LogFAQs > #969932999

#70: Changing Of The Zords (Parts 1, 2, and 3)
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Show: Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers
Original airdate: October 31-November 2, 1995

"I don't get more serious than this, Zedd!"

Smack dab in the middle of the third season of the original Mighty Morphin' series is this three part episode that not only continues the ongoing Kat story arc, but also introduces the Shogunzords, the final generation of Zords in the original Mighty Morphin' era. While it's not quite as momentous as the other episodes that introduced new Zords, it makes up for that and then some with some outstanding character moments, both for Katherine (who will be developed even more in future episodes), and for Tommy and Kimberly, with this arc providing some of the best moments for them. After Kat swipes Kimberly's Power Coin, severing her link to her powers, she has to confide in Tommy, who has experienced the exact same thing with the loss of his powers in the past, and it's a true bonding moment for them, as the other Rangers are forced to pilot the Shogunzords, which are initially under Lord Zedd's control. Though there's a pretty exciting Zords vs. monster fight in part three when the new Shogunzords battle the See Monster, the true epic battle is when Tommy goes one on one against Lord Zedd to save Kimberly's life. It's one of the few times we actually see Lord Zedd fight, and there's even some fun banter between them, when Zedd lampshades the Rangers always saying "hi-yah!" during their moves, and even doing it himself during the fight to mock Tommy. Of course, Tommy saves the day, and the episode ends with a heartfelt walk on the beach between the two. I always had a real soft spot for this three-parter due to its mix of character development, action, and romance, and it comfortably makes it onto the list, leaving me with even more fond memories of Jason David Frank's performance.