What if the MMPR Rangers stayed through Zeo

[PRangerX]

Any interesting question from Rangerboard.

Originally Posted by Mythdon

That is, if there was never a Rocky, Adam, Aisha or Katherine

I don't really see Zeo playing out much differently if "The Power Transfer" and "Different Shade of Pink" never happened. Except the original character dynamics would've stayed throughout Zeo and to give more character development from where their characters left off in MMPR. That said, I have to wonder if Tommy would still been Red, or if Jason had gotten to stay red. I think a source out there did say "you are now the leader of the Power Rangers" was edited into "White Light" after the trio walked off the set, which makes complete sense considering "White Light" was filmed around that time and very episode afterward had Jason do the morph call. I guess that supports the assumption that Jason would've remained red and would Tommy have been blue?

I could still see Billy stepping down, as he was the tech genius and needed to hone those skills from inside the command center. Since there was only 5 possible rangers in "A Zeo Beginning", and of all rangers, whom would've possibly made more sense to step down, both story-wise and character-wise, with or without the cast between replaced midway through MMPR? That would've been my preference too, because making him basically a second Alpha added something totally new to Billy's character, whilst staying 100% true to his original mold- the smart one.

I can't really put my finger on who would be the Gold Ranger. Yes, there was Trey, but it was established throughout the season that Trey was unable to sustain the powers so someone else was a placeholder. However, that plot was only possible because the new cast came in midway MMPR, which left the door open for veteran rangers to return (thus Jason's comeback in "A Golden Homecoming"). Would Billy have been the Gold Ranger? If my theory is correct that Billy would still step down, he'd be the only former Power Ranger at that time. Regardless however, we still got that storyline of what happened at the destruction of the command center hanging over our heads, which meant Billy couldn't have powers anymore. I guess that would've left Trey to be the Gold Ranger full time, in a sort of ally ranger type role, assisting them throughout the end of the season (and would his identity have always remained mysterious akin to something like with the Phantom Ranger).

How do you think Zeo would've turned out and how would you have liked Zeo to turn out without the original MMPR cast being replaced? And would it have been better or worse? Do you think Billy would've stepped down and who would you have liked to step down or who do you think would've stepped down? Who do you think would've been the Gold Ranger?

I'm not really sure if it would have been better, although the original cast was very likeable, chances are they would've been just as burnt out in Zeo, as the Zeo cast was at the beginning of the Turbo season. I think the Zeo season was pretty much just fine as it was, but I couldn't help but speculate, as we always like to do about the originals

[Dyl]

This is actually very interesting, to answer your question I think it would have been billy. Like they could do the Zeo quest and each of them find their respective crystals, and billy finds out for whatever reason he can't bond with his crystal and release the power for whatever reason and steps down.

Although I see the MMPR with the original team switching over to zeo not because their powers are destroyed as MMPR but they need a stronger power because it's best matched with the type of evil they are facing. I can't see Jason as reckless as Tommy getting the powers destroyed. I always thought that Zeo might have been enjoyable with Jason as red, Kim Pink, Trini Yellow. (Zack/Billy vs Rocky/Adam could have gone either way).

I know character vise Tanya was better due to her development versus Trini. However I always wished they explored Trini more. Plus with staying on an extra 2.5 seasons she most likely would have gotten the proper focus she deserved

[PrimoPiccolo]

Focus for anyone probably wouldn't have improved. When you consider the number of plots Aisha got would have gone to Trini, that's only like four episodes in the entirety of MMPR. Same for the three Rocky and three Adam stories I can think of off the top of my head in MMPR, and obviously a lot of time was only given to Tanya in Zeo because she was the new character.

As for how the six-to-five transition would have gone, it depends on how the writers wanted to deal with it. As we know with Turbo, Frank wanted out and the producers just decided to clean house with the other three, so either they would have demoted Billy like it actually happened and he actually come back to assume the Gold Ranger powers later, or they keep Tommy the special snowflake and give him another breather before he becomes the sixth Ranger again, or they legitimately fire somebody and let Trey be Trey (can the DiFillipos actually explain to me why they were hired in the first place just to be macguffins when it would have been cheaper to send the Gold Power Staff to Earth in a comet and have Jason pick it up instead?), or there's the fourth option to have SIX Zeo Crystal pieces and have the White-with-gold-accents Ranger become the Gold-that's-really-black-with-gold-accents Ranger, or even the fifth option to have MMPR just be the outright end for a whole cast who had been on the show for over a hundred episodes and start the Sentai formula we did with Lost Galaxy way back at Zeo instead. That last one would probably have made fans think Zeo jumped the shark more than they did the way it actually happened.

[JNTA123450]

Honestly even I would have eventually gotten sick of them. Three seasons max, please.

FYI, I think everyone would have remained the same color, except Zack and Tommy of course, and things would have been mostly the same except a new villain and new powers. There would be no reason for Billy to step down especially since all the rangers have equal tenure in this case, it would be weird. They'd just kick Tommy to the curb again until it's Gold Ranger time since Jason is obviously still the leader (Yay!). Zack would be green, Trini would have a skirt and all would be good.

However, if I was writing the show by Zeo I would have had Billy, Zack, Kimberly and Trini pass the torch to "Rocky", "Adam", "Katherine" and "Aisha/Tanya" respectively while Jason passes his Red Ranger mantle on to Tommy and Billy chooses to stay as tech advisor. Because by then I would have had my fill of the original characters and I'd be ready to see them move on and then we get another three whole seasons with the new cast from Zeo to In Space.

[AngieYaz]

If Austin, Thuy, Walter, and Amy Jo have stayed on, I wouldn't be upset.

Amy Jo in particular is really enjoying the memories of playing Kimberly. I mean, she's hosting pizza parties. =D So seeing her in the Pink Zeo Ranger costume would have been amazing!

[KimandTommy]

Amy Jo staying through Zeo would have been amazing. Kat would have been a villain openly.

[PRangerX]

Season 3 wouldn't have had a lot of twists and turns invovling Kim and Kat. Which would have been a shame since it made the season more interesting. I agree about Jason remaining as leader. I think they would have tried to find a way to keep Tommy as White longer in Zeo or introduce him as Gold Ranger much earlier.

[Ranger Master]

I think Jason would have been the odd man out. Mostly do to Tommy's popularity. They probably would have had him come back as Gold Ranger.

[MMPR Forever]

They would have just continued with MMPR season 4 using the Zeo Zords. Tommy and Kim would have had to share zords again.

[Zeo Power]

I couldn't imagine Zeo without the cast we had. So I am glad things worked out the way they did. I just wish we got a Zeo season 2 at least.