There have been some truly unexpected events throughout Power Rangers history, with a host of epic battles, celebrated returns, and shocking crossovers occurring over the course of the franchise’s 30-plus-year run. One of the most surreal of these events happened 31 years ago, and not only did it hit fans out of nowhere, but the reason why it had to happen is just as interesting as the event itself.
31 years ago, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers fans were introduced to a three-part story known as The Wedding, which took place across episodes 41, 42, and 43. The episode would bring Rita Repulsa back into the fold after her exile at the hands of Lord Zedd. Rita uses a love potion on Zedd during his Centennial Recharge, and by the end of the arc, Rita and Zedd end up getting married. This whole arc has been viewed as one of the series’ more divisive moments, but the story was created directly because of the filming of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers movie, which threw a wrench into the filming of the series.
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The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Movie Directly Caused The Off The Wall Storyline
20th Century Fox
One of the bigger moments of the Mighty Morphin era was the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers movie, which would debut in theaters in 1995. That also led to some substantial changes in the flow of the show’s production during the second season, as the team had to balance producing the movie right alongside the already demanding television show, but there was another major element the show had to work around during this time as well.
The movie was obviously a major priority for the studio and the franchise, but the show also had contractual obligations to the network that weren’t changing, and the same group of actors was at the center of both. During a previous interview, lead writer and producer Tony Oliver revealed that due to the actors being busy working on the film, they had to find ways to shoot around their schedule, and that also meant that anyone who wasn’t working on the film was busy shooting footage for the show.
Thus, stories were built around these schedules, with the villain-focused hijinks in the palace being one such example. The three-part episode does include the Rangers, but the majority is built around the villains and other supporting characters.
It was a complicated process that didn’t necessarily lead to great storytelling, but while the episodes obviously have some issues, the wedding storyline has become one of the more memorable stories in the Mighty Morphin series, whether you love it or hate it. Plus, it did bring the most iconic Power Rangers villain back into the fold, and Power Rangers is always better when Rita is somehow involved.
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