Young-Justice-Outsiders-Evolution-Featured Television 

Five Thoughts on Young Justice: Outsiders “Evolution”

By | January 19th, 2019
Posted in Television | % Comments

Welcome back to our coverage of Young Justice: Outsiders with this the third round of episode drops. We’ve gone from three episodes being dropped into the new status quo, three episodes checking in on some of the other heroic inhabitants of this universe, to this episode, where now we turn to the villains. This is it folks, the first follow-up to seeing Darkseid back in March 2013. Darkseid’s back.

This episode we get the history of this Earth told through the eyes of Vandal Savage. We get more history, more plot, more evil, more team-building, more…sexy time, and probably more mores than I can fit into that sentence. It’s a lot. It’s also glorious. In depth spoilers from here on out, but with that, let’s dive in.

1. The history

It really is a lot. This episode has four stories: Vandal and Darkseid battling an alien armada; Dick, Artemis, and Conner training Brion, Violet, and Forager; Jefferson and Dr. Jace on a date; and then the Brief History of Vandal Savage. It’s this last one that is almost a framing device, weaving in and out of the plots, putting down transitional sentences and thoughts as one of the other plots picks back up. It’s dark. Really dark. And even though the events taking place on Earth are lighter and happier, the tension that is held all of that space is awesome, in the true sense of the word.

We learn a decent amount about Savage and The Light and his placement as part of it. His origin is similar to his comic book one, he’s one of the first homo sapiens, touches a meteor and becomes intelligent and immortal. He was the world’s first metahuman. He fights a bear and that’s how he gets his scar. There’s talk of a “tribe” he leads, there’s talk of him and his children being gods and demigods, and all of it spans creation. What’s added is what’s most fascinating. Vandal in the 13th century, as Genghis Khan, fights Darkseid who is trying to invade and conquer Earth. Vandal doesn’t win, but Darkseid is surprised by his and his son’s ability to at last longer than other places he’s tried to conquer. They make a deal to help each other conquer the galaxy and then do a winner take all fight for Earth. Apparently that time is coming.

There’s more with this that comes up during the battle that I’ll talk about below, but all of this is immensely fascinating as it elevates Savage to a whole new level. Granted his is the one who controls the League at the end of season one, and he steals Warworld in season 2, but he’s also just been very distant in those huge acts. It’s as if Savage’s very existence is the deus ex machina. Here he gets lore, back story, he’s proved to be the mastermind behind The Light and also the founder, going back centuries. He’s placed at the same standing as Darkseid. Vandal Savage versus Darkseid for the fate of the known universe. That’s where we’re headed. The stakes have never been higher.

2. The name

What’s in a name? Dick, Conner and Artemis begin to train Forager, Brion, and Artemis, each seeing themselves a little in their mentee, each learning their skills and honing their talents. It’s a lot of fun watching these trinities on trinities express their ease and love, maneuvers and powers. It’s been a month after the events of last episode at this point, it being September 8th, so there’s clearly more comfort, Dick clearly knows he has to train these teens, and there’s trust.

There’s also so much humor. Dick and co. tell Violet, Brion and Forager to pick code names. Halo chooses Halo, which she established last episode. Brion jokes about wanting to be called Hot Lava before settling for Geo Force, that whole debate sparking jokes about Tigress and Nightwing as stripper or 80s band names. There’s clearly a lot of love here. Love between Artemis, Conner, and Dick who by now have seven years of hero history together. Love between Brion, Violet, and Forager, themselves learning to be a family. And just love for heroics and talk of balance, especially as Brion makes reference to Gregor, him, and Tara playing the Trinity as kids. That moment was beautiful, Conner and Dick wondering why Batman and Superman would ever fight, when prodded by Brion for an answer. It’s all about balance Dick says. Batman doesn’t exist without Superman. Humanity and divinity don’t exist separately. It’s the most pure take on the DCU ever and it’s the best. Also it’s a big middle finger to Zach Snyder which I’m always down for.

Continued below

3. The date

The shortest subplot of the episode comes with Jace and Jeff going on a date in Metropolis. They’re laughing and happy. Or at least Jace is playing happy and using Jefferson for his access to Brion and Halo. You’re call to figure out. They get drunk, Jeff takes her back to her hotel room, and it’s absolutely implied they have sex together. Again, this show is ramping up the maturity. Again it just feels natural. Conner and M’gann are living together, Dick and Babs live together, Artemis and Will share a house with Will’s daughter. Everyone’s an adult now and they’re doing adult things. It’s a pure and “evolved” sense of maturity though, as if this was always the path this show was supposed to take. It just works.

4. The armada

Alright so back to Vandal. He’s in space on Warworld, and he’s fighting an armada of aliens trying to invade Earth. He absolutely sees himself as the hero of this narrative, and in some ways, he’s held of invasion to the planet for centuries. This should be no different. He’s clearly losing to this unknown alien species, so he has to call Darkseid for help which he is not at all happy about. But he does it anyway, as there is a fleet approaching from the rear side of Earth where Warworld can’t reach. Darkseid sends Kalibak with a fleet and a metahuman suicide bomber to wipe them out. Problem solved. Vandal then realizes the fleet is being controlled by Starro, who he fought in ancient Babylonia in the guise of the god Marduk, alongside his kids Nabu and Ishtar. They prevailed, and this became the origin of The Light.

Vandal goes alone to Starro’s ship to fight and capture the alien telepath, and he does. Vandal Savage takes down Starro. This Vandal takes no prisoners. This Vandal is Darkseid-level DCU bad. This Darkseid is three steps ahead of everyone, loves Earth, and will destroy anyone who gets in his way. Luckily, it seems the seeds of his demise also appear here.

5. The daughter

We’re introduced this episode to one of Savage’s daughters. Well two, but that’s the plot twist at the end of the episode. Her name is Cassandra, which is the name of Vandal Savage’s daughter from the Arrowverse shows, that character being based on Scandal Savage who was created by Gail Simone and Dale Eaglesham in the lead-up to “Infinite Crisis.” Cassandra is being given the history of her father from Olympia, her much older sister, who was apparently also not supposed to write down the history of Vandal. She does though and that’s what the history narration from the episode is from, Cassandra’s reading. This is the first time we’ve seen Savage work with anyone other than The Light, and indeed, the first time he’s really been close to anyone. Cassandra ends up piloting Warworld as Vandal goes to battle Starro, and stares on almost in horror as Vandal “mercy” kills Olympia at episode’s end. It’s important we’re introduced to character who is a lens for a more humanized Savage, and could maybe lead to his downfall, which seems to be what is being set up. But who knows. This show loves to keep us guessing. Especially when it comes to the villains. And if they gave us a more “knowable” Savage, well, big things must be coming.

That’s all for this episode, we’ll be back on Tuesday for a look at the middle episode of this third round. Until then, sound off in the comments, let us know what you think about this new batch of episodes, and we’ll see you Tuesday!


//TAGS | Young Justice

Kevin Gregory

EMAIL | ARTICLES



  • -->