Welcome to Chapter four. Chronologically this was the first official Power Rangers love pairing, though never as popular as Tommy and Kimberly, Zack and Angela's saga did start before "Green With Evil"; Specifically beginning in the episode "Fowl Play in the Sky." Despite the fact that this pair never hit high popularity and Renee Griggs who played Angela never returned after Season one; I still love this pairing! Growing up watching different shows I've seen many a series where the "popular girl" is completely heartless and arrogant and goes out of her way to make everyone miserable. Angela is the exact opposite. Sure she was closed off at first, but she developed over time. She showed that she did have a heart. As I talked about before with Zack; he is a realist on the battlefield. However at the youth center, he constantly shows off his imagination. What I'm getting at is he feels at home here, so he has more confidence then he does when fighting monsters. Though many are drawn to his creative spirit, Angela was initially immune. However the more she spurned him, the more determined he became. I like the challenge presented here and how Zack had to learn the importance of being true to himself and they both learned the joy brought by simple gifts. Zack's zord was the Mastodon, which was actually meant to be a patient creature. It is quite Ironic how long it really took him to learn patience. There are also references to the original theme of Superman and Lois Lane; particularly in "Doomsday Part 1" where Angela told Zack she might have "Said yes if you were a Power Ranger!"
At Power Morphicon 2018 I asked Walter Jones about the Angela relationship and he hinted at not viewing it very fondly but was happy to hear how winning over the "Popular Girl" was part of why he was my hero. Of course we can't avoid talking about "Lions And Blizzards." So here I'll break it down; Jason leads the other Rangers in an outdoors games contest against a team led by Bulk including Angela, Zack flirts with her during the games, She shoves it off, Bulk's team falls in the mud during tug of War; Zack helps Angela up and she starts to reconsider her vision of him, Bulk and Skull steal the trophy but encounter Goldar who steals it from them, so Rita can turn it into a monster; Angela comes in to the Youth Center in a stunning red dress, She tells Zack, she is willing to give him another chance, They head out to the movies, The Liongoat monster attacks Angel Grove, He overwhelms the other four Rangers in battle, Zack gets contacted by Alpha, He tells Angela he is going to get popcorn, He teleports out to join the fight, uses the Power Axe to turn the fight around, The Rangers defeat the monster; Rita makes her monster grow and it's Megazord time; Zack finally returns only to find Angela really upset. He apologizes, saying "There was a long line" and then gets his popcorn dumped on his head. Not the Black Ranger's best day! Ha, Ha Ha! Zack was often the fall guy, but it's the fact that he always gets back up, that makes him an amazing character. Zack didn't lose hope, after that and I commend him for it. Then Angela starts to notice how well Zack does with kids and softens up towards him. They start to like hanging out together, she even cheers on his magic act. Then it's just down to the events of "Oyster Stew" which includes Zack wearing the Golden Power Shield. Rita sets Zack up by giving him the "Sliver pearls of Destruction" which he purchases from a street peddler that is actually a putty in disguise. He has a mishap filled double date including Tommy and Kimberly at a french Restaurant, Gives Angela the earrings and almost gets a kiss, only to get interrupted by the antics of Bulk and Skull, Then Tommy and Zack get covered in cake, and are washing up while the pearls activate, So they have to fight the monster by themselves. Their teamwork wins the fight, Angela discovers the earrings disintegrating and gets very upset, The Zords are used in a fantastic under water battle, and the world is saved. With help from Trini, and Bulk and Skull, Zack surprises Angela with flowers and a very sweet song earning a special kiss. A happy ending! Sure it's chessy at times, but this was one of Zack's greatest trials and I found it very energetic. So I still love Zack and Angela! I still love the message that if you try hard and are true to yourself you can turn your life around and maybe even get the girl! So I still stand by this pair! Well done Zack! This pairing remains canon to the first season. Summer of Romance will continue with more twists and turns very soon!
Very energetic review! Love that you found the message in this relationship of being true to oneself. How can a romance flourish if one person isn't being honest??
Go Zack, Black Ranger! How great that was the first PR romance. With COVID, we sure need this summer of love. Your writing is overflowing with LOVE in your SOR series. That is very heartwarming. The details are a bit overwhelming, but you clearly give the message of love in your writing! During our national celebration of Black Lives Matter, Zack and Angela matter too!