The year was 2001, when we had to say goodbye to one of the original Rangers, for the first time. A terrible car accident took the life of Thuy Trang. To the fans she was known as Trini Qwan the Yellow Ranger. Time Force was the current series and the show was doing well and when I think back on the last part of that year often, I think about how I also had a hard year, in 2001 myself. 9\11 also happened that year and that's a story everyone knows, but my story is about my dad and how he had a terrible accident and was in the hospital on Christmas. Fortunately my dad had good doctors. Life is full of ups and downs. However in the last story of Time Force, Wes the Red Ranger holds up the badge that his friends left him and he says "The Future looks pretty Bright." The future did indeed seem bright then and that finale was awesome. My dad came home and our family was restored. That was a very different time, and though things worked out for me, a lot of people weren't so lucky that year. Last Year was also very tragic, for that was the year we lost Jason David Frank. So Tommy Oliver is now in our hearts and prayers as well. Three other actors who have played Rangers are also gone. Pua Magasiva aka Shane Clarke from Ninja Storm, Preta Rutter aka Udonna from Mystic Force, and Bruce Alpress aka Master Phant the Green Ranger in Jungle Fury. Every one of these characters was a hero to someone. Ninja Storm, Mystic Force, and Jungle Fury were all incredible seasons. They each had some amazing stories. If Shane wasn't there, Ninja Storm would've been without a leader, Udonna was the guiding light for the Rangers of the Mystic Force team in addition to being the Ranger with the power of snow, and if Master Phant hadn't been there when Lily needed training, She never would've defeated the Pangolin monster. Master Phant joined the action more after RJ and his dad freed the Masters from Jared's trap, and they were there for the final fight of the season as well. The legacy of Jason David Frank is unique and truly memorable. His contributions to the show were legendary and he was really amazing in Dino Thunder. As a person, he lost a brother also known as Eric Frank who was in the Zeo series. He was known as David Truehart on the series and though he was only part of a few episodes and he never had powers, his story was well written and he helped his brother overcome some important challenges. In real life the loss was hard for JDF to face and it almost broke him but he came back. JDF was always loyal to his fans and he made lots of public appearences, even during the Pandemic of 2020. He stayed extra time to meet as many fans as possible. All of these incredible actors all had something special in them, they had the spark of power. When reading about Pua Magasiva, I learned how he saved a woman from a car before it crashed.You can read more about this in my article from 2019-The Loss of a Champion. Preta Rutter volunteered at a soup Kitchen before she passed, and Bruce Alpress was a father to five children. Thuy Trang was born as a slave and rescued by her mother, who pushed her to follow her dreams. They all faced challenges off screen as well. Pua Magasiva burned himself in his car after a pyshic breakdown. JDF hung himself in a hotel bathroom after a bad conversation with his ex-wife. Petra Rutter had a terrible disease, Parkinsons. And Bruce Alpress suffered a heart condition. Their memories will live on because this story is not done yet!
In just a few days, Cosmic Fury will be launching on Netflix. I will do some articles on this event later this year. This will be the 30th season of Power Rangers. David Yost will be back to play Billy again. Earlier this year we also got Once and Always. This special extended episode featured a brand new Yellow Ranger and four returning heroes and that event deserves its' own article as well. Meanwhile one month after this special aired, Hollywood experienced a strike. The Writer's guild of america went into strike over pay concerns and the sag Actor's guild has entered a strike as well. I'm proud to say one of these situations is almost over. The Writers have a new contract in the works and are hopeful for the end. However there are no plans for a 2024 season, and even the Release date of Enwhistle's project is still up in the air. I cannot promise you a bright future. I can't bring back the heroes we have lost. I can't make my own new season and transport it to the airwaves, but I can make you this promise- The Blog will be back, and next year, we're going to do things differently. There will be special news articles connected to important events. There will also be articles on the comics. Psycho Path is my favorite story and I would love to dedicate a special article to that. There will certainly be challenges but now more then ever, we need to come together and face our troubles head on. I got the chance to meet Catherine Sutherland the second Pink Ranger and she was so kind to me. This special event in Chicago was a catalyst, that sparked something in me again. When I was there, I also got my own Zeo Power coin. This coin will serve for me like Wes's badge as a symbol of hope for the future. I'm sorry to say I can't promise a fully bright one, I can't promise we won't have troubles, but I promise we will face our futures together. Cosmic Fury has an incredible team of heroes. Fern is destined to be the very first orange Ranger and Lesbian team member. We have Alien heroes and we have new zords. We have Billy back. Next year could still change but even if it doesn't I will be here every step of the way with my power coin by my side. I will make a new standard plan for the future. We will face this scary future together. We will stay the course. We will protect the power. In 2018 I started this project and it has been very eventful. I'm thankful for the good times and the hard ones. Over the past few years, I have come to learned that success is followed by challenges and sometimes we lose people but in their honor I will continue this project and I will face the future with determination. This too will be a day to remember, the day of my comeback. If you have felt lost in the darkness, if you have felt alone, if you have felt like you lost a hero, I am here for you. Together we will support each other. Max's Blog is here to stay and together we will push forward. The legacy has only begun. May our six fallen heroes rest in peace and may we all join together, for the challenges ahead. If you feel the spark of power in your heart then come here and join our crusade. Together we will be strong and we will keep the spirit of the Power Rangers alive. For Thuy Trang, for The Frank brothers, for Pua Magasiva, for Petra Rutter and for Bruce Alpress, and for every child that smiled be they boy or girl and cheered for the Power Rangers when they came on television. The legacy continues. May the Power protect us. Thank you. Join us again soon!
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