Power Rangers: Season 1, Episode 14: Power Ranger Punks

Some episodes of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers have more resonance than others.  I can tell just from the reaction that I got from talking about this post’s episode on Twitter.  When I said what was happening, people responded by telling me that they remembered the episode.  This is how I know that it has some resonance.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was a popular show for children in the early 90s.  To remember an episode of the show that has, from what I can tell, little to no repercussion throughout the rest of the series is an astounding thing.  The fact that people have fond memories of this episode means a lot.  What episode is it?

Season 1, Episode 14: Power Ranger Punks

Baboo puts a punk potion into the drinks of the Power Rangers while the Power Rangers are playing volleyball.  Kimberly and Billy take drinks and are turned into punks.  Zordon must hold the two of them in a jail cell type of thing while Jason, Zack, and Trini find a singing squash that can cure them.

The only problem is that Rita Repulsa sends down a terror toad to terrorize Earth.  Jason, Zack, and Trini must save Earth, so the squash must wait.  But it can’t wait.  Zordon sends Alpha 5 to go get the singing squash out of, I think, an inter-dimensional rift.

While Alpha 5 is doing that, the three non-punk Power Rangers fight the terror toad.  The terror toad eats Trini and Zack.  Jason must fight it off alone while Alpha 5 turns Billy and Kimberly back to normal.  Billy and Kimberly join Jason to fight the terror toad.  The toad eats Jason and Billy.  Don’t worry though, because Kimberly’s power bow shoots arrows into the terror toad’s neck, both freeing the other Power Rangers and killing it.

Surprisingly, there were no zords in this episode.

Now, I’m not one to normally read between the lines, but when people were telling me that they remembered this episode, it was always about remembering Kimberly being a punk.  I think they all had the hots for Kimberly when they were children.  Punk Kimberly just brought them into puberty.  They saw her and they stood right up.  That’s what I think, and I highly doubt that it’s anything different.

I do think the episode is memorable though.  Not only are the punk Billy and Kimberly hilarious and bad, but they bring a different kind of threat to the team.  There’s a problem within the team, as opposed to an external threat that tries to separate the team members.  Then there is the terror toad.  I wouldn’t say that it was the most terrifying monster I’ve seen on the show so far.  That still goes to Eye Guy.  But the terror toad ATE the Power Rangers.  You saw Billy and Jason get swallowed.  That would be terrifying to see as a child.

Do I think that this was the best episode of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers so far?  No.  I don’t think that at all.  This episode had a lot of memorable moments, though.  That has some weight when it comes to the series.  It is more than just an episodic piece of fluff that will be forgotten about, ten minutes after watching it.  Mighty Morphin Power Rangers has found itself a place in our memories with this episode.

Will the next episode be able to keep that streak alive?  I’m not sure.  I’ll need to watch it to find out.  I’ll be back next time with a post on another episode of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.  See you soon.