Welcome to the Jungle

This article is about an episode in Power Rangers Jungle Fury.

Welcome to the Jungle

Power Rangers Jungle Fury, Episode 16x01,16x02

Air Date(s)

February 18, 2008

Production Information

Written by

Bruce Kalish
Jackie Marchand

Directed by

Mark Beesley

Episode Guide

Previous	Next
Crown and Punishment	Sigh of the Tiger

"We are the vision in your dreams. We do not exist, yet we have been here since the beginning. We are Pai Zhuq, the Order of the Claw. We train only the best, both physically and mentally, swearing them to secrecy, all masters of their skills... Never knowing their true purpose, until now."

―Master Mao

Welcome to the Jungle is the two-part season premiere and the first & second episodes of Power Rangers Jungle Fury of the Power Rangers series.

Synopsis[]

Part 1[]

Casey Rhodes, Lily Chilman and Theo Martin are selected to be their academy's martial arts masters in training, when upon the death of their master and release of the evil demonic entity Dai Shi they are assigned a new master, and a new role. Meanwhile former selected academy apprentice Jarrod comes under the control of Dai Shi.

Part 2[]

Casey, Lily and Theo adjust to their new roles as Power Rangers under the strange tutelage of pizzeria proprietor RJ, Camille and the selected Rinshi leader cause a dam flood at Ocean's Bluff.

Plot[]

Part 1[]

The Pai Zhuq Academy is a secretive martial arts school, located somewhere in the mountains. In the courtyard, six teenagers meditate on a stone floor in front of what appears to be a temple. Lily Chilman and Theo Martin are two of the six finalists chosen to be candidates as the guardians to keep an evil Beast Spirit known as Dai Shi in his casket.

Master Mao appears and tests the warriors to find the three chosen ones. Lily and Theo unleash their Animals Spirits, a cheetah and a jaguar, respectively. Jarrod fights fiercely and unleashes a Lion Spirit. Master Mao chooses Jarrod, Lily, and Theo for their great successes against their opponents.

After the test, Jarrod bullies a young boy for a towel. Casey, a new recruit, stands up for the young boy and hands a towel to Jarrod. Jarrod then turns his attention to Casey, who unleashes a tiger mirage, shadowed across his face, to attack Jarrod. Master Mao witnesses the event and, as it is eventually revealed, replaces Jarrod with Casey.

Theo questions why Casey was chosen instead of Jarrod, as Casey is just a mere "cub": a new recruit. Master Mao does not answer as he leads the newly chosen students to the Forbidden Room, where he reveals the story of the Dai Shi, an ancient animalistic evil that existed ten thousand years before, and sought to kill all of humanity so as to allow animals to rule Earth unopposed. The Order of the Claw was organized to prevent the Dai Shi's return; Dai Shi was defeated by the founders of Pai Zhuq and imprisoned.

Casey claims that he has only been in Pai Zhuq for a week and has no training experience. Jarrod barges in, very angry due to his seemingly arbitrary dismissal by the master after ten years, but Master Mao tells him that he had a reason to choose Casey over Jarrod. Jarrod then impulsively challenges the Master. After a brief fight, Jarrod is easily defeated by Master Mao, but he then unleashes the Black Lion Spirit and knocks the chest that the Master is holding in his arms away. The chest falls on the ground and opens, causing a dark, glowing black-and-gold spirit to escape the chest and threaten Master Mao. The spirit is Dai Shi, who turns his attention to Master Mao.

The students prepare for the fight. Mao is easily defeated by Dai Shi running through him, and he drops to the ground, dying. He says his final goodbyes to the students, and sends them to find their new home and master in Ocean Bluff; he promptly dies and his body disappears into the ether. Jarrod runs into the forest, where he is found by the Dai Shi spirit.

As per Mao's instructions, the students make their way to a pizza restaurant. After a false start with an elderly man who they assume to be their master, they meet RJ, the owner of the restaurant.

Meanwhile, at the Temple of the Dai Shi, Dai Shi summons the Rinshi, and uses a mantis ornament to upgrade one to be his warrior. Camille, a loyal warrior and bearer of the Chameleon Spirit, emerges from the wall she has been in for ten thousand years, greets Dai Shi, complimenting him on his new look.

After a meal of pizza, RJ offers the teenagers a job while they wait for their master, but they run to the street when they hear a disturbance in the city - the Rinshi are attacking! Casey feels uneasy getting ready for the fight, but Theo encourages him to join and fight the Rinshi. The monster leading the attack, Mantor, reveals himself and charges at the students. RJ joins the fight and reveals that he is the master they were looking for, using his Pai Zhuq prowess to force Mantor to retreat. From the temple, Dai Shi orders Camille to join the fight.

Back in the restaurant, RJ introduces the teens to Fran, then welcomes the teens to his place in the loft above the store, where he reveals their new clothes and their Solar Morphers.

Then the teens head into the battle with the new gear. Theo and Lily morph into action. Casey tries to morph, but for some reason, he is unable. The new Yellow and Blue Rangers work together to fight the Rinshi, while Casey is still attempting - unsuccessfully - to unleash the beast. While he is trying, Fran is attacked by the Rinshi!

Part 2[]

With Fran in danger, Casey is finally able to morph into the Red Ranger. He defeats the Rinshi and joins Lily and Theo in the fight. Mantor has gathered enough fear, and grows giant. Master Mao's spirit appears and helps the Rangers by defeating Mantor, again forcing him into retreat.

Camille wants to destroy Mantor for his failure, but Dai Shi refuses and gives him one last chance. Mantor tells Camille his plan: he plans to destroy the dam of Ocean Bluff and flood the city.

Casey, Theo, and Lily tell RJ about Mantor's powers, but he says he won't train them in the "gowing ginormous technique" until they are ready. Instead, he trains the teens with their new weapons - a pair of Tonfa for Theo, a Bo-staff for Lily and a Nunchuck for Casey. Still being a novice, Casey struggles with the training and Theo learns a lesson in teamwork by falling on his butt.

In the forest, Camille infuses Mantor with more power. After Theo scoffs at Casey's failed attempts to use the Nunchuck, Lily reminds Theo about his own training. Theo trains Casey, who quickly improves; however, they are quickly called into action - the dam has been attacked!

They head into the city and meet Camille and the Rinshi, as well as a once-again giant Mantor. The Rangers morph into action and fight the Rinshi with their new weapons. With Camille forced to retreat, RJ trains the Rangers to summon their Beast Spirit Modes to take on Mantor. The Zords unite into the Jungle Pride Megazord. Camille regurgitates the Fly Spirit bearer, Flit, who commentates the Megazord fight. When the Megazord eventually destroys Mantor, Camille swallows the fly again in irritation.

Casey returns Theo's earlier kindness by giving him a lesson in pizza making. Lily and RJ discuss Dai Shi and the battles that are yet to come. As Camille reports to Dai Shi about her failure, he states that the Rangers will soon know the meaning of power once he unleashes his fury. Dai Shi turns around, revealing he has possessed Jarrod, and lets out a mighty roar.

Cast[]

Jason Smith as Casey Rhodes (Jungle Fury Red Ranger) (unmorphed only in Part 1)
Anna Hutchison as Lily Chilman (Jungle Fury Yellow Ranger)
Aljin Abella as Theo Martin (Jungle Fury Blue Ranger)
David de Lautour as Robert "RJ" James
Sarah Thomson as Fran
Bede Skinner as Jarrod
Holly Shanahan as Camille (Green Chameleon Warrior)
Geoff Dolan as Dai Shi (voice)
Kelson Henderson as Flit (voice) (Part 2 only)
Nathaniel Lees as Master Mao
Pat Courtenay as Mantor (voice)
Roberto Gutierrez as Lily's Opponent (uncredited)

There are additional uncredited actors: masters and fellow students at the academy, JKP patrons, etc.

Errors[]

to be added

Notes[]

This episode's name is a reference to the Guns N' Roses song, Welcome to the Jungle.
A flashback of Casey defeating Mantor in Part 2 would appear when Casey returned in the Super Megaforce episode "Spirit of the Tiger", when he revealed that he was the Jungle Fury Red Ranger to Super Mega Rangers Jake and Emma.
The two-part episode premiered as an hour-long special. In all subsequent episodes and on home release and streaming, it was presented as two separate episodes.
This is the first episode to not feature a Pink Ranger since the Power Rangers Dino Thunder episode, "Thunder Struck".
This episode's premiere date is the same as Gekiranger's. February 18. Coincidently, Jungle Fury's Sentai counterpart started airing on February 18 of 2007.
Casey doesn't appear morphed in Part 1.