Season One: Episodes Thirteen and Fourteen.

 

                  Peace, Love and Woe.

                                                  The True Blue Episode. 

Sentai Notes:

    The episode takes little inspiration from its Sentai counterpart, but Madame Woe is Dora Raiger in the original show. She is given the power to control the wind and the waves. She uses her braids to kidnap children, in ways that should have choked them, but they wind up drowning. Of course, they all live and wind up held captive in a cauldron of water, prompting the Zyurangers to go and rescue them. 

    The Sentai version has a subplot involving crystals belonging to ancient fairies, Sunny and Rainy, and the crystals can't come into contact with one another. 

Strategy Notes:

    Rita makes a misjudgment in the fact Madame Woe captures Marge, when it works in drawing the Power Rangers out. The point of a diversion is to make it look as though your enemy's most likely to be defended location or most protected person is under attack, when your objection is something else. Madame Woe manages to use Marge as a hostage to lure out the Power Rangers, and inadvertently gets a one on one with the Blue Ranger.  

Biblical and Mythological Notes:

    The Sentai counterpart to Madame Woe, Dora Raiger, gets her name from the Dutch for "heron." In Greek mythology, a heron is a messenger from Athena (though it doesn't show up often in Homer's Odyssey). Madame Woe doesn't do the same for Rita. Another thing of the two is how they are dressed up like stereotypical Viking women, practically Valkyries. In Norse mythology, a Valkyrie is also a messenger, who comes to heroes and guide them to Valhalla. In a strange twist, Madame Woe comes to a team of heroes and takes them to a dark dimension after kidnapping Marge.  

   The episode's title comes from the three words associated with Christmas: "Peace, Joy, and Love." It comes from Galatians: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against which there is no law."[1] Saban and writer Julianne Klemm were clever enough to replace "joy" with "woe" for two reasons. One, it demonstrates the opposite of joy and does so ironically by having two positive words next to it (instead of calling it "War, Hate, and Woe", or "Wrath, Fear, and Woe"). Two, it connects with the name of the monster of the episode, Madame Woe. 

Misc. Notes:

   Marge is also the name of Homer Simpson's wife in The Simpsons, and her hair is blue. The contrast is how she winds up the mother of a genius instead of partner. 

   Jason and the others call Billy over to urge him to ask Marge out by pretending Zordon is calling them. Any idiot in the scene might have noticed how the beeping wasn't heard, but Billy doesn't seem to notice that part with his wrist communicator not beeping. 

   The way Marge says, "I'm not a Power Ranger" is said with such emotion that one can't help but think Madame Woe was  going to say, "That's what they all say!" 

   The Putties wait while Billy makes his call for help. Either they are dumb or chivalrous. 

   Madame Woe taking Marge can be a case of mistaken identity based on assumption of genders. She might have been told to wait for the Blue Ranger, saw Marge wearing blue, and assumed she was the Blue Ranger. This was years before Dino Thunder gave us Tori, the first female Blue Ranger. 

   There appears a deleted line for Zordon says, "Jason is right" when no one suggested the situation. 

   This episode aired years before Minecraft was conceived, yet the way the Power Rangers are sent to Madame Woe's dimension resembles the wabbly motions of the animation when the player enters a portal and winds up in Nether. 

    Two cakes are ruined in this episode. Bulk slams into one and Ernie falls into another. 

Thoughts. 

   "Peace, Love and Woe" is an enjoyable episode from start to finish. The episode centers around a dance and everyone suggesting Billy to ask someone out. Of course, he has no interest in dating, finding science to be his mistress. That is until Marge shows up and the two find that they have much in common. They both graduated in the Accelerated Baby Genius Program and they wear blue, for starters. Marge and Billy make a good couple. It's a shame she doesn't return again. 

   The episode also has Billy transform, going from nerd with poor social skills and zero confidence, barely able to hold off the Putties on his own, to a warrior who just manages to hold off the monster. And he gets the girl in this episode, something many nerds watching would have dreamed of in real life. I also like how the other Power Rangers are there to encourage Billy in his courtship of Marge. Jason and Zack allow him to do so on his own (unlike some men I know), while Kim and Trini offer support to him (never once acting territorial, which is refreshing). Why don't we see that in pop culture frequently?

    Given this, plus the imaginative way the title was written, "Peace, Love and Woe" makes what could be considered the unlucky thirteenth episode really lucky! It ranks high in the episodes of the first season for me and it's source material is worth of the same title. 

                     Foul Play in the Sky. 

                                          The Pink Ranger Learns How to Fly?

Sentai Notes:

     This Pink Ranger centric episode has a counterpart with Mei involved. Much of her arc in the Sentai version consists of her eating an apple left by the bad guys and falling asleep from it. This keeps her out for the most part, with most of her conflict done in a dream. Eventually, she wakes up and rescues the male Zyurangers from Dora Ladon. 

Strategy Notes:

     Much of the focus on Kim here is how she becomes like Ted Striker and fly a plane when her Uncle Steve is out, while the plane is in the air. Alpha and Zordon help out Kim in flying the plane, supplying her advice on the controls, while also contacting the airport to let them know a plane is coming. After all, strategies are not just for fighting evil. They can also be used in situations like this. 

Biblical and Mythological Homage:

    Sentai counterpart to the Snizzard is Dora Ladon, named after the dragon in Greek mythology who guarded the apples in the Garden of the Hesperides. Heracles was assigned to retrieve an apple in the said garden, and he kills the dragon using a bow and arrow. This action is repeated in both Zyuranger and Power Rangers. An alternate version of the legend has Heracles hold up the sky while Atlas retrieves the apple, sparing Ladon of his death. As you may recall, the issue with the apple that Mei bites into is an echo of Snow White, who bites a poisoned apple and goes into a coma, and is awakened in the end. 

Misc. Note:

   The episode's storyline is similar to the movie Airplane!, with Kimberly taking on the role of Ted Striker. In turn, Airplane! is based on the older film, Zero Hour! and is a parody of air disaster movies (if you're saying, "Surely, you can't be serious," I'm not; and don't call me Shirley). The premise of Airplane! is a commercial airline becomes doomed when the pilots are knocked out by food poisoning, resulting in a civilian, Striker, and his ex-girlfriend, Flight Attendant Elaine Dickenson, having to fly the plane to safety while dealing with his own trauma from a war and fear of flying. Of course, Power Rangers downscales the movie's action by using a small private plane, which is easier than a jumbo jet, and Uncle Steve wakes up in the end, while the passengers faint. 

   The set up also echoes the tragic plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper, in Feb. 03, 1959, at Clear Lake, Iowa. The plane that crashed there was also a small plane with four people on board. It's crash is attributed to pilot error and the snowstorm, not some alien tampering with the pilot's drinks. The event is called "The Day the Music Died" by Don McLean in his "American Pie", showcasing how the innocence of rock n roll was lost in that event. Thankfully, in Power Rangers, a happier ending is done with Kimberly bringing the plane to safety and the three men (well, never mind the "we admire most" part, since two of them are bullies and the third doesn't return in the future) get to live. 

   One thing introduced in the episode is Angela, the girl Zack has a hopeless crush on. He goes to ask her out, only to get turned down. Unlike the girls who appear in the show, Angela shows no interest in Zack. She turns him down when he asks her out real flat. Also unlike the others, she returns in later episodes. 

   Bulk and Skull once again venture into stalker territory by following Kimberly to an airport and then get on her uncle's plane without an invitation. Kimberly says no, but her uncle is friendly enough to welcome them in.

   There is a point near the end where Skull appears to salute someone off camera, which is implied to be that girl in leotards and yoga pants going to wash up from a work out session. If it's anything like in Mad Men, where the men are watching the women test out make-up products, and stand up to salute when Christina Hendricks' character appears and bends down in front of them, giving them a nice view of her broad buttocks, then 'nuff said. 

   Communication is a must in flight between the pilot and the tower. If a plane is not authorized to land, there could be some consequences, especially as the runway is not clear. 

   The episode shows the flaw in keeping the identity of the Power Rangers a secret wherein Kimberly abandons her uncle shortly after the plane lands. 

   According to MistareFusion [2], this episode was filmed more than once with the original subplot being like its Sentai counterpart, in which Kimberly is put to sleep also. 

   It's amazing while they are flying over Angel Grove, none of the people on board see any rubble from the monster attacks. 

   Recycled footage from the pilot appear as a flashback, with an alternate shot of Putties. 

  It's not shown how the Command Center contacted the airport and we don't get to know what happened to Uncle Steve after the plane has landed. After all, the personnel there wanted to know about that landing.

    Some random guy is seen flirting with Kimberly in the bar, showing how impressed he is to see that she piloted a plane. Imagine that. A guy is going gaga over a girl for piloting a plane and not because of her looks. Yet, Jason and Zack pretend to vomit over the scene (in stark contrast to Kim when Billy was talking to girls). Too bad this guy doesn't return and he'll be forgotten because...the next recap has the long awaited introduction of Tommy Oliver!

Thoughts.

    In 1995, Fox Kids had a Power Rangers line up aired called "Think Pink Week" (followed by the "True Blue Week") with episodes that were centered around the Pink Ranger. Among the said episodes is this one, and it breaks the mold in having a conflict not centered around the monster. In fact, the Snizzard is barely much of a threat, other than the fact he holds four of the five Rangers easily, and has to be defeated by the Pink Ranger and her bow. 

     As a kid, I never caught the influences of Airplane!, largely as I never saw it. As an adult, I can spot it easily. I really enjoy the tension of the episode in adult years, appreciating how Kimberly can solve a problem without morphing into the Pink Ranger. She can't even morph out of the plane because there are three men on board (one of whom is out from the poisoned drink, the other two wouldn't have helped if they hadn't fainted since, well, how in sam hill can you pilot a plane from the back seat, or even climb your way to the front while in flight?) I also find the simple ending the best, being that the Pink Ranger deposes Snizzard with her arrow. 

    If there were detractions in the episode, it's the introduction of Angela and Zack's unrequited crush on her in this episode. On the one hand, it develops the Black Ranger by having him venture into a love life when we only had the Blue Ranger get two girls. The fact he gets turned down by one of the only black girls on the show with lines makes Zack sympathetic (unlike with Bulk and Skull, who were bullies and therefore needed no sympathy). How many of us developed a crush on a person and tried asking them out, only to get turned down? Best of all, Zack's pursuing of Angela is done in a way to not appear like stalking, unlike with another famous black character of the nineties, Steve Urkel, whose pursuit of Laura Winslow is constant no matter how often she said no. So, it has aged like wine, whereas Urkel has aged like milk. On the other hand, the short interaction here, followed by Zack bumping into her so that milkshake can be spilled on Bulk and Skull (cue "My Milkshake"), just doesn't do it justice. 

   Even with that, "Foul Play in the Sky" is a fun episode, a perfect match for "Peace, Love and Woe" and a better way to wrap up this portion of Season One. 

[1] Galatians 5:22-3 KJV.

[2] "When Girl Power Falls Asleep" - Mighty Morphin Zyurangers. 2021.