Best Dads of Power Rangers

Many times I've seen the commentary of how, back in the day of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, the Rangers' parents appear oblivious and possibly negligent of what their teenagers with attitude are up to. As the years and generations of Power Rangers went on, we got more diverse portrayal of Ranger families. For Father's Day, I chose to highlight a few of the dads that stood out among the years of Power Rangers.

Kanoi Watanabe - Ninja Storm

Not necessarily the father of the year, but he is the ninja guinea pig of the year. In many ways, he was a father figure to the Wind Rangers more than his son Cam. After what happened in his past, he wanted to protect his son. It wasn't until Cam went back in time and retrieved the samurai powers from his mother that Sensei loosened up and supported him as the Green Ranger. If Sensei had any major faults, it was that he was overprotective of his son. Is there a good parent who hasn't been overprotective at times? (PS: The CGI for guinea pig Sensei is almost comical by today's standards--hard to look back at it)

William Mitchell - Lightspeed Rescue

Haunted by his past and what happened to Ryan, Captain Mitchell dedicated his life to Lightspeed. Unlike Sensei, Captain Mitchell wasn't overprotective of his daughter and invited her to become the Pink Ranger. He knew her capabilities and supported her. His past came back to haunt him when Ryan returned, but conversely Ryan's return was certainly healing, despite the regrets he likely still felt.

Doug Stewart - Turbo

Starting out as a widower and an absentee father, Justin’s dad wasn’t exactly a model father. However, his redeeming factor is that he chose to change and become more involved with Justin. As a father who overthinks every parenting mistake, I’ve been told what matters most is the reconciliation, not the mistakes. Justin’s dad realized he wanted to be better as a parent and he did it.

Ed Jones - Dino Fury

The man adopted a lonely (alien) baby and chose to become her Pop Pop. He wasn’t exactly a man of means, so I can’t imagine he was able to give her everything he wanted. But he was a hard worker and he cared for her. Biological or adoptive, every father matters.

Tommy Oliver - Zeo

Though the most legendary of Power Rangers (see also Wild Force, Dino Thunder, Megaforce, and Ninja Steel), we only got to see Tommy as a father and grandfather in a flash forward during the Christmas episode of Zeo. Despite that limited screen time, we know one thing in particular about his legacy as a father: he passed on the Ranger heritage to his son. Though he and Kat might’ve had more children, their son JJ Oliver was known to be an SPD Ranger in the comics. In addition, Tommy’s grandson (presumably JJ’s son) was established as a Ranger in that Christmas special. All I can say is that I’m grateful they kept that flash forward canon and, despite the passing of Jason David Frank, the legacy of Tommy (and JDF) lives on. 

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6 Power Rangers Series Worth Watching

I keep hearing things about Power Rangers getting a hard reboot in the near-ish future. That being said, I feel like it’s all whiskers. Regardless of the future of the franchise, its popularity at this point is largely based on nostalgia. Every attempt to revitalize the franchise seems to be based on Mighty Morphin (i.e. the 2017 movie and the Once and Always special). I think I’ve shown over the years that I feed off nostalgia. However, especially after doing binge lists for Mighty Morphin and the rest of the Zordon era (back when all of the seasons were on Netflix) I can tell you that the amount of filler in classic Power Rangers is crazy.

Not every generation of Rangers is like that though; despite the always cheesy effects and acting, some of the storylines remain solid and impactful. So until I get around to making my next round of Ranger binge lists (since they’re on Tubi now), I wanted to share a few seasons of Power Rangers worth checking out.

Power Rangers Lost Galaxy

The first season after the end of the Zordon era. Power Rangers thought it was done after the Space Rangers redeemed Astronema. But instead we got a story about a team of Rangers living the 90s dream of pioneering space.I love that this season draws on the foundation and continuity of the Zordon era but doesn’t depend on it. Plus it’s the first time a Ranger team faces the death of one of their own, leading to Karone (the villain formerly known as Astronena) taking up the mantle. That’s Power Rangers redemption at its fullest. 

Power Rangers Time Force

Who doesn’t love a convoluted time travel story? Not only do we have time travel that would hurt even Doc Brown’s head, but we have tragedy. Right out of the gate we have a Ranger killed. And his 21st century doppelgänger becomes the new Red Ranger? These are just a couple of the antics of the Time Force Rangers. Bonus points for how involved Jason Faunt has been with the fan base since. 

Power Rangers Ninja Storm

A ninja school. Kidnapped students. And the only hope are the three slackers too late to arrive for the kidnapping on time. I love the interactions between the original three and the thunder rangers. And what a great villain backstory! That’s just scraping the surface. 

Power Rangers SPD

In the future year of 2025 (wait a second….) there’s a near utopia of aliens and humans. We definitely didn’t reach that ideal by 2025. At the start of the season, we meet three officials and two lovable rogues. And all five have superpowers! Kind of cool to see the Ranger legacy in action too. Just wish the recent years of Power Rangers would have built up to the coexistence better. 

Power Rangers RPM

Post apocalyptic world and the mercy of AI. This is why I say “please” and “thank you” when using ChatGPT. Set in a parallel world, these Rangers just wanted to maintain their small dome of humanity. Starring the likes of Eka Darville (from Jessica Jones) and Rose McIver (from Once Upon a Time and Ghosts), it has a great cast. Though the season wraps up nicely, elements of the story come back during Beast Morphers. 

Power Rangers Dino Charge

It’s like these two seasons were an extended treasure hunt. Through the adventures, the Ranger team grew with every energem found. As the season ramped up (and blurred into Super Dino Charge) there are more villains, anti-heroes, and rangers. All of this culminates into drastically changing history and creating a parallel world with pet dinosaurs. No way that can go badly right?

A few other Ranger teams come to mind that you ought to check out (Lightspeed Rescue, Dino Thunder, Mystic Force, etc.) but that seems like all we have for the time being. I’m sure I’ll write about the supposed reboot when the time comes, but it’s hard to top nostalgia. Power Rangers is proof of that. Either way…

It’s Morphing Time!!!

Pink Power Rangers for Breast Cancer Awareness

Last year while my mom was going through and recovering from breast cancer treatments, I did a blog post about some cute pink Pokemon. While my mom has watched about as little Power Rangers as she did Pokemon, this year I decided to focus on some of my favorite pink rangers. 

Kat Hillard (Mighty Morphin/Zeo/Turbo)

Everyone seems to cite Kimberly as the perfect pink ranger, but I prefer the character of Katherine Hillard. After being used as Rita's pawn, she ended up replacing Kimberly as the pink Mighty Morphin Power Ranger. When Kimberly broke up with Tommy via letter, Kat was the one who consoled Tommy.  She stayed a core member of the Power Ranger team through Power Rangers Zeo and into Power Rangers Turbo. She handed over the pink ranger mantel to Cassie when she left for college. She wasn't seen again until the Legendary Battle during Super Megaforce, where she appeared with her Zeo powers. Somewhere between the events of Dino Thunder and Super Ninja Steel, Kat and Tommy finally got married to Tommy and they had JJ. During the events of Once & Always, Kat took on the Mighty Morphin Pterodactyl powers to save Tommy and the others. And because of the Zeo holiday flashforward, we know that she and Tommy lived happily ever after. The longevity and development of her story and the love of Catherine Sutherland to her fans makes her my favorite pink ranger.

Karone (Lost Galaxy)

Formerly Astronema, she was Andros’s sister and Zhane’s love interest during Power Rangers in Space. After the Lost Galaxy Rangers lost Kendrix against the Psycho Rangers, Karone found the Pink Quasar Saber and took upon herself the pink ranger mantel. Though that mantel was later returned to a reborn Kendrix, Karone regained the Lost Galaxy powers and used them during the Legendary Battle. It was beautiful to see her turn from a big bad to a Power Rangers, a transformation not seen before or since.

Jen Scotts (Time Force)

She was engaged to Alex, the red Time Force Ranger in the year 3000, but after his "death", Jen led the Time Force Rangers against the mutants in the 21st century. Though of course Wes was a powerful influence on the team, Jen was still the official leader. The only pink ranger leader of the franchise. She had a difficult time trusting Wes, after what happened to Alex. However, she ended up falling for Wes. She later returned to help the Wild Force Rangers and to fight in the Legendary Battle. Her leader status makes her a top tier pink ranger.

Syd Drew (SPD)

A princess with a powerful power. She might be a princess, but Syd knew how to keep up with the boys (especially when her superpower gave her a diamond fist). She started out superficial and stereotypical blonde brat (how did she end up in law enforcement with her attitude?) but as the season went on she became more compassionate to others, including her teammates and the aliens they encountered (she agreed to share her birthday with Jack so that's pretty special). While she was definitely still a princess at the end of SPD, her growth would make our Disney Princesses proud. Her character development is what got her into my list of the powerful pink.

I could easily have highlighted many other pink rangers, like Cassie, Shelby, or Vida. However, these four powerful woman would make the rest of the Power Rangers proud all on their own. As remarkable (albeit fictional) women, they're perfect for spotlighting for Breast Cancer Awareness. If you've been touched by breast cancer, make sure you hug your loved one while they're here and be there to hold their hand during treatments. Everyone needs that support, especially while going through something that requires the bravery of a Power Ranger.

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Geek Tech 101: Zords

It’s been well over a year since the final episode of Power Rangers. Even though whispers of a reboot keep coming around, the franchise will never be the same. But maybe the beauty of Power Rangers is that it kept evolving and rebooting. Despite literally dozens of soft reboots, one of the things (besides vibrantly colored heroes) that made the franchise iconic was their Zords.

From its earliest episodes, it was a recurring element of the series for the monster of the day to grow to Godzilla size. On occasion, like with the robots in SPD, the monster didn’t grow but a gargantuan enemy needed to be defeated. So each generation of Rangers needed Zords and Megazords. 

The concept of the Zords changed from season to season, but generally each Power Ranger had a Zord they piloted and the team’s Zords would combine into their Megazord. Exceptions to this include the Astro Megazord and the Delta Base Megazord. Regardless of how each Megazord was formed or transformed, it’s amazing that the civilian casualties didn’t reach hundreds during the seemingly daily monster battles. 

Because some Zords are sentient, I thought for a short moment about making this blog post into a Creature Feature. However, enough number of Zords are pure technology (like on Lightspeed Rescue and on SPD) that they fit better as tech, not creature. All the same, the creature-based Zords are phenomenal. The Zords of the Wild Force Rangers and the Galactibeasts of the Lost Galaxy Rangers are some of my favorite sentient Zords. 

The Zords turned into plot points and deus ex machina at times, depending on the season, with their miraculous arrivals or hunting for them. Some seasons it barely seemed like the Zords played a part in the plot, like with the Space Rangers. Other times it felt like a new Zord was discovered every other episode, like with the Wild Force Rangers. I think my favorites were the seasons somewhere in the middle, where they supplemented the Rangers character arcs, instead of becoming characters themselves. 

The 2017 Power Rangers movie kind of poked fun at this, but I often find it interesting how intuitive driving a Zord must be. Sometimes these Power Rangers were barely old enough to drive, but they could drive a Megazord with no problem (and then there was Justin who was young enough the Zord had to drive him). That’s the plot armor of a kid show though, not having to worry about the technical experience to fight the weekly baddie. 

With 2025 being the year of Power Rangers SPD, I plan to write more Ranger content this year (like I tried to do with LOST’s twentieth anniversary last year) so if there’s something you want explored from the Power Rangers franchise, you can reach me at the Command Center.

Go go Power Rangers!

Why You'll Enjoy Power Rangers Once & Always

Like many kids in the 90s, I grew up on a steady diet of Power Rangers. So when David Yost and Walter Jones announced the 30th anniversary special, I was excited. With these two original Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers returning after over 25 years, this special doesn't disappoint. So here are a few of my thoughts as to why any Ranger fan would enjoy Netflix's "Once & Always".

Respect to Canon

For whatever reason, when there's a Power Rangers event on the horizon like this, I worry that there'll be something that contradicts Power Rangers canon in a big way. I mean, it's a kids show that's been running for 30 years; there are a lot of details to keep track of and you wouldn't expect kids to keep track of the continuity throughout all these years. But instead, even when they could get away with it, Power Rangers stayed true to it all: Billy's love interest on Aquitar (first referenced in Zeo's "Rangers of Two Worlds"), Tommy and Kat's marriage and family (seen in a flashforward during Zeo's "A Season to Remember"), Zordon's death and purifying wave (which happened in Space's "Countdown to Destruction"). 

Returning Rangers

Five dino Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers were seen in Beast Morpher's dino-themed crossover "Grid Connection", but only Jason appeared unmorphed. This time, all but four of the Mighty Morphin' Rangers appeared (face and all) in this special. Some have appeared over the years, like Adam (last seen in Operation Overdrive's "Once a Ranger"), Kat (last seen in Super Ninja Steel's "Dimensions in Danger"), and Rocky (also seen in "Dimensions in Danger"). But the others hadn't been seen since leaving the show. For Billy, it had been 27 years since his departure in Zeo's "Rangers of Two Worlds" (David Yost hadn't appeared as Billy since the story before, "King for a Day"). For Zack and Aisha, their last appearances were in the Mighty Morphin' Era ("The Power Transfer" for Zack and "Hogday Afternoon" for Aisha). With how involved these six have been in fan events and showing appreciation for those fans, it was beautiful to see them in character again.

Easter Eggs and Cameos

Not only was this special a treat for the original fans of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, but there were lots of easter eggs and cameos to satisfy the long-term fans of the franchise as well. For example, if you look at the initials on Adam and Aisha's uniforms, it says "SPA" short for "Space Patrol Alpha" which is very likely the predecessor to SPD's title organization. Also, if you look closely at Alpha's computer you'll see the homes of past Ranger teams, including the Space's Astro Megaship, Dino Thunder's Reefside, and Wild Force's Turtle Cove (to name a few). Likewise, on Rita's machine you can see captured Rangers from various teams, including Ravi (Beast Morpher's Blue Ranger), Carlos (Space's Black Ranger), Trent (Dino Thunder's White Ranger), and Tanya (Zeo's Yellow Ranger), among several others.

Darker Moments

Even just watching the trailer, you knew this special would be darker. Robo Rita literally talks about killing the Rangers in the trailer. Yes, Rangers have died before (Kendrix from Lost Galaxy died midseason and came back at the end and Alex from Time Force supposedly died) but never anything like this; all they were missing was a mangled body. Even on the side of good it was darker: talk of revenge (even just in the trailer) after a Ranger's death (no spoilers here, but you can guess). So the stakes are higher guys. Power Rangers is getting serious! I can only hope this translates over to the series itself, but that's unlikely. 

Tribute to Fallen Rangers

Two of our original Mighty Morphin' Rangers had passed prior to the release of this special. Thuy Trang (who played Trini, last seen in "The Power Transfer") died in a car accident in 2001 and Jason David Frank (who played Tommy, last seen in "Dimensions in Danger") was lost to suicide last year. Both Rangers were honored in this special, despite not being seen unmorphed. Their stories were beautifully told and (to some extent) wrapped up. It's sad that we won't seen Trini or Tommy again. But it was touching to see them honored at the end of the special.

If you made it this far in the post, what are you still doing here? Go watch Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: Once & Always.

Once a Ranger, Always a Ranger: The Legacy of Jason David Frank

As I was about to settle in for a Sunday nap, I got a text from a friend that Jason David Frank, one of the original Power Rangers and one of my childhood heroes, died this weekend, reportedly from suicide. Normally celebrity deaths don't rock me too much (don't get me wrong, all their deaths are sad). However, I've met Jason David Frank and even after all these years he's still Tommy Oliver to me (even more since meeting him). 

He began his legacy in Power Rangers as the evil Green Ranger. After being freed from Rita's control, it wasn't long before he led the Ranger team as the White Ranger and later the Red Zeo and Turbo Rangers. But to those familiar with the franchise,  there's no  red to rehash his character's life story.

When I met JDF at Salt Lake FanX 2016, I was impressed by his love for his fans. He said he wanted the 100th person in line to feel just as important as the first. He's the standard to which I compare all celebrity meet and greet (Well, him and Catherine Tate). His legacy goes deeper than his long history as a Power Ranger. To many who treasure the franchise, he raised them when their parents were busy working or were otherwise unavailable. He taught kids to stand up for themselves and yet to still be kind. He taught how to be a leader and a mentor. It's strange to think there can be no more Tommy Oliver surprise appearances in the future of Power Rangers.

While still unconfirmed, it's rumored that he died by suicide. This pangs me even more… he gave to his fans and wanted them to feel special and important… yet he had internal anguish and pain that was never resolved. 

Suicide is very preventable cause of death… and men are four times as likely to die this way. I want to ask all men (and women) to step up. If you've contemplated or attempted suicide, I'm glad you're still here. If you are currently dealing with depressive, anxious, or suicidal thoughts, please reach out for help. The world has already lost one hero this week, we don't need to lose you too. 

To Jason David Frank, Tommy Oliver will live on in the hearts of Ranger fans forever. Once a ranger, always a Ranger!

Power Rangers Workout

I'm finishing up the first half of Power Rangers Dino Fury Season 2 and, to be honest, it's super cringey. Maybe you expect that from Power Rangers (and you should) but sometimes the cheesiness is also complemented along the way with character development and intriguing plot points. All the same, I'm sure I'll still watch the second half of the season when it hits Netflix. But in the meantime, there's plenty of Power Rangers you can enjoy, starting with the nostalgic Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (especially since it's the only older series left on Netflix). While you're revisiting your childhood Power Rangers, throw in some of these exercises to get as fit as the Rangers.

Disclaimer: While I am a licensed physical therapy provider, I am not a personal trainer or a medical practitioner. Partner as necessary with your doctor prior to engaging in any diet or excise programs. If any of these exercises cause increased pain, stop the exercise immediately.

• Theme Song - High Knees
• Someone morphs - Seated QL Stretch 10 reps
• Colorful explosions - Squats 10 reps
• Monster explodes - Hip Flexor Stretch 10 reps
• Villain lair appears - Prone Hip Extension 10 reps
• Monster grows - Quadruped Hip CARS 10 reps 
• Rangers call the Zords - Seated Hip Hinge 10 reps 
• Comic relief characters appear - Cat/Cow Stretch 10 reps 
• Rangers call their weapons - 90/90 Pushbacks 10 reps 
• Rangers strike a pose - Hamstring Curls 10 reps

***Exercises updated January 2024 to account for what I've learned practicing physical therapy. This workout is intended to work without any equipment, but feel free to add small dumbbells or bands as you're safely able.

"Now I'm the one with the muscles and the power!"
--Jason (Turbo movie)

To Love a Kaiju

Remember when you were little and a sibling would build a little town made out of Legos and you'd take your stuffed T-rex and rampage through it, destroying everything while they went crying to mom? 

No? Then you were probably the younger sibling. 

Either way, from that time to the latest Godzilla Vs. Kong to hit theaters, there's always been something appealing about a giant monster destroying a city, causing untold property damage just by taking a single step. 

Why is that? 

Defining a Kaiju

Kaiju (Japanese for "Strange Monster") is the franchise featuring giant city-leveling monsters. This can range from the aforementioned and arguably the granddaddy of them all Godzilla to Rita Repulsa's monsters destroying Angel Grove in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers to even moderately sized monsters like the rampaging rex in The Lost World: Jurassic Park. I'd even argue that Clifford the Big Red Dog's shannegains counts as kaiju action, especially if you're the guy working for the city who has to clean up after Clifford goes walkies. 

The genre isn't just defined to action movies like the Godzilla franchise or Pacific Rim, they appear in horror films like Cloverfield, family comedies like Honey I Blew Up The Kid, anime like Neon Genesis Evangelion  and  Attack on Titan and even heartwarming animations like The Iron Giant. 

Why do We Like Them

Kaiju have the same appeal as zombies where they act more of a force of nature than something that can be reasonably defeated. When encountered, typical humans can only run away and hope that the thing passes without them getting stomped flat or eaten. Unlike disaster films though, the kaiju is a living being, which means that it's driven by want and need, and thus the disaster itself can become a character in the film. Sometimes that character is sympathetic, since it didn't choose to be a 300 foot tall gorilla, sometimes it's beyond our comprehension and whatever it wants we have no way of knowing, and the thing decapitating the Statue of Liberty is just its way of venting frustration. 

The kaiju film gives us the cathartic sense of wanton destruction with the empathetic connection we get from seeing another living being, which can either be turned toward identifying with the creature or being repulsed by the creature, depending on what the film is trying to accomplish. We feel terror at the Cloverfield  monster because we don't see it and therefore don't know what it is or what it wants. We fear Godzilla because he's destructive but also root for him when he destroys other, more intentionally destructive beings. We sympathize with the Iron Giant because he's trying to be human despite being a giant space robot. 

We're Not Here For The Humans

Quick question: While watching Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers were you most eager to see: 

A: The teens sitting at the juice bar discussing their Full House level problems

B: Bandai's intercut action scenes where hitting someone resulted in a firework going off

C: The heroes piling into robot dinosaurs and wrecking a guy in a Styrofoam costume

If you're answer was C you get my point but for those who it wasn't let me hit a point. 

When I first saw 2014's Godzilla  I was disappointed when a majority of the run time was taken up by the tragic love story of a soldier trying to get back to his wife and kid after being separated by Godzilla. Whenever everyone's favorite radioactive lizard was on screen the camera would pan to people reacting to him or cut to footage of the monster wreaking havoc on a TV in the background while we saw characters try to figure out how to stop him. 

I nearly walked out of the theater. 

The human element is necessary to give us scale and context to the monster's destruction, but nobody's here for them. In some character driven dramas like Attack on Titan where they have time to flesh out the characters and show their reaction to living in a world where they are under constant threat of monster attack, that's a different story, but when you have two and a half hours to tell a story and the major pull is that giant monsters will be destroying cities, get your character stuff set up fast because we won't remember their names anyway. 

Here's a second question for you just to drive my point home: What is the name of Clifford's owner? 

When you have a kaiju in your movie, everything else surrounding them is a garnish, meant to enhance the presentation not overpower it. The kaiju is the Thanksgiving turkey of the table, a giant Thanksgiving turkey that will step on anyone in its way. 

-JOE

Who is Tommy Oliver?

Happy St. Patrick’s Day this week! In honor of this holiday, I wanted to spotlight a character whose name will always be associated with the color green for many of us who grew up in the 90s. So here’s to Tommy Oliver, the original green Power Ranger. Though he started out as green, he’s had quite a few powers. We’re going to visit each of them today.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

We got our first glimpse of Tommy as he arrived in Angel Grove as a possible martial arts rival for Jason. But it wasn't long before Rita corrupted him with the evil of the Green Power Coin. However, even as the Green Ranger, he was still defeated and he joined the heroes. Those powers eventually faded, but it wasn't long before he came back with the White Ranger powers.

So as the White Ranger, he traded out Dragonzord powers for White Tiger powers. As time went on he developed a romance with Kimberly and, along with the other Rangers, they got Ninja Ranger powers to trump their dino powers. But all good things must come to an end, as Kimberly passed on her powers to Kat and the remaining Rangers got turned into little kids.

If you want to see more about the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, check out this blog post.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie

While not in the same continuity as the television series, Tommy appeared as the White Ranger, leading the Power Rangers against Ivan Ooze. Just like in the main continuity, they gained their Ninja Ranger powers. With their new powers and their new zords, the six Power Rangers took down Ivan Ooze and saved the parents of Angel Grove from an untimely death.

Power Rangers Zeo

After the Zeo Crystal turned him into the Red Ranger, Tommy continued to lead the team, this time against the Machine Empire. After a long-distance break up with Kimberly, he started dating Kat. During this time period, he also reunited with his long lost brother, David, as they had been adopted by different families. Later, after the Gold Ranger needed a replacement, it was Tommy who recruited Jason to return as a Power Ranger. In the end, the Rangers defeated the Machine Empire.

If you want to see more about Power Rangers Zeo, check out this blog post.

Power Rangers Turbo

But it wasn't long before more evil showed up. Tommy led the new Turbo Rangers to take on Divatox. These new powers and new Turbo Zords led Tommy to an interest in cars and mechanics (which probably affected some of his choices in grad school, which we’ll see later). Eventually, as he moved on after high school, Tommy chose TJ as his replacement for the Red Ranger. 

If you want to see more about Power Rangers Turbo, check out this blog post.

Power Rangers Wild Force

After his time as a full-time Ranger, Tommy eventually received a doctorate in paleontology and found three Dino Gems (to be discussed later). Throughout this time he seemed to stay in contact with other Rangers, as Andros (the Red Space Ranger) recruited him and eight other Red Rangers to fight off the remains of the Machine Empire on the moon. 

Power Rangers Dino Thunder

Years into Ranger retirement, Tommy became a science teacher, where he inadvertently met, recruited, and mentored three new Power Rangers. But after finding the Black Dino Gem, he gained the power of invisibility and became the Black Dino Thunder Ranger. During his tenure as a Dino Thunder Ranger, Tommy had issues after issue with his morpher and Dino Gem. But despite his issues he still teamed up with each the Ninja Storm and SPD Power Rangers. And naturally by the time their foe Mesagog was defeated, the Dino Thunder Powers were gone.

Power Rangers Super Megaforce

During the years that follow, Tommy must have been working on his Master Morpher (later shown in Super Ninja Steel). As the alien armada attacked Earth and countless Rangers came to the aid of the Megaforce Rangers, Tommy utilized both White Ranger and Green Ranger powers to fight the alien fleet. 

Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel

Only a couple years after the alien armada attacked, dark forces attempted to abduct Tommy, along with several other veteran Rangers. Tommy was able to evade capture and he used the Black Dino Thunder powers, the Green and White Mighty Morphin powers, and the Red Zeo powers to help save the other rangers.

The Future???

Tommy’s future is a bit fuzzy in Ranger canon. There’s a Zeo episode “A Season to Remember”, which is basically a giant flashback to the Zeo era. In the “present day”, he’s married to Kat with children and grandchildren. By the time he appears in Super Ninja Steel, he has at least one child, a son named JJ. In the comics (which may or may not be canon with the TV show), JJ becomes an SPD Ranger in the future and his mother is Kat. Does this mean Kat and Tommy are married in the show?

It’s hard to say where things will go with Tommy in the future of Power Rangers. Jason David Frank, who has portrayed him since day one, is loyal to his fans. I’ve met him and he’s super friendly. Always wants the best experience for the fans he meets. If you ever have a chance to meet JDF at a convention, he’s well worth the money. He's easily one of my favorite celebrities that I've met. As far as the character, it’s not in Tommy’s nature to leave others hanging. If the Rangers ever need him, you can bet he’ll be there. In my mind he’s just like a loyal Gryffindor who will always do what’s right. 

Salt Lake FanX September 2016

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.