My Favorite POWER RANGERS Moments with Jason David Frank
Power Rangers was a big part of my childhood and I have always had a love for the original Saban Era characters. When news broke about the death of Jason David Frank, this was monumental. I had family members texting me with condolences because of the impact the show has had on my life. Frank played the most famous Power Ranger: Tommy Oliver. He was a Ranger on several different teams and even served as a mentor. Plus, he’s come back for special moments a couple of times. In honor of Frank’s passing, I wanted to share a list of my favorite moments and things about the iconic Tommy. These are in no particular order and be sure to share your favorites in the comments below.
Green with Evil
This was the introduction of Tommy Oliver into the series. We see him at a martial arts tournament where he and Jason (Austin St. John) have a really fantastic fight. Then, Tommy’s performance impressed Rita to the point where she brainwashes him and gives him the Dragon Power Coin and he becomes the strongest foe the Rangers have to deal with up to that point. Eventually, the Rangers are able to free Tommy from Rita’s spell though and he becomes a valuable asset to the team. This is so iconic and so well done, it has to be included on this list.
Reveal as the White Ranger
During the first season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Tommy loses his powers and Zordon is able to provide a band-aid fix to temporarily fix them. However, Zedd eventually uses the Green Crystal to permanently rid Tommy of the powers of the Green Ranger. It was a sad moment for fans as Tommy left the show. It was also sad for the other Rangers because they were having to fight Zedd without a sixth Ranger. I still remember watching White Light as a kid when it first aired and the moment at the end of the first part when Billy (David Yost) stumbles across Zordon and Alpha doing something secretive. Then, the follow-up episode with the reveal of the White Ranger and then the exciting reveal that Tommy was back as said White Ranger was absolutely incredible. For that memory alone, this will always be a top moment.
Return for Dino Thunder
Power Rangers Dino Thunder came out when I was in middle school and I was finally starting to lose interest in watching Power Rangers. Then, Disney announced that Frank was coming back as Tommy Oliver, and I had to check it out. To see him not only return, but in the role of a mentor instead of Power Ranger was fantastic for my younger self. Then, a few episodes in he becomes a Ranger again, and it was incredible.
“Fighting Spirit”
Fighting Spirit is an episode in Dino Thunder that is a fan favorite. The main story features Tommy in a coma after getting Haley to attempt something new for getting him unstuck from his morphed state (it’s a bit of a long story). While in this coma state, Tommy ends up having a dream where he must fight the Green, White, and Zeo Red versions of himself. It’s not only a great fight, but it also is a great metaphor about fighting your inner demons. You can watch the entire episode on YouTube now!
Return for 20th Anniversary
I still have yet to watch Power Rangers Super Megaforce. However, the episode “Legendary Battle” still has a great moment with Tommy that I’ve seen on YouTube. Super Megaforce happened to be the 20th anniversary of Power Rangers and “Legendary Battle” was a celebration of the event. For the celebration, several previous Rangers returned including Tommy. It’s great to see him return alongside other iconic characters.
Master Morpher Fight
Another season I haven’t watched is Super Ninja Steel, but to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Power Rangers, Frank returned once again as Tommy. This time, Tommy came armed with the Master Morpher and ends up fighting an evil clone of himself. It’s one heck of a fight as Tommy is able to utilize the Master Morpher to change which of his previous Ranger forms he’s in mid-fight. It’s not only a great celebration of the franchise as other classic characters like Wes Collins (Jason Faunt) return for the episode “Dimensions in Danger,” but it’s a great love letter to the character of Tommy.
Lord Drakkon
Lord Drakkon is a character from the BOOM! Studios comics, but many Power Rangers fans agree that the character is a fantastic version of Tommy Oliver. He’s from a different dimension where he ends up betraying Rita instead of becoming a hero and he becomes one of the most terrifying villains ever. Well, in case you missed it, Frank actually became Drakkon for a special promotional video and it’s fantastically done.
The White Stranger
During the second season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Kimberly (Amy Jo Johnson) ends up being transported back in time to the wild west. There, she ends up meeting the ancestors for the other Rangers and recruiting them to become Power Rangers to save the wild west from Goldar, Needlenose, and Putties. Of course, there’s one ancestor that isn’t there, Tommy’s. He ends up being more of a Lone Ranger type known as the White Stranger and it’s just a funny episode with a ridiculous premise and portrayals of characters.
“Another Song and Dance”
My final moment is this episode from Power Rangers Zeo. In the episode, Tommy and Tanya (Nakia Burrise) get hit by a spell by Queen Machina that forces them to sing everything they say. What’s more is that they sing as if they’re in an opera which just adds some hilarity. Frank was not the greatest singer, but that doesn’t change how fun this episode can be to watch and laugh with.