Trip Takes a Stand

Power Rangers: Time Force, Episode 19

Original Airdate: 6-9-2001

Last Time: I don't know, I've kind of come down with the flu, so I can't really be bothered to remember.

In Ransik's office, he, showing camaraderie with me, is also feeling sick and has to take some more medicine. Elsewhere, Frax unleashes a monster who has no interest in fighting the Rangers. Ransik does not take this news well, and pulls a sword out of his leg in order to end the mutant. Frax stops him and slaps on some compliance module, but the monster escapes. Credits!

In town, monster runs through town and manges to cause mayhem by virtue of his monstrous appearance alone. The Silver Guardians get called in to sort it out. Meanwhile, Trip fixes some fans as an odd job, and he runs into the monster. Frax corners him with some Cyclobots, and Trips tries to save the monster but....well, it's Trip, so it doesn't work. Eric shows up and drives the villains off.

Trip and the monster run off and the monster asks Trip to freeze him so he doesn't get blown to bits. Apparently the monster's only crime was stealing some food so he didn't starve, which is a capital offense in the future. Man, the future kind of sucks.

The other Rangers ride to help Trip, and Eric cuts them off in an SUV and declares his intention to murder the monster as soon as possible. So it's Trip v. Eric, is it? I'll put everything on Eric. Back at the villain's lair, Frax reformulates the compliance chip to make the monster evil. The other Rangers try to track Trip and, Eric being smarter than them, is content to let them lead him to his quarry.

Everyone eventually converges near an abandoned warehouse and the Rangers fight some perfunctory Cyclobots. Eric uses this opporunity to arrive and prepare to execute the monster. Wes, being a wimp, won't let Eric destroy the monster. The other Rangers fall in behind him, and Eric is unimpressed, as well he should be, and responds by sucker-punching Wes in the gut and running past the other Rangers.

He once more corners the monster, and the episode somehow turns into a lesson about not judging people by their appearances. Spoiler: Throughout the rest of the season, every other grotesque creature will be evil, and, for that matter, this particular mutant, whose only crime was stealing some food so that he could live, is about to be put into indefinite cryogenic detention. So, sure, whatever. Anyway, this leads to Trip revealing to Eric that he's actually an alien, and that somehow convinces Eric not to kill the monster.

Frax, however, is angered and confused by this resolution and turns the monster evil with the compliance chip, and makes him giant-size for good measure. Trip comes up with a plan to avoid hurting the monster which involves shooting the compliance chip with a blaster while the other Rangers keep him busy with the megazord. Wait, seeing as their goal is to put him back in the freezer, it isn't clear to me why they'd need to treat this monster any differently than usual.

Anyway, the plan works and the Rangers are able to capture the monster without hurting him. Of course, their method of capture is to slash him with their sword...so....I don't know, I kind of hate this episode.

Eric shows up to say that he will absolutely destroy the Rangers if they cross him again. Oh, Eric, you make this season worthwhile. Trip claims that Eric only acts that way because he's lonely, because Trip secretly wants Eric to murder him. Wes ponders the idea of Eric being lonely because he's desparate to inspire loads and loads of fanfics. Great. Show Over!

Next Time: An Eric episode!