It's Zack's birthday and all his friends are preparing a surprise party for him. Zack however misinterprets their secrecy as a sign that they forgot, depressing him. He, unfortunately, has bigger fish to fry when Rita sicks down a black knight to destroy him.
Tropes
- Alliterative Name:: Some fans write this episode's Monster of the Week's name as simply "Nasty Knight." But official sources (including the character's action figure and the episode's VHS case) reveal it to be the alliterative "Knasty Knight".
- Behemoth Battle: Dino Megazord vs. Knasty Knight.
- Birthday Episode: Zack's in particular.
- Black Knight: Knasty Knight fits this to a 'T'.
- The Cameo: In Finster's flashback, the soldier fighting off Knasty Knight is Zack's Zyuranger counterpart, Goshi, unmorphed.
- Clark Kenting: Strangely, the Rangers plead ignorance about their alter egos around Ernie despite openly acknowledging their existence in previous episodes. Possibly justified to deflect any probable suspicion by Ernie.
- Depending on how you see Ernie's status as the show's Secret Secret-Keeper; while he may have suspected or known already, this episode is likely what cinched things for him. Depending on how long he'd been running the Youth Center, Ernie probably already knew all of their 'tells' when they lie. His over-the-top seeming to believe Jason's 'space alien' rumor story adds to that.
- Combat Commentator: Baboo acts as one to Zack's fight with the Knasty Knight, with Squatt as his cameraman.
- Cool Sword: Knasty Knight's blade can cause any weapon to rust/char by reflecting the user's energy back at them. Even the Megazord's Power Sword can't hold up until Zack comes up with a plan to reflect the Knight's energy with some of their own mixed in.
- Covered in Gunge: For once it's not just Bulk and Skull. Ernie gets nearly drowned in cake mix after Billy's oven malfunctions.
- Early-Installment Weirdness:
- During the dance scene in the end, a black girl can be seen jamming with Zack. It is clearly not Angela who would appear in a couple more episodes as Zack's primary love interest.
- This is the only episode in all three seasons where "Go Go Power Rangers" does not play as the Megazord destroys the Monster of the Week. This would later be rectified in the Lord Zedd's Monster Heads VHS, as Zedd was recalling the battle... despite not being present at the time. Perhaps Goldar filled him in.
- Funny Background Event: Goldar can be seen in the background sleeping against the wall while Rita asks Finster for a new monster.
- Hopeless with Tech: Ernie really hates machines and it's easy to see why.
- Innocuously Important Episode: Although it isn't revealed in this episode, according to Finster in Green With Evil Part II, this same battle is where Rita first gained the Sword of Darkness she gives Tommy, as the Knasty Knight took it from Zordon's warrior and presented it to her as a prize. Presumably, she corrupted the weapon once she got her hands on it, as one would wonder why someone working for Zordon would be using a sword of darkness.
- Magical Incantation: The evil spell Rita uses to summon the Knight:"Moon of ivory, stars of old, candlelight that’s spun of gold,Sky of fire, wind of fright, bring to me a Knasty Knight!"
- Make My Monster Grow: Done by Rita to Knasty Knight.
- Monster Knight: The Monster of the Week, the Knasty Knight.
- Monster of the Week: Knasty Knight.
- Not-So-Forgotten Birthday
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: After Rita’s latest creation has been defeated, she gives each of her henchmen a vicious tongue lashing and has this to say in conclusion: “What am I going to do with these nitwits?”
- Suspiciously Specific Denial: Ernie pulls this on Zack when he comes too close to blowing the surprise.
- Worldbuilding: Ernie mentions that the Power Rangers will do for Angel Grove what Batman has done for Gotham City. Whether he was referring to a real hero that actually lives in the Power Rangers Universe or simply the fictional character created by DC Comics is never specified. A crossover with the Justice League, including Batman, in the comics continuity only complicates matters further.
