Power Rangers Dino Supercharge Overview

Power Rangers Dino Supercharge: Season 23

Air Date: January 30th, 2016-December 10th, 2016
Episode Count: 20 + 2 specials

Well....I think I'll just get this out of the way. Season#2 of Dino Charge aka Dino Supercharge gets A LOT more right than wrong....but unfortunately, when it gets it wrong, the show once again becomes almost insufferable to watch.  I mean Megaforce/Super Megaforce was a consistent nightmare of incompetence and infuriating buffoonery, but what makes the end of Dino Charge/Dino Supercharge almost topping that is that everything was going sooooo well, maybe even tooo well! O_o  Probably that's why the finale suffered this unforeseen contrivance of sense and story because the higher ups felt the show made such a drastic turn in quality that they needed to make it A LOT dumber again in the end!  There were certainly a handful of episodes in the middle of the season that didn't need to happen, especially when Dino Charge was far more cohesive in its story arcs and character driven narratives.  But episodes like "Home Run Koda", "Riches and Rages" and especially "Besties 4Eva!" seemed so out of character and insulting, it's almost as if the writers didn't know what to do with the character individually anymore or some mandate was forced on the writers to make the show suffer a bit in terms of what made is so strong before.  Don't get me wrong tho, like I said, for the most part Supercharge has the charm and reviving enjoyment that made Dino Charge so lovable after those trite anniversary seasons.  When the show is focusing on plot movement, it definitely remains unmatched compared to the horrific first four years of the Neo Saban era.  Even in the second half, the character focused episodes go back to par with the previous season.  It's just the odd, drastic dip in quality feels like Lynn's writing was being tampered with. -_-

Not that Judd can't write bad episodes and trust me, even some of his best seasons of some of the worst ("Grandma Matchmaker", "Carlos On Call", "Uniquely Trip", etc.), but it just seems so jarring when the show randomly had a short string of some really bad episodes it seemed to regain its focus out of nowhere like the writers were given some breathing room to write the same show they started with.  Anyway, with each season, I must take about our heroes and luckily, for the most part, our Dino themed team of heroes remained likable and fun to watch! Tyler continued to be the excellent, exuberant  thrill seeker he was in Dino Charge and even manages to finally come to terms with his feelings for Shelby when he finally tells her how he feels in "Silver Secret".  Tho, there isn't much development for Tyler in terms of his character this season, especially after things wrap up when he finally finds his day.  Oh boy! "Roar of the Red Ranger" is where the season suddenly felt like it messing with its own winning formula by delivering an arc episode, especially the one where Tyler finally get that moment we've all been following with his missing father, by giving us this bizarrely bad plot about Tyler thinking he's a T-Rex with over the top cartoon(ish) effects and the actual moment of Tyler's dad being revealed being so strangely anti-climatic.  Also, Tyler was just being an overly sensitive jerk when Shelby was only trying to make him realize he doesn't have to risk his life to find his dad as he wouldn't want that for his son or what if his father didn't make it.  Tyler has always seem so level headed and mature when the situation called for it but suddenly, a ranger tries to be honest with him, not to mention Shelby of all people and he runs off after dismisses her worries for her friend!?!?? Yeah, didn't like that...AT ALL. Besides that it's just your typical upgrade/battlizer type episode where the subsequent "Super" in the title makes sense.....only it doesn't because the team was already calling themselves "Dino Supercharge" episodes ago and even if Tyler get the supercharge mode, it's only for him so why would.....AHHHHHHHH!!! -_- Another aspect of this season that just didn't work and kind of hurt it in my opinion.

But like I said, it isn't just Tyler, most of the other main rangers getting very inconsistent and uncalled for characterizations out of nowhere that severely mess with what was previously established.  Like in "Home Run Koda", when Koda suddenly becomes a baseball superstar than to Game Face's magical bat, Riley becomes a major a-hole, who's so tough on Koda and only cares about winning a championship instead of his ranger duties.  It reminded of "In the Limelight" again, an episode that goes completely against a character's known personality just for the sake of having unnecessary conflict and to learn a lesson they already have known!!!  Sure Riley showed his competitiveness with Burt, but that had more to due to bullying and wanting to show off to beat him instead of what we see in this episode that doesn't add up at all.  Then there's Ivan in "Riches and Rags" where he becomes some egotistical jerk who thinks he knows better than everyone when HE makes the mistake of destroying a priceless artifact by thinking it was his practice dummy.  Sure, we've seen Ivan can be cocky and a bit too chivalrous given his Knightly origins but this just seemed like a complete disservice to his character at the expense of a couple of generic laughs based on very predictable comedy.  Honestly, the only episode that really shows Ivan in the light we've seen before is when he literally bumps into his ancestor, Zach and must learn to appreciate his modern art instead of forcing old ways of artistry to him.  Lastly there's Shelby, who surprisingly get the worst of the bunch, which is bizarre considering she started out the season better than every with "Nightmare on Amber Beach".  It was yet another major breakthrough for her character getting closer to her dreams of paleontology as she must face her father who is too considered with her following in the family business instead.  But then comes "Besties 4Eva!" which almost completely contradicts her character after everything we've seen from her so far. -_-  Why on Earth would Shelby be friends with Erin when she has shown that she is ready to prove herself and speak her mind last season into this one!??? -_-  Suddenly, she's "too nice" and just lets Erin take the credit for EVERYTHING!?? No one would be friends with this girl no matter how nice they are, especially Shelby who always knew what she wanted and fought to prove her point to people who constantly undermined her like Ms. Morgan at the beginning of last season when she though Shelby was all talk and just a waitress or when Dr. Runga was so obsessed with fame and fortune that it took Shelby finally putting him in his place for him to find a change of heart to realize what was truly important all over again. O_O

If anything, it's only Koda and especially Chase who continue to be consistently written or developed without any random sour spots in their personal arcs.  Chase's focus episodes ("A Date with Danger" and "Love at First Fight") really show him shedding his conceited ego by learning what's really important when it comes to his relationship with Kaylee.  I love their relationship as Chase starts to really care and be concerned for her even if his ranger duties get in the way. I was so shocked when it turns out Kaylee discovers he's the black ranger as their relationship grows as well as becomes so much more mature. :)  Even in "Receipt for Disaster" we see Chase growing more focused in wanting to perfect a New Zealand dish for a food critic and actually getting the inspiration he needs do to his extremely selfless instincts as a ranger. :)  As for the rest of the rangers, James Navarro aka Tyler's dad is probably the least interesting and superfluous.  Seriously, after Tyler is reunited with his dad, his dad just becomes a gloried cameo to the show.  Coming in to aid the rangers occasionally while going off on solo missions to either find the silver energem or Heckyl's crashed ship. Sure, Sir Phillip doesn't have much of an arc this season but at least last season explored his character enough and built him up to still be a likable character.  Tyler's dad is just kind of there when the Sentai footage demands it honestly. O_o  I mean the only moment of note is in "Forged Under Fire" when he needs to learn to not be so overprotective of Tyler, especially when the world is at stake but that was more on Tyler's part than his dad.  Never exactly showed what made James so special to his son outside of missing for 10 years like all that build up from Tyler talking and searching for him. Unlike say Zenowing, who actually has a great arc with the Silver Ranger twist as well as in "Wings of Danger" where he has to learn about self sacrifice in the face of danger for his fellow teammates when Riley saves his life and having to remember the team is what he needs to get his energem back from Doomwing.  I mean that was just one episode yet Zenowing gets a more fully fleshed out arc than Tyler's dad in a handful of episodes!?? Yeah! O_o Also, Ms. Morgan and Keeper, while still helpful and prominent in the story, we don't get any development from them and this was the second season mind you after not getting any in the first either! O_O  It would have been nice to find out what drives Kendall's personality and drove her to become Keeper's helper in finding the energems but the closest we get is in "Catching Some Rays" when he grandma Betty comes into town; leaving her with a lesson of listening and having more faith in her elders!??? O_O  Yeah!  And while Keeper wasn't given much to do, when he's onscreen, he remained useful in helping the rangers when they needed it whether in battle or with a personal issue they were facing that week.

I guess it's time to go to the villains this season as we get of a good mix of what came before in Dino Charge while introducing some new ones here.  Heckyl was a masterwork of villainy....at least to begin with before he began doing what Sledge did for the most part in last season.  His manner of subterfuge to defeat the rangers by gaining their trust and destroying them from within was so brilliant and unlike anything we had seen from a previous villain on this show.  Sure there was Kat in MMPR Season 3, but this was much more sinister and entertaining to watch.  The only problem is they cut that dynamic too short in the 3rd episode and while "Nightmare in Amber Beach" was overall amazing, the season would have benefited better, MUCH better for it instead of that run of terrible filler we got in the first half.  YIKES!!!  But even after that, Heckyl proved to be the smartest of the villains, able to figure things out quicker than the rest and manipulating the other villains when he needed to escape or make progress with his own plans.  Snide, his other half, was cool in that he provided a more direct form of evil by always wanting to destroy the rangers upfront instead of planning like Heckyl. Singe gets a great introduction and was overall average villain; being powerful enough to beat the rangers in battle a few times and win Heckyl's favor until it's revealed he's really working for a greater threat.  Lord Arcanon.....was probably the weakest of 3 big bads, mostly because he was the most generic of the 3.  He's powerful and just wants more power....for the sake of POWAH! Most of his plans were Doomwing's and when he finally has the chance to destroy the rangers in battle, not only is he easily defeated in battle with the power of the dark energem mind you, but Sledge miraculously returns and destroys him as well as Singe with said energem, even if Fury and Snide helped as well.

Honestly, the only really problems I had with this season were the horrible fillers before the Silver Ranger arc kicked into the main story and.....that truly unforgettable misfire of a season finale.  Seriously, there are no words to express the amount of plotholes and inconsistency in that episode that it would make your head explode.  The space time continuum should have been utterly obliterated instead of everything working out in the end with the present only changing because the dinosaurs were never extinct. Heckyl gets a proper end sure with getting a chance to go back to save his planet but he's going back to change a past that will drastically alter the future events of how this season began during Earth's prehistoric era, which means what happened in the finale didn't even really happen so.....*aneurysm begins*  But overall, Dino Supercharge is still pretty strong in terms of entertaining us with a still mostly likable cast, consistent story arcs, nice twists and a final return from Sledge that was build up nicely....if you completely ignore that harshest science destroying logic that was the finale of the whole show.  The new zords like the Titano Zord and Spike Zord worked well in the main story as well as progression in terms of action.  And even if the show ended tragically awful, the built up over two seasons were still worth and very mostly consistent in quality. :)

Pros:

• Heckyl as the new main villain. Great performance from Ryan Carter and very inventive in term of his infiltration of the team from within.
• The mystery surrounding the Silver Ranger and the build up to his betrayal.
• Shelby and Tyler's romance actually building toward an actual relationship.
• Managing to give the extra rangers enough character development like Zenowing in "Wings of Danger".
• Some phenomenal episodes like "Receipt For Disaster" and "Nightmare in Amber Beach".
• The backstory with Sentai 6 and Heckyl as well as the dark energem.

Cons:

• The horrible run of fillers episodes at the start of the season with utterly bizarre, insulting characterizations.
• Lord Arcanon not being as good as the previous main villain due to his pathetic demise.
• The most disappointing finale in "End of Extinction" after two good seasons worth of build up to it.
• No backstory on Keeper and Kendall/Ms. Morgan between two seasons. -_-
• The anti-climatic end to Tyler's personal arc with finding his dad.

Best Episodes:

1. "Wings of Danger"-For a character that came so late in the game and having only one episode dedicated to him as well as his character development, doesn't get much better than this episode right here! :)
2. "Nightmare in Amber Beach"-Heckyl really was the major highlight of the season as the main villain and this episode perfectly encompasses why from start to finish while also being a truly remarkable Shelby focused episode. :)
3. "Receipt For Disaster"-Funny how an episode dealing with Chase perfecting a receipt from his country is so well juxtaposed to the introduction of new villains and one of Snide's greatest moments as a villain. 
4. "Love At First Fight"-One of the best comedic episodes between Beauticruel, Tyler falling madly in love with her and Chase having to win her heart while also getting some awesome character development in his relationship with Kaylee.
5. "Gone Fishin'"-The introduction of the Titano Zord made for an eventful and fantastic episode where even Keeper gets in on the action and the rangers gain a third megazord. :)

Worst Episodes:

1. "Besties 4Eva!"-I will NEVER buy the fact Shelby could be friends with such a horrible person as Erin, especially taking credit for everything she does including being the Pink Ranger. I mean.....AWFUL!!! -_-
2. "Riches and Rags"-Just made Ivan look like a serious jerk and idiot for being so careless, with his chivalry and nobility turning him into an obnoxious smartass who is so idiotic to think an ancient piece of garb is a practice dummy. -_-
3. "Roar of the Red Ranger"-Who would have thought the conclusion of Tyler's search for his father would be so campy and subpar at the same time??? So disappointed by this one! :(
4. "End of Extinction"-The now infamous finale that took 2 years worth of refreshing writing, awesome story arcs and fun characters to such a confounding, completely absurd conclusion that it's no wonder it ended being its own universe by no surprise to anyone! 
5. "Forged Under Fire"-Meh! Time between Tyler and his dad was just some of the weakest aspects of the series. Just not enjoyable at all and rather average or ultimately not worth focusing on. :(

"After a superb return to form with "Dino Charge", "Dino Supercharge" continues the story of our courageous third team of dino themed rangers in a season that suffers from weaker writing in areas of the first half of the second season, not to mention ending on an...ending that it do disrespectful and insane over what came before.  But thankful, the main arc continued with a stellar new villain in Heckyl who gets a thoroughly moving arc until the last episode and darker other half in Snide who was almost as entertaining.  There are still a great amount of twists and turns as well as strong character development when the show returns from going against what we've known about these characters so far.  Not a good, but a damn good improvement over the likes of Jonathan Tzachor's disastrous tenure on the show with Samurai and Megaforce".

Final Season Verdict: C+