The Rival Rangers

Power Rangers Turbo, Episode 42

Original Airdate: 11-17-1997

Last Time: Justin got superpowers from being bitten by an ant. No, it wasn't a radioactive ant, or anything like that, it was just a normal, everyday any. The lesson is that being bitten by an animal gives you their powers. So kids, if you aren't a good swimmer, you should go find a shark and induce it to attack you.

In the Space Base, Divatox is looking over her most recently acquired loot. Porto informs her that the Sharkzord is ready. Divatox assigns him to pilot it. Porto, having seen the poor history of enemy zords and monsters fighting against the Power Rangers, is less than thrilled. In the juice bar, Ashley is leading some sort of modern dance class for kids. Really? Well, okay, sure. The class ends and the kids leave. Lt. Stone tries to sell her tickets to the upcoming dance, but Ashley doesn't have a date. Yes, girls who look like Ashley are known for having difficulty in finding dates, because guys are just terrified at the prospect of going out with gorgeous women. Some dude walks up, and Ashley is suddenly very interested, she ask Lt. Stone if said dude bought tickets to the dance. Lt. Stone helpfully informs Ashley that not only does the dude have two tickets, he doesn't have a date. Per Ashley: "Not yet." Credits!

The dude is hanging out with one of the girls from Ashley's dance class. We learn that the dude's name is Bobby, and Ashley flirts as much as is allowable in children's programming. Cassie shows up out of nowhere, and apparently also knows Bobby. Cassie is almost immediately able to detect the aftereffects of Ashley's flirting and is angry that Ashley is moving in on her turf. Bobby has to go, and the two girls note how awesome he is.

Later, in school, Ashley observes Bobby flanked by several other girls also interested in him. And by interested in him, I mean Bobby may break Tommy's record for most girls impregnated while still in high school. Bobby walks up to Ashley and asks if she isn't busy later, could she....give him a dance lesson. Ashley agrees. Cassie, drawn by some sort of primordial mating instinct, immediately shows up to cut off any further conversation. Cassie's going to the park with Bobby. Ashley realizes she'll need to step up her game if she's going to defeat an Asian girl. T.J. shows up, so we can all enjoy the Selwyn Ward acting experience. Ashley asks T.J. to play catch in the park so she can spy on Cassie and Bobby. T.J. is nothing if not easily led.

Cassie is playing acoustic guitar for Bobby who is sitting there motionlessly, either enraptured or in some sort of coma. He's hit with an errant baseball thrown by Ashley. Cassie sees through Ashley's plan. T.J., being the hopelessly clueless man that he is, invites Cassie and Bobby to play catch. They do. Cassie tries to get revenge on Ashley by throwing the baseball as hard as she can...but, well, Cassie throws like a girl. In response, Ashley throws the ball over by a sprinkler and Cassie manages to get muddy while trying to catch it. Ashley repeatedly laughs at Cassie. T.J. is puzzled by the events surrounding him, which is not an uncommon occurrence for him. The game breaks up and they all head home, with Cassie getting a ride from Bobby. Cassie is about to ask Bobby to the dance when Ashley comes from out of nowhere to offer some car advice. Ashley fixes Bobby's car as Cassie looks on displeased. I'd kill for a Piranhatron fight about now. Ashley leaves and Cassie once more is about to ask Bobby to the dance, when her communicator goes off. Erutan has heard my prayers! Cassie tries to beg off, but T.J. will have none of it, and if only there were some way I could relate in words the terrible delivery of T.J.'s lines, it would change the way you saw the world.

Anyway, the Rangers fight some Piranhatrons. This isn't one of those fights that really means anything, it's just there to keep the mixture of fight scenes to other scenes in the right proportion. T.J. decides to summon Lightning Cruiser and uses its lasers to blast Rygog and Elgar at point blank range. They flee, but not before Elgar warns of an ominous reprisal being planned. T.J. is puzzled by such a comment. What could it mean? Cassie rushes off, but Bobby has already left the park by the time she gets back.

The next day at school, Bobby asks Ashley some questions about Cassie. Ashley does the honorable thing and sandbags Ashley to hell. Another girl shows up and also flirts with Bobby. Later, Ashley is holding her dance class. Bobby's sister's feet hurt. Ashley uses this opportunity to gather more information about who Bobby's taking to the dance. Ashley finds out that Bobby likes someone, but is too afraid to ask. Ashley presses her information, but can't get any out of her before Bobby himself shows up. Bobby tells his sister to get a ride from his mother, because Bobby has business to attend to at the juice bar. Ashley starts her one-on-one dance lesson with Bobby. She is able to impart to him the mysteries of modern dance. Ashley's communicator goes off before she can get anywhere romantically with the apparently-irresistable lad. The Sharkzord has arrived and is on a rampage.

At the Power Chamber, the Rangers are briefed on the new zord. It apparently has the ability to operate underwater. Elgar and some Piranhatrons show up to fill kill some clock, as the Japanese footage is running out. The Rangers win, but Alpha 6 calls them to remind the about the giant zord destroying downtown. Les Megazord d'Rescue is called. Porto, piloting the Sharkzord, manages to knock the Rescue Megazord into the water. Apparently, the Rescue Megazord cannot abide being submerged in water and is losing power. T.J. has a plan! He activates some engines and flies the megazord out of the water. The Blue Senturion shows up with Robo Racer, and Porto is fucked. However, the Rescue Megazord is still losing power. They abandon ship and call on the Turbo Megazord. The Turbo Megazord is now somehow losing power. Apparently the Sharkzord has some sort of power-draining device. The Turbo Megazord runs out of power, and Justin tells Carlos to use the "reverse" power. Um...he might mean "reserve." Blue Senturion offer a plan to draw the Sharkzord's fire to give the Rangers one clean shot. The Turbo Megazord fires its chest guns directly at the machine's cockpit, and, more specifically, Porto. The Rangers are out for monster blood!

Down at the juice bar, Bobby comes up to T.J., Carlos and Justin. He asks for advice on asking a girl to the dance. Carlos dispenses romantic advice as only a man of Latin descent can. Cassie and Ashley walk in at the same time, and Bobby notes that the girl he wants to ask on a date has just arrived. Bobby, fortified by the male Rangers' advice, makes his move. And the winning girl is....not Ashley as he moves past her....and not Cassie as he heads to ask out...the girl who had been talking with Ashley in the library a few scenes ago. Cassie and Ashley make up. In the real world, they would also decide to spread unimaginably vicious rumors about the other girl. Cassie and Ashley still need dates. Justin offers to take them both, and Cassie and Ashley accept. Die, Season, Die! Show Over!

Next Time: Encyclopedia T.J. cracks the case of the disappearing Japanese footage!