Favourite Ranger: Kimberly Hart, The Pink Power Ranger
Favourite Villain: Lord Zedd
Favourite Episode: "Ninja Quest" (Parts I-IV)
Least Favourite Ranger: Rocky DeSantos, The Red Power Ranger
Least Favourite Villain: Rito Revolto
Least Favourite Episode: "Attack of the 60' Bulk"
With the arrival of Rita Repulsa's brother Rito Revolto, the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers find themselves outmatched. To combat this new threat, they must search out a powerful ally to help them in their quest to defeat their latest enemy.
The first half of the third season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers features some of the strongest storytelling in the history of the series. The opening three-parter "A Friend in Need" is notable for the crossover with the short-lived Masked Rider series and posits the Rangers in space. The different setting and usage of alternate antagonists is a nice change of pace. Similarly, the "Ninja Quest" saga is equally as satisfying since it changes the status quo of the series. The introduction of new costumes, Zords and enemies reinvigorates the narrative, opening up new possibilities for storytelling. Additionally, Bulk and Skull's transition into becoming police officers is a nice progression for them, showing viewers just how far they've come since their days as the school bullies.
Unfortunately, the season loses steam shortly after the departure of fan-favourite Kimberly Hart. Without her grounding presence on the show, it becomes clear that the team lacks cohesion and the chemistry between the cast members is a little off. While Kat is a surprisingly nice addition, she lacks the bubbly personality that made the Pink Ranger so loveable. Even still, Kat's arc of villain-turned-hero is a nice homage to Tommy's introduction into the show and her character is shown to have more depth than the previous Ranger replacements.
Where the season truly loses its way is during the Alien Rangers miniseries. This poorly conceived storyline sees the main cast being transformed into children and features the introduction of a group of Power Rangers from another planet to pick up the slack. Intended to be aquatic in nature, these new heroes can't survive without hydration. They speak through garbled audio filters and are made up with cheap looking masks. This is in stark contrast to their Ranger identities, which are ninja-inspired. They lack personalities and are altogether quite forgettable. At the same time, it's tragic that they didn't use more of the footage from Ninja Sentai Kakuranger throughout the season. Truthfully, they should have eschewed the Alien Rangers arc and instead used their costumes as alternate looks for the main Rangers.
Overall, the conclusion of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers era ends rather disappointingly. The Alien Rangers arc is incredibly underwhelming and the misuse of the Ninja Sentai Kakuranger footage proved to be an obvious missed opportunity. Nevertheless, the efforts made to move the series along through the departure of old characters and the introductions of new ones are commendable. Kat's potential and the new direction with which they've taken Bulk and Skull help prevent this season from being a total loss.
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