The hunt for Blue Beetle is on but nothing is what it really seems. What They Say:
Darkest
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
With the season getting back underway in the previous episode in a really awkward way, it changes its focus away from Red Arrow and Arsenal here to that of Aqualad as he continues to work his way further into the good graces of his father, Black Manta, in an effort to infiltrate the Light even further. It’s continuing to be a difficult plan that he’s handling well since it’s causing more breakdowns in his old friendships, but he is the very highly dedicated type that will go the distance without breaking a sweat, even though it’ll kill him inside where he can hide it. I definitely like the serious side of the show like this as it really reinforces the long term plans being put into effect here.
This story intersects with a rather good bit of fun in the real world as Blue Beetle and Impulse are doing what young heroes should do, hit the desert and practice their powers for the fun of it. Bringing Aqualad and his team there, which includes Icicle and the Terror Twins, lets some general hand to hand and power fighting going on. We haven’t had too much Impulse time in the show yet but he brings something fun to the table with his quick dialogue and the way he fights. The whole thing is a mildly clever ruse though as it’s all about an attack on Mount Justice and Impulse is the one to take the easy bait without realizing it. It fits his character well and it’s really amusing to watch how Blue Beetle is kind of just swept along for the ride when it comes to dealing with Impulse.
The attack on Mount Justice is really quite fun as Aqualad knows all the tricks for the team members and how to neutralize them. Aqualad’s larger goal is definitely easier to acquire at this point The acquisition of a few choice subjects works nicely and again shows just how effective Aqualad is, though part of it has to be that Nightwing is in on it to some degree. But it’s mostly about Blue Beetle this time around around as he gets to stand alone for awhile and deal with the bad guys, for all the good it does him. The real material here is the truth about what Aqualad is trying to do to save one of his friends and going to extreme measures, somewhat accidentally, in order to accomplish it. It’s not exactly a game changer but it is yet another of those moments where it works well to show that they’re willing to make changes to the status quo. And if ever there’s a series that doesn’t just sit and repeat itself, it’s this one.
In Summary:
The story makes some progress here as Aqualad works to finally cement his position within his fathers organization and the Light in order to find out who’s running the show. It’s a years long operation that has definitely cost him and his teammates a lot of things, some real irreparable trust issues that should come into play, but it’s working out well in getting to the real goals of it all. The progress may be awkward and we get sidetracked sometimes, but I’m really enjoying the larger themes being worked with here and how it’s unfolding. This episode runs the gamut in character material for the core group and manages to mix in some humor as well to very good effect. And hopefully the tease at the end will have some real payoff in the next episode and not drag out for too long.
Grade: B+
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