Power Rangers Zeo
"The Puppet Blaster"
Original Air Date:5/1/96		Featuring Footage From: Ohranger #14 - - Daisuki Pinokio (I Love Pinocchio)
*Regular Season 3 Continues (4th Season By Series) *Official Network Show Number PR-351 *8th episode of PRZ *163rd total Power Rangers episode
Writer: Stewart St. John		Director: Isaac Florentine
Starring Cast: Catherine Sutherland _AS_ Kat (Zeo Ranger 1, Pink) Nakia Burrise _AS_ Tanya (Zeo Ranger 2, Yellow) Steve Cardenas _AS_ Rocky (Zeo Ranger 3, Blue) Johnny Yong Bosch _AS_ Adam (Zeo Ranger 4, Green) Jason David Frank _AS_ Tommy (Zeo Ranger 5, Red) David Yost _AS_ Billy Cranston Paul Schrier _AS_ Farkas "Bulk" Bulkmeier Jason Narvy _AS_ Eugene "Skull" Skullovitch Richard Genelle _AS_ Ernie Gregg Bullock _AS_ Lt. Stone		Additional Cast: Bob Manahan _AS_ Zordon (voice) Donene Kistler _AS_ Alpha 5 Richard Wood _AS_ Alpha 5 (voice) David Stenstrom _AS_ King Mondo (voice) Alex Borstein _AS_ Queen Machina (voice) Barbara Goodson _AS_ Prince Sprocket (voice) Oliver Page _AS_ Klank (voice) Barbara Goodson _AS_ Orbus (voice) ? _AS_ Puppetman (voice)

CAPSULE SUMMARY:

At the Angel Grove Youth Center, Captain Pete & Puppetman can be found entertaining the children of the city. It's basically a cliche of all of those "Captain Kanagroo/Bozo The Clown" type kiddie shows from your parents' youth. The cheaply made robot splashes water 'comedically' on Captain Pete when he says the secret word "Power Rangers". Speaking of which, Kat, Tommy & Rocky sit in the audience, enjoying the show. Ernie stops by and the three Ranger teens thank him for putting on the show for the kids, and Ernie spews some BS about "giving something back to the community" (what?! He barely breaks even running the only Youth establishment in the city as it is!). The kids shout that their favorite superhero is "The Power Rangers" (shh, don't tell them the difference between singular & plural!), and thus Puppetman tosses confetti all over the children.

Up on the Skybase, King Mondo is inspired by the wretched children, and plans to somehow control them, since after all, they're the Earth's future!

Meanwhile, Adam & Tanya are out near the lake, spending some time practicing martial arts alone together. Basically, an attempt to hint at chemistry between the two and allow Tanya to fight Unmorphed one day.

Anyway, long BORING STORY short, Cogs teleport down the Youth Center, turn Puppetman evil, he hypnotizes the children, and turns them into raging zombies. They break stuff and throw food everywhere. The Zeo Rangers Morph and go after Puppetman, but he uses the horde of children as shields. The Rangers refuse to fight the kids, Puppetman is sent to the Satellite Transmission center, and plans to broadcast his hypno-spell out to the children of the world. But first, he stops by the park and wrecks some pointless havoc.

Billy & Alpha have made a new device that should counteract Puppetman's hypno-frequency using a fast paced RPM or something or another. It's called the Defender Wheel, and is loaded up in Zeozord 5. The Rangers battle Puppetman, and try out their Laser Pistols in sword modes on him for a bit. Defender Wheel is called in, and Tommy takes it out for a spin, literally. It smashes into Puppetman, the kids return to normal, and Puppetman is turned into a giant monster. The Zeo Megazord takes it on, uses a few Battle Helmets, and finishes him off by taking out the source of King Mondo's control, his bulbous robotic nose. Puppetman is returned (reassembled by Alpha) to Captain Pete, safe & sound and back to normal. And for some reason, Ernie agrees to hold yet another live show, despite the chaos that happened last time.


Oh, and Bulk & Skull take care of Lt. Stone's little nephew Arnie. Who's a terror, before and after the spell.

BTW, Puppetman was neither a puppet, nor a man. Discuss!