S01.E05: Hourman and Dr. Mid-Nite

[MarkHB]

Quote

As Courtney sets her sights on recruiting more members to the Justice Society of America, Pat finds himself one step closer to learning which ISA members may be in Blue Valley. Meanwhile, a search for Rick leads Courtney, Yolanda and Beth to Cindy Burman’s Halloween party.

 

[ottoDbusdriver]

Courtney is quickly getting the new team assembled.

Really liked Dr. Mid-Nite's goggles -- reminded me of Nite Owl's goggles from 'The Watchmen' -- is there anything they can't do ?  According to the setting options there was:
-- optical
-- x-ray
-- infrared
-- night vision
-- twitter
-- weather predictor
-- lie detector
-- hologram

I like the casual snarky commentary that the goggles displayed -- algebra text book (hardly used), jeans (dirty), pillow (comfy!).

Enjoyed Beth's enthusiasm for her possible role as the new Dr. Mid-Nite.
Though Courtney in Xray mode -- that was a little creepy.

Dr. Mid-Nite was 96 years old when he was killed by the ISA, was a JSA member for 69 years and his sidekick, the owl in the JSA HQ, is named 'Hootie'.

Rick's Uncle Matt was real dick. And not just to Rick, to everyone.  Followed closely by Cindy Burman -- who is just a terrible person.

Amy Smart looked pretty cute as a bunny for Halloween.

So, the Fiddler's powers are kind of like the sirens of Greek mythology -- only in this case she plays a tune and gets mind control powers over other people to get them to do her bidding.

I am kind of curious exactly what is in that truck.

Rex Tyler's journal was interesting -- basically travel notes (mainly about a trip to Chicago with his mom and brother) mixed with chemical formulas.  James Beard exists on this Earth. As does Versace.  Also nice to know that Everclear exists here too (ironically played over scenes of Rick Harris during current day, where everything is not wonderful now).

Glad that Pat is onto Courtney's recruitment plans when he finds the Green Lantern. But where was the pink pen.  Luke Wilson is so good as Pat Dugan.

[AnimeMania]

3 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

I am kind of curious exactly what is in that truck.

They showed you in great detail what was in the truck when he was looking at the blueprints of some type of Satellite Dish in the movie theater, he paid the guy to give him the truck's delivery route/schedule.

[readster]

So, Beth is the opposite of a teen "trying to gain independence" it's her parents that want the independence. They expected her to want to break away from them, have her own friends, start learning who she was. Instead, Beth went the other way, she doesn't want to be separated from her parents. It's like a spin where you have the kid who expects their parents to do EVERYTHING for them in life, but instead, she just wants to keep being the "happy little family" she has had all her life. That's unhealthy and it looks like becoming Dr. Mid-nite is going to give Beth a reality check.

Speaking of horrible home life, poor Rick. His parents are killed by the Injustice Society. His uncle pretty much abuses him mentally. He closed himself off more than Yolanda did, where in her case everyone judged her from the nude pics. Here, Rick didn't want to open up to anyone, so he is branded the outcast. I was very happy Courtney pretty much told him, he is either uses his powers the right way, or he doesn't get them at all. 

 Loved the ending with Fiddler and the Gambler, that was down right creepy and shows that even the Gambler will get his hands dirty. 

[ottoDbusdriver]

31 minutes ago, AnimeMania said:

They showed you in great detail what was in the truck when he was looking at the blueprints of some type of Satellite Dish in the movie theater, he paid the guy to give him the truck's delivery route/schedule.

Forgot about that -- the giant satellite dish.

[AnimeMania]

49 minutes ago, readster said:

So, Beth is the opposite of a teen "trying to gain independence" it's her parents that want the independence. They expected her to want to break away from them, have her own friends, start learning who she was. Instead, Beth went the other way, she doesn't want to be separated from her parents. It's like a spin where you have the kid who expects their parents to do EVERYTHING for them in life, but instead, she just wants to keep being the "happy little family" she has had all her life.

I was thinking that Beth is the opposite of Yolanda. Each secretly wants the family situation that the other currently has.

 Yolanda sure seems to be able to leave the house any time that she likes, considering she is "Grounded For Life!"

[MarkHB]

8 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

They showed you in great detail what was in the truck when he was looking at the blueprints of some type of Satellite Dish in the movie theater, he paid the guy to give him the truck's delivery route/schedule.

And did anyone not guess that the chocolate was poisoned? Other than the victim, of course?

8 hours ago, readster said:

Loved the ending with Fiddler and the Gambler, that was down right creepy and shows that even the Gambler will get his hands dirty. 

So that's who he is, the Gambler? I've been wondering.

[readster]

9 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

I was thinking that Beth is the opposite of Yolanda. Each secretly wants the family situation that the other currently has.

 Yolanda sure seems to be able to leave the house any time that she likes, considering she is "Grounded For Life!"

Right and here, Yolanda is wanting to be forgiven for doing something stupid. However, that's the thing, in what? 5-8 years Yolanda would just not talk about that and her brother would also just leave the parents behind when he gets out of school. The grandmother is showing signs she has forgiven Yolanda, but the parents are holding on to "you embarrassed us and we are very catholic, so no." 

  Beth is she stuck on: "Family is so special" kind of like Sue Heck times 10. Not that I don't get kids being like that or think that their parents will be around FOREVER doing things for them. Same with Rick's situation, as a school teacher, I have seen these things first hand (not super villains and super heroes in a small town/school). However, the cliches, the shaming over doing something stupid that leaves them outcasts, homes that you just can't pin abuse on them, drug use or as said, kids who think their parents will be around forever and do things with or for them ALL the time. 

[Starfish35]

2 hours ago, MarkHB said:

And did anyone not guess that the chocolate was poisoned? Other than the victim, of course?

Lol yeah.  That was stunningly obvious.

So why did the lantern start glowing? Other than as a plot device to help Pat figure out what Courtney’s been up to, I mean. 

I felt bad for both Rick and Beth.  Wendy apparently had no idea what an ass her brother was, and Rick’s life has apparently been awful since they were killed.

10 hours ago, readster said:

His uncle pretty much abuses him mentally.

I thought there was a hint of physical abuse as well, when Rick confronted him about the carburetor and he said something like “do you need me to put you on your ass, again?”.  (Is it me though, or does the actor that plays Rick have a bit too much of a receding hairline to take seriously as a teenager?)

Beth on the other hand....I don’t totally get what’s going on with her.  She’s clinging to her parents so desperately that it seems like she’s actually driving them away.  I don’t know if that’s her way of coping with being ostracized by her peers, or what.  I get the girls’ annoyance at her constant talking, but on the other hand, it was hard to watch her hurt at being not so subtly excluded.  

Most of this episode and the last one has felt like setup though, and I’m feeling like I’m ready to get back to the main story. Hopefully we get more progress on that next episode, now that Pat finally knows what’s going on.

[readster]

35 minutes ago, Starfish35 said:

 

I felt bad for both Rick and Beth.  Wendy apparently had no idea what an ass her brother was, and Rick’s life has apparently been awful since they were killed.

I thought there was a hint of physical abuse as well, when Rick confronted him about the carburetor and he said something like “do you need me to put you on your ass, again?”.  (Is it me though, or does the actor that plays Rick have a bit too much of a receding hairline to take seriously as a teenager?)

Beth on the other hand....I don’t totally get what’s going on with her.  She’s clinging to her parents so desperately that it seems like she’s actually driving them away.  I don’t know if that’s her way of coping with being ostracized by her peers, or what.  I get the girls’ annoyance at her constant talking, but on the other hand, it was hard to watch her hurt at being not so subtly excluded.  

Most of this episode and the last one has felt like setup though, and I’m feeling like I’m ready to get back to the main story. Hopefully we get more progress on that next episode, now that Pat finally knows what’s going on.

Seems that Rick's uncle pretty much mentally throws him him and when he doesn't agree, that's when he physically does it. I agree, sounds like that Wendy didn't know how much of an ass her brother was and now that she is dead, he is lashing out. As pointed out, instead of him clinging to Rick as his only "living" connection to his sister. He basically sees him as a nuisance and a: "Why did they saddle you with me? I HATE kids!"

 I agree with Beth, she is pretty much an outcast and instead of trying to seek out, she clings to her parents. They are unaware of just how much Beth is seen as: annoying, clingy or just out there at times. They see it too, but it's more of: "oh that daughter of us, but seriously honey, be a 16 year old." Sadly, outside of Pat and Barb, all of the kids' parents are assholes with pretty much no redeeming qualities except for Yolanda's brother and the fact that Beth's parents just don't get Beth's situation.

[AnimeMania]

1 hour ago, Starfish35 said:

Beth on the other hand....I don’t totally get what’s going on with her.  She’s clinging to her parents so desperately that it seems like she’s actually driving them away.

I think Beth is a kid who parents were constantly around her, playing with her and doing things together as a family. The parents are ready to let Beth experience things on her own and Beth is clinging to the way things have always been.

[readster]

24 minutes ago, AnimeMania said:

I think Beth is a kid who parents were constantly around her, playing with her and doing things together as a family. The parents are ready to let Beth experience things on her own and Beth is clinging to the way things have always been.

Right and that's what is going on. Beth basically "doesn't life change". She wants things to be "how she loves them" and not what others want or even thinks for a second: "Maybe this is a bit too much." I mean calling BOTH her parents during her lunch. Beth's mother telling her to be with friends and that she needs to STOP coming to the hospital for dinners when her father is away and vice versa. 

 

Edited June 16, 2020 by readster

[AimingforYoko]

10 hours ago, Starfish35 said:

Beth on the other hand....I don’t totally get what’s going on with her.

It's called "Only Child Syndrome". She's quite used to being the center of attention. While I like the strong sense of self that's given her, she definitely needs to "get a life". As for her place on the team, she should be the person in the chair. Unless she knows martial arts or something, she'll be a total liability in the field.

Rick's obviously one to watch, but I can't imagine the show will let him go too far over the line.

[Jediknight]

That ending, holy crap.  Those last few minutes with Fiddler playing, the hijacking of the semi, Pat beginning to put it all together, and Pat finding the JSA artifacts.  That was just perfect.

And guys, the Lantern came on for Pat.  It came on when he opened the bag!  Are they gonna make Pat a Green Lantern?  That would be a hell of a shock.

Courtney and Yolanda shouldn't worry about Rick wanting revenge.  He had his powers for awhile, and didn't hurt anybody.  You'd figure he may have went after his uncle, but nope, just wrecked his truck.  He has a moral compass, when the chips are down, he won't kill unless he absolutely has to.

Yep, Wizard is still the second best father that's raised somebody on this show.

[thuganomics85]

The team continues to grow!  I wonder if this will be it for now or if more will get recruited eventually.  I can understand Courtney and Yolanda's hesitation over that one girl who practically speared a guy in the middle of the hallway, but they might still want to give her a second look, because that could be useful with the right powers!

So, Rick is actually the son of Rex Tyler a.k.a. Hourman, but had to be pretend that his abusive uncle is his real father instead.  Understandable why he has an edge to him considering his upbringing and I can see him being the new "Hourman" not being a smooth one, but hopefully he'll get there in the end.  I noticed that; like with Yolanda last week; there was a brief moment where he considered using his powers to go after someone who wronged him (his uncle), but changed his mind at the end.  But since he can only use his power an hour each day (and has to turn the hourglass to do so), you just know is going to eventually cause a problem during a mission.

Oh, Beth!  She really does seem like someone who grew up too attached to her parents, and now is barely capable of interacting with other people: let alone socializing and making actual friends.  At least she is making steps now, but I definitely suspect she'll be the member everyone else finds annoying for quite some time.  Sill, her as the new Dr. Mid-Nite is cool.  Loved the glasses and the A.I. from the original Mid-Nite.  I know Henry Thomas has been in a few things, but he'll always be Elliot from E.T. to me!

Looks like Henry Jr. is starting to acquire some of the Brainwave powers.  Not sure if he's being set-up as a potential antagonist or maybe even an ally down the line.  Still not sure what to make of this Cindy character.  She's basically Cheryl Blossom from Riverdale, only there is no one around to call out her vindictive ass, sadly.

Pat now realizes that Courtney took all of the JSA stuff, and will probably quickly figure out that there is now a whole gang of teenagers playing superhero.  Uh oh!

Barbara still isn't given much to do, but Amy Smart did look cute with the bunny ears and nose!

The stuff at the end with The Fiddler and The Gambler was interesting.  The actor playing The Gambler really is enjoying doing the whole over-the-top "good old boy!" persona.  Also, I noticed that the random creepy janitor character sounded like he might have been European, and I remember Pat saying the original Fiddler was Irish.  Hmm...
 

[RobertDeSneero]

11 hours ago, Starfish35 said:

So why did the lantern start glowing? Other than as a plot device to help Pat figure out what Courtney’s been up to, I mean. 

These objects seem to have a mind of their own, so maybe it wanted Pat to know.

Where was the hourglass when Rex Tyler died?

[mxc90]

Uncle Matt could have been a millionaire if he didn't take the parents offer? What was stopping him from selling the house and moving back to Silicon Valley with Rick 9 years ago. Don't blame Rick for your bitterness, it's your fault.

Barbara couldn't say to Beth: "Courtney is not home"? She just let her in the house (for what reason), listen to yap for a while, ignored her question, and left her alone so she can follow the dog to Courtney's room to find the goggles. 

The goggles wouldn't work for Courtney or Yolanda? They weren't a little curious put it on  themselves to get some juicy information (maybe answers to an upcoming test, dirt on Cindy, better information than Wikipedia, who is the principal, unsolved murders, etc.). 

Why did Stargirl let Beth keep the goggles? She admitted to not knowing her (she made an attempt in her bedroom but Beth kept changing the subject.) Also, Yolanda didn't want to vouch for her. What has Beth done to earn her part in the team?  

Courtney can't trust the adults in the town but she can give powers to some kids with issues.

Was the principal the woman who told Courtney to sit at the "loser's table" in the pilot?

Did Cindy's follower have a back up costume to put on?

"Sidekick" Pat shouldn't bother get upset with Courtney's actions/handing out powers or give her orders. She has moved on without you! 

The janitor must be a real weirdo if Beth is giving him strange looks.

I'll be a little pissed if my power is for only hour a day! Make it count Rick.

Beth's grades are in the JSA databanks. Who is updating the system with this information?

Edited June 17, 2020 by mxc90

[Jediknight]

26 minutes ago, mxc90 said:

The janitor must be a real weirdo if Beth is giving him strange looks.

Well, he did tell her that there were dragons in the water.  That would get strange looks from anybody.

He's definitely somebody who's looking over Blue Valley and the new JSA, he'll reveal himself at their darkest moment.

I think Stargirl let Beth keep the glasses, because she knows that the artifacts choose their owner.  The Cosmic Staff chose her, Hourman's glass chose Ricky, and the glasses chose Beth.  The artifacts know that the world desperately needs a new Justice Society.

[shapeshifter]

13 hours ago, Starfish35 said:

(Is it me though, or does the actor that plays Rick have a bit too much of a receding hairline to take seriously as a teenager?)

Since they cast mostly 10+-years-older for the "teens," season 2 should have a time jump to college, IMO. But, whatevs.

 

2 hours ago, Jediknight said:

And guys, the Lantern came on for Pat.  It came on when he opened the bag!  Are they gonna make Pat a Green Lantern?  That would be a hell of a shock.

I would like Pat to finally get to be a superhero, but it's probably more of:

1 hour ago, RobertDeSneero said:

These objects seem to have a mind of their own, so maybe it wanted Pat to know.

 

13 hours ago, Starfish35 said:

a hint of physical abuse as well, when Rick confronted him about the carburetor and he said something like “do you need me to put you on your ass, again?”

It seemed that way, but if the Uncle has been physically abusive, that's a game changer (IMO) WRT whether they can have Rick redirect his anger to the IJL and possibly even have the uncle join the good guys. This show is better written than, say, Roswell New Mexico, but I don't think they'd want to get too complex or it won't be. Maybe just kill off the uncle? Or have the uncle leave town?

Edited June 17, 2020 by shapeshifter

[Lantern7]

Pat: (looking over the "all-new, all-different" JSA): Court . . . I am very disappointed in you. So disappointed.

Courtney: These are good guys, Pat! Not like I'm randomly handing out the stuff! Introduce yourselves.

Yolanda: Hi, I'm Yolanda, and apparently, I'm Wildcat. I'm a pariah to the school and my family after I sent a topless pic to my boyfriend.

Pat: (opens mouth)

Yolanda: I DIDN'T EXPECT HIM TO SHARE IT! Anyway, Courtney is the first friend I've made since I've been cast from society, and I would say that even if she didn't give me an outfit that turns me into a cat-lady.

Beth: (stepping forward) You're Pat Dugan!!

Pat: (to Courtney) How could she-?

Beth: It's the goggles! I sneaked into Courtney's house and came across these goggles. Now I know everything about everyone! Including you! Tax records, dental records, noteworthy birthmarks . . .

Courtney: Beth, you should-

Beth: Oh! And now Dr. McNider is giving me news from spoiler sites! WOW!

Rick: I'm Rick. Apparently, I'm the son of Hourman. This dial gives me super-strength for one hour.

Pat: And that explains the fist mark on your uncle's car.

Rick: I have a lot of issues.

Pat: I can imagine. (to Courtney) Do you realize the danger you're stirring up? The lantern alone could wipe out half the planet if it's used in the wrong hands. The things you took from that hall . . . that belonged to heroes. In some cases, they were pulled from dead bodies.

Courtney: Look, Pat, I know this is bad, but everyone in Blue Valley is in danger. Even if they don't-

Yolanda: (running away, screaming in horror)

Beth: I don't understand . . .

Pat: Courtney? When you took the Wildcat costume, did you wash it at all?

Courtney: (facepalming) Oh, man . . .

Rick: I'm having second thoughts about everything . . .

[MarkHB]

I noticed that, in the scene where Mike was setting out the Calvin-esque jack o'lanterns, he sounded like his dad.  I don't know if that was in the script, or if the actor was having fun or what, but it was cute.

Also, I wonder where the Thunderbolt pen went when Beth was scanning the room.  She definitely had the little crate it was in in her sights, but I didn't notice it there and neither did the goggles.

(Another thing the goggles picked up: "OWL!!" )

[rmontro]

On 6/15/2020 at 7:48 PM, ottoDbusdriver said:

Glad that Pat is onto Courtney's recruitment plans when he finds the Green Lantern. But where was the pink pen. 

The last we saw of the pink pen, it was in the pen holder on Courtney's dresser!  Pretty funny, really.

Regarding the lantern coming on for Pat, maybe it's because it recognizes Pat from his JSA days.  But if I was Pat, I'd rather be a Green Lantern than have that stupid STRIPE robot suit.

I'm surprised how much I'm enjoying this show so far.

I've always loved Hourman's costume.  The old fashioned hourglass makes him look like he's from another time.  And the hood is a good look also.  I always thought the look of Bruce Willis' character in Unbreakable (and later Glass) was based on Hourman, with the hood.  And if it wasn't, oh well, it reminded me of him.

Edited June 17, 2020 by rmontro

[immortalfrieza]

2 hours ago, mxc90 said:

Uncle Matt could have been a millionaire if he didn't take the parents offer? What was stopping him from selling the house and moving back to Silicon Valley with Rick 9 years ago. Don't blame Rick for your bitterness, it's your fault.

Precisely. Uncle Matt is being an abusive dick solely because he gets off on it. He could have very easily have not only have ditched Blue Valley long ago but could have put Rick up for adoption just as easily. All his problems are entirely self inflicted.

Quote

The goggles wouldn't work for Courtney or Yolanda? They weren't a little curious put it on  themselves to get some juicy information (maybe answers to an upcoming test, dirt on Cindy, better information than Wikipedia, who is the principal, unsolved murders, etc.). 

I get the impression that it's simply that Beth was the first to even try putting on the goggles in the first place. I think as far as Court or Yolanda knew they were just the googles on a costume and would've worked for either of them had it occurred to them to put the googles on.
 

Quote

"Sidekick" Pat shouldn't bother get upset with Courtney's actions/handing out powers or give her orders. She has moved on without you!

Seriously. Pat, Courtney has made it more than clear that she's going to reform the Justice Society and be a superhero with or without you, and it's not like you even with your robot can actually stop her. Hell, at this point even if you managed to permanently get the staff away from her she'd probably run off and try to a hero anyway. It would give her the best chance if you'd just stop with this "don't be a hero" B.S. and get behind her 110% already.
 

Quote

Why did Stargirl let Beth keep the goggles? She admitted to not knowing her (she made an attempt in her bedroom but Beth kept changing the subject.) Also, Yolanda didn't want to vouch for her. What has Beth done to earn her part in the team?  

I'm guessing convincing the new Hourman to join up is probably intended to be that thing, but unless they give Beth something other than a pair of "I can see everything" googles and instead gives something she can actually use to fight with she's going to be pretty useless.
 

Quote

Courtney can't trust the adults in the town but she can give powers to some kids with issues.

I'm kinda hoping that one of the recruits Courtney ends up giving these random JSA trinkets to turns out to be evil and joins up with the ISA, or at least runs around being a threat of the week. That way Courtney can get the slap in the face she desperately needs to start treating all this seriously.

Quote

I'll be a little pissed if my power is for only hour a day! Make it count Rick.

Yeah, I'd say that is one of the most ridiculous super weaknesses ever if super weaknesses didn't get really really ridiculous, starting with the most famous example a glowing green rock. I just hope they give him something like martial arts training or something so that he doesn't just become the guy who whines that his superpowers just ran out for the 20th time in as many fights at the moment it would matter most that they didn't then gets taken out.
 

Quote

Beth's grades are in the JSA databanks. Who is updating the system with this information?

That was my first thought too. I suppose the AI itself could surf the web and hack into databases to get the information but that's not what we were given.

On the note of Beth, she seems like the kind of person who isn't just chatty but so excessively chatty it's incredibly annoying, but everybody she knows is too polite to tell her what she needs to hear:

"SHUT THE HELL UP ALREADY! Do you have any idea how F***ING annoying you are? You never ever shut your mouth and it is beyond irritating. God. Tone it down for f***'s sake."

Her parents in particular. Some parents would kill to have that kind of close relationship with their teenage kids that Beth has with her parents, but it appears like Beth takes things so excessively far that it irritates even them.

[Chicago Redshirt]

9 hours ago, mxc90 said:

Uncle Matt could have been a millionaire if he didn't take the parents offer? What was stopping him from selling the house and moving back to Silicon Valley with Rick 9 years ago. Don't blame Rick for your bitterness, it's your fault.

Barbara couldn't say to Beth: "Courtney is not home"? She just let her in the house (for what reason), listen to yap for a while, ignored her question, and left her alone so she can follow the dog to Courtney's room to find the goggles. 

The goggles wouldn't work for Courtney or Yolanda? They weren't a little curious put it on  themselves to get some juicy information (maybe answers to an upcoming test, dirt on Cindy, better information than Wikipedia, who is the principal, unsolved murders, etc.). 

Why did Stargirl let Beth keep the goggles? She admitted to not knowing her (she made an attempt in her bedroom but Beth kept changing the subject.) Also, Yolanda didn't want to vouch for her. What has Beth done to earn her part in the team?  

Courtney can't trust the adults in the town but she can give powers to some kids with issues.

Was the principal the woman who told Courtney to sit at the "loser's table" in the pilot?

Did Cindy's follower have a back up costume to put on?

"Sidekick" Pat shouldn't bother get upset with Courtney's actions/handing out powers or give her orders. She has moved on without you! 

The janitor must be a real weirdo if Beth is giving him strange looks.

I'll be a little pissed if my power is for only hour a day! Make it count Rick.

Beth's grades are in the JSA databanks. Who is updating the system with this information?

Presumably Matt is a self-pitying douchebag and/or an abusive one. They  had the Internet in Blue Valley 9 years ago and travel. Even if he had to stay in Blue Valley for some reason, he could have pursued his SIlicon Valley dreams from there. With $50k in cash plus whatever other assets he got from the deaths of both Rex Tyler and his sister, it's pretty sad that he is now apparently struggling to get by.

Barbara was probably happy that Court was making friends and is generally a happy and open person. I sure would not open my home up to a random kid. 

I don't know if Yolanda knows about the set of JSA artifacts. Courtney was just like, hey, you're Wildcat. No testing things out to see if maybe she should be Green Lantern or whoever. And I can certainly buy that Court didn't figure out how the goggles work. She isn't always that bright.

Beth is bright and loyal. Obviously, she still needs a chance to fully shine. But thanks to the goggles, she helped recruit Rick where Courtney and Yolanda were failing.

I think they explained why Courtney can't/doesn't trust the adults. She does not know who might be ISA members or consciously or unconsciously working for ISA members. With kids it is a safe(r) bet that they are innocent of ISA involvement. 

It probably isn't that much work to go from "slutty vampire" to slutty something else. (pumpkin?)

I too think the janitor is Fiddler 1.0.

I would take an hour of superpowers vs no hours of superpowers. 

[readster]

6 hours ago, immortalfrieza said:

 

Yeah, I'd say that is one of the most ridiculous super weaknesses ever if super weaknesses didn't get really really ridiculous, starting with the most famous example a glowing green rock. I just hope they give him something like martial arts training or something so that he doesn't just become the guy who whines that his superpowers just ran out for the 20th time in as many fights at the moment it would matter most that they didn't then gets taken out.
 

 

Originally in the comics you got an hour, and then had to wait an hour to use the powers again. The body needed to "rest". Hourman is one of my favorite comic book heroes and seeing this just made me smile, even if Rick's uncle is a major asshole.

[kirinan]

41 minutes ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

Beth is bright and loyal. Obviously, she still needs a chance to fully shine. But thanks to the goggles, she helped recruit Rick where Courtney and Yolanda were failing.

This is closer to what I was thinking--that Beth wasn't just a random choice for the goggles, that she's the person who will best know how to use them for good. She may never get superpowers, but hey, Bruce Wayne never had superpowers, either, right?

Edited June 17, 2020 by kirinan

[shapeshifter]

15 minutes ago, kirinan said:

This is closer to what I was thinking--that Beth wasn't just a random choice for the goggles, that she's the person who will best know how to use them for good. She may never get superpowers, but hey, Bruce Wayne never had superpowers, either, right?

I don’t need Beth to have any additional superpowers, but she could use a little more character development, especially WRT interacting with other characters in ways other than reading from the Wikipedia of Superheroes. 

Edited June 17, 2020 by shapeshifter

[ottoDbusdriver]

2 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

I too think the janitor is Fiddler 1.0.

What was with that odd "Careful, there are dragons in the water" comment he made to Beth ?

[tennisgurl]

So this week the new JSA gets not one but two new recruits! Well, one was a recruit, one just kind of showed up, but can stick around anyway! I hope that Pat and Courtney can get on the same page soon, as much as Pat doesn't want a bunch of teenagers going up against super villains (understandably) they are really going to need his help. Courtney is pretty much fumbling around not sure of what she is doing, she could really use an experienced adult/sidekick/mech pilot. Plus, Pat and Courtney are my favorite relationship on the show and I am ready to get more interactions with them! 

The more Courtney goes on about her dad being Starman, the more obvious it is that he totally isn't. 

I loved the Doctor Mid-Nite glasses commenting on how using your real name on coms is a rookie superhero mistake. So does this mean Beth gets custody of the owl? 

Poor Rick, his uncle is a real piece of crap, I guess his mom underestimated what a tool her brother was, or maybe he was an alright guy at some point, then just got all bitter and pissy as he got older. No idea why he couldn't just move to Silicon Valley with little Rick if he thought he could have made it, but thats probably just an excuse. He couldn't hack it in Silicon Valley, so he blames his failures on Rick and not his own lousy self. I have always liked Hourman, the man with one of the most literal superhero names in comics, so I am interested to see how this all goes. Make that hour count Rick! Courtney might be bit worried about giving someone with so much anger powers, but he didn't even take on his abusive uncle when he had the chance, he isn't a bad guy, just has a lot of issues. And having tons of issues is a long superhero tradition!

How sad is it that the Wizard, a semi retired supervillain, was one of the best parents in this whole town so far? 

So what is Beth's deal with being so attached to her parents? Is it because she doesn't have any friends and without them she would be lonely? Where does all of her super intense energy come from?! 

Didn't Pat say that the Fiddler was Irish? I think the creepy janitor sound pretty Irish...

The ending with the Fiddler and The Gambler was quite creepy, the IJS is really starting to kick their evil plan up a notch. 

Cindy might be the least likable person on the show, including the villains! Yeah, why would your boyfriend be in a bad mood lately, its not like his dad is in a coma or anything. It also seems like Henry Jr is starting to develop his dad powers, so Henry Senior should be happy when he wakes up!

[Humbugged]

2 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

What was with that odd "Careful, there are dragons in the water" comment he made to Beth ?

Who he is is in the SG books . His name on the show is Janitor Justin and his dislike of Dragons comes from there

[rmontro]

5 hours ago, kirinan said:

This is closer to what I was thinking--that Beth wasn't just a random choice for the goggles, that she's the person who will best know how to use them for good. She may never get superpowers, but hey, Bruce Wayne never had superpowers, either, right?

I'm curious as to what they're going to do with her.  She doesn't seem to be the fighting type.  She could be a kind of behind the scenes manager type who has all the answers.  I guess she can see in the dark and has other types of super vision, that could be useful.  Maybe she could project distracting holograms.  Plus she'll probably end up with the owl, maybe the owl can do something?

[RobertDeSneero]

The janitor comes across as ominous in the sort of way that an ominous character who turns out to be a good guy tends to be.

[Terrafamilia]

21 hours ago, mxc90 said:

Beth's grades are in the JSA databanks. Who is updating the system with this information?

That AI/databank is amazing. How exactly did it figure out it was Solomon Grundy who killed the Tylers? The Machine from Person of Interest is seriously jealous.

[Perfect Xero]

On 6/17/2020 at 7:48 AM, Chicago Redshirt said:

Presumably Matt is a self-pitying douchebag and/or an abusive one. They  had the Internet in Blue Valley 9 years ago and travel. Even if he had to stay in Blue Valley for some reason, he could have pursued his SIlicon Valley dreams from there. With $50k in cash plus whatever other assets he got from the deaths of both Rex Tyler and his sister, it's pretty sad that he is now apparently struggling to get by.

From Uncle Matt's POV his sister and her husband made him the legal father of their kid with no warning, left him with enough money to live on for a couple of years, told him that he was the only one they could trust (aka, there's no one that YOU can trust or tell about this either), took off into the night with no further explanation, and promptly died under suspicious circumstances.

He probably decided that he had to keep as low a profile as possible to avoid drawing the attention of whatever they were running from, so I don't think he'd have viewed it as an option to just leave and pursue a career in tech or whatever his dreams might have been as if he hadn't just got dropped into the middle of some sort of spy thriller.

It doesn't justify the way he treats his nephew, but that's a whole lot of paranoia, stress, and responsibility to get dropped on you from out of nowhere.

[Chicago Redshirt]

The Tyler/Harris thing does not really make much sense when you think about it. Rex apparently suspects that someone from the ISA knows who he is and wants to kill him and his wife. 

So what sense does it make leaving Rick behind? Or changing his name at,let's say 7-8, from Tyler to Harris? Or staying not just in the same town where they have been but the exact same house?

tt would have made way more sense to move across the country with the new name and the $50k.

[Kromm]

They haven't had a bad episode yet.  And for the third episode in a row they've had a MAJOR story element that leaned away from a cliche and into something riskier.   Having the kid pretty much admit to everyone he's going for vengeance and not justice.  The cliche would have been him magically coming around. He may do that yet, but at least if it's a cliche it's the long payout rather than the immediate cliche.  

I agree with a post above that the thing with the baddies not finding the wife's brother makes little sense. Still, the writing on this show has been so top notch I have to think there's more logic behind this and the error was losing it in editing rather than not having an actual justification how this could have possibly worked.

The way the show handles Beth does lean a bit into cliche... having her sidelined but prove herself, but I do appreciate that they haven't leaned back on how annoying she is.  It's a balancing act with a character like that, the same way that Courtney herself is a balancing act for us to enjoy her, since she's got as many bad qualities as good ones.

On 6/17/2020 at 10:58 AM, tennisgurl said:

The more Courtney goes on about her dad being Starman, the more obvious it is that he totally isn't. 

What I was half expecting, but maybe it's set for another episode, was for the Goggles to TELL Beth that Courtney isn't Starman's daughter, thus giving her a plot point (hiding that from Courtney or resolving how to tell her).  Then again, I've been wrong with a lot of plot guesses on this show (that's a good thing).

 

On 6/17/2020 at 7:48 AM, Chicago Redshirt said:

Presumably Matt is a self-pitying douchebag and/or an abusive one. They  had the Internet in Blue Valley 9 years ago and travel. Even if he had to stay in Blue Valley for some reason, he could have pursued his SIlicon Valley dreams from there.

I'm eternally unsure of what tech or culture things had in this world in the past periods they show.  As has been commented on before, the timeline of things seems compressed/confused compared to our world.   

[marketdoctor]

On 6/16/2020 at 7:42 AM, MarkHB said:

And did anyone not guess that the chocolate was poisoned? Other than the victim, of course?

I didn't see it coming, but I should have.  (Even though I liked the literal "death by chocolate.")

I loved Beth's reactions to the goggles.  Everyone else so far is either neutral (Courtney, Pat) or reluctant (Yolanda and Rex) on a costume.

 

 

 

[readster]

12 hours ago, marketdoctor said:

I didn't see it coming, but I should have.  (Even though I liked the literal "death by chocolate.")

I loved Beth's reactions to the goggles.  Everyone else so far is either neutral (Courtney, Pat) or reluctant (Yolanda and Rex) on a costume.

 

 

 

It's funny, as the Gambler enjoys theatre. 

[Spaceman Spiff]

On 6/17/2020 at 9:44 AM, ottoDbusdriver said:

What was with that odd "Careful, there are dragons in the water" comment he made to Beth ?

Aside from the thought that he is Fiddler 1.0 (Irish) I thought this comment reflected back what we saw in the episode where Icicle went to ISAs lair and the hooded/masked character (who seemed more in charge then Icicle, since frosty seemed a bit leery of him). That character definitely showed some scaly skin around the eyes behind the mask. In the water could mean the sewers, like the Lizard from Spiderman comics? I doubt he's hanging out in the school pool is all I am saying.

[readster]

1 hour ago, Spaceman Spiff said:

Aside from the thought that he is Fiddler 1.0 (Irish) I thought this comment reflected back what we saw in the episode where Icicle went to ISAs lair and the hooded/masked character (who seemed more in charge then Icicle, since frosty seemed a bit leery of him). That character definitely showed some scaly skin around the eyes behind the mask. In the water could mean the sewers, like the Lizard from Spiderman comics? I doubt he's hanging out in the school pool is all I am saying.

That's the Dragon King. Dr Chen Ito. 

Edited June 22, 2020 by readster