The Lost Galactabeasts, Part II

Power Rangers: Lost Galaxy, Episode 20

Original Airdate: 10-22-1999

Last Time: I celebrated my 100th recap only to discover I was already on recap #112!

On the command carrier, Scorpius promotes Deviot to be his new general, which will only take one episode to come back and haunt him because Deviot is nothing if not efficient. Deviot's first act as general is to delegate command of his zords to an artichoke monster. No, really, the monster's name is Hartichoke or some such nonsense. Now I know that the artichoke is a staple of Mediterranean cuisine, but I've never found them particularly appealing. Wait, where was I going with this? Credits!

At the Galactic Apartment, the Rangers are puzzled as to why the Galactabeast won't fight. Damon comes up with a plan to cross the streams of the lasers on the Rangers' motorcycles, but Kendrix objects to the potential for catastrophe, so Leo comes up with an even more suicidal plan that involves overloading a motorcycle and charging it directly at the evil zords. The prospect of Leo possibly blowing himself to bits causes the Rangers to immediately accede to the plan, and they head off.

Hartichoke sends out Stratoforce and Centaurus. Meanwhile, Maya talks to the Galactabeasts, but no answers are forthcoming. Concurrently, the evil megazords blow up some more of Terra Venture, which seems like it would be poorly suited to deal with weekly giant monster attacks, being cut off from any construction materials and all. The male Rangers show up on their motorcycles, and are ready to use Leo's terrible, terrible plan. Kendrix decides to give deciphering the book one more try.

Hartichoke decides to not allow even the Rangers' desparate gamble, and sends some Sting Wingers to intercept them. Damon stays back to hold them off and Kai and Leo continue on towards the evil megazords. Kendrix is still trying to decode the book and Mike comes in to ask what's going on. Mike decides he might as well morph and help.

At the battle, Maya has led the Galactabeast to the evil megazord, and another giant robot stand off breaks out. Elsewhere, Kai deals with some Sting Wingers, leaving it up to Leo to save the day. So, Terra Venture is completely fucked, then, isn't it? Leo runs into some more Sting Wingers, but Mike and Maya stay back to fight them as Leo continues to very, very, very slowly move towards his destiny.

Leo finds a ramp and is finally ready to make the jump, when Kendrix finally figures out that, in fact, the evil megazords are the titular lost Galactabeasts. Leo finally makes it to the top of a parking garage where a concrete ramp has helpfully been set up. Kendrix stops Leo from killing himself in a pointless gesture and I feel ripped off. Kendrix explains the situation. Elsewhere, Deviot has taken personal control of the evil zords and is using them to maul the Galactabeasts.

The Rangers show up and Deviot explains how he captured the derelict Galactabeasts and rebuilt them into evil zords for the sport of it. Deviot then summons some Sting Wingers to slow the....blistering pace of this episode. He then gives the remote to Hartichoke and leaves. The Rangers eventually retrieve the remote, but Hartichoke blasts it, and the evil zords are now uncontrollable. The Rangers respond by killing him, but this only means that he is now giant-sized...and the Rangers don't have a megazord that can fight. Whoops!

The Rangers decide to form the Galaxy Megazord anyway. It goes about as well as last time. The Magna Defender is completely out of power and can't get up. Night falls, and the Rangers decide to reason with the megazords. It eventually works and the two zords team up with the Galaxy Megazord to kill Heartichoke, steam his body, and then serve his leaves with olive oil or perhaps some butter.

On the command carrier, Deviot has had just about the worst day a Power Ranger villain has ever had, managing to double the size of his enemies arsenal. Now he'll never get that cocoon! Unless, of course, he kills Scorpius. So he decides to do just that. Gotta admire the robot's gumption.

In the Terra Venture jungle, the Rangers celebrate with te Galactabeasts, who are apparently happy, but look exactly the same as always. Elsewhere, Commander Stanton is giving his crew a pep talk. Apparently it's taken all this time to travel 14 lightyears. Um...at this rate, I don't think that they'll be getting to another galaxy anytime soon. Anyway, Commander Stanton reminds the crew of the mission, which is apparently wandering around in hopes of finding a new planet. That does not seem to be a sound strategy. In a glass case nearby, the book of MacGuffins starts glowing. Show Over!

Next Time: Deviot asks himself: What would Richard III do in his situation? And the producers ask themselves: How the fuck do make a good fight scene with a puppet? Neither answer is particularly satisfying.