Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel Episode 14
There’s an incredibly uncomfortable undercurrent to this episode. Our diverse group of teenagers needs to learn to respect those in law/rule enforcement, all of whom as depicted here happen to be white. When the central character of the episode is Hayley, a woman of color, the whole thing comes off completely tone deaf to our current world. Hayley’s “offenses” were incredibly minor and the rules were extremely arbitrary. Why does Hayley get singled out for not putting her can in the right bin when everyone else is doing it? Why, after a year of having her dog hang out in the school, does she get written up now? It makes no sense, especially when the lesson is RESPECT AUTHORITY NO MATTER WHAT. While I understand a children’s show can’t always get too deep into moral grays, the issue of law enforcement mandates it. Clint, the security guard, could have at least apologized for singling Hayley out. But no, authority is treated as absolute and you must follow it no matter what. Something could have been done with contrasting Clint’s enforcement of the rules vs. Victor and Monty’s but that’s abandoned for a Willy Wonka reference. It also says something that Victor and Monty, the two kids who consistently make the most trouble at the school, are immediately deputized and given power. No questions asked. Again, uncomfortable. (You could look at this as a swipe against Donald Trump but again, this was shot well over a year and a half ago. Written even earlier.) Why does the episode feel the need to strain that lawmakers have it rough, too? As Jeremy Simpson aka Captain_Subpar of No Pink Spandex rightfully pointed out, it felt like the episode was five seconds away from declaring, “Space Sheriff Lives Matter!” So much of this episode could have been solved if just one person had gone, “hold on” or if they had just casted anyone but a white man as Clint. Instead we ended up with this. Do better, Power Rangers. You should be better. Shamus Kelley is a pop culture/television writer and official Power Rangers expert. Follow him on Twitter! Read more articles by him here!
