in "A Face from the Past"....but instead of it being an insightful and in-depth look at our lead red ranger like that episode, it's once again a nonsensical tale of pushing yourself without any real consequences to said pushing.  Let's just ignore that fact that it's way to early for these rangers to be having a day off.  At least in other seasons, the rangers were well into their fight with the villains before their so called day offs were given but here, we have barely gotten to know these characters and suddenly their told to take it easy for a day already??? O_o Even with character bits like Kevin being uptight and wondering whether to continue his training or having fun don't seat well because we still don't know really the personalities at hand here.  Outside of Mike being the typical fun loving Green/Black Ranger, the others just fall flat, not just because of the obvious acting choices -_-, but the inept writing for them.  Jayden.....what exactly is up with him???? Who IS Jayden exactly outside of being a ranger or training to be a Samurai.  According to Mentor Ji (Seriously, why this name??? -_-) Jayden has never been able to give up on anything and pushes himself too hard ever since he was a child.  But instead of ever seeing it or getting even a quick flashback or two of this, we get multiple scenes of Jayden nearly killing himself...yes, killing himself (or destroy! :P) just to be able to unlock some rare ancient power disc that was passed down throughoiut his family. Would be nice to know...how Jayden was raised, see the ramifications of his training and why he just to barely emote outside of trying to burn himself to death to become stronger. O_o

Also, Mentor Ji actually gives Jayden some great advice about said balance in his life and putting just as much effort into his mental well being as his physical.  But suddenly, as Jayden goes back to repeatedly keeping to fail to use the beetle disc, Ji just...just...watches Jayden repeatedly put his life in danger until sunrise when he could have very well have died.  What kind mentoring is this from??? The school of not giving a damn??!!! O_o  I honestly just don't understand the neglect and carelessness here, then all of sudden Jayden just survives using the disc in battle and is able to unlock all these different aspects of it.  Jesus, the writers just don't care....at all.  Now the rangers have this Beetle Cannon that can just defeat a monster that they couldn't before, not to mention unlock a new new zord, the Beetle Zord and are able to form a new megazord configuration, the Beetle Blast Megazord......uhhh huh.....oh god and the dialogue during this sequence!!! I though Nickelodeon's demographic was at least between 8-12 yet the lines spoken by the rangers is going back to pre-school proportions of stating the obvious after the what just happened. "A beetle!" "A beetle just turned into a new zord!" Ummmmmm...ok....-_-.....  Oh how low we've gone since RPM in just two years at this point.

Once again, Spike and Bulk are comic relief and just happen to be where the rangers always are in these episodes but never interact on with them.  Hmmmm, I wonder if this is going to be continuous until they are randomly for into some bizarre storylines when they don't even know these teens! -_- "Day Off" is an example of how the show has no real narrative or understanding of how to writer a story that makes sense so far.  Outside the villains, the rangers are heavily inept with personalities that remain questionable instead of relatable. I have nothing else to say...next! O_O

Final Morph: F