2x03 Tabula Rasa (1)

[7.2/10] I feel like this is the sort of episode that I would have loved as a kid. The idea of a cool nanotech robot that can steal all of the Justice League’s powers and combine them has the sort of toybox energy that would have definitely appealed to me. But now, as an adult, it doesn’t do much for me.

Maybe it’s just the plausibility factor. I know that’s a silly thing to ask for from a show with psychic green aliens and portals to other dimensions, but an android who can replicate superpowers just by looking at someone is a bit too much for me. Why draw the line there? I couldn't tell you. My brain just goes “really?” when Amazo’s able to scan and copy these rare abilities.

Likewise, while there’s good material to be mined from Lex Luthor misleading an innocent like Amazo for his own purposes, the show doesn’t do much with it in part 1. His faux-paternal relationship with Amazo makes for a theoretically interesting dynamic, and you just know it’s going to come crashing down in the next installment, but for now it plays as generic.

So what did I like about this one? Well, for one it’s nice to see Mercy not only back, but in charge of Lexcorp and playing her own game. It was frightening to see Lex grabbing her by the throat, but her insults to him and moves at the company have me offering a quiet, half-ironic “go girls” despite her villainy. Likewise, I like Batman and Superman going detective on her together in a nice little scene.

I’m also intrigued by Martian Manhunter having a plot akin to “Earshot” from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Him trying to do a city-wide psychic sweep, only to expose himself to the maddening cacophony of other thoughts is an underserved story thread here, but arguably the episode's most compelling. I’m interested to see where it goes.

Overall, the Amazo stuff doesn’t do much for me here, but the other material on the edges of it are more engaging.