As the first half of Dino Charge begins to come to a close it has become apparent that the best was indeed saved for last! We continue to follow the Purple Energem saga, a New Villain is revealed AND the comedy gold and giggles continues to please! Let’s take a look back at this cool & awesome episode! I’ll try not to gush about Heckyl too much 😀
The Plan: This was not a bad plan on the part of Kendall and the Rangers. Although it is a clear set up to be a hero and doesn’t really help them find any one of value, at least the team is being proactive in their search for a proper Purple Ranger. A lot of the citizens were pretty hilarious including the man who asked for money (and was happy with a single dollar bill) and the muscle-bound jock who failed to impress Kendall.
The Wish Cards: The wish cards were an interesting turn for the story, and weapon for Wish Star, including the ways they screwed up and affected the Rangers. Chase had his skateboard broken in two, Koda got a bad stummy ache, Â Ivan hurt his back helping a damsel, Shelby has a disastrous picnic with Tyler who nearly misses a chase with this father AND Kendall almost gave the Purple Energem to the wrong person! But I did love the moral here, Be Careful what you wish for! Did you notice the wish cards were color coded? But why was Kendall orange? (She also had an orange handbag, does the color Orange mean something in this episode?)
Here’s question, why wasn’t Moana used for this scene instead of making up a random fortune-teller?
Wish Star: This monster, while short-lived and who played second fiddle to Heckyl, was a rather interesting monster who functioned of writings on wish cards to mess with the Rangers. Not much left to say about this monster who also used Orange wish cards, hmmm.
Heckyl: I honestly have to say that I have never warmed up to a villain, or therefore a character in general, this quickly as I have with Heckyl. From the moment he stepped onto the screen I was entranced with his sass, smarmy facial impressions, fatal quips and amazing fashion sense! I could sit here and go over every hilarious line and facial smirk but you just have to see the episode to appreciate the genius that is Heckyl. His fashionable “Enter-esque” goggles, ascot, army boots and “Zeltrax” tattoo (just kidding) make him a rather interesting addition!
When it comes to seeking out your own traits in fictional characters, I immediately was on board with Heckyl as it seems I would be the exact same villain in both snark and style! His interactions with Sledge were by far the best including their epic fight at the end of the episode. You actually feel the threat from Heckyl not only from Sledge’s treatment but the fear he instills in all the other prisoners! Heckyl seems to have a powerful lightning attack that, without the Purple Energem, would’ve left Sledge overwhelmed. However, I do think it was brilliant on Heckyl’s part, who seems like he knows what he’s doing, to attempt a treacherous partnership with Sledge. He may have failed to get the Purple Energem but it is clear that we have not seen the last of Heckyl!
His suave attitude, sassy comments and even the flair to fashionably “rescue” Kendall all make him an interesting villain to watch. Ryan Carter stole every scene he was in even making me want to see more of him compared to Poisandra or Sledge! I demand more Heckyl!
The Picnic: Faced with a possible picnic date with Tyler, everything seems to go wrong for Shelby including getting bubbles in her eyes, accidentally being covered in ants and the eventual demise of her date when Tyler ruins the moment to go chasing after his Daddy. Come on Tyler, get it together! LOL.
Tyler’s Dad: How strange was this? Tyler wished to see his Dad once again, and of course he does, only to have him completely run away from him. Now that’s strange….wonder what this could mean?
Wishes Gone Wrong: I may have mentioned above earlier, but it was at the last half of the episode that really made this episode pretty hilarious! Koda really had an upset stomach and the facial expression on Chase’s face as his board lay in pieces was just priceless!
I will admit it was a little strange that Kendall decided to wish for a Purple Ranger without thinking about it too much, which seemed to be her MO along with Riley. Riley continued not to believe in the super squishiness until suddenly the idea of the wishes coming true became too real. It was a rather strange direction for her character to take especially when the Rangers were  screaming for her to stop making wishes!
Sledge VS Heckyl: Not only was Heckyl an awesome and welcome addition to the Dino Charge villains, it was even more fascinating to see him go up against Sledge. Again, Heckyl seems pretty powerful, given that all of the monsters were afraid of him AND his ability to unlock all the cells.
While Heckyl seemed to be subdued by the power of Sledge’s Purple Energem fueled blaster, of course we haven’t seen the last of Heckyl! …and yes, his shades are still in style.
Former Season Monster Suits: Check it  Out! Have you been watching  Sledge’s prison cells this season? If so you would catch a modified Beevil (Ninja Storm) and Necrolai (Mystic Force) just chilling behind the scenes!
Final Thoughts
While it seems like this episode is  clearly the lead-in to the Finale, not a lot needs to be said here. The episode set up all that needed to be set up for the finale! Sledge may have an issue on his hands with Heckyl, the Purple Energem has been captured AND the  Rangers are ready to attack Sledge on his own turf! Action, Plot development, Character Development & Epic fight footage; a formula that Dino Charge seems to have mastered!
While the Christmas Special airs next week, you won’t know what happens to the team until the Finale airs on 12/12!
Did I mention that I absolutely loved Heckyl? Cause I did! 😉
Story: 10/10
Action: 10/10
Writing: Â 10/10
All Together:  10/10