[7.6/10] The Young Justice team's “Gamma Squad” running into both jurisdictional issues and expendable foes in Russia makes for a cool three-way stand-off.
On the one hand, we have the introduction of the Suicide Squad. So help me god, we already have enough groups and crews and teams on this show without the need for more. Still, it’s a good concept, hence why they’ve made multiple films and episodes about it, so I don’t mind them being deployed here. The fact that it involved Black Manta, Captain Boomerang, and Monsieur Mallah, known characters who need no introduction, makes it a little easier to swallow as well. The actual fight is pretty standard, if well-done, but I like the post-battle clash between Amanda Waller and Aquaman even better. The mutually assured destruction of “I won’t expose your covert ops group if you won’t expose mine” creates a duly tense dynamic.
The wildcard element of the Ruskies’ Red Rocket brigade bolsters this one too. I appreciate that there's jurisdictional questions here. The Tigress-led team finds that Russian soldiers are voluntarily being integrated into permanently attached Iron Man-esque suits to create their own brand of ultra-warriors. It’s refreshing to have a crew find something like this out and say, “They’re doing it voluntarily; it’s none of our business.” Artemis telling another team member that the country can try to make its own Justice League if they want is compelling on the same terms.
The truth is that YOung Justice has always played fast and loose with jurisdictional issues. It’s paying lip service to the idea here, with Luthor setting boundaries and making approvals needed. But the fact that the good guys see other groups organizing, deciding that nobody’s being coerced, and no crimes are being committed, so they have no right to interfere is contrary to so much genre television I’ve seen my whole life. I almost don’t know what to do with it. Tigress isn’t event resentful of it, just pulling a “Our mistake, let us go and we won’t tell anyone we snuck into your supposedly top secret facility.”
The three-way match-up does make for an interesting dynamic. The Suicide Squad trying to cause trouble (Amanda Waller’s not so concerned with jurisdiction), and the Young Justice team trying to fight them while simultaneously reassuring the Red Rocket brigade that they mean no harm despite sneaking onto their base, leads to all sorts of conflict both grand and practical. It’s the best feature of the episode.
I even like the reveal that Gabrielle (the young woman who had this body before Violet) was the servant who let the assassins that killed Brion’s parents in. It’s a bit contrived. Still, the fact that Captain Boomerang using similar language is what triggered the memory comes with some appropriately traumatic jolt. And I’m intrigued by the sense of “This wasn’t really me, but Brion might never be able to look at me the same way” anxiety that Halo has about it, especially considering Brion’s likely to be more upset about her hiding the truth than someone committing the heinous act in this body.
The scenes with Ed and Windfall in the Taos metahuman facility are good too. Again, it’s downright refreshing to see a program for young superheroes that’s not a prison, with open doors and seemingly no ulterior motives beyond helping kids learn how to live with their powers. Having adult guidance and peer counselors, there to help ensure the meta-teens’ wellbeing rather than train them for battle, makes for the sort of supportive and not goal- or battle-oriented environment that’s also rare in genre storytelling. There's something wholesome about the whole thing.
At the same time, I like Windfall’s mini-arc here. She’s skeptical at first, until Ed approaches her as a peer instead of a grown-up guide, which helps her feel more at home. You can understand the idea that someone who can translate this to a teenager’s level, who’s been through the program and is still here, would assuage some concerns. She gets super into it for a while until she can’t turn her powers off in a perilous moment. And then, she’s demoralized, wearing an inhibitor collar until she feels she can get a handle on things. They’re really exploring the plight of being a meta-teen here, and the superpowers work as stand-ins for all sorts of real life teen problems, so I appreciate the whole approach.
The only thing I really don’t appreciate here is the continuing hints of a romance between Artemis and Red Arrow. I dunno. It just seems weird given what we’ve seen of both of them and their common connection, but maybe the show will earn it between now and then. The two of them laughing over Lian and the dog being delightfully “disgusting” is certainly cute.
Overall, a good episode that finds unique dynamics in both the A-story and the B-story.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2022-07-12T00:14:37Z
[7.6/10] The Young Justice team's “Gamma Squad” running into both jurisdictional issues and expendable foes in Russia makes for a cool three-way stand-off.
On the one hand, we have the introduction of the Suicide Squad. So help me god, we already have enough groups and crews and teams on this show without the need for more. Still, it’s a good concept, hence why they’ve made multiple films and episodes about it, so I don’t mind them being deployed here. The fact that it involved Black Manta, Captain Boomerang, and Monsieur Mallah, known characters who need no introduction, makes it a little easier to swallow as well. The actual fight is pretty standard, if well-done, but I like the post-battle clash between Amanda Waller and Aquaman even better. The mutually assured destruction of “I won’t expose your covert ops group if you won’t expose mine” creates a duly tense dynamic.
The wildcard element of the Ruskies’ Red Rocket brigade bolsters this one too. I appreciate that there's jurisdictional questions here. The Tigress-led team finds that Russian soldiers are voluntarily being integrated into permanently attached Iron Man-esque suits to create their own brand of ultra-warriors. It’s refreshing to have a crew find something like this out and say, “They’re doing it voluntarily; it’s none of our business.” Artemis telling another team member that the country can try to make its own Justice League if they want is compelling on the same terms.
The truth is that YOung Justice has always played fast and loose with jurisdictional issues. It’s paying lip service to the idea here, with Luthor setting boundaries and making approvals needed. But the fact that the good guys see other groups organizing, deciding that nobody’s being coerced, and no crimes are being committed, so they have no right to interfere is contrary to so much genre television I’ve seen my whole life. I almost don’t know what to do with it. Tigress isn’t event resentful of it, just pulling a “Our mistake, let us go and we won’t tell anyone we snuck into your supposedly top secret facility.”
The three-way match-up does make for an interesting dynamic. The Suicide Squad trying to cause trouble (Amanda Waller’s not so concerned with jurisdiction), and the Young Justice team trying to fight them while simultaneously reassuring the Red Rocket brigade that they mean no harm despite sneaking onto their base, leads to all sorts of conflict both grand and practical. It’s the best feature of the episode.
I even like the reveal that Gabrielle (the young woman who had this body before Violet) was the servant who let the assassins that killed Brion’s parents in. It’s a bit contrived. Still, the fact that Captain Boomerang using similar language is what triggered the memory comes with some appropriately traumatic jolt. And I’m intrigued by the sense of “This wasn’t really me, but Brion might never be able to look at me the same way” anxiety that Halo has about it, especially considering Brion’s likely to be more upset about her hiding the truth than someone committing the heinous act in this body.
The scenes with Ed and Windfall in the Taos metahuman facility are good too. Again, it’s downright refreshing to see a program for young superheroes that’s not a prison, with open doors and seemingly no ulterior motives beyond helping kids learn how to live with their powers. Having adult guidance and peer counselors, there to help ensure the meta-teens’ wellbeing rather than train them for battle, makes for the sort of supportive and not goal- or battle-oriented environment that’s also rare in genre storytelling. There's something wholesome about the whole thing.
At the same time, I like Windfall’s mini-arc here. She’s skeptical at first, until Ed approaches her as a peer instead of a grown-up guide, which helps her feel more at home. You can understand the idea that someone who can translate this to a teenager’s level, who’s been through the program and is still here, would assuage some concerns. She gets super into it for a while until she can’t turn her powers off in a perilous moment. And then, she’s demoralized, wearing an inhibitor collar until she feels she can get a handle on things. They’re really exploring the plight of being a meta-teen here, and the superpowers work as stand-ins for all sorts of real life teen problems, so I appreciate the whole approach.
The only thing I really don’t appreciate here is the continuing hints of a romance between Artemis and Red Arrow. I dunno. It just seems weird given what we’ve seen of both of them and their common connection, but maybe the show will earn it between now and then. The two of them laughing over Lian and the dog being delightfully “disgusting” is certainly cute.
Overall, a good episode that finds unique dynamics in both the A-story and the B-story.