Rangers in Reverse

Rangers in Reverse is the thirty-third episode of season 3 of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. It is also the one hundred and forty-fifth episode of the show. It is the beginning of the eleven-episode Alien Ranger arc.

The episode marks the last time that all of the original MMPR costumes are used by the main team (the core Zyuranger costumes were first used since "Day of the Dumpster" and the Kiba Ranger costume was first used in "White Light").

The 23rd Zeo Serial Short aired before a later airing of the episode.

Synopsis
As the Power Rangers surprise Kat with a trip to the carnival for her birthday, Master Vile summons the Orb of Doom and uses its power to throw the Rangers and the rest of the world backwards in time.

Plot
The Power Rangers, minus Kat, meet in the Juice Bar to discuss plans for her upcoming birthday, while Rita Repulsa is boasting to Lord Zedd that Master Vile's newest plan will destroy them all for sure. The evil patriarch has summoned the Orb of Doom, which will freeze the Earth's rotation and reverse time so that the Rangers will be powerless children. Zedd has his doubts about this plan, especially since he had already tried a similar plan just last year, but Vile calls Zedd an amateur and has Rito Revolto place the Orb outside Angel Grove.

At the carnival, Lt. Stone is trying to enjoy a day off, but runs afoul of Bulk and Skull as they work the parking detail. Nearby, the Rangers take off Kat's blindfold to reveal that they have taken her to the carnival for a surprise birthday party. As they are all enjoying themselves, the Rangers are summoned to the Command Center and given urgent orders from Zordon to stop the Orb of Doom from activating.

The Rangers morph and meet with Rito. Goldar and a flock of Tenga Warriors arrive to defend the Orb, and half of the Tengas break off to attack the carnival. The Rangers are forced to separate. Tommy, Rocky, and Kat focus on the Orb while Adam, Aisha, and Billy use their Metallic Armor to defend the carnival from the Tengas. Unfortunately, the opposition is too strong to beat and Rito is able to plant the Orb. With the Orb in place, Master Vile summons its power and throws the Earth's rotation in reverse, which has the effect of reversing everybody's age in Angel Grove.

The Rangers themselves are turned into kids, along with Bulk and Skull and even Lt. Stone. Zedd, Rita, Goldar, and Rito soon arrive in the carnival to enlarge themselves and trash the city, and the child Rangers are unable to morph in defense. Truly, this is the darkest hour for the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and the Earth.

Cast

 * Jason David Frank as Tommy Oliver (Mighty Morphin White Ranger)
 * Michael R. Gotto as Young Tommy
 * Steve Cardenas as Rocky DeSantos (Mighty Morphin Red Ranger)
 * Michael O'Laskey II as Young Rocky
 * Karan Ashley as Aisha Campbell (Mighty Morphin Yellow Ranger)
 * Sicily Sewell as Young Aisha
 * Johnny Yong Bosch as Adam Park (Mighty Morphin Black Ranger)
 * Matthew Sakimoto as Young Adam
 * David Yost as Billy Cranston (Mighty Morphin Blue Ranger)
 * Justin Timsit as Young Billy
 * Catherine Sutherland as Katherine "Kat" Hillard (Mighty Morphin Pink Ranger)
 * Julia Jordan as Young Kat
 * Paul Schrier as Farkas "Bulk" Bulkmeier
 * Jason Narvy as Eugene "Skull" Skullovitch
 * Cody Slaton as Young Bulk
 * Ross J. Samya as Young Skull
 * Richard Genelle as Ernie
 * Gregg Bullock as Lt. Jerome Stone
 * ??? as Young Jerome Stone
 * David Fielding as Zordon (face)
 * Robert L. Manahan as Zordon (voice)
 * Donene Kistler as Alpha 5
 * Richard Steven Horvitz as Alpha 5 (voice)
 * Carla Perez as Rita Repulsa
 * Barbara Goodson as Rita Repulsa (voice)
 * Ed Neil as Lord Zedd
 * Robert Axelrod as Lord Zedd (voice) and Finster (voice)
 * Danny Wayne Stallcup as Goldar
 * Kerrigan Mahan as Goldar (voice)
 * Bob Papenbrook AS Rito Revolto (voice)
 * Michael J. Sorich as Squatt (voice)
 * Dave Mallow as Baboo (voice) (as Colin Phillips)
 * Tom Wyner as Master Vile (voice)

Errors

 * When the Rangers split up into two teams, no effort was made by Tommy, Kat and Rocky to use the Metallic Armor or use any kind of arsenal to get past the super strong Tengas and stop Rito from planting the Orb of Doom.
 * The Rangers also never consider summoning Ninjor for help.
 * The Rangers also never consider summoning their zords to help. While generally frowned upon against small villains, there have been instances where Zordon gave the go-ahead, such as where he suggested they use their zords to crush the Samurai Fan Man while it was still small, knowing of the monster's power.
 * Strangely, it appeared that everyone in Angel Grove were reduced to being children and not just those at the age of the Rangers (teenagers), the most obvious example being Lt. Stone who was roughly 10-15 years older than them. This hints at the veracity of the fan theory that the rock of time and the orb of doom were not actual time reversal devices but cast spells to cause people (and some objects) to regress to previous forms of themselves.

Song

 * Tenga Bye Bye