I really like RPM

I personally like RPM. It was the first I have watched ever since I got back in to it because of friends getting me in to the Super Sentai Fandom. I like Ziggy and Dr K, and the way their relationship grew. With the members of Venjix Network I love, really love General Kilobyte. Yeah sure hes a bit sexist, but I think hes pretty awesome. I wished they had him in more fighting scenes, because hes brilliant. I adore Crunch as a Comic relief as well as Ziggy. Hes just a hyper, zany lovable goofball.

Well, this certainly ain't the kids' Power Rangers, is it!? RPM, like Dino Thunder, was a season with much critical acclaim from the fandom and I was heavily intrigued about watching it. But honestly...I still don't think I was prepared for it! I have to say, I was at a loss for words while watching "The Road to Corinth", the most intense premiere of the franchise. I don't think I've ever been more amazed while watching an episode of PR since the premiere feels nothing like PR. Hell we don't even see the first 3 rangers until the very end of episode, yet everything leading up to it is stellar in terms of set-up and plot movement. While still filmed in New Zealand, the production team do a remarkable job of introducing us to this bleak, post-apocalyptic world in the same vain of Mad Max or Terminator. Right off the bat, I noticed the significance of the direction and cinematography, which is unlike anything I've seen on PR before. It's almost like watching a sci-fi thriller on the big screen, which is what this season essentially is: A sci-fi thriller that just happens to have Power rangers in it and I couldn't be more happy about it!

I'm not gonna lie, the tone and feel of RPM is so jarring at first. Sure we've have dark seasons before like In Space and Time Force, but RPM's initial presentation makes those seasons seem pretty light in comparison, which is shocking! While the first three rangers are teased, the bulk of the premiere centers around Dillon, an amnesic badass (Wolverine inspired I'm sure) and Jiggy, a comic foil for him. Immediately both characters make a great impression with scenes that just pop with great one liners and some of the most mature dialogue I've ever heard from this franchise. Again, am I really watching Power Rangers here!!? "Fade To Black" features more on the mystery around Dillon, with a shocking and impressive prison fight scene and "Rain" sees him officially becoming the fourth member of the team as Ranger Operator Series Black. Freed from prison thanks to Dillon, Jiggy hilariously joins the team as the fifth ranger in "Go For Green". These episodes really show just how serious yet genuinely hilarious this season is. In fact, the first 15 episodes or so are nothing short of brilliant! Never have I seen a kid's show strike the perfect balance between dark storytelling and marvelous comedy! The best moments are without a doubt the scenes that feature the funniest deconstruction of Power Rangers I have ever seen. From Dillon's making fun of the brightly colored spandex ("Rain) to Scott asking about why the zords have ridiculous eyes on them ("Ranger Blue") to Flynn asking why they have to yell out their morphing call to Ziggy's priceless rant about random explosions after he morphs. ("Rain") I've never laughed so hard during Power Rangers before with clever writing and witty self aware humor worthy of a prime time drama/sitcom, not a kid's show! What is also pretty amazing is the effort put into the characters' backstories and character development. "Ranger Green" tells us of Jiggy's shady dealings with Corinth's mafia but ultimately revealing he was a selfless, good natured man who gave away stolen medical equipment to a home full of terminally ill children. "Ranger Red" shows how Scott is still dealing with his brother's tragic death during the Battle of Corinth as well as him desperately wanting to leave up to his father's admiration, seemingly favoring his dead brother ("Hero Among Us") "Ranger Blue" is a triumphant tale of Flynn's Scottish origins from his childhood longing of being a superhero to failing throughout his life to accomplish that goal until he arrives in Corinth with his father and rushes out to save various innocent lives during the Battle of Corinth. "Ranger Yellow", Parts 1 and 2 details the journey from Summer's stuck up spoiled days as a rich heiress to her shocking abandonment and loss of her butler during the ensuing battle for humanity. Making a promise to her parents prior to arriving in Corinth, she nearly marries into another rich family before rediscovering her life-changing purpose of being a ranger. She even manages to change her parents and makes them realize they need to embrace a more humble life.

Then there's Dr. K, possibly the most fascinating character/mentor of the PR franchise. Impeccably intelligent yet robbed of her childhood at a very young age by being forced into an isolated government strong hold (hilariously called "Alphabet Soup") , "Doctor K" is the boldest and most tragic episode I've not only seen in this franchise, but one of the most potent backstories I've seen on a TV show, movie, etc. It's truly heartbreaking and sad knowing how she was lied to as a child about having an illness to sunlight, only to find out that she had no such thing as a teenager. The revelation that she created Venjix out of revenge is both astonishing yet understandable. It's unfortunate her need for vengeance ended up causing humanity's extinction but superb storytelling none the less. It's because of her breathtaking backstory, you sympathize better with Dr. K immensely despite her cold disposition and casual insults toward the rangers as well as others. Gem and Gemma, who were introduced during Dr. K's backstory, are also well developed characters, who are reintroduced as Ranger Gold and Silver in "Ghost" and "In or Out". While most fans might find them particularly grating and annoying personality wise, I find their characterizations just as psychologically fascinating as Dr. K. Sure, their naivety and over the top enthusiasm for violence can be a bit much, but considering they were abused by the government and were robbed of their childhood as well, it makes sense. Not to mention, Mike Ginn and Li Ming Hu have such great chemistry and comedic timing it's hard not to laugh during their scenes whatever you might think of them as characters. While he doesn't get an episode centered around him like the others, Dillon's story is actually the secondary major plot of the season. I absolutely love Dillon! He's a classic action hero, delivering unforgettable one lines before kicking a$$. My favorite would have to be after his first morph in "Rain":

Dillion: "You take care of big ugly, I'll handle the grinders"

Summer: "But Dillon...."

Flynn: "There has to be hundreds of them."

Dillion: "I know. Venjix should have sent more!" *Charges into battle*

Holy Crap!...Tommy who??

Apparently, prior to meeting Jiggy in the wasteland, he and his blind sister were captured among many other humans who were infected by Venjix's virus, which is slowly turning him into a machine. Throughout the season, Dillon rediscovers he has a sister and is on a mission to find her. Before I go any further, I realize Dillon's story with his sister is nearly an exact copy of Andros/Astronema's story (especially the way Tenaya 15 looks like Astronema post cybernetic implants) But I have to say, I wasn't really bothered by it as much as I thought. While I prefer the In Space version, the acting for this version is easily better and I was so engrossed by the various other stories throughout the season that it's a minor flaw in a near flawless narrative. Also, while being very similar, the circumstances are different. Astronema was kidnapped and raised evil while Tenaya was captured and transformed to a human/robot hybrid. Also, it's all in the presentation. The flashbacks of Dillon and Tenaya's fight to escape Venjix's palace are frightening and surreal. Also, the fact she was blind makes it even more disturbing. Tenaya herself is an excellent villain, sassy and snarky while being entertaining and fun to watch. I also enjoyed Killobyte, though a bit underused. His relentless misogyny and manipulation of Tenaya was great, making for an adequate final general of the season. General Crunch and General Shifter don't much make of an impression but are serviceable I suppose. Venjix is an unstoppable badass! While not having much personality, he doesn't really need one. He's certainly one of the most powerful and intimidating villains of the franchise considering he nearly destroyed the world. His physical encounters with the rangers were intense and brutal. Even if the rangers managed to beat him in battle, Venjix as well as the other villains were always one step ahead of the team, always having a back up plan that nearly succeeded if the rangers didn't discover them in time. It's because of the incredible continuous story arc that made all the storylines work and come together nicely, recycled or not!

Alongside Time Force, this is arguably the best acted season of the franchise! I love the dynamic of these characters. Never have scenes in PR felt so natural and effortlessly performed. There are just too many memorable scenes like the Q&A between Dr. K, the rangers and group of children in "Ranger Yellow", Part 1, Dr. K's awkward displays of affection to the rangers in "Prisoners", Dr. K's hilarious discussion with Summer about her affections for Dillon and Scott, Flynn and Gemma's weirdly adorable team up in "Not So Simple", etc. The interaction between the characters never feels forced as well as their personalities. Jiggy is by the most successful attempt at a comedic character the writers have ever done, Dillon is a solid brooding character with layers, Scott is a flawed yet heroic leader, Summer is a compassionate, strong female lead and despite a sometimes distracting accent, Flynn is completely relatable. I am surprised by how young the actress for Dr. K was during filming of the season!!! Seriously, her onscreen presence and performance is beyond her years! Such superb acting there! I also like the fine touches of romance we get with Summer and Dillon as well as Jiggy and Dr. K, all feeling authentic and heartwarming. The writers even manage to put in some subtle nods to RPM's Sentai counterpart "Go-Onger" for those hardcore fans. Speaking of Go-Onger, RPM is an astonishing far cry from it's source material with Go-Onger being a light-hearted, whimsical animal car racing show. Like other great seasons In Space and Lost Galaxy, a couple of elements are adapted from their counterparts but the US version is completely different and darker in plot. Head writer/show runner during the first half of the season, Eddie Guzelian does a tremendous job of creating an ambitious story despite borrowing from popular sci-fi franchises. While not as flawless as the first half, praised PR writer Judd Lynn returns to finish off the season with a strong second half regardless. I also enjoyed the little touches like the sounds of the Grinders (the foot soldiers of the season), the absurdity yet hilarious techno babble of Dr. K and the car screeching effect when the rangers run or stop. The darkest and most mature season of the franchise, RPM reminds me of those classic kid's shows from the early 90s like "Batman: The Animated Series". Despite some silly looking zords, there's almost nothing cheesy here. The monsters (or Attackbots I should say) have no stupid puns for names and barely talk, having set missions they must carry out. The stakes have never been higher with humanity's survival literally lying in the hands of the rangers as they protect the only city left on the Earth. Unlike the previous 16 seasons, there is little to no filler or room for childish antics with the exception of "And...Action" and "If Venjix Won". Its a stunning serialized structure comparable to 24 or Season 4 of Angel. For PR, that's an amazing accomplishment! Almost the final season of the franchise, the writers truly pulled out all the stops in all areas of the show like the writing team of In Space did in the Saban era. It's a shame Disney didn't promote their last season with Power Rangers at all! Watching this season seriously had me thinking "where the hell was I Saturday mornings in 2009!?" It's a season of PR to be proud of and one you should introduce to new fans who think the show is just for kids! RPM is a 32 episode masterpiece that I don't think the franchise will ever top....at least until the show finds itself on the brink of cancellation again during this currently sad Neo Saban/Saban Brands era.

Oh and THEY ARE NOT SPANDEX!!


Best Episodes

1. The Road To Corinth

2. Doctor K

3. Ranger Blue

4. Fade To Black

5. Rain


Final Morph: A+

I recently finished watching RPM, and I've gotta say it's easily one of my favorite seasons. The story was great as were the characters, and the acting was some of the best I've ever seen on Power Rangers. Plus, Dr. K's story was one of the few things in the series that actually made me cry.