Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Young Justice 2.19

Summit

The Reach ambassador, scientist, Black Beetle, and numerous Reach soldiers arrive on the island of Santa Prisca for a summit with the Light. Most of the Light is present. They are led by Vandal Savage, but their numbers also include Ra's Al Ghul, Black Manta, the Brain, M. Mallah, Deathstroke, Kaldur'ahm, and Tigress. Both sides have grievances. The Reach are angry that the Light didn't prevent the young heroes from using the temple in Bialya to free the Blue and Green Beetles from the Reach's control. The Light blames the Reach for not being more open with their knowledge.

A fight breaks out between the two sides. Order is restored after both sides have blown off some steam. Ra's Al Ghul notices the amulet Tigress wears around her neck, as the parley resumes. He exposes her which leads to the reveal that Kaldur must also be working for the other side if Artemis is still alive. Deathstroke quickly deals with them both but Kaldur had a device in his hand. When he falls it begins to broadcast a message. It reveals how the Light has been playing the Reach.

The Reach ambassador is enraged. A new fight breaks out but before it does Kaldur'Ahm and Artemis arise. Deathstroke reveals himself to actually be Miss Martian in disguise. Superboy, Guardian, Bumblebee, Nightwing, Batgirl, Kid Flash, Blue Beetle, Lagoon Boy, Beast Boy, Impulse, Wonder Girl, and Robin quickly join their friends as an all out brawl begins. There are a number of little talky moments in the midst of the fight: Kid Flash and Artemis, Aqualad and Black Manta, Lagoon Boy and Miss Martian, Kid Flash and Impulse, Beast Boy and M. Mallah.

The heroes win but Black Beetle escapes with the Reach scientist and Vandal Savage escapes thank to Klarion the Witch Boy. Aqualad's teammates try to cheer him up by pointing out what a big victory this is but his heart is still heavy as he looks at the unconscious form of Black Manta, his father. 

Black Canary, Captain Marvel, and Black Lighting are aboard the War World, guarding the engine room when they hear something that sounds like a boom tube. Vandal Savage and Klarion materialize on the War World and takes control. They dump the unconscious bodies of Black Canary, Black Lightning, and Captain Marvel, who were guarding the War World, on the Watch Tower. Aqualad, Aquaman, Nightwing, amd Red Tornado watch in stunned disbelief as the War World starts to depart Earth's orbit.

The episode ends with the Black Beetle telling the Reach scientist that they are going to destroy the Earth.

Thoughts

I like but don't love this episode. I thought some of the talky moments during the fight were a little too much. They took me out of the moment. The best of them by far was Aqualad and Black Manta. Black Beetle disappeared in the midst of the fight in a way that I thought was very uncharacteristic for him. I did like the subterfuge perpetrated by the young heroes but in some ways I though it was just a little too easy how so many of them rushed in to join the fight.

What next? There have been a lot of loose ends tied up but what is Vandal Savage planning to do with the War World? They only have one episode left to wrap everything up. At this point I think that the last episode could be a dumpster fire and I would still say positive things about the season as a whole. It isn't perfect or approaching perfection but I like most of the little twists and turns it has taken, to greater and lesser degrees.

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