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How much was Devon responsible under the influence of the Fury Cell for his own actions? The efficacy of this episode of Power Rangers Beast Morphers depends on the answer and it is difficult to tell. It seems at first that Devon is just over his head, but gradually it seems that he is becoming addicted to energy.

At first this was incredibly intriguing to me. The idea of being addictive to a Ranger power-up is one that is filled with potential but just as this concept is introduced it is apparently undercut by the revelation that the Cells "will turn a noble warrior evil."

This takes away some of the dramatic tension of the story. If Devon isn’t responsible for his addiction to the cells then it makes the climatic fight with Ravi less effective. The whole episode hinges on this and without it being Devon’s fault it robs the story of conflict. It’s not Devon realizing his mistake, it’s just Devon’s mind being cleared after the Fury Cell is depleted.

It felt like the episode was struggling against itself. It plays many of the scenes with Devon as if, under no influence, he simply wants to keep the power and will use any means to justify it. However when the episode ends he faces no consequences for his actions and it’s written off as just another evil plot of the day.

It’s a huge shame the episode couldn’t quite decide how to handle this. If it had fully committed to Devon being addicted, this could have been a stand out episode for the season. It would have strengthened his character and led to some engaging long running plotlines.

Although the episode could not quite find that some of the scenes play out are still reasonably effective, nonetheless. Devon battling Ravi is a rare example of a Ranger fighting another Ranger and a well-functioning war.  If the episode tension is meant to be Devon breaking away from the Cell's evil influence, if Ravi was well executed, it would happen.

However, the story's most fascinating moment is when the police offer stops Devon. One that the franchise has never discussed is the idea that Rangers shouldn't deal with petty criminals. Law enforcement is fine with monsters fighting against the Rangers, they are the only ones that can.

However, a morphed Ranger capturing a bank robber? That’s seen as outside of their jurisdiction. Are the police worried Rangers will attempt to dispense justice outside of the law? Are there even laws for what happens if a Ranger captures a criminal?  I know this isn’t what the episode was about but now I want a whole outing devoted to these questions! Okay, it’ll never happen on Power Rangers but at least the topic has been raised. Get on this, Boom Comics!

‘Seeing Red’ was a decent episode that had a lot of potential but unfortunately fell victim to a confused plot. It also reduced Ben and Betty to more food humor, which never bodes well for an episodes final score.

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