SUMMARY:
[Recap of "The Barillian Sting"]
The Rangers are hanging out in their special color coded Megaship Uniform Sweatsuits, playing a game of basketball, in what looks like Angel Grove (but is actually the SimuDeck). It's Carlos & Ashley vs. TJ & Carlos with Cassie. TJ and Andros pull a planned play where Teej gets a boost up by his friend and goes for a slam dunk with pointless show off flipping in the air. They don't get to finish the game, because DECA informs them that they've reached the planet Brokaya. Simulation is stopped and the ball is left in the SimuDeck (apparently not part of the computer program). Once on the planet, the Rangers set up a satellite called the Interstellar Scanner. They have to hurry and get it running before anyone spots them, or the whole thing will be worthless. They make good time, but as they depart, no one notices Darkonda standing across the way, laughing at their futile attempts.
[opening credits]
The Rangers, onboard the Astro Megaship bridge, discuss what the Interstellar Scanner can do. Andros explains it can scan a galaxy quickly, making the game of "Where In The Universe Is Zordon Sandiego" much easier. They get it running, and in no time starts scanning all over the cosmos for their weakening Eltarian mentor. Meanwhile, on the Dark Fortress, Astronema is getting unneeded beauty sleep. Darkonda enters her sleeping chambers, and as soon as the door opens the princess of evil hops awake, Wrath Staff at the ready. Darkonda says he's there at her service, but she warns him not to sneak up on her again. Darky then mentions he probably should be telling Ecliptor this news he brings, but speaks openly to Astrony by calling Clipty strong but stupid. Astronema is angered, since Ecliptor has been her trusted protector since she was a child. Darky mentions Clippy's oversight of the Interstellar Scanner, which may allow the Rangers to find Zordon, when speak of the robodevil, Ecliptor himself walks in. He's not happy to see his longtime rival there, but Astronema quickly sends the both of them to Brokaya to take care of the satellite dish.
[commercials]
The Interstellar Scanner finally locates Dark Specter's ship. The Rangers are excited, since Zordon has got to be aboard it, DECA starts to get a lock on location. Down on Brokaya, Darkonda warns Ecliptor not to slip up, or else he'll tell Astronema the truth about him. Agreed to keep secrets buried, they simultaneously blast the Interstellar Scanner to bits, causing the Rangers to lose track of Dark Specter's ship! Knowing something's gone wrong, they then rush for their Jump Tubes, Morph on their way down and land on a rock formation above the diabolical duo. The Rangers Lightstar helmet modes light up, as they pose, ready to attack. Ecliptor & Darkonda make uneasy alliance against the multicolored heroes, Red Ranger pulls out his rebuilt Spiral Saber and locks up with Ecliptor. Clipty tells Andros to listen to him about something, but before he can speak, Darkonda uses his Extenda-Sword to slice Ecliptor across the back! Next he shoots a tendril from his arm into the fallen warrior's back, electrocutes Ecliptor like crazy. Darkonda explains that he'll take Clippy's powers now and then soon, Astronema's! Darkonda then forms into energy and connects with Ecliptor via the tendril, merging them together in front of the stunned Rangers' eyes into Darkliptor! The Rangers watch in awe and horror, Darkonda being the dominant one of the amalgamated monster. Astro Blasters do no good on him, as he reverses the power and then some back at our heroes using both Extenda & Darklipt-swords! Blue, Black & Red Ranger jump out of the way of the oncoming energyblast, leaving it to hit on the females! This causes Green Grid Crystallization of Yellow & Pink Rangers! Andros loses his cool over this, and despite TJ's discretion, goes at Darkliptor at full force. He gets his Red butt beat down and almost done worse, when TJ jumps in front of the Darklipt-sword, taking a massive blow to the head! His Lightstar Hologram is shattered, and he is knocked out cold. Andros rushes to his side, as Carlos takes on Darkliptor man-to-monstrosity! The double sword barrage rains upon him, and despite resistance long enough to tell Red Ranger to take Blue and get back to the Megaship, he too ends up frozen just like the girls. Andros heeds his words, lifting the smoking-circuitry helmeted TJ over his shoulders and hanging ten on his Galaxy Glider back to the Astro Megaship. Soon, TJ is recovering in the infirmary with Andros watching over him. Teej then wakes up suddenly, obviously no major physical damage. Everything Andros says to him is met by confusion and questions. It seems the blow to the head has given him amnesia, he doesn't even remember who or where he is!
[commercials]
Deja vu, as part of the last scene is replayed. Teej's memory loss is extensive, and when he hears DECA speaking, he makes a confused break for it out of the infirmary. Elsewhere, the three Rangersicles are being held in a cave by Darkliptor. Astronema and her merry gang of Quantrons appear demanding answers from the spliced creature. She learns just what Darkliptor is, as he lies and says it was Ecliptor who attacked him first (note Darkly calling her "my princess," it seems a little bit of Clipty is still present). She's curious of his powers, but is pleased by the capture of the Rangers. She wants them quickly destroyed, but he has plans to use them as bait for the other two. Back on Megaship, TJ wanders around until he reaches the bridge. Still dazed and confused about his memories and basically his identity, not even Alpha 6 and Andros can help him remember. Darkliptor sends a message to the Megaship: come out and fight, or the trio of ice ice rangers get wasted! Andros keeps trying to get TJ to remember his status as a Power Ranger, by Morphing in front of him. Still, it rings no bells. Red Ranger teleports out to Brokaya alone, leaving AmTeeja to figure out who he is alone. Andros takes on Darkliptor, using his Battlizer 01 fist power punch. It gets blocked by Darkly, so the battle heats up, Spiral Saber to Dual Swords. Red Ranger's doing poorly in this fight, proving the creature's line about not having Blue Ranger for protect him this time. Elsewhere in the SimuDeck, TJ stumbles upon the basketball from earlier. Memories of his friends and their game of B-Ball flood back into his mind. Next he searches his Blue Locker, finding a picture of the Ranger teens together, which inspires him to press 0 in his Astro Morpher, teleporting him to Brokaya. He witnesses the ongoing battle between Red Ranger & Darkliptor from a distance. Teej then gets the urge to Morph into Blue Ranger, mimicking what Red Ranger did earlier, startling himself to find what Andros said to be true. While he's in awe of his Blueness, Darkliptor spots him and attacks! Blue is still too wimpy from lack of memory to fight and gets tossed all over. Just as Darkliptor goes for the deathstroke, Andros jumps in the way of the blast attack, stunning both him and Teej, but doing no harm. The explosion seems to knock Blue Ranger's head into a rock, knocking some sense back in him, as more flashbacks of the basketball game fill his head, until he finally remembers it all! His Lightstar Icon lights up, as he leaps into a jumpkick just in time to punt Darkliptor away from Red Ranger. The two Rangers friends are reunited completely, Teej reminding him of their play from earlier. Blue Ranger runs at Darkliptor, holding his Astro Ax and Spiral Saber. He tosses them into the air above Darkliptor, causing the two-faced baddie to look up like a dummy while Teej fires with his Astro Blaster, catching the evil mongrel off guard. He drops his swords, Andros getting a boost up from TJ, just like they did in the Basketball game, flying up and grabbing the two Megaweapons and coming down on Darkliptor like the thunder! This causes the merged monster to split back into two beings, and freeing the frozen Rangers. Darkonda is astonished on how he could be beaten, as Ecliptor lies there stunned and smoking from his injuries. Astronema fires the Satellasers at them, just after they merge back together to create Darkliptor once more! Now extra large, the two-timed mutant is a force only two times the Megazord can handle. So, after the Rangers are reunited and ready, AstroDelta Megazord is formed! Right into battle, Darkliptor starts going medieval on it's Robotic butt, double slashing with his swords. Blue Ranger gets some payback by delivering a powerful punch to the ugly creature's noggin! Gyro Blasters busts caps in the merged monster, and the Flying Power Punch is about to finish him off, when Darkonda unmerges, using Ecliptor as a shield! The blast still hits the both of them enough to shrink them both back down to normal. Ecliptor is really tore up, falling on the ground, smoking and looking to be seriously damaged. Darkonda vows vengeance on the Rangers, and despite wanting to leave him to die, telewarps the trashed body of Ecliptor away with him.
[commercials]
Once back on the Dark Fortress, Ecliptor has been restored, Darkonda taunting him. If he tells her about his trickery, Darkonda will tell her the secrets Clippy's been keeping, and she'll toss them both into the nearest black hole! Ecliptor isn't willing to accept that risk, about to enact some rage on his enemy, when Astronema comes walking in. She had doubts about Darkonda's earlier story of Clippy attacking him first, but this seems to prove it. According to her, Darky is now Eclipty's equal in every way. Darkonda laughs, Ecliptor sulks. In The Astro Megaship, the Rangers attempt to fix the Interstellar Scanner to no avail (Andros sets his tool down using telekinesis, one of the last times we see him us it). Ashley & Carlos come by with the Basketball, ready to finish their game, TJ appears not to remember the game, or know what Basketball is! Ash & Carlos plan to use his partial amnesia to their advantage to win. Once they walk off, Teej spins the ball on his fingers, having played dumb, ready to kick their butts on the SimuCourt!
[Scenes from "Flashes Of Darkonda"; end credits]
_BLOOPERS:_
[First :20 of Bloopers have NEVER been aired thanks to Fox Kids' annoying ads] Andros deactivates his tongue.
