Season 2 Discussion Thread

[Jack Malone]

REVIEW: "Super Assassin"

This episode was action packed. I guess it was obvious in the title — clearly pointing to an assassin coming in for the episode — but I don't think I expected it to be as insane as it was, and as life-threatening as it was, and not just for Clark, Janice and Sara, but for everyone. 

First up, I wanted to talk about the character of Michelle, who served as the antagonist for this episode. She was absolutely brutal, and I think your characterisation of her being so tough, and someone that did everything with conviction, never wavered due to plot, which I think is something so difficult to capture when you have an assassin that has a history of not only surviving, but taking down their targets. It would have been so easy to have her sort of change her mind, or be persuaded because they were children, but you never went down that route, and it kind of maintained this level of crazy for her that only seemed to amplify, and I was genuinely shocked when it reached a point in the story where she shot Sara. In fact, you had take a character (Clark) to a different level in order to take her down, and I just thought was a really impressive way to resolve the conflict, especially when certain other resolutions may have been contradictory or tarnished your main antagonist. 

With all that being said, I was a little confused about Chosen's employment of Michelle when the previous episode had Alexander say that it wasn't time to kill the Knox's yet. I guess it's a whole new episode, but I don't think anything has really changed for him to go from pulling Holt away from the triplets and telling him to stand down, to now when he tells Michelle to kill them. It's not really a huge deal. Part of me likes to think it was more about Alexander and Michelle than him really being ready to kill Clark, Janice and/or Sara, and the way the episode ended definitely reinforced that -- with him killing her and all. I was quite shocked, but at the same time, I'm not sure how big a place "assassins" have in TST world, at least as a main conflict for Clark, Janice and Sara. It's just a lot more mature, and it would feel weird to see a whole team of assassins trying to kill teenagers. I'd much rather see them target Debbie or Elise or even Ashlock, if assassins were to become a huge thing for the show, so I wasn't super bummed about her death, other than the fact that she was SO DAMN BRUTAL and you crafted a pretty great one-off antagonist. And I could totally picture Tatiana Maslany as the character, which just made it even better, haha! 

Also, while I'm still on the topic of assassins, I did like the little background we got about Chosen. I can't remember if I read it in this episode, or in a previous one, where they mentioned Chosen being active in taking down foreign leaders, and doing things internationally, and being more than what we've come to know them as, and so this little piece of information about the assassins, and how Michelle was the last one standing, just really amplified the whole organisation for me. I've really been liking the way you've been linking everything back to Chosen, from superhumans, to threading assassins into it now, and it's all contributed to Alexander, and his position as the big-bad. 

Outside of that, there was an interesting subplot with Katrina that kind of threaded throughout most of the episode, and it came from a rather strange place of jealousy. It felt quite humanising, actually, to have her be jealous of Michelle, and start asking all these questions. I wasn't quite sure if she was starting to worry about her place in all of this, if it was purely romantic jealousy, or if it's a whole thing about knowledge being power and how she's being kept out of the loop. Certain streams seemed to overlap, but I really liked that we got this perspective because I truly believe it's important to flesh out your villains just as much as it is to develop your heroes, and this done a lot for me, in regards to her character. I especially liked her moment with Agatha in this episode. 

The SANO Pharmaceuticals storyline continued in this one, and this is the mystery that I'm excited to see unfold. Fred and Lucy aren't just involved because they stumbled across Landy, and were interested in following the case, but Joshua and Chosen know they interacted, and are threatening to hurt them if they don't reveal what they know. It's all getting super intense, and I'm loving it.  My favourite point in this little storyline, though, was Lucy grabbing the vase and smashing it over Joshua's head. I don't think I've articulated just how freaking happy and excited I am to see Fred and Lucy have such a spotlight this season, and be as involved in the plot as they are. 

Onto "The Super Teens" (as Sara name-dropped in this episode), there were two really emotional but powerful moments in this episode with them that I just loved. I've talked in the past about how I get the same vibe from Charmed and those sisters as I do with Clark, Janice and Sara -- in that I'm invested in their sibling dynamic, and it's the heart of the show, and it just elevates all the storylines whenever it's the main focus, or is splintered, or is tested, threatened, or just the point of an episode. And this one in particular had Sara get shot, which was completely shocking, but you managed to write it in a way where the emotion could be sustained despite knowing she could probably heal herself and survive the whole thing -- which is a testament to you as a writer. The way they rallied around her, and the way it kind of shook them to their core was just really powerful. And the other big moment was with Clark, who shot Michelle -- a move that is pretty extreme when you think about it. But instead of leading to a sort of eruption of "we're better than that," it ended up being a really compelling conversation about how their lives aren't normal, and how they miss their Mum, and just all of the stuff that has clearly been bubbling to the surface since they got their powers. It was just so nice to see, especially when you paired it with Sara's experience of almost dying in this episode, and how that shifts her own perspective, too. I think it was my favourite moment of the whole episode, to be honest. 

Elsewhere in the episode, it's actually nice to see Jane Doe step up and fill the "mother" role for Clark, Janice and Sara -- even if it is more like a big sister vibe than anything else. Debbie's disappearance has actually benefited Jane in that she has a bit more of a purpose in this particular storyline, and it's actually kind of nice to see an adult in the house with the triplets who is devoted to looking after them and trying to keep them safe. As you know, I've been waving that "Do something with Jane" flag for a while now, and I just wanted to say that this feels like a good step in the right direction, at least for now with Debbie still "missing." 

Another solid episode of TST. I'm glad a "deadly assassin" doesn't seem to be joining the forever expanding Rogue's Gallery. Loved all the development for Katrina, and some of the back story for Chosen. Alexander continues to be an off the chains big-bad. Some great character moments, especially for Clark, Janice and Sara. What more is there to say? Nothing, onto the next one! 

[Jack Malone]

REVIEW: "Super Wave"

I just want to start this off by saying I'm so freakin' happy with Season 2 so far. These past few episodes have been laser focused on Clark, Janice and Sara, and showing them at High School, and dealing with the strange happenings of Upsville whilst being teenagers, and that's exactly what I've been wanting to see for a while. This episode was another damn perfect one, maybe even knocking 'Super Heat' out of the park. Not only was the antagonist another strong addition to the Rogue's Gallery, and tied back into the looming threat of Chosen, but her mere existence and presence as a threat leaned into a main character's fear, which added so much more weight to the episode. I loved it. 

So, as always, I'm starting this one off with Ellie - the episode's main antagonist - who is, of course, another suss newbie showing up at the High School that's clearly there to f*ck sh*t up. I thought it was funny that this time it was Sara who was like "uh-huh" and totally not convinced about her story, which was a direct contrast to her with Holt. Speaking of which, the reveal that she was Holt's brother was another nice little twist. These superhumans having certain connections with others makes me think that there's an army coming up for Season 3 or something, and it's going to be all of the greats from the first two seasons. I swear. But anyway, back to Ellie, she had great powers of her own, and I loved that it tied directly into Sara's fear. It really enhanced all their interactions, and I think Ellie, in a way, has solidified herself as an arch nemesis to Sara, because of her powers being a manifestation of her biggest fear. The entire sequence where she was drowning Sara was done so well, and there was something about all of Ellie's scenes that I could really vividly picture playing out on screen. I'm glad her story didn't end here with Alexander blowing her brains out -- I was certainly worried that would be the outcome since she technically failed him. 

Paired up with this story, that's got water all over it, was a whole introductory plot with Clark wanting to go to the swimming try-outs. I thought that was a great set-up, and it links me back to my whole thing about their experiences at high school and seeing more of that. It was nice to get out of the classroom or the hallway for all their High School scenes, and see a bit more, and this was the perfect way to bring Ellie into the story. The confrontation with Clark and Ellie in the locker room was insane. I laughed at the "I'm not into boys" because it's like even though there were those vibes, she just made it ten times creepier by being like "I'm all over you, but I'm not into you." She went from is this flirting to is she trying to kill him, and I thought that was hilarious. It was also a nice way to establish Ellie, obviously. 

Even though I absolutely loved that story, especially for its focus on Sara, I do have to say that I enjoyed the development with SANO so much more just because I'm absolutely hooked to this mystery and I want to see how it unfolds. This episode was wild on that front — Lucy and Fred find a video that identifies a woman, Maggie, they go to visit her only for Katrina to kill her, and then they're kidnapped, only to be saved by the WOMAN IN GREEN LEATHER, who is a total badass, and just as they agree to keep looking into this case, they get a message from their green-outfit-wearing-superhero-woman to tell them to "stop looking." I mean... that was a journey, yall. An intense damn journey. And I loved every damn second of it. Now I want to know who the hell this woman is, and what kind of danger she's in now that Katrina's reported back on her existence to Alexander at Chosen. I'm hooked. 

Elsewhere in the episode, there was some more going on with Debbie and Shela at Chosen. This felt a little more detached, but it's always nice to catch up with Debbie, regardless. And you just had to go and make it difficult with them being crowned the top two agents, and pitting them against each other. I never really figured that Alexander would be able to listen in to all their conversations, and now I want to go back and see what he's heard from them, oh my god. Maybe something happened earlier and I'd just forgotten it, but I still found that pretty shocking. And even though it was detached, I feel like identifying them as the two best targets means they'll be doing something together for Chosen pretty damn soon and that makes me hella nervous, but ALSO IT COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO ESCAPE?!?!?! And if you think I'm going to be okay with getting Debbie back at the cost of losing Shela, then you are sorely mistaken, Brady. Imma need both these flawless queens to be walking out of this unscathed, okay?!

Anyway, onto another fave -- Ashlock had such a nice focus in this one. I mean, it wasn't a huge focus, but every scene really furthered a story for her and I really liked that. I think she's been caught up in everyone else's little world in the past two episodes, so it was nice to see her pushing her own journey in this one. Seeing her at Rivers grave was a very powerful moment. There's something about the way those scenes are written, too, that just kind of makes everything stop for me. Whenever a character's at a cemetery, in front of a grave, at a funeral, I'm just glued to the screen/page. And you did that with that scene. I didn't expect Ryan to show up and RECORD THE DAMN THING?! Dude, he is totally sketchy. And I don't know if I should be gearing up for a reveal that he's a bad guy, or a reveal that it's all just a misunderstanding and he's sketchy when you don't know the truth. I mean, he has a prior arrest of breaking and entering and harassment. But that could also be viewed as him investigating a story and going a bit too far, you know? Also... how does he know Rivers? And does that mean we could get some Rivers flashbacks later on to fill that story in? 

Man, this episode was just something else. I really loved it. I think it's another to slot in for the top 5 or so episodes of the series for me. Anyway, I wanted to be all caught up and post so many reviews for your birthday, but so much happened this week that I only got through these three. I'm going to read and review some more tomorrow after my job interview, and I can't wait to see how all of this unfolds. I want to at least get to that mid-season finale! 

[Jack Malone]

REVIEW: "Super Mission"

I don't even really know how to start this review without just diving straight into everything that went down with Debbie Knox in this episode, and so forgive me for not being more structured and easing a little better into this episode's review, but I'm so impressed by, and invested in, this arc for Debbie with Chosen, and what this episode did was offer a lot of pay-off to the slow-burn nature of her story from the beginning of the season, in a way that we don't often see happening outside of a season finale. And it all feels so precise and perfectly planned out. You ended Season 1 with her being kidnapped, and you've taken us on a journey where she's being initiated into this organisation and having her family threatened and held against her — while showing the Knox Triplets adjust and adapt to a world without their mother — and then when Debbie is forced to take all that knowledge and training and fulfil a mission for Chosen as an agent, she's a door apart from her old life, and so close to her children and her freedom, only to have her "die" by episode's end. From the suspense, to the high stakes action of the mission, and finally the emotion of it all -- it just fired on all cylinders and those story beats hit at all the right times. I'm really hoping, and have a feeling, that the "death" was just a move on Chosen's part to convince the Knox Triplets that she had died, and that this is all a huge fake-out. I think it would be an absolute shame for Debbie's story to end there. Regardless, I really admire and appreciate how you've told this story and what this episode did in kind of allowing the disjointed nature of Debbie's arc initially to carry so much more weight and have that pay-off that I think it needed sooner rather than later, and this was just the perfect time to see her out on a mission and be swept back up in the action of it all.  

As for the premise of the episode (and the mission itself), I thought it was a really strong plot and conflict. It was nice to see Shela and Debbie out in the field and trying to figure out — in the moment — how to act and respond to what was going on. There was a lot of pressure on them, and it really intensified their scenes. I loved the whole sequence with the trucks, and I particularly loved the point in the story where they were being "Agent Welling" and "Agent Kane." It was just a lot of fun. 

The other really big thing that sold this episode and elevated the whole thing was The Emerald. This whole storyline has just pulled a lot of things in for me and how I view the show because it's starting to feel like the world is growing and expanding to be a superhero series, rather than an amalgamation of different genres. And it's an aspect I feel like Season 2 is really nailing, especially with Fred and Lucy's storyline as well. I have a stronger sense of the show now and there's all these arcs that just have so much potential and have built this world up. Specifically, with The Emerald, I liked her slow integration into the story and I don't think this episode would have worked as well if there wasn't that subplot of Chosen controlling the narrative and trying to frame The Emerald as the one that wanted to kill The Mayor. You have a way of really balancing your stories, and it's a quality I admire so much — these threads of story are all kind of dangling out there in these first few episodes, and as the season goes along, you stitch them together and give them continued relevance and allow us to see things differently. The fact that The Emerald could play an important role in Debbie/Shela's arc in this episode was proof of that and I look forward to seeing the bigger picture of the season, with this vigilante, with Chosen, and with SANO Pharmaceuticals, all coming together.  

Elsewhere in the episode, I really liked ACT ONE and how it showed us a series of scenes of the Triplets, Fred and Lucy training in their chosen fields. The introduction of this "super human safe room" was a nice touch and I think it was a nice little development that I'd love to see more of, especially because it's a tool you can use throughout the show from here on out to show Clark, Janice and Sara getting stronger, and justify any improvements they'll have and/or need going forward. I think it also helps in not having to force "training" sequences into your story if you don't really want to waste large chunks of an episode on that and can instead see Clark, Janice and Sara finishing up in the training room, or simply talking about it, because we can now visualise what that entails. I know I'm not a huge fan of writing training sequences unless its quick and snappy, and so this allows you to have more fun with it but also work around it. So I'm happy to see it brought in. 

Following on from that, I really loved the Elise/Lucy training sequence. I think Lucy's perspective was tapped into so well, and I found it adorable that she was feeling inadequate because she hadn't reached ninja-agent-level yet. Sometimes characters and their personalities can get lost in forming them into badasses and I just appreciate the care you're taking with these characters (like Debbie and Lucy) in preserving their personality and humanity despite offering them storylines that are making them stronger.

Lastly, I liked the follow up on Ryan. He's really shady to me. But I do get the sense that there's a veil to be lifted here, you know? I feel like it's not going to be some deep, dark reveal that paints him into an enemy or a threat that needs to be taken care of, but rather a character with his own motivations who is keeping that a secret. I could be wrong. I have been plenty of times. But either way, it's nice to see that level of sneakiness, and I like that Dr. Rivers maintains a level of importance on the show despite being a one-season character. I think I mentioned being a little disappointed in him being killed off and voiced some fears that he would just fade into the background, so I'm happy to see that he's still involved some way — both with Ashlock's little arc at the beginning of the season, and now Ryan's connection to him. 

While I'm on that topic, I really love these mysteries this season. I hope it's something you keep in the DNA of the show. I like The Emerald, Ryan being shady af, this whole subplot about SANO Pharmaceuticals -- it compliments the show and the genre so well and you're doing a great job of it. 

All in all, probably one of my favourite episodes of the series so far — as long as Debbie isn't really dead, of course. I keep saying this, but I'm so glad I decided to read The Super Teens, and even though I did really enjoy the first season, I understand what you mean when you said you really hit your stride in Season 2. Things feel really structured and precise and I love seeing things piece together. I think the pacing of it all is really impressive, too. Hopefully when I read the next episode, my crushing grief will ease and Debbie will be a-okay. 

[Brady Brown]

Mar 11, 2018 3:16:56 GMT -6 Jack Malone said:

REVIEW: "Super Mission"

I don't even really know how to start this review without just diving straight into everything that went down with Debbie Knox in this episode, and so forgive me for not being more structured and easing a little better into this episode's review, but I'm so impressed by, and invested in, this arc for Debbie with Chosen, and what this episode did was offer a lot of pay-off to the slow-burn nature of her story from the beginning of the season, in a way that we don't often see happening outside of a season finale. And it all feels so precise and perfectly planned out. You ended Season 1 with her being kidnapped, and you've taken us on a journey where she's being initiated into this organisation and having her family threatened and held against her — while showing the Knox Triplets adjust and adapt to a world without their mother — and then when Debbie is forced to take all that knowledge and training and fulfil a mission for Chosen as an agent, she's a door apart from her old life, and so close to her children and her freedom, only to have her "die" by episode's end. From the suspense, to the high stakes action of the mission, and finally the emotion of it all -- it just fired on all cylinders and those story beats hit at all the right times. I'm really hoping, and have a feeling, that the "death" was just a move on Chosen's part to convince the Knox Triplets that she had died, and that this is all a huge fake-out. I think it would be an absolute shame for Debbie's story to end there. Regardless, I really admire and appreciate how you've told this story and what this episode did in kind of allowing the disjointed nature of Debbie's arc initially to carry so much more weight and have that pay-off that I think it needed sooner rather than later, and this was just the perfect time to see her out on a mission and be swept back up in the action of it all.  

I really wanted their to be an episode that was a sort of culmination of what Debbie (and Shela) has been through while she's been at Chosen. Despite the end of the episode, Chosen will continued to be explored from the inside and out, and they have a very large threat that will be approaching towards the mid-season finale. Anyway, Debbie has been one of my favorite characters to write for this show. I wanted to break away from the typical parental role in superhero shows where they are simply there for supporting the main hero and act as a distress call whenever they are in trouble. I wanted Debbie to be the hero, and that's what this episode was all about. I'm really happy you liked this episode so much. I remember it being kind of difficult to write and get through because of how many things were going on, but I'm thrilled you found it to be balanced and organic. Debbie's fate, whether she is truly dead or this was some fakeout, will be answered by the end of the next episode. 2.08 is really about focusing on how much influence she had on her children and friends, and, even though she's been in the hands of Chosen for some time now, how her passing affects everyone.

As for the premise of the episode (and the mission itself), I thought it was a really strong plot and conflict. It was nice to see Shela and Debbie out in the field and trying to figure out — in the moment — how to act and respond to what was going on. There was a lot of pressure on them, and it really intensified their scenes. I loved the whole sequence with the trucks, and I particularly loved the point in the story where they were being "Agent Welling" and "Agent Kane." It was just a lot of fun. 

Yay! Like I said, this episode was kind of tough to get through, so I'm glad the end result was something enjoyable!

The other really big thing that sold this episode and elevated the whole thing was The Emerald. This whole storyline has just pulled a lot of things in for me and how I view the show because it's starting to feel like the world is growing and expanding to be a superhero series, rather than an amalgamation of different genres. And it's an aspect I feel like Season 2 is really nailing, especially with Fred and Lucy's storyline as well. I have a stronger sense of the show now and there's all these arcs that just have so much potential and have built this world up. Specifically, with The Emerald, I liked her slow integration into the story and I don't think this episode would have worked as well if there wasn't that subplot of Chosen controlling the narrative and trying to frame The Emerald as the one that wanted to kill The Mayor. You have a way of really balancing your stories, and it's a quality I admire so much — these threads of story are all kind of dangling out there in these first few episodes, and as the season goes along, you stitch them together and give them continued relevance and allow us to see things differently. The fact that The Emerald could play an important role in Debbie/Shela's arc in this episode was proof of that and I look forward to seeing the bigger picture of the season, with this vigilante, with Chosen, and with SANO Pharmaceuticals, all coming together.  

This season has been so much fun to write because of looming arcs like The Emerald. I wanted to introduce the idea of a separate vigilante that isn't working with the Knox's, so it's all about how they operate with and how they view The Emerald. All of these subplots -- including SANO -- are about to have a lot of answers, and I'm excited to see what you think!

Elsewhere in the episode, I really liked ACT ONE and how it showed us a series of scenes of the Triplets, Fred and Lucy training in their chosen fields. The introduction of this "super human safe room" was a nice touch and I think it was a nice little development that I'd love to see more of, especially because it's a tool you can use throughout the show from here on out to show Clark, Janice and Sara getting stronger, and justify any improvements they'll have and/or need going forward. I think it also helps in not having to force "training" sequences into your story if you don't really want to waste large chunks of an episode on that and can instead see Clark, Janice and Sara finishing up in the training room, or simply talking about it, because we can now visualise what that entails. I know I'm not a huge fan of writing training sequences unless its quick and snappy, and so this allows you to have more fun with it but also work around it. So I'm happy to see it brought in. 

The training room is something that's going to be utilized throughout the season. I really love the idea of it, and that there's always this thing off screen that the triplets are using that's always improving their skills and abilities. While I think showing them progressing with their abilities is important, I find that this is gonna be a very useful tool going down the road, and I'm glad you liked it.

Following on from that, I really loved the Elise/Lucy training sequence. I think Lucy's perspective was tapped into so well, and I found it adorable that she was feeling inadequate because she hadn't reached ninja-agent-level yet. Sometimes characters and their personalities can get lost in forming them into badasses and I just appreciate the care you're taking with these characters (like Debbie and Lucy) in preserving their personality and humanity despite offering them storylines that are making them stronger.

This is something Lucy is going to be dealing with going forward. I think it's really easy to feel unsatisfied with your role, especially when your best friends are superheroes. So happy you're enjoying her. She's had one of my favorite stories of the season.

Lastly, I liked the follow up on Ryan. He's really shady to me. But I do get the sense that there's a veil to be lifted here, you know? I feel like it's not going to be some deep, dark reveal that paints him into an enemy or a threat that needs to be taken care of, but rather a character with his own motivations who is keeping that a secret. I could be wrong. I have been plenty of times. But either way, it's nice to see that level of sneakiness, and I like that Dr. Rivers maintains a level of importance on the show despite being a one-season character. I think I mentioned being a little disappointed in him being killed off and voiced some fears that he would just fade into the background, so I'm happy to see that he's still involved some way — both with Ashlock's little arc at the beginning of the season, and now Ryan's connection to him. 

We love Shady Ryan haha! He's someone that I don't think needs a huge focus in every episode, because in the episodes where he pops up he has a purpose that progresses his shadiness, lol. Can't say too much about him since he's such a secretive character, but answers will be coming soon!

While I'm on that topic, I really love these mysteries this season. I hope it's something you keep in the DNA of the show. I like The Emerald, Ryan being shady af, this whole subplot about SANO Pharmaceuticals -- it compliments the show and the genre so well and you're doing a great job of it. 

Like I said, lots of answers will be coming shortly.

All in all, probably one of my favourite episodes of the series so far — as long as Debbie isn't really dead, of course. I keep saying this, but I'm so glad I decided to read The Super Teens, and even though I did really enjoy the first season, I understand what you mean when you said you really hit your stride in Season 2. Things feel really structured and precise and I love seeing things piece together. I think the pacing of it all is really impressive, too. Hopefully when I read the next episode, my crushing grief will ease and Debbie will be a-okay. 

Thanks so much for this review, Jack! Glad to see you back on the Super Teens train. Can't wait to see what you think of the next few episodes!

[Jamison]

Brady Brown I know it's been a minute to say the least, but I plan on reading/reviewing the last three episodes of TST that I have yet to read soon. I really missed this show and I'm just hoping it doesn't end on a cliffhanger haha! Do you ever plan on releasing more episodes in the future?

[Brady Brown]

Jun 16, 2021 18:22:32 GMT -6 Jamison said:

Brady Brown I know it's been a minute to say the least, but I plan on reading/reviewing the last three episodes of TST that I have yet to read soon. I really missed this show and I'm just hoping it doesn't end on a cliffhanger haha! Do you ever plan on releasing more episodes in the future?

Yes! I'm slowly but surely writing the final 2 episodes of the season