Welcome to Rangersplain, where Jay Smith takes his best friend Ashley Leckwold on a magical journey through the world of Power Rangers.
Julian Smith and Ashley Leckwold
Rangersplain is back with the comics this month with the first half of the Unlimited Power arc! It's a new era and journey for the Rangers, but still the same old hate for Zordon from your favorite gay ranger fans.Show NotesOur Patreon
We're back, baby! After several months off, Ashley and Sid have returned to cover Cosmic Fury! It's the last Power Ranger series for now, but what do our hosts think? Well, you probably already have seen the run time, so let's get into it.Show NotesOur Patreon
Summary:So remember when Sid and Ashley first covered Go Go Power Rangers and they had to re-record the episode? Well, the original file magically wasn't that corrupted! So check out this “lost” version of their first brush with Go Go Power Rangers! Note: This episode was originally recorded June 2019 before Sid was going by their current name. However, it is fun to revisit the early origins of the podcast and this one is a special treat! Show Notes: See the original show notes for Episode 7 Join Our Patreon!
It's the end of another year for Rangersplain and the end of another comics arc as Ashley and Sid take a look at Necessary Evil Part 2! Yes, they are wondering why Jason and Tommy still won't kiss, dammit.Show NotesOur Patreon
Summary: Rangersplain is heading back to the comics this month with the first half of Necessary Evil! And is that… internal conflict and unresolved tension? In OUR Power Rangers?! It's more likely than you think.Show NotesSubscribe to our Patreon
Summary: It's Halloween again for the Strange Animals of Rangersplain! This year, Ashley and Sid are joined by author Lillian Boyd to have a round table discussion about Jordan Peele's 2022 film Nope. Hey, it takes place out where a lot of Power Rangers was filmed and features some wild creature effects. It counts for the Toku chart.Show NotesPatreon
Continuing from last month, Sid and Ashley are covering Dino Fury season 2. Which might be their favorite season of Power Rangers so far?! It's all about the power of love, mysteries, snacks, pop-punk creeps, and women's wrongs in this episode!Show NotesPatreon
Well, they finally got here: Sid and Ashley are finally up to the most recent iteration of Power Rangers! Covering the first season of Dino Fury, the two discuss the show bringing Power Rangers into a modern era both with content and lore. It's an episode about queerness, serialization, modern families, dinosaur moms, and just how much this season has to be inspired by Buzzfeed Unsolved.Show NotesPatreon
Ashley and Sid continue down the path of the comics with Beyond The Grid! Which can be described as “gay gay homosexual gay.” Along with the overwhelming power of queerness, the two discuss their continuing dislike of Andros, Stephen King references, alien polycules, and just what exactly is going on with Cam anyway.Show Notes Patreon
It's finally time! Sid and Ashley are tackling Shattered Grid, the first ever comics crossover event for Power Rangers! In this episode, the two talk fascism, grief, and self-loathing while also making fun of Ninjor for being a doofus. They also finally get a plotline they talked about 4 years ago, so that's fun!Show NotesPatreon
It's finally time! Sid and Ashley are tackling Shattered Grid, the first ever comics crossover event for Power Rangers! In this episode, the two talk fascism, grief, and self-loathing while also making fun of Ninjor for being a doofus. They also finally get a plotline they talked about 4 years ago, so that's fun!Show NotesPatreon
It's officially the 30th anniversary year for Power Rangers, which means it's time for Sid and Ashley to take a look at the anniversary special Once And Always! And it's a lot! Tune in as the two talk about death and grief, Billy and Zack's gay married vibes, how Minh Kwan is a literal teenager with attitude, and how the real charm of Power Rangers is its extreme lack of budget. It's Morphin' Time!Show NotesPatreon
Summary:Activate Beast Powers! It's the starting of a new Saban-less era for Power Rangers and Rangersplain is along for the ride. This month, they're covering Beast Morphers! Listen in as Ashley and Sid discuss himbo robots, public transit, and the ongoing use of pseudo coming out narratives in Power Rangers.Show NotesPatreon
Sid and Ashley are going back to Japan this month by taking a look at the recent henshin hero series Endless Love! A series that involves timeline shenanigans, Shouta Aoi as himself, evil TM Revolution, and… Pop Team Epic?! What's going on here?!Snow NotesPatreon
With Sid and Ashley mostly caught up on the mainline Power Rangers series, it is finally time to truly dive into the Boom! Studios Power Rangers comics! Tackling the first two years of the main book leading up to Shattered Grid, the two discuss where this leaves off from Go Go, how it improves on aspects from the TV show, and just how much of a Intergalactic Warlord Girlboss Rita Repulsa truly is.Show NotesJoin Our Patreon
On this special Valentine's Day mini-episode, Sid and Ashley take a look at the recently found American Sailor Moon pilot! How did this strange oddity come to be and what could it have meant for anime in the 90s? But more importantly, how does Sid react to literally watching it for the first time while recording? Only one way to find out! Be sure you check out our bonus commentary on the pilot over on our Patreon as well!Show NotesPatreon
It's been 3 years since Sid and Ashley took a look at Cutie Honey's live action adaptations, so it's time to take a look at another classic magical girl franchise gone toku: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon! It's filled with melodrama, cheaper wigs, early 2000s fashion, magical cat plushies, and twirling… twirling… TWIRLING towards love and justice! Rangersplain Power… MAKE UP! Show Notes Patreon
Ashley and Sid have reached the end of the Neo-Saban era, so it's time for the Big Gay Overview! With Michael Eisner out of the picture, who is to blame for all of the woes of this era? Well, that answer is probably obvious…Show NotesOur Patreon
Well, it's the end of 2022 and Ashley and Sid have finally reached the end of the Neo-Saban era with Ninja Steel! Which is… certainly a series that exists to infuriate them. Where did it all go wrong? Also, the two take some time to reflect on Jason David Frank and his role within the Power Rangers fandom.Content Warning for 1:47 to 26:40 with discussion of Jason David Frank's death and suicideShow NotesOur Patreon
After months of delay, Sid and Ashley have finally reached Hyperforce! Joined by special guest George Hansen Jr. from George's Ranger Reviews, the trio takes a look at Power Rangers' first foray into tabletop RPGs! Along with being extremely important to the franchise going forward, Hyperforce also brings things like burritos, the Milhouse of Power Rangers, and the extreme chaotic good energy of Vesper Vasquez.
Ashley and Sid are through the last of the comic crossovers with the just completed Godzilla vs. the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers comic! It may feature Godzilla's ongoing grudge with the youth of the world, but does it live up to the hype? Only one way to find out…
Hyperforce is taking longer than expected, so Ashley and Sid take a detour into visiting the classic Power Rangers comics! And… they are weird. Real weird! Just as weird and inconsistent as Zordon's face in the books!
Continuing their look at the crossover comics, Ashley and Sid take a look at the recent Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover from Boom Studios and IDW! Except… they never really got into TMNT. So what do they even talk about? All the other ways they know TMNT, of course. Cowabunga!
Sid and Ashley are currently working their way through Hyperforce, so we have a couple of crossover comics to cover. First to the plate is 2017's Justice League/Mighty Morphin Power Rangers! Listen as Sid and Ashley talk about how Lumberjanes and Gotham Academy are ultimately responsible for this crossover, the kinky origins of Wonder Woman, and their love of Billy and Cyborg's friendship!
Sid and Ashley get to the second part of their Dino Charge coverage this month with Dino Super Charge! And much like the series finale, it goes places! It's about growth, time travel shenanigans, and dinosaur inaccuracies this month. Also, James Navarro hate. We always have time to hate James Navarro.
It's about to get wild! Ashley and Sid finally get to the season they have eagerly been waiting for… Dino Charge! In their first of two episodes, the two get into the nitty gritty of Ashley's first season with wondering if the Morphin Grid is translating for Ivan, who on the team is neurodivergent, and how Tyler is just so ding-dang positive!
Well… it's time for Megaforce. Ashley and Sid struggle with the lost potential of the 20th anniversary season and try to say something nice. Most of the nice things are about the seasons they wish they were watching and rarely about Jake. Jake sucks.
It's April Fool's Day once again and… hey, is this the right Megaforce? Sid and Ashley go Toku Radical and take a look at the 1982 film Megaforce. Come for the title, stay for Barry Bostwick's glorious feathered hair.
Rangersplain officially begins the Neo-Saban era with Power Rangers Samurai! And it's… something. This month, Sid and Ashley discuss Haim Saban's return to Power Rangers, the poor swim form of Kevin, the curse of heterosexuality, and why Lauren Shiba deserves better. It's a golden two hours!TW from 02:07:02 to 02:09:45: Discussion of Deker's actor Ricardo Medina Jr's arrest and conviction of manslaughter in 2015
This month, Rangersplain is taking a trip to Kells! Ashley and Sid are taking a look at Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog, a nearly lost series that was Saban's first attempt at creating a tokusatsu in house. With discussions of Irish mythology, fae trickery, polycules, how to access the Morphin' Grid, and boning down with demons, it's certainly one for the history books.
It's the end of an era, so it's time for Ashley and Sid's Big Gay Disney Era Overview! There's a lot to discuss in terms of quality and progression, but first they get to the bottom of Power Rangers' Disney woes. Well, as it turns out, it's the same source of a lot of Disney's woes at the time. That's right… it's Michael Eisner time!
Get! In! Gear! The second full year of Rangersplain comes to a close with Ashley and Sid covering the hotly anticipated fan favorite RPM. But is it as good as everyone says it is? Well, this episode is over 3 hours long and full of strange tangents about money, social justice, autism, and figuring out what sci-fi the writers were aping from. It's a era ending you don't want to miss!
After a crazy Halloween, Sid and Ashley get back to the Power Rangers grind with the penultimate season of the Disney era: Jungle Fury! The two discuss how they both find RJ hot, the questionable choices made for Jungle Karma Pizza, and if they think JJ Abrams got his inspiration for Kylo Ren from Dai Shi. SPIRIT UNLEASHED!
Rangersplain is having a Halloween party and you're invited! For the spookiest time of the year, the two take a look at the wildest tokusatsu Canada has to offer: the 2020 Steven Kostanski film Psycho Goreman! However, with a party to run and a surprising creature on the loose, the two definitely need more help than usual. Thankfully, their guests prove to be more useful than Greg and Bio-Cop combined. (Guest starring friend and prolific Letterboxd user Sam, comic writer Lan Pitts, and Ryan Boyd and Quincy Rhoads of the podcast Rank and Vile.)
Rangersplain shifts into overdrive this month with Operation Overdrive! Which is… certainly a season of Power Rangers they have watched. Sid and Ashley did not have a whole lot to talk about regarding the actual series this month, so it goes somewhat off the rails real quick with cyborg debates and just what era of Keanu Reeves Dax is trying to emulate. All they know is when the revolution comes, they have Spencer's back.
Galwit Mysto Rangersplain! Sid and Ashley are back to Power Rangers this month with Mystic Force! Joined by special guest Kihp from the podcast Kamen Ride With Me, the three take a look at the Power Rangers take on low fantasy and sorcery. Discussions include whether Chip joined a vampire hunting MLM, the extreme mid-2000s vibes of V's fashion, and being surprised at how hot some of these returning suit actors are. It's certainly one for the Xenotome.
Holy Whelp, Rangersplain! This month, Sid and Ashley take a look at Los Luchadores, the short lived Fox Kids show that was the final live action production from Saban Entertainment prior to the Disney years. This show was nearly lost to time and has been mislabeled online for years, but is it any good? Well, it involves luchadors and the main villain is a cyborg chihuahua. There's no way it can be bad.
In a special mini-episode of Rangersplain, Ashley sits down with writer Frank Gogol to talk about his history with Power Rangers, the Phantom Ranger, and his new book with Boom Studios, Power Rangers Unlimited: Edge of Darkness! Spoilers abound for the issue, but you don't want to miss this one.
It's a return to the comics this month when Ashley and Sid cover the first Power Rangers graphic novel Soul of the Dragon! Which... is very Tommy centric. It's all about getting older, daddy issues, and learning to live with regrets in this episode. Also some gushing about the art of Nick Robles and wondering just what a certain SPD character got up to after all was said and done.Warning: Spoilers for Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean from 12:50 to 14:30
HOT DAMN! It's time for Rangersplain to take a look at SPD! This was one of Sid's favorite seasons in the past, but does it hold up for them now? Does Ashley have a thing for Kat? Will the two ever stop complaining about Sky? And will Boom achieve the Full Bullpen? Wait, wrong show...
There’s a light in the distance... Oh, it’s just Rangersplain. Ashley and Sid continue their trip into the Disney years this month with the second ever Dinosaur season, Dino Thunder! It’s a season that has everything: weirdly horny villains, expert paleontologist Dr. Tommy Oliver and his evil exes, choice 2000s Hot Topic fashion, future perpetual World Cup loser Conner McKnight, and bootleg Yu-Gi-Oh?! No wonder Ashley and Sid couldn’t stop talking about it
The call is on! Ashley and Sid finally get to the Disney era with Ninja Storm! Joined by special guest Joe Hunter (Beast Heart Strikers!), the three take a look back at the season that involved extreme sports, campy alien ninjas, a team of absolute himbos sharing a singular brain cell, the audacity of early 2000s fashion, and the concept of the ninja afterlife. Ninja storm, let’s go!(Trigger Warning for a brief discussion about suicide and domestic violence when discussing Pua Magasiva from 16:45 to 19:30.)
It’s April Fool’s Day again and it’s time for Rangersplain... after dark. Sid and Ashley take a look at Mighty Muffin Pounder Rangers, the 2016 porn parody produced by Wood Rocket. This episode is definitely not safe for work, so bring protection.
Rangersplain has tissues for Ryan Steele’s daddy issues! To close out the Saban era, Ashley and Jules take a look at their first attempt at a Power Rangers dupe with VR Troopers. Which honestly kind of melted their brains between the creepy dog, the annoying rich incel, the cartoonishly evil billionaire, the extremely apathetic mentor, and the super powered polycule keeping Cross World City together. Trooper transform!
Ashley and Jules have finally reached the end of the Saban era, so it’s time to look back on it! They go over the origins of the series and Haim Saban, the impact of Margaret Loesch on the franchise, their favorites and least favorites for the era, and answer some fan questions! It’s big, it’s gay, it’s Rangersplain!
Ashley and Jules start the new year of Rangersplain with a return to the comics with Sins of the Future! What they think
Ho Ho Ho and Ai-yi-yi! In a very special episode of Rangersplain, Ashley and Jules try to have a nice and quiet Christmas, but someone decides that they need holiday cheer in the form of a party and a copy of Alpha’s Magical Christmas! The two struggle to comprehend just what is even happening with this non-canonical VHS tape, but thankfully, they have some guests to help and/or hinder along the way. (Guest starring Kate Nyx, Ophidian the Cobra, Bradley Prescott IV, George of George’s Ranger Reviews, Kihp from Kamen Ride With Me, and other surprise guests!)
It's time to reject tradition and kill Animus! This month, Jules and Ashley reach the end of the Saban era with Wild Force! They discuss the wild tonal shifts, how Alyssa and Taylor do all the work on the team, Merrick's truly heinous hair, and just what kind of hippie Shayla is.
Well, would you look at the time? It’s time for Rangersplain to take a look at Time Force! This month, Jules and Ashley take a look at the fan-favorite season that involves time travel, himbos, genetic engineering, Jules’ worst son, and probable time paradoxes. Oh, and one instance of Steiner Math that made Ashley nearly quit the podcast again.
Well, would you look at the time? It’s time for Rangersplain to take a look at Time Force! This month, Jules and Ashley take a look at the fan-favorite season that involves time travel, himbos, genetic engineering, Jules’ worst son, and probable time paradoxes. Oh, and one instance of Steiner Math that made Ashley nearly quit the podcast again.
Ashley and Jules are back on the grid this month as they take a look at the series that inspired the podcast: Lightspeed Rescue! It’s all about the monster drama, literal cursed tattoos, ladder arms, and himbos this month!