Tommy finds himself in trouble balancing his relationship with Heather and having to fight the Machine Empire.
Tropes:
- Bittersweet Ending: On the slightly sweeter side for Tommy. His chance with Heather is shot but comes to realize that he may have something with Katherine. The two share a dance while Ernie watches with pride.
- Book Dumb: Rocky is the only ranger, in the beginning, to not have extensive knowledge of the Green House Effect. He humorously tries to write it off saying that it can't be the reason for the sudden heatwave, only for Zordon to prove otherwise.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Heather is never spoken of again after this three-parter.
- Did I Just Say That Out Loud?: Given her own interest in Tommy, Kat blurts out that helping him with Heather might've actually been a very stupid thing for her to do. When Tanya asks what she means, Kat awkwardly prefers to change the subject.
- For Want Of A Nail: Who knows how the romantic angle would’ve played out if the Rangers had bothered to confirm whether Defoliator was really dead the first time.
- Hidden Depths: Bulk says he knows a little Spanish. Skull appears to know enough as well, given his suggestion they flee to Mexico.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: With Tommy still down in the dumps, Kat puts together a romantic dinner for him and Heather at the Juice Bar.Tanya: That was really nice of you, Kat.
Kat: I don't know if it was really nice or really stupid. - The Masquerade Will Kill Your Dating Life: Played painfully straight, sadly. Tommy decides to leave the mountains and Heather behind after Zordon's briefing, feeling that it wouldn't be right to have fun while Angel Grove is sizzling under the heatwave. This hurts Heather, but Tommy can't tell her anything due to the secret identity rule. To twist the knife further, when Katherine arranges for him and Heather for a proper date at the Juice Bar, Defoliator takes the opportunity to strike again. This forces Rocky and Adam to fetch Tommy, who once again bails on Heather with no good excuse. By the time he comes back, Heather is gone and Katherine is apologizing for it not working out. Thankfully, it leads to a crowning moment of heartwarming where Kat and Tommy decide to dance; the implication there is that Tommy realized Kat has feelings for him, and the two have a at-first casual relationship, which would of course become a full-fledged romance later down the line.
- Mirthless Laughter: Type IV with Heather upon hearing that Tommy is walking out on their date. Her voice oozes Tranquil Fury when she asks Tommy if he knows how long it took for her to come all the way to Angel Grove.
- Not Quite Dead: After the Megazord battle, the Rangers thought that Defoliator was finished. After they left however, his hand started moving.
- Only the Leads Get a Happy Ending: Tommy and Katherine are the ones to start a relationship at the end, while a miffed Heather storms off offscreen and probably thinks that Tommy is a flake for bailing on her twice.
- Properly Paranoid: Zordon calling the rangers in just to tell the team that a threat could be awaiting seems like he's overreacting, but given Mondo's new scheme, it was a good call.
- Real Men Wear Pink: Stone is an avid gardener and regularly wins competitions with his cherished flowers.
- Romantic False Lead: Heather proves to be this in the end.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: With Defoliator's actions wrecking Stone's garden while they were supposed to be watching it, Skull advocates fleeing to Mexico. Later, when their attempt to fix things gets found and leads to Stone being disqualified from the competition, Bulk and Skull start to inch away, but he orders them to stay put. Seeing the extent of what they've done, Stone simply orders them to stand in the garden without moving a muscle until he can think of an actual (and no doubt severe) punishment.Bulk: How far did you say it was to Mexico?
- Tempting Fate: Bulk and Skull actually do a decent job watching over the garden at first, with the latter insisting that for once they won't get yelled at. A flower immediately wilts, due to what Defoliator is doing elsewhere.
- This Is Gonna Suck:
- With Defoliator still alive, Rocky and Adam go to get Tommy, finding he's having dinner with Heather. They acknowledge how this will go badly.
- Bulk and Skull when their attempt to salvage the garden gets Stone disqualified from the competition instead.
- Your Princess Is in Another Castle!: Right at the episode's halfway point, it looked like the Rangers had defeated Defoliator in record time. Unfortunately, after they leave, Defoliator gets back up.
