posted
If anyone thought my calling the alleged phasing out of the LSH lasses a "prolem worsening with every episode" after last week's non-speaking cameos-only roles for the ladies was unwarranted hyperbole, I give you this week's episode and rest my case.
The episode was disappointing all around for me.
I did get a brief Grell-flashback during the "Supes picks up Brainy with one hand while about to punch him with the other" scene.
I guess I'll focus my attention on the LSH 31C comic, which I still love, until the cartoon ditches the bratling focus groups.
posted
I'm also dissapointed that we did not see more of Durla. Is the animated version anything like the 8-second war version of the Levitz/Giffin era? We may never know.
Not a big fan of Brainy as Metron in his Moebeus chair. I also wish Saturn Girl had done the mind wipe instead of Brainy. It's a natural extension of her powers, although it could have provided drama as a new effort for her, with resultant personal trauma when she proved unable to put Cham back the way she found him.
I don't mind Ronn-Kar being a shape shifter, instead of having his trandisional Flat Lad powers. However, being as he is obviously NOT Durlan, I expected some explanation of how/where his powers came from. Perhaps in this version, he SHOULD be a Durlan, which, again, would have added some extra drama over whether or not he would be willing to destroy his own homeworld for Imperiex.
From: Sumner, ME | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
This episode definitely didn't do it for me. It seemed too plot-heavy and very busy and disjointed. And what was up with Brainy doing an impersonation of Metron and his chair? That just seemed to be thrown into episode as something that would look cool.
So are we not getting any new episodes for November sweeps? I thought the entire season was already in the can.
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted
Hey! I have an idea for an episode! Saturn Girl, Shrinking Violet, Phantom Girl, Duo Damsel and Dream Girl can take on the Fraternity Of Criminals Under Sixteen (FOCUS) and whip their whiny, girl-hating butts.
From: Knoxville, TN | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
I found it exciting, too, and I liked the spotlight on Cham, but can someone there please get, I don't know, maybe a second opinion on the focus groups?
-------------------- Watching television is not an activity.
From: Freeville, NY | Registered: Nov 2003
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posted
Ditto. I enjoyed the episode, and loved the switcheroo with Superman. I thought Imperiex trusting Persuader with vital info 5 days in was fishy, but I did not see the Ronn-Karr switch coming.
But if we get three more in a row without the ladies...
I mean, come on. Tinya's only appeared in two so far, but Cos has shown up in three, and he's not even part of the "core". And they went and made Lu Duo Damsel, but that hasn't been followed up on yet.
posted
I liked this episode a lot and i seem to get fonder of Chameleon boy every time i see the character in a new episode. I missed the lady legionnares but hopefully we'll see them again in the next new episode after the reruns.
I never noticed Ron Karr much before but he got some nice moments here. I liked that they made him to have simular powers as Cham to give him more of an edge. I don't mind changes if they're well done.
Imperiex should consider getting a PR man, i mean first Mekt leaves his army and now Ron Karr? Heh.
posted
Very exciting episode. Many twists and turns, a good balance between characterization and action, a visually beautiful episode. Ronn-Kar was a plus and the music was exquisite!
Still, it seems they've taken the title Legion of Super-Heroes a little too literally. Where's the Legion of Super-Heroines? The complete lack of girls didn't spoil the episode for me, but their absence is getting a bit "loud".
From: Somewhere in the Multiverse | Registered: Apr 2006
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posted
I applaud J.M. DeMatteis for attempting to bring existentialism to Saturday morning kid's TV. This effort wasn't as successful as his first, "Cry Wolf", but it's nothing to be sneered at, imo. I enjoyed it -- more than the Karate Kid episode, in fact -- with a couple of reservations.
First, I couldn't figure out when the Superman/Ronn-Karr switch was made until I rolled it back a few times. The key revelation that it happened during the fight on Imperiex's ship (when the Legion rescued Cham/Persauader) went by so fast and was so slurred, I missed it. I can't be the only one.
I'm happy Superman-X got some of his edgy impatience back in this episode, but the "real" Superman is deteriorating into a one-dimensional Boy Scout with every episode. Cham was supposed to the "Eddie Haskell" of the group -- here he behaved like The Beaver (when he wasn't being the Persuader). Timber Wolf and Lightning Lad are fierce and effective soldiers, but when they speak, it's mainly for exposition purposes and very little of their unique personalities shine through. I especially miss the wiseass Garth of Season 1, and I almost wished asshat Cosmic Boy was there to shake things up. At least Brainy looked cool and slightly sinister in the Metron chair.
I guess what I'm trying to say is I don't want the characters becoming too "nice" or idealized and lose the internal conflict that makes team dynamics so interesting. It goes without saying they are poorer for the absence of the girls to play against, for the lack of romantic tension if nothing else. Ronn-Karr becoming the second villain to go good in the last three episodes (Mekt being the first) is also a tad worrisome to folks like me who love the bad guys as much as the heroes, so I hope the trend ends here.
Having said all that, it was still the most enjoyable thing I watched on TV this week. I still can't get over the absolute thrill of seeing the Legion of Super-Heroes on the small screen.
From: Reimagined Trom | Registered: Jul 2003
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Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
I thought the episode was a complete waste of time (like Mystery Lad, I was wondering why they didn't just put implants into the real Persuader)... up until the Ron-Karr twist, which actually made it kind of interesting. Still, this wasn't one of the better episodes of the season. Probably the weakest since the first, imo.
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
The episode looked better in the coming attractions than actually watching it. Brainy didn't seem at all like first season. He seemed much more sinister (echoes of Brainiac) and Cham even looked frightened by his suggestions at one point. As someone pointed out, Brainy's statement at the end was kind of chilling. Actually, the whole realization the group had at the end came across as rather simplistic. You'd think they'd realize there's good and bad in everyone by now. Ron Karr's switch to the other side seemed to come a bit too easily. Could see Mekt wanting to do what's right for his sister. (Guess they didn't figure out the moral of the story in that episode.) The only reason I could see for Ron Karr's switch was that he was insulted by Imperiux saying he shouldn't think for himself. He never did get a chance to really bond with Cham (a fellow shape-shifter) and want to help him out for friendship reasons. Ron Karr did seem very upset about overriding someone's personality though. His almost punching out Brainy when Ron Karr appeared as Superman seemed totally out of character for Superman. Guess that means some of Ron Karr's character came through despite the reprogramming. Might have been more interesting and more of a motivation if the bad guys had forced Ron Karr to take on someone else's personality without his consent and then shown him rebelling against Imperiex saying peons shouldn't think. No wonder Imperiex has an army mainly of machines. He can't seem to inspire anyone else. Also felt like Superman X has kind of settled in like he belongs already and we really didn't get to see any adjustment period or how he learned to deal with the others and start acting more like a team player. Would have been fun to see more conflict between him and his teammates, such as having him challenging Brainiac 5 more about his role as remembered by the 41st century and Brainiac 5 learning from that, instead of Brainiac 5 acting more like what Superman X was warning about.
One thing that's bothering me about the various shows this season is how they decide who's in what episode. They seem to be throwing characters together, probably based on what works for the plot, rather than any logistical reasons that make sense such as who's where when they're fighting the war. One episode, Cosmic Boy and some of the Legion we hardly ever see is on the cruiser with Superman X. The next episode, Superman X is there with the regulars. Someone may be on the ship one week and off the next. The only explanation we had was when Cham mentioned Superman, Lightning Lad, Brainiac 5 and some of the others were off fighting the war with the Dominators or when Brainy said Superman was off on the other side of the Galaxy fighting during the episode with Shrinking Violet. Might make more sense if there was more than one cruiser for them to be on too. It would be nice if they didn't just move characters around the universe for whatever was convienent for the story of the week and actually had who was fighting where and when make some logical sense and have a real continuity. So far, I like first season as a whole much better than second season. Although, I did see some hints of interesting plotlines this season that could use some following up or fleshing out.
Registered: Mar 2007
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posted
To answer the first criticism in the previous post, maybe they're foreshadowing Brainy losing his mind (again). I'd rather see that than have him suddenly go nuts out of the blue.
-------------------- Watching television is not an activity.
From: Freeville, NY | Registered: Nov 2003
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posted
If they're going to have Brainy go nuts in a future episode, they can always blame that on the Coluan Alignment again. No foreshadowing necessary. Just a thought.
Registered: Mar 2007
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posted
i don't think they would do that the coluan alignment made him act like he was bipolar not evil and even if they wanted to use that as an excuse they could easily fix it with the "magic rock" the only real problem there would be getting some of it and they could split teams up for that one team to keep brainy busy
if they wanted to make brainy evil the best way would be to have a dormant program of some sort that they can't get rid of it only build firewalls to hold it off
i didn't notice the lack of girls in the previous legion eps. but i noticed it in this one almost as soon as i saw the hole team together that as a girl annoyed me.
I felt there was no real reason to have 2 supermen in one eps.
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From: ny | Registered: Jul 2007
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This effort wasn't as successful as his first, "Cry Wolf", but it's nothing to be sneered at, imo. I enjoyed it -- more than the Karate Kid episode, in fact -- with a couple of reservations. 
