Power Rangers Super Samurai 'Trading Places'

What Happened

As the Fire Ferrets prepare for the Pro Bending championship match, Amon issues a warning to Republic City that they must cancel the event.  Korra and Lin convince the council to let the match continue.. Wait, this isn't right.

"With my last breath, I curse Tarlock!"

What Worked

-Anytime this series makes reference to the past or foreshadows future events I must award it a gold star.  We were treated twice this episode with Switchbeast mentioning his boss, who i'm assuming will be Serrator (thanks Clash of the Red Rangers!), and Mike recalling a past monster fight.

-The whole trapping people in objects schtick reminded me of the Mighty Morphin' days, and not in a bad ways. 

 -Most of the body switching gags were admittedly pretty amusing.  Adding a sense of urgency with the cat eating Antonio and Bulk on the wrong side of a boot helped the momentum of the episode.  

-Say what you will about Alex Heartman, his performance as Jayden as a lawn gnome was impeccable.

Some comment about the wooden performances in 
Samurai are probably in order.

What Went Wrong

-This felt like a half-hearted attempt at a Mike focus episode.  It seems a little weird that the Ranger characterized as the loner would be apprehensive about fighting nearly solo.  Maybe it could have been about Mike becoming so reliant on others after joining the team that he needed a situation like this to break his overdependence.  Or maybe i'm making too much out of that scene.

-There goes Ji again, overlooking the female Ranger in favor of giving Mike the power up.

-I don't think Mike thought through the possible rammifications of putting the soul of a monster of the week in a Ranger body.  Thankfully Switchbeast was too stupid too summon a Zord or Symbol Power a portal to the Sanzu River or something.

-As with Shell Game, I feel the biggest flaw with both episodes is how unremarkable and forgettable they are.  Once could argue that describes Samurai and Super Samurai as a whole, but this string of episodes in particular leave very little to reflect on.  Other than Kevin wearing a tutu, of course.

I'm really looking forward to episode 30 to see if 
Kevin's choice has to do with his lifestyle.

Wait, What?

-According to Emily, the power of the Black Box allowed Mike and herself to pilot the Megazord by themselves.  Nevermind the fact that the team had reverted back to normal already and could have joined in the fight.

What to Remember

-Super Samurai Mode (Green) Debut

Bottom Line

Super Samurai fanatics aside, you'll probably find yourself wishing you could trade places with someone watching a different program.

2 bananas out of 5

Power Rangers Super Samurai 'Shell Game'

What Happened

The Rangers must defeat a new foe with an impenetrable shell before he destroys the city.  Without the aide of Antonio, the team must rely on teamwork and the new Super Samurai mode to defeat the Nighlok.

This is 'Fran picks up Lilly's Solar Morpher' level of cruel 
teasing.

What Worked

-I thoroughly enjoyed the fight sequence with Armadeevil.  The different tactics used by the Rangers helped prevent the monster fight from becoming another by the numbers brawl.  The different elemental attack combos were great.

 -Some of the physical comedy from Bulk and Spike, as well as the visual gags involving an unaware Antonio made for some genuine humor. 

Ladies and gentlemen, your 6th Samurai Ranger.

What Went Wrong

-This episode began with another clumsy attempt at foreshadowing the events of the episode.  Still not quite as as obscene as the intro to I've Got a Spell on Blue.

-The Bulk and Spike subplot was frustrating.  It was a funny concept, but as the episode wore on I realized nothing significant would come of it.  They were basically an excuse for Antonio to not have his morpher.  They served their purpose for the episode, but there were so many more potential yuks to be had.

-Antonio really looked like a dunce, sitting there fishing while the city was engulfed in flames behind him.  Minor point.

The yellow, hanging non sequiturs make their triumphant 

return.  Continuity!

What to Remember

-Super Samurai Mode (Blue) Debut

Bottom Line

The missing phone and missing Ranger was a sleight of hand designed to trick you into believing that Shell Game was anything other than filler.

2 bananas out of 5

Power Rangers Samurai 'Room For One More'

What Happened

Antonio shows up to officially request to be added to the Samurai team.  Mentor Ji and Jayden are skeptical of whether or not he is ready to be part of the team, as he has not recieved proper Samurai training.
When a Nighlok is sent into the city, Ji confiscates Antonio's morpher and the Rangers face off the monster without him.  The five find out they're not strong enough to defeat the monster.  Later, Mia and the rest of the team help convince Jayden that Antonio is ready to be the 6th Samurai Ranger.
The Rangers meet up with the returning Nighlok.  Together, the six fight together and defeat the monster.  When the monster grows, they combine the Megazord with the Octozord and win the day.

Really worried for that pillow.

What Worked

-Another well timed and genuinely funny dream sequence from Spike.  But yet again it feels totally out of place in this show.

-The villain was cool and kind of menacing.  The fight scenes involving him overall were pretty solid.

-Antonio definetly adds some much missed personality to the main character roster. We see some of his backstory, and his showboating attitude has carried over from his debut.  Moments like trying to find a place to stand during the roll call and the 4th wall breaking slow mo replay works well for the character.

Someone left this perfectly good plot device in the forest.

What Went Wrong

-They really shook things up this episode by giving Xandred something to do.  Swatting at hanging yellow monster ball things.

-Mentor Ji didn't win any popularity points in this episode.  I could maybe understand him wanting the Octozord back, but where does he get off taking Antonio's morpher?  It's not like that would've stopped him from just building another one.

-The flashback stuff was just awful.  Putting aside the acting (c'mon, they're just kids), it added very little to what we had already seen.  I also find it amazing that samurai training consists of repeatedly beating a dummy with a wooden sword without any form or grace.

-Lets break down how Antonio became the Gold Samurai Ranger.  In his own words, it wasn't very hard. Antonio and Jayden meet as children.  Antonio trains alongside Jayden and they vow to become Samurai someday.  When Antonio leaves, Jayden gives him the Octozord without telling Ji.  So far, so good.
So then this kids grows up to be a traveling fisherman, who has nothing to his name but a few fishing polls, a tank, some exploding fish, and a squid robot.  Somewhere during this time he becomes techie, and also taught himself to be a better swordsman than any of the other Samurai Rangers.  Turning into a bit of a stretch, but moving forward...
So he finds a cell phone in the forest and figures out he can speak to the Octozord through texting.  Shorty afterwards, he was somehow able to construct a functional morpher based on things Jayden told him as a child and studying the Octozords systems.  So the self taught master swordsman tech junkie genius who created his own connection to the morphing grid traveling fisherman decides to rejoin his friend Jayden in his fight against the Nighloks.
It wasn't very hard.

-To be a samurai you must trained in the samurai way by a samurai.  It is the way of the samurai, young samurai.  Ya know, throughout the series they never really specify what it means to be a samurai or why it's so great.  It's just a word that's thrown around, and a lazy excuse to not add Antonio to the team.  I don't suppose they could be reluctant to let him join for some legitimate reason, like being over enthusiastic and unpredictable in battle.  Or the fact that being a wandering fisherman doesn't inspire immediate trust or feelings of reliability.

-The last fight sequence was cool and all, but why did it only take Jayden and Antonio to defeat the monster?  From a character standpoint it was kind of cool to see the two of them finally fight together like they dreamed about as kids.  But the entire episode is based around the idea that they need a 6th Ranger to tip the balance of power back in their favor.  And it's not like they even gave the other 4 something to do, they literally just disappear for a few minutes.  Not even a reaction shot.

Traditional Samurai BBQ

What To Remember

-Octo Spear Megazord debut

Bottom Line

Antonio brings some much needed enthusiasm to the show, but little else.

1.5 bananas out of 5

Power Rangers Samurai 'Unexpected Arrival'

What Happened

The Rangers respond to a tripped samurai alarm in the city. The monster is nowhere to be seen, and the Rangers question whether or not there was a monster at all. When they return to base, they recieve a message attached to an arrow, 'See you soon.' Later that night, Jayden senses the presence of a Nighlok at the base.
The next day the Rangers search the city for the Nighlok. Jayden goes to the docks while the other four come across a fisherman handing out fliers. They realize his fliers have the same handwriting as the letter and the fisherman flees. Meanwhile, Jayden uses water to prevent the Nighlok from spying on him and draws him out.
The Rangers join Jayden and they fight the monster together. When the monster becomes too much for them, the fisherman appears and morphs into the Gold Samurai Ranger. They overpower the monster, and when he grows Gold uses his Octozord to help destroy him. After the battle, Jayden realizes the Gold Ranger is his childhood friend, Antonio.

Behold the quick reflexes of the samurai.

What Worked

-So for the first time we don't get Bulk or Spike. Honestly I hadn't realized it until I saw someone else mention it, which I guess says something about their role on the show. From a pacing standpoint, it helps when you don't have completely unrelated scenes shoehorned into an episode.

-We see Jayden become a little unhinged, which was a refreshing change of pace from what we've seen so far. His accidental discovery of how to draw out the Nighlok was well done, but I don't think a flashback to something we saw a minute ago was necessary.

-Steven Skylar as Antonio is.. interesting. I'd like to see his performance with a better script in hand, I do think he delivers the lines pretty well. His character has a certain appeal, I liked the way he really plays up the theatrics of being a Ranger. I'm looking forward to seeing how his personality effects the chemistry of the team

-Say what you will about how illogical it is to have an armored power up mode for standing in a zord cockpit, Gold's Mega Mode is just gorgeous to look at it. It makes me wish more and more that before this series is over we get some fight scenes with the Mega Mode armor. It's just too cool looking to not use.

-There was a nice little moment at the end foreshadowing what upcoming episode synopses imply, which is that Kevin and Antonio will be butting heads in the future.

When I grow up, I wanna be a Ranger. And American.

What Went Wrong

-How stupid do these Nighloks have to be to constantly trip these samurai alarms randomly placed around the city?

-"He's so sparkly!" I just don't get what they're going for with Emily's character. Are they trying to write her as unintelligent? Are we supposed to find it funny? Is it too much to ask for an intelligent, strong female role model in this show?

-Man, I loved the the whole 'message on an arrow' callback to the first episode. Ya know, the one that never aired.

-Speaking of Antonio's introduction, I was kind of disappointed they showed us who he was right upfront. There was no mystery whatsoever, even though the rest of the episode tried playing it as if there was some kind of mystery.

-Usually when a 6th Ranger joins the team, it's an event. This felt more like business as usual but with a new guy randomly deciding to show up. If there was a little build up to his introduction it would have really helped. Maybe swap Antonio for the random and useless fisherman from 'A Fish Out of Water' to tease the audience. Have last weeks episode end with them receiving the message on an arrow. Something.

Shippers, on your mark. Ready. Get set. GO!

What To Remember

-Jayden and Antonio were childhood friends

-Gold Ranger debut

-Octozord debut


Bottom Line

An average 6th Ranger debut that doesn't quite live up to the gold standard.

3 bananas out of 5

Power Rangers Samurai 'Jayden's Challenge'

What happened

While Jayden is away, the Rangers spend their time recuperating from the last battle. During their downtime Kevin designs a new zord configuration that combines the Megazord with the Battlewing.
While walking around on his own, Jayden comes across a crying child in the park. The kid says he misses his Father, and Jayden comforts him by explaining he feels the same way. Shortly after, the Nighlok from before shows up and attacks Jayden.
Despite not being at full strength, the Rangers charge into battle to help Jayden. Together they morph and destroy the Nighlok and Moogers. When the Nighlok grows, the Rangers use Kevin's new zord formation to deafeat the monsters and save the day. All 5 Rangers return to base as a team.

These scripts aren't even in English

What worked

-The seldom seen unmorphed fight scene returns this episode. Aside from some melodramatic line delivery and Kevin's not so subtle asian stunt double, it was well choreographed and exciting to watch.

-Although the Bulk and Spike scenes return to 'totally unrelated to the rest of the episode' status, Spike's Pink Ranger fantasies continue to be a source of amusement.

-For the first time this season Xandred sobers up and leaves his ship. It was nice to see Xandred go toe to toe with Deker, and learn that Deker can pass back and forth between realms because he is half human. Does this mean Dayuu is half human as well?

-Giant Moogers are cool. Flying Giant Moogers are cooler!

-I enjoyed Jayden's moment with the kid at the park. Finally we delve into his history! And although they didn't reveal that much, it was important to have a moment where the audience can connect with the character. Those don't come by very often in this show. The paper airplanes served as a creative transition between past and present, and just in general it was a warm, touching moment.

(pictured above)
The exact moment I realized how inconsequential this 2 parter was

What Went Wrong

-I guess those yellow hanging monsters things are here to stay. I just want to know why.

-So much unnecessary inner monologue in this episode.

-Can anyone tell me what Jayden's challenge actually was? That he has to learn to work with his team mates at the risk of them getting hurt? If that's the case, this episode came way too late in the season.

-If I wanted to face Xandred alone and keep my friends out of harms way, I would have grabbed everyone's Samuraizers when they were alseep and left in the middle of the night. In fact, that would have really heightened the tension at the end. Even when injured and without their morphers, the rest of the team will still run into battle at Jayden's side.

-On the surface I like that they took the time to set up the new zord formation. But the more I think about it the less sense it makes. Put aside the fact that the zords were somehow capable of combining into the exact formation Kevin dreamed up in his sketchbook. Did none of the previous Rangers think to do this? They thought far enough to combine the auxiliary zords to make the Battlewing, but never combine the Battlewing and the Megazord?

-The central problem here is that the two parter is centered around Jayden leaving the team. But in the end he was gone for less than a day, and we don't see any consequences for Jayden's actions. No shift in the team dynamic. No mentor struggling to keep a fractured team from falling apart. They didn't even have to come together in the end to beat a particularly more powerful monster. Jayden just needed some time to himself to sort stuff out, which is fine. Just don't make it a two parter.

I don't want to put my friends in danger...
...so I will stand here and continue monologuing

What To Remember

-Deker is half human, which allows him to cross between worlds

-New henchmen: Giant Flying Moogers

-Battlewing Megazord introduced

-Jayden misses his Father, implying he's no longer alive

Bottom Line
Without stakes or ramifications, Jayden's Challenge may very well challenge your patience.

2.5 bananas out of 5

Power Rangers Samurai 'Test Of The Leader'

What happened

During a Mooger attack, the Rangers hear a sinister voice calling for Red Ranger. They learn that Master Xandred has returned. After the battle, Master Ji explains that there is a special Symbol Power that can re-seal Xandred.
When the other Rangers find out that only a Red Ranger from the Shiba family line can seal Xandred, they agree that protecting Jayden is top priority. Jayden insists that nothing has changed and everyone can take care of themselves.
The alarm sounds and the Rangers encounter Xandred's latest monster. The Rangers are all but beaten until Deker shows up and sends the monster away. Deker challenges Jayden to a duel, and takes Jayden down with ease. Deker leaves the Rangers beaten, promising to return when Jayden is at full strength.
The episode ends later that night with Jayden leaving the other Rangers to handle things 'his own way.' To be continued.

Finally, a character I can relate to

What worked

-The action sequences were really well integrated into the US footage. The Mexican Standoff between Jayden, Deker and the Nighlok was probably the best fight we've seen so far.

-I found myself really enjoying the Bulk and Spike moments in this episode. In a different season, I think the talents of these two would be put to much better use. Thankfully, we're finally starting to see more interaction between them and the Rangers. It really helps meld the show into a cohesive whole.

-Deker is a walking cliche, but he's a cliche that works. His debut has really benefited the show, which up until this point has lacked any kind of menacing major villain. He's mysterious, threatening, and I like that he doesn't work for Xandred. Throwing in a second villain with his own agenda changes the dynamic and makes for a much more entertaining show.

-The cliffhanger was executed well and leaves me eager to see the story continue. I wish this was done on a more regular basis.

Those hanging non sequiturs really bring the room together

What Went Wrong

-What was up with the random infestation of hanging sunflower monster head things? A callback from the premiere that has yet to air? A foreshadowing of next weeks Nighlok? Or footage they used simply because it was convenient? I'll let you decide.

-So Jayden's last name is Shiba. That's... interesting. Without going on a racebending rant, it's becoming more and more obvious that casting an asian Red Ranger could have really lent some credibility to this season. This series is almost 20 years old yet we can't have an asian actor as the lead, even when the story calls for the character to have Japanese ancestry. What is this, 3 Ninjas?

-The second act really dropped the overall score for the episode in my book. The writing was awful. Poorly translated subtitles bad. I would criticize the actors for their performances, but when you have to make something like 'We must protect you, at all cost!' 'That's just too much of a burden to bear' sound like a natural exchange between two human beings...

-This is minor, but the Rangers didn't know Xandred had returned until now? I'm almost positive they've referred to him in previous episodes. Dayu and the army of Moogers didn't tip off Master Ji that Xandred was back?

Did I mention we will do battle?
Thought I should mention it again just so we're all clear

What To Remember

-Xandred's back, tell a friend

-Sealing Symbol Power used by Shiba family line

-Spike's new found love for the Pink Ranger

Bottom Line

Test Of The Leader receives a passing grade, but this series has a long ways to go before it can expect extra credit.

3 bananas out of 5

Johnny Yong Bosch Joins Samurai?

On March 30th, Johnny Yong Bosch tweeted:

Heading to the Land of New Zeal...yeah, that's what I call it!

This has lead to rumblings in the fandom about a possible return to Power Rangers for Johnny. Internal sources from Saban Brands have leaked that Johnny will in fact be joining the cast of Samurai. Johnny will be playing the role of none other than Cole Evans, the Red Wild Force Ranger. Allegedly, Ricardo Medina Jr. was originally offered the role, but declined due to scheduling conflicts with his filming on Samurai as the character Deker.

More information will be published as it surfaces.

I'm a lion

Power Rangers Samurai 'Forest For The Trees'

What happened

Master Ji reveals a new zord combination, the Samurai Battlewing. To Mike's dismay, he is not chosen to help pilot the zord. Meanwhile, one of Xandred's monsters trips the alarm and the Rangers go into action.
As the Rangers battle the monster, the beetle disk is blown out of Mia's hand and Mike recovers it. Mike unsuccessfully uses the disk and the monster takes the opportunity to escape. Afterwards, Ji takes Mike off the team and confiscates his morpher for his actions.
Jayden reminds Ji that 'pushing a door meant to be pulled will never be opened,' and Ji finds Mike to return his morpher. He tells Mike to connect with the forest to increase his symbol power. Mike rejoins the team and takes down the monster with a new technique. When they call their zords, Mia hands the beetle disk to Mike and they use the Battlewing to defeat the monster.

Unaired memories

What worked

-We finally get to see Mike's rebellious nature that was hinted at before the show premiered. So far the rangers have been more or less perfect, so having Mike making mistakes and learning from them was refreshing to see. I think it's also safe to say this was the best performance Hector David Jr. and Rene Naufahu have brought to the season so far. I bought into the disconnect between the two characters that was effecting Mike's training.

-A highlight of the episode was Ji asking Mike for his morpher. In an act of defiance Mike used his powers against Ji. Though a little awkward considering how much trouble their mentor had pulling a plant off a table, it was still a powerful moment with palpable tension.

-The monster's personality has been toned down from some of the waaay over the top, pun heavy monsters from past episodes. The writers are improving on integrating funny dialogue into the shows format. Not perfect, improving.

-The Bulk and Spike moments were entertaining. I really like the bit where Spike overheard the word Samuraizer. Now that their roads have finally crossed I have a feeling we'll get more and more interaction between Bulk & Spike and the rangers.

(pictured above)

Typical fan reaction to Samurai

What Went Wrong

-The entire episode centers around who gets to use the beetle disk: Mia or Mike? But I thought only Jayden had trained to use the Beetle Power Disk. I guess Mia mastered the disk sometime off screen. Wouldn't it have made more sense for the beetle to go to Jayden and the tiger to someone else?

-The all powerful, evil Master Xandred is absent yet again. Xandred is shaping up to be one of the least menacing villains in Power Rangers history. Most of his time onscreen is spent unconscious, complaining about headaches, or simply not onscreen at all. Suck it up, master of all evil. At least when Rita had a headache it was after she observed the rangers, came up with a plan/monster that would spoil the moral of the day, unleash the monster, make the monster grow, and ultimately fail miserably.

-The motorcycle. What? So one might think that seeing Ji pull up on a motorcycle, we'll get to see a different, more easy going side of Ji. That he realizes he needs a unique approach to teach Mike. That they're not so different after all. Well that's some wishful thinking right there. Instead he pulls up, still in full samurai gear, and drives Mike to a forest where he reverts back to classic Ji.

-All of this goofy Ji doesn't understand kids with their blue jeans and their rock n' roll music I could do without. It's really starting to remind me of a different G.

-Apparently, never telling Mike to connect with the forest has seriously hindered his ability to use his symbol power. While I do appreciate that there was more to Mike learning how to do his pole vault thing than nothing at all (see: Jayden in Day Off), i'm seriously getting tired of these vague character progressions. Everyone always talks about the way of the samurai, training with power disks, and improving your symbol power, but we're never explicitly seen how they accomplish any of the this. A little insight into their training would go a long way.

Indescribably stupid

What To Remember

-Samurai Battlewing debut

-Foreshadowing
Dayuu: But why do you care so much about Deker?
Octoroo: I think we may have overlooked something important about him. Something very important indeed.

-Foreshadowing
Spike: ...Samuraizer?

Bottom Line

Forest For The Trees is an average episode that lacks substance but generally kept me entertained.

3 bananas out of 5