Power Rangers Megaforce: S20E05 - United We Stand.

Sorry this is late, gang, I went to a house party last night and got very drunk, luckily I wasn't the first to leave but it's been a long time where alcohol has just sent me to sleep like it did last night, haha. Now we've done talking about adult things, let's over think a kids TV show!


This week our villain is the Royal Warrior Queen Beezara, who is ultimately defeated pretty easily given the way she seemed to be hyped. Her power is a jelly that makes men her slaves and turns women against each other, I'll let that concept sink in and talk for itself. Yeah, so it's basically a power of friendship episode done in a very Power Rangers way (oh no the gang have been put under a spell...again!). I guess there is at least some plot here but it's just skeleton structure, rather than any meat.

My real problem with this episode though is the conflict rests on the fact that Gia and Emma are now fighting one another, with the implication that the real strength of the team comes from how in-sync they are and I mean, really? From all the fight footage shown in the past, their powers and abilities have very little relation to one another, especially not to the point that their bickering will make the whole team fall apart.

There is also the big problem still with the pacing. We're five episodes in and I still barely know anyone, you can't make the premise of your episode 'best friends turned against each other by a spell' if you haven't first established them as best friends. They didn't even use the episode itself to build it up or establish it either and instead think having a scene of them hanging out and saying 'we're best friends' over and over counts as establishing their relationship, it doesn't. What this means is that although there was conflict...the conflict felt shallow and empty because the show has still failed to make us care about anyone.

So what are we left with? We're left reading into the micro actions and expressions way too much. You don't even have to squint that hard to see the lesbian overtones bleeding out of Gia and Emma's relationship. Being a teenager is a confusing time, sexually too and although I think Saban is too much of a pussy to do it, I'd really love it if he did make them gay and use that to positively explore that confusion that comes with sexuality as you're growing up, it could be a really positive message for kids watching and are growing into that experimental phase of their life. Although we all know if she ends up with anyone, it will be Jake.

The acting felt better this week...kind of. There is at least one scene where I think Troy stops to read his lines, mid way through speaking them but whatever. Because it was a goofy premise where the characters had to be acted out of character, it was clearly a lot of fun for them and in turn the audience. The whole episode, despite the fighting between Gia and Emma, has a lot of fun with itself and becomes very fun in turn. And really, all I can really ask from Power Rangers is that it is fun.

The Sentai Footage once again was a lot of fun, there was some awkward integration when it came to Vrak and his random scene where he was in a different form entirely that didn't serve any purpose seemingly other than to create a continuity error and that odd scene where I think the Rangers revealed their secret identities to an entire football team but that aside the fighting was a lot of fun, the Ultimate Dino Blast was fucking sweet. We also get another new Megazord formation which still isn't as cool as that sweet ass pirate Megazord.

United We Stand was the strongest episode of the show so far but in some ways the most frustrating. We're technically quarter of the way through Megaforce now and the same problems still persist and I still barely know any of the characters in the show. However on the other hand the strengths of this iteration continue, largely that it is heaps of fun and more than fun enough to overlook a lot of the more glaring faults with the series so far. The action was fun and satisfying, the actors were all enjoying themselves and I even laughed out loud quite a few times. And fun is all you can really ask for in a Power Rangers series.

Pros;

• If Gia and Emma do in fact turn out to be gay, it could be a very positive thing for Power Rangers.
• The acting was better this week...kinda.
• When done well a goofy premise can be a lot of fun without being stupid and they nailed it here, this episode was hilarious.
• Great action. 

Cons;

• Beezara sucked. 
• And her jelly was creepy.
• Serious pacing issues. 
• I still don't really know anything about anyone.
• The fuck was the point of that Vrak scene?

Think About It!

-Locke

What would you rate, 'United We Stand'?