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Power Rangers: Wild Force, Episode 3

Original Airdate: 2-16-2002

Last Time: Cole was officially made leader, an act that he celebrated by almost getting everyone killed by an Org.

In the Cave o' Bolshevism, Master Org is giving a speech about how pollution is destroying the world, and that somehow means that the Orgs are going to take over. Jindrax and Toxica listen and realize that there's something different about Master Org.

On the Animarium, Cole is looking through the Ranger Rule Book, which actually exists in printed form this season. Cole thinks that the team only needs one rule: teamwork! So, if you kill a dude, it's okay, as long as some other Rangers help you dispose of the body! Want to run a prostitution ring out of the Animarium? Well, that's great, because that's a team activity. Taylor looks like she wants to murder Cole, but is hamstrung by the fact that she doesn't have a team to do it.

Actually, Taylor is quite upset that Cole is being his usual idiot self and storms off. Shayla shows up and explains that Taylor wrote the rulebook and was the first member to join up. Okay, Shayla, I'm going to stop your giving of wisdom right there, as you're the one who triggered this leadership crisis by appointing Cole as leader. Shayla explains that she used to actually listen to Taylor, but implies that that time has passed.

Taylor heads down to the city and overhears a woman telling her kid a story about the legend of the Animarium. Yeah, apparently the Animarium is a legendary thing in this world....let's just go with it. Oh, wait, but the writers are using up all of their cleverness points for this one sequence where Shayla and the mother tell the story at the same time.

So, what is the tale of Animarium? Well, once upon a time, man and animals lived in harmony, which is to say that they often hunting one another for food, and the land was ruled by a hereditary monarchy....take that Locke! Anyway, this utopia ended when Master Org showed up to wreck the place. Five proto-Rangers showed up to save the day (and there was a Sixth Ranger which we'll meet down the line), and Shayla was put into suspended animation. Anyway, the proto-Rangers lifted Animarium into the sky and entombed the Orgs. Back, nowadays, pollution has awakened the Orgs and so Shalya woke up and made some new Rangers to deal with. Anyway, since the lion is the king of the jungle, Cole is in charge. That seems like rather flimsey logic as of the five animals that give the Rangers their powers this season, only two live in jungles, and tigers and lions generally live in different parts of the world. Bison live on the plains, eagles aren't usually considered to be animals of the jungle, and sharks live in the water, so there's that. Of course, the biggest argument against Cole being leader is that he's Cole, which is probably enough.

Anyway, the Org of the week, Camera Org, attacks and starts turning people invisible. Taylor finds the invisible people and promises to help. Taylor calls in to alert the other Rangers, but decides to not wait for them to show up, breaking Cole's one rule. Taylor shows up and fights Camera Org and Jindrax, and is turned invisible in the process. The Rangers take her back to the Animarium, and Cole resolves to make Taylor visible again...alone. Just goes to show you that even if you have only one rule, Cole will still break it.

Cole fails and flashes back to the conversation he had with Taylor three minutes ago. The other Rangers arrive but get cut off by some Putrids. Cole's strategy to fight the Camera Org? Throwing some barrels that were lying around at it. This somehow allows Cole to rip the magic film out of the monster and return everyone to normal. So, I guess the moral of this episode was: Fuck Teamwork!

The Camera Org reloads with more film, but then Taylor swoops in to break his lens and mock Cole for managing to violate his own rule within five minutes of making it. Cole, being the kind of guy that he is, decides that his only rule should be more of a guideline. The Rangers introduce themselves...for no apparent reason, and it sounds like Cole calls himself, "Lazy Lion," which is probably supposed to be "Blazing Lion."

The Rangers get trashed, and the lion zord starts speaking to Cole to tell him to stop sucking, which inspires him to Savage Slash the Org. Toxica sends in the seeds o' evil to make the monster grow, which proves as effective as ever. The Wild Force Megazord uses its cannon attack, and it looks like one of the beams is coming out of his crotch.

Later, Taylor is sure that Cole will find his parents someday, and Taylor is forced to once more annoint horrible, horrible Cole as the rightful leader of the team. Show Over!

Next Time: Max gets some face time....this proves to be a mistake.