The Great Bookala Escape

The Great Bookala Escape is the 36th episode of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Season 2 as well the 96th episode as a whole series.

Synopsis
An unusual crash landing creates a mystery for our heroes. The Rangers decide to investigate the spacecraft further and they discover its amazing cargo. But, Lord Zedd prepares to lay claim to the craft.

Plot
Billy, Adam, and Aisha are playing Frisbee in the park, while Bulk and Skull are trying a new attempt on finding the identities of the Power Rangers by using a book on UFOs to determine that they are from outer space. Suddenly, what looks like a spacecraft comes flying through the park and crashes, and Bulk attempts to photograph it only to find that there's no film in his camera.

As Billy, Adam, and Aisha approach the spacecraft, they are fired upon by Serpentera. They manage to grab the spacecraft and wrap it in their blanket before teleporting away. Inside Serpentera, Lord Zedd yells at Goldar for missing the target and tells him not to say anything about needing to recharge his power-guzzling Zord again.

At the Command Center, Billy, Adam, and Aisha unveils the spaceship and its occupant to Tommy, Kimberly and Rocky. The occupant is introduced by Zordon as Bookala, a kindly alien who is being pursued across the galaxy by Lord Zedd. Bookala's ship is powered by a rare Lightning Diamond, an infinite source of energy that Zedd wants to install into Serpentera, thus ending its frequent power-failures and making it invincible.

Seeing as how an invincible Serpentera is a headache that neither the Rangers nor Earth needs, they come up with an idea to create a fake Bookala and Lightning Diamond to distract Zedd while the real Bookala and diamond escape back into space. Zordon approves of the plan, knowing Zedd's greed will be used to their advantage. Back in the park, Bulk and Skull replicate one of the crop circle signs (as seen in their book) in an attempt to attract both aliens and Power Rangers.

While repairing the spacecraft, the Rangers get to know Bookala, who comes from a planet that is also named Bookala. Though normally doll-sized, Bookala can grow to the height of a human when holding the Lightning Diamond. He is also very intelligent and tries to imitate others to learn their language. When Bookala uses a snow globe to show them that it snows on his planet, Billy mentions that there is no snow in Angel Grove.

The spacecraft is repaired just as Serpentera approaches Earth in Zedd's second attempt to get the Lightning Diamond. To prevent them from helping Bookala escape, Zedd creates Weldo from Billy's welding machine to stop them. While trying to escape in the park with "Bookala" and his ship, the Rangers morph to fight off Weldo. When Weldo hits Bookala, Billy destroys him with his Blade Blaster in outrage.

Zedd then orders Goldar to go down to Earth and get the Lightning Diamond. Arriving with Z-Putties, Goldar defeats the Rangers and takes the diamond, unaware that Bookala and the real diamond are still in the Command Center. Back in Serpentera, Zedd inserts the diamond into the Zord's power systems, anticipating victory now that the Rangers and Earth will be unable to stop Serpentera at its full strength.

While the Rangers are saying their farewell to Bookala, Zordon warns them that Zedd is coming closer to Earth. Before leaving, Bookala shows his appreciation by summoning snow in Angel Grove as a gift for the Rangers. After returning to his doll form, he and his ship leave for his home. In flying away, Bulk and Skull presumably succeed in taking pictures of the spacecraft.

Inching closer to Earth and feeling assured of his victory, Zedd's mood suddenly sours when Serpentera suffers another power-failure. He realizes too late that the Lightning Diamond he has is a fake and orders Goldar to blast Bookala's spacecraft, which only wastes even more of Serpentera's power as it escapes unharmed. Furious over his lost chance to steal the diamond, Zedd turns the fake Bookala into an evil version of the original and tosses him a growth grenade. Not fooled by the fake, the Rangers call for their Thunderzords and forms the Thunder Megazord, which destroys the monster.

At the Youth Center, Kimberly receives a postcard from Jason, Zack, and Trini from their time at the World Peace Conference in Switzerland. She reads aloud to the others as Bulk and Skull show up with developed pictures which they believe are of the Power Rangers. However, the photos turn out to be that of Bulk and Skull covered in paint, earning them laughter from everybody.

Cast

 * Jason David Frank as Tommy Oliver (Mighty Morphin White Ranger)
 * Steve Cardenas as Rocky DeSantos (Mighty Morphin Red Ranger)
 * Karan Ashley as Aisha Campbell (Mighty Morphin Yellow Ranger)
 * Johnny Yong Bosch as Adam Park (Mighty Morphin Black Ranger)
 * David Yost as Billy Cranston (Mighty Morphin Blue Ranger)
 * Amy Jo Johnson as Kimberly Ann Hart (Mighty Morphin Pink Ranger)
 * Paul Schrier as Farkas "Bulk" Bulkmeier
 * Jason Narvy as Eugene "Skull" Skullovitch
 * David Fielding as Zordon (face)
 * Robert L. Manahan as Zordon (voice)
 * Sandi Sellner as Alpha 5
 * Richard Steven Horvitz as Alpha 5 (voice)
 * Ed Neil as Lord Zedd
 * Robert Axelrod as Lord Zedd (voice)
 * Danny Wayne Stallcup as Goldar
 * Kerrigan Mahan as Goldar (voice)
 * Eddie Frierson as Weldo (voice)
 * ??? as Bookala (voice)
 * Dave Mallow as Evil Bookala (voice)

Errors

 * Adam, Billy and Aisha morph's sequence plays slightly out of order, with Billy morphing before Adam.
 * After Aisha morphed, a frame from Rocky's morph sequence could briefly be seen.
 * While in the workshop, Aisha is wearing a Hawaiian lei for no apparent reason.
 * When Billy blasts at the Weldo monster with his blade blaster, the words "Zyuranger" can be clearly seen on his blade blaster.
 * Despite being with the others when the Evil Bookala grew, Tommy didn't summon the White Tigerzord.

Locations

 * Angel Grove Park
 * Youth Center
 * Command Center
 * Workshop
 * Rock Quarry

Song

 * I Will Win