Season 25, Episode 9: Outfoxed

"Outfoxed"

Episode 9

Air Date: August 25th, 2018

WOW!!! Not exactly what I was expecting after such an awesome episode thanks to such a great build up to a most promising cliffhanger at the end but "Outfoxed" does have some merit in setting up the 25th anniversary episode by introducing us to some mysterious black hooded beings who confront the rangers at their most harrowing hour to save the city from the impending return of Foxatron.  So it turns out the Prism shows the rangers a new set of zords they can use to be powerful enough to defeat Foxatron....only when Mick tries to use the Supersteel they have to make new stars, they become stuck in the prism.  Here comes the aforementioned 3 hooded individuals out of a portal, telling them they need to earn the Blaze Stars so they can be released from the prison.  And the rangers are very direct about having no time to be tested and they've already proven themselves by becoming rangers.....highlighting the serious plothole with this whole "lesson" they try to shove into the episode that makes the urgency of the situation look a hell of A LOT of momentum.  The rangers are completely in the right for feelings the way they do, especially mentioning the whole world is at stake and this "test' is ridiculous......which I couldn't agree more! 

Are you telling me after the Power Stars chose them to be rangers and all the things they've done since last season isn't proof enough that they need powerful stars in their most desperate time to save the city before it's completely destroyed.  I'm all for lessons learn and moral storytelling....but not at the expense of the rangers and a serious inconvenience to what truly matters!  I'm sorry but the rangers have no time to help people with small tasks because saving the world is more important.  It comes first!  Honestly, the test should have been the rangers not having access to their zords because of the damaged zord stars and the three figures in cloaks telling them they need to find a way to defeat Odius before the medallions are recharged as they will restore their zord stars if they do.  After failing to stop Odius and the Foxatron still on the loose without the zords, the rangers just keep on fighting without their zord; making the cloaked figures not just restore their zord stars but give them the new Blaze Stars a reward.  You know, stuff that we've seen before and makes more sense in the grand scheme of giving the rangers some actual character development. But nope!  The rangers have to randomly stop helping people, even Victor and Monty who routinely mess up their own days by their stupid shenanigans need to be helped by the rangers to prove that they are good people??? Wait....what!??? O_o

What about all last season and this season so far, freakin' Sarah even helped Viera see the good in humanity and changed her ways; seeing how to rule her own ENTIRE galaxy with compassion instead of brute force!!! -_- I....I hate when the rangers' altruism is called into question when they have proven themselves more than capable of being genuine good people who have no problem helping others...but there's something called "priorities"!?? I'm sure the rangers would gladly help someone like some random new girl in school who needs help with her science project but the fate of freakin' world is at stake right now.  Sure it's at stake technically every week, but come on, this situation requires all of the rangers' combined time and effort.  There's no time for helping people, even that girl understood because Preston told her it was an emergency.  I just....it reminds me of the "Animus arc" from "Wild Force".....why take away something that will put the rangers and the Earth in more danger but tell them they earned them back for not stopping to fight without them in a season where "NEVER GIVE UP!" was the damn catchphrase each episode and the rangers have been being selfless for the first 30+ episodes or so!??? -_-  Forced lesson is painfully and embarrassingly forced!!! -_-

Anyway!!! The rangers finally earn their new Blaze Stars because they decided to help people even when they were trying to save people.........YEAH! O_O At least that's what the cloaked figures said and look at these six new zords.....a falcon, a serpent, a tortoise, a tiger.......a panda and piranha....in the form of motorcycle! Sentai just throws these things at their shows, who CARES if it makes sense!! What insanity this franchise is!!! lol They then form the Ninja Blaze Megazord to destroy Foxatron as Odius swears her vengeance on them blah, blah, blah.  Wolvermean is destroyed here.......in other news.....*yawns*..... But it turns out one of the cloaked figures has a very familiar looking morpher...and one the other one mentions the teens having "attitude".....ok a little on the noise but I'm excited! I honestly shouldn't even like this episode but the set up for the anniversary episode is enjoyable even if the execution of the moral lesson of the week is piss poor. It's just great to have this sense of scope with past rangers coming to inform and test the new generation....even if makes no sense.  Where were you guys during Super Megaforce before the finale??? Watching???  Hey that does make sense actually! O_O  Watching and randomly giving the rangers zords! It's all coming together! :P

Final Morph: C+