Power Rangers Turbo: Episode 8

"Bicycle Built For the Blues"

Original Airdate: 5-07-1997

Oh, good, another Justin episode. And the title is a lame pun that doesn't quite work. This is starting off well.

The episode opens with the Rangers arranging a surprise party for Justin. But then, wouldn't you know it, Justin shows up and wants to hang out. Tommy stalls him by claiming that the building is full of dangerous exhaust....which is apparently only dangerous to Justin. Justin mopes because no one cares about his birthday. He's not a very smart super-genius, is he? Anyway, while moping about, he finds a brand-new bicycle that has been planted there by one of Divatox's monsters. Credits!

Justin finds a card on the bike addressed to him that informs him, in verse, that the bike is a birthday present for him. He thinks it's from his dad, but it's actually from Divatox and the bike has a bomb on it. I guess the moral of today's episode is always check for gifts for hidden explosives.

While the rest of the Rangers do their utmost to plan a surprise party, Justin assumes that they don't care about him and gets on his new bike. Divatox's new monster, Big Burpa, shows up and casts some sort of spell that will force Justin to ride faster and faster, and when the odometer reaches zero, the bomb will go off. So, this is like, what, the sixth ticking clock plot in a row? That's kind of impressive in certain way.

Back at the garage, the party preparations continue, and that much food and the presence of Lt. Stone do not portend well for the constable. Justin continues to uncontrollably ride his bike through town in a scene that shows just how difficult it is to manufacture the illusion of speed from a twelve-year old riding a bike. Fortunately, the Power Chamber figures out something's going down. Alpha 6: "Yo, yo, mayday, we got a traffic school reject on our hands." I hate you, Alpha 6. Alpha 6 and Justin recapitulate the situation in a conversation that kills me a little inside every time I think about it.

The rest of the Rangers are called in and ChimpBulk and ChimpSkull decide to party down in their absence. Tommy goes after Big Burpa in his go-kart in a chase that appears to go through Angel Grove's Japanese Market District. Long story shot, he fails. Kat, Adam and Tanya also try to match him in their go-karts, only to be foiled by a narrow alley and a fence. Man, who would've guessed that go-karts would be poorly-suited to fighting supercrime? The Rangers give up and decide to help Justin instead, probably because they hate the audience.

Meanwhile, Justin continues to ride out of control to his doom at speeds approaching twenty miles per hour. He eventually figures out that the bike is going to explode when the odometer counts down to zero. Justin tries to heroically sacrifice himself by plunging himself and the bike into a nearby river, but it turns out the bike is apparently bouyant enough to be ridden over water. I guess Divatox really wanted to make sure that everyone saw Justin get blown up, and couldn't take the chance that it would happen under water.

Moving on, Divatox eagerly awaits Justin being blown to bits. I can't really blame her for that. Meanwhile the other Rangers are able to keep pace with him on foot. Adam suggests that Justin steer onto the grass to slow the bike down, but the magic of the bike disallows it. Tommy shows up and has a brilliant idea, it involves summoning his zord and chasing down Justin. When this doesn't prove suicidally dangerous enough, Tommy gets out on the hood of his car to try to grab Justin, and then tries to shoot out the tires with his blaster. Eventually he just tackles Justin off of the bike. The bike explodes, and Justin survives. I mourn what could have been.

Big Burpa shows up to fight the Rangers. Justin beats him up using the power of poorly integrated Japanese footage. Divatox decides to hurry this the help up by torpedoing the monster into gianthood. The Rangers match suit by summoning the Turbo Megazord. Apparently, the Turbo Megazord can shoot guns out of its chest, though it will probably never do that again. The Rangers, however, tire of such frivolity and beat Big Burpa with their finisher.

Back at the party, Lt. Stone arrives to meet his messy doom with a stoicism I admire. The rest of the Rangers regroup at the scene of the surprise party, and Justin explains that today's lesson is not to accept gifts from strangers, despite the fact that you could not construct an example with less versimilitude if you tried. But, sure. The surprise party finally happens, but Justin is bummed because his father couldn't come. His father shows up. Justin;s summation: "It didn't start out too well, but it ended just fine." Blake Foster is not long for the world of acting.

Down in the space-sub, Divatox is depressed that her plan failed and that her only family is Elgar. Justin declares it the best birthday ever, and an episode ends without something terrible happening to Lt. Stone.