So Beast Morphers is going to be episodic whether fans like or not. That’s what it was designed to do. We can moan about what we wish the show was but we should look at it for what it is; a mostly episodic series with a few serialized elements.
Does looking at Beast Morphers in that light make it better? A little, but even taking it on an episode-by-episode basis the plots are still mostly average. Again, not bad, just average. They usually lack a great emotional hook that makes the conflict feel personal to the characters. When the show does work, such as the absolutely amazing ‘Rewriting History,’ it does what Power Rangers does best. It juxtaposes the absurd with genuine moments of heart.
For a while it feels like Power Rangers has shied away from those absurd elements but that’s where it can shine. I don’t mean forced slapstick comedy, I mean really playing around with the campiness of Power Rangers. It’s already got rubber monsters fighting teens in spandex. Lean into that absurdity! Play up characters like Steel and his lack of understanding human emotions. You can tell fun stories that way and as long as you tie in a relatable and grounded emotion. Zaniness for the sake of zaniness gets old fast. You need something grounded to make the elevated comedy work.
I always go back to the second half of Power Rangers Turbo for great examples of this. ‘Trouble By The Slice’ is completely absurd, the Rangers get baked in a giant pizza, but there’s still a core element of Justin finally feeling like he can act like a kid again. Those stories were also mostly episodic which proves that kind of writing doesn’t have to be an albatross around Beast Morphers’ neck.
Power Rangers Beast Morphers can make episodic stories work. It just needs to find stronger emotions and conflict in them.
