Line #22 Recap/JusticeLeagueUnlimitedS2E2TheTiesThatBind


1	-> Directed by Dan Riba
2	-> Written by Creator/JimSteranko (Teleplay by J. M. [=DeMatteis=])
3
4	The full name of this episode is "The Ties That Bind (a.k.a. Miracles Happen)".
5
6	Mister Miracle and Big Barda solicit Justice League assistance to free Oberon from Apokolips. J'onn refuses, but Flash decides to help out on his own.
7
8	----
9	!!This episode contains examples of:
10	* AccidentalMisnaming:
11	-->'''Flash:''' Great news, Bertha! You don't have to!\
12	'''Barda:''' (''grabs the Flash [[NeckLift by the neck and raises him up]]) BARDA!''\
13	'''Flash:''' ''(meekly)'' Isn't that what I said?
14	* ActorAllusion:
15	** "Verrry IN-teresting, but ________!" was one of Creator/ArteJohnson's catchphrases on ''[[Series/RowanAndMartinsLaughIn Laugh-In]]''.
16	** In a case of Writer Allusion, Jim Steranko writes an episode about Mister Miracle, a character that Creator/JackKirby based partly on Steranko himself.
17	* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: An exchange between Barda and Oberon after they rescue him:
18	-->'''Barda''': All the trouble we had to go through because of you.\
19	'''Oberon''': Heh, all legs, no heart.\
20	'''Barda''': You're just too far away to hear it. ''(Barda kneels down and hugs Oberon)''
21	* BatmanGambit: After it seems like Granny Goodness won't follow through on their agreement, Flash reveals that he replaced Kalibak with J'onn. After that J'onn immediately reads her mind and tells Flash where Oberon is being kept.
22	* BigBadWannabe: Both Granny Goodness and Virman Vundabar are vying to take over Apokolips in Darkseid's absence, but neither can overcome the other. J'onn is certain, though, that whoever won would eventually present a threat to Earth.
23	* CallForward: Flash and Elongated Man wonder if Mister Miracle and Barda are League members. The latter would be by the time of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond''.
24	* ColdBloodedTorture: Vundabar tries to convince Kalibak to join his "noble" cause through repeated bouts of torture. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking And cake.]]
25	* ContinuityNod: The civil war on Apokolips is a result of [[Recap/JusticeLeagueS2E1And2Twilight Darkseid's absence]].
26	* CurseCutShort: When J'onn refuses to help Mister Miracle and Big Barda rescue Oberon, Barda calls him a "beetle-browed, arrogant son of a--" before being cut off by Mister Miracle.
27	* DeadpanSnarker: Kalibak gets a good barb in at Vundabar's expense.
28	-->'''Vundabar''': Kalibak, Kalibak, Kalibak...I have used every vile punishment, every known torture, and still, you refuse to join Virman Vundabar's noble cause.\
29	'''Kalibak''': You are about as noble as my armpit.
30	* {{Determinator}}: Mister Miracle, past and present.
31	* DragonAscendant: Virman Vundabar and Granny Goodness, as they both fight to claim the throne of Apokolips.
32	* DudeWheresMyRespect: Flash feels he gets no respect despite being a founding member of the League. Elongated Man sympathizes, feeling he gets similar treatment despite having been fighting crime longer than there's been a League.
33	* EnemyCivilWar: Apokolips has fallen into civil war since Darkseid "vanished", with Granny Goodness and Virman Vundabar leading the factions. In an instance of the League playing {{Realpolitik}}, J'onn J'onzz tells Flash that it is in their interest that it continues since it keeps Apokolips from turning its attention to Earth and other planets.
34	* EnemyMine: Kalibak works with Flash, Mister Miracle, and Big Barda so that they can all escape from the X-Pit.
35	* EvilLaugh: Virman Vundabar lets out a malicious cackle as he sets the X-Pit to self-destruct and flees.
36	* ILied: Granny Goodness predictably backs out on her agreement to release Oberon in exchange for Kalibak.
37	* IResembleThatRemark
38	-->'''Flash:''' Tell me the truth, Ralph. Do I seem immature to you?\
39	'''Elongated Man:''' Not in the least.\
40	''(camera pulls back to show they're playing Brawlin' Bots, which Flash wins)''\
41	'''Flash:''' Ha, I bopped your block off!\
42	'''Elongated Man:''' That-that's not fair! The green guy's arms are longer!\
43	'''Flash:''' Are not!
44	* {{Irony}}: When Kalibak agrees to work with the heroes to escape, he remarks that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend", adding "at least for the moment" under his breath, implying an intent to betray his allies. At the end of the episode, it's the heroes who have backstabbed Kalibak, locking him up on Earth to keep him out of the civil war.
45	* MythologyGag:
46	** Flash says he's treated like a kid sidekick, which was how Wally got his start in the comics.
47	** Flash and Elongated Man are shown to be close friends, which is the case in the comics.[[note]]Ralph Dibny was closer to Barry Allen, however; with Wally they're VitriolicBestBuds.[[/note]]
48	* TheNeedsOfTheMany: J'onn's justification for refusing to get involved in the EnemyCivilWar on Apokolips. Basically, it's better for everybody if the two factions are focused on fighting each other rather than anyone else. Flash [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight gets involved anyway]].
49	* NotSoAboveItAll: After Flash expects J'onn to yell at him for what he did:
50	-->'''J'onn:''' I was only going to ask if you wanted to play "Brawlin' Bots."\
51	'''Flash:''' Dibs on the green one! ''(zips away)''\
52	'''J'onn:''' I wanted the green one...
53	* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome:
54	** Mister Miracle twice gets out of seemingly inescapable situations. Flash lampshades the second escape, only for Mister Miracle to reply, "trade secret".
55	** It's not shown how the heroes (and Kalibak) escaped from the exploding X-Pit. Flash [[BorrowedCatchphrase borrows]] Mister Miracle's line, calling it a "trade secret".
56	* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: Kalibak makes some disparaging remarks about Big Barda's gender.
57	* RememberTheNewGuy: Virman Vundabar, a high-ranking member of Darkseid's forces, who was never seen until this episode.
58	* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: Flash helps out Mister Miracle and Big Barda, even though this is in violation of rules.
59	* ShoutOut: Flash briefly does AccidentalMisnaming of Big Barda as "Big Bertha", the name of both a Marvel character and a World War I cannon.
60	* ShoutOutToShakespeare: Granny Goodness forces Mister Miracle and Big Barda to help rescue Kalibak from Virman Vundabar. When the two are about to finish off Granny Goodness in the end, ComicBook/MartianManhunter points out the EnemyCivilWar needs to continue. Scott remarks, "A curse on both their houses."
61	* {{Stripperiffic}}: Big Barda starts out wearing this, but she reveals her full body armour later on.
62	* TakeAThirdOption: Rather than just leave Oberon to die or free Kalibak and shift the balance of power on Apokolips, Flash devises a last-minute plan to teleport to Earth, imprison Kalibak there, then return to Granny Goodness with J'onn disguised as Kalibak to read her mind and find Oberon's location, saving him while leaving Apokolips stuck in a civil war where neither side has the upper hand.
63	* ThoughtAversionFailure: How J'onn gets Oberon's location out of Granny Goodness.
64	-->'''J'onn''': Try ''not'' to think about where you've got Oberon hidden. ''[Granny tries and fails]'' Darkseid's old palace. I'll guide [Flash].
65	* UnexplainedRecovery: When [[WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries last seen]], Granny Goodness had her mind fried by Superman. She's perfectly fine here. WordOfGod confirmed no one thought explaining it was worth the trouble. Of course, she ''is'' a New God, it takes a whole ''lot'' to cause them any real permanent damage, let alone death. Even then, Darkseid could have just resurrected her at some point in the interim.
66	* WhamLine: Downplayed. Up to this point, viewers unfamiliar with the comics version of the New Gods would probably have thought Kalibak was the son Highfather exchanged for Orion as a result of New Genesis' treaty with Apokolips since he's the only son of Darkseid's that has appeared in the DCAU up to this point, making the introduction of Mister Miracle and TheReveal that ''he'' was the son Highfather gave to Darkseid a surprise to anyone who didn't already know that from the comics.
67	* WideEyedIdealist: Flash wants to help Mister Miracle and Barda simply because he feels it's the right thing to do. J'onn tells him he's not seeing the bigger picture.
68	* WrittenInAbsence: Superman is on a mission in deep space.

Context Recap / JusticeLeagueUnlimitedS2E2TheTiesThatBind