Change My Mind: Artemis and Dick Should Have Been a Couple Instead of Dick and Barbara!
Hey all! It’s Wednesday, which means that it’s time for another round of ‘Change My Mind’. Last week we kicked things off on a positive note. This week, I’d like to cover a topic that is a little more controversial and will likely get some backlash. This week, I want to talk about Dick and Barbara as a couple. More specifically, how I believe that ‘Traught’, or Dick and Artemis for the folks not feeling the aster, should have gotten together instead. Before I begin, I want to preface and say that I don’t mind Dick and Barbara as a couple. I think they’re cute together, and I have nothing against them! However, I don’t particularly care for how they were brought together, especially when the show has given so much chemistry to Dick and Artemis.
In case you’ve been living under a very heavy rock and have no idea what I’m talking about, let’s do a quick recap. During ‘Rescue Op’, we learned that Dick and Barbara are now together as a couple, calling each other nicknames such as ‘Adorableness’ and ‘Cuteness’. Sweet, right? I agree. However, if you are a casual fan of Young Justice and haven’t delved into any comic lore (tie in or otherwise), this coupling may have come out of left field for you. This is a potential problem, especially when Traught has always had, and still has, excellent chemistry.
Now, I can already feel the Spitfire shippers sneering in disgust at the sheer mention of Traught. Artemis would never be romantically involved with Wally’s best friend, you could argue. What would Wally make of that when he returns? Unfortunately, as of ‘Home Fires’ we still have no evidence that Wally will make a return. It’s been two years, and Artemis has earned the right to move on. Why wouldn’t she be able to move on with a man she’s always had a deep connection to? Artemis and Dick have chemistry, and they have history three seasons long. Dick and Barbara, unfortunately, do not. Let’s dig into this a little bit deeper:
- Dick and Barbara have had little to no development as a relationship on screen: Dick and Barbara have shared a few scenes in Young Justice, yes. However, in the show, their interactions have been relatively platonic, with a vaguely flirty line or two. To the regular viewer who has never read a comic in their life and only watches the show, they would leave Season Two without much of an impression of them as a potentially romantic couple. Now, Dick and Barbara have had this development in the YJ tie-in comic and I definitely recommend you start reading those ASAP because they’re excellent canon additions to the show. However, one should not have to read the comic to get a sense of Dick and Barbara as a couple. As a result of the lack of development in the show itself, their relationship may have come as a confusing surprise to a lot of viewers, leaving much less of a positive impact and instead instilling uncertainty.
- Dick and Artemis have always had a strong connection: On the opposing end, Dick and Artemis have had plenty of development on screen. Since Wally’s passing, the two are constantly quipping with each other, teasing and in some instances, touching. They have their mutual grief to bond over, and I would be willing to bet quite a bit that the two have only grown closer as a result. These two have had three seasons worth of scenes and potential relationship building to the point where if they suddenly hooked up, we would understand where it had come from. Reactions could go either way, but there would be no confusion as to why it had occurred. For years, fans have debated between Spitfire and Traught; now that Spitfire is (temporarily?) over, why not give Traught its rightful chance in the spotlight?
- Plot wise, Dick and Artemis make more sense: So let’s say the writers want Dick and Barbara to be endgame. Fair enough. At this point in the plot, however, Artemis and Dick still make the most sense. It would have been intriguing to see them starting off the season together, even if their relationship was just friends with benefits. This way, we would have been able to explore their unresolved tension while giving time to let Barbara and Dick develop as a potential long-term couple. It’s the best of both worlds, really. Excellent plot development while still giving both teams an equal chance to shine.
Disagree with my opinion? Want to change my mind? Awesome! Make sure you hit the comments and let me know. Or if you prefer, take to the forum and let your thoughts run wild.
