Young Justice season 3, episode 19 review: Elder Wisdom

After an international mission goes haywire, the Outsiders’ parents step in on the latest episode of Young Justice: Outsiders.

The Outsiders are now world-famous, and their popularity and influence continue to grow. But on the newest episode of Young Justice: Outsiders, “Elder Wisdom,” Lex Luthor causes a snafu for the young heroes that gets their parents involved. And while the two generations hash it out, Violet makes a bold choice.

Parents Just Don’t Understand

Despite facing a few obstacles, the Outsiders have been riding high since declaring themselves to the public, with some claiming they’re better than the Justice League. However, things were bound to hit a snag, and that’s exactly what happened on the team’s mission to BwBwunasa.

While they were able to prevent the villainous B.I.F. team from killing any of the U.N members, the team was made to look like amateurs when the Flash arrived to help. This paired, with Kid Flash’s injury, causes tension between the team and their parents, particularly Eduardo’s (now going by his comic book name El Dorado) father.

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Eduardo, Cassie and Bart’s confrontation with Dr. Dorado, Dr. Sandsmark and Jay Garrick is easily the episode’s centerpiece. The conversation highlights the generation gap that all teens and parents experience but with the added layer of the superhuman experience. Jay Garrick’s appeal about mortality particularly resonates, being that he’s a former hero himself. But ultimately, the writers continue to show just how mature these young characters are and allow them to make counter arguments that aren’t selfish or whiney, but well reasoned and understandable. This makes it that much more satisfying when the group is finally able to convince their guardians to let them keep being heroes.

Luthor’s Setback

So far, Luthor has had his sights set on discrediting the Justice League but, with the rise of the Outsiders, he’s now aiming to turn public opinion against them, as well. And in attempting to do so, he actually gives credibility to the League by calling in the Flash to undermine the Outsiders. Of course, it also didn’t come as a surprise that he orchestrated B.I.F.’s attack (led by Cassandra Savage) on BwBwunasa.

But in an interesting turn of events, things actually don’t go the way Luthor planned. After predicting the parents’ reactions and trying to further defame the team with an attack at one of Ivo’s old labs, things fall apart. Aside from the Outsiders’ parents coming out in support of them, the fight at the lab only makes the team more popular. And to add insult to injury, Lex gets humiliated on G. Gordon Godfrey’s show.

This is the first time Lex has overplayed his hand. He let his feud get in the way of his ultimate plan and lost resources (the factory and the his spider-bots) in the process. Godfrey even scolds him for it after the show. Seeing Luthor lose is a rare sight, and an interesting thing to do with a character who is so accustomed to winning. Still, he’ll likely take Godfrey’s advice and somehow use the Outsiders’ clout to his advantage.

Violet Comes Clean

In her debut season, Violet has already had one of the most complex character arcs in the series’ history. Having been born as a new person in another’s body, joined a superhero team, fallen in love and learned that she’s dying, she’s been through a lot. And more recently she’s been on a path of self destruction after learning of her fatal diagnosis, of which no progress has seemingly still been made.

But in this episode, Violet finally addresses the other reason for her reclusive attitude. She finds the courage to admit to Brion and Tara that Gabrielle, the original host of her body, accepted a bribe that allowed the assassin to murder their parents. A hurt Brion storms out, while a shell-shocked Tara texts Deathstroke.

After this, Violet will undoubtedly isolate herself further and, judging by the letter she appears to be writing a the very end of the episode, she may be preparing to leave. What could this do for Violet’s arc, and how might the shady Dr. Jace react to this?

Still Pulling the Strings

And once again, the aligned team leaders prove they’re still controlling things from behind the scenes, as they were the true masterminds behind the incident in Dublin. Not only did they discover the factory, but they also lured Beast Boy, Static and Blue Beetle there using social media. Using disguises and old Ivo bots, they were able to create a scenario that boosted the team’s status.

Of course, Wonder Woman has even more reservations now that the group is staging events just to come out on top, to which Batman replies, “this is a war.”

While all members of this group are heroes, they really exist in the gray areas between good and evil, and they’re starting to unravel. It’s never a good thing when Batman utters a quote used by Lex Luthor. In the final episodes of the season, their role will be pivotal.

Young Justice: Outsiders continues its winning streak of episodes and is priming viewers for what could very well be an explosive finale.