Season One: Episodes Nine, Ten, and Fifteen

 

                For Whom the Bell Trolls. 

                                                 A collector collects collector's items. 

Sentai Notes:

     In Zyuranger, Mr. Ticklesneezer is named Dondon, who shows a young boy the wonderous actions of sucking objects into his glass container. One thing of note, in the Sentai show, the boy, Toshio, is briefly with Dondon and attacks Daizyuzin. This explains the presence of a small child in one shot of the zord battle (he's in the Megazord's shadow). 

Strategy Notes:

    Mr. Ticklesneezer provides an unusual approach to divide and conquer. In this case, capture half the team in order to conquer the Power Rangers. Now the remaining Rangers have to try to rescue Trini and Billy without causing harm. 

    Another unusual strategy is the Rangers don't destroy Mr. Ticklesneezer but instead try to reason him out of holding his goodies. 

Biblical and Mythological Homage:

    Mr. Ticklesneezer / Dondon is based on an elf: the more akin to the elves who help Santa Claus make toys instead of the elves seen at Rivendale. Apart from that, there is hardly talk on with him. 

Misc. Note:

   Title is variation of "For Whom the Bell Tones." Remarkable as there is only one bell ringing early in the episode (to dismiss class) and no trolls. 

   According to RangerWiki, writers Ronnie Sperling and Jeff Deckman didn't have this episode end as a dream. This likely came in from higher ups to make it more memorable, which also made it infamous. Not to mention, it does help explain why there are some Japanese things in the footage, including the Tokyo Tower (which to the untrained eye could be mistaken for the Eiffel Tower in Paris). At one point, Ticklesneezer captures a bullet train, even though there are no bullet trains in North America. 

  First time we meet Ms. Appleby, the teacher at Angel Grove. Unlike in high school, the Power Rangers will have her in every class throughout most of the show (less so in the later episodes). 

   Rita remarks that she never got to play with dolls growing up since she was always learning evil plots. It likely is a joke, considering how dolls didn't exist ten thousand years ago, because there was no human civilization in that time period (unless Rita Repulsa is from another planet, one whose civilization is extinct). Or not, since if human civilization didn't exist then, Rita would have been learning how to live as a cavewoman, before learning evil magic. This becomes non-canon in later seasons when we meet her father, Master Vile, and then reconned again when she is redeemed by Zordon's purification wave at the end of In Space. 

  I don't know what high school in America would have English classes discuss a day on the importance of the question mark. By the time one is a freshman, most would know what a question mark is and how to use it. 

  The episode's ending with the fleas resembles The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh episode "Tigger's Houseguest," where after the termite leaves Tigger befriends ten fleas. The fleas, as you would expect, wind up on everyone present and Tigger makes a joke about close friends. The thing of Bulk and Skull bringing a flea circus and the fleas getting to Ms. Appleby resembles it, though one has to ask why didn't the fleas hop on Bulk and Skull or anyone else who were closer? 

Thoughts. 

    It's an adorable episode, where we first meet Ms. Appleby and we see a case of a monster that wasn't evil, simply enslaved. We meet another like that in the future, but I won't say when. But I have to say it is a strange episode. 

    I wish we had hobby day in my high school. That would have been cool and it would allow us to get to know one another. Unfortunately, most of the high school classes I have been to usually focused on the subject at hand. If one was in social studies, projects concerning the topic of history or civics were done, if we were in science, the projects were related to science, etc. Considering the kind of hobbies presented, I am sure Trini would get away with showcasing her dolls, though it could also lead to teasing as she is considered old for dolls. Bulk and Skull (whom we find out were named Farkus and Eugene upon birth, which may explain why they chose these names instead) bring fleas to school, causing their teacher to scratch herself. That should have given them detention while Ms. Appleby went to the nurse. Jason's karate moves wouldn't work due to lack of space and Billy's volcano would make a big mess. At least, Zack and Kim have hobbies that appear to make sense to demonstrate. 

   The episode gets weirder everyday, especially with the knowledge of how much Japanese footage was used. Now it's becoming a game of spotting the Japanese people and items in the scenes. Most of us would have seen the Tokyo Tower and that kid, Toshiro, but what else has been detected? 

    Now I can handle the fact it's all a dream, but it does beg the question, how did Trini know what Rita was up to in that dream? How would she have known what Rita's palace looked like? 

                   Happy Birthday, Zack.

                                               Well, the episode's title explained it.

Sentai Notes: 

     The flashback scene showing the Knasty Knight fighting one of Zordon's warriors is actually a scene where the original Black Ranger, Goushi, fights Dora Knight. 

   In Zyuranger, the Knight's invincibility is added by the fact the sword was also made by a boy kidnapped into making the toughest weapon a monster could use. During the course of the battle, it is learned the sword's toughness is good when its creator is near, to whom the sword can never harm. When the Zyurangers are unable to defeat it, they teleport the boy into their mecha, allowing for them to have a chance. 

     Unlike Knasty Knight, Dora Knight never spoke. 

Strategy Notes:

   Considering there is no kidnapped boy in the picture, the Power Rangers have to power up the Megazord's shield, though the footage keeps away the Mastodon head. This comes as the Rangers realize everything they throw at their enemy is thrown right back. So they use the strategy of using the enemy's best tactics against him. 

Biblical and Mythological Homage: 

    None. 

Misc. Note. 

    It's not exactly good for business to keep a restaurant open in the late hours of the night for a surprise party and not have people come in. Allowing costumers would also spoil the surprise. 

   The lions on the shield of Knasty Knight (spelling intentional on the producers' part) are similar to the Coat of Arms of the Plantagenets, the dynasty that ruled England from 1154 to 1485. 

    A band is hired to perform, yet we hear another playing in the background. Weird. 

Thoughts. 

   Almost every show has a birthday episode so why not Power Rangers. And, how about we have it done for the Power Ranger who hasn't been having many episodes for himself lately. The Black Ranger is ideal for them both. After all, #blackrangersmatter. 

    The cheesiness of the episode goes from start to finish. I like how the issues with the cake machine affect the plans, especially with Billy close by and he and Ernie become covered in batter. At least no one is winding up with his face in it (um hem, Bulk and Skull). All the while, Zack is left thinking everyone forgot it. That is something some of us feel. Sometimes, we feel like we are not appreciated by others, until our birthday comes and suddenly our Facebook feed is covered with birthday wishes. I know that from experience. 

    Since this is before Facebook, Twitter, Twitch, and Threads, there is nothing to remind anyone of Zack's birthday, making his friends have to remember on their own. Of course, they needed no reminders and plan to surprise him at the Juice Bar, which causes a few issues. Remarkably, they pull it off and they have a nice nineties party when its all done, to a point you'd expect Will Smith to show up with Steve Irkel and you see the famous black stars together. 

    And to make for more conflict, talk about black knight to black ranger! Knasty Knight is a great villain to watch, being brutish and all, while embodying Zack's insecurities. I got to hand it to Toei for recreating a European Medieval knight look to the monster while also being close to the real deal. I mean, it turns out the actual knights in Europe during the Medieval centuries were more like brutish versions of Tony Soprano rather than Sir Lancelot. They rode across Europe in the services of their lords and kings, often ready for a fight at a moment's notice, and they also pillaged and raped their inferiors during war, or skirmishes. Knightly orders like Templar attempted to fix that, though it didn't always work, and it took the introduction of tournaments or a war with the Muslims to redirect some that energy away from the locals (like in the Crusades). Both Dora Knight and Knasty Knight play out the historical knights very well in that regard. He spends his time beating the Power Rangers, never observing any form of chivalry (unless his waiting for the Megazord to assemble counts). 

                        Dark Warrior.

                                                     Wax on, wax off. 

Sentai Notes:

    While this is an early episode in Power Rangers, Dark Warrior shows up later in the Sentai show. Unlike here, it's the Yellow Ranger who is dealing with the issue of the day instead of the blue. 

Strategy Notes:

    Barely much. Rita commits folly in growing the Dark Warrior when he is already mopping the floor with the Power Rangers. Usually when winning committing the best units is rarely necessary, let alone the best tactic. There's a chance the tide would turn and then the best move is defeated. This especially as the Dark Warrior is disarmed in less than two minutes. Of course, he uses a mace to fight the Megazord, along with a scythe. This holds off the Megazord until the Power Sword arrives. 

Biblical and Mythological Homage:

   None. 

Misc. Note:

    Dark Warrior has the looks of a ninja. 

    Billy learning karate from Jason seems to have been one idea for season one and was added into the pilot at the last minute. Notice Jason and Billy are wearing the same costumes as they did in episode one (a sharp eye in that one could even see the wrist communicators too). 

    Plenty of Asian Americans have adopted American sounding names upon arrival. Assimilation has become common in some communities, during which not only do persons descendent of immigrants speak English, but also take up American pass times: like computer games, fast food, wearing American clothes, going to rock shows, etc. Adopting names like Howard is not out of the ordinary. Plenty of Asian Americans have even gone Anglo in naming, mannerisms, and converted to Christianity upon arrival, too. So, Trini's Uncle Howard is not unusual. At the same time, it is becoming common to see Western names back in the old country. 

    Somehow Rita knows one shouldn't drink from unlabeled bottles. It is good advice to children, also, as the contents within might be poison. Now, since Goldar, Squat, and Bamboo are monsters, they might have some immunity to poison. But still, not to be imitated. 

Thoughts.

  This episode is a lesser version of "Happy Birthday, Zack" with the Dark Warrior as a slight improvement over Knasty Knight. Where the Knight was brutish and fierce, the Dark Warrior is cunning and calculating. That could explain why he was tough enough from the start, knocking the Rangers aside and causing explosions on their white diamonds on the uniforms (on that matter, I always wondered what caused those explosions and how it is the Power Rangers are never seriously hurt or killed, considering how it's directly over their hearts). He is also cunning enough to have Uncle Howard kidnapped and then use him as a hostage to lure the Rangers out, whereas the Knasty Knight simply came out and challenged the Black Ranger. 

   The episode's story is about Billy learning to get confidence, with a story about bullies proving a  pain, and it even has a better example of the victim fighting back. The problem is, Billy goes through the lessons and earns his yellow belt, only to have Bulk and Skull taken care of by Uncle Howard. This is no way for him to evolve and he'll only be the same as before.  

    Have to add that Rita acts like an abusive mother when scolding her minions in the episode. She not only chews their heads off but she is also shown beating them with her wand. When watching this, or it's source material, you'd be surprised how much they got away with showing it back then, but they only did so to show how evil she is. After all, a good leader doesn't abuse people. Now for those who call Zordon abusive, I will say his impressing teenagers into becoming Power Rangers may seem objectionable, but Zordon allows for them to have private lives and he is always understanding when they slip up. When the Power Rangers need help, he'll provide it. That is something Rita hardly ever does with her minons.