REVIEW: ‘Young Justice: Outsiders’ Season 3, Episode 23 – Terminus

Previously, the Young Justice: Outsiders team dealt with the reveal that Batman (Bruce Greenwood), with the help of Oracle (Alyson Stoner), Nightwing (Jesse McCartney), Aquaman (Khary Payton), and others, have been orchestrating much of the events helping the team gain their social platform. And while Jefferson Pierce attempts to leave the group, they find themselves thrown back in the heat after learning Dr. Helga Jace (Grey Griffin) kidnapped Brion (Troy Baker), Tara (Tara Strong) and Violet (Zehra Fazal). The team must work together to get Violet back from Granny Goodness (Deborah Strang) and Darkseid (Michael-Leon Wooley). Now, in “Terminus,” the Justice League, led by Wonder Woman (Maggie Q) who is working with Batman, attempt to rescue the kids trapped at The Orphanage in space with Granny Goodness. However, they are met with the full power of the anti-life equation.

Meanwhile, on earth, Granny Goodness announces Goode World Studios was attacked by teens clearly carrying the meta-gene, thus reinvigorating public fear towards the League, the Outsiders, and metahumans in general. Meanwhile, the Outsiders have been conducting raids on all of Goode World’s holdings in an attempt to find Violet but so far has been unsuccessful. Despite their combined efforts to find Violet, the team remains divided with many, including Garfield Logan (Greg Cipes) and Conner Kent (Nolan North), feeling betrayed by their fellow teammates. Conner, in particular, is upset at M’gann (Danica McKellar) and argues her actions are no better than what Nightwing did to the team last season, convincing them Artemis was dead and making her a double agent.

Over the past three seasons, M’gann and Conner’s relationship has evolved and while I did not love the pair when they first got together, this season has shown a more mature side to both of them. As Conner has mellowed out, he has better articulated his anger and feelings to M’gann. While in previous seasons he often jumped to rash conclusions, in “Terminus” he is calm despite how upset he is at the situation.

But before the pair can continue their disagreement, the team gets an alert at the Hollywood HQ that Vandal Savage (David Kaye) is at the door. Savage offers them a trade: coordinates that they can use to boom tube to Violet’s location and in exchange, they have to tell her abductor exactly who sent them. As the team prepares, with Nightwing back in the squad after recovering from being tortured by Granny Goodness, they must face the reality this could be their toughest mission yet.

The covert mission within “Terminus” feels closer to the action we have seen in previous seasons. With the older team working together again, the stakes finally feel real as the tension builds. Characters I have cared about since season one are finally back in the spotlight. But as much as I love seeing the old teammates working together again, I can’t help but be bothered it took so long for Young Justice to get back to form following its hiatus. Additionally, the longer newer characters like the meta teens that were introduced a few episodes ago, the Runaways from season two, and even Jason Todd who was hinted at being alive in episode six of season three sit on the sidelines, the harder it will be to care or even remember who they are when they return.

Overall, “Terminus” is a great episode that begins to set up the conclusion to the series and the final showdown between the team and the New Gods. The only major concern I have is how the season will wrap up all of the side subplots and dangling threads that remain unexplored. While Young Justice has been confirmed for season four, my concern remains that the show will continue to take on more storylines and characters than it can handle.

Young Justice: Outsiders is now streaming on the DC Universe.

Lizzy Garcia