On August 28, 1993, FOX premiered a new show geared towards children. It took Japanese superhero footage and added in American teenagers to teach children about pollution, bullying, and other important issues. That show was Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Nearly twenty five years later, the show is still on the air. The 'Mighty Morphin' might have been dropped after season three, but Power Rangers is still chugging along, now on Nickelodeon.

The key factor in how Power Rangers has lasted so long seems to be how it constantly reinvents itself. Following the first three seasons, the show decided to change the costumes and bad guys every season. It drew that inspiration, as well as much of the fighting footage, from the Super Sentai series that are popular in Japan. After the sixth season, Power Rangers in Space, the cast began switching out every season. There would still be some form of continuity, but it was like a total reboot each season. This allowed for a new bunch of children to be introduced to the show. It let each generation have their own form of the Power Rangers to grow up on.

But we’re here to talk about where the show began. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers started it all. The children who watched its original airing, myself included, are now in their 20s and 30s. Their tastes have changed. That never stops Hollywood from cashing in on nostalgia, though. A modern reboot of the initial season of the show has just been released, bringing back the original five Power Rangers: Jason, Zack, Billy, Kimberly, and Trini. It will team them up with their original allies: Zordon and Alpha 5. They will be pitted against their original foe: Rita Repulsa. The big difference is that it is made for a 2017 movie audience.

Like I said, nostalgia is the main reason that Power Rangers was made is being released in 2017. To understand the nostalgia, we’re going to go on a trip through early episodes of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. The conflict and the characters were just as important as the lessons and fighting. They were the two aspects that got children invested in the show, and keep their grown selves thinking fondly about it. Six episodes are going to be discussed. The first episode, because it sets up the overall conflict, and one episode that highlights each of the five Power Rangers. Where better to start than the beginning, though.