Power Rangers is best defined by actor Jason David Frank and his iconic character Tommy Oliver. While Frank has sadly passed away, his spirit will live on through everything he contributed to the franchise. Most viewers closely associate Frank with his original Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers run that introduced Tommy as the Green Ranger, but for some of his best moments, audiences need to look well past those early years.
Power Rangers: Dino Thunder was the 12th season of the venerable series and brought Frank back as Tommy in a significant role. The season was a celebration of the franchise’s legacy and in looking back at its history, it brought the character of Tommy full circle in a way that fans loved. Here’s why Dino Thunder is the best example of Jason David Frank’s Power Rangers tenure.
What Was Power Rangers: Dino Thunder About?
The premise of Power Rangers: Dino Thunder involved Mesogog, a reptilian enemy who wanted to restore Earth to the era of the dinosaurs. Opposing him were a new team of Power Rangers — and their mentor was none other than Dr. Tommy Oliver, who had relocated to the fictional city of Reefside and taken up paleontology. Soon into the series, Tommy become a Ranger again, eschewing his previous green, white and red colors for black.
As the story went on, the Rangers learned about Tommy’s history with past teams of Power Rangers. They also teamed up with the characters from Power Rangers: Ninja Storm in the two-part “Thunder Storm” event. That storyline exemplified what made Dino Thunder one of the best Power Rangers versions and illustrated why the season was remarkable for both Jason David Frank and his character.
Dino Thunder Honored the Legacy of Power Rangers and Tommy Oliver
Power Rangers: Dino Thunder’s crossover happened after Ninja Storm hadn’t featured any such events. When combined with some of the season’s plot elements, that lack of connection made some suspect that the ninja-based season was a wholesale reboot. Bringing back Jason David Frank was a surefire way for the producers to dispel that rumor and connect Dino Thunder to the franchise. Frank’s presence as Tommy allowed the season to reflect on the past while also moving forward.
Tommy wasn’t the same guy who had last appeared regularly in Power Rangers Turbo. The early seasons had him randomly doing things connected to the specific episode’s theme, such as when he had a sudden interest in cars during Turbo. His focus on paleontology in Dino Thunder showed that he’d finally decided on a career path, giving way to an older, wiser Tommy Oliver. This allowed him to become the team’s mentor — their equivalent to the tragic but beloved Zordon. The fact that Tommy was utilized as a spiritual successor to Zordon while also becoming a “special” Ranger once again showed how far he had come, allowing Frank to explore different parts of the character.
The season as a whole was something of a throwback, with the dinosaur theme being the same as the original Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. Even character archetypes were similar; the Red Ranger was depicted as a jock with a T-Rex Zord and the Blue Ranger was a nerd with a Triceratops Zord. Those past elements made Dino Thunder feel like the final chapter of Tommy Oliver’s character arc and led to Jason David Frank’s greatest work in his Power Rangers career.
Leave a Reply