YOPR: 9. For Whom the Bell Trolls
On April 19, MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: ONCE AND ALWAYS premieres on Netflix. I’m writing about all 60 episodes of MMPR’s first season in the lead-up to that premiere.
If you’d like to follow along on this rewatch, entirety of MMPR’s first season is available for free (with ads) on YouTube.
One-sentence synopsis: A childhood toy delivers nostalgia and inadvertent pain.
Why it matters: Mr. Ticklesneezer, the troll referenced in the episode’s title, is a doll Trini’s had in her possession since she was a child. So, of course, he’s destined to become the Monster of the Day after Rita observes him as part of Trini’s doll display at a school show-and-tell. While Trini’s sleeping, Rita deploys Baboo and Squatt to transform Mr. Ticklesneezer into a monster – the first time one has originated not of Finster’s clay. However, he’s noticeably different from those creations; Mr. T’s menace isn’t rooted in an appetite for destruction, but in a desire to collect things that appeal to him in his magic bottle. Here, a familiar hobby – doll collecting – in a way becomes the enemy; it’s less about the enlarged Mr. Ticklesneezer – who is legitimately disheartened to learn he’s harming people – than it is his actions. It’s uniquely framed and handled, and stands out as another feather in the cap for a team of creators who were figuring out on the fly how to create a first-of-its-kind TV show.
Episode MVP: Sleep talking. The, I guess, “controversial” aspect of this episode is that most of it turns out to have been a dream. There’s a “gotcha” aspect to how Mr. Ticklesneezer is defeated; he’s reasoned with by Trini, who it turns out is talking to him in her sleep. The reveal is handled well and with a brush of horror – initially the Mr. Ticklesneezer doll is shown missing still from the nightstand, but he’s simply fallen onto the floor. Your mileage may vary when it comes to dream sequences, but this episode just works on every level for me.
Rating: 5/5 stunned Ms. Appleby faces
Previously on “Yesterday on Power Rangers”
1. Day of the Dumpster
2. High Five
3. Teamwork
4. A Pressing Engagement
5. Different Drum
6. Food Fight
7. Big Sisters
8. I, Eye Guy