Power Rangers SPD (2005)

⚡️🛡️ Power Rangers SPD Review (2005) 🚨🐶

Let’s start by showing y’all the opening theme song, shall we? 🎵

…Yeah, it’s not the worst theme in Power Rangers history, but it’s firmly in the “serviceable” zone. Gets the job done, but it’s not an earworm like the classics.

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🌌 General Premise

SPD takes the Power Rangers universe to the year 2025 — a future where aliens 👽 live alongside humans, and the Space Patrol Delta acts as Earth’s intergalactic police force. Instead of teenagers figuring it out as they go, we’ve got trained cadets-turned-Rangers 🚓.

Cool concept, yes. But it’s also the only PR season where I’ve caught myself thinking:
“Okay, but I’m taking life advice from Space Scooby-Doo in body armor.” 🐕⚔️

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🎭 The Cast & Their Traits

The Rangers

Jack Landors / Red Ranger 🔴 (Brandon Jay McLaren) – Street-smart, cocky, ex-thief. Starts self-serving but learns leadership and selflessness.

Sky Tate / Blue Ranger 🔵 (Chris Violette) – Disciplined, by-the-book, driven by his father’s Ranger legacy. Has a very outdated sexist moment early on when he says a woman shouldn’t be Red Ranger “because she’s a girl.” 🙄

Bridge Carson / Green Ranger 🟢 (Matt Austin) – Awkward, quirky, lovable. Reads auras and overthinks things. Drops a cringy “white or black” comment when Syd defends a monster.

Syd Drew / Pink Ranger 💗 (Alycia Purrott) – Initially spoiled and entitled, but proves to be caring, resourceful, and determined.

Z Delgado / Yellow Ranger 💛 (Monica May) – Tough, independent, with a protective streak for those she cares about. Ex-street kid who channels her past into helping others.

The Commander

Anubis “Doggie” Cruger / Shadow Ranger 🐶⚫ (John Tui) – Stern, noble, disciplined, with a tragic backstory. Inspires loyalty… but again, he’s a blue dog-headed man barking orders. Dramatic scenes sometimes hit differently because, well, Space Scooby-Doo.

The Villains

Emperor Gruumm 👹 – Ambitious, ruthless, but his intimidation is constantly undercut by his bratty child. Wants total galactic domination.

Mora / Morgana ✏️👧 – Gruumm’s “daughter” who draws monsters to life. Bratty, manipulative, and more annoying than scary. When transformed into Morgana, she keeps the bratty streak but becomes a more competent fighter.

Broodwing 🦇 – Arms dealer and opportunist. Cares only about profit and power, frequently playing both sides.

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✅ Pros

👮‍♂️ The “Rangers as police cadets” idea is unique for the franchise.

💥 Strong fight choreography and stunt work for mid-2000s TV.

🐾 Cruger’s Shadow Ranger reveal and his “100 enemies” battle is iconic.

😂 Bridge’s awkward quirks are genuinely funny instead of grating.

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❌ Cons

🎭 Tone shifts from serious cop drama to slapstick too often.

😬 Outdated sexist and racially awkward dialogue hasn’t aged well.

👧 Gruumm’s bratty kid sideplot kills the main villain’s menace.

🐕 Commander being a literal talking dog can take away from tension in dramatic moments.

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💭 Final Thoughts

SPD is a season with one of the freshest concepts since the original MMPR, and it delivers some amazing action, strong Ranger arcs, and memorable villain twists. But it’s also weighed down by tone problems, some dated writing choices, and a bizarre decision to give the main villain a bratty child sidekick.

🎯 Rating: 7/10

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⚠️ Spoilers Ahead! ⚠️

The B-Squad Rangers (our main team) are the “second string,” meant to fill in until the elite A-Squad handles the big threats. But as the season goes on, B-Squad earns their stripes, handling major missions while A-Squad remains “unavailable” — until it’s revealed that A-Squad has betrayed SPD and joined Gruumm.

This betrayal is one of the best twists in PR history. Seeing the “best of the best” become villains forces B-Squad to step up completely.

Meanwhile, Doggie Cruger’s tragic past is explored — Gruumm wiped out his home planet and took his wife, motivating Cruger to serve as Earth’s defender. His reveal as the Shadow Ranger is pure fan service gold — his one-against-100 fight scene is still talked about today.

Bridge’s aura-reading ends up vital in identifying enemy trickery. Syd gets character growth in episodes showing her compassion (like defending a wrongly accused alien). Z learns to reconcile her street-hardened instincts with teamwork. And Sky eventually overcomes his sexism and earns respect for female leadership.

Gruumm’s grand invasion climaxes with B-Squad taking down A-Squad in a fierce battle, then confronting Gruumm himself. Morgana fights fiercely but is still undermined by her petulant personality. Broodwing tries to betray Gruumm but fails.

In the end, Gruumm is captured, A-Squad is arrested, and B-Squad is recognized as the official SPD Power Rangers, fully earning their place.