Shell Shocked

Power Rangers in Space, Episode 4

Original Airdate: 2-27-1998

Last Time: The Rangers headed back to Earth and...well, didn't really accomplish that much, actually.

Okay, this one is going to take a bit of explaining. The late-90s were ebb tide for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Their cartoon had been cancelled and their toys weren't selling. At the time, the television rights to the Turtles could be had for cheap. Unsurprisingly, they were purchased by Saban, who used the rights to produce a live-action TMNT series that got mercifully killed after one season. It had all of the hallmarks of a typical Saban adaptation, cheap production values and rather distant relationship to its source material. Of course, on most Saban shows, the footage was from Japan, and there weren't too many American fans around to complain. In this case....well, let's just say the introduction of a fifth, female Ninja Turtle did not go well. Anyway, Saban being the craven opportunist that he is, decided to have the TMNT and the Power Rangers crossover, and that brings us to today's episode.

In New York, Astronema introduces herself to the Turtles. Venus De Milo, the female Ninja Turtle whose very existence rankles Turtles fans to this day, recognizes her. (Note: To give you an idea of how lazy the live-action Turtles series was, the Turtles are named after Italian Renaissance painters. Venus De Milo was the name of the statue, not the artist. Also, it wasn't made during the Renaissance, nor was it from Italy.) Anyway, Astronema informs the Rangers that they'll be destroying the Power Rangers. In a bizarrely metatextual twist, Raphael complains that the Rangers are just pretend. This crossover sucks too much already, why add that sort of continuity snarl to it? Astronema turns them evil. Credits!

Up in the Megaship, Andros is explaining how the Galaxy Gliders work. They'll be using them to get to and from Earth. Suddenly, a monster attacks Angel Grove, and the Rangers get to it. Unfortunately, the rules of Power Rangers clearly state the Rangers are required to lose any fight between them and a monster in the first half of a one-part episode. And so the Rangers, being the rule-followers that they are, lose. Fortunately, the Turtles teleport in to save the day. The Rangers recognize them. Venus is there, and she is awful. She even speaks in this vaguely Asian accent that makes her sound kind of offensive, really. The Turtles beat the monster. The two teams introduce themselves to each other, and learn that the othe team does, in fact, exist in the same reality. Andros is suspicious. These are not the Turtles he grew up watching in the cartoon series! Also, he points out the suspiciously good timing the Turtles had. The Turtles ask to use the Rangers' spaceship to get back to New York. Andros wants no part of these Faux-Turtles, but the other Rangers disagree and T.J. agrees to give them a lift. You know T.J., decision-making like this is why you're no longer leader of the Power Rangers.

On the ship, Ashley and Carlos are busy telling the Rangers as many technical details and secrets as they possibly can. Andros still doesn't think this is a good idea, and watches as Cassie gives the Turtles a tour of the engine room. DECA informs Andros that someone is messing with the central computer control. Andros rushes off, feeling a satisfying sense of vindication. The Turtles cut DECA's power and Andros demands to know what the hell is going on. The Turtles have turned DECA evil. The jig is up, and Andros fights off the Turtles. Raphael and Venus take control of the bridge, as well. Astronema and some Quantrons beam aboard. The Rangers flee from the advancing Quantrons, and Astronema takes command of the Megaship.

Later, Astronema reports to Dark Specter that she's captured the Rangers and taken their ship. Leonardo butts in to inform Dark Specter that they've only captured four of the Rangers. Down in the engine room, the Rangers sans Andros have been tied up and are being taunted by the Quantrons. Apparently, Quantrons can talk. Andros frees them with his telekinesis. On the bridge, Astronema learns of the Rangers' escape and order the Turtles to stop them. The Turtles fail, and the Rangers escape in the shuttle. Astronema turns the Megaship around and order the shuttle destroyed. The shuttle manages to fly into one of those convenient spacial anomalies that blocks sensors. The anomaly, deciding to go from convenient to deus ex machina, also somehow frees the Turtles from their mind control. Astronema quickly realizes this, and is for some reason unable to try again with the mind control and decides to set the Megaship's self-destruct and retreat. The Turtles celebrate having their own space ship. Unfortunately, the ship is going to explode in one minute.

Down at the quarry planet, Rockonius 5, the Rangers and Astronema both show up and fight. In the ship, Donatello is desperately trying to re-reprogram DECA so she won't blow up the ship. It comes down to a choice of wires. Venus relaxes him through some sort of mystical bullshit that tended to make her character all the more insufferable in the Turtles' own series. Donatello saves the day with one second remaining. Down on the planet, Astronema manages to defeat the Rangers with some sort of space-boomerang. The Turtles show up just then though, to complete the second leg of the "fight, then team-up" protocol for crossovers. Astronema orders them all destroyed. Unfortunately, all she has are Quantrons at her disposal. It's a looooooooong fight scene that suffers from the fact that the Turtle costumes aren't nearly as manueverable as the Rangers' costumes, or the Quantrons for that matter. Anyway, the combined teams when and Astronema retreats. The Turtles reach out their hands in friendship and Andros tells them....that he hopes they enjoy spending the rest of their freakish lives on this barren alien world! No, actually he forgives them for their unintended treachery. T.J. and Venus walk arm-in-arm towards the Megaship, cementing T.J.'s reputation as the worst leader of the Power Rangers that ever was. Back on the Megaship, there's some more banter and DECA shocks Donatello for nearly getting everyone killed, as well she should. The Turtles borrow the Galaxy Gliders and surf in space. My brain starts shutting down, as it can take no more! Show Over! And we will never speak of it again!

Next Time: We see Andros' home world. It may be the least impressive space colony in human history.