Favourite Ranger: Kimberly Hart, The Pink Power Ranger
Favourite Villain: Lord Zedd
Favourite Episode: "White Light" (Parts I-II)
Least Favourite Ranger: Rocky DeSantos, The Red Power Rangers
Least Favourite Villain: Squatt
Least Favourite Episode: "Where There's Smoke, There's Fire"
After Rita Repulsa's continued failure to defeat the Power Rangers, the nefarious Lord Zedd usurps her throne and unleashes his power on Earth. To combat this threat, the Power Rangers get a major power upgrade. However, they must soon contend with the Green Ranger's depleting powers and the departure of three of their teammates. Can the Power Rangers go on without them?
With the introduction of Lord Zedd, the second season goes through a notable shift in tone. The threats are much more serious and Zedd presents himself as a more menacing foe. Additionally, the formulaic issues that plagued the first season are slowly phased out. There are quite a few multi-episode arcs and the writers spend more time developing the characters' relationships. Notably, Zack pursues the affections of his classmate Angela and Trini enjoys a flirtation with Richie, a boy who works at the juice bar. As such, the writing is much tighter and deeper than before. The multi-part storylines enable the writers to deviate from the episodic formula of the previous season, allowing them to expand upon the characters and the action.
The three part opening "The Munity" serves as a brilliant introduction to Lord Zedd, as well as providing some necessary upgrades for both the good and evil sides of the show. "Beauty and the Beast" is another interesting episode, which sees Kimberly play acting as Rita Repulsa's successor. Another Kimberly-centric episode "Forever Friends" has her contending with Aisha's old friend, whose jealousy towards Kimberly creates some major drama. Other standouts include the multi-part "White Light," "Goldar's Vice-Versa" and "The Wedding," which re-introduces Rita Repulsa as Lord Zedd's bride.
The second season is also known for Tommy becoming the White Ranger, a development that places him as the new leader of the team. This evolution helps his character to cut his ties permanently from his villainous origins and to give him greater prominence within the show. Tommy's increased presence on the show is further aided by his relationship with Kimberly. The pair act as an anchor for the season, with most of the episodes focusing on either or both of their characters.
Another major change for season two was the departure of Jason, Trini and Zack, with them being subsequently replaced by Rocky, Aisha and Adam. Truth be told, losing Trini and Zack as characters hindered the show's dynamic. Zack's over-the-top personality and Trini's quiet confidence helped to provide a balance within the group, keeping the show from focusing too much on Kimberly and Tommy. Of the replacements, Adam stands out due to his portrayal as a shy and soft-spoken guy whose insecurity makes him relatable. Unfortunately, neither Rocky or Aisha leave much of an impression. Rocky lacks a personality, while Aisha's seems to be a carbon copy of Kimberly's. Her fondness for shopping and her bubbly attitude fails to establish her as an adequate replacement for Trini.
While the writing is certainly much stronger than it was in the first season, there were still quite a few duds within the show's second season. The writers were to be commended for their usage of multi-part stories, but they often ended up dragging and didn't develop as well as they could have otherwise. Additionally, the writers rely far too heavily on time travel stories that place the Rangers in a different setting. They're taken back to their childhood, travel to the 1700s, end up in a storybook and Kimberly has an adventure in the Wild West. It's admirable to try out these kinds of stories in order to get them out of Angel Grove, but the frequency of them derailed the overall pacing of the season.
There's no denying that the second season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers proved that the series had substance. The character development was stronger, the episodes were more creative and Lord Zedd upped the ante as the season's primary antagonist. That's not to say there wasn't some room for improvement, as the replacement Rangers were executed poorly and the quality of the episodes varied. Nevertheless, it's not hard to see why this show was such a phenomenon during the '90s. The Rangers face some incredible foes and kicked some major alien butt!
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