Day of the Dumpster (Pilot Episode)

&nbsp =Synopsis=

=Script=

[A bowling alley. "Higher Ground" plays in the background.]

Zack (walking up to a girl sitting on the ledge dividing the lanes from the eating area): "Hey, looking hot." (kisses her on the cheek)

Girl (laughing): "Hi, Zack!"

TITLE: "Day of the Dumpster"

[Zack slaps hands with a guy walking by.]

Guy: "Hey, what's up, man!"

Zack: "The Zack man is here!"

Guy: "Good to see ya!"

Zack (slapping hands with everyone eating beside the ledge): "What's up! What's up! What's up!"

[At one of the lanes, Jason swirls a bowling ball around in a martial arts-like manner, preparing to bowl. Behind him, Billy is talking with Trini; both are sitting in the chairs in the score area.]

Zack (continuing to greet people): "Hey, what's happening! What's up! What's up!"

[Also preparing to bowl is Kimberly. In the background behind her are a group of punks.]

Zack (greeting the last girl): "Hey, Katie!"

Billy (to Trini): "...and then the sphere will have an angular decay of 3.1 to the minus ten with a drag coefficient of .9875."

Trini: "Oh, so in other words, if I spin the ball and aim for the pocket, I'm gonna get a strike!"

Billy: "Affirmative."

Zack (coming up behind Billy and Trini): "Yo, Trini, Billy, what's up?"

Trini: "Hey, Zack!"

Billy: "Hey, Zack!"

[As Jason pulls back the ball to bowl, Zack sneaks up behind him.]

Zack (grabbing Jason's butt, yelling): "Yo Jase!"

[Jason startles, and his ball goes into the gutter.]

Jason (amusedly): "Very funny. I had a perfect game going!" (leans in toward Zack)

Zack: "Oh man--"

[Jason playfully punches Zack in the stomach repeatedly.]

Zack: "Hey! Hey!"

[Jason and Zack grin and clutch each other's hand.]

Kimberly (in the next lane, looking impatient): "Excuse me! I'm trying to bowl a strike over here...?"

Zack (out of frame): "Say what? No, man! Hey!"

[Kim pulls back to bowl, but the ball flies off her hand toward the table behind her. It lands in a container of chili, splashing the chili all over one of the punks.]

Kim (looking at her finger, whining): "Ohh, I broke my nail!"

[Bulk, with frazzled hair, stands up but then slips in the chili and falls down.]

Kim (groaning at her finger): "Oww!"

[Punks move in on Kim. Bulk gets up.]

A punk (out of frame): "Yo, spazzo!"

Punk #2 (showing his jacket and shirt to Kim): "Hey, you're gonna pay for this! Big time."

Billy (standing up): "Excuse me... may I interrupt?"

Bulk (behind Billy, after belching): "Sit down, dork." (forces Billy back into chair)

Punk #2 (holding Kim's chin): "Yeah, well you can make it up to me tonight... at the movies."

Kim (shoving his hand away): "Sorry, but I don't date non-humans."

[Punk #2 leans in to kiss her. Kim shrieks.]

Kim (shoving him away): "Get out of my face!"

[A blonde punk girl gets up and approaches Kim.]

Punk #3 (in Zack's face): "What are you looking at?"

Zack (shoving him): "Man, back off!"

Trini (shoving punk #4): "Hey, leave her alone!"

Punk girl (shoving Kim): "Cut it out!"

[Punk #3 shoves Zack.]

Someone (out of frame): "Watch it!"

Zack: "Nah, I got this."

Punk #4 (holding Trini's face from either side): "You gonna make me, little girl?"

Trini: "Uh huh." (punches punk #4 in the face with incredible speed, then delivers several more quick blows to his stomach, finally flipping him onto the floor)

Jason (beside Zack): "Take 'em out, Zack."

Zack: "Yeah, man, check this." (begins dancing in front of Bulk and punk #5)

Jason (out of frame): "Yeah, do it, man!"

Bulk: "So you gonna dance or fight, sissy?"

Zack (flipping into handstand, kicking Bulk and punk #5 in the face with a quick spinning kick): "I'm gonna fight!"

Kim (trying to pull away from punk girl): "Let go of me, you meat head!"

[A punk swings at Trini, but she ducks and side-kicks him over the ball return. Billy watches, stunned.]

[Zack flips away from Bulk and punk #5.]

Jason (slapping hands with Zack): "My turn!"

[Jason pretends to throw a bowling ball at punk #5 but then instead delivers a spinning kick to his face, knocking him over. Bulk then tries to punch Jason, but Jason uses the bowling ball to block.]

Jason (to Bulk): "Watch the ball!"

[Jason tosses the ball to one side of Bulk. Bulk watches the ball, and Jason begins delivering a series of powerful spinning kicks to Bulk's face.]

Zack (watching from nearby): "That's funky!"

[Jason finishes by kicking Bulk in the butt, sending him sliding down the bowling lane, screaming all the way.]

Jason: "See ya!"

[Bulk crashes face-first into the pins.]

Billy (gesturing): "Strike!"

[Trini kicks a punk in the face and then the stomach, knocking him over.]

Billy (gesturing): "Strike two!"

[Punk girl shoves Kim. Kim shoves her back. Punk girl rushes toward Kim, but Kim does a backwards handspring, kicking the girl in the process. The girl keeps coming, so Kim flips over the girl.]

Billy (gesturing): "Safe!"

[Trini kicks a punk back against a big-screen TV.]

Billy: "Strike three! You're out!" (inadvertantly backfists a punk in the stomach, making punk double over)

[Billy brings his fingers to his mouth worriedly. Bowling alley crowd applauds.]

[As the punk against the TV slides down, a news broadcast cuts into the TV show. The news shows a shot of the Earth, with the text "Live" and "From the moon" over the shot.]

Anchorman (voice-over as the moon is shown): "We interrupt this program with a special report. We take you live to the moon, where astronauts are about to uncover what may be the first alien object ever found."

[Astronauts walk across the surface of the planetoid, with the Earth and moon in the sky, the space shuttle on the horizon.]

Astronaut #1: "Hey, do you smell something funny?"

Astronaut #2: "Nah, maybe it's your spacesuit."

Astronaut #1 (as red gleam of light is shown in the distance): "I think it's coming from there!"

Astronaut #2 (as they run toward it): "Yeah, now I smell it!"

Astronaut #1 (as they stand around the space dumpster): "Check it out! Looks like a big trash dumpster!"

Astronaut #2 (reaching for the ruby on the lid): "Wow, it's so big! Let's open 'er up!"

[Astronauts remove the lid, and streaks of light fly out.]

Astronaut #1: "Hey, what's that?"

Astronaut #2 (as they flee): "I'm not waiting to find out!"

Squatt (yelling into dumpster): "Hey, Rita, wake up! Come on, come on! We're free!"

[Rita emerges from dumpster, yawning.]

Squatt (reaching into sack): "Ugh, morning breath! Here's a mint!"

[Baboo smacks Squatt.]

Finster: "Oh, after 10,000 years, it's good to be free again."

Baboo (to Rita): "Let me help you, o powerful one. (helping Rita out of dumpster) Walk with me, talk with me...

Rita: "Ugh, you made me step in a puddle, you idiot. Out of my way, monkeyface!" (blasts dumpster with wand)

[Astronauts try to scramble away.]

Rita (to astronauts): "So you want help getting away, do you? I think I can arrange that. (blows the astronauts away with a powerful breath) To celebrate our freedom, I think we should pay the Earth a visit, and then destroy it!" (shoots an energy beam at the Earth)

[In the city, skyscrapers shift, then one lifts off into the sky. An earthquake shakes the bowling alley and the teens inside. Bulk and other punks are unconscious in the area between the lanes and the scoring table.]

Kim: "Great. Just what we needed - an earthquake."

Billy (as shaking continues): "No, that was no earthquake."

[The Command Center, shown from the outside, quakes as well.]

Alpha (from inside): "Oh my! Oh my! What is all this shaking?

[Inside, the Command Center is dark and spacious, with bright neon lights.]

Alpha: "It's the big one! I know it! I know it! We'll shake apart!"

Zoltar (appearing in tube): "Calm down, Alpha. It's Rita. She's escaped, and she's attacking the planet."

Alpha: "How can you be sure, Zoltar?"

Zoltar: "My sensor array picked up her evil vibrations."

Alpha: "We'll be destroyed! I know it!"

Zoltar: "Initiate plan B immediately."

Alpha: "Well, what is plan B?"

Zoltar: "Just push the button, Alpha."

Alpha: "But what will that do?"

Zoltar: "Teleport to us the most dangerous group of ruthless, underhanded, self-absorbed, and over-emotional humans in the area."

Alpha: "No, not teenagers!"

Zoltar: "Co-rect!"

Alpha: "I was afraid of that."

[In the bowling alley, the five teens are being shaken up by the continuing quake.]

Jason: "Everybody chill out!"

[Zack, Kim, Jason, Billy, and then Trini are successively teleported upward with stretch effects.]

[The teens fly through the mountains as Ranger-colored streaks. Everything but the teens' streaks is tinted red.]

Teens (voice-over): "Whoooaa!"

Kim (voice-over): "What's happening?"

Billy (voice-over): "We seem to be demolecularized!"

Zack (voice-over): "What's that?"

Billy (voice-over): "Nevermind - I don't understand it myself!"

[The streaks fly into the Command Center building through the main tube and then materialize inside with the help of two side neon cylinders.]

Alpha: "Greetings, dudes and dudettes."

Billy: "Wowww! A fully-sentient, multifunctional automaton!"

[Billy pushes a button on Alpha's chest, causing Alpha to turn around.]

Billy (amazed): "Whoooa!"

Zoltar: "Welcome, humans."

Trini: "Whoa!"

Jason: "Now who is that?"

Kim: "Like, WHAT is that?"

Alpha: "That is Zoltar, an interdimensional being caught in a time warp. My name is Alpha Five, his trusted assistant."

Zack: "Yeah, right! And I'm a Ninja Turtle!"

Billy (as Zoltar smiles and nods): "An inter-temporal, cross-dimensional super-being with outward verbal communication! How prodigious!"

Zack (to Trini): "What'd he say?"

Trini (looking up at Zoltar): "He said this guy's awesome!"

Kim: "Excuse me. Will somebody come back to Earth and pick me up, because I am really confused."

Zoltar: "It's quite simple, my dear. The planet is under attack, and I have brought you here to save it."

Zack (chuckling): "Yeah, right."

Zoltar: "Ah, an unbeliever. Behold!"

[A hologram appears on Zoltar's left, initially showing the building with Rita's palace on it descending to Earth.]

Billy (pointing up at hologram): "Look! A proton projection!"

Zoltar (as hologram shows Rita riding her flying bicycle): "This is Rita Repulsa, an alien bent on controlling the universe, and she's decided to begin with Earth."

[The hologram shows people fleeing a building as the ground shakes.]

Jason (voice-over as hologram shows Rita and Goldar flying through the city): "If she's so dangerous, why don't you fight her?"

[The hologram shows an elevated shot of Rita's palace in the city.]

Zoltar (voice-over, his voice sounding different): "Because long ago, she trapped me in a time warp."

[The hologram shows Rita on her bicycle causing huge explosions throughout the city. Rita then laughs, and the hologram vanishes.]

Trini: "I know it's scary, but what does all of this have to do with us?"

Zoltar: "You have been chosen to form an elite team to battle Rita. As teenagers, the future of the planet is yours, and you are now called upon to defend that future. Each of you will have access to extraordinary powers, drawn from the spirits of the ancient creatures you call 'dinosaurs.'"

Teens (loudly): "Dinosaurs?!"

Zoltar (as Jason's face distorts horribly and then morphs into a tyrannosaurus head): "Jason, you shall have the power of the tyrannosaurus - bold and mighty."

[Zack's head distorts and morphs into a mastodon head.]

Zoltar: "Zachary, the power of the mastodon - clever and brave."

[Kim's head and arm morph into a pterodactyl head and wing.]

Zoltar: "Kimberly, your power comes from the pterodactyl - cunning and quick."

[Billy's head turns and morphs into a triceratops head.]

Zoltar: "Billy, you draw from the triceratops - patient and smart."

[Trini thrusts her arm out excitedly, then it and her head morph into the head and paw of a sabertoothed tiger.]

Zoltar: "And Trini, your power comes from the sabertoothed tiger - fierce and agile."

[Trini morphs back into human form, smiling.]

Billy (holding Morpher): "Excuse me, uh, Zoltar...? What is the purpose of these extraterrestrial energy conductors?"

Zoltar (as the other teens pull their Morphers from their belts and examine them): "Ahh, those are your Transmorphers. When in danger, insert the Power Coin, raise it to the sky, and call the name of your dinosaur. A universe of power will be at your command. Together, the five of you will form an awesome fighting force known to one and all as the Power Rangers!"

Zack: "Yo, lemme get this straight. So, you zapped us here, so we could save the world...?"

Kim: "...by becoming giant slimy lizards...?"

Billy: "...and battling a malevolent sorceress named Rita...?"

Jason: "...who destroys cities..."

Trini (shouting incredulously): "...while riding a flying bike?!"

Alpha: "Yes!!"

Zack: "No. No way, I'm outta here. Uh, it's been real, but I gotta go. (walking away) Y'all coming?"

Kim (walking away): "See ya!"

[Kim pulls Jason away, who is quite reluctant to leave. Billy and Trini begin to leave, seemingly somewhat reluctant as well.]

Zack (out of frame, chuckling): "Wouldn't wanna be ya."

Alpha: "Wait! Wait! Uh, halt! Dudes...? (groans in exasperation as the teens walk away, then turns to Zoltar) That didn't go very well, did it?"

Zoltar: "Don't worry, Alpha. They'll come around."

Alpha: "Ay yi yi yi yi..."

[Outside, the teens chatter busily amongst themselves as they walk away from the Command Center.]

Jason (amidst the chattering): "We can do it. I mean, think about it. I'm saying we can do this! Come on! We can do this! Come on, listen to me, I think we can do this!"

[The teens walk through the mountains.]

Kim: "Great, we're out in the middle of nowhere!"

Billy: "Yeah!"

Jason: "We shouldn't have left. I mean, he chose us to save the world! I say we do it!"

Trini: "Do you really think we could?"

Zack: "Are you two crazy? Do you hear what you're saying?"

[Overhead view of the teens from Rita's telescope.]

Rita: "What? It can't be! Ugh! Teenagers? (to Goldar) Zoltar must be behind this! (chuckles, walking away) Gamma rays and burning gold..."

[Squatt wipes his mouth with his hand.]

Rita: "...let them fight my Putty Patrol! Take that!"

[Rita, now in a dark chamber, shoots an energy bolt from her wand, making an explosion in the desert near the teens.]

Zack: "Whoa, what happened?!"

[Kim screams.]

[Putties jump out from the rocks and stand in front of the teens.]

Jason: "Everybody stay together! (pointing at Putties) Zack, those two."

Zack: "Right. These two are mine."

[Zack dances up to the two Putties, each of them holding one of Kim's arms. He delivers a jump spinning crescent kick to one Putty's face, but its head merely jerks slightly.]

Zack (looking back at the others): "Uh oh."

Trini: "This is gonna hurt."

[Zack throws a punch at a Putty. It blocks and kicks him in the back, sending him flying past Trini and into Billy's arms. Both guys land in front two Putties who are standing near a rock wall with their arms crossed.]

[Trini side-kicks a Putty in the stomach, with absolutely no effect. Nearby, Kim tries to pull away from the two Putties, but they hurl her through the air, sending her crashing into Zack and Billy.]

[Trini enters into a flurry of blocks and punches with a Putty, her blows to its face quite ineffective. Finally the Putty turns her around and throws her into the growing pile of teens.]

[Jason confronts three Putties. He punches one in the stomach and kicks another in the face, both attacks ineffective.]

Jason: "Oh boy..."

[The Putties rush in. Jason begins kicking and punching Putty faces left and right, but he is finally side-kicked back toward the pile of his fellow teens.]

Kim (whining): "This day is too weird!"

Zack (as Jason lands on the others): "Well, it looks like we got 'em."

[Two Putties look at each other slowly.]

Kim (off-camera): "Yeah, right where they want us!"

Trini: "What are we gonna do now?"

Kim: "How about scream for help?"

[Zack and Billy look at each other, then all of the teens begin screaming.]

Teens: "HELLLLLLP!!"

[Jason grabs his Morpher from off the ground in front of him. The Putties merely stand around the teens without moving.]

Jason: "Wait! Use the Transmorphers! (begins to stand) Now!"

[The teens all stand.]

[There is a four-way split-screen of the Zyurangers' hands holding the opened and glowing Morphers.]

Kim (appearing in front of the Pink Ranger's morph in the upper left, holding her own Morpher out with her right arm): "Pterodactyl!" (her Morpher pops open)

Trini (appearing in front of the Yellow Ranger's morph in the lower right, also holding her Morpher out with her right arm): "Sabertoothed Tiger!" (her Morpher pops open)

Zack (appearing in front of Black Ranger's morph in the upper right, holding Morpher in right hand): "Mastodon!" (his Morpher pops open)

Billy (appearing in front of Blue Ranger's morph in the lower left, holding Morpher in right hand): "Triceratops!" (his Morpher pops open)

Jason (full-screen in front of Red Ranger's morph, holding Morpher in right hand): "Tyrannosaurus!" (his Morpher pops open)

[There is a brief shot of Jason holding out his Morpher in his civilian clothes, but wearing the Red Ranger helmet over his head.]

[Zoom-out from the five Rangers, wielding their Power Weapons.]

Rangers: "Power Rangers!"

[Two Putties look at each other as one scratches his head.]

Rangers (regrouping): "Power Rangers!"

Alpha (in the Command Center): "Zoltar, they've done it! They've made the metamorphosis!"

Zoltar: "Good. Teleport them to downtown Angel Grove City. Rita just sent down Fly Guy."

Alpha: "Right away, Zoltar!"

Billy (voice-over as the Rangers stretch upward): "We're teleporting again!"

[The Rangers again fly through the red mountains as streaks of energy.]

[Red Ranger compresses back into normal form, then the Rangers pose on the rooftop of a skyscraper.]

[Goldar lands and then summons the Putties, who charge the Rangers.]

[Jason dodges Putties' attacks, then backhands and kicks Putties in the face. Zack knocks a Putty down, picks up another and throws it over the edge of the building, then flips down after it. Billy, Kim, and Trini fight Putties in the same way as in the aired version of this episode.]

[After backflipping up to a higher level, Trini pulls out her Blade Blaster and transforms it into a laser pistol.]

Trini: "All right, dweebs, dance!" (fires on the Putties below)

Rita (in a different voice, with Goldar beside her on the balcony): "Ooh, I'll show you teenagers. Just see how it goes (throws wand) when Fly Guy grows!"

[The wand lands on Earth and causes King Sphinx to grow.]

Jason (alone, holding up Power Crystal): "I call on the power of the Tyrannosaurus!"

[Tyrannosaurus rises from the Earth. Jason leaps up onto his Zord's head.]

Jason: "All right, let's go, guys! (sinking into cockpit) Whoa! Cool!"

[The other four Rangers appear from an energy shimmer, running.]

Kim: "Hey, wait for us!"

Jason (voice-over as the others leap up): "Power Rangers, count off!"

Zack (in): "Zack here. This is kickin'!"

Billy (in): "This is Billy. I'm nominal."

Trini (in): "Trini here. This is great!"

Kim (in): "Hey, nice stereo!"

Jason (inserting Power Crystal into control panel): "Use your crystals to activate the Dino power, now!"

Others (splitscreen, inserting crystals): "Rock and roll!"

Jason: "Is this a great ride... (shifts crystal forward) or what?"

[The Zords are shown in a side group shot.]

Trini (voice-over as Sabertoothed Tiger transforms): "Trini in Saber-droid, comin' at ya!"

Billy (voice-over as Triceratops transforms): "Billy in the Tricera-droid. All systems go!"

[Tyrannosaurus links up with Sabertoothed Tiger and Triceratops.]

Zack (voice-over as Mastodon links up with Tyrannosaurus): "Yo, this is Zack. Me and my Masto-droid are right on target!"

[In the Megazord cockpit, the Rangers are jostled as the tank is formed.]

Jason: "Let's nail us a badguy!"

Others (gesturing affirmatively): "Morphin'!"

Billy (to Jason): "This leaves me quite ebullient!"

Kim: "I guess that means he likes it!"

[Rangers look forward suddenly.]

Zack: "Uh oh!"

[Goldar, giant and beside King Sphinx, shoots energy from his sword at the Megazord tank.]

Zack (voice-over): "Looks like ugly man brought a friend!"

Rangers (shaken up in the cockpit): "Whoa!"

Zack: "Hit it with the Dino power!"

[The tank fires energy bolts from all five sets of dinosaur eyes, striking King Sphinx and Goldar. The tank then comes to a stop.]

Trini (voice-over as Jason's cockpit symbols light up): "What do we do now?"

Jason (voice-over): "I'm activating the MEGA Dino-Droid!"

Robot voice (as the tank transforms): "Mega Dino-Droid transformation initiated."

[The Megazord stands up and the Pterodactyl attaches to its chest.]

Robot voice (as the Megazord's head transforms): "Mega Dino-Droid, activated!"

[King Sphinx rushes in. The Megazord blasts him with its cranial laser. The Megazord then brandishes its sword.]

King Sphinx: "Uh oh."

Rita (watching through telescope): "Uh oh."

Rangers (making chopping gesture): "Hai-yah!"

[The Megazord charges up its sword.]

Jason (voice-over): "Hey, ugly, how about some Mega Dino power?"

[King Sphinx growls. The Megazord slices through him.]

King Sphinx (recoiling): "Ow, that hurt!" (groans, falls over, and explodes)

[Rangers cheer and whoop in the cockpit.]

Rita: "Oh no! (clutching head, groaning) I've got such a... a headache!"

[The Megazord stands victorious.]

[Back at the Command Center, the teens chatter about their fight.]

Billy (excitedly, to Zoltar): "And then the energy surge reversed the polarity of our charged protons, and we countered our neutral direction and landed like this!"

[Billy jumps into a split, making an extremely sickening and prolonged crunching sound.]

Billy (crying out in pain): "Ohh!!"

[The others bend down to help him up.]

Alpha: "Uhh, is that an owie?"

Billy (groaning): "I believe I pulled my medial versalis tendon."

Zack: "Whoo, I heard that!"

[Zoltar chuckles.]

Kim (giggling): "Owie."

Jason (to Zoltar): "We've been talking it over, Zoltar. Some of us aren't sure we're all up to this."

Zack: "Yeah, Zoltar. I mean, we were pretty lucky this time."

Zoltar: "Luck had nothing to do with it. You five have come together to make as fine as group of superheroes as there has ever been."

Kim: "No way. ...Really?"

Zoltar: "Each of you brings something unique to this team."

[Flashback of Jason delivering a series of spinning kicks to Bulk's face.]

Zoltar (voice-over): "Jason brings leadership and courage."

[Flashback of Kim about to bowl.]

Zoltar (voice-over): "Kimberly, beauty and grace."

[Flashback of Zack dancing up to the Putties.]

Zoltar (voice-over): "Zachary, a love for life."

[Flashback of Billy explaining the physics of bowling to Trini.]

Zoltar (voice-over): "Billy, a knowledge of the ages."

[Flashback of Trini rapidly assaulting one of the punks.]

Zoltar (voice-over): "And Trini, lightning hands and a peaceful soul."

Zoltar: "You've been through an extraordinary experience. You need each other now, and the world needs you."

Jason: "Yeah, all right! I'm in!"

Zack: "Me too."

Trini: "You can count on me."

Billy: "Affirmative."

Kim (smiling): "I don't know, guys. I really have some serious shopping to do. I mean, even though the outfits are cool and everything, my hair gets all tangled up inside the helmet. I don't think I can do it."

Alpha: "Kimberly, say it's not so!"

[Kim pauses.]

Kim: "Psych!"

[The teens and Alpha chuckle. Zoltar rolls his eyes painfully.]

Teens (jumping into the air together): "Power Rangers!"

[MMPR logo.]

=Trivia=

Danny, Sawyer, Dave Felis, Renamon, Gaomon, the ETO Rangers, Princess Aura, Kirinda, Nyanma, and the Time Shifter Get-Along guest stared in this episode. Later, more time shifters show up in future episodes.