Welcome back to our coverage of Young Justice as part of the Multiversity Summer Binge at this the twelfth episode of the season. Sadly, this is the last episode I was able to watch on Netflix as the show has been pulled from the streaming service as of August 1, along with Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. But perhaps this means the shows will be moved to DC’s new streaming service and more than Young Justice season 3 and the live-action Titans will be available. But, I digress.
This episode the cave is attacked by Red Tornado wannabees and Artemis really steps it up. Let’s dive-in!
1. “We’ll laugh about this some day.”
I totally forgot that my second favorite scene in this whole show happens back to back with my all time favorite from last week. This episode opens pretty innocuously as the team is still adjusting to duties both being students, being partners, and being heroes and a team. Artemis wakes up in Gotham (which as Robin points out later in the episode is weird since she is masquerading as Green Arrow’s niece) and gets ready to start her first day at Gotham Academy. She gets to school and is about to be led around by the student body president or some nonsense and some kid comes to take a picture with her saying “We’ll laugh about this someday,” and then disappears in typical Robin fash….wait a minute.
Dick gets over to Barbara Gordon (the future Batgirl, or current Batgirl?) and she asks him what that was and he innocently responds nothing, Barbara. It’s hilarious and it’s a great Babs cameo. Plus, it’s one of the only times in the whole season where Dick isn’t wearing a mask or sunglasses.
2. “Green Arrow and Black Canary have a hot date”
The rest of the first part of the episode acts as a recap. Miss M and Superboy are making out in the cave, Sphere (ugh Sphere, I love Sphere) acts all jealous just like a doting animal, and Wally is oblivious to all of it and still acting with his compass of a penis. Aqualad is filling in Red Tornado on the possibility that there might be a mole, which we’ve known for a couple episodes, as Red leaves for the Watchtower to pull monitor duty so Green Arrow and Black Canary can have a hot date. It’s really pretty menial stuff, but the fact the Tornado leaves tips the hand that more is coming. And at the almost halfway point of the season, it’s a good reminder without being overtly “Here’s literally everything that’s happened so far.”
3. Artemis’ true identity
We haven’t seen much of Robin, Wally, and Artemis the past few episodes, and we still don’t get much Wally. Robin and Artemis are the spotlights with Dick acting as more of a mentor and secondary character. But this episode we learn, at least in part, Artemis’ origin. From the moment the Alice in Wonderland poster is glimpsed in the first minute of the episode, it is clear that Artemis and the assassin Cheshire who we’ve seen in two episodes previously are sisters. Artemis’ whole struggle this episode is trying to finally decide whether to be a hero or a coward and to rise above her villainous family. Which she does with some crazy backflip, one in a million arrow that completes the circuit launching the EMP that puts to bed Red Tornado’s “siblings.” Wheeeeee…..
But that begs the question who is dear old, deadbeat, dad?
4. Dick with the quips
AKA, “Get traught or get dead.”
Dick has so many of the one-liners in this episode it’s like the writers played up every gag they had in their pockets from the last like five episodes and just stashed them all here. From Dick saying the two robots were user-unfriendly, to the “Yes on the red, no on the tornado,” to his final complement of Artemis telling her “Way to get traught,” after commenting on her being distraught in their game of cat and mouse earlier, Dick wins this episode.
Also, the moment where he tells Artemis he’s been doing this since he was 9, that’s insane. I always pictured Dick Grayson at a solid like 14-15 when he started as Robin, but I guess he is I think 13 in the show at the moment so this is consistent with his characterization. This episode perhaps justifies some of good ol’ Fredric Wertham’s complaints.
Continued below5. Red Wedding part II
I’ve never watched Game of Thrones, but I’m a history buff, the Red Wedding is based on the Black Dinner. Look it up.
Anyway, puns aside, how interesting an idea is it that Red Tornado has siblings? I don’t know that this is an idea that has ever been explored in the comics, but it definitely should be. Also lol at Artemis constantly referring to them as “the Reds.” Damn communist robots.
Is Tornado the traitor? Who knows, find out next week (probably not).
Additional Thought:
If Kryptonians can’t drown, why does Red Tornado sucking the air out of the room render Superboy unconscious? Riddle me that one.
That concludes our thoughts this week, sound off in the comments below and check back next week as Captain Marvel appears!!!
