Turn Up the Volume

Power Rangers: Lost Galaxy, Episode 34

Original Airdate: 11-10-1999

Last Time: Leo got his new Battilizer and, well, let's just say that you could tell pretty easily that it was a product of America. Oh, and Kendrix was still dead.

Damon is working on some wiring when Karone runs up to show him something. She makes him go over to some sort of job listing board where the position of chief mechanic is being advertised. Er, seems like chief mechanic wouldn't be the sort of job you'd want to fill that way, but sure. Karone encourages Damon to apply, but he's reluctant. The application apparently consists on inventing something to make Terra Venture better. Apparently Terra Venture has an ocean, acres and acres of forest, its own movie studios, but no human resources department. Some nerds show up and inform Damon that some guy named Baxter already has the position "in the bag." Baxter chimes in to agree, and he turns out to be a comically nerdy-looking character who also cannot act. Karone declares that Damon will come up with a device that "will blow everyone away." Well, killing everyone else on Terra Venture would allow Damon to win by default. Credits!

On the command carrier, the newest monster's ability is to make a loud, screeching noise, and it's bothering the hell out of the villains. Trakeena sends the monster, Decibat, down to Terra Venture to annoy someone else.

On that very space colony, Damon is none-too-thrilled that Karone has put him in the position of competing against Baxter. Their conversation is interrupted by Decibat, and the traditional early-show unsuccessul monster fight is waged by the Rangers. This time, they're actually able to make Decibat retreat when Damon blows out one of the monsters' speakers.

Later, Baxter is working on his invention when he hears Karone and Damon talking about some sort of new transmitter that Baxter quickly realizes is way better. Later that night, Damon is burning the midnight oil, staying up past...11 pm to finish his invention. Karone continues to be the only other Ranger in this episode as she talks to Damon a bit about what's going on. Damon eventually falls asleep at his work desk, and this gives Baxter a chance to take photos of Damon's plans.

The next day, Damon wakes up late and is rushing to the contest when Karone accidentally knocks him over. I think being clumsy is supposed to be a character trait of Karone's, but seeing as she'd been on the show the entirety of last season and didn't seem particularly klutzy, I don't know if I buy it. Unless the only thing keeping her from constantly tripping over herself was evil. Commander Stanton is at the contest and has already judged Baxter the winner. Apparently Baxter's ability to steal plans without getting caught made a big difference. Karone tries to blow the whistle, but Damon stops her and elects to go for passive-aggressive congratulations instead. Damon apparently feels that if Baxter wants the position badly enough to cheat, then he should have it. And that's the moral of today's story, if you want something enough to cheat for it, then you deserve it!

On the command carrier, Kegler is trying to improve Decibat so he doesn't suck as hard. Back on Terra Venture, Baxter is ordering people around when Damon shows up. Seeing as Baxter appears to be about a foot shorter than Damon, he's understandably terrified. Damon explains that the plans that Baxter stole are dangerously incomplete and will probably explode or something if Baxter tries to follow them as is. Baxter refuses to admit that he stole the plans, and so continues on regardless of the danger.

Decibat attacks with his sounds and Commander Stanton orders the use of Baxter's new device that is theoretically designed to combat the monster. The Rangers also show up to fight the monster but Damon's late. That pushes back the whole Lights of Orion timetable. Baxter ties to use his device and push back the monster, but, as prophecied by Damon, the device explodes before it can finish the job. Commander Stanton demands answers, and Damon, for some unknowable reason, decides to cover for Baxter and help him repair the device. The pair are able to get the device working again, and Damon rushes off so that they can blast Decibat with the Lights of Orion. The megazord fight is cancelled due to lack of interest.

Later, Damon and Karone are wrapping things up when Baxter comes along to explain that he's resigned the Chief Mechanic position. Thus, Damon gets the job....for about five seconds before he realizes that he doesn't want to be in management. So he foists the job back onto Baxter. I have absolutely no idea what lesson the kids were supposed to learn from this episode. I mean, Baxter cheats, but it does him basically no harm in the end, and Damon actually benefits from being cheated off of by avoiding the job he doesn't want. It actually makes cheating seem like a good way to get things done, in all honesty. I guess the most definitive thing I can say is that having now had three episodes to observe Karone, I think more female Rangers should wear tight leather as their civilian outfit. Show Over!

Next Time: In a stunning show of much-delayed fidelity to the title, there is actually a lost galaxy!