Another year has passed, and we’ve come to an end of another “Power Rangers” series. This time, we bid farewell to the folks at Space Patrol Delta, better known as S.P.D.

Overall, the S.P.D. version of the Power Rangers is probably the best one they’ve had in a couple years. Although I love dinosaurs, like any boy growing up in this world, I have to say that this S.P.D. series offered more in character and scope than the three heroes in the Dino Thunder series.

My sons are avid Power Rangers fans, and I was worried when the series transferred from dinosaurs to the police. However, they made the transition nicely. I will say again that I’m impressed when you can out-do dinosaurs in a series. In fact, we just got out of the Christmas season, and I have noticed how popular S.P.D. gifts were with my sons this year.

In reality, though, the final two discs in the “Power Rangers S.P.D.” series do not contain the final episodes of the series. While the five DVDs available only contain 25 episodes in total, there are actually 37 episodes that have aired on television. Unfortunately, like previous “Power Rangers” series, this leaves the viewer with an incomplete series. You may be able to collect all five, but you don’t get all the episodes. (I guess that’s ABC’s way of making you watch their television shows as well.)

Volumes 4 (“Boom”) and 5 (“Zapped”) of the series introduce a new ranger. Again, this is a white ranger, but instead of being evil like they have in the past, this one is a good guy. He’s a being of energy that comes from the future to help the S.P.D. cadets battle Emperor Gruum.

Of course, most of the episodes are nothing more than excuses for the rangers to jump around, displaying their martial arts and yelling “hi-ya!” a lot. But what do you expect from the Power Rangers? There are also your obligatory lessons to be learned during the shows, including messages about telling the truth, trusting your friends and being yourself.

The DVDs in this final wave include the same nominal features from the first three discs. The character of Z Delgado has a recruitment video on volume 4, while Jack has one on volume 5. There’s also more of the Delta Squad Runner Virtual Simulator, which gives a rather clunky DVD set-top game.

However, the best special feature is the inclusion of a new bonus episode at the very end of the series – “Wormhole.” For fans of the Dino Thunder team, this is a real treat. Gruum has found a wormhole, which throws him back to our present. It allows the Dino Thunder rangers and the S.P.D. rangers to join forces in a special type of series finale. When Tommy Oliver comes in as the Black Ranger and Doggie Cruger comes in as the Shadow Ranger, it culminates into one giant Power Rangers Smackdown. What a great way to finish off the series.



Specifications: Dolby Digital Surround Sound. Fullscreen (1.33:1). English language subtitles for the hearing impaired.