YOPR: 25. Life's a Masquerade
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 costume party with very little spandex.
Why it matters: A tip of the hat to the production team on all levels – it’s evident that a lot of fun was had at every level of this episode’s development. It revolves around a Frankenstein monster who, in the Japanese footage, is transformed into a zombie form of itself before undergoing a final transformation into a demonic creature. That footage is mined a few episodes later; for now the focus is on the very literal Frankenstein and its interactions with the team and other teens at a costume party happening at the Juice Bar. Overall, it’s a silly episode, but if you’re cognizant of the parts from which it came, it’s an incredible example of how much creative freedom those putting this show together were given.
Episode MVP: Billy. His natural inquisitiveness, not-so-subtly on display via a Sherlock Holmes disguise, reveals Frankenstein to be a monster and, not in fact, a friend. Within a span of 20 seconds he utters two of his funniest lines – “My deductive reasoning tells me you’re not Tommy” and “It’s time for molecular transmutation,” perhaps the only use of Billy’s “geek speak” that just feels right. We’ve come a long way from “Peace, Love and Woe.”
A good quote: “Go back to your tomb, Tut.” – Angela
Rating: 5/5 teenage girls thirsting over Alpha 5
