A Father's Footsteps

Power Rangers: Wild Force, Episode 21

Original Airdate: 7-6-2002

Last Time: Danny managed to win Kendall's heart, but Danny being Danny, she still broke up with him.

Some martial artist is practicing in front of a shrine, when the Samurai armor inside that shrine comes to life as the Samurai Org. Yes, it's going to be one of those episodes. He challenges the martial artist to mortal combat, and wins. Jindrax and Toxica show up to give him a sword and orders to kill the Rangers.

Meanwhile, Alyssa uses her superior martial arts skills to beat up Danny and Max in a sparring session. Now, you're probably saying to yourself, "Wait a minute, since when does Alyssa have any martial arts skills?" And I promise you that this episode will go easier for all of us if you just accept that Alyssa is, and always has been, great at that sort of thing. Also, it's Danny and Max, not Bruce Lee. Alyssa explains that she was taught by her dad. This will prove less innocuous a bit later.

Later, Alyssa makes the team some pancakes, because she's also a great cook. But wait, it gets better! Taylor shows Danny and Max that Taylor just won a scholarship for maintaining a perfect grade point average. Holy fuck, at the rate this episode is going, Alyssa is going to evolve into a god-like being and create world peace by the fifteen minute mark. Anyway, Alyssa gets a call from her dad, who is in town on business and wants to meet her. She agrees to meet him after her biology class.

It's time for a montage of Alyssa's day because, I don't know, I guess we haven't properly been informed of Alyssa's greatness. She gets an A+ on a test! She studies....presumably perfectly! She does some aerobics!

Elsewhere, some guys are fighting with each other. Alyssa's dad shows up to meet with the sensei of the dojo. Back at the university, Alyssa sees a flier for a karate club, and that means that it's time for a flashback. The scene progression here is rather odd, to say the least. In the past, Alyssa was her father's prize pupil and was capable of beating up four guys at a time. Alyssa then tells her father that she wants to go to college instead of following in her father's footsteps as some sort of all=purpose karate guru. Her father doesn't take it well, and that's the end of the flashback.

Alyssa's dad talks to his fellow sensei. The sensei's son is willing to take his father's place at the dojo, but as for Alyssa's dad....well, I guess his martial arts discipline dies with him. That would be tragic if it didn't come out of nowhere.

Anyway, the Samurai Org is attacking town to try to get this episode back on track. Alyssa's in class, but gets a call from Shayla to go and fight the damn Org, and Alyssa's in a bind because she has to meet her father soon. But, well, the monster fight goes long and she inadvertently ditches her dad, and can't explain the truth because....wait, are they doing the secret identity thing this season? At any rate, her dad decides to go to the scene of her last class to find her. He ends up meeting with Alyssa's professor, who explains that she left class early. This revelation sends us right back into another flashback. Alyssa explains to her dad that she wants to go to college, and her dad will let her go if she can block a bamboo stick swung by her father. She fails, but hitting his daughter with the rod makes Alyssa's dad relent and let her go to college. Er...wait, so this has all been settled?

The fight between the Rangers and Samurai Org continues, and Alyssa's dad hears sounds of the struggle and runs off to investigate. And...wouldn't you know, Alyssa finds herself in a situation where she has to stop the Samurai Org's sword. Alyssa's dad realizes, based on the distinctive style, that the White Ranger is Alyssa. He's delighted and strolls off. Samurai Org gets Savage Slashed.

But wait, there's still five minutes left in the episode! Megazord Time Killer Strike! The Rangers go for variety and call out the Kongazord. Alyssa then calls on the Tiger Zord to destroy the Samurai Org's sword, and that about does it for the monster.

Time for one more flashback! Alyssa remembers overhearing her dad explaining to her mother that he accepts Alyssa's decision to go to college. In the present, Alyssa catches up to her dad, just in time for him to leave. He tells her how proud he is. We're done? We're done! Show Over!

Next Time: You think you've seen the worst this season has to offer, don't you? But how can you say that when you haven't even heard Shayla sing?