Power Rangers Turbo: Episode 9

"The Whole Lie"

Original Airdate: 5-08-1997

Tommy is driving around the track again, because it's been nearly three episodes since we were reminded he's now a professional race car driver. Incidentally, he's still racing to some of the worst music the 1990s has to offer. Something about needing to ride again or something. It doesn't go anywhere because the next scene is the rest of the team helping out at a volunteer car wash. Listen, guys, I know that the theme of the season was cars, but even by the standards of children's TV this is a bit unsubtle. Porto plants a bomb at the site of the car wash. Now, you're probably wondering why Divatox keeps planting bombs instead of just sending the monsters straight away. It's because bombs were considered tres chic in 1997. Credits!

Porto is hanging around planning to blast Justin with something called the "deception blaster," Justin, being the team player he is, walks right up to Porto. Porto summons a monster called Mouthpiece that blast Justin with a ray. Meanwhile, Kat is walking around in jean shorts. I approve of this. Then she asks where Justin is, because whenever Justin is not onscreen, all characters must ask where he is. Porto and Mouthpiece are finished with Justin and split.

Justin is now compelled to lie, and everytime he lies, a Piranhatron shows up. They are swiftly defeated. Divatox: "The truth may set you free, but lying is certainly more fun." Huh. Anyway, her plan this week is to make the Rangers uncontrollably lie, and each time they lie, a Piranhatron is summoned, and so they'll be distracted, and the bomb will go off. It's a complicated, terrible plan, even by the standards of the Power Rangers.

ChimpBulk and ChimpSkull are bored. Inevitably, they trick Lt. Stone into spraying himself. All present laugh at his misfortune. Show Over! Or not. But it actually ties into the plot, as Justin adamantly denies Lt. Stone having been soaked. A few Piranhatrons show up. Kat shows more concern over Justin, but is still wearing those jean shorts. I feel conflicted. Kat finds it odd that Justin is compulsively lying, because Justin is "the most honest kid [she's] ever met." Of course he is. They quickly confirm Kat's hypothesis.

Outside, the Piranhatrons make their move. Lt. Stone loses his shit, and the Rangers, sans Tommy, beat them up. Johnny Yong Bosh is *ahem* slightly better at these fight sequences than the others, and it shows. Justin lies a few more times to make the sure Rangers get the hint. They do, and Tanya, Kat and Justin head off to the Power Chamber. Dimitria is as helpful as usual. The Rangers figure out there's a bomb, but have to fight Mouthpiece first because there is a proper order to these things. Justin has to stay behind with instructions to not speak. Justin manages to go five seconds before fucking it up and summoning another Piranhatron. Adam beats it up in a most fanicful manner.

Adam, Kat and Tanya go off to fight Mouthpiece. I guess Tommy is still racing practice laps. Indeed he is. He finally heads over to help the others. He shows and starts fighting the monster, but manages to get Kat shot with the lying rays, and then Tanya and Adam. Tommy finally gets shot too, and it looks like the team is doomed. Back at the Power Chamber, Alpha 6 and Dimitria continue to be utterly, utterly, useless. Dimitria advises Justin to say something that is both a lie and true at the same time. Justin manages to break the curse by saying, "Everything I say is a lie," and Star Trek logic somehow saves the day. Alpha 6, "You're da man, Justin!" I feel like Alpha 6 is some sort of bizarre psychological experiment inflicted on my generation.

Justin heads on over to the fight and the following exchange happens:

Justin: You have to stop lying!
Tommy: No, we don't!

I still don't know why I find that funny. Anyway, Justin drops a logic bomb on the other Rangers, and they're cured of the lying spell...or ray...or whatever it was. Justin threatens that he's "going to make an honest man" out of Mouthpiece. Apparently Justin thinks marriage involves shooting people with a cannon. Divatox fires die Torpedoes des Gross. Tommy: "This bigger problem calls for a bigger solution!" I guess. The Turbo Megazord is called. They actually use the chest guns again, and thus make my previous recap look very foolish indeed. I decide to take it personally. They kill Mouthpiece dead with the spin-out.

The Rangers head back to the car wash to stop the bomb. ChimpBulk and ChimpSkull accidently knock it into a bucket of water and save the day. Divatox is angry that her overly complicated plan was foiled. Down at the juice center, Justin forswears lying. I guess the moral of today's episode was that if you lie, a monster will appear out of nowhere and mercilessly pummel you. It's an important lesson for the children. Inevitably, a blender ejects its contents onto Lt. Stone's face. All present laugh at his misfortune. Show Over!