REVIEW: Dino Charge 18 "Deep Down Under"
And now here’s the second (and presumably final) episode of the New Zealand saga. Since it’s not really a two-parter, I didn’t go into this thinking that there’d be much of a two-partish feel to it, but it is always nice to get some continuity and acknowledgement of plot going forward. In addition, this episode focuses on Shelby, which of course is a plus in my book (obvious if you’ve been reading my reviews or Tumblr posts). So it looks like it’s time to head deep down under!
The episode actually surprised me by having the Rangers still in New Zealand, and both the heroes and villains are on the lookout for the Plesio Zord. Since Albert did bond with the Energem, despite becoming unbonded, the zord would have responded by awakening. I like that Fury tries to make his case for why he should be sent out after it, only to be shot down by Sledge because he already failed in getting the Ptera Zord. In fact, Sledge has changed tactics entirely; instead of trying to get the zord, Sledge wants to destroy it before the Rangers can get it. I always will love monsters learning from their mistakes and trying new strategies to take down the goodie-good Rangers, and this looks like taking a page out of the Rangers’ book as I’m reminded of the e-Tracer. To this end, Fury has Wrench bring Meteor back to life for some reason. I know they name-drop his special attacks, but I’m not entirely sure why his attacks are specifically powerful against the Plesio Zord.
According to Shelby, a scientist named Dr. Runga is just the man to help them discover the Plesio Zord. For her part, Shelby as the resident dino groupie has stars in her eyes for the first act of the episode, having idolized Dr. Runga as a child. We get a hilarious scene where Shelby frantically tries to make the guys look “professional,” ending on Koda who has...discarded his shoes, again. This was a genuinely humorous scene, especially since it seemed like an escalating level of scruffiness from Ivan to Riley to Tyler to Chase to Koda, causing her to give up with annoyance. I love the way the Rangers relate to each other this season, much more so than in recent years but also in relation to older seasons too. One thing I will point out as a negative was that this episode seemed a little iffy on some of the acting choices. There were times when I felt a bit more subtlety would have worked well. But kids’ show acting is probably broader on purpose.
Dr. Runga is a pretty good character. He’s basically a B-lister who dreams of being on the A-list of paleontologists. He’s also the victim of “small name big ego” syndrome, in that he’s overly concerned with appearances and fame. This I thought was hammered in a bit more forcefully than necessary, but his establishing moment when he begrudgingly accepts the back cover rather than the front cover of a dino magazine is on point. When he confronts the Rangers, he believes them to be seeking a Taniwha (thanks to Peter of Rangerboard for the spelling) rather than the Plesio Zord. His attitude is a huge turn-off to Shelby, and of course she ends up going off on him for it, which is just. so. Shelby. I’m trying to imagine myself meeting my idol, being disappointed, and then telling them off to their face for being a jerk and coming up empty. And that’s why I’m not a Power Ranger.
*sniffle*
The Rangers split up to find the Plesio Zord, using Runga’s information and various reports of Taniwha sightings in the area. Team Shyler finds the zord off the coast when the Purple Energem starts to glow. I guess if Tyler’s thing is selfies, Shelby’s more of a videographer, because she starts taking video on her phone when she sees it. Unfortunately, Fury and Meteor catch up with them, and they all lose track of the Plesio Zord during the ensuing fight. While it’s a passable fight, I wish that there had been more acknowledgement between Ivan and Fury regarding their past when they fought one another. The Rangers try to regroup and Fury threatens Runga into helping him by lying about the nature of the Plesio Zord. The interesting thing is, however, that while Fury’s body language is very threatening, most of what he says to Runga is playing on his insecurities and ambitions, like a devil on his shoulder. I like that Runga goes into it with his eyes open--and uses some really shady methods like stealing Shelby’s video for his press conference--but at the same time, they give him an out by making Fury appropriately menacing.
Adding tension is the subplot regarding the Plesio Zord’s fading strength. Apparently, some of the zords need contact with their specific Energems for the purposes of charging. Since Albert had no idea he had a zord, or that he was even a Power Ranger, the Plesio Zord was completely cut off from the Energem. As the Rangers hurry off toward the caves, with Runga following, Koda and Ivan have a really funny moment where they bond over being fishes out of temporal water. Of course, there’s some cold water thrown over the episode by the following scene which contains the most unnecessary secret identity toss in the show’s history. The Rangers explain to Runga that what he believes to be a living dinosaur is actually a zord, and he puts two and two together to realize that he’s standing before the Power Rangers. I’m not hugely into this, as can be seen. Fury does me a solid by attacking the Rangers right then so I don’t have to think about it too hard.
Runga and Shelby end up in the cave while the other Rangers hold back the Vivix. Meteor follows, and we get the immortal line “Not a chance, asteroid breath!” which sounds like our girl Shelby was going to say something else to Meteor. I also think it was an interesting choice to give us the reactions of the three characters when Runga throws the Energem to the zord rather than footage of the zord itself. It works as a way to build up suspense and tension, especially when all three charge out of the cave followed by the Plesio Zord, finally making a full appearance on screen. Meteor is no match for the zord’s eye beams. As far as the look of it, I like the zord. I kind of like how it seems to be somewhat purple but mostly white, it’s like the Gold (Zeo, though not really) Ranger of zords. It adds to the space-shuttle aesthetic of the zord. I do like how we get a similar idea as last week where a Ranger helps to redeem a civilian through his or her example, and the civilian gets reminded of his goodness though it was hidden by cowardice or selfishness. Themes, people.
And to end things we get a freaking space fight. I love zord fights that do things differently from the norm. Most of the time, they tend to be an excuse to check my phone, play some Tekken Card Tournament, or grab a handful of peanuts. But I’ve always thought night fights look cooler than day fights, and aerial fights are also superior to ground-based ones. Space fights are both of those mixed together, so of course I loved the Plesio Charge Megazord’s debut, even though it was short. Another thing I found notable was that Shelby was pretty much in the driver’s seat despite not being in the middle. As Sledge rages over Meteor’s destruction, the Rangers head home in the zord, which makes me wonder as the episode ends: did they get one-way tickets from Amber Beach?
There was a lot to like about this episode even with some flaws. I did feel like Runga’s turnaround was a bit quick, and I did have issues with some line deliveries. But I’m a sucker for space fights, morality plays, fun humor, continuity, and of course SHELBY FOCUS. She really is the gift that keeps on giving, and I’ll keep on saying it. In the future, I’d like to see them come back around to the teamwork idea that they’d been pushing earlier in the season, because it seems like both last week and this week the Rangers haven’t been quite as united. In any case, I’m glad we seem to be coming closer to the endgame episodes, and although the New Zealand story seems to be at an end, the Purple Ranger story is probably just beginning.
