Tag Fern (Power Rangers)

Power Rangers Dino Fury, “Things Unspoken” Review

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

Fern, Green Ranger, Power Rangers Dino Fury, Things UnspokenSERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury

EPISODE: S29:E17 – “Things Unspoken”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez, Jordan Fite
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale, Maiya Thompson
DIRECTOR: Charlie Haskell
PREMIERE DATE: September 29, 2022

SYNOPSIS: Izzy’s Ranger duties jeopardize her relationship with Fern.

New around here? Check out the Power Rangers review archive!

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

“Things Unspoken” is a really good episode, with Izzy facing some serious secret identity drama. Not just with Fern, which is obviously the center of this episode, but with her choice of college, as well as her father. Power Rangers doesn’t always maximize its potential for drama when it comes to the heart-wrenching “hero life vs. personal life” stuff. But it does with “Things Unspoken,” and it’s the fans that ultimately reap the benefits.

So Izzy doesn’t want to attend her original college of choice, because it would take her away from Pine Ridge, the epicenter of her Ranger duties. This jeopardizes her relationship with Fern, who is attending said college. It also potentially puts her at odds with her father, who’s been working with her toward getting into that school.

The way this episode was assembled made me think of the way the show would write a character off back in the Mighty Morphin days. Jason, Zack, and Trini went away to a peace conference. Kimberly went away to be a competitive gymnast. And if the show were still operating the same way, Izzy would have gone away to college with Fern.

Green Ranger, Power Rangers Dino Fury, Things Unspoken

That entire playground fight sequence with the Green Ranger, Mucus, and the Hengemen was excellent. It looked like at least part of it was Sentai footage from Ryusoulger. If that’s the case, the transition between the Japanese and American footage was pretty seamless. Well done.

As Fern is leaving Pine Ridge on the bus, she calls out to Izzy: “May the power protect you!” That was a nice little moment. It does pose the question, though: Is that phrase public knowledge? I thought it was just a thing for Rangers…?

Oh well.

If we were ever going to get a same-sex kiss on this show, that last scene at the bus station would have been the time. Not that I was expecting one. This show is reticent enough about male-female kisses. Let alone one between two women.

Still, we got an “I love you” from both sides. By Power Rangers standards, that’s pretty good.

I had a thought about Fern as the episode was ending: As we know, the Dino Fury Rangers are sticking around through next year’s Cosmic Fury season. But if they wanted to extend the Dino Fury stuff out even further, they could make Fern into a Ranger in whatever incarnation of PR follows Cosmic Fury. I’m sure Jaqueline Joe, who plays Fern, would be up for it. And Tessa could come back here and there to do cameos. Seems like a win-win scenario to me!

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

Power Rangers Dino Fury, “Stitched Up” Review

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

Power Rangers Dino Fury, Stiched UpSERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury
EPISODE: S29:E5 – “Stitched Up”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez, Jordan Fite
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale, Maiya Thompson, Guy Langford
DIRECTOR: Robyn Grace
PREMIERE DATE: March 3, 2022
SYNOPSIS: Izzy deals with drama over prom, while Void Knight develops a zord jammer.

New around here? Check out the Power Rangers review archive!

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

The humanization of Void Knight continues. Early in the episode, we learn his true name is Tarrick.

There’s also a Beast Morphers reference early on. Izzy references a show called “Kung-Fugitive,” and says Steel Silva is good in it. Steel Silva, of course, being the Silver Ranger in Beast Morphers.

The monster’s name is Junkalo. Is that supposed to be like juggalo? Naw, it couldn’t be. But it sounds like it, doesn’t it?

I like the quasi-rebellious dynamic Izzy has with her mom, and then the drama then ensues over the prom dress. I’m not sure if Izzy is the most developed character on this show, but she’s definitely in the top two. The other being Amelia. Dino Fury is doing right by its female Rangers.

Santaura, Power Rangers Dino Fury, Stitched Up

Santaura is played by Siobhan Marshall. It’s looking like the character may turn out to be the real big bad on Dino Fury. I’m game for that. Marshall isn’t chewing the scenery, and the white contacts really give Santaura a distinct look. So far, so good.

The prom stuff at the end of the episode had a genuinely good feeling to it. These characters feel like friends, and they seemed believably happy for Izzy and Fern. It made for the best ending to a Dino Fury episode yet.

By the way…Ollie, Amelia, and Javi all go to the same school as Izzy and Fern, right? So you’re telling me none of them had prom dates? Is that a plothole? Not necessarily. It’s more of an irritating trivia note.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

Power Rangers Dino Fury, “Crossed Wires” Review

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

SERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury
TITLE: S28:E18 – “Crossed Wires”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez, Jordan Fite
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale, Guy Langford
DIRECTOR: Caroline Bell-Booth
ORIGINAL U.S. AIR DATE: October 15, 2021 (Netflix)
SYNOPSIS: Izzy’s shortcomings in her electronics class leak into her Ranger duties.

New around here? Check out the Power Rangers review archive!

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Nice to see them use Fern as Izzy’s actual girlfriend. As opposed to a character to be discarded after her big moment earlier this season.

After Izzy messes up with the sleep gas device and teleports away, the civilians in the park wake up. We then have a bit of ADR dialogue where a woman talks about a strange dream where “goblins were turning people into trees.” That in itself actually sounds like the plot of a Power Rangers episode. Possibly better than this one…

The initial fight between the Rangers and the Hengemen takes place at what looks like a heavy duty industrial factory type place. I like that, as for some reason it makes me think of the original Saban era of the show. We had a decent amount of factory fights those first 10 years or so. For whatever reason, it’s a setting that works well.

I like that we sort of have a double lesson going on in this episode. Obviously, Izzy was lying to her friends about being good at electronics. So she gets hers there. But we’ve also got Ollie learning to be patient with Izzy as she learns. Hopefully, by the time Dino Fury is over, we’ll have the sense that Ollie has learned to be a little less pompous in general.

Power Rangers Dino Fury, Crossed Wires, Ollie and Izzy

We get the debut of the Fusion Ultrazord here. It’s…another zord. Meh. I’ll say this much: When I was a kid, Ultrazords were big tank type things. Now we have Ultrazords that can walk, punch, etc. Times change, I guess.

After Mucus escapes with the Sporix, Amelia says, “Oh Fungus!” That is not what I initially thought she said…

An unexpected appearance from Amelia’s Pop-Pop at the end there. Dino Fury has a nicely full supporting cast.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.

Power Rangers Dino Fury, “The Matchmaker” Review (First LGBTQ Ranger!)

Rob Siebert 1 Comment

Power Rangers Dino Fury, The Matchmaker, Izzy and FernSERIES: Power Rangers Dino Fury
TITLE: S28:E13 – “The Matchmaker”
STARRING: Russell Curry, Hunter Deno, Kai Moya, Tessa Rao, Chance Perez
WRITERS: Becca Barnes, Alwyn Dale, Maiya Thompson, Guy Langford
DIRECTOR: Chris Graham
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: October 15, 2021 (Netflix)
SYNOPSIS: Javi tries to set Izzy up with someone from her training class.

New around here? Check out the Power Rangers review archive!

By Rob Siebert
Fanboy Wonder

Let’s not bury the lede: This episode ends with the revelation that Izzy, played by Tessa Rao, is the Power Rangers franchise’s first LGBTQ Ranger. She walks off hand in hand with Fern, played by Jacqueline Joe.

It’s tough to look at this as anything but a positive. Though I suppose if one were fishing, one could chide the franchise for taking so long to have an LGBTQ Ranger. But let’s look on the bright side. This is a happy moment. And I’m happy it’s the Izzy character that gets this distinction. Unlike a lot of Rangers we’ve seen over the years, she’s got spunk and personality, both via writing and performance. Izzy represents the community well.

I maintain that the more diverse the Power Rangers cast is, the stronger it is. That’s not strictly a race or a color thing. It also applies to things like family structure, economic background, religion, or in this case sexual orientation. The days where three out of five Power Rangers are straight white kids should have been over a long time ago. Thankfully, Dino Fury reflects that.

When the monster is disguised as Adrian, he recites a poem to Izzy that’s written on a scroll. As in, “Hear ye! Hear ye!” It made for a funny visual.

Another funny visual? Zayto disguising himself as an old lady. Very Mrs. Doubtfire.

Utterly buried by the subject of Izzy’s sexuality is this episode’s other revelation: Void Knight is human (shown above). Knowing how monsters work on this show, he could have been just another big suit creature. But him actually being human definitely adds to his whole tragic villain vibe.

Mucus turning into slime during the spat with Void Knight was a nice touch. Or perhaps not slime. But, well…mucus.

Email Rob at primaryignition@yahoo.com, or check us out on Twitter.