13-09: Idol

This is the main page for episode 13-09; credits, a synopsis, and a full episode transcription are below. Transcript by Shurimon.

Production Credits
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER - Greg Aronowitz
TELEPLAY BY - David Garber
DIRECTED BY - Charlie Haskell

Episode-Specific Cast Credits
Dru Harrington - Dwayne Cameron
Voice of Giganus - Dwayne Cameron
Voice of Bluehead - Derek Judge
Voice of Broodwing - Jim McLarty

Sky's best friend from years ago, Dru Harrington, suddenly appears at the Academy after being missing in action for a year. However, Sky refuses to acknowledge that he is acting suspicious, which leads to dangerous consequences.

• We open the episode to find the Rangers, all extremely bored, lounging around the Command Center. Jack is sitting at Commander Cruger's desk, yawning, his feet propped up as he reads a comic book. Syd hums as she files her nails. Sky is leaning against the center console, absorbed in a book. Z then walks in.

Z: (sarcastically) Whoa-ho-ho, this place is JUMPIN'.

Jack: Tell me about it. Cruger goes off for two days (mocking Doggie's voice) to an important galaxy meeting… (normal voice) leaving me in charge, and nothing.

• Bridge, who has been falling asleep at his console, suddenly leaps up as an alert beeps on it.

Bridge: Uh, Jack?

Jack: In a minute. No aliens vaporizing stuff… no giant robots stepping on buildings…

• Syd steps up to Bridge's console, gasps, and turns to Jack.

Syd: Jack!

Jack: In a minute! Not even somebody's pet… five-footed Rogarian sloth-eater getting stuck in a tree! Nothing!

• Sky also runs up to Bridge's console, gasps, and all three turn around.

Sky, Bridge, and Syd: JACK!

Jack: What?

Bridge: A UFO just entered our airspace and is on a crash course for the center of town.

Jack: (runs up to the console and sees the UFO falling) Next time, Bridge? Don't wait until the last minute to tell me!

Bridge: Ah…

Jack: Ready.

Others: Ready!

Rangers: S.P.D., Emergency! (they morph) Space Patrol Delta!

Kat (over intercom): Opening Zord bay tubes. (the Rangers all tube down to their Zords)

Syd: I'm in.

Sky: (places his morpher) Ignition mode! Let's roll!

• The Zords roll/fly out into the night. A readout shows on Syd's screen.

Syd: Only seconds til impact.

Bridge: There's no time to bring it down!

Jack: Oh, no!

• The camera cuts to behind the blue Delta Runner, and they watch as the UFO crashes and explodes in a ball of flame in the center of town.

Sky: Better use the Megazord.

Others: Let's do it!

• The Megazord is formed and cautiously approaches the fire, holding up its gun.

Bridge: Water cannon!

• He presses a button, and the Megazord holds its gun over the flames, dousing them with a massive stream of water.

Sky: I'm picking up signs of life.

• The Megazord uses the yellow Runner's lights to scan the wreckage, and the camera cuts down to showing someone crawling out from under a piece of a ship with the S.P.D. letters on it.

Z: The ship! It's S.P.D.!

Sky: I'll check it out.

• Sky leaps out of his Zord's cockpit, landing on the ground and running towards the scene of the crash. The pilot, apparently unhurt, waves at him.

Pilot: Boy, am I glad to see you guys. Sorry for causing all of this damage. I was chasing a criminal and lost control.

Syd: At least you're alright.

• The pilot takes off his helmet, revealing that he is a brown-haired male human, looking normal except for four bumps on his skin above each eyebrow. He shakes his head.

Pilot: Yeah. Just a little shaken.

Sky: … Dru? (the pilot looks up at him) Power down! (he demorphs)

Dru: …Sky.

• The two hug tightly, grabbing hands, then slapping their wrists together, and the camera zooms in to show that Dru is wearing a silver S.P.D. bracelet identical to the one that Sky has been seen wearing before.

• Scene change, back to the Delta Base. The Rangers and Dru are all walking into the rec room together. Strangely, Bridge pays little attention to them, and as Sky and Dru tell their story, he gives them a sour look and walks out of the frame. For the rest of this scene, he is in the background happily playing a video game and ignoring the others.

Sky: Dru and I started out at the Academy years ago. We were best friends!

Dru: Hey, more like brothers! Then about three years ago, I was assigned to the Nebula Academy to complete my training. So, is this guy still wild and wacky?

Z: (chuckling as Sky nervously adjusts his shirt) Wild and wacky? Those aren't exactly the first words that come to mind…

Sky: Don't listen to her. So what happened to you? Last I heard, you were missing in action over a year ago. I thought you were…

Dru: (grabs his shoulders) Well… I'm not.

Syd: Whatever happened, you look great.

Dru: Thanks. Though I do feel lucky to be alive. I was in pursuit of an intergalactic criminal named Zantour. His ship broke up while entering Earth's atmosphere and some debris brought me down.

Sky: Had to be something like that to bring this top gun down. I'm just glad you're alive.

• The two clink their bracelets together again and sit down on one of the couches.

Jack: What's up with the bracelets?

Dru: These? These are Tangarian Coils. On my home planet of Tangar, it's tradition to share a Coil with your closest friend, so you always feel that connection no matter where you are in the galaxy.

Jack: … they're bracelets. (The girls snicker)

Dru: Well, I guess you don't have a best friend.

Sky: (as he and Dru stand after an uncomfortable pause) Alright, I can see that this conversation is deteriorating. I'm going to show Dru to his room.

Jack: And I'm going to the range. I didn't get my shooting practice in because someone crashed their ship.

• Dru smirks a little as the scene changes to the shooting range at the academy. Jack is holding up a laser pistol as Sky and Dru look on. All three are wearing sunglasses. Sky activates the simulator, and three targets appear in the form of glowing, floating balls. Jack carefully aims and shoots down each of them, and the computer displays the word “Perfect!”. The three all take their sunglasses off, and Dru looks unimpressed while Sky smirks knowingly.

Dru: Nice.

Jack: “Nice”? I hit every target.

Dru: Yeah, but you took three shots.

Jack: …There are three targets.

Dru: Yeah, I know.

Sky: Dru, you ready?

Dru: Yeah. I mean, I haven't shot in a while, but let's give it a go. Can I use your blaster, Jack?

Jack: Yeah, yeah. Let me reload it, it only has one shot left.

Dru: That's all I need.

Jack: Suit yourself.

• Jack hands Dru the blaster, and the boys all put their sunglasses back on.

Dru: Ready.

• Sky activates the targets, and Dru quickly leaps into action, jumping to the side and demolishing all three with one blast. Disbelieving, Jack takes off his sunglasses and stares.

Jack: Amazing.

• Sky smirks again, pulling off his own sunglasses as the computer displays the word “Exceptional!!”.

Dru: Yeah. But it was a little slow.

Jack: Slow?

Sky: Dru was number one at the Academy. He holds all the records.

• Sky and Dru clink their bracelets. Dru pats Jack on the shoulder and hands him the blaster before the two walk out of the room.

Jack: … perfect.

• Scene change: Delta Command, obviously late at night since it's empty and the lights and computers are off. Jack is sitting in the dark at Cruger's desk, reading a document in a binder lying in his lap. He sees a strange shadow moving across the wall and turns his head; it's Dru.

Jack: WHOA! You scared me. … What are you doing here, anyway?

Dru: Couldn't sleep. Thought I'd wander down and see if Commander Cruger was around.

Jack: At 4 A.M.? … Whatever. Commander Cruger's away at a conference, he'll be back later on this morning.

Dru: I'll let you get back to work, then.

Jack: Dru. Sky mentioned you were missing in action. I'm curious- where were you?

Dru: Not much of a story, really. The truth is, I don't remember.

Jack: (suspiciously) A whole year and you can't remember?

Dru: When they found me… I had amnesia.

Sky: (walking in, polishing his blaster) Hey, guys. What's going on?

Jack: Nothing, I was just-

Dru: -interrogating me.

Jack: He was wandering around the command… … I don't have to answer to you! Sky, take him back to his quarters. The command center is off-limits to all unauthorized personnel.

Sky: Dru's S.P.D.!

Jack: He was S.P.D. He's been missing in action and has to be re-evaluated.

Sky: (snottily) Yes, sir.

• He and Dru exit, both looking back at Jack, who sighs as they leave. Cut to the two walking through the hallway outside Dru's quarters.

Dru: So what's up with that guy? How can you stand to be around him?

Sky: I can't.

Dru: OK. What's up with you? I've known you long enough to know there's something troubling you.

Sky: I haven't slept. I ran a check on that Zantour you were chasing. Skypol has records of him being arrested and serving jail time in the Neptune Province.

Dru: Did you ever think he might have escaped?

Sky: I checked it out. He's still there. Something's not right. What's going on, Dru?

Dru: I knew there was no getting my arrival past you. You are still the best. Think about it, Sky. I'm S.P.D. (whispers) I'm on a top secret mission. (uneasy pause as both look around) …I've already said too much, it'll have to do. Good night, old friend.

• Dru goes back inside his quarters, leaving Sky alone in the hallway, looking a little dumbfounded and obviously still feeling that something's not quite right. Cut to inside the room, where Dru stands at the door and starts cackling. He then flexes his arms and looks up at the ceiling as his body convulses… and transforms into a dark blue, spiked monster, Giganus, who continues cackling into the commercial break.

• Scene change: Morning, so it's breakfast time in the rec room. Sky, Bridge, Syd and Z are all eating together, with color-coordinated Jello cups, no less- except Syd and Z. Z isn't happy with her pink Jello, so she swaps her cup for Syd's yellow one when she isn't looking as Bridge describes his dream, and Syd looks down, is flabbergasted, shrugs and eats it anyway.

Bridge: So in this dream, right? I'm running away from this horrible alien. And I can't move. My- my feet are, like, stuck to the ground. And then, the monster tears off its outer skin… and it's me inside. What do you think?

Syd: Simple. You were looking at your inner monster.

Z: Maybe you're just weird.

Jack (approaching from behind them): Hey, Sky. (Sky glances up haughtily at him) I, ah, I've been thinking about it, and… I owe you an apology.

Sky: I don't wanna hear it. Stay out of my business. You don't understand friendships, and you don't understand S.P.D. Dru? He's no concern of yours. So do us both a favor, and leave us alone.

• He walks away, leaving the others looking very uncomfortable, before the alarm blares.

Kat: Breach in the engine room. An alien intruder.

• Giganus is seen attacking cadets inside the engine room on Kat's monitor. The Rangers run off to help- but not before Bridge stops to seize his green Jello cup. Scene change to the engine room.

Giganus: Out of my way, Rangers, I have work to do. (The Rangers approach him and stand their ground) I SAID MOVE!

• He shoots out laser blasts at them, making them fall to the ground.

Jack: Come on, guys!

• All five draw their weapons, pose, and charge. However, Giganus is easily able to hold them off, knocking Bridge into a wall and Z and Syd to the ground.

Sky: Hey, ugly!

• He attacks Giganus with his baton, and Giganus retaliates by slashing at him and throwing him to the ground. However, he hesitates because it is Sky, leaving Jack open to use his Delta Blasters. Giganus, enraged, grapples with Jack and throws him backward through some pipes before vanishing, and the Rangers regroup.

Syd: Jack!

Bridge: Are you OK?

Sky: Where'd he go?!

Jack: I bet I know! Come on!

• He runs off, leaving the others looking puzzled in his wake, all except Sky, who looks down for a moment.

Sky: Jack, WAIT!

• Scene change to the hallway outside Dru's quarters. Sky, now demorphed, is running toward it, his blaster armed and at the ready, just as Jack emerges from the empty room.

Jack: Whoa, whoa, whoa! He's not in his room.

Sky: Doesn't prove anything-

Jack: Sky. I know he's your friend and all, but don't be blind! Dru lied to us. To you. He's a monster.

Voice (over the loudspeaker): Commander Cruger has returned to S.P.D.

• Jack walks away and Sky stares after him, looking confused, angry, and hurt. Scene change to the train platform within S.P.D., where a train is coming in and cadets are scrambling into formation. A brief cut to an empty, shadowy hallway, where Giganus/Dru is waiting.

Giganus: The prey is landing…

• He laughs as a cannon weapon forms around his right arm. Cut back to the platform, where the cadets have all respectfully lined up, the Rangers facing them in their own line. The cadets salute Doggie as he passes, and the Rangers follow him up the escalator.

Cruger: There's been a security breach. How did this happen?

Jack: Sir, there are a lot of ways something like this could have happened.

Z: Like an air vent, or…

Syd: Or a stowaway, or…

Bridge: Or a collective dream. Hmm? …What? It could happen.

Sky: … Sir, I'm responsible. It's my fault. I let Cadet Dru Harrington into the Academy. I thought I knew him… I didn't.

Cruger: Cadet Blake [sic], this is a very serious violation. We'll deal with this later. Lucky for you, there's no apparent harm done.

• As the group gets off the escalator, a laser blast strikes Doggie squarely in the chest, making him fly backward. Time slows down for several seconds as the Rangers all fall to the floor next to him. Jack and Sky have their blasters drawn.

Syd: Commander Cruger!

Jack: Commander! COMMANDER!

Z: (frantic) He's hardly breathing!

Bridge: (feeling Cruger's pulse) We've gotta get him to an infirmary, fast!

Jack: Over there!

• Jack and Sky spot Giganus running away from the scene of the crime, so Sky runs after him and confronts him near one of the entrances to the base, weapon still drawn.

Sky: HOLD IT RIGHT THERE. Your next move could be your last, so I'd be careful what you do. Now drop your weapon.

• Giganus lowers his arm cannon, and the camera moves behind Sky, obscuring him as he transforms back into his human form of Dru, wearing an evil smirk and raising his eyebrows.

Sky: (disbelieving) … DRU? …What was that?

Dru: My true Tangarian body. Beautiful, isn't it? Even best friends have secrets.

Sky: Why Cruger?!

Dru: Simple. The money! GROW UP, Sky. You think being a Ranger is everything!

Sky: We both did!

Dru: I was young and naïve! Until I met Broodwing.

Sky: Broodwing…?

Dru: He showed me the light! All I have to do is take a few orders, just like the Academy.

Sky: (frantic) Dru, you're talkin' crazy. We can get help-

Dru: I DON'T NEED HELP! I don't need you! I don't need anyone anymore! (he begins to walk away)

Sky: Stop, Dru! I have to bring you in! Dru, STOP, you're under S.P.D. arrest!

Dru: (laughing) YOU ARE SUCH A FOOL!

• He draws out a laser pistol and shoots at Sky, sending him spinning through the air and snapping his Tangarian Coil bracelet neatly in two. Sky falls to the ground, grabbing at his right wrist, as the pieces of the Coil clink to the ground beside him. He reaches for his blaster, but Dru kicks it away, kneeling beside him.

Dru: I'll spare you this time. Next time, only one of us will walk away.

• He derisively throws a piece of the broken bracelet at Sky, who is still clutching his injured wrist. Sky watches Dru walk away as he picks himself up and grabs a piece of the Coil, looking shocked and extremely hurt into the commercial break.

• Scene: The S.P.D. infirmary. A monitor is showing a scan of Commander Cruger's head, inside of which his brain is visible, and a heart monitor shows his heartbeat. Jack, Bridge, Z, Syd and Kat are gathered around his infirmary bed, their heads bowed, all quiet. Z has her hand on Doggie's shoulder.

Z: Is he gonna make it?

Kat: If he were human, he'd already be gone. This old dog is tough… there's no telling.

Cruger: (opens his eyes and speaks very weakly) who're you calling an old dog?

• The others laugh aloud with relief, and Jack hugs Syd. Scene change to the train platform seen earlier; Dru is walking away rapidly when Broodwing comes out from behind a pillar.

Broodwing: You failed me!

Dru: No, no, I cancelled Cruger.

Broodwing: Then why does his Sirian life force still remain? Do the job you were paid for, or else!

• He smacks Dru in the chest and walks off. Dru huffily readjusts his uniform as the scene changes to Delta Command. Bridge is in front of a monitor, and Z, Jack and Syd are surrounding him.

Bridge: I found 'im. Dru, slash evil ugly monster dude, is somewhere between sectors-

Sky: (approaching from behind) I know exactly where he is. Jack, I need to talk to you. Alone. (The others walk away uncertainly, and we can see that Sky's wrist is bandaged) Look. Dru was my friend. I brought him here. Let me bring him in.

Jack: I can't do that, Sky, that's against regulations. (pause) But… by the time I get everybody together… Syd does her nails, etcetera, etcetera… you may have a ten-minute head start on us. Perfectly within Academy regulations.

Sky: Thanks.

• Scene change: an old, dark, abandoned theater. Sky shoves open the doors and walks in, looking around cautiously, and begins to search the building, finally emerging onto a stage.

Sky: DRU! Dru, I know you're in here.

• He is blinded by a movie projector suddenly turning on, and shields his eyes. Dru then walks in front of it.

Dru: (mockingly) Ever the Ranger…

Sky: My friends will be here in a few minutes. Turn yourself in, let me help you!

Dru: Perhaps I shouldn't have been so lenient with you.

Sky: …Probably not.

Dru: You really think you can beat me?

• The camera pans behind Sky as Dru transforms into his Tangarian body, roaring and cackling, then pans behind Giganus as Sky brings out his morpher.

Sky: S.P.D., Emergency. (He becomes the Blue Ranger as the camera finishes panning)

Giganus: When the projector runs out of film, we do this.

• Sky slowly draws his baton and laser blaster, combining them into the Deltamax Striker, letting his arm fall to his side.

Sky: If that's the way it has to be…

• The two opponents face each other, keeping very still, the atmosphere becoming very tense. Giganus laughs and snarls, but Sky remains silent. The projector runs out after several seconds, and both spin around before firing at each other. There is a moment's stillness before Giganus falls to his knees, his body sparking as he moans in pain.

Giganus: Impossible… How could you beat me?

Sky: You don't make the same mistake twice. I learned that from a good cadet a few years ago. You might remember him… it was you. (Giganus groans some more) I'm a Power Ranger first. Always.

Giganus: You fool! All you have is pride! What good is that when you have no money? No power? You have nothing. NOTHING! But I have more! So much more!

• He pulls out a strange device and twists it, causing him to grow to a massive size. As he does so, his own intact Tangarian Coil falls to the ground with a clink, and the other Rangers, all morphed, dash in to help Sky.

Syd: Watch out!

Jack: Hope we're not too late!

Sky: Nope. (Takes out his morpher) Just in time. Delta Runners!

• Shot of the Runners exiting the base and driving to the scene under their own power. The Rangers all hop inside.

Rangers: Delta Megazord!

• The Megazord forms.

Giganus: I'll destroy you all!

• The Megazord stands its ground as Giganus charges it, slashing and head butting before firing a powerful lightning blast. Sky, in his cockpit, yells in pain before the two titans engage in battle again, the Megazord now gaining the upper hand with a series of punches.

Sky: Stop!

• Giganus kicks at the Megazord, which catches his leg and begins to spin him around and around.

Sky: Whoa!

• The Megazord then tosses him, sending him flying…

Sky: I've got him!

• … then raises its gun, charges up, and fires several times, making Giganus fall to his knees and explode…

Sky: (clenching his fist) It was the only way…

• … and the Megazord poses as the sun begins to rise. We then cut to a shot of a random rooftop, where Dru has landed hard on his back, changing into his human form. Sky approaches him, demorphed, while the other Rangers (still morphed for some reason) look on. Sky takes out his morpher and Dru pushes himself up from the ground as he looks up at him, groaning. Sky, looking regretful yet resolute, rubs his injured wrist.

Sky: Old friend… you're under arrest.

• Dru collapses. Sky walks up to him, presumably to restrain or confine him, and we cut to commercial break.

• Scene change to the Terror. Gruumm is alone in his darkened throne room, monologuing, and several abrupt camera changes make his dialog a little choppy as well, which looks odd when transcribed.

Gruumm: We have suffered a defeat. But this will be a long battle. Yes. Anubis “Doggie” Cruger… Cruger… is still alive. But that defeat that befell the S.P.D. on Sirius… I shall crush… crush… puny so-called “warriors”. In the name of the Magnificence, (he stands and holds up his staff) we shall not rest… we shall not show mercy… we shall be VICTORIOUS!

• Scene change to outside of S.P.D. Sky is sitting on the fountain in front of the base, scrubbing away with a tiny toothbrush held in his injured wrist. He looks up sheepishly as Jack approaches.

Jack: You have to do the entire entrance?

Sky: Yeah, and all the other cement areas, too. Seems Commander Cruger thinks that I'll remember that Academy regulations are meant for everybody. Even self-righteous, pig-headed, ego-driven Rangers like myself.

Jack: He said that?

Sky: He wasn't so nice.

Jack: Ouch. (he sits down, holding out Dru's Tangarian Coil) Hey, I thought you might want this.

Sky: … Thanks. (pause) I guess a bracelet alone doesn't make a friendship.

Jack: No, it doesn't. But I do admire what you and Dru had… once. Hey, you missed a spot. (he takes a toothbrush and starts helping)

Sky: Jack, stop, you don't have to do that.

Jack: I know.

• The two resume scrubbing, but aren't at it very long before Sky starts snickering.

Jack: What, what, what're you laughing at?

Sky: I can't say. (He keeps it up)

Jack: What? What's so funny?

Sky: (now laughing harder) Hehe… Sorry… hehehe… I'm using your toothbrush.

• Jack sighs and tosses his aside as we fade to black.

• Series continuity error: One of the most infamous flubs in the series occurs in this episode. When the Rangers and Doggie are coming up the escalator, Doggie calls Sky “Cadet Blake”. Blake was Sky's original last name on the casting sheets, but it was changed to Tate before filming. Somehow this mistake slipped through to the final cut of the episode, however. This is denoted in the transcript with a [sic].
• Continuity error: At the beginning of the episode, Jack is reading his comic book… backward. (Of course, it is possible that he's just carelessly flicking back and forth through it because he's so bored.)
• Continuity error: In the scene at the shooting range, both times Sky activates the computer simulation he can be seen saying the word “go”, but no sound comes out of his mouth.
• Continuity error: During the scene in the rec room, when Jack says “Hey, Sky”, Sky isn't holding anything and is also in the middle of chewing something; however, when the shot changes to a closeup of him he suddenly has a fork in his right hand and is no longer chewing (and didn't have time to swallow).
• Continuity error: When Sky and Dru are circling each other and Dru says “until I met Broodwing”, Sky has his blaster up in an offensive position, ready to fire. However, when the shot changes to him and he says “Broodwing?” his arms are suddenly at his sides.
• Continuity error: When Dru laughs and calls Sky a fool, he is not holding anything. Then, when he turns to shoot Sky, he suddenly has a gun in his hand, but was never seen drawing one, nor did he have time to, or really any place to draw it from.
• Continuity error: When Dru blasts Sky, a brief shot is shown of his laser fire impacting; however, when the camera cuts to behind Sky, the blast hits him a second time.
• Continuity error: When Sky tells Jack he needs to talk to him alone, Bridge and the girls walk away. The door to Command can then very clearly be heard sliding open and shut, but they obviously never walk out of it, as the door doesn't even physically open.
• Continuity error: When Dru/Giganus grows into a huge version of himself, his bracelet drops to the ground, and it doesn't look like the one he was wearing- this is because it's Dekaranger footage, and the bracelets Sky and Dru's Japanese counterparts Hoji and Bino wore were different.
• Continuity error: When Sky walks into the theatre looking for Dru, it's broad daylight. However, when he grows into a giant monster and Sky summons the Zords, it's significantly darker. Then, during the Megazord fight, it's the dead of night. Finally, when Dru is defeated and Sky goes to arrest him, it's suddenly sunset. This should not be possible, as Sky and Dru's duel followed by the Megazord fight obviously did not take an entire day to happen, and cloud cover alone would not account for it being so dark.
• Continuity error: When Dru falls and transforms back to human and Sky first walks up to him, the sky is gray and overcast. However, when the shot switches to behind Sky (before he says “Old friend… you're under arrest”), the sky is suddenly filled with light from the setting sun and there are far fewer clouds. This is because the sunset was digitally added to the shot. Pausing at this moment reveals that it was quite sloppily done, too- there is obvious blur around the trees on the right, and the top of the building on the left is very uneven.
• Continuity error: The toothbrush Jack uses to help Sky clean the fountain with seems to appear from nowhere.
• Oddity: Usually, when a split-screen of two or more Rangers is shown, comic book lines are added to the Japanese footage to divide the screen more clearly. However, for unknown reasons, in this episode it was not done.
• Oddity: What on Earth was Sky doing wearing his uniform at 4 A.M.? Even if he couldn't sleep, why would he bother changing out of his pajamas when getting up? (Granted, however, in Abandoned he appeared to be sleeping in his shirt and pants, so it's plausible he was doing the same here and merely had to put his jacket and shoes on when he went to go check on Dru's story.)
• Dru's monster form was never named in dialog, however, in the episode credits it is given as “Giganus”, so the transcript reflects this.
• Sky can be seen wearing his Tangarian Coil bracelet in every episode before this; it did not just suddenly appear for this one.
• This episode allows one to make a rough estimate of when Sky, Bridge and Syd all started their careers at S.P.D. Dru mentions that he was sent away “three years ago” to complete his training, and he and Sky had developed a close friendship before then. Therefore, it's plausible to assume that Sky has been at S.P.D. for around four years, or since he was sixteen years old, perhaps even longer. Bridge seems to know who Dru is, so this means he has been at S.P.D. for longer than three years, putting him at around either 14 or 17 when he joined (depending on whether one follows his age given by Jetix or the evidence given in Wormhole). Syd doesn't seem to know Dru is, however; therefore one can infer that she joined S.P.D. after he'd left, meaning she has been there for around three years (but no less than two, as Beginnings pt. I mentioned that she, Sky and Bridge had been on simulator training that long), placing her at age 16 when she joined.
• Dru mentions he was supposedly in pursuit of a criminal named Zantour, which is very similar to Zentour, the name of Sgt. Silverback's home planet as first mentioned in S.W.A.T. pt. I.
• At the beginning of the episode, Jack is reading a comic about “Private Perfect”, who appears to be a parody or ripoff of the famous DC Comics superhero Green Lantern. This is the same comic book Bridge is later seen holding in Abandoned.
• This episode confirms the existence of at least one other Ranger Academy elsewhere in the galaxy- Dru was sent to the Nebula Academy to complete his training.
• Curiously, Bridge appears to not like Dru. When the Rangers walk into the rec room after rescuing him from his ship, Bridge gives the group a sour look and walks out of the frame, then is seen happily playing a video game in the background. This rather abnormal unfriendly behavior has led some fans to speculate that he either had a bad history with Dru, or simply sensed that something was wrong but (unlike Jack) knew better than to try and argue with Sky about it.
• The video game Bridge is playing appears to be a rail shooter or space exploration game, similar to the Star Fox series.
• When Z and Syd sit on the couch and talk while Jack, Sky and Dru are walking out of the rec room, Z can be heard saying (about Dru) “Yeah, he's cute!” and Syd says “I can't believe he's Sky's-” before the scene change cuts them off. Their other dialog isn't easily discernible.
• When Jack, Sky and Dru are at the shooting range, the sign on the podium (and the identical one on the wall behind Dru) reads “Confirm Your Target Before You Shoot”. The one on the wall behind Sky reads “Finger Off The Trigger Unless Actually Firing”.
• Look carefully when the Rangers are eating for an amusing visual gag: Z swaps her pink Jello cup for Syd's yellow one when she isn't looking, giving the Rangers color-coordinated breakfast.
• During the breakfast scene, two cadets in the background appear to be playing a virtual reality fighting game of some sort, as they have headsets on and keep taking swings at each other, but missing.
• This episode marks the first hint we have that Gruumm is serving a higher power- he swears that they will be victorious in the name of “the Magnificence”.
• In this episode's Japanese counterpart, “Pride Sniper”, Dru's counterpart Bino was simply a humanoid alien originally, but when he'd sold himself out, he physically changed his body into Giganus (there very similarly-named Gigantes) and assumed the humanoid form as a disguise, to show how completely and utterly he'd rejected S.P.D. and its ideals. He'd also become quite a successful assassin; Doggie was the only target he didn't manage to kill. Unlike Sky, his counterpart Hoji chose to wear his fallen comrade's bracelet throughout most of the rest of the series, because he and Bino had worn them as a symbol of their commitment to being the best S.P.D. officers they could be, not as a simple sign of close friendship.
• This is the second time the actor Dwayne Cameron appeared in PR. His first appearance was as the bully Derrick in Dino Thunder's Bully for Ethan, and two years after this role he went on to play Tyzonn, the Mercury Ranger, in 22 episodes of Operation Overdrive.
• Derek Judge is credited for providing the voice of a Bluehead; however, no Krybots of any type appear in this episode.