I really liked Samurai

[Garhdo]

I found a lot to like in the show. For starters the action: Samurai featured a lot of unmorphed fights - something I have always liked since MMPR, and something RPM before it had done very well. There was also a lot less of the slo-mo explosions that had plagued all of the Disney seasons including RPM. And while there was a lot of reliance on Sentai footage the use of plenty of unmorphed fights at a similar quality meant the transition wasn't as jarring as I've seen it in some other seasons. I also really liked the addition of the Mega Mode and Shogun Mode, although I wouldnt have given them all a crested shield.

As to the writing: I have no problem with the adaption of Shinkenger's plot - its a good plot, and other seasons of PR have done the same thing before (Time Force being a notable example). Deker as a secondary villain was great, and having Ricardo Medina in the role was incredible. Some of the dialogue was bad, notably Octoroo who really got on my nerves, and it continued the loud attack announcements from RPM which I wasnt a fan of (but still not as bad as it will be in Megaforce). The one-liners didnt really bother me though - RPM had them, so did every other season, and at least most of them were clever. I do agree that Bulk and Spike were underutilised, but only because their scenes were so separate to the plot. It wasnt like back in the day when Bulk and Skull were friends with the teens and they all hung out at the juice bar - I feel using the Shinken Brown plot from the Sentai could have prevented this, and it did improve somewhat in SS, but not enough IMO. Although at the end of the day they were standard slapstick for the kids, which I am fine with - My kids loved them, and they even made me chuckle. I also loved the foreshadowing of Jayden's secret, and how he felt lost after Lauren took over.

Finally the characters. I've already said I loved Deker as a secondary antagonist, and Serrator's plan was a good subplot, although a bit late in the game for my tastes. I liked Xandred and Dayu as villains however, and was a big fan of Dayu's rivalry with Mia, breaking from the Red Ranger focus we were getting with Deker and Xandred. I did love seeing Bulk back, and while Spike did at first really annoy me he grew on me fast.

As to the Rangers.... I liked them. Mentor Ji was a bit bland, but he was a good mentor for the team overall, motivating them and reminding them of their mission. Jayden is a brilliant Red Ranger and a perfect leader for the team, aware of his team's strengths and determined to overcome his own limitations to meet the challenge of the Nighlok. I liked the fact the characters all had a clear backstory and character traits that were present across the entire series. Mike and Emily stood out as my favourites among the main five, but I never disliked Kevin or Mia. Antonio was one of my favourite sixth Rangers, reminding me an awful lot of Gai in Gokaiger with the way he came to the team and his enthusiasm. And despite her brief stay with the team I was a fan of Lauren, finding her a lot warmer than both Jayden and her counterpart Kaoru Shiba.

I thought the roles were competently acted - nothing special, but they were all believable in their roles. The actors were probably on a par with or even slightly better than the original Mighty Morphin Rangers (who were really not good actors for the majority of the first series, anyone who says they were is being coloured by nostalgia). Were they as good as the Time Force actors, or the RPM actors? No of course not, but they were good for what they were, and having three PR alumni in major roles in the series certainly helped.