Originally posted at the DL July 2015
Usually these sorts of shows are either a) awesome or b) uneven. Young Justice presents us a new overall quality to assign our superhero action shows, muddled. From start to finish, this season has a very consistent feel of trying to do things that play against its strengths and weaken what the show could have been.
Unlike a lot of things I cover, Young Justice actually has a very strong start; the first four or so episodes, where we're establishing the team, introducing the core party members, and sowing the seeds for long term storylines are actually very good. Superboy's background, the forces behind his creators (Cadmus), watching our heroes learn about one another and gel as a team, these things are established early as places the show intends to explore and does an excellent job of getting you pumped up for what's coming.
At which point the show... just keeps adding more. More storylines, bigger and bigger coalitions of villains behind them, ever more interaction with greater numbers of Justice League members and adding (or teasing) new teen heroes to the team. I get the impression the second season only doubles down on this trait to boot. And I'm kinda still sorting out where the show got the idea that it should be the grand DC Universe tour. The best work on the show was always the character focus episodes, so I'm confused that the creators seemed to miss this. The sheer volume of villains, which includes something approximating every single villain in the DCU working for the seven members of the Supervillain Illuminati really detracts from the whole thing as well, because the Light as a group very rarely act in concert, but no one member of the Light steps up to have the presence of a Main Villain, end result being the Vandal Savage has to exposition his villainous villainous plan in the last episode.
Basically the show seems to have known it was a cross section of the DCAU Justice League and Teen Titans, and so decided to somehow take aspects of both shows into itself. But inexplicably picked all the ones that didn't make sense for a new show in its own continuity.
When the show does buckle down and put its focus where it should, it remains very good. Our five main characters (Artemis is presented as a main character but... honestly she's not, she just doesn't get to hold down an episode and is always second fiddle to either Robin or Cheshire, one of the villains!) have a reasonable group dynamic and their trials and flaws are presented well. It's all the other crap that stops episodes from being about them that holds it back. Actually let's wrap up.
Weakest Episode- Failsafe. I get the intent. It's a clever episode idea. But they manage to hit the exact... what's the opposite of a sweet spot? Episode manages to shoot straight between the gap of coming off as incredibly fake (sorry, no force IN THE DCU can disintegrate Superman in a single shot) but never getting the audience invested in the real danger to the team. Even knowing the twist going in it comes across as flimsy and lacks dramatic weight where it should be.. pretty disturbing.
Hooooweeeverrrrrr.
Best Episode- Disordered. Seeing the team struggle through the aftermath of that is handled very well. Superboy and his one-shot adventure with the Forever Planeteers SEEMS like it should add on to the pile of "yet another irrelevant cameo" but it actually works as intended for once; they give one of our established characters an in to fight a new set of villains and he gets a chance to save the day because they don't know how to handle him. And of course the rest of the team actually having counselling sessions is kinda cool.
I will say though that they managed to make one character I'd never heard of, Klarion, pretty fun. I keep thinking he's voiced by Vic Mignonga though, which apparently isn't true. Weird.
Grade- 6/10. Waffled between this and a 7, but having more time to sit on it has made the weaknesses stand out more than the strengths, so there it is.
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