Spirit of the Woods

Power Rangers Turbo, Episode 35

Original Airdate: 11-03-1997

Last Time: We all learned that the most important part of car repair is believing in yourself. So, when looking for a mechanic, confidence is by far the most important attribute.

In the forest, a Jeep Wrangler drives through, crushing leaves. The teenagers in the car also play bad music. One of them even litters. Wait, show, come on now, you can't do an environmentally conscious show in a car-themed season, it's just fucking....okay, fine, let's just get this over with. A kid comes out of nowhere and stares sternly at the teenagers. The kid starts up a wind storm that blows leaves onto the windshield of the car, spelling out, "Go Away." Really? The teenagers, confronted with this angry God of the Trees, decide to drive away. The kid vanishes, as anthropomorphic representations of nature are wont to do. Credits! (Listen, I can turbo-charge for more, or I can save the environment, but I don't think I can do both.)

At the juice bar, Lt. Stone is making a protein shake for T.J., who has apparently gotten up at dawn to do some running, and gotten Lt. Stone to open the juice bar extra early so as to make him protein shakes. On the mean streets of Angel Grove, Bulk and Skull are now paperboys. Incidentally, it's very, very bright out for dawn. T.J. thinks that he's the "only one crazy enough to be up at this hour." Apparently the people are Angel Grove don't get up until 11 a.m.

Up in space, Divatox plans to attack T.J. while he's alone. She inspects the new monster, Lord Litter, and isn't super-confident in her latest monster. But well, she doesn't have much choice. T.J. is now running through the forest seen in the cold open. He picks up some litter. Forest-God looks on approvingly. T.J. notices the Forest-God and introduces himself. It turns out that the Forest-God's name is Erutan. Wait a minute, that's an anagram for "an true." But what does it mean? T.J. does not seem puzzled by this odd choice and name and the fact that the child appeared out of nowhere. They do that thing where T.J. looks away for a second and then Erutan is gone. Alpha 6 rings T.J. to inform him of an oncoming monster. T.J. restarts his jog, but finds himself pursued by a piece of trash. It turns out to be Lord Litter. The monster starts attacking T.J.. Unfortunately, Lord Litter's attack consists of blowing old newspaper at him. Erutan shows up and is not pleased.

T.J. morphs and starts with the hand-to-hand fighting. It does not go well for the Red Ranger, and he gets encased in a ball of trash. Erutan decides to finish the fight by blowing Lord Litter away with his wind powers. T.J. looks for Erutan, but he's already disappeared into second-rate folk songs. The other Rangers show up and ask what happened. T.J. mentions Erutan and Justin is immediately suspicious of any other kid with powers stealing his thunder. Up in space, Divatox demands that her goons bring her the "nature boy," so that she can control the elements.

Back in school, T.J. is puzzling over the name "Erutan." He very, very, very slowly notices that something is odd about the spelling of that name, so he decides to write on his paper in reverse. Then, he ponders the reverse of "Erutan," which is "Nature." T.J. ponders the meaning of a kid whose name is nature backwards, lives in the woods, and has magical power over the elements. Erutan shows up to glare ominously at T.J. from outside a window. T.J. rushes out to meet him. He chases down Erutan to the riverbed. T.J. and the kid have a bad-acting off of truly epic proportions. T.J. thanks Erutan for saving him, and Erutan thanks T.J. on behalf of the woods. Erutan teleports to the river, and walks on water. Erutan will be T.J.'s new God! T.J. asks what Erutan is, the Nature-God is evasive. Elgar and Lord Litter show up. Apparently they plan to trap Erutan in a net. I don't know if that's quite enough firepower to bring down a personification of nature. Erutan isn't there anymore, though, so the monsters split.

At the Power Chamber, T.J. is explaining the miracles of Erutan. Dimitria orders T.J. to save the nature-God. Alpha 6's scanners cannot locate Erutan, for the works of man cannot hope to comprehend the works of nature. Anyway, it's night, so they decide to wait until morning.

The next morning, Bulk and Skull are delivering more papers. They're damn good at it, hitting every mailbox and even managing to float a paper into a guy's open palm, presumably turned to the sports section. T.J. runs into the woods to find Erutan. He calls for Erutan, and Erutan appears. T.J. tries to warn Erutan, but Erutan was old when the world was young and already knows more than T.J. could learn in a thousand lifetimes. T.J. suggest he leaves. Erutan can more run from the woods that T.J. can run from himself, and so declines. Elgar shows up and springs a trap, Erutan is captured. But, perhaps, it is Erutan that has captured Elgar. T.J. morphs to save the nature messiah. The other Rangers also show up. A Piranhatron fight occurs.

Cassie shoots Erutan's net down, and T.J. manages to catch him. None of the other Rangers' can see Erutan. T.J. may have had a schizophrenic break. Lord Litter attacks by trapping the Rangers in garbage cans. Not to put too fine a point on it, but, by definition, litter is trash not in a trash can, so....

Anyway, the Rangers are trapped, but Erutan saves them by summoning a thunderstorm that blasts Lord Litter. Elgar wants no part of that, so he flees. The moral of today's episode is that if you fuck up nature, nature will fuck you up. T.J. summons the Turbine Laser, and Lord Litter is counted out. Torpedoes are launched, as is often the case. Erutan is pretty drained by his lightning powers, so T.J. tells the other Rangers to go on without him while he tends to the son of Nature made flesh. The other Rangers still can't see Erutan. Now, let's walk this back a minute. Okay, the other Rangers can't see him, but the villains could, and the Rangers were able to see the net and the trap set for Erutan, so this "only T.J. can see Erutan" plot doesn't make a lot of sense.

The Rescue Zords are launched. The four zords call for Artillery Power despite not being in Megazord mode. Lord Litter did not anticipate that, and is gone as quickly as he came. T.J. is trying to figure out how to save the Nature-God who died for his sins. Erutan's mortal body fades, but his godhead shall remain so long as people protect the woods. T.J. is mournful that his God-friend is dead, and this time it isn't even Nietschzke's fault.

Back on the streets, Bulk and Skull get fired for not having collected any money from their customers. Bulk and Skull did not realize that newspapers cost money, for they are 21st century men stuck in a 20th century world. T.J. jogs into the woods, presumably to scout out locations for the First Church of Erutan. T.J. thinks he sees Erutan, but it turns out to be a deer. T.J. basks in the beauty of nature and awaits the second coming of Erutan when he will purge the world of non-believers. Justin will be first. Show Over!

Next Time: Cassie has a band! It's way worse than you think.