Amac Productions

This episode made me fondly remember how much I loved this show.

Truth be told, I cannot remember how many times it was cancelled and uncancelled. However, I do know that there was a gap between the first and second season. Large enough that I watched the first season a ridiculous number of times.

I loved season one.

Didn’t realize there was ever a season two until much later.

Which is why, while watching this episode, I was attempting to piece what I remembered together. However, regardless of my spotty recollection of the plots leading up to this episode, it does remind me of why I enjoyed it so much in the first place.

This show is a well written masterpiece.

The entire reason I decided to put this one next in the series was because I’ve been watching Invincible. Without all the blood and gore, this show and Invincible have a pretty similar vibe to me. There’s an overarching story while teen heroes attempt to deal with things that should be wildly out of their depth. Yet – somehow – they manage. Time and time again.

With older heroes helping to guide them where they can. Even if they get it wrong sometimes.

Watching Invincible made me wish to return to this show. Thus, it was easy enough to decide to watch the highest rated episode and the lowest for this series.

While I am fuzzy on the details, it is easy to see this episode is a culmination of truly impeccable storytelling.

One that balances the villains’ intelligence with the heroes.

I think this is one the things that makes this show shine for me. I’ve always felt it does a good job of making the villains and the heroes seem intelligent without ever dumbing the other down to make it work.

Although, I do think it had moments of that in the first season when it came to the Justice League. However, it didn’t happen often.

In all honesty, the villains’ biggest problem is exactly what Aqualad says here in this episode. All of them have been underestimated because they were kids or are much younger. They keep believing they’re smarter. That they could not be thwarted by children.

Yet they are.

Even when the Light thinks they’ve won by killing them for all to see.

Turns out, they planned to be outed too.

They’ve got Batman level planning to ensure everything is going according to their very long-winded plan. But one that worked. Infiltrating both the Light and the Reach to not only take them down but pit them against each other.

This is a pretty genius maneuver as far as I’m concerned.

They even manage to infiltrate the back-up plan the Light came with. Even Batman has to be impressed with the planning these heroes have come up with.

All of them work as a team, while each side of the villains are too busy arguing with each other and giving each other shit to work together to either escape or win the day. Although Vandal Savage just taking off makes sense. Not sure why Ras Al Ghul was like, nah. No fighting. Not today. My back hurts.

Bet that stab wound hurts more, dude.

If someone could also be so kind as to tell who the guy was that rescued him, that would be nice. Because I’m wracking my brains and I have no idea who he is. It’s not Bane. Right? He didn’t look or sound anything like Bane. Help me out here.

Overall, I love this episode.

It’s cheeky and quirky. Silly and serious. Emotional. Yet it manages to keep pace and juggle everything successfully.

Kid Flash and Artemis flirting in the middle of everything.

Impulse, being Impulse. I completely forget, do they know who he is at this point? Or why he really came back? I cannot remember.

Totally forgot the Justice League were on trial for some crazy stuff they did on another planet or something. Which happened at the end of season one. Right? They all disappeared and no one knew what happened until like five years later.

Also, Mr. Grayson, are you telling me that you’ve not had a win like this since you discovered Superboy?

Because I disagree. I think the victory at the end of season one was pretty damn sweet man.

Also, this show is the reason when I say ‘overwhelmed’ or ‘underwhelmed’ I wonder if anyone has ever just been whelmed. I watched this as a child! Still think about it.

Honestly, that’s a good show. If I quote it long after I’ve watched it, you did something right.

Now, what else happened?

Oh right, Megan and Lagoon Boy were a thing at the start of this season. She and Superboy broke up because of her use of her mental powers. Or rather overuse. Are they back together yet?

Because seriously – it was never going to be Lagoon Boy.

Sorry dude.

There’s also an entirely new Robin and I don’t if this Jason Todd or Damien. Who are you Robin? Are you going to die a painful death at some point? Or are you just a tiny murderer who thinks the world of his grandfather who was stabbed in this episode?

We’ve got Batgirl! She’s still walking, which is good news! I think they do cover that plot at some point if I remember correctly. She also starts dating Dick Grayson.

I would also love to live in a world where Wally West does not die and he and Artemis live happily ever after. Because that death hurt. A lot. I remember watching the episode for the first time and crying and screaming ‘no’ at the TV. Begging them not to do this.

So yeah, I’d like to have a world where he and Artemis get their happy ending after everything.

Lastly, I think I’m going to put this show on my rewatch list and maybe I’ll even post about it here! What would you guys think? Would you read a revisit through my childhood?

Let me know! And while you’re at it consider supporting!

Thanks for reading! Spread the love and read on!