One of the many iconic cultural franchises of the 90s, Power Rangers filled the minds of children with the story of five ordinary high school students who are given the power to defend Earth from galactic forces. It has spawned movies, comics, and a complete reboot of the franchise.
And, considering a certain reboot is on the way with a very different Green Ranger, it only makes sense to look at Power Rangers story-arc “Green With Evil”. This five part story began airing as the seventeenth episode of the series and introducing audiences to the Green Ranger. This episode was important to the overall series development for a number of reasons. Not only did we get a new Ranger, Tommy Oliver, we got one of the most famous Power Rangers in the Power Ranger lore, who has appeared and been mentioned throughout the shows many incarnations. It should also be noted that Tommy would eventually go on to become the leader of the Power Rangers and be the love interest of Kimberly Hart, the Pink Power Ranger.
With all that being said, this introduction of Tommy Oliver is pretty important so it’s interesting to know that the Green Ranger in the reboot will be Rita herself and not Tommy Oliver.
To date, this is the only five part special that has ever been released in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series. So on one hand, it’s a pretty important addition to the series. However, at the same time, it’s important to keep in mind that this special aired only two months after the show’s premiere.
The episode begins with a martial arts competition between Jason, the Red Power Ranger, and Tommy who is a new student. The match ends in a tie as Tommy gains Jason’s respect. Shortly after, Kimberly asks Tommy out on a date after being smitten with him almost immediately.
However, Tommy doesn’t show up for the date as he is intercepted by Rita who plans to use Tommy as a puppet to destroy the Power Rangers. She does this by bestowing him the sixth Power Coin which transforms him into the Green Ranger. From here on out, the series of episodes can best be described as brainwashed Tommy messing everything up with the Power Rangers running in circles trying to figure out who the Green Ranger is. Tommy first breaks into the command centre and infects Alpha 5 with a virus while severing the Rangers’ connection with Zordon. Under Rita’s influence, he then undergoes a series of showdowns with the Rangers.
Meanwhile, Kimberly notices Tommy is acting strange, cold, and distant to her. As his odd behaviour continues, the group gets closer to discovering who the Green Ranger is. When it is revealed to be Tommy, the group also learns they need to destroy his sword in order to lift the spell Rita obviously has over him. The story concludes with the Power Rangers breaking the spell and teaming up with Tommy to finish off the final battle and with Tommy becoming an official member of the team.
As a kid, this series of episodes is a game changer. While as an adult, two months into the show may seem like nothing, for a kid, introducing an evil ranger is endearing storytelling. If you can put aside the 90s charm, this story arc becomes a dramatic shift in the Power Rangers lore. Especially since it introduces one of the most well known Power Rangers in the franchise and does so by at first making him the villain.
If you don’t remember what Power Rangers was like as a kid, it’s definitely fun to watch this series of episodes. If you expect high quality content that the reboot seems to be promising, this is definitely not the show you should be watching. It’s completely cheesy with an array of 90s tropes, dramatic zoom ins, and overall silliness. The acting is over-the-top with its 90s charm and the effects are what you would expect from such an old show. But, as I said, if you’re looking to relive some nostalgic moments from your childhood and want to prepare for the reboot, this is definitely the series of episodes you should be watching.
You can currently watch “Green With Evil”on Netflix. If you’ve managed to watch this story arc recently, tell us what you thought in the comments below or on Twitter!
