The Rangers' Leap of Faith

Power Rangers in Space, Episode 28

Original Airdate: 10-24-1998

Last Time: Astronema defected and the Rangers decided to marginally trust her in order to save Zordon.

On the Megaship, Astronema has been chained up in the engine room. Andros brings her some food. Astronema claims that she isn't hungry, and they have a heart-to-heart about trust. She also asks about her parents, but they are apparently missing as well. Ecliptor is Andros' father! Well, no, not really. Later, the Rangers finally arrive at the planet where Zordon is being held.

Andros and Astronema go to the bridge, where Andros explains that they have to put on chains in order to create the illusion that Astronema has captured them. T.J. and the others, method actors all, decide that this means that they must use real restraints. Astronema says 'please' and 'thank you' to Alpha, and Andros is pleased because no one would ever use such words as mere pleasantries. She calls into Dark Specter and gets him to lower the forcefield around the planet.

The Rangers throw off their shackles and T.J. assumes command. The Rangers are completely and utterly doomed. An alarm goes off as some space fighters show up to escort the Megaship. T.J. agrees to follow them. Thirty seconds later, T.J. decides to blow the Rangers' cover and lose the escorts. The Megaship gets hit by lightning and the ship crash lands. Astronema uses the confusion to escape. The other Rangers are pretty sure this is all a trap, but Andros won't believe it until every last one of the them is dead due to his sisters' machinations.

Leaving the Megaship, the Rangers trudge through the jungle looking for Zordon. The Piranhatrons are there, and the Rangers aren't sure what that means. Darkonda shows up and starts taunting them. The rest of the Rangers are bogged down in combat, and so Andros heads off to find Zordon alone. The other Rangers manage to get captured, but Astronema shows up to help out Andros. Ecliptor also shows up to kill Andros, but Astronema's pleas destroy his resolve. Apparently they didn't build him evil enough. Darkonda uses the opportunity to slash Ecliptor across the back for about the 5oth time this season, knocking him out.

Andros and Astronema finally find Zordon, who "can't believe that you are still such a fool." It turns out that, in fact, it was a trap, and it's not really Zordon. Although, at this point in the season, I bet the real Zordon doesn't really disagree. Darkonda steps out of the jungle to capture Andros, who feels rather betrayed at the whole turn of events. Darkonda, despite Astronema having helped the bad guys successfully capture all of the Rangers through a devious trap, decides to question her loyalty some more. She knocks him around for such effrontery. Dark Specter, however, decides not to take any chances, and orders Astronema to kill her brother. She does and the series ends.

Well, not really. She orders Darkonda to kill them and then blasts him once his back is turned. Who's the real traitor here? She frees the Rangers and they all escape. Darkonda manages to get back up and the Rangers and Astronema are surrounding until Ecliptor decides to blow Darkonda to bits with his eye beams. He decides to cover their escape, and the Rangers make it back to the Megaship, and they leave the planet.

On the Dark Fortress, Darkonda is put in charge until Astronema returns, a remark that puzzles him. Dark Specter explains that he has a plan to make sure she and Ecliptor are never disloyal again. Meanwhile, the other Rangers apologize for not trusting Astronema. Astronema claims she's never had a friend before...which has got to be a bummer for Ecliptor. Show Over!

Next Time: A trip down memory lane to the blockbuster summer of 1998!