Young Justice: Outsiders "Early Warning" Review (Spoilers)
Also reviews for the latest episodes of DC Super Hero Girls, DC Super Hero Girls Super Shorts, Krypton, Swamp Thing, iZombie, Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D., Mickey Mouse, DuckTales Shorts, and Muppet Babies Play Date.
Young Justice: Outsiders "Early Warning"
That was very instructive to me. I had been wondering exactly who the target audience for the show was all season, and this told me: It's teenagers. This show isn't for kids, and it isn't even exactly for adults It's geared towards teenagers. Which frankly is a good idea. The closest thing teenagers have to superhero fare are the CW shows and Smallville, but I think this is better because the characters are the right age, and it's exploring the right issues. The teen drinking and the spicy yet innocent lesbian kiss says this show takes after Degrassi. That it has the mindset of cautionary tales while exploring problems teenagers struggle with. And Degrassi is not the worst example for that. Because kids make mistakes, and the biggest part Degrassi was exploring the fall-out of those mistakes, and how they effected the characters, effected how some of the audience wound up viewing the behavior. If you grew up as obsessed with Degrassi as I was, you'll probably wind up a total square, and afraid to try ANYTHING approaching saucy. And that's what Halo being put in prison for getting a little drunk and exploring her sexuality boils down to. Degrassi got a LOT of cr*p thrown at it from conservative parents for the things they showed the teenagers in the audience. But it was almost universally so they could tell the viewer not to do it, and explain the reasons why. Degrassi was a fundamentally conservative show regarding stuff like that, and I'm thinking this show appears to be too. Why else haven't we gotten a proper swear? I am well aware they said the word "sucks", which is some circles is considered vulgar. But I've heard it in Saturday morning cartoons before, and it's not a word outside of any kids's lexicon. This is still the show that won't have Klarion say anything raunchier than "Dang it!"
I think the one way the show is unlike Degrassi is that it doesn't seem to punish the characters for premarital sex. And to be blunt, that's probably a healthier mindset to show teenagers. That's partly why I was uncomfortable with Violet getting arrested when she did. But if the show is geared at teenagers, they probably want to hedge their bets about stuff like that.
What did I like and what didn't I like?
I liked Courtney. And I suspect that the real reason I actually like Courtney is because that deep down I am lame.
I didn't like Klarion. The character has no charm left. He was never great, but I think the PG-13 rating sort of had the producers push him farther than they should have. And the main problem about him talking about enjoying hurting children and puppies is that I don't find him creepy or scary for it. I find him annoying and tiresome. He is the precise sort of loser I want to make fun of, and I probably would to his face if he didn't have magic powers. Those magic powers are pretty handy. I suspect if he didn't have them more people would probably be inclined to point out what a total waste of space he is. He is SUCH a loser.
I admit, I like the Fate tower tag. But that was the structure of the gag, not any fondness I had for the character. The character is loathsome.
And I hate to say it, but enough with Beast Boy. He's always laying it on SO thick. I freaking LOVE Beast Boy on Teen Titans Go!. And Greg Cipes, bless him, cannot do the noble leader role to save his life. I found Iron Fist's pretentiousness on Ultimate Spider-Man a similar level of ridiculous with that specific voice, and my eyes are rolling here too.
This was much better than last week. To be blunt, Thom Adcox's performance sucked, but I'll blame that on the writing. The rest of the voice performances besides him and Cipes (particularly Zatanna) were quite decent. It was a good week. ****.
DC Super Hero Girls "From Bat To Worse"
I don't much recognize the Clare Foley inspired Ivy from the shorts, but that may be how she doesn't get recognized without a mask.
However her using the terms "vermin" and "cockroaches" to describe people made me very uncomfortable due to current real-world events. I don't think that language should be in a kids show. It's dangerous.
I love the plushie Bat-Mite.
This Robin however sucks. I like that everyone else thinks so too. He isn't even on-theme!
Very good episode. ****1/2.
DC Super Hero Girls "Crushing It"
Go Hamsters!
I am a little alarmed the way the rest of the girls misread Babs suggesting they take Steve out. Jessica and Karen were in particular out of character.
I'll say one thing about Steve: He's a lot nicer than the other males on the series.
I laughed at Diana simply conceding the debate. That's not how this is supposed to work.
As far as toilet paper goes, I think the rule is always over. Unless you own cat. That's the only time under is ever acceptable.
Funny episode. ****.
DC Super Hero Girls "Misgiving Tree"
"There's no such thing as a lost cause." Interesting moral and philosophy.
Plothole: Pamela Isley strikes me as the kind of girl who would object to using paper. I don't know how to jibe that with her being a student, but I sort of never knew how to do that anyway.
I liked it. ***.
DC Super Hero Girls Super Shorts "Stained Fighter"
"Hot Mess Girl". Love it.
Kara really does NOT care about property damage.
Good episode. The ending was hilarious. ****.
Krypton "In Zod We Trust"
I WAS with Val. I love how he pointed out that Jax killing Lyta was a tactical mistake, and that's how he got the support of the rebels. It's just that killing hundreds of innocent people to destroy the base is even worse. He talks about how they need the people's support (and he's right). Who is going to support that?
I like that even after all that, Jax and Van still respect each other.
I was also very interested in the Brainiac stuff. Brainiac is of course lying to Seg when he gives his word to spare Krypton.
Seg's plan to get Nyssa Kor was quite clever. Zod is no longer impressed. He's furious.
Good week. ***1/2.
Swamp Thing "Long Walk Home"
Very cool to bring back Adrienne Barbeau to the franchise. Nobody has really seen the Swamp Thing movie, but the show put her in their canon anyways. Very nice.
Avery and Woodrue are the worst. Hate those dudes.
Those vines coming out of Ghost Lucilia's face were absolutely horrifying.
You might criticize Abby for claiming it is hard to describe what Alec has turned into (it's really not) but the truth is she's trying to get it across WITHOUT actually using the words "Swamp Monster". So she has to treat the actual reality like a clue on the $25,000 Pyramid. It's insulting to use those two words, so she has to find a bunch of words that mean the same thing, which is much less easy.
I feel like it's possible in two weeks I will leave the show feeling unfulfilled. This kind of third to last episode hardly points to the show wrapping the big stuff up. We'll see. ***1/2.
iZombie "Killer Queen"
Shocking ending. Only two episodes left? How are they going to wrap all this up?
Blaine has already done so much stuff I will never forgive him for but if he had something to do with D'Arcy's death, Donnie will never forgive him. That would be a victory in my mind.
Speaking of which, I love that Ravi and Major's mission was a complete success. Take the good moments where and when you can get them.
I hope this show ends well. This was a great episode. ****.
Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Leap"
I wasn't disappointed that Sarge's death was a fake-out last week because I knew it would be. That's how this works. How do I feel about the explanations for Sarge?
I like the fact that not everything fits neatly or was explained satisfactorily to us. And I suspect a lot of the details are going to be left unsaid. I like that. Because there were just enough details revealed for me to come up with my own plausible explanations. It isn't actually a great idea that Izel shot Sarge to "wake him up". But it's also plausible, and it's not something I demand to know for sure. The less explanation regarding mysterious stuff on TV, the better has been my philosophy.
I also like that should the show choose (and I think it will) the explanation for Sarge gives them an in to bring the real Coulson back at the end of the season. They'd be crazy not to take that opportunity.
I especially like that even after all that Sarge refuses to work with Izel. I was frankly pleasantly surprised by that. Most TV shows would have done the exact opposite. I found Sarge's stubborn refusal to betrayal everything he believes for an easy answer endearing and admirable too.
How do I feel about Davis's death? It hurts because we JUST learned he's ridiculous enough to steal a pen. But I have to say I didn't buy the scene he died in for a second. Izel shot Piper in the hand. Seconds after she left, the woman should have been screaming in agony at the unfathomable pain. I don't like TV shows treating gunshots about as painful as getting hit with a fist. In reality she would not be as instantly upset over Davis' death because she would barely register it with the amount of pain she is going through.
But the rest of the episode was solid, and gave us enough answers for me to be happy with. Enough that I don't actually need much else later on. ****.
Mickey Mouse "Carried Away"
I think Minnie's song was lovely. ****.
DuckTales Theme Song Takeover "Launchpad"
Love seeing the theme from Launchpad's point of view. Also the loop at the end was clever. *****.
DuckTales Theme Song Takeover "Glomgold"
About as clever as Glomgold in general. *1/2.
Muppet Babies Play Date "Piggy's Fashion Show"
Piggy is TOO cute.
I love that the fashion show involves kids wearing ugly clothes. Having a boy there is a nice touch.
And this is the only franchise you will EVER see a girl with Down Syndrome unironically vamping in a fashion show. I freaking love the Muppets. ****.
Muppet Babies Play Date "Kermit's Sing-Along"
This one premiered on Disney Junior before it did YouTube.
I like that the noise for a hairstyle is "Ooh la la". Although it's an admittedly hard sound to fit into the lyrics of Old MacDonald.
Cute. ****.
Young Justice: Outsiders "Early Warning"
That was very instructive to me. I had been wondering exactly who the target audience for the show was all season, and this told me: It's teenagers. This show isn't for kids, and it isn't even exactly for adults It's geared towards teenagers. Which frankly is a good idea. The closest thing teenagers have to superhero fare are the CW shows and Smallville, but I think this is better because the characters are the right age, and it's exploring the right issues. The teen drinking and the spicy yet innocent lesbian kiss says this show takes after Degrassi. That it has the mindset of cautionary tales while exploring problems teenagers struggle with. And Degrassi is not the worst example for that. Because kids make mistakes, and the biggest part Degrassi was exploring the fall-out of those mistakes, and how they effected the characters, effected how some of the audience wound up viewing the behavior. If you grew up as obsessed with Degrassi as I was, you'll probably wind up a total square, and afraid to try ANYTHING approaching saucy. And that's what Halo being put in prison for getting a little drunk and exploring her sexuality boils down to. Degrassi got a LOT of cr*p thrown at it from conservative parents for the things they showed the teenagers in the audience. But it was almost universally so they could tell the viewer not to do it, and explain the reasons why. Degrassi was a fundamentally conservative show regarding stuff like that, and I'm thinking this show appears to be too. Why else haven't we gotten a proper swear? I am well aware they said the word "sucks", which is some circles is considered vulgar. But I've heard it in Saturday morning cartoons before, and it's not a word outside of any kids's lexicon. This is still the show that won't have Klarion say anything raunchier than "Dang it!"
I think the one way the show is unlike Degrassi is that it doesn't seem to punish the characters for premarital sex. And to be blunt, that's probably a healthier mindset to show teenagers. That's partly why I was uncomfortable with Violet getting arrested when she did. But if the show is geared at teenagers, they probably want to hedge their bets about stuff like that.
What did I like and what didn't I like?
I liked Courtney. And I suspect that the real reason I actually like Courtney is because that deep down I am lame.
I didn't like Klarion. The character has no charm left. He was never great, but I think the PG-13 rating sort of had the producers push him farther than they should have. And the main problem about him talking about enjoying hurting children and puppies is that I don't find him creepy or scary for it. I find him annoying and tiresome. He is the precise sort of loser I want to make fun of, and I probably would to his face if he didn't have magic powers. Those magic powers are pretty handy. I suspect if he didn't have them more people would probably be inclined to point out what a total waste of space he is. He is SUCH a loser.
I admit, I like the Fate tower tag. But that was the structure of the gag, not any fondness I had for the character. The character is loathsome.
And I hate to say it, but enough with Beast Boy. He's always laying it on SO thick. I freaking LOVE Beast Boy on Teen Titans Go!. And Greg Cipes, bless him, cannot do the noble leader role to save his life. I found Iron Fist's pretentiousness on Ultimate Spider-Man a similar level of ridiculous with that specific voice, and my eyes are rolling here too.
This was much better than last week. To be blunt, Thom Adcox's performance sucked, but I'll blame that on the writing. The rest of the voice performances besides him and Cipes (particularly Zatanna) were quite decent. It was a good week. ****.
DC Super Hero Girls "From Bat To Worse"
I don't much recognize the Clare Foley inspired Ivy from the shorts, but that may be how she doesn't get recognized without a mask.
However her using the terms "vermin" and "cockroaches" to describe people made me very uncomfortable due to current real-world events. I don't think that language should be in a kids show. It's dangerous.
I love the plushie Bat-Mite.
This Robin however sucks. I like that everyone else thinks so too. He isn't even on-theme!
Very good episode. ****1/2.
DC Super Hero Girls "Crushing It"
Go Hamsters!
I am a little alarmed the way the rest of the girls misread Babs suggesting they take Steve out. Jessica and Karen were in particular out of character.
I'll say one thing about Steve: He's a lot nicer than the other males on the series.
I laughed at Diana simply conceding the debate. That's not how this is supposed to work.
As far as toilet paper goes, I think the rule is always over. Unless you own cat. That's the only time under is ever acceptable.
Funny episode. ****.
DC Super Hero Girls "Misgiving Tree"
"There's no such thing as a lost cause." Interesting moral and philosophy.
Plothole: Pamela Isley strikes me as the kind of girl who would object to using paper. I don't know how to jibe that with her being a student, but I sort of never knew how to do that anyway.
I liked it. ***.
DC Super Hero Girls Super Shorts "Stained Fighter"
"Hot Mess Girl". Love it.
Kara really does NOT care about property damage.
Good episode. The ending was hilarious. ****.
Krypton "In Zod We Trust"
I WAS with Val. I love how he pointed out that Jax killing Lyta was a tactical mistake, and that's how he got the support of the rebels. It's just that killing hundreds of innocent people to destroy the base is even worse. He talks about how they need the people's support (and he's right). Who is going to support that?
I like that even after all that, Jax and Van still respect each other.
I was also very interested in the Brainiac stuff. Brainiac is of course lying to Seg when he gives his word to spare Krypton.
Seg's plan to get Nyssa Kor was quite clever. Zod is no longer impressed. He's furious.
Good week. ***1/2.
Swamp Thing "Long Walk Home"
Very cool to bring back Adrienne Barbeau to the franchise. Nobody has really seen the Swamp Thing movie, but the show put her in their canon anyways. Very nice.
Avery and Woodrue are the worst. Hate those dudes.
Those vines coming out of Ghost Lucilia's face were absolutely horrifying.
You might criticize Abby for claiming it is hard to describe what Alec has turned into (it's really not) but the truth is she's trying to get it across WITHOUT actually using the words "Swamp Monster". So she has to treat the actual reality like a clue on the $25,000 Pyramid. It's insulting to use those two words, so she has to find a bunch of words that mean the same thing, which is much less easy.
I feel like it's possible in two weeks I will leave the show feeling unfulfilled. This kind of third to last episode hardly points to the show wrapping the big stuff up. We'll see. ***1/2.
iZombie "Killer Queen"
Shocking ending. Only two episodes left? How are they going to wrap all this up?
Blaine has already done so much stuff I will never forgive him for but if he had something to do with D'Arcy's death, Donnie will never forgive him. That would be a victory in my mind.
Speaking of which, I love that Ravi and Major's mission was a complete success. Take the good moments where and when you can get them.
I hope this show ends well. This was a great episode. ****.
Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. "Leap"
I wasn't disappointed that Sarge's death was a fake-out last week because I knew it would be. That's how this works. How do I feel about the explanations for Sarge?
I like the fact that not everything fits neatly or was explained satisfactorily to us. And I suspect a lot of the details are going to be left unsaid. I like that. Because there were just enough details revealed for me to come up with my own plausible explanations. It isn't actually a great idea that Izel shot Sarge to "wake him up". But it's also plausible, and it's not something I demand to know for sure. The less explanation regarding mysterious stuff on TV, the better has been my philosophy.
I also like that should the show choose (and I think it will) the explanation for Sarge gives them an in to bring the real Coulson back at the end of the season. They'd be crazy not to take that opportunity.
I especially like that even after all that Sarge refuses to work with Izel. I was frankly pleasantly surprised by that. Most TV shows would have done the exact opposite. I found Sarge's stubborn refusal to betrayal everything he believes for an easy answer endearing and admirable too.
How do I feel about Davis's death? It hurts because we JUST learned he's ridiculous enough to steal a pen. But I have to say I didn't buy the scene he died in for a second. Izel shot Piper in the hand. Seconds after she left, the woman should have been screaming in agony at the unfathomable pain. I don't like TV shows treating gunshots about as painful as getting hit with a fist. In reality she would not be as instantly upset over Davis' death because she would barely register it with the amount of pain she is going through.
But the rest of the episode was solid, and gave us enough answers for me to be happy with. Enough that I don't actually need much else later on. ****.
Mickey Mouse "Carried Away"
I think Minnie's song was lovely. ****.
DuckTales Theme Song Takeover "Launchpad"
Love seeing the theme from Launchpad's point of view. Also the loop at the end was clever. *****.
DuckTales Theme Song Takeover "Glomgold"
About as clever as Glomgold in general. *1/2.
Muppet Babies Play Date "Piggy's Fashion Show"
Piggy is TOO cute.
I love that the fashion show involves kids wearing ugly clothes. Having a boy there is a nice touch.
And this is the only franchise you will EVER see a girl with Down Syndrome unironically vamping in a fashion show. I freaking love the Muppets. ****.
Muppet Babies Play Date "Kermit's Sing-Along"
This one premiered on Disney Junior before it did YouTube.
I like that the noise for a hairstyle is "Ooh la la". Although it's an admittedly hard sound to fit into the lyrics of Old MacDonald.
Cute. ****.