With the summation of this episode, the sudden realization starts to set in that there are only four left in the season. I feel as if I’ve just barely started loving this show, and now it’s nearly time to say goodbye again. Fortunately, ‘Home Fires’ has enough sweetness in it to cheer me up. Hopefully it did the same for you! The Outsiders continue their training and are surprised to receive not one, but two surprise attacks. The first one doesn’t count, as it comes from Nightwing, but the second one is by alien bounty hunter Lobo. Remember him? He’s set on exterminating Forager. To ease you off your worry, the subplot focuses on one of the cutest moments Young Justice has to date: the Super Parent meetup group. That’s right, we get to see all of the children from members of the league and their spouses play around while their parents talk. In case you missed something, let’s dig in:
- An Urgent Situation: This episode opens up with a shadowy meeting of the Light, in which Queen Bee mentions two urgent situations. One will be handled by the ‘new hire’, which we can only assume is the new leader of the League of Shadows, and the second will be handled by Vandal Savage’s acquaintance. The scene then cuts to bounty hunter Lobo on the planet Rimbor. He receives an offer, likely to exterminate an alien on Earth, and then accepts it.
- The Tornado Twins: In Central City, Iris watches the news with her twins Don and Dawn playing beside her. Cat Grant covers the opening of a new Metahuman Youth Center. It is run by Eduardo Dorado Sr., and we get a glimpse of both Livewire and Mist being welcomed there by Ed Jr. and the former Neutron (aka, Nathaniel). The doorbell rings and the twins zap to it, but not before Bart can scoop them up. It’s really endearing, and also a little strange, to see Bart helping raise his future Aunt and Father. Iris definitely feels it too, as she has to remind him not to call Don ‘Dad’. Iris opens the door and greets Mera and her son, Artur. Before things get too cushy, a threatening presence spies on them from the house across the street, ominously mentioning that there’s twelve more people yet to arrive.
- Granny Goodness: Conner, Forager and Brion all watch G. Gordon’s show in their home, so seemingly they’re all getting along very nicely. Remember when I mentioned that the Goode VR Goggles were cause for alarm? Their creator appears on G. Gordon’s show, and while she attempts to appear a sweet old lady, I’m not buying it for a minute. Especially with her implications from previous DC Comics. Stay on alert, readers, this can’t mean anything good. Conner turns off the TV when M’Gann enters the room because he knows she dislikes it, and we get a little tease onto what M’Gann is up to now. Seems she’s working at Happy Harbor High with Snapper Carr. Still unclear of whether Snapper is living with them or just pops up at their house every so often, but it’s hilarious nonetheless. Brion sulks and continues to follow Markovian news, where his brother announces that they will not be deporting Quraci refugees.
- Parent Playdates: Back in Central City, more parents and children have arrived. Will Harper chats with Lynn Stewart about Jefferson’s reinvolvement with Dick’s Outsiders team. Lynn seems happy for him, and then brings up the idea of Will and Artemis gets together. He shuts it down, but I’m not all too convinced. More visitors arrive, and we finally get our first look at a very pregnant Karen when Raquel and her son Amistad open the door to greet her. Before I can wallow in the cuteness of it all, that ominous voice comes again, noting that more people have arrived and still more are yet to come.
- Attack of the Nightwing: The Outsiders team gets together at a training site with Jefferson and Dr. Jace. Neither Halo or Brion are too thrilled to see her, and honestly I don’t blame them. Before they can get past usual greetings, the teenagers are attacked from an unknown mercenary. Halo and Forager are quick to realize they are being tested and go on the defense, while Brion is rather lost. Needless to say, Halo and Forager excel in this exercise, and Brion fails.
- It’s Lonely Being a Dad: Red Tornado enters the parent meetup in his human android form, bringing along his daughter. Will expresses gratitude that he’s not the only dad there, earning him quite a disparaging scold from the fellow mothers and shutting him up entirely. If this entire subplot wasn’t sweet enough for you, the kids beg ‘Uncle John’ to ‘do the twisty’ for them, and we get an adorable shot of little tornados encircling the kids while they all cheer and jump for joy.
- A Nightmare called Lobo: While Brion may have failed the first surprise attack, he is soon tested again when Lobo arrives, intent on killing Forager. Everyone is quickly set to attack and protect the bug, but just as in Season Two, Lobo proves a difficult match. Halo is killed yet again, and I have to wonder if there’s a limit to her resurrection powers. No need to fear, for this episode does not express that limit and she quickly heals herself to continue the fight.
- The Time has Come: Lois Lane arrives at the parent meetup with her and Superman’s son, Jonathan. With the final two visitors having arrived, the mysterious man in the house across the street sheds off his cloak and reveals he is Oceanmaster. He put together this plan to get rid of all the children in one place. Before you have a heart attack, Lady Shiva makes her presence known and warns him that the Light does not approve of his plan. He is insistent on carrying out his revenge, so she silences him with a beheading. I don’t know about you, but I’m just glad nothing came to fruition because I would raise hands if anyone tried to harm any of those children.
- And So The Deed is Done: Lobo is relentless in his attack to exterminate Forager, and doesn’t cease until he is destroyed. Forager rolls out in his shell and before anyone can stop him, Lobo crushes him to bits and leaves. Don’t worry though, you won’t even need a chance to mourn because a very pink and naked Forager exits from behind a rock and reveals that he shed his exoshell to trick Lobo. Everyone cheers, but not all is well. We return to the Light’s meeting, where Queen Bee reveals that sending Lobo to exterminate Forager was only a ruse to see and confirm Count Vertigo’s testimony about Nightwing having assembled a new covert team. Granny Goode steps out of the shadows and into the light, revealing that she has a plan to correct these children in time.
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