Over the course of Power Rangers there have been six midseason cast changes. All of which happened during the early years of the program (MMPR S2- Lost Galaxy). Here I decided to take a look back at all these different cast changes.
MMPR S2
The first one happened during MMPR S2. The actors who played Jason, Zack, and Trini (Austin St. John, Walter Jones, and Thuy Trang) left reportedly due to low pay. They were replaced by three new characters, Rocky, Adam, and Aisha. This cast change was poorly handled. After the actors who played Jason, Zack, and Trini left the show the producers had to redub their voices with voice actors who sounded nothing like Jason, Zack, or Trini. However, with a lack of options after the actors left, it's not like they couldn't do much more. The producers often used camera tricks and stock footage to try to make it appear that they were still there. The problem came after the cast change. The new characters lacked development and personalities. Adam had somewhat of a personality as the cool guy and a strong martial artist, but the writers seemed like they didn't know what to do with Rocky and Aisha. Rocky for example, one episode would be portrayed as this happy-go-lucky character that just wants to have fun, while the next episode it seemed his personality would shift to a stoic leader (second in command actually) like Jason.
MMPR S3, Kimberly and Katherine
In MMPR S3, Kimberly's actress Amy Jo Johnson had told the producers ahead of time that she wanted to leave the show to explore new career opportunities. This worked in the writers favor as they were given time to properly write Kimberly off. Among all the cast changes I think this one was handled the best. Kimberly was given a 9 episode long story arc that also introduced Katherine's character and gave some background on her character. Katherine was initially under a spell and being used by Rita and Zedd to spy on the rangers. However, it's revealed that she's initially from Australia and was once a diver, but feared diving because of an accident that happened to her as a kid. Eventually, Kimberly who loved gymnastics, accepted an invitation to train for world gymnastics competition in Florida. Furthermore, there was some good drama during this arc, including Ninjor and the Falcon Zord being captured. This story arc involving Kimberly's smooth departure and Kat's introduction, was IMO the best story arc during an otherwise average MMPR S3. Sure it was sad to see Kimberly go but it was a well written arc.
MMPR S3/Zeo, Aisha & Tanya
Near the end of MMPR S3, Aisha's actress, Karen Ashley, wanted to leave the show due to the heavy workload (reportedly 16 hour workdays). Saban granted her request and initially the writers had planned a story arc for Aisha's departure similar to Kimberly's. However, with the upcoming Alien Rangers arc the writers dropped the idea, feeling there was no need to. What we got was kid Ashley giving her powers and responsibility as a power ranger to kid Tanya, before the world was turned back to its normal time. This was another poorly handled cast change. We never got a chance to see Aisha's actress, Karen Ashley during her departure and it was rushed, kinda thrown in at the last second. Albiet Tanya in Zeo did get much more character development than Aisha did in MMPR S2, it was still a rushed scenario.
Beginning of Turbo, Rocky and Justin
Near the end of Zeo, Rocky's actor Steven Cardenas had to leave the show reportedly due to suffering an injury. Fox Network demanded that his replacement would be a kid in order to appeal to Power Rangers' younger fanbase. This move, however, backfired and is the worst of the cast changes IMO. The move didn't bring new children viewers and instead the ratings plummeted. Justin through the first 18 episodes was a bratty kid who seemed to think that being a Power Ranger was more for fun than being a responsibility. Justin's bratty behavior was toned down during the second half of the season, however. It should also be noted that two episodes later they replaced Zordon and Alpha 5, two characters that the audience had then grown to love, with even more annoying characters Demitria (who only talked in questions) and Alpha 6 (a jive-street talking version of Alpha 5).
Midseason Turbo
At around the same time Rocky had left the show, Tommy and Katherine's actors (Jason David Frank and Catherine Sutherland) also wanted to leave the show for new career opportunities. However, Saban did manage to sign them both to contracts for the first 18 episodes of Turbo which allowed them time to be written off. Tommy and Katherine were planned to be replaced by Carlos and Ashley. However, after Judd Lynn was promoted to head writer after Douglass Sloan's departure, Lynn decided to start fresh by replacing the entire ranger cast except for Justin. Two other new characters were introduced, T.J. and Cassie. Shortly after the cast change the ratings went up. Some fans complain about this cast change, however I don't think it was that bad. Initially Carlos did come off as kinda selfish and Cassie was a little annoying in her introductory episode, but after the cast change all the new characters got solid development. They were a group which I warmed up to quickly, and all of them were likable characters. These four stayed for the next season, Power Rangers In Space, which is considered by many to be Power Rangers' best season.
Turbo/In Space, Justin and Andros
Among all the cast changes this is probably the only one where the Power Ranger fandom was glad to see the previous character leave. Here, Justin's actor Blake Foster left the show at the end of Turbo. He was replaced by Andros. Andros would go on to be one of the more popular Power Ranger characters that was not from the original Mighty Morphin cast. Unlike previous cast changes like MMPR S2 where they treated the new cast members simply as the replacements, Andros' character was given heavy development. A large portion of In Space's story focused around Andros, but not so much that the other characters were obsolete like they are in Mystic Force. Andros served as a mentor role as well as having problems like his missing sister and his friend Zhane who was nearly killed in a battle that preceeded the season.
Lost Galaxy
MMPR S2
The first one happened during MMPR S2. The actors who played Jason, Zack, and Trini (Austin St. John, Walter Jones, and Thuy Trang) left reportedly due to low pay. They were replaced by three new characters, Rocky, Adam, and Aisha. This cast change was poorly handled. After the actors who played Jason, Zack, and Trini left the show the producers had to redub their voices with voice actors who sounded nothing like Jason, Zack, or Trini. However, with a lack of options after the actors left, it's not like they couldn't do much more. The producers often used camera tricks and stock footage to try to make it appear that they were still there. The problem came after the cast change. The new characters lacked development and personalities. Adam had somewhat of a personality as the cool guy and a strong martial artist, but the writers seemed like they didn't know what to do with Rocky and Aisha. Rocky for example, one episode would be portrayed as this happy-go-lucky character that just wants to have fun, while the next episode it seemed his personality would shift to a stoic leader (second in command actually) like Jason.
MMPR S3, Kimberly and Katherine
In MMPR S3, Kimberly's actress Amy Jo Johnson had told the producers ahead of time that she wanted to leave the show to explore new career opportunities. This worked in the writers favor as they were given time to properly write Kimberly off. Among all the cast changes I think this one was handled the best. Kimberly was given a 9 episode long story arc that also introduced Katherine's character and gave some background on her character. Katherine was initially under a spell and being used by Rita and Zedd to spy on the rangers. However, it's revealed that she's initially from Australia and was once a diver, but feared diving because of an accident that happened to her as a kid. Eventually, Kimberly who loved gymnastics, accepted an invitation to train for world gymnastics competition in Florida. Furthermore, there was some good drama during this arc, including Ninjor and the Falcon Zord being captured. This story arc involving Kimberly's smooth departure and Kat's introduction, was IMO the best story arc during an otherwise average MMPR S3. Sure it was sad to see Kimberly go but it was a well written arc.
MMPR S3/Zeo, Aisha & Tanya
Near the end of MMPR S3, Aisha's actress, Karen Ashley, wanted to leave the show due to the heavy workload (reportedly 16 hour workdays). Saban granted her request and initially the writers had planned a story arc for Aisha's departure similar to Kimberly's. However, with the upcoming Alien Rangers arc the writers dropped the idea, feeling there was no need to. What we got was kid Ashley giving her powers and responsibility as a power ranger to kid Tanya, before the world was turned back to its normal time. This was another poorly handled cast change. We never got a chance to see Aisha's actress, Karen Ashley during her departure and it was rushed, kinda thrown in at the last second. Albiet Tanya in Zeo did get much more character development than Aisha did in MMPR S2, it was still a rushed scenario.
Beginning of Turbo, Rocky and Justin
Near the end of Zeo, Rocky's actor Steven Cardenas had to leave the show reportedly due to suffering an injury. Fox Network demanded that his replacement would be a kid in order to appeal to Power Rangers' younger fanbase. This move, however, backfired and is the worst of the cast changes IMO. The move didn't bring new children viewers and instead the ratings plummeted. Justin through the first 18 episodes was a bratty kid who seemed to think that being a Power Ranger was more for fun than being a responsibility. Justin's bratty behavior was toned down during the second half of the season, however. It should also be noted that two episodes later they replaced Zordon and Alpha 5, two characters that the audience had then grown to love, with even more annoying characters Demitria (who only talked in questions) and Alpha 6 (a jive-street talking version of Alpha 5).
Midseason Turbo
At around the same time Rocky had left the show, Tommy and Katherine's actors (Jason David Frank and Catherine Sutherland) also wanted to leave the show for new career opportunities. However, Saban did manage to sign them both to contracts for the first 18 episodes of Turbo which allowed them time to be written off. Tommy and Katherine were planned to be replaced by Carlos and Ashley. However, after Judd Lynn was promoted to head writer after Douglass Sloan's departure, Lynn decided to start fresh by replacing the entire ranger cast except for Justin. Two other new characters were introduced, T.J. and Cassie. Shortly after the cast change the ratings went up. Some fans complain about this cast change, however I don't think it was that bad. Initially Carlos did come off as kinda selfish and Cassie was a little annoying in her introductory episode, but after the cast change all the new characters got solid development. They were a group which I warmed up to quickly, and all of them were likable characters. These four stayed for the next season, Power Rangers In Space, which is considered by many to be Power Rangers' best season.
Turbo/In Space, Justin and Andros
Among all the cast changes this is probably the only one where the Power Ranger fandom was glad to see the previous character leave. Here, Justin's actor Blake Foster left the show at the end of Turbo. He was replaced by Andros. Andros would go on to be one of the more popular Power Ranger characters that was not from the original Mighty Morphin cast. Unlike previous cast changes like MMPR S2 where they treated the new cast members simply as the replacements, Andros' character was given heavy development. A large portion of In Space's story focused around Andros, but not so much that the other characters were obsolete like they are in Mystic Force. Andros served as a mentor role as well as having problems like his missing sister and his friend Zhane who was nearly killed in a battle that preceeded the season.
Lost Galaxy
The last of these midseason cast changes came in Lost Galaxy. Kendrix's actress, Valorie Varone, had been diagnosed with leukimia and had to leave the show to receive treatment. Her character, Kendrix, became the first power ranger character (and third non-power ranger character) to be killed off during a series. Kendrix's character died in the In Space team-up while trying to protect Cassie. Originally the producers had planned to replace Kendrix with Cassie, and one episode with Cassie was shot as Lost Galaxy Pink that was reported to be excellent. However, Cassie's actress Patricia Ja Lee, reportedly couldn't come to terms on a contract with Saban. Reports have ranged from her being paid less than the rest of the cast to her being upset that she wasn't going to be placed in the opening credits. Eventually Kendrix was replaced by another In Space alumni, Karone, who was previously the main villain during In Space, Astronema. This worked really well from a story perspective. Kendrix's death added an emotional element to the story and showed maturity, while part of Karone's development was overcoming her past demons of being Astronema. After Lost Galaxy, the cast has changed at the end of the year regularly like Super Sentai has, so I won't go into detail for the rest of the cast changes.
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