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akinoameSo this is my first day of my second chance for Lost Galaxy. And I really have to say that I would not have enjoyed it when I was 11. It's good, but it's got subtleties that I just couldn't have appreciated when I was younger.
So, starting off. Commander Logan's warning in the beginning that the GSA must never leave a man behind really feels like a theme for the entire season. Kai beats himself up when Mike, Kendrix, Maya, and Leo go through the portal and he didn't do anything to help them. It leads him to hijack the Megaship, Alpha, and Damon. Leo resents Mike for leaving him behind on Earth when he feels he needs to find his destiny among the stars. Mike forces Leo to leave him behind to die in the chasm on Mirinoi, arguing that the important thing is that someone takes the Red Quasar Saber. Maya has to leave behind her petrified homeworld. Even Bulk and Prof. Phenomenous accidentally leave behind Skull, and they sob hysterically when they realize they forgot him.
As for the characters themselves, I'm going to hold off on Mike for right now, as he is introduced just to fall to his apparent death. Not much to see.
Leo is introduced as a good-hearted but impulsive young man who is willing to do whatever it takes to get to Terra Venture, so long as it doesn't compromise his integrity. He has a rebellious streak, attracts girls like no one else, and he's got "Destiny" written all over him in bright red pen. He's essentially a stock character to start, and I'll have to watch more to really get a feel for him. But what I do like is the way they show his dedication to Mike after the fall. He becomes the Red Ranger for his brother's sake, rather than his own. He is blinded by revenge against Furio in the beginning, and Kai has to drag him back to the Megaship. In fact, I see this subtle revenge quest into episode three too, when both he and Kai jump on the Megaship's controls when they see the Radster (ugh, let's not go there) attacking Terra Venture.
Kai is so OCD about the rules that I was pretty sure I was going to hate him. Then he hijacked the Megaship. I will forever refer to this moment whenever the stick up his ass gets to me. He's all "oh, the procedure!" to Leo and everybody, but by episode three, he's got to admit that Leo's insubordination was the right thing in the end.
Kendrix is actually pretty much the same way, but she's more willing to let Leo slide. I've got to admit this annoys me, and not because of shipping issues. I'd be okay with Leo/Kendrix if it was set up better. Kendrix is introduced as a scientist and soldier--strong and in-control. Leo bumps into her, and she's willing to let him slide on the whole "stowaway" issue because he's cute. That bugs me. It bugs me a lot. Kendy, don't be a pushover!
And on a sidenote, Kai's reaction to Leo sweeping Kendrix off her feet (quite literally) made me think the two GSA officers had something at one point. He had a very "my squishy, not your squishy!" thing there.
Maya...eh, not sure on her yet. Again, like with all of them, it's only three episodes in. Her ability to hear the Galactabeasts in episode three felt like a very convenient superpower more than anything else, and I've got to say the line delivery for the "we were chosen" speech made her sound like she was stoned, not in awe. A little more enthusiasm, please!
Speaking of enthusiasm, I am, however, horribly amused by how into it Kendrix gets. Here's this kind of mousy looking scientist, but the moment she puts on the spandex, she's got the most energetic grunts and yells of them all.
And now Damon. Oh, Damon. I heart Damon. He's just...awesome. He's the sane man in the group, pointing out "This ship won't fly; are you crazy?!" from his first appearance, then sighing and going along with the crazy plan. He's like their babysitter, trying to be the voice of reason while they're all driving him up the wall. It's like if Bones had Scotty's job. I love him.
Things to critique: "Quasar Quest" just... Well, to start, it really only makes sense as a follow-up to Power Rangers in Space taking place years in the future. You know, like they planned. Angel Grove looks like a dump (assuming the city they started in was Angel Grove), and it would have taken time for Terra Venture to be built and for all of the weaponry to be acquired. And for the Megaship to fall into such disrepair.
But overall, I didn't really get a feel for why there's such a mad rush to get on Terra Venture. Yes, cool, space station. But Leo's devastation at not winning the lottery number to get aboard, the fact that little old ladies did, and the muggers looking for Terra Venture passports? What happened? I'd have loved a little backstory as to why everyone is desperate to flee the Earth. Did "Countdown to Destruction" really devastate things so badly that people are willing to take their chances elsewhere in the galaxy? And if so, why is there no aid from, say, KO-35? And what the hell happened to the Space Rangers after they gave up their powers? Backstory, please.
Another thing that seriously bothers me is the reaction to Mike's apparent death. It's...odd. Now, I fully appreciate Leo's devastation and the way he insists at the end, when he's standing in the Megaship's bridge in his Ranger suit carrying his Saber and says, "This is for you, Mike." I also expect Kai and Kendrix to be upset. They served under him, and from the way Kendrix talks to him, they were good friends. But Maya and Damon just met him. Maya, I guess I can see, given her entire planet is dying, Mike immediately jumped to her aid, he's the one who pulled out the Quasar Saber, and she did have about ten minutes of interaction with him. But Damon literally just got there. He didn't have time to learn Mike's name, let alone develop an attachment to him. It bugged me. I feel like it probably should have been kept to just Leo, with a quieter show of loss from the others, particularly Kendrix and Kai.
And I've got to say, it's really, really odd how silent everything is. It feels like the series didn't have the budget for music, so you've got quite a few scenes with almost dead silence in the background. When they're prepping Terra Venture for departure, you just hear the footsteps behind Cmr. Logan's orders. They play the "Blue Danube Waltz" for the shuttle liftoff, which is just so cliche it's laughable. Yes, they've got a few pieces of music--most of them recycled from PRiS--but it's really jarring when I'm used to the full score of PRiS or the background themes and songs of RPM. The quiet moments in those seasons worked better. These are glaring.
However, overall, I found the series to have a good start. In addition to the "This is for you, Mike" scene, I also loved some of the throwbacks to PRiS. Alpha's reaction to seeing the guys in Ranger suits was perfect: "Rangers?! But how?" and "Ay-yi-yi, the Power Rangers are back!" I also liked how in "Race to the Rescue," the Rangers make their first appearance on Terra Venture by appearing on a bridge, standing above the civilians and soldiers--in a direct homage to the famous "We are the Power Rangers" scene in "Countdown to Destruction." Kinda wish there was more of a reaction to it, though. "Look, it's the Power Rangers!" from one person, and the "This'll turn the tables" from the soldier really didn't capture the essence of "Hey, the Power Rangers are back!" especially when it's supposed to be years since they were last seen. But despite these critiques, I'm definitely going to continue giving it a try.
So, starting off. Commander Logan's warning in the beginning that the GSA must never leave a man behind really feels like a theme for the entire season. Kai beats himself up when Mike, Kendrix, Maya, and Leo go through the portal and he didn't do anything to help them. It leads him to hijack the Megaship, Alpha, and Damon. Leo resents Mike for leaving him behind on Earth when he feels he needs to find his destiny among the stars. Mike forces Leo to leave him behind to die in the chasm on Mirinoi, arguing that the important thing is that someone takes the Red Quasar Saber. Maya has to leave behind her petrified homeworld. Even Bulk and Prof. Phenomenous accidentally leave behind Skull, and they sob hysterically when they realize they forgot him.
As for the characters themselves, I'm going to hold off on Mike for right now, as he is introduced just to fall to his apparent death. Not much to see.
Leo is introduced as a good-hearted but impulsive young man who is willing to do whatever it takes to get to Terra Venture, so long as it doesn't compromise his integrity. He has a rebellious streak, attracts girls like no one else, and he's got "Destiny" written all over him in bright red pen. He's essentially a stock character to start, and I'll have to watch more to really get a feel for him. But what I do like is the way they show his dedication to Mike after the fall. He becomes the Red Ranger for his brother's sake, rather than his own. He is blinded by revenge against Furio in the beginning, and Kai has to drag him back to the Megaship. In fact, I see this subtle revenge quest into episode three too, when both he and Kai jump on the Megaship's controls when they see the Radster (ugh, let's not go there) attacking Terra Venture.
Kai is so OCD about the rules that I was pretty sure I was going to hate him. Then he hijacked the Megaship. I will forever refer to this moment whenever the stick up his ass gets to me. He's all "oh, the procedure!" to Leo and everybody, but by episode three, he's got to admit that Leo's insubordination was the right thing in the end.
Kendrix is actually pretty much the same way, but she's more willing to let Leo slide. I've got to admit this annoys me, and not because of shipping issues. I'd be okay with Leo/Kendrix if it was set up better. Kendrix is introduced as a scientist and soldier--strong and in-control. Leo bumps into her, and she's willing to let him slide on the whole "stowaway" issue because he's cute. That bugs me. It bugs me a lot. Kendy, don't be a pushover!
And on a sidenote, Kai's reaction to Leo sweeping Kendrix off her feet (quite literally) made me think the two GSA officers had something at one point. He had a very "my squishy, not your squishy!" thing there.
Maya...eh, not sure on her yet. Again, like with all of them, it's only three episodes in. Her ability to hear the Galactabeasts in episode three felt like a very convenient superpower more than anything else, and I've got to say the line delivery for the "we were chosen" speech made her sound like she was stoned, not in awe. A little more enthusiasm, please!
Speaking of enthusiasm, I am, however, horribly amused by how into it Kendrix gets. Here's this kind of mousy looking scientist, but the moment she puts on the spandex, she's got the most energetic grunts and yells of them all.
And now Damon. Oh, Damon. I heart Damon. He's just...awesome. He's the sane man in the group, pointing out "This ship won't fly; are you crazy?!" from his first appearance, then sighing and going along with the crazy plan. He's like their babysitter, trying to be the voice of reason while they're all driving him up the wall. It's like if Bones had Scotty's job. I love him.
Things to critique: "Quasar Quest" just... Well, to start, it really only makes sense as a follow-up to Power Rangers in Space taking place years in the future. You know, like they planned. Angel Grove looks like a dump (assuming the city they started in was Angel Grove), and it would have taken time for Terra Venture to be built and for all of the weaponry to be acquired. And for the Megaship to fall into such disrepair.
But overall, I didn't really get a feel for why there's such a mad rush to get on Terra Venture. Yes, cool, space station. But Leo's devastation at not winning the lottery number to get aboard, the fact that little old ladies did, and the muggers looking for Terra Venture passports? What happened? I'd have loved a little backstory as to why everyone is desperate to flee the Earth. Did "Countdown to Destruction" really devastate things so badly that people are willing to take their chances elsewhere in the galaxy? And if so, why is there no aid from, say, KO-35? And what the hell happened to the Space Rangers after they gave up their powers? Backstory, please.
Another thing that seriously bothers me is the reaction to Mike's apparent death. It's...odd. Now, I fully appreciate Leo's devastation and the way he insists at the end, when he's standing in the Megaship's bridge in his Ranger suit carrying his Saber and says, "This is for you, Mike." I also expect Kai and Kendrix to be upset. They served under him, and from the way Kendrix talks to him, they were good friends. But Maya and Damon just met him. Maya, I guess I can see, given her entire planet is dying, Mike immediately jumped to her aid, he's the one who pulled out the Quasar Saber, and she did have about ten minutes of interaction with him. But Damon literally just got there. He didn't have time to learn Mike's name, let alone develop an attachment to him. It bugged me. I feel like it probably should have been kept to just Leo, with a quieter show of loss from the others, particularly Kendrix and Kai.
And I've got to say, it's really, really odd how silent everything is. It feels like the series didn't have the budget for music, so you've got quite a few scenes with almost dead silence in the background. When they're prepping Terra Venture for departure, you just hear the footsteps behind Cmr. Logan's orders. They play the "Blue Danube Waltz" for the shuttle liftoff, which is just so cliche it's laughable. Yes, they've got a few pieces of music--most of them recycled from PRiS--but it's really jarring when I'm used to the full score of PRiS or the background themes and songs of RPM. The quiet moments in those seasons worked better. These are glaring.
However, overall, I found the series to have a good start. In addition to the "This is for you, Mike" scene, I also loved some of the throwbacks to PRiS. Alpha's reaction to seeing the guys in Ranger suits was perfect: "Rangers?! But how?" and "Ay-yi-yi, the Power Rangers are back!" I also liked how in "Race to the Rescue," the Rangers make their first appearance on Terra Venture by appearing on a bridge, standing above the civilians and soldiers--in a direct homage to the famous "We are the Power Rangers" scene in "Countdown to Destruction." Kinda wish there was more of a reaction to it, though. "Look, it's the Power Rangers!" from one person, and the "This'll turn the tables" from the soldier really didn't capture the essence of "Hey, the Power Rangers are back!" especially when it's supposed to be years since they were last seen. But despite these critiques, I'm definitely going to continue giving it a try.