The wait is almost over in less than 24 hours the whole world will enjoy this amazing 30th anniversary special! Netflix was kind enough to send us an advanced screener so we could absolutely swoon over Power Rangers Once & Always.
So HOW WAS IT?!
My biggest thing going into the series was HOW they are going to write this. The team of Becca Barnes and Alwyn Dale, along with director Charlie Haskell, took 55 minutes to give us a love letter to the franchise and fans! They are all Ranger Alums and understood the assignment.
They all realized that this original demographic from 1993 has grown up so it should reflect in the storytelling. Does that mean that the show is TOO much for kids? NOPE, not at all it tells a story we can all understand while not talking down to children either. On the whole, it’s not overly heavy in Easter Eggs. There are nods and IYKYK things but it didn’t take away from the plot. There is even a continuity nod with the current series that made me proud of the level of detail.
But what about “THIS or THAT”
Just like any other major franchise, you are going to have a particular level of fandom that picks apart everything. Considering certain circumstances as to why particular actors didn’t return 2 for obvious reasons, they wrote around it. We all know at this point that Trini’s actress Thuy Trang passed away in a car accident in 2001. So they used that as an opportunity for a plot point and “A Passing the Torch” moment the special. As for Austin St. John, Amy Jo Johnson, and the untimely death of Jason David Frank, Jason, Kimberly, and Tommy, have also been smartly woven into the plot.
Billy and Zack, played by David Yost and Walter Emanuel Jones, haven’t skipped a beat! They flawlessly slipped right “back to action.” Rocky and Kat, Steve Cardenas, and Catherine Sutherland join later and they too fall right into character. Even though Cathrine and Walter never worked on screen together, you couldn’t tell the difference, having known each off-set for years.
Barbra Goodson and Richard Horowitz both do amazing jobs behind the microphones. Each voicing their previous characters of Rita Repulsa and Alpha. Aisha and Adam make an appearance and once again there is a reason they have those uniforms, trust me!
What about the new kid?!
Charlie Kersh joins the series as Minh Kwan, Trini’s daughter. This young lady is a perfect fit for the team! Awesome acting and it’s nice to have an actor that can do their own stunts. Excellent casting indeed! She is the perfect embodiment of a modern-day Teenager with Attitude.
Thoughts from THE GRID
Overall this was 99.99% perfect! There are the smallest nit-picky things that in the long run wouldn’t make difference to the storyline. Having this as a full “American Made” special gives me hope that Hasbro and eOne could pull this off for future seasons. Maybe even do other specials in the future akin to the 10 years later V-Cinemas that are famous in Japan with Super Sentai.
This ticked every box!
- Nostalgia
- Action
- Lore
- Acting
For me, the biggest takeaway was the level of respect given as a whole, this felt like an extended episode of classic MMPR, made for all of us to appreciate. I laughed, I cried, I yelled at the screen in excitement, and I got goosebumps! I was transported back to my youth, to the joy I found sitting in front of my huge console tv eating Dunkaroos and drinking Jolt cola. Cheers to everyone involved in Once & Always!
How many of you are going to be up at all hours of the morning when it drops on NETFLIX globally tomorrow April 19 everywhere at the same time?!
Thank you again to NETFLIX, Hasbro, and eOne!
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