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| L-R: Jason Narvy as Skull and Paul Schrier as Bulk |
Who are the heroes of Power Rangers? Most people would say the teenagers who transform into color coded spandex suits and use giant robots to blow up monsters. Sure, that’s the easy answer, but one thing to consider is that Power Rangers was a show targeted at a very young audience. This leaves very little room for subtle characterization. The Power Rangers were identified as the role models. They had to be respectful, well-adjusted, great students. It’s hard to have relatable characters who can improve and grow when your characters have nothing to improve on. Sure, there was the odd flaw like Tommy being forgetful or Kimberly being jealous, but those were usually introduced and overcome within one episode. This is what makes Farkas “Bulk” Bulkmeier and Eugene “Skull” Skullovitch so intriguing. They’re the comic relief, not the role models. This opens up opportunities for them to start with messed up morals and gradually grow as people.
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| Bulk falls into a cake |
Bulk and Skull started out as cookie-cutter bullies. They were
always hanging around mocking everyone around them, especially the Power
Rangers. The routine was pretty much the same. They would either brag about being
the best at everything or just be a nuisance in general. This would lead to
them getting their public comeuppance, usually while getting some kind of goop
or liquid splashed on their faces. They were just there to provide contrast to
the capable, dependable Power Rangers. In the second season, Bulk and Skull set
off on a mission to uncover the true identities of the Power Rangers. This did
tone down their bullying, but they were motivated by fame and greed, so of
course karma continued to punish them with goop on their faces.
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| Bulk and Skull on the Police Force with Lt. Stone |
The biggest shift for Bulk and Skull came in the third season
when the duo joined the Angel Grove Junior Police Force. Although they initially
joined to meet girls, it was a big change to see these guys clean cut in
uniforms. What made the difference was Lt. Jerome Stone, who started out as an
overbearing boss who eventually evolved into a father-figure for Bulk and
Skull. They still continued to get themselves into wacky predicaments, but we
saw a change in their motivations. They wanted to make Lt. Stone proud and I
found myself strangely starting to root for these guys. They were so loyal to him
that they helped him start his own detective agency. We basically reached a
point where Bulk and Skull had their own mini sitcom within Power Rangers.
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| Bulk and Skull as Monkeys with Lt. Stone |
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| Bulk and Skull with Professor Phenomenus |
Bulk and Skull eventually became human again and tried to find
their place in the world. They began taking a variety of odd jobs, such as park
rangers, road construction workers, and delivery men. Of course, being Bulk and
Skull meant they’d find a way to mess it up, but they were trying. Than they
ended up working for Professor Phenomenus, a quirky scientist in search of
aliens. This was the perfect gig for them, because they found a boss as weird
as they were. By now, Bulk and Skull have completely shed their identities as
bullies. They didn’t care about mocking anyone or bragging, they were just two
wacky best friends doing their own thing.
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| Bulk and Skull stand up to Astronema |
Both in real life and in television, you often find someone’s
true character in how they react to stressful situations. In ”Countdown to
Destruction”, the epic finale of Power
Rangers in Space, it looked like the all hope was lost. The city had been
under attack and the Power Rangers were nowhere to be found. People started to
think the Power Rangers abandoned them, but Bulk was the first one to come to
their defense. Later, when Astronema, the season’s villain, demanded that the
citizens turn over the Rangers or be destroyed. Bulk and Skull stepped up and
declared themselves to be Power Rangers. They took a stand, joined the fight
and led the civilian charge against the villains.
Compare this to how Bulk and Skull were first introduced in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. They were
a couple delinquent kids with no moral compass. Over time we watched as they
went through different phases of life. They learned, grew, failed, and tried.
If you ask me, they are the most compelling characters to watch, and are the
true heroes if you look closely.
