Beware of spoilers for the episode in the article. Please do not continue reading if you haven’t watched the episode yet and you are not okay with being spoiled.
Introduction :
This week we finally got confirmation that it's been five days since the Gambler’s murder which roughly means each episode this season has covered a single day's worth of events. The slower character progression makes sense considering the season is taking place over a few days.
Sylvester
Sylvester’s unhinged moment in the underground ISA meeting room was insane. It's also to be fair majorly reflective that Sylvester came to that "realization" on his own. Sylvester needs therapy to deal with his ISA issues. He also needs to understand that the current JSA are teenagers; he can't just be calling Beth asking for help during the day or coming to get Courtney for training during a school day like he did earlier this season. I'm glad Sylvester told the younger team that they need to learn from the old JSAs mistakes and not divide the team, that was suprisingly very mature of him. Sylvester however still needs to deal with his own anger so he can control of his emotions before he overreacts again and does something he can't come back from.
Mike
We got a little bit more Mike this episode. Sylvester encouraging Mike was actually a nice moment because Mike tends to get ignored a lot (not intentionally ), he really just wants to be seen as an important part of the team. I miss the Barbara and Mike scenes we got in season one. Barbara calling Mike her son to Sylvester was a heartfelt moment that reminded me of Barbara and Mikes bonding scenes in season one, Barbara is his mother and that's a title she’s earned. Cindy and Jakeem asking Cindy to join their team after she saved them from the bullies was cute. I saw that reaction from Cindy coming from a mile away though. It would be interesting if she actually ends up changing her mind in the end.
Cindy
Cameron's definitely wrong about Cindy; she has changed, helping Mike , Jakeem and Courtney (all things she didn't need to do which shows she's changed, season one Cindy wouldn't have bothered doing those things for other people). I hope Cindy learns that she needs to ask for help with her dragon problem , doing stuff on her own isn't great for her. She needs help. I'm guessing Cindy and Yolanda will fight it out in the next episode after this episode's cliffhanger scene of Yolanda finding the laptop at Cindy’s house. Whilst I hope the girls resolve their issues, I truly hope the show gives us the great hand to hand combat scene with the girls they hinted at the end of this episode before that.
Courtney
I really wish Courtney dating Cameron was going to last but it's giving major signs of an oncoming disasterous relationship because clearly both of them are keeping secrets from each other. Courtney about her Identity as Stargirl and Cameron about his art camp past which clearly suggests he has always had a darker side. Mr Bones sitting back and watching all this drama unfold from behind the scenes is kind of funny when you think about it , he is basically watching a soap opera with superheroes and villains. We have teen romance , death , secrets and resurrections all basic storylines in a soap.
Courtney clearly doesn't want to believe that Cameron can be defined by his own father's past much like she isn't defined by her own deadbeat father which is true. That's part of what makes the show so good, life isn't black and white because realistically people can be a mix of contradictions. Cameron's father was a great father but an awful human being in other aspects as a supervillain. A potential thorn in the young love birds relationship will probably come from Cameron's grandparents who are clearly not happy about Courtney and Cameron dating , whilst they liked Barbara in season 1 they (Grandmother in particular) never liked Courtney and I'm sure that dislike has grown since Icicle’s death.
Beth
I'm glad Beth finally had the talk with her parents , asking them to take a step back and stop getting involved in her JSA stuff for their own protection was the right move. There is a killer on the loose. Beth can barely protect herself physically as the new Dr. Mid-Nite having to worry about her parents too potentially puts her and them in even more danger. Beth's parents saying "if the Crock's can help we can right ?" made me go, you really don't know the Crock's do you (Beth's parents are in over their heads).
Additional notes :
1. The diner discussion scene with the Dugan-Whitmores and Crock's was probably the funniest scene of the episode for me, Pat and Barbara's faces during the entire scene sold it for me.
2. Courtney and Cindy's friendship is sweet , Courtney knows she can be herself with Cindy because she won't be constantly hearing Cameron is evil, don't date him and his father did this and that (Cindy won't judge her). Cindy will tell her the truth but she wont judge her. Cameron is his own person separate from his Dad's actions and he can choose to make his own decisions.
3. Rick can be a bit of a wet angry blanket sometimes , telling Cameron to get lost was mean especially because Cameron was trying to be nice. I'm glad Courtney told him to knock it off and told him that he has a temper.
4. Rick getting his powers back was a big moment but considering his anger issues I definitely think having that sort of power all the time isn't a great thing for him in the long run. He will probably lose control if his behavior in season one and temper is anything to go by.
5. So many characters on this show are in dire need of therapy , both heroes and villains.
6. Whilst I'm enjoying the slower paced story this season there is still a lot of "material" we haven't even begun covering yet like Jade and her brother , Mr Bones, the Shade going away e.t.c..., I hope the second half of the season delivers. The show so far has felt like a whole lot of set up so far.
7. Fun fact , this weeks episode's director Lea Thompson (Back to the future film series , Howard the Duck , Caroline in the City , Dennis the Menace and Switched at birth) also directed the Cindy centric episode Shiv Part One in season one ans she will also direct next weeks too.
Conclusion :
A slower paced episode that seems primed to set up a lot of potential conflicts for the lead characters going forward from Sylvester and Rick’s anger getting the best of them sometimes , Courtney and Cameron's seemingly doomed romance due to both their secrets , Cindy's secrets literally coming to “scratch” her in the back with Yolanda and Rick and Cameron’s growing frenemy conflict which will probably culminate with a superpowered fight , this weeks episode felt like a calm before the storm.
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