When is a Ranger Not a Ranger?

When is a Ranger Not a Ranger? is an episode in the second season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

Summary
Lord Zedd turns Adam's kaleidoscope into the terrible monster Scatterbrain, who uses his brain-scattering powers on Tommy, Billy, and Kimberly to give them amnesia. Rocky, Adam, and Aisha try to undo the process by using prisms, but they too fall victim to Scatterbrain's attack. Who will save the Power Rangers now? Would you believe Bulk and Skull, of all people?

Plot
Adam has just finished his school report on his kaleidoscope, which puts Lord Zedd in a bit of a rhyming mood as he eyes the device. While Kimberly, Billy, and Tommy are playing with the kaleidoscope in the park, Z-Putties appear to distract them while Zedd turns the kaleidoscope into the monster Scatterbrain. The Rangers morph but are instantly caught in Scatterbrain's energy beam, erasing their powers and memories.

In the Juice Bar, Bulk and Skull are dressed up in camouflage gear. Their new plan to learn the Power Rangers' true identities is to stake out a spot and hide until they catch one morphing. Nearby, Rocky, Adam, and Aisha are studying a Newton's Cradle, which mesmerizes Bulk and Skull until they pass out, and they take advantage of the opportunity to slip out when Zordon calls.

After being briefed by Zordon, the Rangers meet up in the park. Tommy, Kimberly, and Billy are completely unable to recognize their friends or surroundings, and they have an even harder time believing their so-called friends when they talk to them about the Power Rangers and Lord Zedd. When Goldar arrives to "refresh their memories", the three brain-scattered Rangers cautiously go with Rocky, Adam, and Aisha to the Command Center.

Inside the Center, Tommy, Kimberly, and Billy are in even greater disbelief when Zordon tells them that they are Power Rangers. Adam suggests that deflecting Scatterbrain's beam through prisms might be able to reverse the effect. A plan is set up to lure Scatterbrain outside of the city so as to keep innocent people out of harm's way while Adam goes to Billy's lab to fetch prisms.

Out in the desert, the other four Rangers teleport onto the scene, completely unaware that Bulk and Skull have spotted them. The pair are shocked to learn that the Power Rangers had been (in their minds) playing the role of teenage "dweebs" to throw them off, but follow closely as Scatterbrain arrives. Rocky and Aisha morph to defend their powerless friends as Adam and Billy arrive with prisms, but Adam is brain-scattered before he can do anything. The remaining two Rangers are then brain-scattered while they make one final effort to grab the prisms, which fly off and land near Bulk and Skull as they watch in fear.

With all six Power Rangers no longer able to remember anything, let alone how to morph, Scatterbrain celebrates his victory. However, Bulk and Skull suddenly step out to challenge the monster in a Wild West-styled showdown, complete with randomly-drifting tumbleweed. After a tense standoff, Scatterbrain fires his beam and scatters what few brains Bulk and Skull have, but the beam also hits the prisms they had picked up and bounces it back to the Rangers. Their memories restored, the Rangers thank Bulk and Skull (both of whom having lost their memory of the Rangers' identities) for saving them as Zedd makes his monster grow, then summon the Thunder Megazord to shatter Scatterbrain.

Back at the Juice Bar, Bulk and Skull are boasting (with some added embellishment) about how they saved the Power Rangers, but no one will believe them. Kimberly and Aisha come by to admit that they believe their story and give the pair some words of encouragement, which cheers them up... or at least until they reject Bulk's offer to take them on a date.

Cast

 * Jason David Frank as Tommy Oliver (White Ranger)
 * Steve Cardenas as Rocky DeSantos (Red Ranger) (as Steven Cardenas)
 * Johnny Yong Bosch as Adam Park (Black Ranger) (as John Bosch)
 * David Yost as Billy Cranston (Blue Ranger)
 * Karan Ashley as Aisha Campbell (Yellow Ranger)
 * Amy Jo Johnson as Kimberly Hart (Pink Ranger)
 * Paul Schrier as Bulk
 * Jason Narvy as Skull
 * Royce Herron as Miss Appleby
 * David Fielding as Zordon
 * Bob Manahan as Zordon
 * Sandi Sellner as Alpha 5
 * Richard Steven Horvitz as Alpha 5 (voice)
 * Ed Neil as Lord Zedd
 * Robert Axelrod as Lord Zedd (voice)
 * Danny Wayne as Goldar
 * Kerrigan Mahan as Goldar (voice)
 * Michael J. Sorich as Squatt (voice)
 * Dave Mallow as Baboo (voice)
 * ??? as Scatterbrain (voice)

VHS Release

 * This episode was one of three episodes released in the Morphin Series. The other two being "Zedd Waves and "Lights, Camera, Action".

Errors

 * This episode's description of a kaleidoscope (breaking up light into a million pieces) in inaccurate. Such a description would more accurately fit a prism.
 * Adam was the only Ranger to have his memories wiped when unmorphed, but when Scatterbrain's spell was broken by Bulk and Skull, Adam was morphed with the rest of the Power Rangers when they got their memories back.
 * After the Rangers regain their memories thanks to Bulk and Skull, Tommy is shown summoning the Tigerzord, but it never arrives.

Song

 * I Will Win