Back on Earth, the team copes with the loss of Conner.
Tropes:
- Archnemesis Dad: Discussed extensively. Several of the young heroes are the children of villains (Artemis is Sportsmaster's daughter, Stephanie is Cluemaster's daughter, and Cassandra Cain is Lady Shiva's daughter); because of this, Artemis and Stephanie are inclined to sympathize with Cassandra Savage (Vandal Savage's daughter who is supposedly defecting from the villains). Will counters that there are also villains who followed in their villainous parents' footsteps, like Icicle Jr.; they eventually resolve to be cautiously wary about Cassandra.
- Berserk Button: Will gets genuinely enraged when one of the Shadows breaks his clipboard in half.Will: That was my favorite clipboard!
- Beyond Redemption: Paula warns Artemis that her sister Jade had plenty of chances to rejoin them, but she has distanced herself for her own agenda. Though she insists that Jade is beyond anyone's help, Artemis has yet to give up on her. By the end of this episode, she decides to call her.
- Both Sides Have a Point: In regards to the question of Onyx versus Cassandra, both Terra and Spoiler raise valid points. Terra, who was in the League of Shadows for a while, had seen Onyx and has a read on her and can see why she would leave. Spoiler, meanwhile, has a supervillain dad and can relate to how long it takes to finally admit your father is a bad person, and how it is quite possible. The Roys take a third option that neither is trustworthy. Artemis takes all of these reads into account.
- Call-Back:
- Tigress is furious with Onyx for coming to her home, even if it was just a stakeout to follow her from there, saying she broke the "rule" and that Tigress might break a few of her own in response. In "Home Fires", Lady Shiva and the Light as a whole are shown to have a strict prohibition against targeting the families of their adversaries, precisely because of how Tigress reacts to even a perceived violation of that rule. This also suggests that idea exists as a sort of unspoken agreement between the two parties, rather than mere Pragmatic Villainy on the Light's side.
- Cassandra recalls that her father killed her sister Olympia. Though he claimed it was a Mercy Kill to save her from suffering further dementia, Cassandra claims that she is still having trouble processing the incident and was a reason why she is allegedly defecting.
- While driving Onyx to the Vault, Will informs Arsenal that Green Arrow said to keep him away from the rocket launchers. Arsenal returns the favor after mentioning Will's history as a past mole.
- Cerebus Retcon: Jade didn't abandon Will and Lian because she couldn't handle a normal life. She left for their safety because the League of Shadows put a price on her head after she betrayed them. To make matters worse, Paula knew the whole time because Jade set up a contact system with her in case Lian's life was in danger but never said anything to Artemis (until now) or Will. This makes Paula's attempt at convincing Artemis to start a relationship with Will in season 3 all the more distressing.
- Cowardice Callout: When Cheshire and Talia al'Ghul argue over their differing opinions about what's best for the child of a Shadow (Cheshire having at this point turned her back on the assassin organization), Cheshire judges Talia a "selfish fool" for her intentions to keep her own child with her at all costs. Talia, visibly irked by the comment, fires back by saying Cheshire is a coward for giving up her own child and going out of her way to avoid having any contact with the girl out of fear that she'll "taint" her (something which Cheshire's sister and the child's father have called her out on).
- Fake Defector: Onyx claims Cassandra is this, and is legitimately defecting herself to stop it. When Cassandra arrives, she accuses Onyx of the same.
- Flashback: Several involving Artemis and Jade around when the latter left their home after their mother went to prison.
- Groin Attack: Averted, as Sensei throws Jade's sai between her legs.
- Heroic Safe Mode: As Artemis says it, she's wavering between this state and a complete breakdown over Conner's death.
- Improvised Weapon: Red Arrow fights a Shadow assassin using a pen, jabbing it into the man's back at just the right spot so he can't reach it.
- Instant Sedation: Tranquilizers fly freely at the League of Shadows ambush and they all work instantly on people they hit.
- Internal Reveal: Dick, Kaldur, and Will, and later Artemis, learn of Conner's supposed death.
- Literary Allusion Title: After A Tale of Two Cities, which Artemis quotes over the epilogue.
- Metaphorgotten: After Arsenal brings up the possibility Cassandra might take after her father, Terra remarks how the falling apple doesn't bounce far from one's head. Arsenal replies that a bent tree can easily lead to a bent twig, while Red Arrow says that the apple can still be on the branch and turn rotten. Arrowette asks if they're still talking about Cassandra and Onyx, as she is now both confused and hungry.
- Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: Cassandra Savage claims to be defecting because she was disillusioned by Vandal murdering Olympia. That she is heavily scarred and missing an arm certainly seems to sell the story.
- Morton's Fork: Red Arrow suspects this is the case with Onyx and Cassandra. Both may in fact be moles and told that the other isn't, so as to make both seem believable and allow either to accomplish the mission as long as one is taken in.
- Mythology Gag:
- Terra, when talking about Cassandra betraying the Light and her father, notes that she would become quite the scandal if it was true. Vandal’s daughter is usually named Scandal Savage.
- Will's proficiency with using his clipboard and pen as weapons to successfully fight against the Shadows' assassins is a nod towards Roy Harper's utilization of Moo Gi Gong, a style of martial arts where anything can be used as a weapon.
- Not Helping Your Case: Cassandra and Onyx claim to have defected from the League of Shadows, and point at each other as a mole. The fact that they broke out of their handcuffs, revealing they could at any time, doesn't help, especially when they claim the assassination attempt on Cassandra was either legit (according to Cassandra) or faked (according to Onyx).
- The Pen Is Mightier: Red Arrow manages to fight off two ninjas with just a ballpoint pen and stabs one of them in the back with it.
- Play-Along Prisoner: Both Onyx and Cassandra demonstrate that they could have freed themselves and fled at any time when being transported.
- The Stinger: Artemis reads the "far better rest" passage from A Tale of Two Cities over a shot of Dick and Kaldur looking at Conner's hologram on the Watchtower.
- Take That Us: The episode's main plot about whether or not Cassandra and Onyx both are or are not moles seems to be playfully making fun of how much the show's used the mole plotline in the past, starting from Red Arrow in season one, to Kaldur and Artemis infiltrating Black Manta in season 2, and the entire thing with Terra and Dr. Jace in the third season. Arsenal's the one to get a headache and suggests leaving Cassandra and Onyx to fend for themselves before things get more convoluted.
- Tranquil Fury: Tigress is furious at Onyx for coming to her home and posing a threat to her family, and gives a none-too-subtle threat that she might kill Onyx for that. All without raising her voice.
- Troll: Will and Roy take turns doing this to each other, first with Will stating Green Arrow definitely said to keep Roy from his rocket launchers while Roy later teases Will about knowing a thing or two about moles.
- Trying Not to Cry: Artemis tries her best to cope with Conner/Superboy's death, the same way as she did with Wally's, though it proves difficult at times, if not impossible. She eventually breaks down while driving, after Will assures Artemis there's nothing wrong with crying to vent.
- Villain Has a Point: Talia proclaims Cheshire's a coward for not being in her daughter's life, whereas Talia is sticking by Damian's side and raising him. This is subverted on the grounds that Cheshire's had a target on her back ever since she betrayed the Shadows to help Red Arrow, so not being near Lian keeps her safe until the hit's removed. Talia, on the other hand, has the fortune of being Ra's al Ghul's daughter which means she and Damian are afforded far more protection. While Talia does have a point about a mother being there for their child, she doesn't recognize she has the privilege of safety Cheshire does not, instead just calling Cheshire a coward.
- Wham Line: Jade drops her confrontation with the League of Shadows to return home, after receiving a call. She assumes something is wrong with her daughter Lian, but her mother Paula assures her she's fine, though Paula herself is confused about her arrival. Then...Jade: Then why did you call me?
Paula: I didn't...
Artemis: I did.
