YTV To Air JLU "The Balance" (Aired, SPOILERS)

[DLM]

It is a very nice site. I check it almost daily myself.

Ive never seen McDuffie's site. Care to give a link?

 

[Merlin Missy]

Shayera: *arrives on Earth*
(ten minutes later)
Random Earthperson: Are you an angel?
S: A what now?
RE: *explains*
S: *laughs herself silly for twenty minutes straight*
RE: *glares*
S: I'm sorry, you were saying?

Pretty sure someone brought it up to her.

RE: DM's site, I think the blog was finally abandoned in favor of the message board.

MM

 

[Dwayne McDuffie]

Shayera: *arrives on Earth*
(ten minutes later)
Random Earthperson: Are you an angel?
S: A what now?
RE: *explains*
S: *laughs herself silly for twenty minutes straight*
RE: *glares*
S: I'm sorry, you were saying?

Pretty sure someone brought it up to her.

RE: DM's site, I think the blog was finally abandoned in favor of the message board.

MM

My ears were burning, hi. Remember that Shayera was a spy, deeply conversant in Earth culture. She knows a lot more (at least broadly) about our various cultures than the average human does. Her mission and possibly life depended on this knowledge. FYI, there was a joke in that sequence, cut for time or lameness, where Wonder Woman asks her how she knows about angels. Shayera shrugged, explaining that she'd "read the book."

Also, my news blog is finally back on-line. I'll be sprucing it up over the next few weeks but new entries started going up yesterday. If you still can't read the page, let me know and I'll try to fix it. No one is worse at CSS than I am.

 

[Style]

^ Okay okay okay. I get it. She's a spy. Although JL never gave me the impression she was that familiar with earth culture, (She seemed confused when John referenced a snow angel and it's wings in "comfort and joy,") but if ya'll insist, we'll say she was playing dumb.

 

[Trevor Balena]

Just because she knows what an angel is, doesn't mean she'd automatically know what a snow angel is. ('Cause, y'know, it doesn't look that much like an actual angel.)

Since she didn't actually grow up here, I don't think she'd know the first thing about snow angels. I don't think "shapes children make in the snow and then get hypothermia" would show up in typical spy information gathering.

But I digress... why are we talking about this again?

 

[Knight]

^ Okay okay okay. I get it. She's a spy. Although JL never gave me the impression she was that familiar with earth culture, (She seemed confused when John referenced a snow angel and it's wings in "comfort and joy,") but if ya'll insist, we'll say she was playing dumb.

No one ever said she knew everything. A guy laying in snow moving his arms and making a pattern might not scream snow angel to some.

Anyway she seemed to be familiar with Theymescira in the first JL ep so she was well read in a lot of Earth lore and history. So I would say she is not totally ignorant of Earth culture. I would say Shayera is more likely to have read about regular angels than snow ones.

 

[Merlin Missy]

FYI, there was a joke in that sequence, cut for time or lameness, where Wonder Woman asks her how she knows about angels. Shayera shrugged, explaining that she'd "read the book."

*ponders new information*

In a way, I'm just as glad the joke was dropped. On the main talkback thread, there would have been five pages dedicated to a spirited debate over whether she'd read it upon her arrival to Earth or read it while she was hanging around Fate's tower (possibly representing a newfound interest in human religions). Then some wiseacre would have piped up that in the Bible, angels weren't mentioned to have wings, that it was a later addition by artists, and someone else would have brought up cherubim and seraphim having like six wings each, and it would have devolved quickly from there. Style would have started a parody thread, which Bird Boy would have shut down an hour later but not before pie was somehow mentioned.

Fortunately, we have instead the word from the writer that this is another "she was a spy, hello" moment, which works as adequate explanation and averts the flame war right from the beginning. And also the blog is back, so that's two pieces of good news in one post. Yay!

Note to self: stop posting when you're on cold meds.

MM

 

[Style]

*ponders new information*

In a way, I'm just as glad the joke was dropped. On the main talkback thread, there would have been five pages dedicated to a spirited debate over whether she'd read it upon her arrival to Earth or read it while she was hanging around Fate's tower (possibly representing a newfound interest in human religions). Then some wiseacre would have piped up that in the Bible, angels weren't mentioned to have wings, that it was a later addition by artists, and someone else would have brought up cherubim and seraphim having like six wings each, and it would have devolved quickly from there. Style would have started a parody thread, which Bird Boy would have shut down an hour later but not before pie was somehow mentioned.

MM

That's not true! I wouldn't have started a parody thread based on the Angel Flamewar... I would have posted a parody in the talkback thread only. And you would have laughed. Oh yes. You would have laughed.

 

[JWangSDC]

Except batman isn't a [wuss] and he would never say that. He'd grunt

Edit by Bird Boy: Watch the language.

I think this episode set up in interesting duality between Shayera and Wonder Woman. There relationship is very much like Batman and Superman's. The "you don't even sweat" dialogue brings that to the forefront.

Batman could easily say to Superman the equivalent. "You don't sweat. You don't have to dodge bullets. It's not even work for you. I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't--"

Shayera, save her wings, is closer to human than Superman or WW in abilities. And how powerful is flight? Pretty much everyone on the watchtower can fly except for baseline humans. (I'm exaggerating, I know.) Shayera is certainly more vulnerable to attacks than most of the supercharged powerhouses on the watchtower. So at the end of the episode, WW and Shayera reach an impasse that is very similar to Batman and Superman's at the end of the World's Finest. They respect each other, but they also realize they are too different [in abilities, in approach, in lifestyle] to "mix."

 

[Juu-kuchi]

Finally saw this. Not as totally awesome f'ing wicked as Task Force X, but it worked. It's always good to see the Flash, even though his role is minimal here. At least things seemed to work out, although I am surprised as how the Annihilator was easily removed from Cadmus' use from now on.

The previews for "Double Date" and "Clash" are making me impatient.

 

[lepris]

Hi!

An above average episode, not at all up to par with last week's "Task Force X" though. Episodes like these make me wish that CN did not stop the hour long format to the show. The episode seemed extremely rushed to me. It was like they tried to wrap up this particular storyline quickly.

And the way I interpret the Annihilator was a simple plot device. I think it was introduced as a weapon, "Hawk and Dove." Then they thought the Annihilator would be on the only thing to serve the beat down on Hades. And what better way to get the Annilator? "Task Force X." And honestly, would it have really mattered what Task Force X stolen? It just so happen that the thing they stole serves as a plot device for Diana. Now, thanks to the Annihilator, we got an awesome government group and Wonder Woman's storyline has been wrap up nicely (if not rushed).

So, in conclusion. Annihilator = Plot Device.

Oh, and it's my first post. Nice to meet everyone.

-Ty

 

[Ms. Kitty]

WELCOME!!!!!!!!

 

[Krypton_Knight]

Hi!

An above average episode, not at all up to par with last week's "Task Force X" though. Episodes like these make me wish that CN did not stop the hour long format to the show. The episode seemed extremely rushed to me. It was like they tried to wrap up this particular storyline quickly.

...

Oh, and it's my first post. Nice to meet everyone.

-Ty

Nice to meet you, and welcome.

I largely agree with your assessment of the episode.

KK

 

[lepris]

Thanks everyone for the welcome, I appreciate it.

-Ty

 

[Revelator]

I'd say nice to meet you, but we've already met.

And honestly, would it have really mattered what Task Force X stolen?

Actually, when I'd first read the logline for TFX I thought their mission would be to sabotage that enormous laser-cannon aboard the Watchtower. If they're taking orders from a government department, wouldn't Waller be more worried about that freakin' big WMD than that piddling suit? If the Squad was sent to destroy or steal a component from the laser cannon, that would have meant substantially revising "The Balance," but that might have been for the better. The point of that episode was to bring Diana and Shayera together by requiring Diana to need an anti-magic weapon, which required a magical threat. But there are other magical threats besides the Annihilator...

 

[Kolbar]

In case anyone's interested, here are some screencaps.

 

[lepris]

I'd say nice to meet you, but we've already met.

Yes, we have. Thanks.

Actually, when I'd first read the logline for TFX I thought their mission would be to sabotage that enormous laser-cannon aboard the Watchtower. If they're taking orders from a government department, wouldn't Waller be more worried about that freakin' big WMD than that piddling suit? If the Squad was sent to destroy or steal a component from the laser cannon, that would have meant substantially revising "The Balance," but that might have been for the better. The point of that episode was to bring Diana and Shayera together by requiring Diana to need an anti-magic weapon, which required a magical threat. But there are other magical threats besides the Annihilator...

Ya know, that was the first impression I had as well. I would think that Waller and Eding, even Flagg, would argue to sabotage the laser cannon. If the Annihilator didn't serve as a simply plot device for Diana, I would imagine that the laser-cannon idea would've worked fine, if not better. But then if that were true, they might've not needed the Annihilator and we would've not had "Task Force X."

Oh, and what other magical threats did you have in min? I cannot think of any.

-Ty

 

[Revelator]

If the Annihilator didn't serve as a simply plot device for Diana, I would imagine that the laser-cannon idea would've worked fine, if not better. But then if that were true, they might've not needed the Annihilator and we would've not had "Task Force X."

Oh, we'd have had it, but it would have been slightly different, with laser cannon sabotage instead of Annihilator theft. The Task Force might have detonated a smal bomb in the cannon or something similar. Then Jonn would have had cause to be really pissed off. It's not every day that the government has the chance to send agents into the watchtower, and you'd think if hey had the chance their main priority would be getting that WMD permanently out of commission.

Oh, and what other magical threats did you have in min? I cannot think of any.

Perhaps Tala and Mordru could have ganged up for some mischief. And I'm sure the comics rogues gallery of Dr. Fate or the Demon might have supplied a previously unused villain or two. Or maybe Ares decided to force Hepheastus into crafting an entire series of armored warriors that made the Annihilator look like a tin soldier. Or perhaps Ares and Hades strike a deal. There are quite a few possibilities when one starts brainstorming. In any case, almost anyone would have bettered Felix Faust.

 

[Knight]

Oh, we'd have had it, but it would have been slightly different, with laser cannon sabotage instead of Annihilator theft. The Task Force might have detonated a smal bomb in the cannon or something similar. Then Jonn would have had cause to be really pissed off. It's not every day that the government has the chance to send agents into the watchtower, and you'd think if hey had the chance their main priority would be getting that WMD permanently out of commission.

In my opinion a mission to disable the cannon would have been pointless. Here is what happens - Task Force X destroys cannon, League fixes cannon the next day. So what was the point for destroying it in the first place?

I don't see a way of permanently disabling the cannon without getting rid of The Watchtower. So if they plant a bomb to nuke the whole thing then that would make sense ,anything else is a temporary annoyance.

 

[Revelator]

In my opinion a mission to disable the cannon would have been pointless. Here is what happens - Task Force X destroys cannon, League fixes cannon the next day. So what was the point for destroying it in the first place?

A weapon like that would take more than a day to fix, especially if it was totalled. Wrecking it buys time: if Cadmus plans to move against the league, it's better off moving while the cannon is out of commission. And we don't really know anything about the cannon aside from the fact that it's a large laser cannon--who knows if it requires hard to find components that would delay repair, or if the Squad might have boobytrapped the wreckage too. The league might eventually repair the cannon, but by the time they finished Cadmus might have struck. I still say that the cannon was better worth infiltrating the watchtower for than that suit of armor.