The names, songs, and networks may have changed over the years, but Power Rangers has always stuck to the same strategy. Whichever season you watched, you pretty much knew what you were getting into week to week, which helped make it a reliable show for kids around the world back in the day. Surprisingly, the show offered a truly unique change of pace once during its 30-year run, and it made for a pretty memorable episode on top of what is already a beloved season.
Earlier this week, the Power Rangers RPM The episode “And…Action!” turned 15 years old. Originally airing on September 12, 2009, it is a behind-the-scenes episode showing how non-Rangers fight and original footage from a RPM Episode, that is, not from the Japanese series. Moving forward—But there’s an added trick: the cast remains in character, so it’s Ziggy (Milo Cawthorne) who tells you how a scene plays out as Ziggy, it’s Flynn (Ari Boyland) who talks about the driving stunts, etc. (There’s also a blooper reel, how could there not be?) And at the end, the Rangers themselves watch the entire action scene while giving commentary and eating popcorn.
From RPM It was initially intended as the finale Forest Ranger Back in Season 1, before Nickelodeon stepped in, the show decided to do something completely unconventional. This is the first and only time the franchise has broken the fourth wall, and the only episode in its entire run to do so. Forest Ranger Film and a 2007 episode of Operation Overdrive They had their own individual behind-the-scenes looks, but they basically existed as behind-the-scenes extras that you’d easily find on the DVD, allowing viewers to learn what goes into making the show while still remaining canon to the rest of the series. RPM It gives it an extra touch of charm, so our hats off to writer Judd Lynn and director Mike Smith for finding a way to have some fun.
Similarly, some people took up martial arts because… Forest Ranger either Dragon Ball, It’s easy to imagine this sparking the idea of movie-making in some kids’ minds, if only briefly. (Inspiration can come from anywhere!) Its existence also underscores how much television has changed in the past 15 years. As the 23rd episode of a 32-episode season, “And… Action!” is based on RPM Bulky episode counts. Back then, longer episode counts meant that shows could do a little one-off episode every now and then that played with the formula or even offered a respite from the season’s big plot. Not all shows necessary so many episodes per season, but it helped make them feel like more complete experiences anyway. These days, TV seasons are much shorter; the most recent (and final) main series in the franchise, 2023 Cosmic fury, only had 10 episodes.
“And… Action!” isn’t a groundbreaking episode, but it’s a fascinating and endearing twist for the franchise, and what more could you ask for from the Power Rangers?
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