The dreaded hiatus is upon us and another 5-ish months ahead of us will be Dino Charge-less. During these last 8 episodes it is hard to tell you moments I did not enjoy. In this episode Dino Charge delivers more of its consistent quality episodes that both focus on the Rangers and Villains while still keeping it’s focus on the Power Rangers tropes.
Luckily for us, while we didn’t get a Gold Ranger preview, we are headed into the Hiatus with a fantastic episode that leaves us all awaiting conclusions!
Poisandra’s Selection: I rather enjoyed that Sledge selected Poisandra to command her own mission to Earth.
Poisandra’s Original Footage and the writing for her continues to be the best it can be, especially when it comes to her one-liners!
One of my favorite lines was when Sledge told Poisandra that She was Smart, Beautiful and Heart-Shaped!
I am continuing to enjoy the rivalry between Fury and Poisandra and I hope we get to see some original fight footage. How awesome would that be?
Tyler Writes In His Journal: In the first few scenes of the episode are focused on Tyler. When we first see him this episode he is writing in his journal reminiscing about his new friends. We learn that Tyler still wears his Dad’s bracelet while he attempts to unravel the mystery of his disappearance; and whether or not Fury had anything to do with it.
In this scene we got our first real look at a romance between Tyler and Shelby, when he calls her cute, which gets more attention later.
Also, apparently Tyler smells.
He Loves Me Not: How cute was Chase when he was plucking the flower petals to find out if his love with Monica is real!?
Especially since these flowers would come in handy later on in the episode!
Are We Morphing?: As Tyler takes the E-Tracer machine and makes a run for it, what seems like his team of Rangers join him in the Jeep. At first, he wonders why the Rangers don’t de-morph when the coast is clear. Suddenly it turns out that they are Clone Rangers! I actually loved this original footage and Tyler continues to steal the show. I do wish they had created Ranger Clones un-morphed as well, but can’t be too nit-picky here.
The Flower Trick: As I mentioned earlier, Chase was able to help the fight against the clones by attaching tiny flowers to the Rangers’ belts. I loved that they carried this idea over from the Sentai and in a very functional way that fits with Chase’s personality.
Oz References: Of course I notice these things because it’s my favorite movie! I heard a tid-bit a long time ago that the Kyoryuger Villains, based on emotion, were also loosely based on characters from the Wizard of OZ. Regardless if that is true or not we got a small scene with Poisandra, Wrench and Curio that hinted at this very idea. Wrench mentioned the Fact that Curio was not smart enough, Wrench tells Poisandra to “Have A Heart” and Poisandra actually calls Wrench “Tin Man”.
Helmet Interface: I gotta tell you I really love this visual we’ve been given in Dino Charge so far. The only light is around the Rangers’ eyes but this episode we got to see not only communication with Kendall from within the helmet but it calculates coordinates as well! This is a great addition and an attention to detail that may have been left out in previous years.
Koda’s Blocking Power: While it was Sentai Footage it was still pretty awesome to see Koda use his Stego Shield in that way! Awesome effect!
Fury VS Tyler: I believe that Dino Charge is going to go down as one of the best seasons for Original Footage and Unmorphed Fights. With the Hiatus coming I was afraid that the episode before would not hold up for 5 months. However, we got the Tyler and Fury fight that was filled with epic footage of Brennan Mejia (and his stunt double) fighting against the power of the Charged Up Skinny Jeans! I have no idea how they did any stunts in those jeans, so kudos!
The few scenes that together brought us this fight between them finally moved the story ahead with Tyler’s Father and gave the viewer more questions than answers, BUT that is GOOD!
Fury’s Secret: Fury connected with Tyler’s bracelet and revealed to Tyler that he remembered his Father. The furious battle ensued and eventually Fury’s secrets began to seep out.
What I am most concerned about is how this story is going to unfold. Are we going to go the obvious route and have Tyler’s Dad be inside of Fury? Or is it the Gold Ranger in there? Guess we gotta wait….
A Giant Fury: As Duplicon grew to extra large he created a copy of Fury from a Vivizord! This is the first time Fury grows large!
But the best part was Fury’s line: “A clone of me? InFURYating!”
Communication: I am loving the small little additions that are slowly being added . I noted the helmet additions earlier in this article but it also looks like the Megazords have been equipped with video conferencing as well. Kendall reaches the Rangers and tells them to use the Toxic Gases of the Dino.
Oviraptor Charger / Dino Gas: I honestly expected the producers to cut these scenes out with the farting battery! But, now that it was in the show it was actually rather hilarious! Especially with the Rangers’ reaction to it!
Koda: Koda, never change.
Shelby and the Ankylo Charger: I rather enjoyed this change from the Sentai. In the Power Rangers version Shelby is able to retain the Ankylo Charger and use it as her own personal auxiliary zord instead of it going to one of her male comrades.
Such a bizarro-land style change from Samurai or Megaforce where it seemed as if achievements were snatched from Female Rangers’ hands.
Example: Mia handing over the Beetle Disk to a very whiny Mike.
Fury’s Treachery: Treacherous Villains are always fun to watch and the dynamic between Poisandra and Fury is amazing! Not only is the writing between the two so systematic and full of sass, but the two actively work against each other in order to get Fury’s favor!
I know a lot of fans love when the villains get treacherous and it seems as if Fury is finally working against Poisandra!
The Hotshot: While it is a little obvious that Chase would be the one to take the shot to destroy the E-Tracer, I found it rather interesting that the Rangers are actually utilizing their talents. Koda has animal instincts, Chase is the hot shot, Shelby is smart and intuitive, Tyler is fierce and a powerful fighter and Riley is methodical and intrinsic. Each Ranger has a distinct personality and skill that assists them in being apart of this team!
Ptera Charger: I am so interested to see just how Fury’s search for the Gold Energem and the Ptera Zord will begin and end!
Shelby and Tyler: From the beginning of the episode when Tyler reveals he thinks Shelby was cute, it was planted in our mind that this ship is going to sail! There were a few moments that felt awkward between the actors, Camille and Brennan, but eventually it seemed natural and it was easy to believe that these two are into each other. One can only imagine where this relationship will go AND I wonder so far as to think if we will get our first Ranger Kiss since the 90s?!
Together: One thing that I love about Koda is that, besides spells and barbs, that his character is incorruptible. Meaning, he is just naturally inherently good. There is an innocence there and I think that is what fans are seriously drawn to, besides Yoshi Sudarso being awesome!
I absolutely loved the group fist bump and it was a great end to the first half aired. A great Power Ranger moment!
Final Thoughts
When I think about the fact that we have to wait at least 5 months before we see more Dino Charge, I get kind of sad. Normally, when the hiatus comes around it was a break in site work. However, it seems rather strange that Dino Charge has been so consistently good for 8 solid episodes when the last 4 years of Power Rangers couldn’t even hold a 2-episode arc.
Sadly, we did not see an introduction of the Gold Ranger but we did get what this season is becoming famous for; Ranger Focus, Villains Focus, Original Footage and Character Development mixed in with that beautiful Sentai footage.
Tyler saw some massive character development when he gets new information on his Father’s connection to Fury, an epic battle ensues, Shelby masters not only the E-Tracers but controls the Ankylo Zord! While Koda, Chase and Riley were all in the background, they were all give small moments that let the viewer know they were there and intrinsic to the team dynamic.
It’s going to be a long hiatus, but it does give me comfort that when the second half of the season airs, it will be a fabulous show!
Story: 10/10
Action: 10/10
Writing: 10/10
All Together: 10/10
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