13-01: Beginnings pt. I

This is the main page for episode 13-01; credits, a synopsis, and a full episode transcription are below. Transcript by kikos.

Production Credits
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER - Greg Aronowitz
TELEPLAY BY - Bruce Kalish
DIRECTED BY - Greg Aronowitz

Episode-Specific Cast Credits
Cadet #1 - Andy Wong
Alien - Takaharu Miyazaki
Voice Over - Craig Parker
Voice of Bluehead - Derek Judge
Voice of Alien - Andrew Robertt
(Uncredited) Voice of A-Squad Ranger - Gina Varela

The commander of S.P.D., Doggie Cruger, promotes the status of three of his best cadets in preparation for the assault of an evil alien Emperor. Meanwhile, two thieves are causing problems in the city, and the three cadets are sent to track them down for reasons unknown.

• Episode opens with a shot of an alien ship orbiting a yellow planet.

Gruumm: We have taken all that we can from Erlandia. The life forms have fled and the planet is useless to me. Destroy it!

• Planet is destroyed. A frightening pair of fiendish red eyes watches with glee.

Gruumm: Bwahaha!!!!!!

• Scene change to a view of a booming metropolis: Newtech City, California. Sliding comic book panels show humans and various aliens interacting with one another.

Narrator: In the not too distant future, Earth has become a haven for all alien races, who come from the farthest reaches of the galaxy to live in peace. 99% of the newcomers live in harmony. But for the 1% who can’t, there is Space Patrol Delta, the new breed of police, to bring them in.

• A new scene shows a warehouse in the heart of the city. A wall explodes from laser fire, and a monster falls through it and runs away. There, three S.P.D. officers, Sydney Drew, Sky Tate and Bridge Carson scan the area intently.

Bridge: You can hide, monster… well, actually, you can’t really hide.

• Bridge removes one of the leather gloves he is wearing, revealing his psychic powers. He scans the room for the monster.

Bridge: Perp at two o’clock!

• Syd turns to face the wrong direction.

Bridge: *without looking* That’s nine o’clock, Syd.

• Syd adjusts herself.

Syd: Got it.

• Syd reaches into her belt to grab a piece of iron.

Syd: Fist of Iron!

• Syd karate-chops a box nearby, revealing the monster. The monster charges at Sky, who tosses up a forcefield, knocking it backward.

Sky: Go!

• The three charge through the monster's repeated laser blasts, their own weapons at the ready, and fight until they shoot him down.

Sky: Sky Tate reporting in. Mission complete. Please advise.

• Kat Manx then walks through the door of the warehouse to speak with the trio.

Kat: Well done, Cadets. Your training progresses nicely.

Bridge: Ah… Kat. Ah… I, I, I mean… ah… Ma’am. I mean, ah… Miss Manx, we were all wondering… We know there’s A-Squad Power Rangers and we're B-Squad cadets— not that there’s anything wrong with being a B-Squad cadet, or a C-Squad or a D-Squad-

Syd: Let me translate. I speak fluent Bridge. He wants to know when we’re getting those great designer colored suits.

Sky: Kat, I’ve told them. It's not about the suits or the weapons. It's about helping people and upholding the tradition of being a Power Ranger.

Kat: That’s up to Commander Cruger. Not me.

• Kat pushes a button on her data pad and the warehouse setting fades away into a all white room, revealing that it was a mere simulation.

Kat: Dismissed.

• The three cadets salute and leave in silence. Suddenly, the monster from before appears behind Kat. She whirls and pushes a button on some gadget to morph the monster into…

Boom: Ahhhh! *panting* Best cadets ever, Kat.

Kat: Agreed. And you, Boom, my eager assistant, job well done.

• Scene change to the Command Center.

Random Officer: Commander Cruger, Sir! We have a problem in the-

Cruger: 9th quadrant. I am aware. Erlandia has been destroyed. There’s not a lot of time and much to be done. He is coming.

• Scene change to a ship moving through space. Gruumm spins in his throne to look into the camera.

Gruumm: Beware, Earth, your end has begun.

• Scene change to S.P.D. headquarters, Cadet Rec Room. Boom enters with his right arm in a cast, holding a tray with multi-colored Jello on top of it in his left hand.

Syd: Boom! Did we do that?

Boom: Naw. You guys just dislocated my shoulder. Popped it right back in and it's as good as gold. See! Aargh! *Boom winces* Anyway, this is Kat’s new arm cast laser. Cool, huh? *Bridge gets up to examine it with interest* Anyway, I gotta go, so… bye—ah!

• Boom pulls his arm, causing him to drop his tray. When Bridge tries to help him pick it up, he unintentionally fires the laser at a wall. He, Bridge and Syd watch, Syd with her hands over her mouth, as whatever Boom blasted smokes.

Sky: *entering the room, looking sour* Boom! Clean up your mess!

Boom: *jumps* Yes sir! Sir… which mess?

Sky: Start with the last one you made and work backwards.

Boom: Yes sir!

• Boom exits, looking afraid.

Syd: Lighten up, Sky. Boom’s a great guy. A little weird, but a great guy.

Sky: Yeah, well someday our lives may depend on that great guy. *he leans over and moves a piece on a nearby chess board* And then what?

Bridge: *raising his hand* I know! I know. Then our lives will depend on him.

Sky: *icy* Commander Cruger wants to see us. Now.

• Scene cut to the Command Center. Cruger is addressing five people in Ranger suits, holding big guns.

Cruger: Listen carefully, A-Squad. Preparation is the key to any tactical defense. Report to Delta Air Base for last minute simulation instruction. Earth depends on you. Dismissed.

Unknown A-Squad Ranger: Yes Sir!

Cruger: Good Luck, A-Squad.

• A-Squad ‘hut hut’s into the hallway where they pass Sky, Bridge and Syd.

Sky: *to Syd and Bridge* Attention!

• They stand at attention. The Pink A-Squad Ranger heedlessly slams into Bridge, knocking one of his gloves off part way. He takes it all the way off and scans A-Squad with his powers, revealing colors swirling around them, and looks troubled.

Sky: That is who I want to be. I’m gonna be the Red Ranger.

Syd: Geez. Did you see the size of them? Even the girls are massive. *pause* What’s wrong, Bridge?

Bridge: I don't know. Their energy, their colors. Something’s off.

• The trio enter the Command Center.

Cruger: Cadets, I trust you have enjoyed your training here at the S.P.D. Academy.

Syd: Well, since you asked, the fluorescent lighting gives me a bit of a headache—

Cruger: *growls*

Syd: *chastened* Yes, sir.

Cruger: And not that your training has ended– or will it ever end while you’re here. But as your Commander, I must now call upon B-Squad to step up and take on new responsibility.

Bridge: Yes!

• Bridge and Syd punch fists excitedly.

• Scene change, to the vibrant outdoor Parkington Market. Syd, Sky and Bridge observe the area.

Syd: I thought new responsibilities meant kicking some intergalactic freakazoid butt. All the data device says is to bring in the Parkington Market Thieves.

Bridge: It's code, no doubt. What do you think it means?

Sky: Bring in the Parkington Market Thieves.

Bridge: You know, Sky? You are good.

Unseen Storeowner: Stop thieves!

• The Parkington Market Thieves, who will soon be revealed Elizabeth ‘Z’ Delgado and Jack Landors, barrel through the market with stolen goods, chased by the store owner.

Jack: Out of the way! We don’t want to hurt you!

Sky: Hurt us? That’s a good one.

Syd: *holding up a badge* S.P.D. We’ll take it from here.

Storeowner: Thank you.

Sky: You may not be coming in peacefully, but you’re coming in.

Z: What about me?

• A clone suddenly appears behind Syd. Syd kicks at it and her leg goes through the clone.

Syd: It’s a hologram. It's not real.

• Z Clone kicks Syd to the floor, and Jack lacks as the two run off.

Syd: Ok, she’s real. Let's get 'em!

• The five scatter, then Jack and Z split up while the three cadets do the same to fight them; Jack vs. Bridge and Sky, Z vs. Syd.

Syd: Got ya!

• Z manages to throw Syd off her, and the two fight one another, proving to be equally matched. Sky and Bridge tussle with Jack for a while, and he is able to hold both off, though with some difficulty. Z and Syd continue to fight, Z turning the tide in her favor by cloning herself. Frustrated, Syd pauses to catch her breath and scowls. Down below, Jack continues to evade Bridge and Sky's attempts to hold him off.

Bridge: *at Jack* There you are!

• Bridge charges and misses Jack, but he and Sky manage to corner him nonetheless and smile victoriously.

Sky: We got him. Say goodnight, friend.

• The boys charge… and Jack somehow sinks back into the cement wall, leaving Sky and Bridge to slam into it face first. Z tosses Syd down to the others' level and leaps down herself before she and Jack regroup. Sky, Bridge and Syd are all on the ground, moaning in pain.

Jack: I’m sorry we can’t stay and play, but we gotta run.

• Z and Jack run off. The others get up, readjusting their uniforms. Sky and Syd are not pleased, but Bridge doesn't look too bothered.

Bridge: That went well.

• Syd and Sky glare at him, and Bridge's face falls before we cut to commercial.

• Scene change: Command Center.

Cruger: You underestimated your opponent and were soundly defeated.

Syd: We are so not ready to be Rangers.

Sky: I’m ready.

Bridge: Oh, so it must have been Syd and I who let those two get away then.

Cruger: Listen to yourselves. There is no team here. This is the issue you will have to overcome before you can become a Power Ranger.

Syd: Oh… I get it. All we have to do is stop blaming, criticizing and judging each other?

Bridge: You forgot to mention failing to bring in suspects.

Syd: Right. Let's see, that puts us right on schedule to be Rangers around… never.

Cruger: You will meet those two again.

Sky: Sir. These civilians, they were different. They have special abilities like we do.

Cruger: Yes I know. Cadet Tate, come with me.

• He follows Cruger out while Bridge and Syd look on, concerned. Scene change to the streets to Newtech. Jack and Z hand out their stolen goods to homeless aliens and humans and then sit together on some boxes.

Z: Jack? We’ve been on the streets a long time together. I mean, you’re my best friend. You’re like my brother. And brotha, after five years of doing this, I say we change careers. I mean, I’m tired of playing Robin Hood.

• Z is interrupted by a green and yellow alien who comes up to Jack.

Jack: Oh, ah, I'm- I’m sorry, we don’t have anything else to give out. Maybe tomorrow… Wait. Wait.

• Jack gives the alien his jacket. She coos happily and walks off. Z stares at Jack.

Jack: What? She needed it… Maybe her husband did, or her child. …Ok! Ok! You’re right, we gotta do something else.

Z: Ok.

Jack: But after we do one more job.

Z: Jack! Do you really think some more food and some clothes are gonna make a difference? If we're gonna make a change then we're gonna have to be a part of something bigger!

Jack: Yeah, well when you find something bigger, let me know.

• Scene change, Sky and Cruger are walking through the hallways of S.P.D. Cruger stops, and the two face each other.

Cruger: Why Red Ranger, cadet?

Sky: Lots of reasons, sir. I’m top on B-Squad in test scores, weaponry and in fighting. As you know, sir, my father was the Red Ranger, and ever since I was a little kid, I’ve trained for the day I become like my dad. The next Red Ranger.

Cruger: Your father was the best of the best of Rangers. If you’re anything like him, we will all benefit by your service. Dismissed.

Sky: Thank you, sir.

Cruger: Cadet. If I was to appoint Syd as Red Ranger, would you follow her into battle?

Sky: (scoffing) Sir, she’s a girl.

Cruger: Or Bridge?

Sky: I like Bridge, but in all honesty, sir, he’s not a leader.

Cruger: I see. Thank you for your honesty, Cadet. That will be all.

Sky: Sir. *salutes and leaves*

Cruger: Hmmm…

• Scene change, outer space. Gruumm's ship stands in from warp of sorts, where a yellow grid prevents the ship from entering.

Gruumm: A Sirian space web. Anubis ‘Doggie’ Cruger is still alive! The web is strong. I need a proton accelerator to move my ship through it. I have a contact on the Earth planet who will be able to get me one. My ship may not be able to get through now, but a robot can.

• Gruumm speaks to a bluehead robot standing in front of him

Gruumm: Get me what I ask and let no one stop you!

Bluehead: Yes Master.

• Scene change to the greater Newtech outdoors. Jack and Z are loading racks of stolen clothes into a white moving truck.

Jack: I told you this would be a great score!

• Z passes by Jack with a rack of clothes.

Jack: Good work, Z.

• Z passes by Jack with a rack of clothes… again, in an amusing visual gag with the clone Zs.

Jack: Good work, Z.

• Z passes by Jack… you get it.

Jack: Good work, Z! You know, Z, if we put all of your selves together, we could get unlimited amounts of food and clothes and—

Z: No, Jack! This is my last job for me and all of my selves, and then we’re packing it up and doing it alone, you got it?

Green Alien (offscreen): HELP ME!

• A green alien carrying a large metal bomb looking thing runs up to Jack and Z, handing it to Jack.

Green Alien: Take this! Don’t let them have it! The future of the planet depends on it! Hide it!

• The alien runs away screaming.

Z: *laughing* Why do the nuts of the world always seem to find you?

• The Bluehead Robot seen earlier runs behind Jack and Z as they get into their truck, leaping away in the direction the green alien ran off in. Neither Jack or Z notice, though Jack seems to sense that something has passed by, as he pauses.

Jack: Just lucky, I guess.

• The two drive away in the white truck. A bright white flash of lighting in the alley signals the destruction of the green alien behind them, and we cut to commercial.

• We open on the Command Center. Sky paces while Syd and Bridge play a game of ‘Rock Paper Scissors’; Bridge wins, as he chooses paper while Syd picks rock.

Bridge: Yes! Fifty-five times in a row! *Bridge makes fake crowd cheers*

Syd: Ok, enough! I’m officially bored to tears. We get called to report an hour ago— report to who?

Bridge: ‘Whom’.

Syd: Never correct me again! *at Bridge’s shocked look* I’m sorry. I’m just a little tense watching walk-a-thon boy wear a path in the floor.

Sky: If you have a problem with it, Sydney, make me stop.

Syd: Ok. I may be a girl and I may be cute, but no one—

• Syd jumps at Sky, with Bridge attempting to intercept. Commander Cruger walks in on the three wrestling like children.

Cruger: I trust you’re using this time to bond as a team.

Sky, Bridge, Syd: *straighten up* Yes, sir.

Cruger: Good. Come this way.

• Scene cut, Kat’s lab. Kat and Boom are tinkering. The trio stand at attention in a line.

Cruger: Without going into details, Earth’s ultimate survival dictates that I elevate your team to active status. Any questions?

Bridge: Um yeah, ah, just one? Did you say, ‘ultimate survival’ as in ‘Earth may be destroyed’?

Cruger: I did.

Kat: Cadets. You have spent the last two years in simulated training. But this time, the game is real.

• Boom carries a tray of morphers to her. She picks one up, and Boom then allows each Ranger in turn to pick one up from the tray as Kat speaks.

Kat: S.P.D. Morphers. They are, without a doubt, your best friend. They’re also judgment scanners. They will assess the guilt or innocence of those you take into custody. Boom… guilty or innocent of eating the last slice of chocolate cake today?

• Kat uses the judgment scanner on Boom

Boom: Me? I… I… ah… *laughs nervously* no! No, I didn’t!

Kat: The scanner reads body temperature, pulse and electrical impulses and renders a verdict. Guilty.

Boom: But—

Kat: And it does not make mistakes.

Boom: Ok. I’m guilty! But it was just a piece of cake!

• Kat zaps Boom into a confinement card. The Rangers look on, shocked, as Kat picks him up.

Boom: *from in card* Ok, time to let Boom out now!

Kat: This makes transportation of the detainee a non-issue.

Boom: Kat!

Cruger: You are trained and now equipped. You are the new B-Squad Power Rangers. Congratulations.

Bridge: Yes!

Cruger: Celebration can come later. I need your immediate assistance on an urgent matter.

Sky, Bridge, Syd: Yes, sir!

Cruger: Follow me.

Boom: *still in card* Hello? Kat? Helllloooo! I will never eat chocolate cake again!!

• Scene cut: S.P.D. transportation bay. Sky jumps on an S.P.D. patrol motorcycle and Bridge and Syd hop into a Jeep, Bridge driving.

Cruger (offscreen): The coordinates of the street thieves' location is locked into your vehicles' computers.

• The trio head off in search of Jack and Z. Scene change, Newtech streets. Z and Jack are giving away stolen goods again.

Homeless Alien: Thank you.

Jack: Well, this is all that’s left. *holds up the mysterous metal bomb thing* You can’t eat it or wear it, it has no value.

• Jack tosses the metal object into the trash.

Jack: Hah! *to Z* Now did you see how much those people appreciated what we gave them?

Z: Yeah, kind of gave me that warm and fuzzy feeling, that I hate so much. And no, I didn’t change my mind about wanting to do something bigger.

• Sky, Bridge and Syd pull up, sirens blaring, and get out of their vehicles.

Sky: Nice to see you two again.

Z: I told you we should have quit while we were ahead, Jack.

Jack: Don’t worry, I’ll take care of this and we’ll be on our way.

• Jack charges at Sky only to be deflected by his forcefield and thrown backward.

Z: Jack!

Sky: Guess what? You’re not the only one with tricks.

Z: Jack, lets get out of here.

Jack: Can’t do that. We need to finish this here and now, or these clowns will be buggin' us forever.

• The five charge at each other. This time, Jack and Sky fight each other, while Syd and Bridge take on Z.

Bridge: Hey! *fighting Z* Listen, I think we should go about this in the smoothest and most respectful way possible, each valuing each others' humanity and dignity and—

• Z cuts Bridge off with a sidekick, which he ducks.

Bridge: Or not.

• Fighting continues until Z and Jack are brought back together.

Z: We’re not doing as well as before, Bro. Any suggestions?

Jack: Run?

• The two attempt to flee, but are cut off by the three Rangers. Sky takes out his morpher and holds it up.

Sky: You’re both accused of stealing and distributing stolen goods.

Jack: Can you prove it?

Bridge: Actually, yes we can.

• Sky uses the Judgment scanner, which finds them…

Bridge: Guilty.

Z: Any chance of going two out of three? …Didn’t think so.

• She and Jack look worriedly at each other into the commercial break.

• We cut back in on Jack and Z, still being confronted by the three Rangers.

Z: Wait!

Sky: What is it?

Z: What are you going to do with us?

Bridge: It's actually quite fascinating! We’re gonna blast you with anti-matter fusion, which reduces you to approximately *holds up his fingers, indicating a tiny size* this big and this thin. Simultaneously, you’re inserted into a confinement card, where you’re shipped off for filing… till… ah, your time is served.

Jack: You had to ask, Z.

Syd: You do the crime, you pay the time. I always wanted to say that.

Sky: Enough with the small talk.

• Suddenly a Bluehead robot appears in front of Jack and Z. He releases a squad of normal Krybots who surround the three SPD cadets.

Sky: That’s ok, a few extra friends won’t bother us.

Jack: I hate to break it to ya but these aren’t our friends! So with our deepest apologies, we’ll take this opportunity to be on our way. Good Luck! Hahaha, let's go, Z!

• Jack and Z run off, leaving Sky, Bridge and Syd to face the Krybots on their own. To be continued…

• Series continuity error: Kat judges Boom guilty of eating the last slice of chocolate cake. However, as we find out later on in the series, people can make food in synthesizers- so technically, Boom was innocent, as it's not possible to have the last slice when more can be made at will.
• Continuity error: When Sky, Syd and Bridge walk inside the “warehouse” during their mission, none of them are holding anything, but when Sky begins his advance, he suddenly has his blaster in his hands. A moment later, when he makes his shield, the blaster suddenly vanishes when he didn't have time to holster it.
• Continuity error: When iron-fist Syd punches the box during her, Sky and Bridge's simulated mission, it releases a cloud of debris and dirt; however, somehow none of it gets on her. (Note: This could be explained by saying that the simulator has no need to simulate dirty clothing, but everything else about it seems fairly realistic, too…)
• Continuity error: In the rec room, Sky instructs Boom to clean up and says “start with the last [mess] you made and work backwards”. Boom then promptly exits the room… leaving the mess he just made when he spilt his Jello (i.e. the last one he did) right there.
• Continuity error: When Sky, Syd and Bridge are standing in the hallway while A-Squad passes, the same blue alien passes by behind them twice.
• Continuity error: When Syd leaps at Sky, Cruger walks in on them and Bridge is suddenly standing between the two. He didn't have time to jump between them before Cruger came in.
• Continuity error: When the Ranger trio confronts Jack and Z for the second time, Sky hops off his bike and begins tugging his gloves off- but his attempt to remove the right one fails. Both gloves then disappear when he makes the shield to knock Jack back and are not seen again.
• Continuity error: The cardboard boxes disappear from the back of the moving van during the fight between the trio and Jack and Z.
• Factual error/oddity: If Jack and Z have been living on the streets for 5 years, how did either of them get a drivers' license or at least get good enough at driving to be able to operate the moving van? Moreover, how did they acquire the moving van in the first place- are we expected to believe they stole/“borrowed” it when they're very vehement about only taking food and clothing?
• Kat mentions that the new Rangers have been in simulated training for the past two years, meaning all three have been at the Academy for at least that long. Sky has been there even longer, in fact, as in Idol, he says that he and Dru started out at the Academy “years ago” and that Dru left three years before the series' start.
• Several times, Sky can clearly be seen wearing a silver bracelet on his right wrist. Its purpose will be explained in Idol- it was a gift from his best friend Dru.
• This episode contains one of two known instances in the series where Matt Austin (Bridge)'s wrist tattoo can be seen. Look carefully when he's telling Jack and Z what Confinement Mode on the morpher will do to them- it's barely visible on his left wrist.
• One of the signatures on Boom's cast is from “Greg”. This is quite possibly a reference to S.P.D. writer, director, and producer Greg Aronowitz, who directed this episode.
• Not actually a mistake: In this episode, the only A-Squad Ranger who speaks, assumedly the Red Ranger, quite clearly has a male voice- but as we discover in Resurrection, A-Squad Red is in fact a woman. It has been confirmed by executive producer Greg Aronowitz, however, that it was the actual actress' voice, but modified in post-production to sound like a male to keep it a surprise.
• Z's actress, Monica May, uses a short clip of Z's fight with Syd from this episode in her demo reel. It can be viewed here on YouTube.
• On the S.P.D. volume one DVD menu, this episode is erroneously titled ”The Beginnings pt. I”. Everywhere else, including on the episode's title card and even the DVD's insert and packaging itself, it is simply “Beginnings pt. I”.