Director: Mel Zwyer
Writer: Nicole Dubuc
About a week after the dramatic fallout on the Watchtower, we learn that Miss Martian is still keeping the remains of The Team together. On August 4, 10:32 MDT, Bart Allen is hanging out with Jaime Reyes and Traci Thurston in what I believe to be Jaime's home in El Paso, Texas. Traci and Jaime are lying on a bed together, while Bart's sitting on the floor in front of the bed. But even though they're all together, they're each doing something different — Bart's on a tablet, Jaime's reading a comic book, and Traci's on a laptop, watching a Star Trek-inspired TV show starring Beast Boy himself.
Jaime criticizes Space Trek 3016 for not following the laws of physics, but Traci doesn't mind, implying she's more interested in Gar Logan, who no longer walks around in his weird half-monkey form and now has a fashionable new haircut. Anyway, this discussion is interrupted when all three of their phones go off, playing the theme song of Hello, Megan. Naturally, this is M'gann's less-than-subtle way of calling The Team on a mission.
Before too long, our heroes are suited up and reporting alongside Static Shock and Wonder Girl at Snapper Carr's farm in Happy Harbor. Bear, of the Forever People, has requested their help with a problem he's facing on New Genesis. Once everybody's arrived, he opens a boom tube to the other planet. Bart excitedly tells Jaime they'll get to study those space physics up close, but Jaime points out that boom tubes basically break the laws of physics, as well.
Thirteen is also real excited to go to another world, so much so, in fact, that she briefly loses control of her magical powers and accidentally causes the boom tube to open up several feet above the ground. Bart is quick to forgive her, though, falling back on his old slang word of "crash" to describe how neat it is to be on a mission in space. And Bear is thrilled to be working with heroes more enthusiastic than Superboy.
Meanwhile, Nightwing, Artemis, Superboy, Snapper, and the recently retired Black Lightning work on the farm to help Prince Brion and Halo (above) figure out their new powers. (It's a long story, but if you're reading this blog, you probably already know it.)
Back on New Genesis, Bear explains that the Bug population of the planet has been having trouble with the New Gods that live on a floating island high above them. At least that's what the Bug's claim. Bear's investigation detected the presence of Earthlings after the supposed New God attack, which is why he brought The Team here. Kid Flash says it's "moded" that Robin isn't here to play detective, but Cassie is quick to point out how Tim doesn't pick up on as many clues as you think. M'gann joins in, listing "super oblivious" to Superboy's power set, prompting Virgil to conclude that "boys are bad."
Before too long, a group of Bugs charges our heroes to attack, but a small red one named Forager steps up to protect The Team. He explains to the big green leader that he was the one who asked for Bear's help after their encounter with Orion. While the Bug's debate, Bart whispers to Jaime that the green leader seems "ticked" off, but Blue Beetle refuses to acknowledge this cheesy joke.
Bear tells the green leader that the Orion they met was an imposter, since the real Orion is currently away from New Genesis. The green leader doesn't believe him, but he eventually does agree to work with our heroes to set up an ambush for this "Orion." Miss Martian disguises herself as a Bug, ordering The Team to remain hidden in the woods. "Orion" arrives right on schedule to collect the Bugs' offering, accompanied by too grotesque monsters, which Miss Martian has identified as metahumans from Earth, wearing control devices.
As "Orion" speaks with the green leader, M'gann can tell he's using telepathy to make the Bugs angrier. She then realizes who this imposter is and transforms into her true White Martian form and demands that "Orion" explain himself. He says he can't talk here, so he flies away deeper into the woods with M'gann, who orders The Team to stay put and turns off her psychic link, so they don't know what she's doing.
Turns out the fake Orion is actually M'gann's brother, who's a radical revolutionary, trying to provoke a conflict between the Bugs and the New Gods. But our heroes only learn this because they disobeyed orders and decided to check on their leader. Kid Flash says, "Sorry, not sorry," but M'gann is actually grateful for their presence. They can hold off the metahumans, while she takes on her brother in an emotional psychic battle.
Unfortunately, the Bugs see this fighting and decide they can't trust the New Gods or the "Earthers," and try to destroy them all. Kid Flash knocks away a couple of Bugs rolling toward the battle, but he's hit from behind by the green leader. The leader also shoots down Blue Beetle from the sky, and prepares to blast him and Wonder Girl, when Forager steps up once again to save our heroes.
M'gann's psychic battle does not go well, as her brother retaliates by killing his metahuman slaves. He blames Forager for starting this and fades away, while Miss Martian stupidly stands idly by. The green leader also blames Forager for this and even banishes him from the hive. Wonder Girl and Blue Beetle says they should help Forager, so Miss Martian decides to bring him back to Earth with them. She also takes the dead bodies of the grotesque metahumans to give them a proper burial on their home planet.
This was a pretty fun episode. Sadly, it was a reminder that some of last season's main characters — Jaime and Bart — are now merely background characters. The main characters for this season are Brion, Halo and Forager. So, yeah, our guys got to go on a fun mission in space, but they really didn't do anything. Bart cracked a couple of jokes and pushed one bug out of the way. Jaime blasted his laser cannon once or twice. And that was it.
The opening scene of them in El Paso was actually the most interesting. Sadly, we don't know anything about Traci, other than she has magical powers and has been training under Zatanna. But she has formed a potentially fun trio with Jaime and Bart. I kind of like the idea of these teenagers just sitting around all day, waiting for M'gann to send them on a mission.
I will say, however, I couldn't help but wish this trip to New Genesis could have been as wonderfully wacky as Impulse's first trip there in the comics. But this show never gets as silly as the series it stole its name from. The story is still rather serious, focused, thoughtful and, at times, a little distressing. Transforming teenagers into grotesque monsters and then brutally murdering them is probably something this show never would have tried on Cartoon Network. I don't know if that's necessarily a good thing or a bad thing. I just wish we had more Bart.
Next time, we're keeping it here on this show, but once again, we'll have to skip ahead a few episodes.
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