Monday, June 28, 2010

The Turn of the Wretched Wrench

Power Rangers Turbo, Episode 34

Original Airdate: 10-31-1997

Last Time: We all learned a lesson about something, or something.

Down at the Tommy Oliver Memorial Auto Shop, Carlos and Ashley are trying to fix a car. They manage to blacken the auto shop teacher's face instead. Ashley wonders why she took auto shop. I also wonder. Up in space, Divatox's periscope isn't working. Elgar suggest they call a guy named the Maniac Mechanic to fix it. With a name like that, I can't see how it could fail! The Maniac Mechanic instantly shows up. She orders him to fix the periscope, and then attack the Rangers. Divatox has a plan! Credits!

Back on Earth, Ashley is driving along, and her car breaks down. In space, Maniac Mechanic has fixed the periscope. Divatox commissions a battlewagon. On Earth, Ashley has no clue how to fix her car. At tow truck helpfully shows up. It's driven by Bulk and Skull! They manage to break Ashley's car some more. Elgar and some Piranhatrons show up to steal some car parts. He orders the Piranhatrons to keep Ashley busy while he takes parts from her car. Bulk is still trying to attach to tow hook to Ashley's car as well. Elgar manages to take what he needs, and leaves with the parts. Ashley's car is completely wrecked. On the other hand, it was piss-yellow and looked to be about twenty years old, so really, it's not much of a loss. Did Dimitria make the Rangers repaint their cars to match their Rangers colors or something. "No, Ashley, you can't have a red car, you're the Yellow Ranger."

Down at the juice bar, Bulk and Skull drop Ashley off. By their standards, this may be Bulk and Skull's best job performance yet. Ashley meets the other Rangers. T.J. and the other Rangers give her a wrench as a gift. Justin explains that it's a lucky wrench. Shut up, Justin! Ashley explains that she's taking auto shop to spite her father, who believes girls can't work on cars. So far, the old man's right. Bulk and Skull have another job, but get milkshakes instead. Ashley explains that Divatox stole some parts from her car. The other Rangers are mildly concerned.

Back in auto shop, Ashley can't put a carburetor back together. Fun fact: carburetors have not been used on normal cars since 1990. Now, the show was made in 1997, but even still...Ashley gets depressed that she forgot the gasket. Carlos encourages because "she knows this stuff." Well, that's certainly one theory. Bulk and Skull show up to drop off a car, but have lost everything except the chassis. Maniac Mechanic plans to steal it just the same. He disguises himself as...it's kind of hard to describe. He's a spazzy teenager who wears some sort of patchwork sports coat and giggles inappropriately every few words or so. It's probably not the best way to avoid detection. He's welcomed into the auto shop and declares his name to be Manny. He gets to Ashley and compliments her on "her wonderful wrench." The auto shop teacher would like to see Ashley, he suggest she spend extra time at the garage so she'll stop sucking as hard. Manny is wandering around laughing maniacally. No one seems particularly concerned.

Later, Ashley is repeating the events of the last scene to Carlos, who was also there. Carlos volunteers to go to the garage with her. In Space, Divatox's goons are explaining that the Maniac Mechanic hasn't finished the battlewagon, which is a problem seeing as he's building it in the garage Carlos and Ashley are headed towards. Divatox sends in the Piranhatrons to distract the Rangers and kill clock. The Piranhatrons are able to stall the Rangers, making this their most successful episode ever. Also, Ashley is wearing a short plaid skirt today, and I approve.

Carlos and Ashley get to the auto shot and see Manny working on something under a large sheet. They notice the ominous vehicle. Manny: "Look under there....you'll find out the hard way!" He reveals that he's really the Maniac Mechanic. He escapes on the battlewagon, which, to be honest, looks kind of like a knockoff of the Batmobile. And hey, you know what stupid accessory we haven't seen in while? The Turbo Go-Karts! Ashley speeds off at nearly twenty miles per hour. Justin reminds us why we haven't seen the go-karts for so long when he drives by on Storm Blaster and picks up Carlos. Maniac Mechanic turns Ashley's wrench, you know, the one from before, evil and breaks her go-kart. The Rangers pursue on Lightning Cruiser and Storm Blaster.

Maniac Mechanic shoots some exhaust at Lightning Cruiser, and then shoots some missiles and buzzsaws. The chase continues, regardless, though Storm Blaster gets stopped. Justin wonders what they're going to do. Carlos explains that they're going to fix it! The Maniac Mechanic realizes that he's way better armed than the Rangers and starts chasing Lightning Cruiser. Carlos figures out the the problem with Storm Blaster is the carburetor. He recalls Ashley successfully rebuilt one in class. He recalls incorrectly. Carlos and Justin head out to help T.J. and Cassie while Ashley tries to fix Storm Blaster. At the fight, the Rangers get shot up by Maniac Mechanic's car. Elsewhere, Ashley successfully repairs Storm Blaster. By Power Rangers Rules, this means she is now a highly proficient car mechanic, ignoring all mistakes made in the earlier parts of this episode. She drives up to the fight and jumps on the battlewagon. She takes back her wrench and blows up the battlewagon with her gun.

Torp Time! The Rescue Megazord gets called. The Turbo Megazord, meanwhile, sits in its compartment, remembering the days when it got to do stuff. The fight doesn't last long, even by the standards of this show. Maniac Mechanic gets blown up. Up in space, Divatox is less-than-pleased, and Porto notes that the warranty for the Maniac Mechanic's repairs is only two seconds long. And it starts running from when the warranty is read, apparently, as the periscope falls apart.

On Earth, Ashley is explaining how she fixed Storm Blaster. Carlos, Justin and I don't care. Bulk and Skull's tow truck has broken down, but now that Ashley fixed one thing, she is now the best mechanic ever, and so only she can save the day. But not before she unfairly accuses Bulk of sexism. Bulk and Skull have already been fired, though, and the episode ends with everyone laughing at the pair's unemployment. Show Over!

Next Time: What's the one thing worse than one irritating child actor on this show?

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