YOPR: 22. The Trouble with Shellshock
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.
22. The Trouble with Shellshock
One-sentence synopsis: Squatt and Baboo hatch their own plan to foil the Power Rangers.
Why it matters: The bumbling duo of Squatt and Baboo display some agency in a plot mostly lifted from Zyuranger, but for good reason: it’s goofy enough to fit right in with the show to which it’s been adapted. Squatt and Baboo are essentially the Moon Palace equivalents to Bulk and Skull, except they operate further in the background – and that doesn’t really ever change as the show continues, unfortunately. Here, though, they end up with the distinction of creating the first monster to take on the full six-ranger squad. That fact ends up acting as a strained mirror of sorts come Green No More in season two: the first and last monster faced by the Green Ranger is one with a shell. There’s a metaphor in there, somewhere.
Episode MVP: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. On the subject of metaphors, the writing team embraced this as an opportunity to poke fun at the franchise it would attempt to unseat in the toy aisle. “Wait ‘til those teenage mutants see what a full-grown turtle can do,” says Shellshock as he balloons to the size of a skyscraper before getting vanquished like most every other monster on the show. It’s not the first time the show referenced an existing property, nor would it even be the most meaningful string connecting the Rangers and Turtles (see: “Shell Shocked,” Power Rangers in Space). It’s a testament to the latter, though, that it was pervasive enough to be name-dropped so early in its life.
A good quote: “I should have my head examined for believing you.” – Rita Repulsa
Rating: 3/5 basketballs
