REVIEW: Dino Charge 13 "Sync or Swim"
So we’ve learned that not every episode of Dino Charge can be the bomb. Sometimes the episode might just bomb. Sync or Swim isn’t really horrible, per se (faint praise) but the fact remains that it is probably the worst episode of Dino Charge thus far. That comment is akin to saying “the worst ice cream sundae” or “the most tattered hundred dollar bill” though; it’s kind of like pizza or that other thing in that it’s good even when it’s bad. Sad that this episode had so much hype like a freaking Forbes article citing Shamus Kelley of DTR for being number 800 when, grand scheme, it’ll probably be pretty forgettable. At the same time, Power Rangers doesn't do all that much for numerical milestones. Let’s clear the air and find out what we’re looking at.
As far as low points of the episode go, there were a few. As far as I can tell, Dino Charge is probably the season that involves the most toilet humor overall. Now, if you’re as immature as me and find toilet humor hilarious, then bully for you, but it’s definitely a target-audience thing that seems to be ramping up in recent years. The last episode I can think of that really involved grosser bodily functions prior to Samurai was Bicycle Built for the Blues. Someone can correct me if I’m wrong. In any case, this episode’s MoTW is Smokescreen, a guy whose whole shtick was making a noxious red cloud of flatulence that's too thick to see through. Later he shows he has wyvern powers, and I’m guessing he was a naga or something in the original story. This is a bit different from most toilet humor instances in that it’s not really played for laughs; the monsters and Rangers alike treat his gaseous emissions as a credible threat/strategy, and given the thickness of his clouds and their effectiveness, they’re pretty much right.
There’s more to complain about in the form of Ivan and Tyler’s somewhat contrived rivalry (contrivalry?). The main catalyst is Shelby’s attention, as it’s made clear, but it almost seems to spring up out of nowhere. In fairness, Shelby’s actions are not unprecedented, and Tyler would genuinely not have noticed until now. Shelby’s initial amazement at Ivan would have been overshadowed by his disappointment that he didn’t find his dad, and last episode’s fear-related hijinx would have distracted him from their bonding over loyalty and courage.
Because of this, the Red with Envy-esque subplot would not have been entirely out of place if not for the incredibly rushed resolution at the end, a resolution that doesn’t make much sense on its face (although it does make more sense if you think about it). On my first watch-through, I was annoyed that Ivan considers being the Red Ranger an accolade he can’t measure up to. But incidentally, the ending where Ivan suggests the “duckmouth” pose reveals that he’s probably used his time offscreen researching things about the modern world. His identification of the phone pictures as “digital portraits” suggests this as well. If this season is in continuity with any others, he’d probably be able to find info on prior Red Rangers. Even with that explanation, however, their about-face seems very quick, enjoyable as their catty snarking was throughout the episode.
Finally, the C-plot was also a bit lacking for me. I get that the series frequently ends up saddling someone with the Bulk-and-Skull of the week, and this week it was Kendall and the framing device. Aggravated Kendall may be the best Kendall, but really, the main redeeming thing about this subplot is the return of shovels as weapons. Kendall’s attempt to break up the shovel fencing match between two youngsters, only to end up on the defensive as both of them team up against her is a genuinely humorous moment, but I suspect it was mainly a plot thing to a) give Kendall something to do and b) prevent her from receiving the call alerting her about the bomb planted in Tyler’s car.
That actually brings me to the praise this episode richly deserves. Everything about the bomb plot was perfection. Since Fury’s fall from glory, Wrench has really stepped up as an evil general, even though he’s a bit of a bumbler. I kind of like him and his pathetic lameness, especially since he actually comes up with good ideas every now and then. The story has him and Smokescreen being forced to work together to plant the bomb in Tyler’s car, which was shocking enough on its own. Through a series of funny events involving them mixing about as well as oil and water, they manage to bungle the whole thing, first not being able to figure out who will be leading the mission, then by forgetting to set the bomb or expecting the other guy to do it, then by inadvertently revealing that there’s a bomb to the Rangers.
I liked all of these wacky adventures well enough, but the icing on the cake is at the end of this story. Sledge makes Smokescreen grow as a distraction, so the Rangers have to split up to handle both the giant farting machine and the bomb. As Shelby and Riley are trying to carry it away to somewhere deserted, Wrench suggests that Sledge make the bomb grow too. I was nearly on the floor at this point. That was such a masterful idea, and I was amazed that they did something like that. But then Tyler does them one better by scooping up the bomb in the Megazord and flying up into space to throw it back at Sledge in the nick of time. Not only was it hilarious and intelligent, but it continues the grand tradition of Sledge’s crew ending up with bombs blowing up their ships.
Additionally, the contrast between Tyler and Ivan versus Wrench and Smokescreen was very solid. Power Rangers seems like it’s pretty committed to giving kids a message of teamwork, and rather than having them talk about it all the time (though they do sometimes say it) they simply show the outcomes of being united versus being divided. Tyler and Ivan butt heads and manage to make pretty much everything worse right up until they start working together. This is taken to its logical, triumphant conclusion in the unveiling of the new Megazord mode, Tri-Stego-Ptera Formation. In stark contrast, Wrench and Smokescreen argue constantly about who’s in charge, they deflect blame and responsibility to each other while trying to hog the glory, and Wrench even backstabs Smokescreen at one point, leaving him high and dry to fight six Rangers on his own. They never actually put aside their issues and work together, and for this reason they end up losing, hard.
Sledge also gets a funny scene at the end of this when he berates Wrench, saying that he can’t say what he wants to with the lady present, and it’s perfectly in character for Poisandra to insist that he unleash his full wrath on Wrench. Also, those insults “son of a washing machine” and “I ought to take you apart and turn you into a toilet” are surprisingly descriptive enough to know what he really meant. I see you, Chip.
There were some serious issues that held this episode back from being great, which is a shame, because the great parts really were that good. But rushing really hurt this episode, and it made it very unbelievable at the end when Tyler and Ivan were suddenly besties taking selfies together. It’s kind of hard to grade this episode as a result, because it’s got so many things that are either pure ace or failtacular. I can’t think of a single mediocre element of the episode, but in the end that’s how I’m going to have to see it as a whole. That is, unless I think of it as two different episodes that just happened to be half the length of a normal one. Well, there’s always episode 801, I guess...
