The Darkest Day

Power Rangers Turbo, Episode 26

Original Airdate: 09-22-1997

Cassie and T.J. are going for a hike. Elgar and some Piranhatrons have planned an ambush, it involves giant rocks. There is no way it can possibly work. Meanwhile, up in some sort of oddly designed spacecraft, some dude has located Divatox's space-sub and decides to call her. Divatox is busy with her latest plan. Incidentally, last week's plan involved freezing the sun, this week's plan involves hitting the Rangers with giant rocks. Hell of a range, there. Rygog is insistent that Divatox take the call. Elgar prematurely drops the rocks. Cassie and T.J. run from the rockslide. Credits! Divatox has a new actress, and I honestly can't tell the difference!

T.J. calls on Lightning Cruiser to save him from the falling rocks. It does. Lightning Cruiser shoots up Elgar and the Piranhatrons. Elgar complains that it isn't fair. Elgar is totally right. The Rangers drive right up to Elgar and beat him and his Piranhatrons up. Elgar decides to retreat. T.J. taunts him, caring nothing for sportsmanship.

Down in the space-sub, Divatox realizes that she's going to need a better plan than hitting the Rangers with rocks. That's....probably true. Divatox's brother, General Havoc, the guy from before, shows up. He's brought something called the "Space Base." Divatox is understandably excited. It's a big step up from rocks. But they have to wait for Elgar to show up to fly the space-sub to the space base.

At the juice bar, T.J. is still going on about how he taunted Elgar. Justin wishes he had been there. For some reason, this prompts Ashley to give him a ticket to the Angel Grove Monster Tour. It's apparently a tour that takes people around the city to all of the places that the Rangers have fought monsters. Carlos gets roped in too.

Later, Bulk is leading the tour, which, I suppose makes a certain amount of sense. He leads them to a lake, where Skull comes out in a monster suit. A girl does not believe and kicks Skull in the shin. Everyone laughs at the violence. The people are unimpressed with the tour. They demand to see a monster or the Rangers. Er...how exactly did they expect Bulk and Skull to arrange that? Carlos taunts Skull. Lt. Stone is also there, and he is displeased with their tour. Bulk and Skull claim that they once saw an alien spacecraft appear at that very spot. Lt. Stone doesn't believe in alien spacecraft. I guess he must think that the government has been staging these monster attacks to distract the populace from....let's see, it was 1997, so I'm going to go ahead and guess the sexual improprieties of the president.

A few hours later, Elgar finally shows up at the space-sub and they fly off to the space base. It takes a loooooooooooooooooooong time. Divatox is pleased that her space base comes with a "space-balcony." But wait, General Havoc has one more surprise, a gigantic robotic dragon. Man, he doesn't fuck aroung, does he? Anyway, the dragon's called the Metallisaurus.

In the Power Chamber, the Rangers find out that Divatox has left the planet. They receive a transmission. It's General Havoc, and he demands the Rangers' surrender, or else he'll destroy the Earth. Divatox has come a long way from rocks. The Rangers morph and assemble at the agreed-upon meeting spot. Havoc is waiting and enjoying a cup of tea. He offers the Rangers muffins. Man's got class. He once more demands the Rangers' surrender. Carlos says that the Rangers never surrender. Havoc offers that "that will soon change, as change is the only constant in the universe." He gives them another chance to surrender. T.J. refuses. Havoc sends in his special robot troops, but soon gets weary of the fight and calls on Metallisaurus. The Rangers call for the turbine laser, it doesn't work. It never works. T.J. gets blasted in the middle of calling for the Turbo Megazord. He's out of ideas.

Elsewhere, Bulk and Skull are leading another tour. Bulk and Skull claim that Angel Grove has a "highly sophisticated monster detection system." The Metallisaurus shows up unannounced. All present panic. T.J. finally manages to call for the Turbo Megazord. The Rangers call for the ol' "spin-out" Metallisaurus blocks it and breaks their sword. Havoc starts wrecking the Turbo Megazord. The cockpit areas starts exploding in a shower of sparks and all of the consoles go dead. Havoc orders his robotic troops to capture the Turbo Megazord. They bust into the cockpit and throw the Rangers out. Havoc then flies the Metallisaurus away with the Turbo Megazord in tow, having kicked the Rangers asses about as thoroughly as you can do without ending the series immediately.

Up at the space base, General Havoc receives plaudits. On Earth, T.J. claims he "should have seen this coming." Except pretend that the worst actor in the world is saying it for full effect. The other Rangers tell T.J. that it isn't his fault. Carlos and Cassie argue that it's hopeless. The Phantom Ranger shows up. He claims that there's one last hope. T.J. asks "what hope," and the guy playing him may be the worst actor in Power Rangers at this point in time. Phantom Ranger declines to elaborate, because it just wouldn't be him without unnecessary mystery. To Be Continued!

Next Time: The Rangers are confronted an unstoppable force: The Stern Rule of Merchandising!