Never Stop Searching

Power Rangers in Space, Episode 5

Original Airdate: 3-6-1998

Last Time: Nothing happened! Do you hear me? Nothing! In fact, I deny that there was an episode last time, it was just a blank screen for twenty-two minutes.

Up on the Megaship, Carlos is fixing a Galaxy Glider when the rest of the team comes in, they bid him a good night. On the bridge, Andros is scanning for life. Apparently they've found an entire galaxy devoid of all life. Oh, come on, the show has giant robots fighting at the end of every episode, you can't actually expect them to understand scales of distance in outer space! Andros takes a look at his locket of plot significance, and plays some sort of video crystal he keeps inside. It shows a little Andros playing with a girl, both of whom apparently have telekinesis. Carlos happens by and sees the scene. Anyway, as the scene continues, lil' Andros gets separated from the other girl, who promptly gets kidnapped. Oddly enough, for that bit, the camera appears to take on the POV of the kidnapper, so there's no video evidence of who did. We learn the girl's name is Karone, and the video ends. Andros figures that if he can figure out who kidnapped his sister, Karone, then he can find her. Andros vows to never stop searching, and we have the titular line. Credits!

Later, Carlos is sleeping on the Megaship. Hey, didn't the Rangers have normal lives before they went up into space? Are their parents concerned that their kids have been missing for the past several weeks? Anyway, Carlos is thinking about what he saw on the bridge. Andros is about to go to bed when DECA tells him that a lifeform has been detected on KO-35, Andros' own home planet. Andros' assumes it's Karone, who wouldn't know that no one lives on KO-35 anymore.

On Earth, the producers remember that they're still paying the actors who play Bulk and Skull. Phenomenus is driving his van and explaining that there are alien on Earth, aliens who come as seedlings that grow ever larger....until the day they attack! This information freaks Bulk the hell out. Phenomenus has found a alien and stops the van. The alien is a watermelon. I think this storyline is about coming to grips with a elderly loved one who has dementia. Phenomenus shakes the watermelon to try to get the aliens to come out. Christ, he's just kind of a depressing character. I mean, Bulk and Skull are comic bumblers, but Phenomenus? The old guy's just kind of weird and mildly off-putting and completely fucking nuts. Inevitably, Bulk gets covered with watermelon. No one laughs because Bulk and Skull realize that they're traveling around with a man who has completely lost his mind.

Back in space, the Megaship arrives at KO-35. Everyone else is sleeping, and Andros decides to go in alone. KO-35 turns out to be some abandoned industrial park that looks suspiciously Japanese. Andros starts calling out for Karone. In the Dark Fortress, Astronema is sleeping. Incidentally, those with half a brain will have already figured out the shocking twist that will come about a dozen or so episodes from now. Ecliptor watches her while she sleeps. It's also mildly off-puting. Ecliptor then sees Andros on KO-35 and reveals the he was involved in the planet's destruction...or desertion...or the loss of jobs that led to depopulation or whatever happened to KO-35. Up on the Megaship, the other Rangers have breakfast! Excitement! Carlos wonders where Andros is. He also notices that Andros' Galaxy Glider is missing. DECA explains that he's on KO-35. Ashley wonders why he'd go there. Carlos, being the insensitive prick that he is, tells everyone about Andros' sister being kidnapped. Carlos decides to go check on him, but doesn't want the other Rangers to go, because he wants to give Andros "some space." Probably should have thought of that before telling his secrets to everybody, eh, Carlos?

On KO-35, Andros is still wandering around, and Ecliptor shows up. They trade insults and then decide to fight. Ecliptor beats Andros up for a bit, and uses some truly terrible puns. This climaxes when Ecliptor separates his head from his body and asks, "Look who's ahead of the game now!" Carlos shows up just in time to prevent Andros from getting stabbed to death, although he appears by sort of emerging from out nowhere in a weird visual effect that probably made a lot more sense in the Japanese version, where the show took place in virtual reality, I think. Ecliptor blasts Carlos with a giant wire-frame Ecliptor head, and Carlos goes down. Andros gets Carlos out of there, but promises to return to fight Ecliptor some more....because it had been going so well.

Up in the Megaship sickbay, Andros is angsting about getting Carlos beaten into a coma. The other Rangers give some speech about teamwork or helping or something. Andros leaves and angst some more, flashing back to Carlos getting knocked out by Ecliptor's blast. That memory compels him to try and fight Ecliptor alone again. He goes back to KO-35 and calls out Ecliptor. Ecliptor's giant foot almost crushes him. Yeah, he's boned. Andros, being the sport he is, tries to beat Giant Ecliptor with his drill-sword. It doesn't go so well. On the Megaship, the other Rangers are trying to figure out where Andros is. They quickly realize that he went off to fight Ecliptor alone, completely ignoring their speech about whatever the lesson of today's episode was. T.J., Cassie and Ashley show up to save Andros, and the three carry him to safety. Carlos also staggers in. The assembled time tries to shoot Ecliptor with their blasters. It fails. Carlos, looking at the clock and realizing that they don't have time for the Astro Megazord formation sequence, orders the Megaship to fire its lasers from orbit. That manages to stop Ecliptor, but Andros angsts some more about the whole thing being a trap.

In space, Andros apologizes to Carlos for getting him blasted. Carlos explains that he knows about Andros' sister,,,as do the other Rangers, thanks to Carlos. He explains that the other Rangers can help Andros find his sister, because that's "What being a Ranger is all about." What? No, it's not! Anyway, something about teamwork and....Show Over!

Next Time: The Rangers learn the true meaning of the word "failure."