I loved this episode!!!!!! Harm was a very creepy villain!!!! What he did with his sister was horrible and haunting. Truly a psychopath. I felt so sad for Greta. Artemis and Zatanna made a great duo. I enjoyed them so much!!! The school part was hilarious too. Miss Martian, Superboy and Kid Flash were likable in this episode. I laugh so much with them teaching a lesson to the boy who was scaring the other folks. Great animation!!! This show improves the animated visuals each episode from the beginning. Overall, a superb episode!
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2022-05-01T21:24:55Z
[8.2/10] One hell of a Halloween episode! Harm didn’t do much for me at first. A generic looking hunky evil dude who speaks in the third person with a noun for a name? Meh. But his section of the episode turned into one spectacular ghost story, in keeping with the date and theme of the episode.
I rolled my eyes a bit at his ability to meet the Beowulf sword’s “pure of heart” condition because his was pure evil at first. But the idea that he killed his sister to cleanse his heart of any other attachment is startlingly macabre and befitting of a horror tale. Frankly, I’m a little surprised the studio let them go there. The reveal that “Secret”, the young girl guiding Artemis and Zatanna, is the ghost of that sister, is a nice twist. And I love that defeating Harm isn’t just a “punch him harder” type deal, but rather a case of being confronted with his sister, reminding him of his regrets and weakening his resolve, thereby losing the conviction he needs to wield his magic sword.
It’s not all clockwork. Harm’s still a bit of an annoying character on a scene-to-scene basis. But the A-story here is suitably scary and clever, which justifies plenty. Plus, I really enjoyed Artemis and Zatanna as a duo. Their plot touches on some strong character beats, particularly in the form of Artemis sublimating her hurt feelings to discover that the boy she likes is with another teammate by beating up baddies. It’s a very teen thing to do to project her feelings like that. Likewise, Artemis being taken aback by Harm’s backstory given her complicated feelings with her own sister helps tie this one-off tale into the broader narrative and emotional trajectory of the season.
Not for nothing, Artemis and Zatanna just make a good pair. Their banter is strong, with some good quips and Buffy-esque making fun of the bad guy’s eccentricities. But I also appreciate how Zatanna keys into what’s bothering Artemis and nudges her to confront it. The two seems to get one another and be on the same page, which makes the team-up work.
I also love love loved the comic B-story at the Happy Harbor dance. There’s character work there too, from Wally still being oblivious to M’gaan/Conner’s relationship, to Superboy being thrown by how many of his classmates idolize the Justice League members he has mixed feelings about via their costumes. But the best part is the trio of Wally, Conner, and M’gaan pranking the aptly named Marvin for trying to prank his classmates into thinking there’s an alien invasion. The group using their powers to make him think the invasion is real, replete with M’gaan morphing into none other than a malevolent Marvin the Martian, was just outstanding.
The other bits we get are solid too. Captain Marvel wanting to go to the grown-up Halloween party, only to have the teens assume that he’s going to an even more grown-up Halloween party, is a fun routine. And I enjoyed so many of the straitlaced heroes, of both the junior and senior variety, debating whether or not there’s still a mole in the Young Justice squad. Everyone makes good points, and small touches -- from Batman protecting Artemis’ secret identity, to Red Tornado bowing his head in sadness when it’s mentioned that someone could be the mole against their will -- are well done.
Overall, this one mixes in a stellar surprise ghost story, some hilarious Halloween hijinks, and some nice development of the characters and season-length plot at the same time. Great stuff.