Monsters of Television

“Ah, a lost son has returned to me.”

When I read the episode description, I was a bit worried it was too early for this particular story to play out. No one’s really been recruited (meaning no one’s officially joined the team before our original members), we haven’t checked in with the Guardians at all, and there hasn’t been much in the way of headway in the investigation in locating the Red Lanterns’ base.

That being said, the episode still works really well as a sort of conclusion for this section of the story, particularly for Razer. And it also supplies the next big concern in regards to this massive fleet that Atrocitus has waiting in the wings. A really massive fleet.

The show has always seemed more concerned with Razer than with Hal, and “Reckoning” is no different. Razer is the one with the arc, with the demons to battle and the sad backstory to come to grips with, Hal is just steering the boat. Nothing wrong with this, of course, I just find it interesting that Hal and Kilowog, the established characters, aren’t really being offered an interpretation really, and the show is mining Razer (and to a lesser extent, Aya) for all the character development.

This isn’t to say that the show should offer an interpretation of either character, just that I’m a little surprised that it isn’t. Hal is pretty straight-forward shiny sheriff sort, without much shading. Even the DCAU’s Superman had a bit of an edge about him while still remaining pretty firmly in the “Superman” concept. And while I haven’t always been crazy about it, Young Justice‘s versions of its protagonists do feel distinct.

So I’m thankful for Razer and his struggle. It, more than anything else in the show, offers a foothold for investment that no one else on the show can do. And “Reckoning” proves that the show is invested in this as well. While there was little doubt to me that Razer was actually a double agent, I relished the renewed sense of purpose the episode provides as Atrocitus explains his complete and total involvement in the death of Razer’s beloved (and his planet, of course).

While I’ve had little issue with Razer’s path of redemption thus far, this provides a clear incentive for this continued journey. His decision to save Aya instead of finishing off Atrocitus makes clear the path he’s chosen, and it’s an earned decision, given the time he’s spent with Aya in previous episodes. I’d have, honestly, a harder time accepting it had he saved Hal or Kilowog instead.

DC Nation Short: MAD Presents… — The Green Care Bear. Yeah. Interesting idea, and I liked Grumpy Bear as a Kilowog stand-in, but the humor never really came off the ground for me. Could be the lack of cultural capital that Care Bears currently have.

FINAL THOUGHTS

• “You’ve unlocked the secret of when they dump their garbage. Can victory be far behind?”
• “Uh, master, permission to cut off Razer’s head?”
• “Don’t be late for dinner, baby.” Eugh. So many Aya issues in this episode. Hal’s quote being one of them. The other is a dismembered Aya, reduced to a torso. The show is gendering her, and then doing horrible things to her. Aya is both a “her” and an “it” and it’s kind of frustrating to see that.
• I am happy to see the Guardians complicated a bit, even if the story may not be completely accurate. But the history of the Manhunters isn’t a good one for them.