So you created a show based off of a Japanese show that became a monster hit and were able to create a great first season, what do you do next?
Well, it's simple - make a second season!
But to help kickstart interest Season 2 Saban decided to do something different, and they went with a Season 2 premiere, but instead of it being in the afternoon or even on a weekend morning, they went with a primetime premiere!
Now I didn't know anything about this at first, but then around late July of 1993 I was staying at my aunt's apartment for the summer and caught the tail end of what seemed like a new episode, but it was at night which was strange. Then when I saw this trailer after the episode that's when I realized that Power Rangers was coming back with new stuff!
Then when I saw "The Mutiny, Part 1", that's when I realized that while it was great seeing the gang again, a new villain showing up to replace Rita definitely shook things up, but that wasn't a bad thing, because now the stakes were going a little bit higher than before.
Fortunately Zordon and Alpha were nothing if not prepared, because with Zedd's arrival this meant the Rangers needed new zords to get the job done. But with Zedd's new monster Pirhantishead controlling both the Tyrannosaurus and Dragon zords, the team needed to take back control of them before they could activate the new zords-something that became the basis of the latter two parts of "The Mutiny", which did pay off.
But even with new zords, this only emboldened Zedd to try and attack the team more. And given the weak state of Tommy's powers this was something Lord Zedd took full advantage of by directly attacking him, knowing the Green Ranger powers were on borrowed time. Sadly for all of Zordon and Alpha's attempts to restore Tommy's powers back to full, there was nothing they could do. And it would all culminate with Zedd trying to create his own team of Power Rangers - the Dark Rangers.
During all this, Tommy finds himself worn down not just physically, but emotionally, mentally, even spiritually. But despite all that - unable to access his morpher at that moment, and hearing Goldar's taunts - Tommy still finds the strength to stand up in more ways than one, and get his powers back long enough to save his friends and use the last of his Ranger abilities to finish the fight against Zedd's monster, which is perhaps Tommy's finest hour as the Green Mighty Morphin Power Ranger, for as he would tell his friends later,
"It's not just the costume and power that gives me strength. But it's who and what I am inside that really empowers me." -Tommy
Though we say goodbye to Tommy yet again, there was also one other story arc that needed to be covered in the aftermath - Jason's guilt. And it is in the following episode that we see the Red Ranger at his lowest point, unable to get past his own regret/guilt at not being able to save his friend from losing his powers despite Zack and the others assuring him there was no other choice. Needless to say, Zedd takes full advantage of this and kidnaps the other four Rangers, intending on doing the exact same thing Rita did to Tommy - use the same type of magic candles to siphon away and steal the Ranger's powers. Needless to say, this almost pushes Jason's guilt and anger to the breaking point but Zordon tells his Ranger that the latter made the right choice way back when, and that just as the team needed him then, they need him now, but to save them requires making tough decisions - part and parcel of what being a leader is - and that there is a chance Jason could lose his powers if he enters Zedd's Dimension. Undeterred, Jason takes the chance and succeeds, both with saving his team and winning the karate tournament.
Shortly after this episode aired there was a promo for the next one, and it revealed that there was a new Power Ranger joining the team but nobody knew who. And even the first part of the episode gave no indication who it was.
After spending time at his uncle's cabin, Tommy decides to head back to Angel Grove with a more clear head but Zedd intends on sabotaging his return by trying to turn him, only for Tommy to mysteriously disappear.
After dealing with another one of Zedd's monsters - which didn't go well, Billy heads back to the Command Center to figure out why Zordon and Alpha disappeared and discovers something he didn’t expect - the former two were working on another Power Ranger, but no evidence of who it was.
When he relays this information to the others they wonder why Tommy wasn't given these abilities but an alert from Zordon and Alpha a few moments later does stoke those questions, and then when the White Ranger takes his helmet off and reveals himself to be none other than Tommy all those questions were answered.
(And I"m sure kids were jumping up and down screaming in joy)
With Tommy back in the fold it did seem like things were back to normal, but then a few episodes later three new characters were introduced in the three-parter "The Ninja Encounter": Rocky, Adam and Aisha.
Given that there had been other recurring characters like Angela, Zack's cousin Curtis and Richie this wasn't much of a surprise, but there was a bit of an emphasis on these new three than there had been with the other characters. But one thing was for sure, the teens from Stone Canyon High could hold their own pretty well. Almost at a Power Ranger level.
But what was surprising at Part 3 was that while Billy was helping save the three teens he was fending off a snake that was choking him, and though Kim was able to get rid of it Billy still had trouble breathing and the only thing Tommy and Kim could do was to get Billy's helmet off. This wouldn't be so bad if the Stone Canyon trio weren't close by, which they were. And for the first time in the series a small group of regular civilians discover who the Power Rangers were, which in Zordon's rule book was a big no-no.
Fortunately Zordon and Alpha did some homework on the trio and felt they were trustworthy enough to stay quiet about that little secret. And thus would begin a bit of a close relationship where Rocky, Adam and Aisha were able to come through for the team in a pinch despite not being officially Power Rangers themselves.
(Little did we know...)
After having hints dropped over the course of many episodes we finally get to the episode where candidates for the World Peace Summit are announced, and it is none other than Jason, Zack and Trini. While Tommy, Kim and Billy are happy about this this also means that the team will be short three members. As such Zordon says that he must choose three new Power Rangers but given that it isn’t as simple as giving the Power Morphers/Coins to three other people more power is needed, so the team has to go to a deserted planet and retrieve an item called The Sword of Light.
Meanwhile, Lord Zedd and Goldar try to head the Rangers off in the former's own personal zord Serpenterra to destroy the sword. Jason tries to distract Zedd but Serpenterra turns out to be too much. Meanwhile back on Earth the Stone Canyon trio has transferred to Angel Grove and find themselves helping out with trying to destroy a device Zedd made to make people go to sleep so Zordon wouldn't be able to choose new Rangers.
Thanks to some quick thinking the trio manage to stop the Putties guarding the device and destroy said device, with the Rangers barely escaping the deserted planet with the Sword of Light.
Though they have the item for the transfer, Trini voices doubts whether they should go to the Peace Conference but Zordon points out that while she, Zack and Jason have more than shown to have the spirit that a Power Ranger should have, destiny has now called them to something else, hence them being picked for the peace conference. But since they were able to help get the Sword of Light, that means that they get to help in transferring their powers to three new rangers, which turn out to be...Rocky, Adam and Aisha!
In no time at all the new trio found themselves on adventures similar to their predecessors, but with Tommy, Billy and Kim there to help, the former Stone Canyon trio took to the whole Power Ranger gig like a fish to water.
And while Zedd would continue to do his usual schemes, perhaps the biggest wrench to get thrown into the works was the return of Rita Repulsa, who was determined to get revenge on her former master by using a love potion. Surprisingly enough it worked, and the two were wed in a very interesting three-parter.
In all, Season 2 definitely helped build off of what Season 1 had done. With a new big bad villain in Zedd, things were not as they were before. And the season had ups and downs both in front and behind the camera as we all know now. With Austin, Walter and Thuy leaving the show due to Saban being cheap with his actors, one would almost think that that would have killed the show, but somehow it held on, and the producers/writers were able to structure things in such a way to where no one paid much attention to why some of the characters weren't there some of the time or why their voices were off until the characters were given a send-off.
But even despite that drama, the upsides that made this season special - with Tommy gaining new powers that won't be lost to a candle, to new friends appearing and adding something different to the table, to an old foe returning and thus adding a new dynamic to the villains' side - it was something that improved the show greatly. Plus the Boom! Studios comics added more context to what we know in regards to Jason, Zack and Trini's departure and Tommy getting the White Ranger powers.
And while a third season was definitely a no-brainer, there was one other thing in the works that was going to take the franchise to a whole other level. A big-budget motion picture level, to be precise...