Heartwarming / Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always

• Minh rescuing a civilian's boyfriend without any powers.
• After the one-year time skip, Minh is shown to be pretty happy living with Zack, even calling him "Uncle Zack."
• Minh Kwan has been bitter towards Billy over her mother's death. But when Robo-Rita tries to kill him again, she selflessly saves Billy, just like her mom.
• The whole premise of the special in that despite Zordon's sacrifice, and the MMPR team going about their daily lives, it was Billy, the technical specialist and last seen on Aquitar, being the one to manage and lead the team on Earth, under the guise of Cranston Tech.
  • Seeing that Zack Taylor, the OG dance battler became a congressman following his exit from the team, and then becoming Billy's second in command is excellent.
  • Even better, he easily gave up his political career to take care of the orphaned daughter of one of his oldest friends, we can see that politics never got rid of the same down-to-earth but still rule-abiding dude we all know and love.
  • When Rocky is summoned via the Bandora Protocol, he immediately follows Billy's lead despite being the Red Ranger, completely subverting the Law of Chromatic Superiority.
    • Justified because Billy has been a Ranger much longer than Rocky has.
• Zack and Billy being protective of Minh, like she's their own child.
• Cranston Tech is built to not only look like the old MMPR Command Center, but appears to be built where the original used to stand with a recreation of the main command deck in the basement. Despite everything, Billy never forgot his roots.
• Minh apologizes to Billy for blaming him for Trini's death.
• Minh Kwan's character development from a hot-tempered teenager seeking revenge to the kind, selfless hero worthy to carry on her mother's legacy.
• When they realize the Sabertooth Power Coin has deemed her worthy, the team allows Minh to lead the team morph.
  • It's also implied that it wasn't just the Power Morpher that protected Minh from the spell that killed her mother, but also Trini's spirit, theorized by Billy to have become one with the Morphing Grid, resonating from it to protect her daughter.
• Seems that, after their brief reunion in Samurai, Bulk and Skull went back to being a duo and started a food-related business again that seems successful.
• Both Kat and Zack have specifically ranged weapons, Zack's Power Axe cannon mode being powerful enough to vaporize Robo-Rita, but Kat's been given the responsibility to destroy the time travel machine, no doubt finally giving her the catharsis she's long needed from being Rita's brainwashed saboteur when we first met her.
• Kat in general has a lot of emotional connection to the entire plot, by virtue of the sheer worries permeating the special, given that she herself is a mother, and her husband, one of the greatest Power Rangers he may be, has been captured and also in danger of dying. She may have never interacted with Trini on-screen, but it's pretty clear she connects to the Kwans and worries what will happen to JJ should the same happen to her and Tommy.
• The team splitting up to deal with each of Rita's minions, and both groups are meaningful, both showing respect to not simply MMPR Season 1 like most celebrations tend to hyperfixate on, but all three seasons.
  • Billy and Minh representing the old guard and the heir to their legacy, since Billy is the longest lasting of the original five, even counting his year as technical advisor during Zeo.
  • Zack, Rocky, and Kat, meanwhile, each represent the three seasons of MMPR, and they have very cohesive teamwork, despite Zack having never worked alongside the other two.
• Aisha welcoming Minh to both the Power Rangers and the legacy of the Yellow Mighty Morphin’ Ranger, saying that the power is in good hands.
  • In the same scene, not only do we have the Stone Canyon trio reunited for the first time in years, but also the first on screen interaction between all three of them and Zack.
• The entire reunion special pays tribute to Thuy Trang.
• The last shot of the special ends with a dedication to Thuy Trang and Jason David Frank.
  • The parting message in memoriam of Thuy and Jason, they will always be heroes: 'Once a Ranger, Always a Ranger.'