as a kid I learned that the correct number for a superteam was 5.

from as far back as Voltron through to the 5 X-Men you name first to the Power Rangers series that so has obviously shaped my eternal youth--indeed, my first exposure to antifascist content--two arms, two legs, and a head has always made a certain type of sense to me.

5 core members...it looks, feels right, yaknow? 

that's, like, just how many you need at baseline.

that's why The Pleasant Uprising is most typically comprised of 5 musicians (well, 4 musicians and yours truly)...at least, officially or something.

that being typed, the thing is we're currently living through a very special episode.

one of those where the usual efforts and powers of our heroes are best supplemented by additional talent...your three-part season finale where the golden tightrope to victory hangs in the balance, that kind of deal. 

maybe a teammate is temporarily incapacitated or the base of operations suddenly changes, maybe some crisis of confidence threatens team cohesion.

sometimes "super" just ain't enough.

...and so in practice, The Pleasant Uprising is and has been composed of numerous individuals, some temporary, some enduring, all essential to the plot in some form or fashion.

for example, you'll most often see Sixth Ranger Gabriela alongside us firebending on stage--my favorite bit is the devil wings she gives me during a particularly intense verse--but she's also an outstanding outreach liaison...as much a member of the band as The Almighty Envelope allows.

Shuttle Supervisor Donovan has also served with distinction in recent weeks...stomping around like a madman for 3 hours every Friday night is a lot easier when I don't also have to carry all the equipment and artillery up and down the stairs...when we do actually go on the road, he's welcome on the journey.

then there's our Lead Advocate Jen, who fulfills such a diverse array of roles in the construct that her contributions can scarcely be contained in this paragraph for formatting reasons. perhaps it is best that way, with electronic eyes watching all of us so closely.

musically, the lineup is the lineup...except when it's not! you go to war with the army you have...if you've got yourself a fascist-killing machine, at one time or another you might be eligible to join us. 

for a night. for a story arc. for the whole damn show.

sometimes a lone rider enters the fray armed with a saxophone: a perfect superweapon in some episodes.

on occasion one member or another is out of the quadrant, trapped in time or otherwise compromised...as ringleader, I pride myself on my preparation for these scenarios...what has become years of substitutions and workarounds means that today there's always someone to summon, and I am grateful for it.

another fun trope is when a previously active member returns from their sabbatical or vision quest armed with new and exciting tools or a cool haircut.

like I said, these things just happen in this genre of media...watching too much TV as a kid has made me incredibly genre-savvy.

no matter what the circumstances may be, regardless of who is standing beside me at the time (well, other than ZiZi) we go out there and get the job done every time. we take the field of battle, face the monster of the week, and try to have a damn good time doing it.

I enjoy the ride. I savor the fight. I love this fuckin show.

here's hoping you make a cameo in the next episode.

all power to The People.

--Flor!