Football Season

This article is about an episode in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

Football Season
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (Season 1), Episode 1x58
Air Date(s)	May 9, 1994
Production Information
Written by	Cheryl Saban
Directed by	Terence H. Winkless
Episode Guide
Previous	Enter... The Lizzinator
Next	Mighty Morphin' Mutants

Football Season is the 58th episode of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Season 1.

Synopsis

It's time for football tryouts at Angel Grove High but Tommy is having a hard time. Rita decides to field her own team and sends down the Rhino Blaster to lead the putties in a grid-iron battle.

Plot

Angel Grove High School is having their football tryouts. Everyone is excited about it.  Jason, carrying a football, walks over to Tommy, who is at his locker. Jason admits he is psyched about football season. He asks Tommy if he is going to try out. Tommy replies, "Yeah, but I'm worried about making the cut.". There is a bit of commotion at the end of the hall as Bulk and Skull arrive. Bulk has a helmet and shoulder pads on and Skull is carrying a burlap sack. Jason and Tommy chuckle. Bulk states, make way for Angel Grove High's newest and most valuable player.  Skull yells, yeah, watch out!  Skull runs to the end of the hall and turns around and faces Bulk.  Skull yells, alright Bulkie!  Try and take me out!  Bulk grabs the football out of Jason's hand and charges down the hall.  Skull gives a nervous grin when Mr. Caplan steps out of a classroom and heads straight for him.  Bulk gets so much momentum that he ends up flying towards Skull.  Skull gets out of the way, but Mr. Caplan isn't so lucky.  Unable to stop, Bulk crashes into Mr. Caplan.  The pair land on the stairs.  Skull goes over and shouts, outside!  Skull laughs as Bulk and Mr. Caplan untangle themselves.  Mr. Caplan shouts, Bulk, what have I told you about roughhousing in the hall?!  That will be one week of detention for both of you!  Skull makes faces of outrage as Bulk resigns himself to more detention.  Jason and Tommy laugh but Tommy quickly turns serious.  Even Bulk has more experience than me.  Jason tells him, just put the same concentration in football as you did in karate, you'll make the team.  I'm sure of it.

Using the telescope, Squatt has been watching the high school.  He excitedly shouts, touch down!  Baboo is a bit confused until he takes a look through the telescope.  Baboo notes, that game the humans are playing looks fun.  This irritates Rita.  Fun!  Who wants that?!  Baboo concludes, certainly not you.  Squatt is convinced Rita can beat them at their own game.  Goldar adds, join the Rhinoblaster with the Putties, and your team will be unstoppable.  Rita agrees.  I want a smash down!  Squatt asks, you mean touchdown?  Rita replies, whatever!

Tommy dejectedly sits at the counter at the Youth Center, staring at the football tryouts banner.  Kimberly and Trini enter and head straight over to Tommy.  They immediately notice his expression.  Trini asks, what's wrong?  You seem so worried.  Tommy replies, well I guess I am.  I just can't help thinking about the tryouts.  Kimberly tells Tommy, he is a natural athlete.  Tommy is not so sure.  I've never played.  I've spent most of my life training in karate.  Trini tells him, that's quite an accomplishment on it's own.  Kimberly nods her head in agreement.  Ernie, overhearing their conversation, offers to help.  Tommy, you're not going to believe this.  I was an all star full backer in my college days.  Tommy is surprised.  No kidding!  Wow Ernie.  Would you be interested in helping me train?  Ernie is more than happy to help.  Skull walks in with an open book, shouting at Bulk to come along.  Bulk reluctantly enters, wearing a tutu over his shorts.  Bulk grumbles I can't do this.  Skull points out that the book says, many pro football players study ballet for grace and agility.  Ernie adds, he's right Bulk.  It makes you light on your feet.  Skull nods his head in agreement as Bulk takes the book to see for himself.  Skull points to the page.  Bulk shuts the book and comments, well, maybe so.  But if I hear one twinkle toe remark, I'm going to cream you.  Skull backs away from Bulk.  Trini, Tommy, and Kimberly laugh.  Kimberly tells Tommy they are going to the park to play a little flag football with the guys.  Trini invites Tommy to come along.  It should be good practice for you.  Tommy turns down the invite.  I'm going to stay here and get some pointers from Ernie.  Trini tells him, okay, I'll see you later and heads out.  Kimberly wishes Tommy good luck before heading out. Ernie teaches Tommy some dodging techniques but Tommy does not the confidence in himself but Ernie convinces him to keep trying.

In the park while Jason, Zack, and Billy are practicing the girls show up, and convince to have a scrimmage game with them. Back the Youth Center Ernie helps Tommy with tackling by practicing on a dummy but Tommy ends more karate moves on it. While Tommy still doubts himself, Ernie convinces not give up. While in detention Skull continues to Bulk in playing football. Back at the park the other rangers are continuing their scrimmage game until the Putties come to attack them but they manage to defeat them. Zordon then contacts them and they teleport to the Command Center. At the Command Center, Zordon shows them the Rhinoblaster on the Viewing Globe, and Zordon explains he is strong and vicious, but Billy and Jason are confident they are strong enough to defeat them. The Rangers then morph and head to fight the Rhinoblaster but his putties manage to overpower the Rangers and Rhinoblaster transports them to place called the muti-dimensional vortex, where neither their communicators or teleporters will help them escape from.

Back at the Command Center, Zordon and Alpha witness this and Zordon has Alpha contact Tommy. While at the Youth Center Tommy start to improve, then Ernie has him take a break to answer phone call, just as Tommy's communicator goes off, and he teleports to the Command Center. At the Command Center, Zordon explains the situation to Tommy, but he also warns Tommy each time he uses his powers he become weaker. Nevertheless Tommy is willing to take the risk and morphs. Tommy manages to overpower the putties and Rhinoblaster until Rita makes grow. Tommy summons the Dragonzord but Rhinoblaster manages to gain the upperhand. Back at the Command Center, Alpha discovers the only way for Tommy free the other Rangers is to send them the Dragon Dagger. Zordon contacts Tommy and instructs him to do so. Tommy pretends to surrender Rhinoblaster and successfully tricks him into sending the Dragon Dagger into the vortex. Tommy then heads into the Dragonzord and continues the fight against the Rhinoblaster, but he still manages to overpower the zord ejecting Tommy from the cockpit. However, the other rangers, now free from the vortex, show up in the Megazord and join the fight as well as return the Dragon Dagger to Tommy. They then form the Mega Dragonzord and destroy the Rhinoblaster, to Rita's chagrin causing her another headache.

At the Youth Center, Mr. Caplan announces the first string for the football team, which Jason, Zack, and Billy have made, but it seems Tommy didn't make the team, much Kimberly and Trini's sadness. However, Zack discovers a sheet Mr. Caplan dropped earlier that shows others who made the team. Mr. Caplan then announces Bulk, much to everyone's surprise, and finally Mr. Caplan announces the team's new star quarterback, Tommy. Tommy then thanks Ernie for his coaching and the other rangers congratulate him.

Cast

• Austin St. John as Jason Lee Scott (Mighty Morphin Red Ranger)
• Thuy Trang as Trini Kwan (Mighty Morphin Yellow Ranger)
• Walter Jones as Zack Taylor (Mighty Morphin Black Ranger)
• Amy Jo Johnson as Kimberly Ann Hart (Mighty Morphin Pink Ranger)
• David Yost as Billy Cranston (Mighty Morphin Blue Ranger)
• Jason Frank as Tommy Oliver (Mighty Morphin Green Ranger) 
• Paul Schrier as Farkas "Bulk" Bulkmeier
• Jason Narvy as Eugene "Skull" Skullovitch
• Richard Genelle as Ernie
• David Fielding as Zordon (face)
  • Robert L. Manahan as Zordon (voice)
• Romy J. Sharf as Alpha 5
  • Richard Steven Horvitz as Alpha 5 (voice) (as Richard Wood)
• Machiko Soga as Rita Repulsa
  • Barbara Goodson as Rita Repulsa (voice)
• Takashi Sakamoto as Goldar (Zyuranger Footage)
  • Danny Wayne Stallcup as Goldar (American Footage)
  • Kerrigan Mahan as Goldar (voice) (as Ryan O'Flannigan)
• Minoru Watanabe as Squatt
  • Michael J. Sorich as Squatt (voice)
• Hideaki Kusaka as Baboo
  • Dave Mallow as Baboo (voice) (as Colin Phillips)
• Richard Epcar as Rhinoblaster (voice)

Songs

• I Will Rescue You
• 5-4-1
• Combat
• Go Green Ranger Go
• We Need A Hero
• I Will Win

Errors

• Rhino Blaster answered "No!" when Tommy asked to spend his last moments with his friends, but then attempted to send Tommy to where the other Rangers were anyway.
• The Weaveworm monster can briefly be seen when the Rhinoblaster is struck with the Mega Dragonzord's attack.

Notes

• Final appearance of the Mega Dragonzord outside of the Ultrazord configuration.
• The Rangers teleport to the Command Center by first name order: Blue, Red, Pink, Yellow, Black. 1st time was in Part 2 of "Doomsday."
• Rhinoblaster's destruction sequence indicates that he was destroyed by the Ultrazord rather than the Mega Dragonzord's sphere attack.
• Second and last time Tommy appears inside the Dragonzord's cockpit, with the first time being "The Green Candle Part 2".
• Aside from the male Rangers and Bulk, the other members of the Angel Grove High starting offense are Bob, Matthew, Ryan, Michael, Thomas, and Paul. The team's numbers are:
  • Jason: 66
  • Billy: 99
  • Zack: 48
  • Bob: 17
  • Matthew: 18
  • Ryan: 49
  • Michael: 55
  • Thomas: 56
  • Paul: 54
  • Bulk: 76
  • Tommy: 12
• This episode marks the first time since Tommy got his powers back that Dragonzord is seen emerging from the sea upon being summoned.
• The was the first episode associated with football events (the other being "Fourth Down and Long").

See Also

• Ep. 42: Burai Dies... - Super Sentai counterpart in Zyuranger. See comparison page. (Dragonzord Cockpit footage).