Super Megaforce was supposed to be the greatest season of Power Rangers ever.
We find out why it wasn’t.
After the lukewarm response toPower Rangers Megaforce,Super Megaforcehad to hit it out of the park.
Badly.Megaforcehad botched the 20th anniversary.
Its episodes were filled not with development for its main cast but endless fights.
Super Megaforcewould be adaptingKaizoku Sentai Gokaiger, the thirty fifth anniversary forSuper Sentai.
Fans speculated how this footage could be adapted to honor the legacy ofPower Rangers.
Fans were hyped all the way to the M51 Galaxy.
Everything seemed so simple.
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Behind the scenes it was anything but.
The footage Bates referred to was one of great contention with fans when the series eventually aired.
InSuper Megaforce, the Rangers have the power to morph into any past Ranger team.
The problem was that occasionally the Rangers would morph into teams that hadnt ever been shown in America.
Creating those stories would prove difficult.
It finally came to a tipping point when Bates got a script on his desk he had never seen.
Episode three was written without me knowing it, he recalls.
Episode four the same thing.
You may wonder why I left.
Bates felt that if he wasnt able to do his job, he should gracefully leave the show.
Vrak had been the only villain to escape destruction at the end ofMegaforceand hadnt been seen since.
Now, Bates would have to wrap the character up in two episodes.
Two episodes that would use five episodes of footage fromGoseiger.
Five episodes that Bates had originally excised fromMegaforce.
Well inGoseiger, Vrak has a storyline where he puts in wedges to split the Earth.
I was like we gotta skip these five episodes.
Despite having to work with these episodes, Bates is very happy with how the two parter turned out.
To be able to come back with Robo Knight who I love and to give him that noble goodbye.
Bates pauses and then quickly adds, In my mind thats how he says goodbye.
I know its not something (writer) Seth Walther would have chosen to do, Bates says.
I just choose to think Robo Knight left the series in episode seventeen.
WhenSuper Megaforcewas finally broadcast the show did not live up to the hype.
Endless fight scenes with barely any investment in the characters were the norm.
While theSuper MegaforceRangers catchphrase was, Super Mega Rangers, thats a super mega win!
fans began to refer to the finale and the season as a whole as a super mega letdown.
Looking back on his strained involvement with the season, Bates is diplomatic.
Thankfully Bates time onPower Rangersdidnt have to go out on a low note.
He was amazed how different the series was handled compared to his time on the show.
Wheres all the footage?
Hes gonna build that set?
CGI of a cave and a caveman?
So I applaud that.
With my personal political beliefs, were approaching what may be an ugly time and an ugly world.
We need good guys sometimes to just be good guys.
Lets aspire to work hard with friends to do good things.
And thats what I think the show should be and it mainly is and thats why it works.
Thats what Mr. Saban wants.
Mr. Saban is on your side.
