Looking at Turbo and its true value to the PRU

PRangerX · 01/10/11, 08:14 PM

Turbo is generally looked down upon as one of the worst seasons of Power Rangers. Ironically Turbo actually preformed better then Zeo, a fan favorite. Zeo was pretty much a failure in terms of ratings and toy sales. Turbo actually saved the show a long with Space. People seem to forget how valuable its second half was.

First half Turbo was the real boring part of the season. It forced Justin as the main star of the show. As an attempt to captialize on the popularity of Beetleborgs at the time. Which failed since Beetleborgs was popular because of the mansion monsters, not the kids. They also failed by presenting Justin as this super genius who hanged out with College age kids. Also, nothing really happened during the first half. Half the time their wasn't any zord battles. They also tried to treat a more comedic sentai into a serious PR season. The Carranger footage made this hard.

Now Second half Turbo is when things got more interesting. Changing the cast allowed things to become fresh. All of the sudden Justin was hanging out with High School Kids. Plus he was no longer, treated like the star of the show. And really acted more like a regular kid his age. Second half Turbo also embraced Carranger's whackyness. However, the stakes were actually higher as the season went on. Turbo's finalie was one of PR's best, and really set the stage for Space. In fact Turbo's whole second half did this. Since it gave us backstory for the new Turbos that we didn't have time for in Space. Space was about Andros, we already knew who the other Space Rangers were. Turbo got the audience used to the new cast to allow for an easy transition to Space. and this really worked when it came to ratings and probably toy sales.

So in essense, Turbo's second half was actually a fine installment of the series. That was very important to the PRU. The first half is really the bad parts the people remember. Even Justin wasn't as bad in the second half.

Orange Ranger · 01/10/11, 08:31 PM

Turbo is the season I've seen the least of. I only saw the movie and both parts of Passing the Torch (which at the time, I thought it was the season opener somehow). The rest of Turbo knowledge I learned at tv.com. The only thing I found odd was that their was a ranger whose identity remained completely secret to everyone. Who is the phantom ranger? You are right that Justin was the main character for the first half at least. I don't see why people don't like him.

PRangerX · 01/10/11, 08:35 PM

"Passing of the Torch" was right after the second half opener ( PR had a summer hatius back then). Which was "Honey I Shrunk The Rangers Part 2" .

Phantom Ranger was never supposed to have an idenity. There wasn't a lot of Sentai Footage to work with. Since Carranger had no real 6th Ranger. Phantom's counterpart wasn't really a Ranger.

People didn't like Justin because they didn't like the idea of a kid Ranger. Plus it was contrived how he was written to be a super genius and was pushed as the main star in the first half.

01/10/11, 08:36 PM

Man... I remember Justin's morph how weird,a kid becomes an adult only in ranger form...
What were they thinking? Some of the first half was good ( not all through), it got much better when they changed the characters over. Zeo was a much better series ( only talking about the first half of turbo).

Kamen Rider Decade · 01/10/11, 08:38 PM

Kid into an adult sized Ranger form was not the brain child of PR. The White Ranger in the original Sentai version was a kid who became full adult height when he transformed.

PRangerX · 01/10/11, 08:39 PM

Kind of makes that first White Ranger footage we got make sense. Where Tommy morphs for the first time and gets all excited. To the point that Tigerzord crashes. I could see a kid doing something like that.

There was also a kid Ranger in Ohranger. Which is of course Zeo counterpart. So Jason's counterpart was a kid too. Kind of funny when you think of it.

01/10/11, 08:40 PM

I kinda of feel stupid now for saying what I said, I should have realized , I usually am wrong

PRangerX · 01/10/11, 08:41 PM

No, its ok. I am not exactly an expert on Super Sentai either. Besides, it was still wierd how Justin grew when he morphed. I understand why, but it was wierd.

01/10/11, 08:42 PM

That's for sure.... I can't understand that either, it kinda of works. I would have to see the white ranger morph from the super sentai show, to see how different the kids morphs are.

01/10/11, 08:42 PM

I think Zeo was great, not to take anything from Turbo, been a fan since 93 when the first show aired. But Zeo was the bastard child cuz everyone was upset of the change, but by the end of the season they got most of their fans back if not some new ones and Turbo's movie reminded people the Rangers are still here and not going anywhere.

01/10/11, 08:14 PM	#1
PRangerX Administrator Join Date: 12/04/00 Posts: 4,004	Looking at Turbo and its true value to the PRU Turbo is generally looked down upon as one of the worst seasons of Power Rangers. Ironically Turbo actually preformed better then Zeo, a fan favorite. Zeo was pretty much a failure in terms of ratings and toy sales. Turbo actually saved the show a long with Space. People seem to forget how valuable its second half was. First half Turbo was the real boring part of the season. It forced Justin as the main star of the show. As an attempt to captialize on the popularity of Beetleborgs at the time. Which failed since Beetleborgs was popular because of the mansion monsters, not the kids. They also failed by presenting Justin as this super genius who hanged out with College age kids. Also, nothing really happened during the first half. Half the time their wasn't any zord battles. They also tried to treat a more comedic sentai into a serious PR season. The Carranger footage made this hard. Now Second half Turbo is when things got more interesting. Changing the cast allowed things to become fresh. All of the sudden Justin was hanging out with High School Kids. Plus he was no longer, treated like the star of the show. And really acted more like a regular kid his age. Second half Turbo also embraced Carranger's whackyness. However, the stakes were actually higher as the season went on. Turbo's finalie was one of PR's best, and really set the stage for Space. In fact Turbo's whole second half did this. Since it gave us backstory for the new Turbos that we didn't have time for in Space. Space was about Andros, we already knew who the other Space Rangers were. Turbo got the audience used to the new cast to allow for an easy transition to Space. and this really worked when it came to ratings and probably toy sales. So in essense, Turbo's second half was actually a fine installment of the series. That was very important to the PRU. The first half is really the bad parts the people remember. Even Justin wasn't as bad in the second half.

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01/10/11, 08:31 PM	#2
Orange Ranger Ranger In Training Join Date: 10/28/12 Posts: 76	Turbo is the season I've seen the least of. I only saw the movie and both parts of Passing the Torch (which at the time, I thought it was the season opener somehow). The rest of Turbo knowledge I learned at tv.com. The only thing I found odd was that their was a ranger whose identity remained completely secret to everyone. Who is the phantom ranger? You are right that Justin was the main character for the first half at least. I don't see why people don't like him.

01/10/11, 08:35 PM	#3
PRangerX Administrator Join Date: 12/04/00 Posts: 4,004	"Passing of the Torch" was right after the second half opener ( PR had a summer hatius back then). Which was "Honey I Shrunk The Rangers Part 2" . Phantom Ranger was never supposed to have an idenity. There wasn't a lot of Sentai Footage to work with. Since Carranger had no real 6th Ranger. Phantom's counterpart wasn't really a Ranger. People didn't like Justin because they didn't like the idea of a kid Ranger. Plus it was contrived how he was written to be a super genius and was pushed as the main star in the first half.

01/10/11, 08:36 PM	#4
masked rider fearon90 Shadow Ranger Posts: n/a	Man... I remember Justin's morph how weird,a kid becomes an adult only in ranger form... What were they thinking? Some of the first half was good ( not all through), it got much better when they changed the characters over. Zeo was a much better series ( only talking about the first half of turbo).

01/10/11, 08:38 PM	#5
Kamen Rider Decade Mentor Join Date: 01/14/08 Posts: 1,370	Kid into an adult sized Ranger form was not the brain child of PR. The White Ranger in the original Sentai version was a kid who became full adult height when he transformed.

01/10/11, 08:39 PM	#6
PRangerX Administrator Join Date: 12/04/00 Posts: 4,004	Kind of makes that first White Ranger footage we got make sense. Where Tommy morphs for the first time and gets all excited. To the point that Tigerzord crashes. I could see a kid doing something like that. There was also a kid Ranger in Ohranger. Which is of course Zeo counterpart. So Jason's counterpart was a kid too. Kind of funny when you think of it.

01/10/11, 08:40 PM	#7
masked rider fearon90 Shadow Ranger Posts: n/a	I kinda of feel stupid now for saying what I said, I should have realized , I usually am wrong

01/10/11, 08:41 PM	#8
PRangerX Administrator Join Date: 12/04/00 Posts: 4,004	No, its ok. I am not exactly an expert on Super Sentai either. Besides, it was still wierd how Justin grew when he morphed. I understand why, but it was wierd.

01/10/11, 08:42 PM	#9
masked rider fearon90 Shadow Ranger Posts: n/a	That's for sure.... I can't understand that either, it kinda of works. I would have to see the white ranger morph from the super sentai show, to see how different the kids morphs are.

01/10/11, 08:42 PM	#10
Enforcer1 Shadow Ranger Posts: n/a	I think Zeo was great, not to take anything from Turbo, been a fan since 93 when the first show aired. But Zeo was the bastard child cuz everyone was upset of the change, but by the end of the season they got most of their fans back if not some new ones and Turbo's movie reminded people the Rangers are still here and not going anywhere.