Power Play

Power Rangers: Wild Force, Episode 17

Original Airdate: 6-1-2002

Last Time: Merrick became the Wolf Ranger and proved to be more competent than the rest of the team combined. Realizing that he was way too awesome to hang out with those losers, he then refused to join the team.

3000 years ago, Merrick gave Shayla her necklace, and later explained that Shayla had to go sleep on the Animarium while he went off to fight Master Org. In the present, Alyssa wants to know how many more generals Master Org has at his disposal, and Shayla answers that she's glad Merrick's back. Well, at least she didn't say "I don't know."

Meanwhile, everyone's favorite be-goateed Ranger has decided to go to a bar and play some pool, or, as the British know it snooker. You know, this is one of those cases where both sides of the pond have come up with equally odd names for something. Some Bikers show up and start hassling the owner, an elderly black man with lots of earthy wisdom to share. He tells the bikers to leave, and Merrick decides to annihilate the bikers for sport. It doesn't take long. The owner, Willie, offers Merrick some food and a place to stay...also his bar is called Willie's roadhouse. Merrick quickly agrees to become Willie's cooler, and it's only a matter of time before he rips out the throat of an Org.

Down in the villain hideout whose name I can't remember, Master Org is looking for Toxica and Jindrax doesn't know where she is. Jindrax volunteers himself to be the next general, but Master Org leaves during his presentation.

Back on the Animarium, the Rangers get alerted to some Putrids led by Jindrax who are storming the city. The Rangers can't believe that Jindrax is any kind of threat, and both he and the Rangers are surprised when a new general named Necronomica shows up. Fuck, an Org that is powered by the Old Ones? That'd be awesome. This....isn't that.

At the roadhouse, Merrick is changing into some contemporary clothes and realizes that the useless Rangers are about to get the shit beaten out of them. He shows up and saves them and Necronomica flees. The fight over, the Rangers try to get Merrick to hang out with them, but he really doesn't want to, and leaves. Alyssa tries to prove him wrong by showing evidence of the time that Zen-Aku bandaged Alyssa's leg. Yeah, and Zen-Aku also tried to kill Alyssa a bunch of time too.

Later, the Wolf Zord shows up on the Animarium and takes Shayla away. The other Rangers speculate on what this means. Shayla shows up at the Roadhouse, and Merrick is happy that Shayla is alive, but doesn't want a relationship with her because it's taboo to go out with women with mental illnesses....or because Merrick has a mission to destroy the Orgs.

Time for a new Org! Jindrax shows off Stereo Org, who assaults the Rangers with the worst rap ever created. Shit...there's no way the Rangers can stand up to that kind of abuse. Merrick once again saves the day, bringing the number of time the Rangers would have died but for an act of Merrick/Zen-Aku to roughly 94. The Org responds with a hail of CDs, and Merrick responds by using his deadly Billiard Break Smasher to kill the enemy. Necronomica shows up again and only Merrick can stop her....again. The Wolf Zord gives Merrick a bike to help him kill Necronomica, and he does in the most brutal fashion that he can think of. The rest of the Rangers finish her off with the Savage Slash....

And it turns out that Necronomica was Toxica all along, as she'd used a piece of Nayzor's corpse to give her more power, which the Rangers just beat out of her. Oh, well, easy come, easy go. Toxica explains that she's rather sure that Master Org isn't really an Org, and wanted some extra power so that he didn't end up killing them for some reason. This exposition completed, she then decides to make the Stereo Org grow. Cole insists on using the Rhino Soccer Mode, and I'll just add that to the ever-growing list of reasons that I hate Cole.

Speaking of hateful things, the Stereo Org lets loose another rap that is technically prohibited under the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1974. In response, the Rangers use the mighty power of soccer or futbol to defeat the monster.

Later, the Rangers are still trying to get Merrick to hang out with them on the Animarium. Merrick points out that just because they're on the same team doesn't mean they have to spend every fucking minute of the day together. That's.....actually a good point. Taylor tosses him a jacket much like the other Rangers have with Merrick's Wolf symbol on it. It's the sort of jacket that looks awkward zippered up....which is unfortunate because Merrick will never, ever, ever leave the damn thing open to the point where it becomes a legitimate question whether or not he knows how to unzipper a jacket. Show Over!

Next Time: It turns out that Cole was actually dead all along....at least according to the State.