Grandma Matchmaker

Power Rangers in Space, Episode 13

Original Airdate: 4-25-1998

Last Time: Phenomenus made a device that could turn anything evil, and you can probably guess how that turned out.

At the park, Ashley is reading a book. Nearby, a cab stops, and an old woman spies on her with binoculars. The old woman exits the cab and throws a manila envelope at Ashley. Oh no, those pictures have family come back to haunt her! Actually, the old woman is Ashley's grandmother. And the manila envelope? Accordingly to Ashley's grandmother, it's Ashley's future husband. My God, Ashley has to marry a paper envelope? Well, okay, no, the information on her future husband is in the envelope. Up in the Dark Fortress, the monster of the episode, Mamamite, has laid a bunch of eggs throughout Angel Grove that will hatch and take it over. Ah, that's....not quite the same thing as having an arranged marriage, but I appreciate them trying to have the two stories kind of thematically connected. Credits!

At the Surf Spot, Ashley is less than thrilled to be pressured into marriage while still in high school. I know that such a subplot would seem crazy today, but the 1990s were a different time. Ashley protests that she's too young for arranged marriage, but her grandmother disagrees with such a notion. Carlos shows up, and Ashley lies and says that he's her boyfriend. Ashley's grandmother starts inspecting the lad, but is interrupted when Carlos' communicator goes off. Ashley and Carlos manage to distract Ashley's grandmother and head out, but don't do quite a good enough job of distracting the elderly lady, and can't teleport out.

The remaining Rangers face off with Mamamite and fare poorly. Carlos an Ashley show up to help, and the Rangers decide to use their big guns against the monster. They actually manage to kill Mamamite, and the episode ends fifteen minutes early...or not. Up on the Dark Fortress, Ecliptor breaks the news about Mamamite. However, the eggs she laid are still around. Astronema doesn't want to wait for the eggs to hatch, but she doesn't really have a choice.

Down on Earth, the Rangers are discussing the Grandma Matchmaker situation. Andros suggests telling the truth, although Ashley already tried saying she's too young to be married, so I don't know that such honesty will make any difference. No, lying is clearly the way to go, it's the only right way to deal with the elderly. Ashley's grandmother shows up, and Carlos decides to give the truth a chance, and explains that his relationship to Ashley is a farce. This somehow leads to Ashley's grandmother setting up a date between Ashley and Carlos. The moral of today's episode is that old people can't be trusted with the truth, and must be kept in a fantasy world where the young pretend to care what the elderly have to say. Ashley's grandmother has purchased the pair matching Hawaiian shirts. The other Rangers laugh at the pair's situation.

Later, the other Rangers have decided to join Ashley's grandmother in spying on the date. Ashley's grandmother calls Ashley to give her some in-date tips. The date, and the observation thereof, continues at the Surf Spot, and I can't believe that this episode is only about half-over. The madness finally ends as the Rangers' communicators go off and the building starts to shake. Termites emerge out of the ground to start eating a Japanese city...I mean, Angel Grove. Ashley takes her grandmother away from the carnage, and the other Rangers morph and start fighting the bugs. The termites eat through the Rangers' weapons, despite Andros' protests that the weapons were made from "Universal Hardened Steel," which may be the least-impressive name for a fictional metal in history. Up in space, Ecliptor shares the good news and Astronema is pleased.

On Earth, the termites coalesce into a monster, and the Rangers fight some more. The monster reveals his name to be Termitus, and blasts the Rangers with his mighty eye beams. Elsewhere Ashley tries to ditch her grandmother, but cannot remove the clingy old woman. Ashley has her big emotional breakthrough and tells her grandmother to stop telling her what to do. It doesn't really work, but a police officer shows up to take her grandmother away. Unfortunately, Ashley's grandmother beats up the police man and steals his police cruiser. Well, I suppose Ashley won't be as brothered by her grandmother when the old woman is serving ten years for assaulting an officer and grand theft auto. Ashley morphs and heads out. In a stunning nod to realism, Ashley herself is unable to stop the monster that felled the rest of her team. Then the episode walks it back by having Ashley's grandmother hit the monster with the police car she stole. Termitus responds by blasting the car, which causes the car to go out of control....for a looooooooong time. Ashley tries to help, and eventually her grandmother manages to hit the brakes and stop the car. Ashley and her grandmother, who doesn't realize that Ashley is the Yellow Ranger, have a heart-to-heart about...something. Ashley now feels lucky to have a felonious, borderline insane grandmother. Ashley returns and kills the monster. Satellilasers! Astro Megazord! Termites Stymie Monster Destruction Efforts! Delta Megazord! Astro Delta Megazord! Freeze Ray! Power Punch! Monster Dead!

Later, the Rangers are sending Ashley's grandmother away, presumably because of her many, many crimes. The reflect on how much they love that crazy old woman. Show Over!

Next Time: The Rangers fight a monster that...WAS ONCE A MAN!