They did it! Michael and Nathan reached the “new hotness” in Ranger Nation! That being Power Rangers: Dino Fury, which, while a typical PR series in many ways, broke new ground in others. It reintroduces Michael’s favorite PR villain, Lord Zedd (who has no time for glitter) and features the first LGBTQ+ Ranger in a mainline PR series with Izzy Garcia. But much to Michael’s chagrin, the conversation is derailed for a while by everyone’s favorite snarky bonehead, Rito Revolto, who punches out Nath...
Dec 14, 2022•4 hr 13 min
On November 28, 2022, a multitude of podcasters and YouTubers—Nathan Marchand, Michael Hamilton, Travis Alexander, Jack “GMan” Hudgens (The Drift Space), J.R. Villers (The Drift Space), Rebecca Hudgens (The Drift Space), Kaiju Kim, Chris Cooke, and Jimmy from Zeo to Hero—came together to celebrate the life and work of Jason David Frank. From acting to martial arts to teaching to motivational speaking, he did it all. But he’ll always be remembered as Tommy Oliver, the most popular Power Ranger. H...
Dec 01, 2022•4 hr 48 min
The Hasbro Era begins! Michael and Nathan definitely don’t miss the previous season or They-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. While your intrepid hosts knew some of the spoilers going into Power Rangers: Beast Morphers, it didn’t ruin their enjoyment. Heck, this series did in five episodes what all 40+ episodes of Megaforce couldn’t do! While Nate does threaten to “whip Rito out early,” he and Michael spend most of their longest episode ever (4.5 hours!!!) praising a series that surprised them with its st...
Nov 27, 2022•4 hr 33 min
The Neo-Saban Era comes to an end—and what a whimper it is! Nathan and Michael tackle Power Rangers Ninja Steel, whose greatest sin could’ve been being painfully mediocre—but then those two Nickelodeon-mandated characters had to ruin everything! So, for the first time ever, “Rantmaster” and “Blue Streak Ranger” join forces! Otherwise, your hosts spend this four-hour cluster of a recording (those two characters even broke their internet reception) discussing the few highlights in this show, inclu...
Nov 15, 2022•4 hr 9 min
Where’s the Ninja Steel episode? That recording was a cluster, so Michael needs a little more time to edit it. In meantime, we’re sharing an abridged version of an episode of one of Nathan’s other podcasts, The Monster Island Film Vault. In this, Michael, who is a Patron of MIFV, sponsored an episode that spotlights the classic MMPR five-parter, “Green with Evil.” Here are the original show notes for the episode: Hello, kaiju lovers! In our first Patreon-sponsored episode of season three, Nate i...
Nov 08, 2022•1 hr 43 min
Happy Halloween, Listeners with Attitude! To celebrate the spookiest time of year, Michael and Nathan harken back to season one of Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers to discuss a pair of Halloween-themed episodes. (It was a welcome break from Ninja Steel and They Who Shall Not Be Named Until the Ninja Steel Episode). Frankenstein and Pumpkin Rapper are a pair of truly monstrous foes for the OG Power Rangers. You won’t believe who donned the Frankie suit in the Saban footage, and if you ever wondered ...
Oct 31, 2022•1 hr 9 min
Nathan’s been waiting for this episode for a long time. He even popped popcorn for the occasion. But he doesn’t get what he wanted—he got something better! Michael changed his mind about the Power Rangers (2017) movie! They’re joined by writer, critic, and co-host of The Drift Space podcast Jack “GMan” Hudgens to discuss the most divisive and, arguably, most underrated piece of Power Rangers media. For all its faults with its aesthetics, it gets the heart of the franchise right. It was made by p...
Oct 25, 2022•3 hr 27 min
Michael and Nathan reach the apex of the Neo Saban Era: Power Rangers Dino Charge. They bring along their friend Alex Cornett of the Monsters vs. Men podcast to discuss a series that was hyped by one of their listeners for months. Does it live up to that hype? Short answer: yes. And not just because your hosts are coming out of 80+ episodes of crap with Samurai and Megaforce. The characters are fun, the acting is good, and the stories are “old school.” That ending, though…Nathan fought hard not ...
Oct 18, 2022•3 hr 46 min
Surprise, Listeners with Attitude! Thanks to one of you (and Words with Friends), we were able to sit down with the man who composed your childhood: Ron Wasserman. He’s a rock star in every way (except the sex and drugs, he says), who’s composed music for TV, film, commercials, and his band Fisher. We talk about his musical influences (Black Sabbath, no surprise), how he got the gig at Saban Entertainment, and how he composed the iconic “Go, Go, Power Rangers.” He even gives some advice to aspir...
Oct 11, 2022•1 hr 4 min
This episode was recorded as part of a crossover between us, and the Giant Sized Violence podcast where we discussed the fan film from 2015, Power Rangers Unauthorized . Thank you to Tomi, the host of GSV, for having us on and facilitating such a good discussion. Links to where you can follow and subscribe to Giant Sized Violence are found below. ----------------------------------------------- Follow GSV on Twitter: https://twitter.com/UltraMegaCast Subscribe to GSV on Apple Podcasts: https://po...
Oct 05, 2022•1 hr 25 min
Longest…episode…yet! On the…worst…PR series…ever! We’re as surprised you are. Strap in, Listeners with Attitude, because just when Nathan and Michael thought it couldn’t get worse than Turbo and Operation Overdrive, the Neo-Saban era breaks their brains. Mitch from the “Entertain This!” podcast joins them to discuss the emptiest Power Ranger season they’ve ever seen. Seriously, all but one of the characters is prettier than they are talented; the villains are lame; and the so-called “Legendary B...
Oct 02, 2022•4 hr 13 min
There may be “no time for glitter”, but there is time for our first impressions of Power Rangers Dino Fury Season 2 Part 2! After binge-watching all 11 episodes of the last quarter of Dino Fury, Nate and Michael need another cigarette! with high production value and likable characters, and the return of a classic villain in Lord Zedd, they guys really enjoyed their time with this stretch of episodes. Was it perfect? No, but it was a lot of fun and worth the wait. Stay tuned for our full discussi...
Sep 30, 2022•51 min
On this very special bonus episode of The Power Trip, we had the privilege of sitting down with the writer, story editor, and co-producer of the Power Rangers franchise from 1995-2008, the lovely Jackie Marchand. In a fantastic conversation, you'll learn some behind-the-scenes details from her time on Power Rangers, as well as hear her answer questions like what was her favorite season? What were some of the biggest challenges working on Rangers, and more! A special thank you to Miss Marchand fo...
Sep 20, 2022•1 hr 54 min
To kick off the Neo-Saban and Hasbro Eras, Michael and Nathan bring on Jimmy and Billy of the Zeo to Hero podcast—which leads to some sibling squabbles between the guests! Why? Because Billy requested to guest host for Power Rangers Samurai. This series infamously adapted its Sentai counterpart, Shinkenger, exactly, going so far as to have a Caucasian red ranger with a Japanese last name. Then they set it in the most western-looking “Japanese” city ever. Talk about awkward! Nathan loses his mind...
Sep 16, 2022•3 hr 30 min
Welcome, kaiju lovers, heroes of the internet, and listeners with attitude! This past weekend, Nathan and his Power Trip co-host, Michael Hamilton, met each other in real life for the first time (and the world somehow didn’t explode). They attended a small upstart “spin-off” convention called Days of the Dead: All Monsters Attack, which was held in Indianapolis. This bonus episode is a late-night postmortem chat they had afterward, and it’s being shared on the feeds for Monster Island Film Vault...
Sep 12, 2022•1 hr 15 min
We’ve come to the end of another era, and now it’s time to rank it! Michael and Nathan discuss the many peaks and valleys from when Disney owned Power Rangers as they compile their lists of those seasons from worst to best. It’s a bit less surprising than the Saban era ranking, but there is some disagreement. They also share some final thoughts from Kaiju Kim on Dino Thunder (because they forgot to do so on that episode) and briefly give their opinions on the silly and redundant Mighty Morphin’ ...
Sep 06, 2022•1 hr 37 min
The Disney era ends with the biggest of bangs with one of the most popular series in the franchise: Power Rangers RPM. This is so huge, Michael and Nathan had to get in gear by inviting RPM super-fan Chris Cooke (One Cross Radio, Radio Arcade) to discuss it—and the episode is as long as the series! This is the darkest Ranger show yet, and it was adapted from a silly Sentai! This shouldn’t work—but does it? Michael saw it before, but he didn’t remember liking it. Did he change his mind? Nathan we...
Aug 30, 2022•4 hr 9 min
Nathan and Michael, having survived Operation Overdrive, come to the penultimate Disney era season: Power Rangers Jungle Fury. On the surface, it just looks like another animal-themed series, but they quickly learned it’s steeped in martial arts movie tropes. Think of it as the lovechild of Wild Force and Ninja Storm. The Rangers’ mentor/ purple Wolf Ranger, RJ, steals every scene he’s in with his quirky Mr. Miyagi wisdom. The villains are a huge highlight, having the most depth and complexity o...
Aug 21, 2022•3 hr 41 min
Believe it or not, Nathan issues the smallest of apologies to Power Rangers Turbo! And Michael snaps because there’s no nostalgia or a corset to save this series. Yes, the lowest of valleys for the Disney era, Power Rangers: Operation Overdrive. It has a solid premiere and a few good episodes. It showed what this season could’ve been but wasn’t, which makes it even more frustrating. Almost nothing in Overdrive works—especially a certain son of a certain pair of iconic Power Ranger villains. The ...
Aug 03, 2022•3 hr 39 min
Podcastros temporarium maximus! Welcome to Power Rangers Hogwarts, er, Mystic Force. This PR season was made at the height of “Pottermania,” and given it was filmed in New Zealand, it must’ve been trying to catch some of that Lord of the Rings, well, magic. It’s unique in both the Power Ranger and Super Sentai franchises with its focus on high fantasy. It’s just too bad it’s mildly obsessed with its Red Ranger, Nick, who isn’t the most likable guy. It’s an uneven season, for sure. Also, Nathan a...
Jul 19, 2022•3 hr 29 min
The Disney Era leg of our journey through the Power Rangers franchise continues with Power Rangers SPD, and Michael and Nathan are joined by their friend J.R. Villers of The Drift Space podcast. J.R. is a mega-fan of this series, while Nathan and Michael are watching it for the first time—and are surprised by how good it is. The show has many elements that, in lesser hands, would’ve been stupid, but here they work. It breaks the PR formula a bit with its episode structure, among other things, an...
Jul 06, 2022•3 hr 55 min
Dr. Tommy Oliver barely escapes from a mysterious island crawling with dinosaur mutants before it explodes. Some years later, he lives a quiet life as a high school science teacher. But when the evil saurian overlord Mesogog sets his sights on bringing back the age of dinosaurs, Tommy jump-kicks into action by collecting the Dino Gems. These artifacts choose three unlikely teens from very different worlds with a Dino Thunder power-up (ha!) to defend the world. As their battles with Mesogog and h...
Jun 23, 2022•3 hr 22 min
Nathan and Michael reach the first true Disney season, Power Rangers Naruto, er, Power Rangers: Ninja Storm. These Rangers—no joke—have a guinea pig as their mentor, and this show is Disney’s guinea pig for the franchise. Its equal parts experimentation and trend-following. It introduces fourth wall-breaking self-parody while embracing the popularity of extreme sports at the time. The show also gets back to its MMPR roots by having a lighter tone and comedic villains. It doesn’t always work, but...
Jun 07, 2022•2 hr 43 min
Michael and Nathan come to what some call the end of the Saban Era (which they don’t) or the start of the Disney Era (which they do) of Power Rangers: Power Rangers Wild Force. This transitional season is an odd hodgepodge of both Saban and Disney sensibilities. To say it’s uneven would be an understatement. On one hand, it’s compelling and dark when the villain Zen-Aku is on screen, but it’s also heavy-handed and saccharine when Kite/Animus is the focus. The latter even brings “Rantmaster” back...
May 25, 2022•3 hr 7 min
Nathan and Michael have reached the end of an era—the Saban Era, that is! Join them as they rank the first entries in the Power Rangers franchise from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers to Time Force (including the two movies) in a pair of epic top ten lists. Both hosts surprised each other all the way up to their respective number ones. Did their rankings match yours? Did Michael succumb to nostalgia and throw objectivity out the window? Did Nathan’s love for Astronema and hate for Turbo cloud his ju...
May 17, 2022•1 hr 24 min
Make time for…Time Force! You’re gonna need some quantum power to listen to this. Longest. Episode. EVER!!! But it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Michael and Nathan would dive deep into the final Saban Era season that was so dark and grown-up, it really aired in primetime before The X-Files. This season has everything: time travel, robots, and mutants. It’s at once embedded in its time while also timeless (see what I did there?). Yes, it reminds us The Matrix just came out, but it also tackles t...
May 10, 2022•3 hr 32 min
Nathan and Michael get to the neglected middle child of the post-Zordon Saban Era: Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue. It’s underrated and underappreciated because it’s sandwiched between two popular and excellent seasons. While it has its faults—it tries and fails to recapture the magic of “Green with Evil,” it crams in too many plotlines, and the villainous Vypra is prettier than she is talented—it also has some good characters, an original Ranger, and a solid finale. Your hosts discuss how servi...
Apr 26, 2022•2 hr 50 min
For this special bonus episode, Michael and Nate discuss Nate's "power trip" to Indianapolis for Indiana Comic-Con over the weekend. Nate talks about his experience meeting four Power Rangers, including the original Green Ranger, and Michael's personal G.O.A.T., Jason David Frank! It was a fun, laid-back discussion about a really great weekend. ----------------------------------------------- EMAIL FEEDBACK TO THE SHOW: [email protected] ----------------------------------------------- FOLLOW...
Apr 19, 2022•1 hr 18 min
Power Rangers: Lost Galaxy marks a crossroads for the franchise—and for Michael! This was the season where Saban Entertainment fully embraced the Super Sentai model with new characters and a new team every year. Even so, this is sometimes grandfathered into the Zordon Era because it does carry over a few things from the previous season, like Alpha-5 and the Astro Mega Ship. But this is also where Michael’s nostalgia for Power Rangers ends (so hopefully he gets more objective after this). Meanwhi...
Apr 12, 2022•2 hr 43 min
The rumors of a three-hour PowerPoint (ba-dum-tsh) presentation were untrue—it’s 2.5 hours. Like Nathan said in the previous episode, Power Rangers Turbo broke the franchise’s leg so Power Rangers In Space could put it in a splint, run, and then break the splint while sprinting. In fact, the franchise flies higher than ever before—and it inspires the “professor” side of Nathan to come out and educate Michael. It also gives Nathan an excuse to be a raving Astronema fanboy (“best villain in Power ...
Mar 29, 2022•2 hr 35 min
