Green with Evil

Infobox Television episode
Title = Green With Evil
Series = Mighty Morphin Power Rangers


Caption =
Season = 1
Episode = 17-21
Airdate = October 5-October 9, 1993
Production = 117-121
Writer = Tony Oliver Shuki Levy
Director = Adrian Carr
Photographer =
Guests =
Episode list = List of Power Rangers episodes
Prev = Big Sisters
Next = The Trouble with Shellshock

"Green With Evil" was a five-part story arc in the "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" series. It introduced new characters, but centered around Tommy Oliver, a new student at Angel Grove High and the series' Green Ranger. Tommy the Green Ranger became quickly popular, and he would continue to star in the Power Rangers series. He has appeared in a total of six different seasons and has guest starred in one other.

To this day, "Green With Evil" is the only 5-part episode to air in any Power Rangers series. It is the longest multi-episode story arc aired to date. The next closest in length are "Ninja Quest" from the 3rd season of "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers", and "Return of Thunder", from "", both having 4 parts.

Due to its length, the mini-series aired once on Polish Jetix as a full-length movie: "Power Rangers the Movie: Green With Evil". All episode titles and on-screen text (including opening credits) were removed, leaving only the final "Executive Producers" block.

This initial airing of this episode is often considered the breakthrough moment of the franchise. The show transformed from one of middling popularity into a bona-fide phenomenon almost overnight and became one of the biggest crazes of the 1990s. Numerous different polls conducted over the years consistently rate this to be one of, if not the greatest episodes in Power Rangers history.

The Storyline

Part I: Out of Control

Part I of the story arc begins with a karate tournament at Angel Grove's Youth Center. Competition has been eliminated to two final contestants: Jason Lee Scott, the Red Ranger, and newcomer Tommy Oliver. Jason is impressed with Tommy's fighting ability, as are the other Rangers.

Evil space witch Rita Repulsa captures Tommy after the competition and takes him back to her palace on the moon. There she casts a spell on him, brainwashing him into becoming her servant. Tommy swears allegiance to her, and Rita assigns him to destroy Zordon, the Command Center, and the Power Rangers. She then gives him the Dragon Power Coin, allowing him to become the Evil Green Ranger.

The Evil Green Ranger goes first to the Command Center, which he can enter since he possesses a Power Coin like the rest of the Rangers. He finds Alpha 5 recharging, and inserts a computer virus into the robot. He then tears the Command Center's computers to pieces, ripping up the circuitry and breaking the dimensional contact with Zordon. In spite of the virus, Alpha manages to make contact with the other Rangers.

Meanwhile, Rita uses her magic wand to grow Goldar, an anthropomorphic blue ape, to gigantic size. After a brief battle with some Putties, the Rangers summon the Megazord and fight Goldar. Goldar returns to Rita's palace while the Evil Green Ranger breaks into the Megazord's cockpit, knocks all of the Rangers out of the Megazord and then single-handedly defeats all five of them in combat.

They return to the Command Center, stunned at the beating they took from the Green Ranger. The episode ends as the Green Ranger vows their downfall.

Part II: Jason's Battle

Part II begins in the Command Center, as the Rangers debate their options on how to deal with the Green Ranger. Billy Cranston, the Blue Ranger, and Trini Kwan, the Yellow Ranger, finish repairing Alpha. The others return to town. Jason takes out his frustration on a punching bag at the Youth Center. It dawns on him that it must have been the Green Ranger who wrecked the Command Center.

Rita decides to put Tommy through one final test: if he can defeat a band of Putties using only his karate skills, he will be given the Sword of Darkness. The Sword will give Tommy immense power and allow Rita to maintain control of Tommy forever. Rita and her minions go down to earth together to watch Tommy battle the Putties. Tommy defeats them and is rewarded with the Sword.

Later, Jason meets Tommy and tells him that a workout session between the two of them will have to wait due to an "emergency". Tommy says he understands. Then Tommy zaps Jason with his Power Coin and sends him to Rita's Dark Dimension.

Zack Taylor, the Black Ranger, and Kimberly Hart, the Pink Ranger, decide to go back to the Command Center in Billy’s car and rejoin Billy and Trini, who have by now repaired the computers and restored them to partial power. Attempts to regain contact with Zordon fail. The Rangers become highly concerned about Jason's disappearance.

The Green Ranger reappears and taunts the Rangers. In Jason's absence, Zack decides that they will go into battle. But with Jason gone and the Green Ranger armed with the Sword of Darkness, he dispatches them even more easily than before. The Rangers call on the Megazord and force him to retreat.

Part III: The Rescue

While the Power Rangers attempt to find Jason and renew contact with Zordon, Jason confronts Goldar in the Dark Dimension. Kimberly continues her search for Jason at Ernie's Juice Bar. After an encounter with Bulk and Skull, Kimberly resumes her search and encounters Tommy. She asks Tommy about Jason, but he replies that Jason didn't show up for a practice session they had scheduled. She and Zack go to ask Tommy again. Rita sends a squad of Putties to attack. This gives Tommy time to slip away.

The Green Ranger gains Rita's permission to kill Jason. Goldar leaves the Dark Dimension. The Green Ranger fights Jason. Jason grabs his morpher, but the Green Ranger pins him to the ground. Just before he can strike the final blow with the Sword of Darkness, Billy teleports him back to the Command Center.

Goldar harshly reprimands the Green Ranger, who begs for another chance. Goldar goes to check with Rita and leaves the Green Ranger in the Dark Dimension. The Green Ranger practices his karate skills in preparation for another battle with the Power Rangers. When he does ask Rita for another chance, Rita tells him to be patient because the time is not right.

The Rangers discuss Jason's experience, compare notes, and realize that Tommy isn't being honest with them, but they still don't draw any connection between Tommy and the Green Ranger.

Scorpina, a former ally, rejoins Rita and attacks Angel Grove. The Rangers fight with her, further taxing themselves until she is recalled. While the Rangers recover in the Command Center, Alpha 5 finally finds a way to track down Zordon. He is renewing contact when Rita sends an enlarged Goldar to attack the city, intending to force the Rangers to summon the Megazord. The Rangers watch the Viewing Globe as Goldar destroys several buildings in downtown Angel Grove.

Part IV: Eclipsing Megazord

Realizing that they have to fight yet again, the Rangers try to morph. Sparks fly and the Command Center blacks out. Focusing the energy on finding Zordon drained power from the Command Center and Morphing Grid. Goldar manages to tear a section of Angel Grove apart before Billy restores power. The Rangers morph and go fight Goldar.

After a fight with Scorpina, Putties, and giant Goldar, the Rangers have a brief confrontation with Rita. She sends Goldar to the beach, carrying a bus with innocent people in one hand. The Rangers teleport after him. The Rangers summon the Megazord, which catches the bus just before it falls, depositing an overjoyed Bulk and Skull back on a cliff.

Rita again sends Tommy, who has been practicing swordplay in the Dark Dimension, to the Command Center to get rid of Zordon for good. Alpha traps him in a force field. Unfortunately, all the progress made in finding Zordon is lost. Alpha sets into motion a program to learn Green Ranger's identity.

The Megazord, fighting Goldar, fights Scorpina as well, who has also been enlarged. Rita's spell begins, and drains the Megazord of his power. The Megazord is overwhelmed. Jason calls for the Power Sword which gives them a power boost. The Megazord is back on its feet and regains the upper hand. Rita, determined not to lose the fight, uses a spell to free Green Ranger from the Command Center and sends him into battle as well. The Megazord doesn't have enough power to finish the battle. Goldar, Scorpina and the Green Ranger then deliver massive damage to the Megazord and the Rangers are thrown out from the cockpit. They then watch helplessly as the defeated Megazord falls into a huge fiery pit and is consumed by lava.

Back in the Command Center, most of the Rangers consider surrender, with Jason and Alpha desperately trying to persuade them otherwise. However, Alpha "does" have some good news; while Green Ranger was trapped in the force field, the computer learned his identity. Rangers look into the Viewing Globe and discover that their nemesis is, in fact, Tommy.

Part V: Breaking the Spell

Upon discovering that Tommy is the Evil Green Ranger they split up to find him, on a quest to save him from Rita's power.

Kimberly goes to the Youth Center and finds Tommy is working out on the weight machines. He glares at her with eyes glowing green, addresses her as the Pink Ranger, and threatens to destroy her and the other Rangers.

Rita decides to complete the destruction of the Power Rangers by reviving the Dragonzord, dormant for 10,000 years. She gives Tommy the Dragon Dagger, and he assumes control of the new Zord.

The Rangers are discussing Kimberly's encounter with Tommy when Trini frantically bursts in and tells them about this new assault on their city. The Rangers morph into action, but without their Zords, they can do nothing to stop the Dragonzord.

Alpha finally succeeds in his search for Zordon. Zordon returns to the Command Center and revives the damaged Dinozords. Zordon also tells Jason that he must destroy the Sword of Darkness to break Rita's spell.

A one-on-one duel ensues between Tommy, controlling his Dragonzord, and Jason, controlling his Dinozord. When the Dragonzord is beaten down, the Rangers assemble the Megazord to finish it off. The Megazord then outmatches the Dragonzord in combat with the Power Sword and hurls it into the side a mountain.

Once the Dragonzord is disabled, Jason leaps from the Megazord to fight Tommy in person. The Red and Green Rangers battle back and forth in an evenly matched duel. Then the Green Ranger activates the Dragon Shield. Jason hurls his Power Sword at Tommy, knocking the Dragon Dagger and Sword of Darkness out of his hands. Jason uses his Blade Blaster to destroy the Sword of Darkness. Rita's spell is broken, and Tommy involuntarily demorphs.

When Tommy revives, he is remorseful over what he has done. Jason and the other Rangers are quick to forgive him and Jason invites him to join the team as the sixth Ranger. Tommy agrees to join the team. Zordon summons the six Rangers back to the Command Center. He commends the five original Rangers for their refusal to give up when the odds were against them. He also tells them that Dragonzord can combine with the other Zords. The six Rangers then huddle up for a Power Ranger high-five as the episode ends.