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So we start off at the Juice Bar which is the site for the..."Team Ninja Finals". I have no Earthly idea what this could be, but it sounds ludicrously awesome. Jason and Tommy are sparring for the finals while Zack and Billy are managing them. Jason and Tommy go back and forth over who could beat who which just annoys Zack and Billy. We get multiple sequences of the two sparring, which seems to just be a vehicle to show off both of their martial arts skills. Not to say that they aren't good or anything. Zack and Billy keep getting pissed that the two aren't working together, but I think they're overreacting a bit. The dialogue between the two seems to be more playful banter than angry arguing. Kimberly and Trini arrive, and Trini tells them they need to "gung ho", which is Chinese for "working together". Ignoring whether or not this is true, wasn't Trini's uncle back in the Dark Warrior episode Japanese? So why is she using a Chinese saying here? Feel free to insert your own racist comment here.
We cut to the moon for a moment where Rita reveals her plan for this week: Use the Super Putties from the last episode to destroy the Rangers while Jason and Tommy bicker. Even though they're barely doing that and the others are just overreacting, as though one comment to one of the others in the group is a sign that everything is falling apart. Still, good that they're reusing a plot point from another episode.
Back at the Bar, Tommy and Jason spar some more and the two start to get annoyed at the other for not following the preplanned sequences. OK, I'll admit, going into this I wasn't expecting a good plot, with two Rangers who were suddenly bestest buddies last week suddenly angry with each other, but here it's making sense. It started off as playful, competitive banter and is starting to transition to annoyance. Bulk and Skull walk in.....with Bulk dressed as a pimp, who proclaim that their ninjas will beat Tommy and Jason in the finals. Wait, you can hire ninjas now? How did I miss out on that?! The two ninjas enter the frame and start their workout. We get an awesome martial arts sequence, which actually earns a funny bit here:
Billy: They are extremely efficient.
Zack: Yeah. And they're good too.
Billy: *gives Zack a weird look*
Of course, both Jason and Tommy comment that, separately, they could beat them both. The sequence ends with both ninjas jump kicking a punching bag. Of course, it wouldn't be a Bulk and Skull sequence without something hitting one of them, so the bag swings back and clocks Bulk in the face. Good stuff.
We then head back to the moon where Finster is making the Super Putties-HEY! The Frankenstein Monster from the last episode?! What the hell?! Guys, hello, he's right there! Seriously, he isn't there for a couple of seconds and then the camera cuts away, you can see him clear as day for at least a third of this brief segment! Well, I don't remember if I mentioned this in my last review, but this episode was supposed to air before the last one. But, Halloween was closer to the previous episode's date, so they switched the two around and hoped no one would notice. So, let's just pretend we didn't see the monster...anyway, Finster makes the Super Putties and sends them to Earth.
We cut to a park with Trini and Kimberly talking about Tommy and Jason's efforts, again. Naturally, the Super Putties attack. Not surprisingly, the two get beat down. Seriously, these two still aren't good enough to beat Putties on their own without morphing, so why wouldn't the Super Putties beat them. Kimberly calls for help, and Zordon contacts the others at the Bar, who rush to the scene. They all start fighting with both sides fairly even. The Putties gain the upper hand by beating both Tommy and Jason. And remember, Tommy's the one who can take on four or five of the regular Putties alone, so that's an accomplishment. Jason gives the order to fall back and the group teleports to the Command Center.
At the Center, Zordon tells the Rangers of the "new" Super Putties. Even though we already saw them last episode. But, again, order switched, so let's move on. The Putties attack a factory, so Zordon orders the Rangers to hold them off while Jason and Tommy go on a quest to get new weapons. The other four morph out of order (Zack, Trini, Billy, then Kim), and go to fight the Putties. Zordon gives Tommy and Jason two halves of a map that will lead them to the weapons.
The other Rangers face off against the Super Putties. They use their Blade Blasters to fry them, but, of course, it doesn't work. Kimberly actually manages to cut one of them down, but it splits apart and reforms as two Super Putties. The same thing happens when Zack uses his Power Axe. The Rangers get their asses kicked some more as we move away.
We cut to some desert in the middle of nowhere, where Jason and Tommy come across the first marker, and they bicker a bit over who actually found it. Yeah, now it's getting a little ridiculous. Alpha comments on how sending the two of them on the mission was a bad idea, but Zordon says that he needs to test them to show them the value of teamwork. Look, Zordon? I'm all for testing the Rangers like this, but when the other Rangers are in immediate danger, that doesn't seem to be the best plan!
After watching the other Rangers get smacked around some and Rita gloat, Jason and Tommy come across the supposed weapons, which just look like statues of the Rangers' respective dinos. Jason comments on how easy this is. Which naturally draws the attention of the guardian of the place, a white brachiosaurus-Zord named Titanus. Remember him, we'll be seeing him again later. Titanus attacks the two, I guess because he views them as intruders or something. The two morph and try to get up the mountain where the weapons are, but Titanus causes an avalanche which knocks them back down. Jason forms a plan where Tommy distracts Titanus while Jason gets the weapons. Jason gives Tommy his Power Sword, claiming that Tommy is a better swordsman. Tommy returns the favour by transferring his gold armor to Jason. That's foreshadowing, by the way. Tommy starts a fight with Titanus, proving why he's the best sixth Ranger ever, dammit! Titanus does get a few shots in on Jason, but the armor deflects them easily. Jason eventually gets to the chest containing the weapons (which actually have Zyuranger on them).
Back with the other Rangers, the Super Putties continue to beat their asses down. Jason and Tommy arrive with the weapons, which are called the Thunder Slingers, by the by, and the group wipes out the Super Putties easily. Rita, of course, despairs and gets another headache.
Back at the Juice Bar, Jason and Tommy prep for the fight, while Zack and Billy continue to drive the teamwork point into our heads. Jason and Tommy enter the ring and the two-on-two bout begins. I won't go into details, but it is a very entertaining fight. Although I couldn't help but draw the comparisons to a tag-team wrestling match. Anyway, of course our heroes win the fight, but I really don't know why they had to hammer in the importance of teamwork so much. The two didn't even really work together until the final part of the fight. Bulk gets splashed with water for the final gag as the episode ends.
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This episode has its highs and lows. On the one hand, the fact that they needed to hammer in the message of teamwork over and over and over was really annoying. And as I've said in the past, it's not like these guys didn't have any problems working together before. No drastic problems anyway. On the other hand, the martial arts sequences were very entertaining in this episode, even moreso than usual. In the end, I'll say that this one was alright. But one problem I do have is that we never see the Thunder Slingers again. Ever. This is the only episode we see them in. Sure, they looked a little goofy, which means they wouldn't be very marketable, but how do they explain this in the story? Do they only work this one time and now the Rangers need a new solution? Did Titanus require that they be returned to him? Did Rita just stop making the Super Putties? What the hell, Saban.
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I think the Thunder Slingers would be somewhat marketable to kids, don't you? They aren't TECHNICALLY guns, and they don't look like guns, so parents wouldn't be that upset, right?
Yes, Titanus does become important later. He's another Zord, obviously we'll see him again.
No Super Putty pictures, because they look pretty much the same as regular Putties.
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