Command Center Commentaries: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Season 1- Part 1

I decided that the original version of Command Center Commentaries was a little drawn out for my liking. Doing a 12 part review of 1 season of Power Rangers just seemed a bit excessive. Here, we're looking at a bit more condensed look at the show. I'll be highlighting the episodes that truly matter for every season, including pilots, multi-parters and the best filler episodes, and finales. Think of it like each post will be about a disc on the Shout! Factory DVDs. The episodes in each post will be available on that particular disc. Like here, the first disc of season 1 has 10 episodes, so I'll be covering the highlights of the disc. I could end up talking about 5 episodes, maybe just 3, maybe all 10. It really all depends on the quality of the episodes. I'll also be covering the most important characters, the best themes of the show, and the overall aesthetic qualities that can make or break a season of Power Rangers.

With Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, it's easy to see that the original premise crossed Saved by the Bell with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Godzilla movies. With no other show like that on TV at the time, it's easy to see how it was a hit for children. With the first batch of episodes, what was the initial positive tone that was established? What specifically about these episodes drew the viewers in and kept them hooked? That's what I'm here to find out.


Episode 1- Day of the Dumpster: The first episode of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is easily one of my favorite nostalgia trips of the '90s. I have this entire episode memorized from the camera shots, to the lines of dialogue, and it's always able to put a smile on my face. From the first time you hear the theme song, to meeting the Rangers for the first time, to their first encounter with Bulk and Skull, to their first morph, to meeting Zordon and Alpha, to summoning the Zords. Everything in this episode works and it really sets the standard on how to open your Power Rangers season. It's an episode that demonstrates how the show can be both epic and cheesy in the best way possible.

Episode 2- High Five: The first important filler episode of the season, the problem of the day for the teens is that Trini is afraid of heights. Obviously, she's put in a situation where she masters the fear, so that's good for her character growth. The episode also marks a rare occasion where Jason fights the giant by himself in his Tyrannosaurus Zord. The episode also introduces Billy's tech savvy by inventing the communicators, thus helping the Rangers teleport to the Command Center. This episode has a lot of strengths going for it, and, while filler, actually picks up from the pilot to establish the status quo for a lot of elements that are synonymous with this season and Power Rangers in general.

Episode 6- Food Fight: Food Fight is one of those episodes that are so bad, that it's good. It has a textbook example of Rita's most ridiculous monsters with the Pudgy Pig and an overall silly episode presence for the teens with a food fight erupting at their International Food Fair. The food fight is one of the more fun and memorable scenes from the Power Rangers canon, and it's an overall harmless filler episode. I really like it and I think every fan deserves to watch it as a reminder that the show can still be enjoyable at the perfect level of campiness. 

Episode 8- I, Eye Guy: We finally get to an episode that develops one of my all-time favorite Power Rangers characters, Billy. We see his intelligence on display, as well as the lengths he goes to protect and encourage his young friend (Brother? Cousin?) Willy. Plus, I've always loved the design of the Eye Guy monster and we get great comedic bits involving Bulk and Skull. It's a fun filler episode that is worth a look (pardon the pun).

Episode 10- Happy Birthday, Zack: Something about this episode really works. There's time dedicated to both the teen's dilemma of keeping Zack's birthday party a secret, while also showing Zack's disappointment in thinking his friends forgot, and spending tons of time showing the Rangers in action against the Knasty Knight. The Knight is one of my favorite monsters in Power Rangers history, easily destroying their weapons and proving to be a formidable opponent in combat. By this point, it's easily the toughest challenge the Rangers have faced and it certainly makes up for some of the lesser episodes that have come before it. I think this is a turning point for the series, finally hitting that groove that gives the proper balance of the main characters lives as Power Rangers and as teenagers.

Character Spotlight: Jason Lee Scott, played by Austin St. John

The original Red Ranger, Jason holds a soft spot in the fans of '90s kids for obvious reasons. As far as main characters go this season, he undergoes the least development but that's because he doesn't really need any. He's strong, courageous, and looks out for his team. What more could you want in a team leader? That being said, with the nostalgia goggles off, there have been other Red Rangers throughout the years that I enjoy more. But I would include Jason as the number 5 in my top 5 out of respect for the original.

Season Spotlight: The Villains

The villains for the season are pretty one-dimensional, but not in a bad way. You get that they spent an awfully long time imprisoned in a space dumpster and that they want to take over the world. Each villain plays a unique role in the episode. Rita Repulsa is the main baddie, pulling the strings of all her evil minions. She gets headaches whenever she loses, so she must have a Costco sized supply of Excedrin on her Moon Base. The rest of her cohorts are pretty easy to explain. Goldar is her general, usually the one that fights the Rangers the most, and also proves to be equally as unsuccessful. Squatt and Baboo and are her bumbling comic relief characters that serve no other purpose than to be her versions of Bulk and Skull. Finster makes the monsters of the day, the monsters of the day are the main villain that needs to be destroyed in 20 minutes, and the Putties are her expendable foot soldiers. They're not the best villains in Power Rangers history, in my opinion, but they are some of the most memorable since they were the first.

However, things were about to change for the better when it comes to memorable villains, and we'll get to that next time. Make sure to come back for Part 2...


Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and images are copyrighted by Saban Entertainment

Welcome to the Guide

You're probably familiar with my blogs at this point if you like movies or pro wrestling, but there's a much bigger picture out there when it comes to TV shows. Nowadays, shows can be a 12-hour epic movie told in the span of 3 months, or they can be simple comedies with a 30 minute status quo. Here is the main difference between dramas and sitcoms. I love both, and there are so many to choose from across the decades.

For me, I love shows like Breaking Bad, Firefly, Friends, Boy Meets World, The Walking Dead, and Sons of Anarchy more than I do some of the big blockbuster movies we have nowadays. Naturally, I can only express how I feel about them in writing. The way it'll work is that each review will cover a block of episodes from a show's season, usually anywhere from 3 to 5 episodes. Over the course of the season, there will also be spotlights showcasing the show's greatest assets, such as characters, themes, aesthetics etc.

We're gonna begin this journey into the world of television by highlighting the first show I ever fell in love with: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. This will also serve as the introduction to a very long-running series on the franchises 20+ year history. Why Power Rangers? I'll explain a bit of that next time, but to sum it up, I was a '90s kid and that was the series that I enjoyed the most.

So, I hope you enjoy my little TV Guide blog and if you have any requests or thoughts, be sure to leave a comment and show your support.

Happy reading and viewing,

Fowler