Monday, July 27, 2020

Power Rangers Binge List: Zeo-Space

Earlier this year I did a binge list for the most important episodes of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I'm still not sure if I want to go through all 30+ seasons right now, but I figured it only made sense to finish off the Zordon era at least. So here are the high points to hit when watching through Power Rangers Zeo, Power Rangers Turbo, and Power Rangers in Space.



Power Rangers Zeo
1. A Zeo Beginning (2 episodes - about 40 min)
Taking off right on the heels of MMPR, the former Rangers become the new Zeo Rangers. And not a moment too soon. Rita and Zedd get driven off their prime moon real estate, as the Machine Empire moves in. So make sure you watch it for the new powers, new zords, and new enemies.

2. The Power of Gold (1 episode - about 20 min)
Twenty-five episodes where nothing much happens. That's the beginning of Zeo. Finally on episode 27 we get introduced to the mysterious Gold Ranger. We don't know who he is, but he shows up and "join" the team.

3. Revelations of Gold (1 episode - about 20 min)
After several episodes of teasing who the Gold Ranger is, we find out that his true identity. Plot twist: It's no one we'd seen before. Also, the Alien Rangers reappear for a spell.



4. A Golden Homecoming (1 episode - about 20 min)
So with Trey the Gold Ranger needing a reprieve, the Rangers need to find a new Gold Ranger to take on the powers. Billy cannot, because of the explosion at the Command Center. So they end up getting an old friend to return from the Peace Conference.

5. Rangers of Two Worlds (2 episodes - about 40 min)
I love a good team up and this is the first that Power Rangers did. So when Rita and the Machine Empire each send out a monster, the Alien Rangers team up with the Zeo Rangers to take on both creatures.

6. Good as Gold (1 episode - about 20 min)
The sorta-finale. It didn't resolve all the plot points of Zeo, but it did alright. Trey comes back to get the Gold Ranger powers and of course there's a big battle against the Machine Empire. It didn't wrap up as nicely as seasons of Power Rangers do nowadays, but it was good. It left some plot holes for Turbo, but we can look past that.


Power Rangers Turbo
7. Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie (1 movie - 1 hr 40 min)
A year after Zeo, the Turbo movie brings the Zeo Rangers back as Turbo Rangers (with Justin and Rocky swapped). New team, the return of Kimberly and Jason, new zords, and the new villain Divatox.

8. Shift Into Turbo (3 episodes - about 1 hour)
Turbo was a time of transition in Power Rangers in many ways. The first of which was the departure of Zordon and Alpha 5. So the arrival of Dimitria and Alpha 6 starts that transition into something new.

9. The Millennium Message (1 episode - about 20 min)
Power Rangers Turbo never exactly got a proper sixth Ranger, but this episode introduced the Blue Senturion. He kind of acted as a sixth Ranger in this season, teaming up with the Rangers on an ongoing basis, after allying himself with the Rangers in this episode.


10. Passing the Torch (2 episodes - about 40 min)
Along with Zordon's departure, this two-part episode  was part of the transition to a new era of Power Rangers. We saw the departure of four Rangers (who, other than Tanya, had been around since Mighty Morphin). So we get a few new Rangers who'll stay with us until the end of the Zordon era.

11. The Phantom Phenomenon (1 episode - about 20 min)
Like the Blue Senturion, the Phantom Ranger acted as a kind of sixth Ranger. So with this episode, he's introduced. There are rumors that his identity was supposed to be revealed later on, but that never ended up happening. There were rumors of him being Billy or Doug (Justin's dad), but I guess we'll never know.

12. Clash of the Megazords (1 episode - about 20 min)
Unlike most sixth Rangers, the Phantom Ranger didn't stick around indefinitely. After a handful of episodes, he left Earth in the Rangers hands. He did appear in the finale of the Zordon era, but that's about it.

13. Chase into Space (2 episodes - about 40 min)
The first Power Rangers series with a proper finale. Dimitria and the Blue Senturion take off to Eltar, Divatox gets called away by a greater evil, and the Turbo powers are destroyed. All of this leads the four older Turbo Rangers into space, leaving Justin behind with his dad.


Power Rangers in Space
14. From Out of Nowhere (2 episodes - about 40 min)
Picking up right where Turbo left off, the four former Rangers head into space. But of course danger soon hits. So they end up teaming up with a man from a distant space colony. With his help they become the Space Rangers. 

15. Shell Shocked (1 episode - about 20 min)
Power Rangers in Space had a couple fun crossovers with former Rangers, but before any of that we got a crossover with the Ninja Turtles! These Ninja Turtles came from The Next Mutation continuity. I've never seen that TMNT series but the crossover is fun.

16. True Blue to the Rescue (1 episode - about 20 min)
The second of the crossovers we get in this series is the return of Justin, the blue Ranger from Turbo. He gets pulled back into the fray to help his old friends. It was only a one-off episode, but Justin did say he'd come back if they ever needed him. Still waiting......

17. Survival of the Silver (1 episode - about 20 min)
Another mysterious Ranger #6. This time he's from Andros's past. Ever since KO-35, he's been in stasis, but now he's coming back. So welcome to the mix, Silver Ranger.


18. Always a Chance (1 episode - about 20 min)
Last of this season's team ups. After Carlos's confidence is shot, we get a return from a veteran Black Ranger. Adam uses his faulty power coin to return to MMPR status, despite the personal risks. This would be the last time that Adam would appear until Power Rangers Operation Overdrive.

19. Rangers Gone Psycho (1 episode - about 20 min)
Evil Rangers and copy-cat Rangers aren't a new idea, but Astronema took it to a new level above what Rita did with Tommy. In creating the Psycho Rangers, she created the strongest foes that the Space Rangers had faced up until that point. The Psycho Ranger arc actually lasted six episodes, but I'm only going to include this one.

20. Mission to Secret City (1 episode - about 20 min)
Battlizer armor became a staple to the Red Ranger armory in almost every season, but it started here. In facing one of Astronema's monsters, Andros releases the power of his battlizer, becoming even stronger.

21. Countdown to Destruction (2 episodes - about 40 min)
These episodes marked the end of the Zordon era of Power Rangers. Originally it was meant to the be series finale, but obviously it got picked up afterwards. It included many cameos of villains and heroes from the Zordon era, leading up to the Rangers' eventual victory. Cameos included the Alien Rangers, Trey the Gold Zeo Ranger, the Phantom Ranger and Blue Senturion from Turbo, Rita and Zedd's forces, the Machine Empire, and Divatox.

Have you seen these seasons of the Zordon era? Who was your favorite Ranger from Zeo, Turbo, and/or Space? If you want me to keep doing these Power Rangers lists, make sure you comment and let me know.


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