YOPR: 46. To Flea or Not to Flee
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: Charity case.
Why it matters: Oh no, the Juice Bar is going out of business! Surely the buffet of free food and beverages handed out by its owner has nothing to do with that (/sarcasm). Ernie’s a fixture throughout the series but seldom gets a spotlight; even here, when his business is on the brink of collapse, he’s more ancillary to the story than a fixture of it. He’s the closest thing to a mentor that the Rangers have in their civilian lives and is the only adult with whom they frequently engage because they want to rather than having to – they, along with many teenagers in Angel Grove, choose to spend their free time at his establishment and not elsewhere. The prospect of losing such an integral part of their existence should weigh even more heavily than it seemingly comes across, but people process pain in different ways.
Episode MVP: Fighting Flea. One of the suits commissioned for use exclusively in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, this monster ends up reappearing a few times in the series (mostly as a background participant). It’s easy to see why: not only is it imbued with personality through the voice work of Rebecca Forstadt, but the costume is just simple enough to likely withstand the wear and tear of storage. It’s almost entirely one shade of red and, a few appendages aside, is more human shaped than many creatures. Despite its simplicity, the overgrown bloodsucker leaves an impression through its interactions – especially during an encounter with Bulk and Skull, who are increasingly coming face-to-face with Rita’s creations.
A good quote: “That’s one heavy-duty rash, dude.” – Alpha 5
Rating: 3/5 lost dogs
