Jason Faunt - My Red Ranger

I had made a series of Twitter posts about Jason Faunt back on September 2nd. Since then, I found out that he (or someone else pretending to be him, it's not entirely clear yet) has a Twitter account. I will now re-post what I said on Twitter with a few added details in hopes that he will one day see it and realize the impact his role as the Red Time Force Ranger made on my life.

(I will be intentionally vague about the details so as not to give away information I would prefer to keep quiet.)

Back in 2000, I was going through a particularly difficult time in my life. The constant moving around that we did as a family was a strain on me. Other situations were painful for me, and not without a certain amount of drug abuse on other's parts. Suffice it to say, this time of my life was not an easy one, especially since my upbringing was not left untouched by the sting of death and heartbreak. I felt powerless to change my circumstances, and so I became ever more jaded and withdrawn. My one best friend at the time was my little brother, and the time we spent together was precious and treasured.

When 2001 came around, circumstances were still difficult, and in some ways became worse. The situations were taking a toll on my homework, my friendships suffered, my relationships were strained, and my outlook on life was, for lack of a better term, grim.

I had watched Power Rangers for so many years before that time, but like many people my age, I took a break at around the time Power Rangers Lost Galaxy began. The Rangers I knew, the original Mighty Morphin' cast, were long gone by this point, and thus, my attachment to the show decreased as it went on. I never started hating the show after that nor did I think I was too old or mature for it; I just lost interest.

But once February 2001 rolled around, all of that changed.  When Power Rangers Time Force began, it impacted my life in a way that is difficult for me to describe. I do not know why I started watching the show again. Perhaps because my little brother was showing interest in it again? Maybe to pass the time while training Pokémon on my GameBoy? God only knows the reason. But one thing for sure was this: it was a show that changed my life.

I took an immediate liking to Jason Faunt as the Red Ranger. The main reason? His name was Wes, too. An instant bond was formed the moment he stepped on-screen. Charismatic, likable, and a great fighter. He was pretty much everything I wanted to be, everything that I thought superheroes should be.  I projected myself onto him and started asking myself how he and I were alike and how we were different.

Sometimes this type of comparison is damaging, but for me, it was remarkably introspective. I started to realize that who I was at that time was not really the Wesley I wanted to be. Who was this jaded, angry person I had become? Why was I angry? Why was I called depressed by the school's counselors? All these questions would flood my mind.

I continued to watch Time Force as much as I could. I was so happy when they started re-airing the episodes after school because it gave me so much to look forward to during the day. It was the glimmering moment of happiness that I could cling to and enjoy; not that my life was generally unhappy, but because I made it unhappy by my reactions to everything that was going on around me.

I aspired so much to be like Wes. He was that hero that I needed during this dark period of my life. Don't get me wrong, I loved the rest of the cast and look back on each of them fondly; but Wes has that special place in my heart, as cliché and sappy as that sounds. As he was learning about his place in the world, his destiny, his responsibility as a son and as a Red Ranger, I was right there alongside him, learning what he was learning and applying what I could to my life.

He was MY hero. He was MY Red Ranger.

The part that will forever stick out to me as the defining moment of Time Force was when Wes finally has that heart-to-heart with Eric at the end of the series. When he describes fighting to change one's destiny and how he and Eric are equals, are Power Rangers... well, I can't help but have chills, and I have to fight to really hold back the tears.

So, to Jason Faunt: You are my Red Ranger and my hero. Thank you so much for the work you did on that show. Was it a cheesy show at times? Yes. Was it maybe somewhat childish? I'm sure it was. But the hard work you put into that show helped to make me the person I am today. You impacted my life in ways I really cannot describe, and I give you a hearty thank you for doing what you did. I hope I can someday meet you in person and really describe what your role meant to me and give you a hug and take you out for a meal or something. You deserve it, sir.

Thank you so much for being Wes. Thank you for being my Red Ranger.

Doctor Who, Series #7 - Episode #1 (Asylum of the Daleks)

After so many months of a New Who drought, Asylum of the Daleks helps return the brilliant show to TVs once again. This episode has been watched and re-watched by fans and critiqued to no end at this point. What can I add to the ever-growing flame of "Asylum of the Daleks"?

-Spoilers Ahead!-

Personally, I enjoyed the episode. It was certainly not the whiz-bang game-changer that so many people expected, but I am actually okay with that. One merely has to look at the previous episodes that have opened new series' to see that this opener was... well, pretty much par for the course.

-"Rose" was highly anticipated for the Doctor's triumphant return to television. Who was the antagonist? Mannequins.

-"New Earth" was the brand-new series opener starring the new Doctor, David Tennant. Who was the villain? That Cassandra lady from a previous episode.

-"Smith and Jones" heralded a new companion, the first since Rose joined in the first series... and the villain was some alien lady who sucked blood and sent a hospital to the moon.

-"Partners in Crime" re-introduced a fan-favorite one-time companion, Donna Noble, to the show. The antagonist? Some lady who was making babies for alien species out of human fat.

-"Eleventh Hour" was the big introduction of Matt Smith as the Doctor, and to the episode's credit, it did in a very grand way.

-"The Impossible Astronaut" was the much-hyped death of the Doctor episode, and the first two-part opener since the new series started.

Not that I have a problem with the above episodes. I really do enjoy each of them, and think they are perfectly fine series openers. I am of the mindset that a series like Doctor Who needs to open up innocuously and subtly, and then gradually build up to the climax that makes everything that happened in the series suddenly make perfect sense. "Bad Wolf, "Vote Saxon," the bees leaving earth, the Silence, etc... All of these are introduced early and are built up during their respective seasons. I find that to be the most clever way to make a grand story.

Given Steven Moffat's track record with the Eleventh Doctor openers, it is clear that he likes them to be very huge and explosive. But really, how could he top what he did last series? Once you show the death of a main character, there are only so many places you can go.

So he decided to show the death of a character played by the same actress who is supposed to become a new companion later in the seventh series. That, to me, seemed like a pretty big way to start the series. I did not even recognize her until my wife pointed it out, and then it felt like the stakes escalated dramatically for me. It was very clever on his part, and I am looking forward to seeing how Oswin is related to Clara.

To be honest, though: I hated what they introduced with Rory and Amy. The divorce subplot was entirely unnecessary and detracted from the main story completely. I understand the emotional impact of it, but it seemed like nothing more than a ratings grab. Amy would really divorce the man who spent 2,000 years waiting for her? Really? Because she wasn't able to give him children? I am sorry, but I don't buy it. Like I said, I understand the emotion behind it, but it really does not make much sense. Amy can be emotionally rocky at times, but not like this. Not to this extent. I do not feel that the characters were really done justice by this episode, and I am very happy that it was resolved quickly. I really hope that this does not become a running problem throughout this season.

All in all, I enjoyed this episode for what it was, niggling plot points aside. It was a good series opener to me, and I felt that it hit the right notes it needed to kick-start a new series of Doctor Who. I spent the last ten months binging on Old Who and the Big Finish audio dramas and enjoyed those very much, but I definitely needed this new episode to satisfy my desire to see the Eleventh Doctor on-screen once again.