I wasn't sure whether I was watching an episode of Supergirl or Captain Planet... But seriously, there was zero plot development, no meaningful character development, no subtle metaphorical lessons (the whole point of scifi, which Star Trek, BSG, Stargate, and X-Men did superbly), and only ideological moralizing, empty rhetoric, and dogma. Most plot points didn't even make logical sense, as everything in the episode was in service of making a point about environmentalism.
The issue of pollution and its effects is very serious and requires sober, thoughtful analysis, not casual philosophic drive-bys. Such a topic is unlikely to be able to be treated with the care it deserves in an episode of a TV show, and the effect of trying to be so blunt and explicit about it in such a superficial way is that (1) people who already agree are unaffected (or else, taught to engage in similarly superficial rhetoric), (2) people who disagree are not convinced and dig their heels in more, and (3) children are indoctrinated with often-repeated dogma instead of learning how to think carefully about these (and other) complex issues.
Unfortunately, I see the whole Arrowverse devolving in a similar fashion, especially Batwoman. It's really disappointing to see viewpoints (many of which I agree with) to be conveyed in such an unintellectual, ineffective, disrespectful way. There's nothing worse for the success of the right ideas in a culture than their poor or false defense.
Review by Arthur ZeyVIP EP 8BlockedParent2021-08-28T14:17:02Z
I wasn't sure whether I was watching an episode of Supergirl or Captain Planet... But seriously, there was zero plot development, no meaningful character development, no subtle metaphorical lessons (the whole point of scifi, which Star Trek, BSG, Stargate, and X-Men did superbly), and only ideological moralizing, empty rhetoric, and dogma. Most plot points didn't even make logical sense, as everything in the episode was in service of making a point about environmentalism.
The issue of pollution and its effects is very serious and requires sober, thoughtful analysis, not casual philosophic drive-bys. Such a topic is unlikely to be able to be treated with the care it deserves in an episode of a TV show, and the effect of trying to be so blunt and explicit about it in such a superficial way is that (1) people who already agree are unaffected (or else, taught to engage in similarly superficial rhetoric), (2) people who disagree are not convinced and dig their heels in more, and (3) children are indoctrinated with often-repeated dogma instead of learning how to think carefully about these (and other) complex issues.
Unfortunately, I see the whole Arrowverse devolving in a similar fashion, especially Batwoman. It's really disappointing to see viewpoints (many of which I agree with) to be conveyed in such an unintellectual, ineffective, disrespectful way. There's nothing worse for the success of the right ideas in a culture than their poor or false defense.