The standalone 30th anniversary Power Rangers special, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always, is full of nostalgia and deeply heartfelt moments. Despite today’s plethora of filming technology, the special sticks to the show’s original aesthetic and tone, leaning into its campiness, (at times) corniness, and practical effects. The Power Rangers special also revisits some places, like the Angel Grove Youth Center and its infamous juice bar. But, there is one Power Rangers Easter egg that many fans may have missed in the 30th anniversary special. It is a nod to Harvey Garvey, a talk show host that shows up in one bizarre episode of the original Power Rangers series who is more important than you think.
A year after Trini’s death, Zack takes her teenage daughter Minh to her gravesite. They are supposed to meet up with the others to commemorate her life; however, Rita Repulsa has other plans. Zack jumps in to help the other Rangers fight and there’s a lot of thrashing and smashing going on. One item that gets destroyed is a headstone that says “Harvey Garvey 1953-2022,” which Rita’s henchbeast Minotaur smashes in one swoop. The camera lingers on it just long enough that you wonder who the hell Harvey Garvey is.
In the season two episode “Lights, Camera, Action,” the Power Rangers go on The Harvey Garvey Show to promote the power of education. Ya know, “be cool and stay in school” kind of stuff. They chat with the show’s host, Harvey Garvey (duh), about the mental power you need to be a Ranger. Meanwhile, Lord Zedd is up to his usual shenanigans as is Goldar and a group of Putties. We see the Putties in the Power Rangers anniversary special, which ties these two episodes together in another way. In fact, you can watch the episode in its entirety below.
Harvey Garvey doesn’t make a huge splash in this episode outside of being a cheeky talk show host. He’s understandably hype about talking to the Power Rangers and we totally get it. However, the actor that portrays him, Kim Strauss, is a major part of Power Rangers history. We only see his face in this one, frankly chaotic episode. The crew leaves him for the big fight scene against a literal TV monster and predictably save the day.
But, Strauss’ acting credits span several iterations of the franchise. He’s the voice of Ninjor in season three of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Scorpius in Power Rangers: Lost Galaxy, and Jinxer in Power Rangers: Lightspeed Rescue, among many other foes. So, the nod to Harvey Garvey in the Power Rangers 30th anniversary special is a nice homage to Kim Strauss’ contributions to the franchise. (To be clear, Kim Strauss was also born in 1953 and is still alive in 2023.)
So, there you have it. One small Power Rangers Easter egg gives you a whole history lesson about the series. Like our fearless heroes said, knowledge is truly power.