Power Rangers Wild Force
"Sing Song"
Original Air Date:7/13/02		Based On: Gaoranger #29 - - Shika ga Iyasu(The Deer Is Healing)
*Season 10, bite 22 *Official Fox Kids Show Number PR-1222 *22nd episode of PRWF *440th total Power Rangers episode
Writer: Jill Donnellan		Director: Taro Sakamoto
Starring Cast: Ricardo Medina, Jr. _AS_ Cole (Red Ranger) Alyson Kiperman _AS_ Taylor (Yellow Ranger) Phillip Jeanmarie _AS_ Max (Blue Ranger) Jessica Rey _AS_ Alyssa (White Ranger) Jack Guzman _AS_ Danny (Black Ranger) Philip Andrew _AS_ Merrick (Lunar Wolf Ranger) Ann Marie Crouch _AS_ Princess Shayla Ilia Volok _AS_ Master Org Sin Wong _AS_ Toxica		Additional Cast: Danny Wayne Stallcup _AS_ Jindrax Steve Apostolina _AS_ Tombstone Org (voice) Charles Gideon Davis _AS_ Animus (voice) Ken Merckx _AS_ Super Nayzor (voice; credited, but heard only in the next time stuff)

_CAPSULE:_
[Opening Credits, version 2.1! Taylor gets a new cast credit shot, with the loose hairstyle she's been sporting for the past few shows.]

Late at night, in the Turtle Cove cemetary, the Demonized Duke Orgs, Jindrax & Toxica dug up and yank out a particular tombstone. They don't know why their Master wants this one, nor do they know who the "Dr. Viktor Adler" is the gravestone belongs to. Of course, we know the truth, that Adler IS the current Master Org. In the Nexus cavern, MO stares at the picture of himself, alongside baby Cole and his mom & dad. A quick flashback to when this picture was taken is shown, the same of which will be replayed in the upcoming 'The Master's Last Stand' episode. Anyway, Master Org reads the tombstone's engraving aloud, "Dr. Viktor Adler. Respected Scientist and Ecologist. 1948-1982." He chuckles to himself, commenting, "So... THAT'S where they think I am!" (in other words, they think he died along with the Evans in the Amazon 20 years back, and this marker is merely in his memory) The Demonized Dukes stare at this scene from a crouched position in a cave corridor. Master Org uses his magic to blast the tombstone, summoning evil spirits of fallen Orgs from about the cavern. Green glowing transparent ghosts of various defeated Orgs of the day (Camera Org, Freezer Org, Bus Org, Turbine Org, Karaoke Org, and Samurai Org... I could be wrong on the last two, but they're my best guess) are absorbed by the headstone, which immediately morphs into a Org all of its own.

At Animarium, Princess Shayla hums along to the whistful instrumental incidental music playing (a tune known as "Ode to Nature"). It echos down to Earth, and atop a clouded mountain, the sound of this tune revives the long-slumbering Deer Wildzord! In the forest, Tombstone Org makes his debut, and though at first he bests the six Wild Force Rangers, Cole's Lion Blaster suddenly takes him down. Toxica makes the Org grow, where he defeats the Soul Birded Wild Force Megazord, and next the WF Megazord in Spear Mode. Lunar Wolf Ranger discovers the Deerzord, whom he used to know. The Deer's antlers fire off a beam which created a pair of antler-shackles around Tombstone Org, saving the Megazord from certain doom. Deerzord quickly departs, still having not forgiven Merrick. The Org remains bound for the moment, and the Wildzords all need to recover from their injuries. The WFs quiz Merrick on the Deer, but he refuses to tell them just yet. They inform Shayla of what happened (usually she pays attention to the battles, but she must've been busy keeping her gown whiter than white), and she finally admits the secret origin of the Deer Wildzord! Deerzord can heal humans & Zords, and his Deer Trap attack can capture Org Spirits. 3000 years ago, when Merrick was an Animarian Warrior, guarding Princess Shayla on a daily basis, she used to sing for the Deerzord, while Merrick played the flute on backup. Every morning, they'd repeat the routine, always playing "Ode to Nature". Shayla figures the Deer is mad at her & Merrick for going away for so long.

Meanwhile, Merrick tries to summon the Deerzord by using his wooden flute to play the "Ode to Nature"'s music. Deery fails to respond. He screams out a flashback to the fall of Animaria, a combo of footage from the flashback in "Click, Click, Zoom" and new footage of Merrick taking on Putrids while protecting Shayla (to help with the fact the CCZ stuff was all a stunt guy and not Philip). There's even a new close-up of Merrick face as he initiates the raising of the Animarium into the sky. He tells the Deerzord about the rush to hide the Animarium, and how they didn't mean to leave him behind. He even tells the Deer about his 3000 years stuck in the tomb! Apologies are not excepted, the Deer continues to pout offscreen. Cole suggests to Shayla that she & Merrick sing for the Deerzord again, but the Princess cites the current strained relationship between her and the Lunar Wolf Ranger as a reason why such a thing could not be relived. Tombstone Org breaks free of the Deer Trap, so the Rangers fend him off with the Kongazord. As Shayla watches the battle in the viewing pond, the shimmering vision of the spirit of Animus appears before her, and tells her that the Rangers need the Deerzord to win this battle. She must sing with Merrick to appease the bratty hooven creature. The Kongazord tries the Armadillozord out on Tombstone, but he knocks the purple puck right back at them, causing the Megazord to crash onto a building, crushing it to smithereens (a rare post-9/11 bit of colleratal damage).

Deerzord finally appears before Merrick, but continues to play hard to please. Shayla shows up just as Deer is about to depart again, and she eases the tension between her & Merrick by claiming she's not there for them, but just to sing for the deer. Merrick plays the flute, and she sings the entirity of "Ode to Nature". This leads into the worst thing in the history of this series. So bad, even the story editor apologized for how bad it was! It's the "Ode to Nature" music video. Okay, so, we have Princess Shayla singing. She's... not a professional singer. Her actress wasn't hired for vocal skills, and this plot was insanely lifted from Gao for no reason other than to appease the Tzachor Wildzord. But... this video... It's everything wrong with mankind. It's Shayla & Merrick in front of the WORLD'S WORST GREENSCREEN SHOTS OF VARIOUS NATURE LOCATIONS. None of which match up with the right film stock nor speed of the stuff of Merrick playing or the Princess singing. But, it gets worse! We suddenly have shots of Shayla superimposed over this footage, writhing about with her arms and smiling like a loon, pretending like she's looking at the stuff that's going on BEHIND her head, no longer singing the words with her mouth. The final insult... The worst of the worst, the absolute smack in the face... is a shot of Deerzord's head being zoomed into. We see a reflection of Shayla in its right pink colored eye. It's so... HORRIBLY DONE that it looks like the Princess has grown several sizes and is trapped within the Deer's HEAD! I won't even bring up the fact there are acustic guitar sounds included in this song, when there's nobody around playing any other instrument. Needless to say, this was a kick in the groin to any level of good taste that might have existed in this particular episode, if not the season. Not to worry, though "Ode to Nature" gets reprised a lot, no more videos are attempted. (for the funniest known parody of this type of horrible music video, check out MadTV's "You Are The Land That I Love"). As for the lyrics of "Ode To Nature", I'd just as easily say for you to get it elsewhere, but since I'm here, here they is:

Each day when the sun ri-ses,
I hur-ry from my sleep.
I can't wait to greet you with my so-ong.

You are ev'ry kind of flower,
every animal I meet.
You are nature,
full of grace and majestyyyy.

From your SKIIIIIES the snow gently falls,
to the Earth.
From your treeees,
the birds nest and pla-ay.

From your OOOOceans,
the fish school and,
traaavel the world.
Oh Nature,
please don't EVER go awaaaay!

(really brief musical break)

Each day when the sun rises,
I hur-ry from my sleep.
I can't wait to greet you with my song.

You are ev'ry kind of flower,
every animal I meet.
Nature,
you are grace and majestyyyy.

Ack. Anyway, Deerzord finally agrees to help the Rangers, giving up the green Deer Crystal. Back in the city, the Kongazord recovers just in time to make one last ploy, blasting Tombstone Org with its shoulder cannons, then anchor-tying him up, grabbing him, flying him up into the sky, and slamming him back down onto the ground. This causes the Kongazord to break up into the injured Zords, and sends the WF Rangers flying to safety. Tombstone Org finds his six-spirit source leaving him for the moment because of this kamikaze assault. Now's when they need the Deerzord, and he's right on time. Standing atop a building, the Deer Wildzord fires off a sparkling stream of pink energy that heads skyward, restoring the main five Power Animals back to full health. Shayla gives Alyssa the Deerzord's Crystal, and she uses it, to connect said Deer onto the Wild Force Megazord as its new left arm, creating Clutcher Mode! What's the big Clutcher Mode attack? Well, the silver-antlers of the Deerzord-arm are locked tight, creating a soapy-bubble effect as the Megazord waves it through the sparkling air. Tombstone Org is encased in said bubble, which seems to dissolve him into energy, as the bubble lifts off and flies off into the sky. Master Org, who has been watching the battle from Nayzor's old mirror, tosses it aside in a rage, and blasts a few statues in the Nexcus cave to express his anger.

Okay, so, the six Wild Force Activists stand around with Princess Shayla in the city. Cole thanks Merrick, Merrick says Shayla should be thanked and not him, and she says Animus is the real one to thank. Animus' spirit appears in the sky, and EVERYbody thanks him. He replies in his raspy voice, "You are welcome." The Princess has promised the Lord of the Wildzords that she will sing to the Deerzord every day after sunrise. Shayla giddily uses this as an excuse to rope Merrick into the deal, despite his objections of it not being "proper" for them to be together so regularly. The Rangers all find his predictament highly amusing, and laugh at him. He doesn't appear to mind having to see the Princess every morning, though the lone wolf isn't likely to let it be known.