What a great second episode! We got some explanations, met a new Ranger, a new Base and the 5 Rangers united to get wild!
Now that the five main Rangers are together I really am seeing how fluid they act with one another. The cast has a real connection with each other and you can see that in their characters. It feels natural which is something that the Samurai and Megaforce cast did not have to this extent.
“Past, Present and Fusion” succeeds in both introducing us to new things while connecting the episode to what we’ve already seen!
Riley: I have to say that I rather like Riley a lot. Many of the funny side comments came from him during this episode! His sword work is pretty awesome and fits perfectly with his Sentai counterpart! It was so cool seeing that the energem unlocked a Dino Saber during his battle with Fury!
Plus, he almost seamlessly interacted and blended with Shelby and Tyler (as well as the others) in record time! I loved the scenes where he was caught playing with the sword and it goes to show that while his family runs a farm it seems as if Riley has other dreams. Another factor I enjoy about him!
The Griffin Family: In the beginning scenes of this episode we get a glimpse into Riley’s family life as we are introduced to his Brother and Mother. It has been rumored, through the casting sides, that Riley’s brother will eventually become the Graphite Ranger in the future.
We only got a small amount of time with him, hopefully we see him in the future.
Exploding Cars: This has been making me laugh for days! Why did the car explode in mid air? That’s fantastical Power Rangers for you. But I almost feel as if this scene wasn’t really needed. While it showed the power of the energems and the Rangers working together in a valiant attempt to save a man trapped under the car, it still felt a little forced to me.
The Base: I am very happy with the Dino Charge Rangers’ base of operations! I loved how the base was found, with Tyler having a selfie mishap and entering through a giant T-Rex head! The fact that their base is under a museum is so cool to me and it was very smart of the production team to create this atmosphere!
What is even cooler is the inside which is complete with a hologram interface and crystal-like section to charge up the Dino Chargers through harnessing the power of the energems!
Energems & Dino Chargers: I was really happy with how the powers are explained by Kendall. I rather enjoyed the fact that the Energems are almost magnetically charged to their holders and then power up the Dino Chargers! I was honestly hoping they would touch on the fact that the Dino Chargers die out just like a real battery, hopefully we will see more of this in future episodes!
Koda & Chase: It was nice seeing more of these two than we got to in the first episode. Chase shouting “It’s Morphin’ Time” was perfection!
Koda finally got a few words in and I found it interesting the way he actually speaks as if he were a caveman. Again, I had wondered how they were going to handle this and I am pretty happy with how his character is going so far. I’m also getting a cute friendship between Koda and Chase and I hope we get episodes focused on those two!
Shelby & Kendall: Personally, I really liked the heat and tension between Kendall and Shelby. She calls her “just a waitress” but I think that this may be a character developing moment to pay attention to. Sure, to Kendall, Shelby is just a waitress and it may take some time for them to warm up together especially since Kendall is apparently very protective over what she is doing and bringing on an inexperience fighter may make her a tad nervous! This is called character development through conflict. Perhaps an episode where they get paired up and have to work on their relationship!
Pink and Purple <3
Tyler & Rexy: So, one of my favorite moments from this episode was when Tyler discovered the T-Rex zord and immediately became besties with it and even started calling him “Rexy”. Like, seriously how cute is that? Tyler is just simply adorkable in many ways and is quickly becoming a favorite Red Ranger in my book, so far.
The Dino Charge Morph: I saw a lot of dislike regarding the morphing sequence but I actually really like it. It’s pretty similar to the Sentai style used in Kyoryuger in which the dino-ghost chomps on the Ranger and thus they are morphed! I enjoy it!
What a nice touch as well that the Rangers spin during their morph! Just a small little nod to the Samba Dance in a subtle way which works perfectly here! I also really love how the morpher shouts when the charger is inserted, I’ve always loved that!
The Rangers as a Team: Seeing all five of the Rangers interact was probably one of my favorite moments. While I am generally happy with this episode I must say that I am a little sad they’ve kept the Rangers talking while they battle. That was an issue in the previous 4 years and it looks like that is one thing carried over. Oh well, could be worse.
Final Thoughts
I was more intrigued with the ending of this episode than anything else. Keeper was mouthing his disbelief in something meanwhile Sledge is real angry and looking to send more monsters down! Plus a very stern warning that their identity as Power Rangers is a guarded secret! (as it should be!)
I love that more of the story is being introduced as we go along and get to know the Rangers. PLUS that Kyoryuger footage looks beautiful and fantastically blended with the original footage!
So far, Power Rangers Dino Charge is very fun and a joy to watch!
Story: 9/10
Action: 10/10
Writing: 10/10
All Together: 10/10
(yes another 10, that’s how I feel!)
