The Curve Ball

Power Rangers Turbo, Episode 39

Original Airdate: 11-12-1997

Last Time: Reverse Werewolf!

T.J. is playing in some sort of intramural game of baseball I remember way back when he was introduced, he said he was coming to Angel Grove for baseball, so I guess it's good continuity, of course, this is the first time we've seen him play baseball, and it will also be the last, so....

Anyway, T.J.'s team is up to bat, and he's giving on of his teammates some batting advice. Just then, his communicator goes off and he has to leave. Carlos is also there, but doesn't really do or say anything. Credits!

T.J. and Carlos morph and join the fight already in progress. Rygog and the Piranhatrons fight the Rangers. The Piranhatrons cement their reputation as the Washington Generals of the Power Rangers universe by dropping another fight. T.J. and Carlos rush back to the game. Once they arrive, their teammates are thrilled to see T.J., one of them declares, "We won't lose now!" Oh, if it were more than five minutes into the episode, I'd be inclined to agree, but T.J. has not yet learned an important lesson, so lose he must! It's T.J.'s turn to bat. T.J. immediately hits a home run and blows away my preconceived notions about episodic structure. Some guy moves onto the field. His name is Heath, and he's the new pitcher for the other team. Heath refuses to shake T.J.'s hand and mocks the rest of his team. Heath challenges T.J., Heath pitching against T.J. batting. For those keeping track at home, T.J.'s a lefty and Heath's a righty. Heath, however, has a secret weapon, the mighty curveball. T.J. is powerless against it, and strikes out on three pitches. The rest of his team stares on in disbelief.

Later, at the juice bar, T.J. cancels his plans with the other Rangers in order to spend more time figuring out how to hit Heath's pitch. Some members of the other team show up and make fun of T.J., one of them suggest that Heath's pitch has T.J. "spooked." That's probably not the best choice of words, there. T.J. vows to defeat Heath's dastardly curveball.

Down at the field, Bulk and Skull once more have new jobs that place then on the periphery of action. In this case, groundskeepers at the ball field. They also have a scary new boss who looks like he, like other great baseball players of the time, might be juicing. Anyway, Bulk and Skull manages to get chalk all other themselves. Later, T.J. is facing off against Heath again. Heath strikes T.J. out again. T.J. walks off the field, wondering why Erutan has forsaken him.

In the Space Base, Divatox figures she might as well make T.J. feel worse, and sends Strikeout, the monster of the week to terrorize him. At the game, some guy on T.J.'s team ask Heath for the secret to hitting his pitch. Heath declines to share it. T.J. and Carlos get called into a monster fight already in progress and the episode feels like it's starting over again. Strikeout has challenged the Rangers to some sort of batting game, and Justin's up first, using his power sword as a makeshift bat. Strikeout tosses a curveball, and it explodes, injuring Justin. The rest of the Rangers draw their power swords, and Strikeout also blows them up with curveballs. Strikeout throws another pitch, but T.J. is able to hit is back up the middle, and hurts the monster. Strikeout responds by throwing the high heat, and knocking out all of the Rangers. The monster, being the sport that he is, decides to retreat and leave the Rangers with the shame of being unable to hit his pitches. T.J. notes that he has to learn to hit a curveball....for the future of all mankind!

Back at the ball field, T.J. and Carlos watch Heath practice his curveball. T.J. wonders why he can't hit a curveball! Heath notices T.J. and later challenges him to a race on bicycles. T.J. declines, but Heath is already speeding past. Heath manages to ride his bike off of a cliff. So, I guess one way to hit a curveball is to throw any pitcher who throws the pitch into a ravine. Heath manages to grab onto the edge of the cliff. T.J. is able to pull him up, and thus, having saved Heath's life, now owns, and is therefore entitled to know the sacred mysteries of the curveball. But, T.J. being T.J., refuses to take such a gift in return, even though the very safety of the Earth depends on his learning how to hit a curveball. Incidentally, that last clause is the clearest summation of what the Power Rangers were like when I was a kid. The Earth was always on the brink of certain doom unless one of the Rangers was able to resolve a mundane problem in his day-to-day life.

Later, at the ball park, T.J. and Carlos watch Heath practice his curveball. I apparently have traveled back in time five minutes. Nah, it's just a repetitive scene. Anyway, Heath loves the Earth, and so he must share his secrets with T.J. for the survival of mankind. Alpha 6 informs Carlos that Strikeout is back, and he heads out to fight him. The Rangers sans T.J. confront the monster, but are no match for his pitching ability. However, T.J. has now mastered the secrets of the outcurve, and thus heads off to confront Strikeout. T.J. also brings his own wooden bat. T.J. digs in as the rest of the Rangers shout encouragement. You know, the Power Rangers have guns, they could use the guns. Or that Turbine Laser thing. They don't actually have to defeat the monster by hitting one of his pitches. Strikeout can't keep his fastball below the waist, and T.J. pummels it. I guess he didn't actually need to know how to hit a curveball after all.

Apparently having one of his pitches hit means that Strikeout has lost, and so Divatox fires the torpedoes. The Rangers call on the Turbo Megazord for its superior on-base percentage. Strikeout loses the game...also, his life. Divatox, disgusted with the MLB's sluggish response to the PED epidemic, as well as the latest foiling of her plans, is angry and bans baseball from the Space Base.

At yet another intramural game between the same two teams, T.J. cannot share the mysteries of the curveball with his teammates, even though his team will surely suffer as a result. Heath, however, being witness to the events of today's episode, knows that mankind will rise and fall with their knowledge of how to hit a curveball, and is thus compelled to share this information with all who seek it, lest humanity itself fall prey to more alien invaders with superior curveballs. T.J. smiles, knowing now that mankind is safe to pursue its own destiny. Show Over!

Next Time: Carlos becomes a vampire. No, really.