Episode Title: Return of an Old Friend part 2
Original Airdate: March 1, 1994
So…when we left Angel Grove, the Power Rangers had been tricked out of their power coins by Goldar and what do they have to show for it? Their parents are still trapped in the dark dimension and there is no way to get them out. However, they realize that there is one power coin left, the one that had belonged to Tommy. Is he the only hope for the good parents of Angel Grove? Let’s find out in Return of an Old Friend part 2.
When we ended last time, Tommy had shown up at the youth center/juice bar to find it empty. Well, right at that moment, Zordon teleports him back to the command center. It is explained that the team needs him to get the other power coins back, but there’s one problem. He lost his powers several episodes back. But Zordon zaps Tommy with a bunch of his power so he can fight this battle. This does significantly weaken everyone’s favorite floating head, however.
Tommy then morphs and teleports to where Goldar is controlling the Dragon Zord (which is making a mess of the city). Tommy struggles a bit against Goldar and the putties, but after a power boost from Zordon he is able to get the dragon dagger back. Then there is a battle with the Dragon Zord going against Goldar and Scorpina in their giant forms. Eventually, the two baddies run away and the weakened Tommy is zapped back to the command center…but only after he gets back the other power coins.
The other power rangers are now able to use their coins to recharge Zordon. Now our heroes morph to go battle with the Dramole monster. Now remember, this guy has a strange mind control gas that comes out of his armpits. Though the rangers do their best to avoid it, all but Kimberly succumb to the strange fog. The others then start to attack the poor pink ranger. Luckily, back at the command center, Tommy regains his strength just in time to teleport to their location and save his woman. From there, it’s time for some giant monster action. The rangers pull out all the stops…Mega Zord, Dragon Zord, Ultra Zord, you name it…as they take out the giant mole. When all is said and done, the parents are released and with no memory of what happened! How convenient.
Whereas the last episode was a lot of setup for the big reveal of Tommy’s return, this time we get a pretty good payoff with a lot of good action. It’s no secret that Jason David Frank (Tommy) is the most skilled martial artist of all the cast members. In this episode he gets to show off his skills in a big way. The scene in which he battles Goldar and the putties has some nice fight choreography. It’s not just JDF that excels in this scene, either. We actually get some nice fight moves out of the actor playing Goldar, which is no easy task in that bulky rubber suit. Bottom line, it’s nice to have Tommy back.
Another thing we get in this episode is a slight return of the Tommy/Kimberly romance subplot. When Tommy is transported back to the command center in a weakened state, it is Kimberly who seems the most concerned and hangs out around his bed like some sort of Florence Nightingale. Later when the other four rangers fall under the spell of the Dramole’s gas, Kimberly is the one left who ends up in peril. It’s at this precise moment that Tommy begins to be re-energized. He even levitates out of the bed as if the power of love is drawing him out so he can save her. I’m sure that most of the young fans of this show were glad to have Tommy back at this point, but maybe a bit heartbroken, too, considering how many young 90’s boys had the pink ranger has their first crush.
One complaint I have on this episode is the Dramole monster. Considering the weight of this particular episode, it does feature the return of a major character, after all, you’d think it would have a more menacing monster. The Dramole is essentially a giant mole, but that’s the end of his gimmick. He just growls and snorts…he can’t speak. So, we don’t have him taunting and laughing at the rangers as many of the other monsters do. Things are a bit stronger when Goldar is the main focus. Still, Goldar is so overused, I’d rather have other monsters…but stronger than this one, please.
Now, as this episode ends, it is explained to us that Tommy is still not at 100% when it comes to his powers. Zordon and Alpha are going to need to do some research to get him back to full power. Oh, and the parents day festivities go off without a hitch at the very end of the show. That is, until Bulk and Skull cause a food fight to break out. Kind of a weird ending, but this show has never shied away from weird. Case in point, next time we’re going to battle a giant bee. Join us next time for Grumble Bee
Channel: Superhero 