After an awesome return last week, Young Justice is keeping the ball rolling nicely. We're back on track with the main plot now, while still managing to throw in some added features. As with nearly every episode, they've managed to add even more depth to the immensely deep story going on.
The focus has returned to our double agent, Aqualad. Once more, Kal has to prove himself to The Light and this time he has to lead an attack on Mount Justice. He's not alone, either, he's got his own team of evil youths now. Artemis is sticking by his side, now as Tigress, and she manages to remain pretty epic. We get to see the Terror Twins again and actually pose a threat. Last time we saw them, it was mostly just Megan and Connor posing as them, so it's nice to see what they can actually do together. And of course we've got the lovable rogue, Icicle Jr. He's still got his crush on Tuppence, despite the fact that he's never met the real her. He's easily the most enjoyable of the team, managing to be psycho will still maintaining a certain charm.
Nightwing, being the mastermind that he is, claims that Aqualad's attack was all part of the plan so he could get a way to track the captured Lagoon Boy. However, clearly a major downside to the plan is that Beast Boy, Impulse, and Blue Beetle have all be taken prisoner. This means that things will probably get messy soon. And if that wasn't bad enough, to prove his loyalty, Aqualad destroyed Mount Justice. Nightwing and Connor were barely able to survive, another hiccup in Dick's plan.
As one would expect, Wally was not happy with what happened. He brings up some good points stating that Nightwing's ploy is bound to get someone hurt soon. And Aqualad's ruse seems to be working a little too well, as even Wally is starting to doubt where his true loyalty lies. Aqualad's whole traitor plot has just been swung around so much since it began. First he turns evil due to his personal trauma, then he's actually a mole, and now there's the possibility that his emotional trauma may actually have turned him evil. So far he's seems like he's still on the heroes' side, but I can see some moral conflicts growing even more out of this.
Aside from Aqualad, though, the main character of this episode seemed to have been Blue Beetle. Continuing off of last episode, Impulse seems intent on befriending Jaime. The two of them make a good duo and should continue providing some nice moments. Jaime's story took a drastic turn, though, when The Scarab decided that it was time to take control. Jaime was helpless to stop himself from attacking Aqualad which, as far as he knew, would result in the death of his friends. It's been made pretty clear that The Partner is related to The Scarab so it makes sense that Jaime has been getting a lot of plotlines lately. Things are sure to get worse before they get better for him.
The other minor subplot of this episode featured Mal trying to reconnect with Karen. I'm really glad that Karen has finally be given some time outside of Bumblebee. So far she's been one of the least featured new heroes and I've wondered about her story. She's busy at work for Ray Palmer, while Mal is left on the sidelines. It's not the most original plot, and definitely not one of the most exciting, but it still is good to see that these characters have their own personal issues as well. I'm still hoping that Karen/Bumblebee will be getting an episode devoted to her soon.
So, where does that leave us now? The Light is in a menacing position for the team. They've got four of their newbie heroes, they've got Aqualad and Tigress on their side for now, they've got those kidnapped kids still trapped tubes, for some reason they seem to have Shimmer there too, but I'm not sure what that is about. This is sure to lead to a much larger battle that is sure to have some morals and loyalties questioned. The Partner is sure to be revealed and given some explanation soon enough, and that means that Jaime's story is likely to be given further depth. Jaime seems to be set up as the main protagonist of this part of the series, so I imagine he'll play an important role in the climax.
The show just keeps growing better so I'm even more excited for next week.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Monday, October 1, 2012
Glee - Makeover
The last couple of episode have been mainly focused on the new guys coming into Glee, and Rachel getting used to NYADA. For this episode, though, the spotlight shifts off of the newbies and returns to some familiar faces, while Kurt takes the focus in New York.
So what does McKinley have in store for us today? For starters, Schue finds that he's not enthusiastic about Glee anymore, and decides that maybe he could try making a difference in the world. Okay, I'm a little mixed on this plot. For one thing, we kind of alright saw this with the whole Sue versus Burt for congress plot last year. On the other hand, Schue does need a plot to keep his story moving. Then back to the bad, we've seen before that Schue has had to pick between his dream and the kids...he chose the kids. So, let's hope that this plotline isn't just a recycle piece that we've already gotten tired of. If they keep it fresh, then it could actually be interesting.
The main plotline at the school, though, is another kind of political battle. Brittany wants to be president for another year, while Blaine is interested in making his mark on the school. Brittany snags Artie as her vice-president telling him that he'll be the one doing all the work if she wins, while she hands Sam over to Blaine. This whole thing comes to a head with another one of those Brittany moments that just make me cringe. Her argument, she'll cancel weekends and summer because she loves everyone in school. This girl isn't just dumb, she's insane. While she's meant to be funny, I just can't accept that a teenage girl would actually say something like that.
For me, the real star of this episode was Sam, though. While Blaine tries to teach him the info he needs to know about being vice-president, Sam tries to help Blaine lose his uptight persona. When Blaine finds that Kurt has no time for him (we'll get to that later) Sam steps in and let's him know that the bowtie isn't really working. Sam then gets an awesome moment where at the debate he gets asked if he's ashamed of being a stripper. At first I expected this to be another angst moment for Sam, but instead he just surprises everyone and rips off his shirt. No doubt thanks to this, and Brittany's horrible ideas, Blaine wins the election. At the end we find that he's managed to really start building a strong friendship with Blaine. And he may have won over Brittany too.
I'm sticking to my prediction that Sam and Brittany are going to get together. The next episode is supposed to feature a breakup, and it's very clear that Brittany and Santana are having issues. Brittany was shown being very cuddly with Sam after she lost the election, and I think the two of them may have something. As for Mercedes, we haven't seen any sign of her, but I think we can assume that she and Sam have broken up...if they ever actually did get together for good.
Lastly, we got to see Kurt get into work at Vogue.com. Unlike Cassandra July, his mentor, Isabelle Wright, is positive, but insecure with herself. She encourages Kurt to never lose his optimism and is eager to help him give Rachel a makeover. I can say that she's add a nice burst of positivity to the New York plot, while still being able to show her own weaknesses. By the end, she lets Kurt join her on the fashion discussion, and tells him that maybe this is the life for him.
The episode ends with Rachel and Brody. Despite both being aware that Rachel hasn't forgotten Finn, they eventually give in to a kiss. Then, who should decide to show up for a surprise visit, but none other than Finn. Well, looks like Rachel's going to have some serious drama in her life, but that's for next episode. Whatever happens, it's got my attention.
So this episode gave us a nice look back at some of the older characters. Marlie, Wade, and Jake took the backseat from their plot to give Blaine, Artie, Sam, and Brittany a chance to take up the stage. I'd say this is a good kind of balance for the kids. Schue has got his plot rolling which could really do either way at this point. Kurt's got a new life in store for him which seems to be a pretty uplifting experience so far. And Rachel is in trouble. All in all it looks like we're on the right path. Next episode should continue on with these plots and see if it can keep them interesting.
And did you notice any reason why this episode was so much better than the last two? That's right, no Kitty!
So what does McKinley have in store for us today? For starters, Schue finds that he's not enthusiastic about Glee anymore, and decides that maybe he could try making a difference in the world. Okay, I'm a little mixed on this plot. For one thing, we kind of alright saw this with the whole Sue versus Burt for congress plot last year. On the other hand, Schue does need a plot to keep his story moving. Then back to the bad, we've seen before that Schue has had to pick between his dream and the kids...he chose the kids. So, let's hope that this plotline isn't just a recycle piece that we've already gotten tired of. If they keep it fresh, then it could actually be interesting.
The main plotline at the school, though, is another kind of political battle. Brittany wants to be president for another year, while Blaine is interested in making his mark on the school. Brittany snags Artie as her vice-president telling him that he'll be the one doing all the work if she wins, while she hands Sam over to Blaine. This whole thing comes to a head with another one of those Brittany moments that just make me cringe. Her argument, she'll cancel weekends and summer because she loves everyone in school. This girl isn't just dumb, she's insane. While she's meant to be funny, I just can't accept that a teenage girl would actually say something like that.
For me, the real star of this episode was Sam, though. While Blaine tries to teach him the info he needs to know about being vice-president, Sam tries to help Blaine lose his uptight persona. When Blaine finds that Kurt has no time for him (we'll get to that later) Sam steps in and let's him know that the bowtie isn't really working. Sam then gets an awesome moment where at the debate he gets asked if he's ashamed of being a stripper. At first I expected this to be another angst moment for Sam, but instead he just surprises everyone and rips off his shirt. No doubt thanks to this, and Brittany's horrible ideas, Blaine wins the election. At the end we find that he's managed to really start building a strong friendship with Blaine. And he may have won over Brittany too.
I'm sticking to my prediction that Sam and Brittany are going to get together. The next episode is supposed to feature a breakup, and it's very clear that Brittany and Santana are having issues. Brittany was shown being very cuddly with Sam after she lost the election, and I think the two of them may have something. As for Mercedes, we haven't seen any sign of her, but I think we can assume that she and Sam have broken up...if they ever actually did get together for good.
Lastly, we got to see Kurt get into work at Vogue.com. Unlike Cassandra July, his mentor, Isabelle Wright, is positive, but insecure with herself. She encourages Kurt to never lose his optimism and is eager to help him give Rachel a makeover. I can say that she's add a nice burst of positivity to the New York plot, while still being able to show her own weaknesses. By the end, she lets Kurt join her on the fashion discussion, and tells him that maybe this is the life for him.
The episode ends with Rachel and Brody. Despite both being aware that Rachel hasn't forgotten Finn, they eventually give in to a kiss. Then, who should decide to show up for a surprise visit, but none other than Finn. Well, looks like Rachel's going to have some serious drama in her life, but that's for next episode. Whatever happens, it's got my attention.
So this episode gave us a nice look back at some of the older characters. Marlie, Wade, and Jake took the backseat from their plot to give Blaine, Artie, Sam, and Brittany a chance to take up the stage. I'd say this is a good kind of balance for the kids. Schue has got his plot rolling which could really do either way at this point. Kurt's got a new life in store for him which seems to be a pretty uplifting experience so far. And Rachel is in trouble. All in all it looks like we're on the right path. Next episode should continue on with these plots and see if it can keep them interesting.
And did you notice any reason why this episode was so much better than the last two? That's right, no Kitty!
Young Justice - Satisfaction
We've had a large hiatus for a while now, but it's finally over and let me tell you, the wait was worth it. This was a really strong episode that managed to focus on a lot of character development in many different characters, carried on all the major storylines, and packed in a tonne of epic action.
The main focus on this story was about the original Roy Harper who's been missing ever since before the series began. Remember way back at the start, Red Arrow was a super angry jerk. This could be forgiven as it was in his programming, but we now see that real Roy isn't any better. He quickly tears into Green Arrow for 'abandoning' him and then goes out for revenge on Lex Luthor. Yep, this guy's going to be trouble.
The real action breaks out when Roy attacks Luthor, and Luthor sends out Mercy to fight. As evil as he is, Luthor is a really awesome character. He is able to remain calm and witty all throughout the assignation attempt. Then there was the actual fight, which was really something intense. Mercy proved to be a real threat, and Roy's only got one arm here. But he manages to wrap explosive rope around her arm cannon and blow off her greatest weapon.
He doesn't get to kill Luthor, though, instead he trades his revenge for an improved arm cannon for himself. He also chooses a new name for himself. Comic fans would recognize the hint when Luthor starts praising his internal arsenal, so it's no surprise when Roy declares that he shall now be called Arsenal. I think we'll be seeing more of this guy soon, he's got a lot of room for more stories. Espescially considering that he's wearing a piece of Luthor tech on his arm. I can't be the only one who remembers what happened to Super Boy last season. Luthor may have found himself a new mole, or something just as sinister.
This episode also gave us a bunch of minor moments to see into the minds of some of the other characters. We learn that Jaime feels bitter about never getting to know the original Blue Beetle. The perky little guy from the future, Impulse, offers him a hand in friendship though. Jaime is another deep character who will no doubt bring much to the rest of the season; his friendship with Bart is just a nice touch into his character. We get to see that Super Boy is depressed because no one remembered his birthday...except Wendy. The two of them definitely have signs of a romance going on which could be an interesting, not super-related plot. And we got to see that Jade has a score to settle with Aqualad, while Sportsmaster is just ticked off at Black Manta. He brought what I felt was one of the most amusing lines, "The son of Black Manta can't kill my daughter...not without running it by me first."
And lastly we got to see all the ladies get together for a baby shower for Rocket. Naturally, I was ecstatic to see Zatanna and Rocket again since they were two of my favorites that never got enough screentime. It looked like they might be getting a sideplot when Captain Cold tried to rob a nearby bank, but sadly it didn't go anywhere. But at least we know that they haven't completely forgotten about these two ladies. Maybe they'll get to show off a bit later in the series.
All in all this episode lives up to its name as it was very satisfying. We have a lot of plots to get to and it looks like this series is going to get a lot more hectic than before. If it stays this high quality, though, it's bound to be superb. It looks like I'm back to eagerly waiting for the next episode, but at least this time it's only a week.
The main focus on this story was about the original Roy Harper who's been missing ever since before the series began. Remember way back at the start, Red Arrow was a super angry jerk. This could be forgiven as it was in his programming, but we now see that real Roy isn't any better. He quickly tears into Green Arrow for 'abandoning' him and then goes out for revenge on Lex Luthor. Yep, this guy's going to be trouble.
The real action breaks out when Roy attacks Luthor, and Luthor sends out Mercy to fight. As evil as he is, Luthor is a really awesome character. He is able to remain calm and witty all throughout the assignation attempt. Then there was the actual fight, which was really something intense. Mercy proved to be a real threat, and Roy's only got one arm here. But he manages to wrap explosive rope around her arm cannon and blow off her greatest weapon.
He doesn't get to kill Luthor, though, instead he trades his revenge for an improved arm cannon for himself. He also chooses a new name for himself. Comic fans would recognize the hint when Luthor starts praising his internal arsenal, so it's no surprise when Roy declares that he shall now be called Arsenal. I think we'll be seeing more of this guy soon, he's got a lot of room for more stories. Espescially considering that he's wearing a piece of Luthor tech on his arm. I can't be the only one who remembers what happened to Super Boy last season. Luthor may have found himself a new mole, or something just as sinister.
This episode also gave us a bunch of minor moments to see into the minds of some of the other characters. We learn that Jaime feels bitter about never getting to know the original Blue Beetle. The perky little guy from the future, Impulse, offers him a hand in friendship though. Jaime is another deep character who will no doubt bring much to the rest of the season; his friendship with Bart is just a nice touch into his character. We get to see that Super Boy is depressed because no one remembered his birthday...except Wendy. The two of them definitely have signs of a romance going on which could be an interesting, not super-related plot. And we got to see that Jade has a score to settle with Aqualad, while Sportsmaster is just ticked off at Black Manta. He brought what I felt was one of the most amusing lines, "The son of Black Manta can't kill my daughter...not without running it by me first."
And lastly we got to see all the ladies get together for a baby shower for Rocket. Naturally, I was ecstatic to see Zatanna and Rocket again since they were two of my favorites that never got enough screentime. It looked like they might be getting a sideplot when Captain Cold tried to rob a nearby bank, but sadly it didn't go anywhere. But at least we know that they haven't completely forgotten about these two ladies. Maybe they'll get to show off a bit later in the series.
All in all this episode lives up to its name as it was very satisfying. We have a lot of plots to get to and it looks like this series is going to get a lot more hectic than before. If it stays this high quality, though, it's bound to be superb. It looks like I'm back to eagerly waiting for the next episode, but at least this time it's only a week.
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