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For veteran Ranger fans, this series was the culmination of six years of an entire universe in itself. Following "Space", future seasons would be separate series in themselves, connected only to previous seasons by guest appearances of previous Rangers for one or two episodes.
"Space" was the final bow to the legacy of the early '90s. The powerless Turbo Rangers (minus Justin, gratefully) form the last continuous link to previous seasons by teaming up with Andros, who is by far one of the best written Red Rangers ever (aside from 'Whole Damn Show Tommy'). The brief appearance of a new Silver Ranger (a colour many fans had been waiting to see since Gold Zeo) added some new spice to the lineup.
But solid storywriting is what made this series come out on top. The writers were able to link the past with the present, give the villainess Astronema a deep connection to the Rangers instead of a paper cutout evil bitch role, and made viewers develop sympathy for both the good and evil sides. Spry and sweet Karone, once out of those ghastly coloured wigs, won the hearts of many fans as a villain of real substance who was worth turning good, akin only to Tommy. For a childrens' show it was an incredibly dark moment to see Karone manipulated into her cyborg form, no doubt a bow to the Borg of Star Trek, but still chilling.
The series also tied up all the loose ends of the past by reuniting all previous villains under a mastermind, Dark Specter, who not only desired to rule the universe but also bore vendetta against his own henchmen. The final episode arc saw the restoration of the universe and the elimination of all previous villains with one of the greatest sacrifices of the Ranger saga.
With the possible exception of "Time Force", no future Power Rangers series could ever rival "Space" in terms of depth or intrigue. With the Space Rangers left the legacy.
score /10
Hephaistion 20 October 2003
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw0441590/ |
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14-12-2020 04:36:04