1x07 Denial

[7.1/10] I don’t know why you’d try to do a “non-believer” story in a superhero show. Maybe I’m just jaded. It seems silly to feature a character who’s skeptical of magic in a world with speedsters and aliens and portals and so. (Something the episode at least brings up.) Maybe Wally wants to chalk all of that stuff up to science. Sure, why not? You watch enough genre television and you become an adherent of Clarke’s Third Law -- that sufficiently advanced science is indistinguishable from magic. But even if you’re not, it’s unclear why it matters.

I guess it matters because M’gaan believes, and so Wally pretends to in order to get closer to her. I’m really torn about Wally’s continuing efforts to court Miss Martian, to use a generous term. On the one hand, his constant come-ons are pretty gross. On the other hand, there’s some truth in his actions toward M’gaan about how fifteen-year-old boys think and act toward their female counterparts. On the third hand (presumably one from Miss Martian herself), the show seems to play his shtick for laughs rather than acknowledging it as true but crappy behavior, with only Artemis having the guts to call foul on his B.S.

Either way, we’re only seven episodes in, and I’m already tired of Wally’s routine when it comes to girls. I know part of the point of this one is that Kent Nelson tells him, not in so many words, that Artemis is better for him. She’s willing to push back at him, something he desperately needs, so maybe you need something to stoke conflict there. But an odd disbelief in magic and his awkward, at best, conduct toward M’gaan are each less-than-the-best fodder for it.

All that said, this is a cool Dr. Fate episode. Getting the legendary Ed Asner back in the fold for a D.C. comics character is a coup. I like this take on Kent Nelson, an old man who misses his dead wife and has largely retired from superherodom. His role as an elder statesman to even the current adult heroes, there to provide guidance to the Young Justice squad when they need it most, is a cool concept for the character.

And hey, as much as I rail against the silliness of not believing in magic in such a fantastical universe, the episode makes the most of the mystical vibe of the piece. Hidden fortresses, internal layouts that would make M.C. Escher blush, and secret tests to weed out the unworthy give this one a neat vibe in terms of both story and aesthetics.

As much as I’m not a fan of the direction this one takes with Wally, I like the idea that it takes the non-believer assuming the mantle of Dr. Fate to save the day. It’s a tad contrived, but adds a sense of irony and poetry to the proceedings. To the same end, I mostly know Dr. Fate as D.C.’s Dr. Strange equivalent (who, candidly, I know mostly as Marvel’s Dr. Orpheus equivalent), so finding out the role is one where you’re possessed by a God of Order who has its own agenda is some intriguing lore.

Watching a magical battle between Fate and Klarion the Witch Boy leads to some superb visuals here. The show makes the most of the mystical energy showdown, and having Wally and Kent hang out in a liminal space during the whole thing makes for a nice contrast. As has become a welcome trend, what wins the day is cleverness, not just brute strength or greater power, with Dr. Fate attacking Klarion’s cat, his tether to the mortal realm, to best his foe.

The foundation of this one is weak, with character traits for Kid Flash that don’t make sense and even make him borderline unlikable. But giving him a little humility from the experience, and pairing him with Artemis, a character who’s less apt to tolerate his crap, provide the silver lining here in addition to the exciting magical clash we get to witness.