The Joke's on Blue

This article is about an episode in Power Rangers Zeo .

The Joke's on Blue

Power Rangers Zeo, Episode 4x40

Air Date(s)

November 5, 1996

Production Information

Written by

Jim Suave
Colleen White

Directed by

Isaac Florentine

Episode Guide

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The Joke's on Blue is the fortieth episode of Power Rangers Zeo. This is the conclusion of the five-episode Louie Kaboom arc. This marks the introduction of Prince Gasket and Archerina and the last appearance of Louie Kaboom.

Synopsis[]

An endless series of practical jokes are being played on the students of Angel Grove High, and Bulk & Skull compete against a pair of rival private eyes in tracking down the culprit. Meanwhile, after being kicked out of Rita & Zedd's Winnebago, Rito and Goldar bear witness to the return of King Mondo's eldest son, Prince Gasket, and his wife, Princess Archerina, after an estranged absence from the Machine Empire, planning to rid the kingdom of Louie Kaboom. Archerina's love-spell arrow sends Louie on a kamikaze mission against the Power Rangers.

Plot[]

Practical jokes are running rampant across Angel Grove and scaring new student, Robert. Ms. Rodriguez, hires Bulk and Skull to find the jokers responsible and bring them to justice. They also must contend with two rival detectives, Humphrey and Bogart, who are trying to do what they can to keep Bulk and Skull out of the job.

On the Moon, Rita is asking Lord Zedd if he's all right because he has been brooding and silent for the last 5,000 miles. He tells her that he's not and is trying to regain control of Louie Kaboom. Zedd mentions that they wouldn't have this conversation in the first place if that bony buffoon had been doing his job and held on to the remote that controls Kaboom. He points out that it's Rito's fault that he lost it back on Earth. He tries to defend himself, but Zedd and Rita are finally fed up with his excuses. Zedd mentions that unless he finds something that could help them regain control of Louie Kaboom, they're going to kick him out. He also orders Goldar to go with Rito just in case he causes trouble that would alert Machina to their whereabouts. He stomps on the break to stop the Mobile Base RV. It's there, Rita kicks both Rito and Goldar out of the motorhome base with their swords. She closes the door as the motorhome drives off.

On the other side of the Moon, Prince Sprocket is less than thrilled when his older brother and his wife arrive. He tries to claim he can protect both himself and their mother without interference. However, Queen Machina is overjoyed and delighted to see Gasket again that she ignores Sprocket. She tells him and Archerina of their plight with Kaboom, a renegade robot who have taken control of the Machine Empire and exiled both her and Sprocket because of it. Gasket and Archerina reassures them that they will dispose of Kaboom and will aid them against the Rangers until King Mondo returns from being repaired. After watching the whole thing unfold, Goldar and Rito make a quick sprint to tell Zedd and Rita of the whole exchange.

At the power chamber, Billy helps recharge the Gold Ranger staff for Jason when the alarm sets off. Alpha uses the thermal energies which Zordon identifies as Prince Gasket and Princess Archerina. Centuries ago, Gasket fell in love with Archerina, the daughter of Mondo's mortal enemy, King Aradon. The two eloped in a Romeo and Juliet manner, knowing their fathers would never accept the marriage. Zordon warns Billy and Jason that they pose a great menace and must be approached cautiously.

Inside the Machine Empire's palace, Archerina takes Louie by surprise and uses her love arrows to make him fall in love with her. Louie is then sent to Angel Grove on a kamikaze mission.

Back on Earth as Bulk and Skull look around for clues, Katherine and Tanya do their own investigation and discover the truth. They spy on Humphrey and Bogart who are secretly boasting their pranks and looking over the box containing items from the Angel Grove Novelty Shop, intending to be the top two detectives around just to keep Bulk and Skull out of the job and frame Robert for the pranks. Katherine and Tanya form a plan to expose them. Zordon later calls them to the Power Chamber.

After a long and difficult battle for the rangers, Louie Kaboom is finally destroyed by the Super Zeo Ultrazord. In the palace, Archerina is worried because her love arrow failed. Gasket reassured that it went well because they're finally rid of the interloper themselves.

At the motorhome base, Goldar and Rito attempt to tell Lord Zedd and Rita about Gasket and Archerina's return. They soon learn that Rita and Zedd had already known about it. Zedd points out that while Rito and Goldar were busy goofing around, the Rangers did them a favor by getting rid of Louie Kaboom. The group are happy about it, before he asks the two what they wanted to tell him. When Rito mentions he found a golf ball, Rita shouts at him for it because it's not something she wanted to hear. Zedd then tells them they have a lot more work to do if they want to be rid of the Machine Empire for good.

At the Youth Center, Humphrey and Bogart try to pin the blame on Robert, but Katherine and Tanya expose them with the help of the owner, Hank. The rival detectives attempt to deny knowing the man, but Hank reveals he knows both Humphrey and Bogart because they're his best customers. Bogart tells Hank he needs to leave, but Bulk tells him that he and Humphrey are caught. After being frustrated with Skull for being slow to catch on, Bulk presents the rival detectives as the jokers responsible to Ms. Rodriguez. She congratulates them, while Katherine and Tanya tells Humphrey and Bogart to apologize to Robert. Realizing they've been caught, Humphrey and Bogart reluctantly do so. Ms. Rodriguez tells Bulk and Skull their checks will arrive by mail and escorts both Humphrey and Bogart out of the Youth Center. Skull, in his moment of lack of attention, grabs a can, assuming it's peanuts, but is really filled with fake snakes.

Cast[]

Jason David Frank as Tommy Oliver (Zeo Ranger V Red)
Johnny Yong Bosch as Adam Park (Zeo Ranger IV Green)
Steve Cardenas as Rocky DeSantos (Zeo Ranger III Blue)
Nakia Burrise as Tanya Sloan (Zeo Ranger II Yellow)
Catherine Sutherland as Katherine " Kat" Hillard (Zeo Ranger I Pink)
Austin St. John as Jason Lee Scott (Gold Zeo Ranger)
David Yost as Billy Cranston
Paul Schrier as Farkas "Bulk" Bulkmeier
Jason Narvy as Eugene "Skull" Skullovitch
Gregg Bullock as Detective Jerome Stone (credit only)
Richard Genelle as Ernie (credit only)
David Fielding as Zordon (face)
Bob Manahan as Zordon (voice)
Donene Kistler as Alpha 5
Richard Steven Horvitz as Alpha 5 (voice)
Alex Borstein as Queen Machina (voice)
Barbara Goodson as Prince Sprocket (voice), Orbus (voice), and Rita Repulsa (voice)
Oliver Page as Klank (voice)
Lex Lang as Louie Kaboom (voice)
Douglas Sloan as Prince Gasket (voice)
Melora Harte as Archerina (voice)
Ed Neil as Lord Zedd
Robert Axelrod as Lord Zedd (voice) and Finster (voice)
Carla Perez as Rita Repulsa
Danny Stallcup as Goldar
Kerrigan Mahan as Goldar (voice)
Bob Papenbrook as Rito Revolto (voice)
Brian Stemmler as Humphrey
??? as Bogart
??? as Robert

Songs[]

Calling For A Hero (instrumental)
Enemies Beware (instrumental)
Go Gold Ranger

Errors[]

When Skull reads the tag of the Clown Balloon novelty prank item in Kat's locker, he says "Angle" of "Angel".
Jason called the Warrior Wheel the Defender Wheel.
After forming the Super Zeo Ultrazord, the five core Rangers were incorrectly shown in their individual Zeo Zord cockpits. After blasting Louie Kaboom, all six Rangers were then shown in Pyramidas' cockpit.
Upon formation of the Super Zeo Ultrazord, the Red Battlezord's arm cannons were suddenly shown as part of the configuration despite the zord not being on the scene.
In Louie Kaboom's final battle with the Rangers, his right hand is replaced by a sword with no explanation.

Notes[]

This episode aired the same day as Saban's Masked Rider episode 38, The Eye of Edenoi.
First appearance of Prince Gasket and Archerina.
The final appearance of Louie Kaboom.
Last mention of David Trueheart and his father, Sam. The last onscreen appearance of David was in "Oily to Bed, Oily to Rise". Tommy is said to be visiting them on the reservation, which is why he doesn't appear in the episode except for the Power Chamber scene.
Rito's discovery of a golf ball on the moon is a joke referencing the Apollo 14 moon landing of 1971, in which astronaut Alan Shepard famously hit a pair of golf balls in low gravity during his mission.
The Masked Rider episode "The Eye of Edenoi" premiered the same day as the episode.
According to the credits, some parts of this episode were filmed on both the 13th and 17th of June 1996.
The two rival detectives are named "Humphrey" and "Bogart", a reference to the actor Humphrey Bogart who was known for detective roles.