Whelmed Wednesday is a close contender for being my favorite day of the week. It’s a tough running, though, what with Fruits Basket episodes coming out on Fridays, and Game of Thrones returning on Sundays. And with 3b planning to air on Tuesdays… Anyway, back to the serious stuff. Happy Wednesday, everyone!
I hope y’all are busy binging YJ. I know I am; I started watching ‘Performance’ last night, dozed off, and woke up in the middle of ‘Usual Suspects’. My tendency to fall asleep watching television aside, I commend each and every one of you for continuing to keep this fandom alive and beating. This week, while I take a quick breather from drabbles so I can deliver them next week, I decided to rank my top five episodes from Season One. It’s a question I’m constantly asked, so I finally compiled a list. Disclaimer: These are solely my opinions, and you may not agree! While I promise these aren’t all Roy/Will Harper based episodes, my preferences might differ from yours. Feel free to fight me on it in the comments!
- Number Five: Usual Suspects/Targets: Okay, this one is a tie, solely because I love both these episodes so much I couldn’t bear to rank them any lower. Additionally, these episodes go hand in hand. You can’t fully understand ‘Targets’ without the ending of ‘Usual Suspects’. So why do these two go in my top five? Well, ‘Targets’ finally introduced Red Arrow and Cheshire to each other, thus beginning my descent into madness. Meanwhile, so much goes down in ‘Usual Suspects’ that it’s impossible not to give it the due credit it deserves.
- Number Four: Failsafe: I can hear the screaming already; shouldn’t ‘Failsafe’ be my top pick? I agree, this is a solid, A+ episode. But, if I’m being honest, a friend finally convinced me to start watching Young Justice by explaining her trauma with ‘Failsafe’; thus, spoiling the plot for me. Consequently, I knew it was all fake and never experienced the traumatizing impact that this episode left on everyone else. Despite my unfortunate circumstance, this still deserves a place in the top five, and I feel comfortable ranking it as my pick for number four.
- Number Three: Auld Acquaintance: Of course the Season One finale belongs in the top three of my list. So much happened in this episode, between Red Arrow suffering over his realization that he was the mole, the league infected with starro-tech, and the introduction of the missing sixteen hours. Let’s not forget to mention the iconic kissing sequence as the clock struck midnight. Ultimately, it was the perfect set up for season two, given that season two episodes premiered just a week later.
- Number Two: Misplaced: ‘Misplaced’ will forever hold a place in my heart as the first ‘new’ Young Justice episode that I watched. I remember tuning in on Saturday morning to watch it with everyone else, and then proceeded to watch it about 2348 more times. Until ‘Complications’ and ‘Private Security’ came along, this was probably my most-watched episode. The simultaneous fight scene between the League and the Team was coordinated so well, and the plot was gripping, interesting, and compelling. Plus, Captain Marvel! Shazam, for the newbies. If you haven’t properly appreciated this episode yet, I’d recommend watching ‘Shazam’ first, and then giving ‘Misplaced’ another watch.
- Number One: Insecurities: I saved my ultimately biased opinion for last! Roy/Will finally joins the team and is bent on exposing Artemis as the mole. Cheshire and Sportsmaster come out to play, and ultimately best the young heroes. We finally get official confirmation of Artemis’ family ties, and how it affects her psyche. This episode has all my favorite characters engaging in a wildly interesting plot, and I couldn’t rank it lower if I tried.
Honorable mentions go to Homefront, Bereft, Image, Coldhearted, Performance and Downtime. All excellent episodes with their own places in my heart.
Disagree? Tell me your favorite episodes from Season One! I’d love to hear them. It’s also not too late to request a drabble before next week! Click this link to submit a request.
