Season One: Episodes Six and Forty-Two.

 

                            Food Fight.

     This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home. This little piggy is the new monster of the week.

Sentai Notes:

    The two episodes that make up "Food Fight" deal with Pudgy Pig coming in and eating up all the food in a grocery store. Deeper into the episode is a story of an obese family who make a bounding moment over food, even inviting the Rangers to eat with them. The subplot didn't get translated in due to the fact the show treats it as a series of fat jokes. 

    But the source material also explains how the Rangers got the food to defeat the pig. Drawing up inspiration from the Odyssey, the Zyurangers seek out the moly plant. Unfortunately, a character called Gnome has it, and he'll give it if the Rangers are willing to eat a large buffet. Boi is the one to make it through, but is slowed by the sight of carrots, and only by overcoming his fear of them can they get the plant. They then feed it to the Pig who experiences an indigestion that makes him throw up their weapons. 

Strategy Notes: 

    Considering how Pudgy Pig ate up their weapons, the Power Rangers wisely don't use their dino blasters at close range. Unable to face out this monster the conventional way, the Power Rangers have to fight hand to hand, which is moot due to him sending them away in a vortex. 

    But then a solution comes in where they must turn the monster's strength against it. Pudgy Pig is shown to be willing to eat anything (though we never see it eating people, thankfully), but draws the line at spicy foods. So, Billy deduces they could use the Pudgy Pig's appetite against it by feeding it food and then sending one with a radish inside. The plan works and the Pudgy Pig has no idea, until it gets the worst kind of heart burn. It then vomits out the weapons, allowing the Rangers to set up their Power Blaster and turn him into sausage and bacon. 

Biblical and Mythological Homage: 

   Pudgy Pig is wearing a Trojan helmet, which almost resembles that of the Roman legionnaire's helmet. The Romans did see themselves as descendants of the Trojans, as the Aeneid of Virgil describes the voyages of Aeneous from Troy to Latium. The Greeks earlier told of the Trojan War, especially in Homer's Iliad. Pudgy Pig's counterpart is called Dora Circe (pronounced "Keer-Kee", instead of "Seer-see," as commonly pronounced among Westerners) named after the witch in the Odyssey who turned Odysseus' men into pigs. The way the spicy radish makes Pudgy Pig throw up echoes an earlier legend, that of Cronus, fed a mixture of mustard and wine by Zeus, causing him to vomit out the remaining children. 

    The way Pudgy Pig and Dora Circe eat everything in sight is a clear representation of gluttony. In fact, pigs are considered a living symbol of gluttony, greed, laziness, and uncleanliness, giving how they grow fat on food and live in filth. Even as young piglets, they are seen greedy as they fight with each other over their mother's teats, while the boarish behavior off both sexes can be seen as they push and shove at each other in the pen. 

Misc. Notes:

     First of many gags where Principal Caplan's toupee coming off (yeah, this episode confirms he is the principal at Angel Grove High). 

    When the episodes first aired, this was the second episode to be broadcasted, instead of "High Five." According to MistareFusion, the quality of the episode is based on the food humor, set up by the shows on Nickelodeon where people get pied. Besides, it was common in many schools in the time to feature a food fight and that was something for kids to watch. 

    Bulk and Skull are joined by two more bullies, a black guy and a white girl, whose names are not mentioned, and they are not seen again. This is a remnant of an older idea where Bulk was to be head of a gang.  

   To the untrained ear, when Caplan says, "That's it!", it would seem he actually said, "shit!" Of course, he couldn't say that in a kid's show, but it does seem a good reason why the food fight should stop suddenly. 

    The foods on display are the following: Italian, Mexican, Asian, African-American, USA, hot and spicy, pies, and Hawai'ian. 

Thoughts. 

     This is the episode that really got Power Rangers going. They got the suit for Pudgy Pig and filmed it for a few scenes, including its eating up of the cultural foods, and blend it together with Sentai footage perfectly, while adding in humor with the food fight scene. Even the Pudgy Pig is a silly, yet worthy antagonist for the Power Rangers, given how he can eat up their weapons and have room for dessert. 

     It also has a few older charms of season one, such as Bulk and Skull making a mess at the festival, yet Jason and his friends get the blame and are made to clean up the mess. At this stage, we sort of see Caplan as a mean old man, as well as vain due to his toupee covering his bald spot. Ironically, one of the bad guys seems more modest. Finster didn't think Pudgy Pig was one of his finest when ordered to make it, but changes his mind when the battle began. 

    As to the festival, it being a fundraiser for daycare and pre-school equipment is good (but is it possible for them to do that in a juice bar, I don't know). The displays of cultured foods does seem as bit diversified as a trip to a food court in a shopping mall, while showing the older definition of cultural means splitting up American foods and making them separated from the USA. But I do like the fact Billy helps Trini with the Asian food stand, showing solidarity in the face of prejudice. Why Zack gets the African American food all by himself, I have no clue. Still, all that food looks yummy and it's a shame Pudgy Pig ate most of it up and left a mess behind. 

     Of the first ten episodes, I have to say "Food Fight" is one of my favorites.       

     And since Pudgy Pig returns, I am going to fast forward to...

                           A Pig Surprise. 

      And this little piggy returned...

Sentai Notes:

    Same footage as before, so nothing new to add. 

Strategy Notes: 

    Considering how they are facing a familiar foe, the Rangers are ready for whatever surprises Pudgy Pig has in store. As expected, he is hard to defeat the usual way. However, this time around, Pudgy Pig hands them a victory by falling in love with a real female pig, which eliminates him as a threat. Instead of fighting to destroy him, they now prepare to redeem him, as symbolized by Billy's transformation device. Guess love is the best strategy. 

    Overall, Rita uses Pudgy Pig as a diversion, allowing Goldar and Scorpina (more on her later) to come down and tackle the Rangers in their Zords. 

Biblical and Mythological Homage: 

   The clever plot twist is an homage to "Beauty and the Beast." Here, Pudgy Pig falls in love with a regular pig in a pig farm, though we don't get the music or the talking, or the angst. We do get the transformation bit from Rita playing the Enchantress and it's the Power Rangers who reverse the spell. Norman and the female pig still get together, however. It also takes a while for the sow to return her affections to Norman, which is only excused by the fact she is an animal, pure and simple, going by her instincts. Incidentally, in "Beauty and the Beast", the Beast is depicted having a boar's head.     

Misc. Notes:

    The title is a play on the phrase, "big surprise." 

   Pudgy Pig suggests he and the sow he encountered could go to the great pigsty and make bacon together. Somewhat suggestive, while also funny. Also, pigs can dance, just not in the way humans do. 

    While it's a stretch to say if pigs do fall in love, but for all the negativity associated with them, pigs are monogamous animals. They mate for life. 

    Bulk and Skull bring Norman to the Juice Bar, something Ernie complains about since animals are not allowed there (who could blame him after "Food Fight"). Caplan later brings a pig to school for educational purposes instead of setting a field trip to the farm. Only in shows like this. 

Thoughts. 

    At first glance, "A Pig Surprise" seems like a weaker version of "Food Fight" as it reuses the same battle scenes. But it improves upon the story line with the idea that an animal turned into a monster isn't really all that bad, making it tough for the Power Rangers to fight him like before. So the Rangers have to find some way to deal with him before he eats Angel Grove out of house and home, like he did before. 

    Then Pudgy Pig shows up in a pig farm and is shown in love with a female pig. The Power Rangers were smart enough to know Rita's monsters can't fall in love like that (which challenges the status quo of Power Rangers good, monsters bad), simply because inside the monster beats the heart of a pig. He even wishes he was a normal pig like her, and it comes true with the Rangers close by. It's interesting the girls comment on the interaction of the pigs, with Trini thinking it's sweet while Kim is grossed out (just wait till Tommy shows up, then Kim will be brave enough for love, to quote Jane Eyre: Musical). She only changes her mind once Norman is back to normal. The next shot of them, after he is back to being Norman, is a pretty image, seeing the female pig rubbing his snout with hers, as though they are kissing. Obviously, she was brave enough for love. It's a pity there wasn't enough time in the episode to show more of it and to really make us root for him in such manner. 

    Yet, we are compensated by the Zord battle, which has the Rangers battle for Norman's soul against Goldar and Scorpina. Another is how the episode challenges us to look inside a person rather than the outside in order to find the good in them. In Norman's case, the innocent pig inside the evil monster. It is heartwarming, also, to hear that the pig farmer decided to adopt Norman, so that the two pigs can be together to a ripe old age. Don't you just love happy endings?