The Flute

Power Rangers: Wild Force, Episode 29

Original Airdate: 9-21-2002

Last Time: A stupid kid named Kite was more than he appeared to be....but not a lot more.

Cole is walking down the street and decides to talk to some pigeons about where to find Kite. Apparently they haven't seen the boy for a week....or maybe Cole has just lost his fucking mind.

Elsewhere, Jindrax and Toxica have dressed up as chefs and prepared Mandilok a breakfast of assorted mechanical parts. Shayla's nightmarish folk song once more begins playing, and that pisses Mandilok off. Toxica and Jindrax explain that Shayla and Merrick play that song every morning, and rightly call it horrible.

At the scene of the morning concert, we get another painful reprise of that damned song. Kite also hears the song, and wonders why the song brings tears to his eyes. Well, because it's so awful that your body is trying to do whatever it can to protect itself. But the new Org of the episode, the Flute Org, shows up and starts playing a counter-tune. This interrupts Merrick's flute playing and Shayla starts laying into him. Merrick points out that it wasn't him making that sound, and Shayla accuses him of not wanting to spend time with her. She insults him a bit and storms off. The Deer Zord runs off in protest.

Anyway, Mandilok hears the Flute Org's music and orders Jindrax and Toxica to send the new Org to kill the Rangers.

Back on the Animarium, Shayla is still upset over Merrick....even though Merrick didn't actually do anything. She accuses Merrick of being selfish and immature and promises to never sing with him again. That's.....some pretty great news! The flute music of evil starts flooding the city and forcing the people to do some tai chi by the looks of it. The Rangers show up to fight the monster, and Merrick recognizes it as the music from that morning. The Org proves to be even more inept than usual, and so Toxica and Jindrax escort him from the battlefield.

In the evil lair of blandness, the Flute Org explains that if he gets more power, he can totally use his music to control the Rangers. Mandilok, apparently not remembering that his predecessor's tenure as chief villain ended due to mutiny, decides to sap some of Jindrax and Toxica's power to boost the Flute Org.

Later, Kite finds Cole and recognizes him as the Red Ranger. Because Cole is almost as stupid as Shayla, this does not set off any alarm bells in his brain. Back on the Animarium, Danny claims that he'll be sorry not to hear Shayla sing anymore and Max looks at him like he's fucking insane. You know, I like Max about ten times as much just for that reaction. Shayla shows up and explains that the monster was making some terrible flute music. This causes Shayla to slowly understand that she pissed off Merrick for nothing. But, that will be for later, it's time for a monster attack!

....Actually, first Kite and Cole are going to have a brief conversation about being orphans. Great. Okay, now it's time for the Rangers to fight the Flute Org again. Once again, the monster is forcing people to dance. The Rangers show up, and, much like that one dream sequence on The Simpsons, forces them to dance with his powers. Shayla is confused by this, as she is by all things. Merrick arrives on the Animarium to apologize for....er....he didn't actually do anything wrong, but, you know, Merrick is nothing if not slightly beaten down by life. Anyway, he explains that he doesn't like visiting the Animarium because it happens to be the place where all of his friends died and he got imprisoned for 3000 years. That's....a rather good point. Shayla, in somewhat of a corner due to her being so clearly in the wrong, admits that Merrick "isn't a terrible musician." Then she finally remembers that the Rangers are still trying to fight that Flute Org and decides to take Merrick and help out. You know, maybe it's a good thing that whatever kingdom was around 3000 years ago fell, I'd hate to see a country run by Shayla.

Back in the town, the Rangers are still dancing, only to be freed by Shayla and Merrick's song. The Flute Org recoils in horror at the melody, and I can't blame him. Kite also hears the music and runs off. Mandilok has had enough and shoots Merrick and Shayla to stop them from playing anymore. Unfortunately, the Deer Zord shows up and breaks Flute Org's instrument. Shayla and Merrick banter, which ends when Shayla accidentally pushes Merrick off of a building. He barely survives by morphing mid-fall. Wow, Shayla, every time I think, "Well, she can't get any dumber," she proves me wrong.

The fight against the Flute Org finally begins in earnest, and it's rather one of the mill. Kite shows up and draws the attention of Mandilok and Toxica. Not that it does the Flute Org much good, as he gets killed again. The Flute Org gets grown and somehow prevents the Rangers from summoning their zords. Some zords, not the Rangers, show up it turns out that they're the component pieces of Animus, who is, in reality, a megazord. Animus then proceeds to destroy the Flute Org's flute, and that gives the Rangers a chance to call on the Isis Megazord. Sic Transit Flute Org.

Later, the Rangers celebrate the return of Animus, except for Merrick, who's reasonably certain that he saw Animus get killed 3000 years ago. Animus declines to take questions and disappears. Merrick is rather puzzled by this, and Shayla ropes him into to singing to the Deer Zord again. Cole tries to look for Kite, but the kid has mysteriously vanished. And by "mysteriously" I mean, he's obviously fucking Animus....I mean he is Animus, I'm not saying that he's having sex with the megazord-God....that would be weird....and anatomically difficult. Show Over!

Next Time: Jindrax re-forms Team Carnival, the circusiest villains in town!