Power Rangers’ Best 1990s Season Isn’t Mighty Morphin And Deserves As Much Love As The Original Show

Although nostalgia plays a role when looking at Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the original series was very good and became a pop culture phenomenon for a reason. The Zyuranger aesthetic worked incredibly well for an American superhero show, with MMPR also including a compelling cast of main characters that will forever be remembered by fans of the series. That said, Mighty Morphin was a simple, formulaic show that rarely tried something different. The same applies to Zeo and Turbo. It was only in 1998 with Power Rangers in Space that the show challenged its formula – and it worked.

Power Rangers In Space Is When The 1990s Show Achieved Its Full Potential

Power Rangers in Space Was Bolder (& Better) Than Previous Seasons

The conclusion of the Zordon Era, Power Rangers in Space was the culmination of everything the show had done by that point. With Power Rangers Turbo struggling with low ratings and proving that the series needed something fresh, In Space had the difficult mission of reinventing Power Rangers. Fortunately, the idea of taking the Turbo Rangers to a different setting and throwing a brand-new Red Ranger into the mix paid off. Power Rangers in Space took risks that the show had never once taken, giving its viewers a more mature story compared to the previous seasons.

The new Turbo Rangers had already been a great addition to the show and were a breath of fresh air after years in which we kept following the MMPR/Zeo characters. With the command center destroyed and Zordon missing, the Turbo Rangers minus Justin set controls to outer space and took the show to a whole new level. Instead of episodic adventures on Angel Grove, Power Rangers was now telling a cohesive, high-stakes story about finding Zordon and preventing the most evil force in the universe from conquering everything.

Power Rangers In Space Gave The Show Its First Three-Dimensional Protagonist

Red Ranger Andros Had A Meaningful Backstory And A Difficult Temper

While it may seem exaggerated to say that it took Power Rangers five years to have a three-dimensional protagonist, that is actually what happened. Andros, the Red Ranger without a Power Rangers team, was a fascinating character and way more nuanced than any other previous Red Ranger. As a kids' show with 20-minute-long episodes, Power Rangers could only do so much in terms of developing the characters and giving them meaningful arcs. However, In Space showed that there was room for complex, three-dimensional characters in the series. Andros was a tragic Ranger who initially didn’t get along with the team.

Andros had his own agenda, which included finding Zordon and learning what happened to his sister, Karone. This was the first time the backstory of a Power Ranger actually mattered throughout the whole season and not just for a standalone episode about their past. The fact that Astronema was Andros’ long-lost sister made their stories and their characters even better, setting the stage for Power Rangers in Space to have a much stronger overarching story than any of its predecessors. That is not to mention Andors’ dynamic with the Silver Ranger and how he eventually learned to play well with others.

Power Rangers In Space Is Still The Benchmark For What Power Rangers Should Be

Power Rangers In Space Set The Tone For The Show’s Other Great Seasons

Power Rangers in Space kept everything that made the original show successful – great costumes, a catchy theme song, and fun characters – but also added things that the series desperately needed. This includes more nuanced characters, complex relationships even among the villains, and an overarching story that serves as the backdrop for the entire season. Power Rangers in Space also had a great finale, “Countdown to Destruction,” which is considered one of the best episodes of the entire show.

There is often a debate regarding how serious and mature Power Rangers should be. Although In Space had its silly moments, it knew when to treat its characters seriously. This made things like Zordon’s death and Astronema’s redemption much more impactful. MMPR remained the most iconic Power Rangers season, but In Space allowed other entries in the franchise to take risks, with series like Lost Galaxy and Time Force also becoming fan favorites.