In the Limelight

Power Rangers: Lightspeed Rescue, Episode 36

Original Airdate: 11-14-2000

Last Time: Carter merged with his motorcycle to become CyClarter, a being neither wholly man nor machine. (Note: This may not have happened)

In the ziggurat o' wrapping up, Bansheera is finally doing something to enter the real world. Vypra, seeing this, pulls Jinxer aside and asks him to make her a monster. Jinxer creates a tree monster named Treevil and I'm already sick of this episode. Credits!

In the aquabase, Dana is practicing her knowledge of the human skeleton. Kelsey says she'd make a great doctor, but Dana is worried about paying for medical school. Her dad owns a fucking aquabase, I'm sure he work something out for her like, "Hey, if you don't give my daughter a scholarship, I'll hold you hostage in my aquabase far beyond the reach of the law of man or God." Treevil attacks and they have to go fight him. Unfortunately, since we're only four minutes into the episode, they can't actually beat him yet. Dana finds a child trapped under some debris and immediately grabs her and starts running around with the child looking for a medic, exactly the way you aren't supposed to treat people with possible spinal injuries. Looks like Captain Mitchell won't have to imprison medical school admissions officers after all, because I don't think Dana is going to pass the MCAT. Some photographers snaps a few photos of Dana to set up a wholly ridiculous plot that will start.....NOW!

At some fashion office, the broadest stereotype of a person involved in the fashion industry is displeased with the headshots she's been given. Her name is Coco Cashmere, and she finds one of the photos of Dana that was taken earlier and knows that she's found her next great model.

Coco approaches Dana outside of some building and tries to recruit Dana. Oh, Dana resists for a bit, but this show's only twenty-two minutes long, so Dana changes her mind immediately after Coco points out that the money from Dana's modelling career can go towards medical school. Dana agrees and goes to a photo shoot where Coco makes Dana remove her morpher because it's not really a great fashion accessory. Then it's time for a montage showing Dana trying on lots of outfits. Show Over? Please? I'll be your friend...

Treevil decides that he really ought to get back to destroying Mariner Bay, and starts attacking the city again, only Captain Mitchell can't call in Dana because she took off her morpher. The fight does not go well, as Treevil rips a small tree out of the ground and starts beating the Rangers with it. They can't beat Treevil without Dana, but the monster decides to leave instead of capitilizing on this opportunity because he obviously hates me, and thus wants me to have to recap the next few scenes.

The Rangers return to the aquabase and wonder where Dana was. Kelsey tracks Dana down in her quarters and Dana has become fully entranced in the fashion industry in the course of her three hours of work. Dana apologizes. Show Over now? No? Damn it.

Kelsey and Dana go to the local amusement park and find a magazine with Dana's picture in it. Soon enough, people all flock around Dana looking for her autograph. A thought occurs. Shouldn't the Rangers already be being mobbed wherever they go? They don't have secret identities and they save the city roughly every other day. Seems like something people would notice. Anyway, Coco calls in to inform her that Dana has more modelling work lined up and thus Dana ditches Kelsey and her duties for the sake of fame.

Time for another montage! Dana poses! Dana gets her pitcure on more magazine covers! Dana is mobbed by aquabase staffers for an autograph! Kelsey is pissed that her unconventional good looks aren't as popular. Later, Dana sucks at training because she's afraid to break her nails or otherwise get dirty. Eventually, she accidentally drops Kelsey into a pit of mud when she gets a call as she's spotting the other girl. Anyway, Dana is now super-conceited and stuff, and apparently that's bad. Meanwhile, Treevil is still theoretically menacing the city. Captain Mitchell lets Dana leave training early to go to her photo shoot because, much like me, he's just marking time until the end of this season.

Elsewhere, Treevil has once again remembered that he's supposed to be blowing up Mariner Bay and engages the Rangers in another fight. Dana gets called in, but can't go to because she has a modelling gig. For no real good reason, this is the exact moment that she realizes that she should get back to full-time Rangering and quit the fashion business. The Rangers once more get beaten down by Treevil until Dana shows up to save them. Treevil gets blown up, gets grown to giant-size and is then blown up for good by the Lightspeed Megazord.

Later, Dana is walking out of a building when Coco drives up in her limo. Oh God, this is some sort of moebius episode that will never end, looping back in on itself for eternity! Actually, Dana has decided to pay for medical school with her "brains." I guess Captain Mitchell is going to have to start cross-training his loyal techs in kidnapping after all. Show Over!

Next Time: Vypra Dies! Vypra Dies! Vypra Dies! Vypra Dies! Vypra Dies!