Double Duty

Power Rangers: Lost Galaxy, Episode 7

Original Airdate: 3-20-1999

Last Time: The Rangers tried to protect the Lights of Orion, but they weren't around. Leo tried to save Mike, but it wasn't really Mike. So, really, nothing happened, in the grand scheme of things.

Kai and Kendrix are sparring, and by television law, Kai loses, because, well, the alternative is a guy beating up a girl, and no one's comfortable watching that. The rest of the Rangers come in. Leo shows off a pictorial of what appears to be Kendrix. It's not, and it turns out that Kendrix has a doppleganger on Terra Venture who works as a popular actress. Wait, aren't they still on a space colony that's never going back to Earth? That seems like a poor career move.

We cut to said actress, named Carolyn, who is fending off the Terra Venture papparazzi. Her manager discusses her appointments for the day, but Carolyn insists on shopping. It's a space colony, damn it, could we at least pretend it isn't just another city in Southern California? Carolyn turns out to be rather unpleasant. Credits!

On the command carrier, Furio explains his new plan to find the Lights of Orion. His monster, Wise Wizard, explains that the Lights are hidden in a camera. Why would they be in a camera?

Speaking of cameras, Carolyn is at a photo shoot, and Kai and Kendrix drive up. Kai is excited to meet a sexier version of Kendrix, and decides to introduce himself, Kendrix doesn't want to go, possibly in fear that Carolyn is in fact a future version of herself and that the two meeting could cause a temporal anomaly. Or maybe she's just uncomfortable about having an exact duplicate of herself. Leo makes her do it, though. Wise Wizard chooses this time to attack as well, and manages to hurt Kendrix's leg. Carolyn decides to fake an injury to get out of work.

The Rangers sidle up to the scene, and Carolyn's manager decides that Kendrix could stand-in for Carolyn. Kendrix agrees. Doesn't Kendrix have a real job? I mean, I know that Leo and Maya are basically freeloaders, but isn't Kendrix a scientist or something?

Later, at the Terra Venture studio lot-you know what, fine, I'll accept that a space colony was built with full facilities for making feature films- Carolyn and her manage arrive to watch Kendrix act. She's playing a secretary dropping off reports to her boss. Wait, what kind of actress was Carolyn, anyway? Anyway, it doesn't go well, as the boss tries to embrace Kendrix from behind, as per the script, and Kendrix reacts by flipping onto the floor. The next few scene also don't go well. Eventually, they reach the last scene and Kendrix's leg is still hurting. Carolyn and Kendrix have a conversation about bowing out due to incapacity. This will be awkward in about twenty episodes.

The last scene is ready to film, and it involves Kendrix running up a steep hill, as it wouldn't show her fortitude enough otherwise. She manages to do it, but the director makes her do it again and again until she can't really walk on the leg. The director doesn't seem to notice at all, and gives her one last chance to do it right. The writers realize that they've made a plot with too little stakes, and decide to ratchet up the emotional resonance by means of slow motion. Carolyn thinks Kendrix should quit, but she is determined not to set back the shooting schedule. She nails the scene and everyone is happy. Can I have a monster attack now?

No, I can't. Carolyn talks about how Kendrix's tenacity made Carolyn rethink her life. Not before she made Kendrix walk up the hill a whole bunch of times on her bad leg of course. Wise Wizard has had enough and just starts blowing the crap out of everything. Kendrix attacks him, but manages to get her other leg hurt for her efforts. Kendrix and Carolyn confuse the monster with their cheap split-screen effect. The other Rangers show up and save the day. Elsewhere, Wise Wizard has somehow trapped the Rangers with his magical clipboard. Kendrix hobbles over and frees the other Rangers. Wise Wizards summons some Sting Wingers to kill time. The Rangers beat them and pull out some new bazooka-looking things called Quasar Launchers. This sends the fight to the giant round! The monster gets condored out of existence.

Later, Kendrix is making a sandwich and practicing her lines. The other Rangers eavesdrop and make fun of her. On TV, Carolyn is accepting an acting award, as apparently Terra Venture has some form of the Oscars as well, and thanks Kendrix. Hey, is Kendrix her first or last name? Show Over!

Next Time: It's going to be one of those episodes.