Retrospective: “Countdown to Destruction”
Nov. 5th, 2009 08:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
akinoamePicture this: You’re hired to head up the final season of Power Rangers. Ratings are terrible, and you’ve basically been given a free pass to whatever the hell you want. At this point, the suits don’t care. So you come up with this amazing, epic storyline that is completely unlike any season that’s come before. It shakes up the status quo, it forces the characters to make tough decisions, and it has a plot twist straight out of Star Wars. But when you sit down and watch the Sentai series you’re adapting the source footage from, you’ve got a major problem: It’s nothing like what you have planned. In fact, in comparison, it seems kinda silly. But you’ve got balls—you go along with it anyway and you make this amazing series that you originally wanted to do. You follow the story of the brooding young man with the mysterious past as he joins up with an established team of heroes and they help him in his quest to face his past and locate his missing sister. You watch him slowly hook up with the Yellow Ranger. You find out his sister is the enemy they’ve been fighting all this time, and the team isn’t sure if they can trust her. Hell, you even watch him tell off his best friend when he admits he’s attracted to her. But just when it looks like she’s about to join the team, her boss kidnaps her and reprograms her back to evil. And as the series draws to a close, you know the Rangers have to make some tough decisions about who they can save and what they should sacrifice for the greater good.
Sound familiar? But the year is 1998, the season is Power Rangers in Space, and the writer is Judd Lynn.
Just like RPM eleven years after it, it pushes the envelope and creates a truly epic and deep storyline in spite of the obstacles before it. And like RPM, it does have some flaws—though try telling that to some of the fanbase—but even so, it’s still flying higher than any of the seasons before it. The season admittedly starts off weak—Melody Perkins is painful to watch in the earliest episodes, story quality is frankly pretty lame, and the episodes where they adapt Megaranger plotlines are especially painful—but around the time Darkonda appears, it really hits its stride. Silver Ranger Zhane miraculously revives after a two-year cold sleep and a near-death experience, Andros discovers that Darkonda kidnapped Karone, and then everyone learns that Astronema is Karone. Ecliptor proves to be an incredibly sympathetic villain, torn between his loyalty to Dark Specter and his loyalty and fatherly love toward Astronema. When Dark Specter brainwashes Karone into an eviler Astronema, she creates the Psycho Rangers to destroy both the Power Rangers and Dark Specter, leading into a gripping arc that even has major consequences for the next season and their Pink Ranger. Things slip a bit following the Psychos’ destruction, and the two episodes before the finale are mostly forgettable except for destroying the Megazords, but “Countdown to Destruction” more than makes up for it.
If you were to name the most memorable finales in Power Rangers history, chances are that this would make your list. It’s the episode that broke the status quo, ended the Zordon Era and was meant to be the closing chapter for Power Rangers in general—until the season’s ratings were high enough to get the series renewed for another ten years.
This episode was written by Koichi Sakamoto and Judd Lynn. Judd Lynn is in charge of the second half of Power Rangers RPM, so when “Danger and Destiny” comes along, chances are that people are going to look back on the last intended series finale for Power Rangers and wonder if this will be “Countdown to Destruction” again. It was edgy, emotional, and generally frickin’ awesome.
In my personal opinion, it will be hard for “Danger and Destiny” to top “Countdown to Destruction.” It’s on my list of best finales ever, and it only comes second to the “Sozin’s Comet” four-parter that finished off Avatar. “Countdown to Destruction” had a lot of elements working in its favor: story, characters, family, romance, and plenty of tough choices for everyone involved. In addition, it’s almost devoid of Sentai footage—its picture quality clear and consistent, in contrast to the sometimes grainy Japanese footage that always managed to clash with the American footage. On top of that, the background music was incredible. Power Rangers in Space was the first season to have scored scored background music, eschewing battle songs (barring the opening theme during Megazord configuration) completely after the first few episodes. The opening theme of the series may get a lot of grins and nostalgia, but it can’t hold a candle to the heroic music that plays when the Rangers appear—particularly when they reveal their identities to the citizens of Angel Grove. The sad piano piece that plays whenever Andros remembers Karone or when Astronema thinks on her past—like a pure, melancholy remix of the motif surrounding Astronema—returns for Karone in Lost Galaxy and even makes a few appearances in Lightspeed Rescue and I believe Time Force as well. And beginning with Andros’s final battle with Astronema, “Countdown to Destruction” is carried to its conclusion by a nonstop symphony of heartwrenching and uplifting music that perfectly captures every moment.
Part one sets the stage, with the Rebels on KO-35 losing their battle to reclaim their home planet. When Kinwon and Tykwa are convinced they must surrender to Dark Specter, Zhane insists on holding out, determined to find the other Rangers and bring them into the battle. Unfortunately, en route to the Megaship, he’s attacked by a Velocifighter, only just rescued by the Megaship. It turns out that KO-35 is not alone—the United Alliance of Evil is attacking all over the universe, and a massive fleet of Velocifighters is headed to Earth. As the Earth-born Rangers stare in horror, Andros gently insists that they’ll save his friends’ home planet and pilots the ship there.
Angel Grove is in chaos, and it doesn’t take long for the Rangers to fall. Andros’s Battlizer, the Mega Winger—everything is completely useless against the invading army. In short order, Astronema seizes control of Angel Grove, and TJ orders the Rangers to retreat. In a few short hours, Astronema accomplishes what five years’ worth of villains before her failed to do. But her victory hasn’t come easily—down to his last life and frustrated with being just a lackey, Darkonda steals Astronema’s planet-buster missile intended for Earth and blasts it at Dark Specter, who takes the dirty traitor down with him. With Dark Specter gone, Astronema is the Queen of Evil and leader of the UAE, and all villainous mooks bow to her. And with most of the universe conquered, she soon sees that it’s good to be the Queen. Appearing before the people of Angel Grove, she makes an ultimatum: by the next morning, she wants the Rangers brought to her, or else she’ll destroy the planet.
That night, as the Rangers regroup in the ruins of Angel Grove, the citizens discuss what to do. The Rangers are hiding among them, and they don’t know what to do. One woman asks where they are, and a man asks if they’re really here, why haven’t they saved them? The woman then suggests that maybe the Rangers have abandoned them, and a pissed off Bulk jumps to their defense, insisting, “The Rangers have never let us down before. We have to believe they’ll be here.” And hearing this doesn’t make it any easier for the Rangers. They know they can’t sacrifice themselves, but they can’t sacrifice the planet either. But Andros thinks he’s got another answer. With Dark Specter gone, no one’s pulling the strings on Astronema anymore, and he thinks he’s got a chance of convincing his sister to call off the attack. Zhane and the others, however, aren’t so hopeful, but there’s no convincing Andros. While the others put a plan of attack together, he slips away with his Battilizer, only to be stopped by Ashley. She tries to convince her boyfriend not to go, but he insists he has to try. He tries to tell her something in case he doesn’t make it back, but she stops him and insists, “I will see you again,” and still unconvinced, he just agrees and turns to morph. Sorrowfully, Ashley watches as he uses the painful transformation to become the Red Battilizer Ranger and flies off to the Dark Fortress, knowing full well that what she just said might be a lie.
The next morning, Astronema arrives on Earth to see they haven’t surrendered the Rangers. She calls them cowards before beginning the order to destroy everything, and suddenly a voice calls out, “Wait!” Bulk, former bully to the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers and now the de facto leader of Angel Grove’s civilians, steps out of the crowd and tells Astronema, “I am the Blue Ranger.” While Astronema and Ecliptor are stunned by the civilian’s bold sacrifice, Skull walks over to his best friend and adds, “And I’m the Black Ranger.” Professor Phenomenus then joins his two cohorts and insists, “And I’m the Red Ranger.” Adelle then steps out of the crowd to join them and says, “You can call me the Pink Ranger!” The doubting man who wondered where the Rangers were then comes forward and says, “I’m the Silver Ranger.” And the woman who had suggested the Rangers had left then joins them, her faith bolstered, and adds, “And I’m the Yellow Ranger.”
The next thing anyone knows, another civilian adds, “I’m a Ranger too!” and she’s soon followed by everyone else in the crowd, like the rebelling slaves defending Spartacus. The real Rangers stand in shock watching the whole thing, but when Astronema decides to just destroy everyone, they make their way onto a ruined building and TJ, the real Blue Ranger, cries out, “We are the Power Rangers.” The civilians are silent in shock, and Bulk turns to Skull in disbelief, pointing at the kids and asking, “Them?” But when Zhane orders, “Let’s Rocket!” and an explosion of smoke obscures them for a moment to reveal the five Power Rangers, the civilians forget their disbelief and begin cheering wildly. The Rangers charge into battle, and Bulk soon leads the citizens to help their heroes, and the combined force of the Rangers and the civilians is enough to turn the tide. Astronema and Ecliptor retreat to the Dark Fortress to figure out another strategy.
Meanwhile, Andros is still hiding on the Fortress, and he sets off an alarm to distract Ecliptor and the Quantrons before locking them out of the bridge. Desperately looking for his sister, Andros is shocked to see who else is there—Zordon. After a long year spent trying to track down the Rangers’ captured mentor, he’s finally found him at the very end, and Zordon has bad news for him. Dark Specter’s forces are too powerful, and the only way to save the universe is for Zordon to sacrifice himself. He asks Andros to shatter his energy tube, so the good energy trapped inside will burst out and wipe out the evil threatening the universe, and he promises that though he’ll be gone, “My spirit will forever live in all that is good.” But Andros can’t make himself destroy Zordon, and he collapses in sorrow and shame. However, Astronema has no compunctions about destroying Andros, and she soundly beats the shit out of him, ignoring his pleas for her to remember that they’re brother and sister. She remembers but she just doesn’t care, as proven with her declaration of “Goodbye, Brother,” as she blasts him with her Wrath Staff. In desperation, Andros uses the Spiral Saber to defend himself, but it redirects the electricity back at Astronema, killing her. Horrified at what he’d done, Andros runs over to her, devastated when he fails to wake her up. And he’s not the only one. Ecliptor finally breaks free, equally horrified at Andros’s actions. He attacks Andros, forcing him away from the body long enough for him to lament the loss of the young woman he’d come to think of as a daughter all these years. Furious, he insists that Andros will pay for his crime, and the two battle viciously over the memory of Astronema. Zordon insists that Andros doesn’t have much time and has to carry out his last orders, and after Andros manages to hold off Ecliptor, he reminds Andros, “It is your duty as a Power Ranger to protect the universe. Now is the time.” Reminded of his responsibility, Andros takes his Spiral Saber and shatters the tube, releasing a wave of energy that disintegrates Ecliptor and all of the other monsters in the universe, while giving the humanoid villains Rita, Zedd, and Divatox a second chance. On Earth, the Rangers are shocked to see the Quantrons turn to dust before them and their own powers fail, as they demorph with sparkling lights. But the civilians are thrilled, grabbing the Rangers in a massive hug and beginning to celebrate.
Ashley, however, doesn’t feel much like celebrating, and Cassie pulls her aside to ask her if she’s heard from Andros. She reveals that she hasn’t and she doesn’t think he’s coming back. As if they didn’t need any more bad news, the Dark Fortress appears above the skies of Angel Grove, and everyone stops celebrating, looking up in fear. It lands and the hatch opens…and Andros slowly walks out, dressed in his Megaship uniform and carrying Astronema’s body. He sets her down as the other Rangers come over, initially thrilled to see him and then frozen in silence over his grief. Unable to hold it in any longer, Andros begins crying, and his tears land on his sister’s body. But to his surprise, the cybernetic implants disappear, her pale skin takes on a healthy tone, and her hair reverts from red to blond. Confused, Karone opens her eyes and looks at Andros, asking how she got there, and now crying with happiness, he answers that it’s a long story. The other Rangers surround the siblings in joy as the civilians watch in wonder.
The Rangers help the Karovans move back in, and after both the Karovans and the Terrans having spent a long time away, they’re looking forward to coming back home. Ashley tries to convince Andros to come back with them, but he insists that KO-35 is his home and he belongs there with Karone and Zhane. The Karovans see them off, and Andros and Ashley stare at each other for a long time before Ashley closes the hatch. Mournfully, the four Earth-born Rangers walk into the bridge, none of them quite able to believe that after all this time, their team is finally broken. Cassie asks Ashley if she’ll be okay, but Ashley admits that she misses Andros. But to her surprise and joy, a familiar voice orders, “DECA, set a course for Earth.” The Rangers run over to Andros in excitement as he and Ashley hug and he admits, “My home is with you guys.” But it’s not the only surprise. Zhane breaks up the celebration, with Karone in tow, asking if they can get a ride to Earth too. While the others all celebrate around Andros and Karone, Zhane heads over to the captain’s chair and kicks back to relax, and a laughing TJ says, “Alpha, let’s go home!” to the robot’s hearty agreement. And the Megaship speeds toward Earth, having reached the end of an era.
I don’t think I sound too biased in saying that part two is the better part of the episode. Part one sets the stage for the battle, and while it’s gripping and action-packed…that’s kind of it. Part two brings in the emotional anguish, beginning with the civilians’ sense of abandonment and continuing through the rollercoaster ride that is the last few scenes. It’s the part that everyone remembers in detail. You know that KO-35 and the rest of the universe are under attack, but it’s the Angel Grove reenactment of the “I’m Spartacus” scene that you remember. You remember Andros’s devastation at having to kill Zordon and accidentally killing Karone. You remember Zordon’s energy radiating from the Dark Fortress all over the universe, wiping out all evil forever (or, at least until Lost Galaxy). These are the moments in part two that resonate with you, and part one generally lacks. It doesn’t mean that part one is weak, however—it just means that it’s only part one. It’s the backstory needed to understand part two. “Countdown to Destruction” truly needs to be watched as a single hour-long episode to appreciate it fully.
In-between the siege of the universe and the theme of sacrifice, we get to see some tender moments too. For all Andros must anguish over trying and repeatedly failing to recover his sister, he at least has Ashley to depend on throughout the series. Like Summer to Dillon, Ashley supports him in his quest to find his sister, though she can’t take away the pain of his past. She fails to convince him not to leave in the beginning of part two, but she understands why he has to. And when he tries to tell her something in case he doesn’t make it back, she makes him promise to come back to her. She also tries to talk him out of staying on KO-35 at the end, but he’s convinced that he belongs on his home planet now, and once again, she keeps her eyes on him as she says goodbye. But this time, Andros has come to his senses and decides that he’d rather stay with his friends…and Ashley. Furthermore, throughout the scenes in Angel Grove, if you look carefully, you’ll notice Ashley’s wearing a necklace—the very one that Andros had given her for her birthday, with the rare Karovan gem. Little details speak just as loudly as the big moments.
Another little detail, though possibly unintentional, carries over into Lost Galaxy’s “Facing the Past.” Possibly as a result of being at ground zero for Zordon’s energy wave, Andros somehow manages to revive Karone with his tears. Karone then returns the favor a year later when she comes across the warrior she’d turned to stone as Astronema, crying in shame and sorrow over her past sins and miraculously restoring him. Of course, the warrior then proceeds to snub her by insisting that only Leo can use his power and carry out the mission to protect the galaxy, but other than that, it was a nice touch.
But possibly one of the biggest little details, I think, is the music. A few nights ago, I found myself just tuning out the dialogue and action just to listen to the background score. The score playing as Andros fails to convince himself to destroy Zordon is heavy with the weight of destiny and duty. And the music playing as Andros fights Astronema is filled with desperation, changing suddenly to intense sorrow when he deflects her energy attack into her and kills her. The dialogue is even muted slightly, allowing this churchlike piece to shine in the moment of truth. The dialogue returns to normal, but the music continues to play as Ecliptor mourns. The battle music then carries elements of the heavy theme for Zordon’s orders and the choir-like piece for Karone’s death. But when Andros accepts his duty and destroys Zordon, a piece like the combination of the Zordon theme and Karone dirge plays, but expressing hope beyond the sorrow. Yes, what they’ve lost is horrible, but after thousands of years, there’s finally hope that they’ve found a world where all is good. It’s not too different from the “Peace Excerpt” from Avatar about ten years later. It then proceeds to get darker as Ashley faces the possibility that Andros died in his attempts to stop Astronema, and the weight of fear as the Dark Fortress appears. It’s slow and mournful when Andros approaches with Astronema’s body, building until—like Andros—it can’t bear the burden of holding back the tears…and then Karone revives, and it becomes quieter until building into something far more hopeful. Andros and Ashley’s goodbye has this soft love theme playing, a motif used for them, and then it turns into a sadly heroic piece for a moment as the Rangers bid the Rebels farewell. As Andros and Ashley watch each other at the end, it uses higher instruments, becoming specifically for them for a moment before turning into a mournful piece for the four Rangers who have just said goodbye to their friends. But when Andros appears, the music swells into a joyful, romantic reunion piece that turns eventually becomes a lighter, heroic piece for everybody, carrying a few bars of the Rangers’ heroic entrance music before finally ending.
Seriously, why the hell haven’t they made a soundtrack of this?!
Not everything is perfect though, and sadly, “Countdown to Destruction” isn’t either. For the past ten years, I’ve been completely pissed off by one part of the ending—with Zordon’s energy wave. Ignoring the fact that it somehow missed Scorpius’s empire, the demons of Mariner Bay, the Orgs, and all the other villains between 1999 and 2025-3000, who it picks to save is a bit…frustrating to say the least. Rita Repulsa, Lord Zedd, and Divatox are all redeemed, given a second chance at life as normal humans. None of these three was ever indicated to have much in the way of redeeming characteristics. Ecliptor, on the other hand, is dusted despite even while brainwashed professing his deep paternal love for Astronema. Granted, yes, Ecliptor claimed in “Astronema Thinks Twice” that he was “built evil; every cubic centimeter.” But moments like he had from there on make you doubt that claim. Seeing him get destroyed just didn’t seem right.
Still, after over ten years, “Countdown to Destruction” really holds up. And with Power Rangers really on the track to cancellation this time, combined with the comparisons already being drawn between RPM and PRiS, older viewers going into “Danger and Destiny” are going to have this on their minds. In the end, I don’t think it matters if “Danger and Destiny” does or doesn’t measure up—“Countdown to Destruction” was epic, part of an already epic series, and proved to stand the test of time. That’s not an easy thing to say. And if “Danger and Destiny” equals or surpasses “Countdown to Destruction,” then all the better. RPM too has a lot going for it, and despite its hardships, it’s done fantastic. Whatever happens, it was an awesome season, just as PRiS was, and I look forward to the finale. Maybe the RPM Rangers will manage to create the world the Space Rangers hoped they had, a world without evil.
Sound familiar? But the year is 1998, the season is Power Rangers in Space, and the writer is Judd Lynn.
Just like RPM eleven years after it, it pushes the envelope and creates a truly epic and deep storyline in spite of the obstacles before it. And like RPM, it does have some flaws—though try telling that to some of the fanbase—but even so, it’s still flying higher than any of the seasons before it. The season admittedly starts off weak—Melody Perkins is painful to watch in the earliest episodes, story quality is frankly pretty lame, and the episodes where they adapt Megaranger plotlines are especially painful—but around the time Darkonda appears, it really hits its stride. Silver Ranger Zhane miraculously revives after a two-year cold sleep and a near-death experience, Andros discovers that Darkonda kidnapped Karone, and then everyone learns that Astronema is Karone. Ecliptor proves to be an incredibly sympathetic villain, torn between his loyalty to Dark Specter and his loyalty and fatherly love toward Astronema. When Dark Specter brainwashes Karone into an eviler Astronema, she creates the Psycho Rangers to destroy both the Power Rangers and Dark Specter, leading into a gripping arc that even has major consequences for the next season and their Pink Ranger. Things slip a bit following the Psychos’ destruction, and the two episodes before the finale are mostly forgettable except for destroying the Megazords, but “Countdown to Destruction” more than makes up for it.
If you were to name the most memorable finales in Power Rangers history, chances are that this would make your list. It’s the episode that broke the status quo, ended the Zordon Era and was meant to be the closing chapter for Power Rangers in general—until the season’s ratings were high enough to get the series renewed for another ten years.
This episode was written by Koichi Sakamoto and Judd Lynn. Judd Lynn is in charge of the second half of Power Rangers RPM, so when “Danger and Destiny” comes along, chances are that people are going to look back on the last intended series finale for Power Rangers and wonder if this will be “Countdown to Destruction” again. It was edgy, emotional, and generally frickin’ awesome.
In my personal opinion, it will be hard for “Danger and Destiny” to top “Countdown to Destruction.” It’s on my list of best finales ever, and it only comes second to the “Sozin’s Comet” four-parter that finished off Avatar. “Countdown to Destruction” had a lot of elements working in its favor: story, characters, family, romance, and plenty of tough choices for everyone involved. In addition, it’s almost devoid of Sentai footage—its picture quality clear and consistent, in contrast to the sometimes grainy Japanese footage that always managed to clash with the American footage. On top of that, the background music was incredible. Power Rangers in Space was the first season to have scored scored background music, eschewing battle songs (barring the opening theme during Megazord configuration) completely after the first few episodes. The opening theme of the series may get a lot of grins and nostalgia, but it can’t hold a candle to the heroic music that plays when the Rangers appear—particularly when they reveal their identities to the citizens of Angel Grove. The sad piano piece that plays whenever Andros remembers Karone or when Astronema thinks on her past—like a pure, melancholy remix of the motif surrounding Astronema—returns for Karone in Lost Galaxy and even makes a few appearances in Lightspeed Rescue and I believe Time Force as well. And beginning with Andros’s final battle with Astronema, “Countdown to Destruction” is carried to its conclusion by a nonstop symphony of heartwrenching and uplifting music that perfectly captures every moment.
Part one sets the stage, with the Rebels on KO-35 losing their battle to reclaim their home planet. When Kinwon and Tykwa are convinced they must surrender to Dark Specter, Zhane insists on holding out, determined to find the other Rangers and bring them into the battle. Unfortunately, en route to the Megaship, he’s attacked by a Velocifighter, only just rescued by the Megaship. It turns out that KO-35 is not alone—the United Alliance of Evil is attacking all over the universe, and a massive fleet of Velocifighters is headed to Earth. As the Earth-born Rangers stare in horror, Andros gently insists that they’ll save his friends’ home planet and pilots the ship there.
Angel Grove is in chaos, and it doesn’t take long for the Rangers to fall. Andros’s Battlizer, the Mega Winger—everything is completely useless against the invading army. In short order, Astronema seizes control of Angel Grove, and TJ orders the Rangers to retreat. In a few short hours, Astronema accomplishes what five years’ worth of villains before her failed to do. But her victory hasn’t come easily—down to his last life and frustrated with being just a lackey, Darkonda steals Astronema’s planet-buster missile intended for Earth and blasts it at Dark Specter, who takes the dirty traitor down with him. With Dark Specter gone, Astronema is the Queen of Evil and leader of the UAE, and all villainous mooks bow to her. And with most of the universe conquered, she soon sees that it’s good to be the Queen. Appearing before the people of Angel Grove, she makes an ultimatum: by the next morning, she wants the Rangers brought to her, or else she’ll destroy the planet.
That night, as the Rangers regroup in the ruins of Angel Grove, the citizens discuss what to do. The Rangers are hiding among them, and they don’t know what to do. One woman asks where they are, and a man asks if they’re really here, why haven’t they saved them? The woman then suggests that maybe the Rangers have abandoned them, and a pissed off Bulk jumps to their defense, insisting, “The Rangers have never let us down before. We have to believe they’ll be here.” And hearing this doesn’t make it any easier for the Rangers. They know they can’t sacrifice themselves, but they can’t sacrifice the planet either. But Andros thinks he’s got another answer. With Dark Specter gone, no one’s pulling the strings on Astronema anymore, and he thinks he’s got a chance of convincing his sister to call off the attack. Zhane and the others, however, aren’t so hopeful, but there’s no convincing Andros. While the others put a plan of attack together, he slips away with his Battilizer, only to be stopped by Ashley. She tries to convince her boyfriend not to go, but he insists he has to try. He tries to tell her something in case he doesn’t make it back, but she stops him and insists, “I will see you again,” and still unconvinced, he just agrees and turns to morph. Sorrowfully, Ashley watches as he uses the painful transformation to become the Red Battilizer Ranger and flies off to the Dark Fortress, knowing full well that what she just said might be a lie.
The next morning, Astronema arrives on Earth to see they haven’t surrendered the Rangers. She calls them cowards before beginning the order to destroy everything, and suddenly a voice calls out, “Wait!” Bulk, former bully to the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers and now the de facto leader of Angel Grove’s civilians, steps out of the crowd and tells Astronema, “I am the Blue Ranger.” While Astronema and Ecliptor are stunned by the civilian’s bold sacrifice, Skull walks over to his best friend and adds, “And I’m the Black Ranger.” Professor Phenomenus then joins his two cohorts and insists, “And I’m the Red Ranger.” Adelle then steps out of the crowd to join them and says, “You can call me the Pink Ranger!” The doubting man who wondered where the Rangers were then comes forward and says, “I’m the Silver Ranger.” And the woman who had suggested the Rangers had left then joins them, her faith bolstered, and adds, “And I’m the Yellow Ranger.”
The next thing anyone knows, another civilian adds, “I’m a Ranger too!” and she’s soon followed by everyone else in the crowd, like the rebelling slaves defending Spartacus. The real Rangers stand in shock watching the whole thing, but when Astronema decides to just destroy everyone, they make their way onto a ruined building and TJ, the real Blue Ranger, cries out, “We are the Power Rangers.” The civilians are silent in shock, and Bulk turns to Skull in disbelief, pointing at the kids and asking, “Them?” But when Zhane orders, “Let’s Rocket!” and an explosion of smoke obscures them for a moment to reveal the five Power Rangers, the civilians forget their disbelief and begin cheering wildly. The Rangers charge into battle, and Bulk soon leads the citizens to help their heroes, and the combined force of the Rangers and the civilians is enough to turn the tide. Astronema and Ecliptor retreat to the Dark Fortress to figure out another strategy.
Meanwhile, Andros is still hiding on the Fortress, and he sets off an alarm to distract Ecliptor and the Quantrons before locking them out of the bridge. Desperately looking for his sister, Andros is shocked to see who else is there—Zordon. After a long year spent trying to track down the Rangers’ captured mentor, he’s finally found him at the very end, and Zordon has bad news for him. Dark Specter’s forces are too powerful, and the only way to save the universe is for Zordon to sacrifice himself. He asks Andros to shatter his energy tube, so the good energy trapped inside will burst out and wipe out the evil threatening the universe, and he promises that though he’ll be gone, “My spirit will forever live in all that is good.” But Andros can’t make himself destroy Zordon, and he collapses in sorrow and shame. However, Astronema has no compunctions about destroying Andros, and she soundly beats the shit out of him, ignoring his pleas for her to remember that they’re brother and sister. She remembers but she just doesn’t care, as proven with her declaration of “Goodbye, Brother,” as she blasts him with her Wrath Staff. In desperation, Andros uses the Spiral Saber to defend himself, but it redirects the electricity back at Astronema, killing her. Horrified at what he’d done, Andros runs over to her, devastated when he fails to wake her up. And he’s not the only one. Ecliptor finally breaks free, equally horrified at Andros’s actions. He attacks Andros, forcing him away from the body long enough for him to lament the loss of the young woman he’d come to think of as a daughter all these years. Furious, he insists that Andros will pay for his crime, and the two battle viciously over the memory of Astronema. Zordon insists that Andros doesn’t have much time and has to carry out his last orders, and after Andros manages to hold off Ecliptor, he reminds Andros, “It is your duty as a Power Ranger to protect the universe. Now is the time.” Reminded of his responsibility, Andros takes his Spiral Saber and shatters the tube, releasing a wave of energy that disintegrates Ecliptor and all of the other monsters in the universe, while giving the humanoid villains Rita, Zedd, and Divatox a second chance. On Earth, the Rangers are shocked to see the Quantrons turn to dust before them and their own powers fail, as they demorph with sparkling lights. But the civilians are thrilled, grabbing the Rangers in a massive hug and beginning to celebrate.
Ashley, however, doesn’t feel much like celebrating, and Cassie pulls her aside to ask her if she’s heard from Andros. She reveals that she hasn’t and she doesn’t think he’s coming back. As if they didn’t need any more bad news, the Dark Fortress appears above the skies of Angel Grove, and everyone stops celebrating, looking up in fear. It lands and the hatch opens…and Andros slowly walks out, dressed in his Megaship uniform and carrying Astronema’s body. He sets her down as the other Rangers come over, initially thrilled to see him and then frozen in silence over his grief. Unable to hold it in any longer, Andros begins crying, and his tears land on his sister’s body. But to his surprise, the cybernetic implants disappear, her pale skin takes on a healthy tone, and her hair reverts from red to blond. Confused, Karone opens her eyes and looks at Andros, asking how she got there, and now crying with happiness, he answers that it’s a long story. The other Rangers surround the siblings in joy as the civilians watch in wonder.
The Rangers help the Karovans move back in, and after both the Karovans and the Terrans having spent a long time away, they’re looking forward to coming back home. Ashley tries to convince Andros to come back with them, but he insists that KO-35 is his home and he belongs there with Karone and Zhane. The Karovans see them off, and Andros and Ashley stare at each other for a long time before Ashley closes the hatch. Mournfully, the four Earth-born Rangers walk into the bridge, none of them quite able to believe that after all this time, their team is finally broken. Cassie asks Ashley if she’ll be okay, but Ashley admits that she misses Andros. But to her surprise and joy, a familiar voice orders, “DECA, set a course for Earth.” The Rangers run over to Andros in excitement as he and Ashley hug and he admits, “My home is with you guys.” But it’s not the only surprise. Zhane breaks up the celebration, with Karone in tow, asking if they can get a ride to Earth too. While the others all celebrate around Andros and Karone, Zhane heads over to the captain’s chair and kicks back to relax, and a laughing TJ says, “Alpha, let’s go home!” to the robot’s hearty agreement. And the Megaship speeds toward Earth, having reached the end of an era.
I don’t think I sound too biased in saying that part two is the better part of the episode. Part one sets the stage for the battle, and while it’s gripping and action-packed…that’s kind of it. Part two brings in the emotional anguish, beginning with the civilians’ sense of abandonment and continuing through the rollercoaster ride that is the last few scenes. It’s the part that everyone remembers in detail. You know that KO-35 and the rest of the universe are under attack, but it’s the Angel Grove reenactment of the “I’m Spartacus” scene that you remember. You remember Andros’s devastation at having to kill Zordon and accidentally killing Karone. You remember Zordon’s energy radiating from the Dark Fortress all over the universe, wiping out all evil forever (or, at least until Lost Galaxy). These are the moments in part two that resonate with you, and part one generally lacks. It doesn’t mean that part one is weak, however—it just means that it’s only part one. It’s the backstory needed to understand part two. “Countdown to Destruction” truly needs to be watched as a single hour-long episode to appreciate it fully.
In-between the siege of the universe and the theme of sacrifice, we get to see some tender moments too. For all Andros must anguish over trying and repeatedly failing to recover his sister, he at least has Ashley to depend on throughout the series. Like Summer to Dillon, Ashley supports him in his quest to find his sister, though she can’t take away the pain of his past. She fails to convince him not to leave in the beginning of part two, but she understands why he has to. And when he tries to tell her something in case he doesn’t make it back, she makes him promise to come back to her. She also tries to talk him out of staying on KO-35 at the end, but he’s convinced that he belongs on his home planet now, and once again, she keeps her eyes on him as she says goodbye. But this time, Andros has come to his senses and decides that he’d rather stay with his friends…and Ashley. Furthermore, throughout the scenes in Angel Grove, if you look carefully, you’ll notice Ashley’s wearing a necklace—the very one that Andros had given her for her birthday, with the rare Karovan gem. Little details speak just as loudly as the big moments.
Another little detail, though possibly unintentional, carries over into Lost Galaxy’s “Facing the Past.” Possibly as a result of being at ground zero for Zordon’s energy wave, Andros somehow manages to revive Karone with his tears. Karone then returns the favor a year later when she comes across the warrior she’d turned to stone as Astronema, crying in shame and sorrow over her past sins and miraculously restoring him. Of course, the warrior then proceeds to snub her by insisting that only Leo can use his power and carry out the mission to protect the galaxy, but other than that, it was a nice touch.
But possibly one of the biggest little details, I think, is the music. A few nights ago, I found myself just tuning out the dialogue and action just to listen to the background score. The score playing as Andros fails to convince himself to destroy Zordon is heavy with the weight of destiny and duty. And the music playing as Andros fights Astronema is filled with desperation, changing suddenly to intense sorrow when he deflects her energy attack into her and kills her. The dialogue is even muted slightly, allowing this churchlike piece to shine in the moment of truth. The dialogue returns to normal, but the music continues to play as Ecliptor mourns. The battle music then carries elements of the heavy theme for Zordon’s orders and the choir-like piece for Karone’s death. But when Andros accepts his duty and destroys Zordon, a piece like the combination of the Zordon theme and Karone dirge plays, but expressing hope beyond the sorrow. Yes, what they’ve lost is horrible, but after thousands of years, there’s finally hope that they’ve found a world where all is good. It’s not too different from the “Peace Excerpt” from Avatar about ten years later. It then proceeds to get darker as Ashley faces the possibility that Andros died in his attempts to stop Astronema, and the weight of fear as the Dark Fortress appears. It’s slow and mournful when Andros approaches with Astronema’s body, building until—like Andros—it can’t bear the burden of holding back the tears…and then Karone revives, and it becomes quieter until building into something far more hopeful. Andros and Ashley’s goodbye has this soft love theme playing, a motif used for them, and then it turns into a sadly heroic piece for a moment as the Rangers bid the Rebels farewell. As Andros and Ashley watch each other at the end, it uses higher instruments, becoming specifically for them for a moment before turning into a mournful piece for the four Rangers who have just said goodbye to their friends. But when Andros appears, the music swells into a joyful, romantic reunion piece that turns eventually becomes a lighter, heroic piece for everybody, carrying a few bars of the Rangers’ heroic entrance music before finally ending.
Seriously, why the hell haven’t they made a soundtrack of this?!
Not everything is perfect though, and sadly, “Countdown to Destruction” isn’t either. For the past ten years, I’ve been completely pissed off by one part of the ending—with Zordon’s energy wave. Ignoring the fact that it somehow missed Scorpius’s empire, the demons of Mariner Bay, the Orgs, and all the other villains between 1999 and 2025-3000, who it picks to save is a bit…frustrating to say the least. Rita Repulsa, Lord Zedd, and Divatox are all redeemed, given a second chance at life as normal humans. None of these three was ever indicated to have much in the way of redeeming characteristics. Ecliptor, on the other hand, is dusted despite even while brainwashed professing his deep paternal love for Astronema. Granted, yes, Ecliptor claimed in “Astronema Thinks Twice” that he was “built evil; every cubic centimeter.” But moments like he had from there on make you doubt that claim. Seeing him get destroyed just didn’t seem right.
Still, after over ten years, “Countdown to Destruction” really holds up. And with Power Rangers really on the track to cancellation this time, combined with the comparisons already being drawn between RPM and PRiS, older viewers going into “Danger and Destiny” are going to have this on their minds. In the end, I don’t think it matters if “Danger and Destiny” does or doesn’t measure up—“Countdown to Destruction” was epic, part of an already epic series, and proved to stand the test of time. That’s not an easy thing to say. And if “Danger and Destiny” equals or surpasses “Countdown to Destruction,” then all the better. RPM too has a lot going for it, and despite its hardships, it’s done fantastic. Whatever happens, it was an awesome season, just as PRiS was, and I look forward to the finale. Maybe the RPM Rangers will manage to create the world the Space Rangers hoped they had, a world without evil.
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(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-06 05:04 pm (UTC)As to why this music isn't on a soundtrack, I'd say copyrights between Saban and Disney got lost somewhere and it needs to be discovered. Perhaps inside an intergalactic chamber...?
Just maybe the RPM Rangers will find, as a song that was played in Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, hope for the world.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-06 05:36 pm (UTC)Who knows? No one's even looked for clean copies of the music, which is sad. It really had some great themes.
Definitely. After all, it looks like for their world, they've got a power and a force that they've never seen before.