Rising From the Ashes

Power Rangers: Lightspeed Rescue, Episode 10

Original Airdate: 4-15-2000

Last Time: We learned that racial profiling may not be "P.C." but it works.

Under the sea, Ms. Fairweather and some nameless techs are running a simulation on a new zord configuration, it works, and they're all pleased.

At the ziggurat o' unpleasantness, Queen Bansheera claims her return is imminent, and decides to send out an already destroyed monster in order to give her monster creation team a week off.

Back at the aquabase, Joel decides to once more put the moves on Ms. Fairweather. Remember kids, no means yes! Ms. Fairweather demurs as she has to head out to that volcano from last episode to take some readings. Credits!

On the volcano, Ms. Fairweather and some red shirts arrive, and Diabolico sics Magmavore, the monster the second episode on them. Ms. Fairweather twigs onto what's happening pretty quickly, and her signal cuts out. Captain Mitchell decides to send in the Rangers. Ms. Fairweather manages to get trapped inside a cave in the volcano.

Meanwhile, the Rangers have decided to save time by forming the Lightspeed Megazord off camera. They see Magmavore and are decidedly unimpressed, as they've already killed him before. Magmavore changes their minds by breaking the megazord's sword in half with his club.

The demons are pleased and Queen Bansheera elects to revive Trifire from last episode as well. Captain Mitchell tries to call Ms. Fairweather, but she's still trapped in the cave. Outside, the Lightspeed Megazord gets wrecked and loses all power. Captain Mitchell decides to cut his losses and tell the Rangers to abandon ship, and sends them to find Ms. Fairweather instead. Back in his lair, Diabolico is pleased with his progress and recalls his monsters and places his faith in the volcano to destroy Mariner Bay.

The Rangers meet up with Fairweather's red shirts and learn that she's trapped in the cave. Alas, the plot is now moving too fast, so some Batlings get sent in to slow the plot down. Joel, reasonably sure that he'll get laid if he rescues Ms. Fairweather splits off from the others and finds her. Ms. Fairweather sends the Rangers to retrieve the Lightspeed Megazord and drives off.

The Rangers get back in the megazord, but the two monsters also return. Ms. Fairweather returns to the aquabase and starts launching the "Supertrain Megazord." She then orders the Lightspeed Megazord transformation footage played in reverse to break down the zords which are then put back into the Supertrain. Okay, now it starts to get weird. You see, the Rangers now have a megazord made out of train cars, and it's not exactly clear how they'd transform. The solution? Apparently the Lightspeed organization has sunk a lot of money into building a gigantic train ramp under Mariner Bay that the Rangers use to launch the Supertrain into the air. The train flies through the air, separates into its component cars and then merges into the megazord mode while still in mid-air. The Rangers shill the new toy, and Dana claims that it's "so high-tech." Yeah, nothing screams high-tech like train travel.

Anyway, as the former carrier for the first megazord of the season, the Supertrain Megazord is much bigger than its predecessor and looms over the two monsters of the week. The Supertrain blows away Trifire with its massive stores of missiles and giant gatling guns, but manages to short itself out in the process. Ms. Fairweather informs the team that the Supertrain will not survive the firing of another volley, and suggests using the turbines. The Rangers give it a go, but their consoles start sparking again. A tech complains that there's an overload and Ms. Fairweather decides to increase power. Wait...if there's an overload, wouldn't increasing power be the last thing you'd want to do. The Rangers are able to blast the monster with the turbines, but the volcano is still erupting. This forces the Rangers to use the Supertrain's freeze missiles, which Carter deems "cool." Shut up, Carter. They work and the day is saved.

Later, Joel is deciding to up his creepiness quotient by staring at a picture of Ms. Fairweather. The woman herself shows up and gives some more mixed signals by inviting Joel to meet her in the galley for dinner. He puts on a suit and his formal cowboy hat (I'm not kidding about that part) and shows up only to find that the rest of the Rangers are also there. Ms. Fairweather has once again crushed his dreams, and I start to wonder if this season is going to end with a murder-suicide. The Rangers all laugh at Joel, and I'm starting to find myself almost sympathetic to him. I mean, why would a woman who Joel has already asked out go out of her way to misleadingly invite the man to a group dinner? Show Over!

Next Time: It's Sixth Ranger Time!