REVIEW: Dino Supercharge 14 "The Silver Secret"
That was amazing! For the sake of the non-shippers in the audience, I decided not to go with my first idea for the opening paragraph, which might have been one long squee. Instead, I opted just to say that my first impression from the title was that the episode would probably involve a confrontation with the evil Silver Ranger. I also assumed that we would get some info on why the Silver Energem would be under Doomwing’s control. But boy howdy did I not expect the B-plot. Without further ado…
This episode is callback city in many ways; almost every aspect of every plot refers to something that was set up earlier in the season. The A-plot focuses on the revelation of the Silver Ranger’s duplicity, in more ways than one--the Silver Ranger is, like Heckyl and Snide, a cross between Doomwing and the benevolent Xenowing. While Xenowing is bonded to the Silver Energem, Doomwing has physical possession of it, allowing him to use the role of the Silver Ranger in order to fight the Rangers. Meanwhile, the B-plot is Tyler’s attempt to impress Shelby by auditioning to become an N-Zed Boy, as she is doing the same. While it’s not made clear what the group would be called if they did end up adding a girl (and indeed, they do choose a girl) the reason Koda gives for her joining is her Triceratops song. And of course, we get the culmination of the Shyler plot that has been in the background for the entire series.
Tyler does get much of the focus in this episode, as it’s partially his focus episode--he’s the one to outsmart Doomwing in all of their confrontations while also getting to look like a dimwit trying to audition, especially in comparison with the suave Rata of the N-Zed Boys. To a degree this is also Shelby’s episode, given her own significant involvement in the B-plot and her own interactions with Kendall. But the two build on each other rather than clashing; Tyler and Shelby have had a connection since day 1 that’s been pretty hard to ignore. Even in this episode we get some great character moments between the two, from light touches and lingering looks to some more substantial things. One really nice comparison is when Chase needs to be told that Tyler has stage fright, while Shelby already knew it without us seeing her being told, which at least implies that she knows him that well already. Additionally, this episode allows the rest of the team not being focused on to still be part of the plot. Koda's the comic relief in a lot of the romantically tense moments, Riley and Kendall work together on the mechanism used later in the episode, and Chase gives Tyler tips on performance.
All this is basically to say that they certainly laid the groundwork for the moment in this episode where Tyler and Shelby almost kiss, and it’s almost everything that I’d want from such a scene. The only issue I had was that it felt as if maybe the actors didn't feel as comfortable with the scene as they should have. As far as romance goes, I much prefer the ending where Shelby chooses Tyler over Rata definitively and they presumably resolve their UST, or the point where they’re performing together for the audition and Tyler swings Shelby around with some great dance moves. One of the drawbacks of Power Rangers is that generally their references to budding romance (and imminent death, though that’s not applicable here as far as I know) tend to be kind of oblique and inferential. I think it’s fair to say that Tyler and Shelby’s relationship has changed; I’m not the type that needs an outright declaration of love or some nonsense, especially since she pretty explicitly turns down Rata’s date offer in favor of Tyler.
I also like how Doomwing’s duality with Xenowing is portrayed. We get the Red/Silver showdown I've been hoping for, and a pretty good plan to neutralize the Silver Ranger by splitting the two apart that puts the bad guys at a slight advantage, which is the way it should be. It's always more interesting when the Rangers have to come back from behind to save the day. I do think it's in-character but also ridiculous for Arcanon to consider Doomwing useless if he can't morph. I know he wasn't around last season, but surely someone can explain the alternative uses of an Energem as a power source. More importantly, however, this splitting of Xenowing and Doomwing could be a dry run for taking apart Heckyl and Snide and letting them distract each other long enough to get the best of them.
“The Silver Secret” closed the book on a few storylines while moving along some others. While I enjoyed the N-Zed Boys continuity, I’d like this to be the last time they're heavily featured in a story. I think this neatly bookends the introduction where Shelby was star-struck by them, and while she'll obviously still be a fan, I think she has grown past that. I'd like to see Tyler and Shelby get some time to interact as a couple without it having to be the point of the episode. I'm hoping that the focus of the next few episodes will be decisively moving into the endgame, and I think it's still safe to say I predict Sledge’s return, along with Heckyl and Snide being split up. I don't think I wasn't Heckyl to be redeemed, though; he's a bad guy all on his own and he should remain defiant to the end. Bonus points if he manages to steal the Dark Energem. All in all, I'm looking forward to what happens next, and I feel like Dino Supercharge has found its feet again. Hoping for a strong finish.
