The Plot
The story has some interesting twists, but it doesn’t really do as much with them as it could, with potential left unexplored. In one episode, Captain Mitchell is superseded by a higher-ranking officer who decides to utilize robotic Rangers rather than the human ones, which throws things into chaos when it inevitably goes awry. It’s clear that Captain Mitchell has some tensions with those above him, and the decision wound up putting not only the lives of civilians and Rangers in jeopardy, but the very public perception of the organization. Is this ever brought up again? Nope.
The Devil is in the Details
Ryan is revealed to have spent the past ten years of his life in the care of Diabolico, after his father made a literal deal with the devil to save his life. This could be a fascinating bit of drama. Ten years is a long time, especially when you’re only 20. What sort of father was Diabolico? Did Ryan get along with the other demons? Did they go fishing together?
There could have been so much to explore here, which could have added a whole new layer of depth to Diabolico as a character. We already see later that he cares about his comrades, which is interesting enough, but there could have been so much more. Following Ryan’s heel-face turn, Diabolico is angry, puts a curse on Ryan and then that’s it. I don’t think they even interact after that.
Given the nature of the show, you can’t exactly expect deep writing worthy of the likes of HBO, but the franchise has proven that it is capable of providing a more compelling narrative with more complex characters. The following season, Time Force, is one of the most beloved entries of Power Rangers, precisely because of what I mentioned above.
In Conclusion
Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue feels like a season built on potential. Certain aspects of the show have implications that aren’t always explored very well, but still leave the door open for later seasons to expand on. The prospect of a government-funded Ranger team that seems to have gained power from researching and experimenting on the Morphin Grid is an interesting concept that proves such a thing is possible. Operation Overdrive would later show that even a private organisation with no oversight could harness this power for its own purposes, which opens up a whole can of worms.
The villains seem to be from hell, which means that such a place does exist in this universe. Does that mean there’s also a heaven? King Neptune is an actual character that exists, so what other mythological characters exist in this world? The link between Ryan and Diabolico could have been an interesting thread, showing how a human and demon could form a bond if possible. Alas, there wasn’t much there.
Light at the end of the tunnel
That’s not to say the show doesn’t provide positives that make it an enjoyable watch. I’ve highlighted plenty of things the show does well throughout the review such as the fun heroes, badass robot fights, and awesome-looking demons. To some, that’s basically what Power Rangers is at its core and it doesn’t really need much more than that. If you want a Power Rangers season that ticks the boxes of what you’d expect, you won’t be disappointed. It’s just a shame to me that Lightspeed Rescue introduces concepts that could carry it further beyond its extended toy advertisement existence, but squanders it somewhat.
Sean Hollyman is an avid fan of action figures, videogames and sometimes other things too. When he's not labourously trying to earn platinum trophies for games that he otherwise probably wouldn't care about, Sean can often be found taking photos of his Transformers in embarrassing situations.
Favorite Food: Roast Dinner
Least Favorite Food: ANYTHING with mayonnaise in it
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