Yesterday on Power Rangers: I, Eye Guy
On April 19, MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: ONCE AND ALWAYS premieres on Netflix. I’m writing about all 60 episodes of MMPR’s first season in the lead-up to that premiere.
If you’d like to follow along on this rewatch, entirety of MMPR’s first season is available for free (with ads) on YouTube.
8. I, Eye Guy
One-sentence synopsis: A dejected boy genius is seen.
Why it matters: When you watch any show from a bygone era, you’re bound to encounter incongruencies with the modern day that can take you out of it. That said, it’s comical that virtual reality in the early 90’s isn’t that far removed from what it’s like today. Sure, the graphics are superior and the general application of uses is wider, but the simulated roller coaster experience created for a school science fair by Billy and his lazily named protégé, Willy, functions just as clunkily and produces the same adverse effects as 21st century VR headsets. Power Rangers shows its age in a lot of respects, but its themes are universal and almost always are told through relatable scenarios. Not every kid is as much of a whiz in the lab as Billy or Willy, but they all experience a science fair at some point in their life. And, maybe more importantly, they all understand video games and – consciously or unconsciously – the relationship between them and our eyes. Speaking of …
Episode MVP: Eye Guy. In a tour du jour of an MMPR S1 episode – we’ve got a kidnapped kid, wonky ADR, painfully slowed down fight footage, a wildass torture device and Bulk and Skull crossdressing – it’s the titular villain who’s most memorable. While most of the show’s villains are impressionable, they’re rarely as grotesque as Eye Guy, another monster of the day from Rita’s past. Even in action, it’s hard to reconcile that this 6-foot tall creature MADE ENTIRELY OUT OF EYEBALLS is standing upright and doing the things that it’s doing. Wherever you go, whatever you do, Eye Guy is always watching you.
A good quote: “If it’s a fair, where are all the rides?” – Skull
Rating: 2/5 honking suspenders
Previously on “Yesterday on Power Rangers”
1. Day of the Dumpster
2. High Five
3. Teamwork
4. A Pressing Engagement
5. Different Drum
6. Food Fight
7. Big Sisters
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