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Forever Red

From Power Rangers Universe

 
Code: 10x34
Title: Forever Red
Parts: 1
Index: 452
Season: Wild Force
Enemy: Machine Empire
Important?: yes
Airdate: October 5, 2002
Forever Red was an episode of the television series Power Rangers: Wild Force, commemorating the tenth anniversary of the Power Rangers saga. Wild Force was also the tenth incarnation of Power Ranger, and its Super Sentai equivalent, Gaoranger, was the 25th incarnation of the Super Sentai series. Hence, this episode is often compared to the Gaoranger vs. Super Sentai special, despite the fact that the two have little in common. Forever Red was the first episode to commemorate the anniversary of the Power Rangers Franchise followed by
Jason as the Red Ranger one last time.
Once A Ranger which took place in the 15th season.

Forever Red, like Gaoranger vs. Super Sentai, reunited every previous Red Ranger (with the exception of Rocky DeSantos, who otherwise would have had to share the original Red Ranger costume since the Red Ranger Suit from Dairanger was never used in the second season). The ten Red Rangers featured, in order of appearance in Power Rangers continuity were:

The inclusion of the Quantum Ranger from Time Force was controversial, as in the series he was considered a "sixth Ranger". However, Eric's inclusion was partially justified by Rocky's absence and by the fact that Wes and Eric effectively led the Silver Guardians together at the end of Time Force and during Reinforcements from the Future, an earlier crossover between Time Force and Wild Force, and The RyuuRanger Costume frim Dairanger was never used alongside the four of the main 5 Dairanger Suits. Since the series, many non-Red Rangers have been similarly termed Red Rangers, including Hunter Bradley (the Crimson Ranger) in Power Rangers: Ninja Storm and the various unnamed Red Rangers in S.P.D..

Other than the inclusion of the ten Red Rangers and the cameo appearance by the Wild Force regulars, there were a great many references to previous Power Rangers series, including:

Contents

[edit] Synopsis

Six years after the destruction of the Machine Empire, surviving members of the empire remain, seeking to destroy Earth (how they had survived Countdown to Destruction remains unclear). Tezzla, Gerrok, Steelon, and Automon (and many Cogs) are all that is left of the Empire, as well as General Venjix, acting as the head leader. They learned that Earth's Moon was the resting place of Serpentera, the Zord created and used by Lord Zedd with the power to destroy a planet. Ever since Zedd's "death" in Countdown to Destruction, the location of Serpentera remained a mystery for many years. Venjix found it and began using Cog soldiers to dig it up, refitting it with a Neo Plutonium reactor to power it.

Andros, the Red Space Ranger, discovered Venjix and found out about his plan after following him for several years. Andros went to the moon to gather video evidence of their plans. He succeeded and sent the tape to Tommy Oliver, the Red Zeo Ranger. When Tommy learned of Venjix's plan, he asked Andros to gather all the current Red Rangers on Earth, Leo Corbett on Mirinoi, and Aurico from Aquitar, and meet him at the NASADA space port on Earth. Although it was not explained how each Ranger would be contacted, it's assumed that Andros had contacted Carter, probably recommended by Leo as Leo had met Andros and Carter in two different teamups, who in turn used governmental connections to track down Cole and Wes and Eric of the Silver Guardians. T.J. was easily available as he also served as Andros' second-in-command, while Aurico and Leo may have been contacted by Andros. However, Tommy contacted his former teammate - and original Red Ranger - Jason Lee Scott himself. However, Jason didn't give Tommy a definitive answer as to whether or not he would show up at all. For some strange reason, Rocky DeSantos, Jason's successor, was not contacted.

Cole, the current Red Ranger, was contacted by Carter as the Wild Force team were gathered at a park. Despite the other Wild Force Rangers wanting to help, Carter had stated that only Cole was needed. The two proceeded to NASADA's space port, where they met up with Andros, T.J. and the Silver Guardians, of which the latter two were immediately recognized by Cole, as he already met the two in the Wild Force and Time Force teamup.

Tommy appeared and explained that he would be leading the team of Red Rangers. At the last second, Jason pulled up to the group on a motorcycle, surprising Tommy somewhat. Jason explained that he didn't think the mission would feel right without the original Red Ranger. He then proceeded to rib Cole, "the new guy" of the group, who originally offered a handshake. The Red Rangers boarded the Astro Megaship Mark II, created specifically for this mission, and proceeded to the moon. With new Alpha robot, Alpha 7, Tommy further explained the mission to the other Rangers and that they must stop the Machine generals and destroy Serpentera.

The Red Rangers face off against the Machine Empire Generals.

Venjix and his other generals prepared to board Serpentera, but they were then interrupted by the Rangers. Venjix sent Cogs to distract the eight Rangers while he and the others fled to Serpentera. The Rangers battled the Cogs unmorphed and easily defeated them. Eventually, Cole escaped the barrage of Cogs and chased the generals. Venjix fired at him, but Cole was rescued by Leo and Aurico on Leo's Jet Jammer. Then all the Rangers gathered, morphed with their respective "morphing calls" (except for Aurico, who never appeared demorphed), and battled the Generals.

Cole and Jason fought Venjix, where Jason showed the new Red Ranger a corkscrew kick.

Tommy and Wes fought Gerrok and Tommy destroyed him with the Zeo Flying Power Kick.

Eric and Aurico fought Tezzla and destroyed her with Eric's Quantum Defender.

T.J. and Leo fought Automon and destroyed him with Leo's Quasar Saber, Transdagger, and T.J.'s Turbo Blade and Turbo Lightning Sword.

Andros and Carter fought Steelon and destroyed him by combining power from their blasters.

Cole severely damaged Venjix with his Crystal Saber. Venjix then jumped into Serpentera and took off. With no time to get to the Astro Ship, the Rangers relied on Cole with his Wild Force Rider to battle Venjix. Cole used the rider to fly into Serpentera and destroyed it from the inside. Both Venjix and Serpentera were destroyed.

Afterwards, the nine human Rangers part ways, and Cole remarks how Tommy appeared to be the "greatest Ranger ever", with the other Rangers attempting to refute his claim.

[edit] Discontinuity

In all, Forever Red is considered one of the greatest Power Rangers episodes ever made. However, many parts of the episode have become controversial in fan discussion, making it difficult to classify as canon to the rest of the series. Whereas some have cited them as inaccuracies, others merely point out that they can be explained away, and information regarding the issues was merely omitted from the episodes. The following are the most notable issues:

  • At the beginning of the episode, the moon is shown to have similar gravity to that of Earth and a breathable atmosphere, none of which is consistent with the real moon. The moon was previously depicted in the same way in the first episode of Power Rangers: Lost Galaxy. It is possible that when Rita Repulsa conqured the moon in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, she terraformed the moon, giving it gravity and a breathable atmosphere so that she and her minions could function properly. Another explanation is that Power Rangers is not canon with the real world (given they use fictional cities and rarely make references to pop culture), and that this moon was always hospitable to Human life.
  • Kimberly is mentioned. Prior to Forever Red, the character has not been mentioned since her Dear John letter to Tommy in Power Rangers: Zeo's There's No Business Like Snow Business. However, her last appearance was in Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie.
  • This episode reunites Bulk and Skull. How they were able to reunite is unclear, as Power Rangers: Lost Galaxy showed that Bulk was on Mirinoi while Skull remained on Earth. It has not been established that there are any means of transporation from Mirinoi to Earth, but it is speculated that the wormhole used by the Galaxy Rangers to get to Earth for the Lightspeed Rescue teamup is now being used by the Galactic Space Alliance as a means of transporation back to Earth and vice versa. It was also disputed as how Bulk and Skull learned of Tommy's identity as a Power Ranger (an explanation here is that they traced the ranger lineage back to at least the first turbo team, after the Space rangers morphed in front of everyone in Countdown to Destruction).
  • Jason developed a serious ego since his last appearance in Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, almost to the point where he would be classified as an antihero, rather than the fearless leader that he started off as.  He even referred to Cole Evans on numerous occasions as "Rookie."
  • Jason and T.J. both lost their powers previously. Jason's power coin was destroyed by Rito Revolto (while in the possession of Rocky DeSantos) and T.J.'s powers were destroyed in the final battle between the Turbo Rangers and Divatox. The episode did not explain how these powers were restored. But some say there are cut scenes in Forever Red that explain how Jason and T.J. both got back their "Red" Ranger Powers.
    • Possible explanations for Jason's power restoration are, as follows: 1) It should be noted that Rito Revolto only destroyed the Thunderzords. The coins and morphers themselves were most likely just badly damaged as evidenced by the PRiS episode "Always a Chance" which featured Adam using a fractured Mastodon Power Coin. 2) Another possible explanation, one that reserves more merit, is The Sword of Light. This sword appeared to copy the powers of the orginal Red, Black, and Yellow Rangers at the time (Jason, Zack, and Trini respectively) to give them to their replacements. It's feasible that since this happened before the destruction of the Power Coins by Rito, Jason still has the original Tyrannosaurus Power Coin and Rocky's coin was mearly a copy. When Jason, Zack, and Trini left the Command Center, they were still morphed and therefore still held the Power Coins. Another possibility is that Ninjor had a hand in restoring his powers being that Ninjor created all the original power coins (excluding the white tiger coin) and ninja coins and that this might be a completely new or restored version of the old Tyrannosaurus coin. Another explanation is that, while they claimed the coins were "destroyed," they merely meant it would take years to repair, and the rangers could not afford to wait that long. This is evidenced by the fact that Adam, who cannot claim the duplication excuse, was able to morph without any problems in the episode Once a Ranger.
  • One possible explanation for T.J.'s power restoration is, as follows: In the PRiS episode entitled "True Blue to the Rescue", Justin's sentient vehicle companion Storm Blaster carried a spare morpher. The possibility exists that Lightning Cruiser (T.J.'s car) also had one.
  • In this episode, the Rangers battle the Cogs using various forms of martial arts. Carter, however, just shoots the Cogs with his Rescue Blaster. Many fans consider this to be a weak move for Carter, confirming him to be, in their opinion, the worst Red Ranger. But some fans state that his actions are understandable, considering that he was a fireman before becoming a Ranger and has no martial arts background. Many fans, however, credit Carter as the best sidearm user and finest strategist among the Red Rangers.
  • Many fans felt that Cole's use of the Wild Force Rider to destroy Serpentera was a deus ex machina of the episode. Serpentera had been shown to be a powerful war machine and "the greatest zord ever built" and the fact that a single Ranger could take it down without even using a zord was considered improbable. However, some also claim that the Wild Force Rider, being a gift from Animus, considered to be a god, (as well as the disparity between Wild Force and Mighty Morphin' powers) made it possible that a single Ranger could defeat Serpentera. The general consensus, however, was that Serpentera's destruction was quickly written so as to finish the story.  Also, even if the Wild Force Rider was capable of destroying Serpentera, that poses the question of why Cole couldn't do it in the first place.  
  • Serpentera is significantly smaller in Forever Red than it was when it first appeared in The Power Transfer. In the beginning, Serpentera was so large that the Red Dragon Thunderzord looked like a mosquito by comparison. In Forever Red, Serpentera's head was barely big enough to fit Cole Evans and his Wild Force Rider inside its mouth. No explanation has been conceived for this problem.

[edit] Controversy

Due to the controversial nature of this episode and overanalyzation by fans, most message boards consider the subject "off limits." The subject of its inaccuracies has been "beaten to death." One particular website went as far to say that the points of controversy in Forever Red are unimportant compared to the enjoyment of the episode, and that the writers needed to bring all the Red Rangers together and did not have enough time to explain all the details of the episode. This however is not accepted by diehard fans due to the fact that they view the series as an art form. Most fans now come up with their own explanations. Western Super Sentai fans however, point out that the issue regarding the restoration of the several former red rangers ability to morph again stems from the fact that Saban made the ranger suits into "powers" rather than as "tools" like its Japanese counterpart(Note that there has been at least one sentai special featuring the then current team and at least 2-3 of the prevoius teams on that same episode which is seen in the turboranger special, featuring the turboranger team and their predecessors from battle fever j to liveman and the super sentai world featuring the turborangers' next 5 sucessors from fiveman to kakuranger in which all the teams featured in those specials including the then current teams kakuranger and turboranger never appeared in their human forms). The episode is dubbed "The Forbidden Episode" due to the numerous questions surrounding it; in addition, the frequent permenent bans done to posters who bring up the episode in forums during that time.

[edit] Scorpion Rain

The fanfiction story Scorpion Rain, originally an elaborate hoax created ironically by Forever Red episode writer Amit Bhaumik and other Power Rangers fans (before Bhaumik was hired as a writer on Wild Force), was also a heavy influence on the overall story. In Scorpion Rain, allegedly a poor-quality five-part story that served as a bridge between the Power Rangers: Zeo finale and Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, where the Zeo Rangers defeated Lord Zedd, Goldar, and the Machine Empire, along with the destruction of Serpentera, the most powerful evil zord at the time, at the cost of their Zeo Zords. Later revelations in the series would contradict many of the details in Scorpion Rain.

Because of Scorpion Rain being effectively created by a fan who later worked on Power Rangers, some have surmised that Scorpion Rain eventually became part of the Power Rangers continuity despite its vague story and notorious plotholes and contradiction. Supporting this claim was Bhaumik himself, in a statement to the Power Rangers fandom, that Scorpion Rain was considered to be canon as the episode was written.

A fanedit of Scorpion Rain based entirely on stock footage from MMPR and PRZ was released in 2005. It gained considerable praise from fans such as Chris Funaro (another collaberator on Scoripion Rain) and is considered the only "definitive" version available to the fandom, the original copies being rare to find.

[edit] Notes and Trivia

  • The scene where the Wild Force Rangers meet Carter was originally filmed with more dialogue, such as why only Cole was chosen for the mission, and Cole naming Max as the Wild Force Rangers' temporary leader.
  • It is unknown as to how Carter got to know Cole Evans at least by name; it is assumed that neither Wes nor Eric has nothing to do with it, which is evident or obvious when Carter and Cole, upon meeting Wes and Eric, Cole immediately greeted the latter two in which Carter noted that all three Rangers knew each other, as Lightspeed teamed up with Time Force.
  • This was the first episode that a Ranger (Aurico) did not appear unmorphed due to the absence of his/her actor and was instead voiced by someone else followed by wormhole in Power Rangers S.P.D. (Tommy Oliver). This was due to the original actor who played Aurico not being found to play the role. Also, Aurico is not seen after the episode is over.
  • At the start of the episode, when Bulk and Skull are first seen, there is a quick shot of the chess board of the Space Rangers and the Psycho Rangers from Power Rangers: In Space.
  • The Machine Empire generals are recycled Beetleborg's suits.
  • The other Wild Force rangers only appeared once.
  • TJ says he thought the Zeo Rangers Destroyed the Machine Empire years ago, It was actually the engery wave from Zordon's death that destroyed them.  

[edit] Gallery

All ten Red Rangers

Serpentera leaves the moon

Serpenterra fires

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