The show is a mixed bag. It can do some really fun things when it plays around with the DC mythos, like with the Starro implants, or with characters like Zatanna. But otherwise? Weisman has called YJ as really being about the whole DC universe rather than just the team, and that cosmic focus shows through in the patchy characterization.
There are some bright spots. M'gaan's developed into quite a strong, creepy character with interesting trans themes. And Artemis! While the other cast members got the occasional one-shot episode detailing their home life, Artemis got such interaction spread throughout the entire season, as we saw Sportsmaster and Cheshire interact not only with her, but with each other and with other characters. This resulted in a strong sense of familiarity with the entire Crock family, which helped to boost Artemis. There was also a meta-sense of vulnerability to her character that made me interested in following her along. The show was hardly going to kill off, turn evil, or do whatnot to Dick Grayson, Wally West, or Superboy, but a D-list nobody like Artemis wasn't safe.
The other characters are... less glowing.
Kid Flash is an annoying git, and his shameless inept womanizing doesn't come off as charming or funny. Robin is good, and the nod to his eventual evolution into Nightwing was well-developed character drama in a show that doesn't often engage in such stuff. However, everyone constantly talking him up as the eventually team leader gets a little old. The idea lurks like a wolf, ready to spring from the darkness and devour Aqualad's only reason for remaining on the show. The lad's had little dramatic development save for 'Downtown' — which had no lasting consequence on his surface life.
Zatanna was an interesting spin on a fairly popular B-lister. Her development, gradually exposure to the team in her first two episodes, was nicely done and finally culminated in the tragedy of her father's sacrifice. Yet the solid development Zatanna gets in her handful of episodes only serves to show how thinly Kid Flash and Aqualad were written throughout the entire season. In comparison, Rocket was badly handled. She gets dumped into the story with no development, gets no growth, and is shuffled off to the League in Season 2.
So, patchy characterization. But it's okay overall.
Season 1 Retrospective
The show is a mixed bag. It can do some really fun things when it plays around with the DC mythos, like with the Starro implants, or with characters like Zatanna. But otherwise? Weisman has called YJ as really being about the whole DC universe rather than just the team, and that cosmic focus shows through in the patchy characterization.
There are some bright spots. M'gaan's developed into quite a strong, creepy character with interesting trans themes. And Artemis! While the other cast members got the occasional one-shot episode detailing their home life, Artemis got such interaction spread throughout the entire season, as we saw Sportsmaster and Cheshire interact not only with her, but with each other and with other characters. This resulted in a strong sense of familiarity with the entire Crock family, which helped to boost Artemis. There was also a meta-sense of vulnerability to her character that made me interested in following her along. The show was hardly going to kill off, turn evil, or do whatnot to Dick Grayson, Wally West, or Superboy, but a D-list nobody like Artemis wasn't safe.
The other characters are... less glowing.
Kid Flash is an annoying git, and his shameless inept womanizing doesn't come off as charming or funny. Robin is good, and the nod to his eventual evolution into Nightwing was well-developed character drama in a show that doesn't often engage in such stuff. However, everyone constantly talking him up as the eventually team leader gets a little old. The idea lurks like a wolf, ready to spring from the darkness and devour Aqualad's only reason for remaining on the show. The lad's had little dramatic development save for 'Downtown' — which had no lasting consequence on his surface life.
Zatanna was an interesting spin on a fairly popular B-lister. Her development, gradually exposure to the team in her first two episodes, was nicely done and finally culminated in the tragedy of her father's sacrifice. Yet the solid development Zatanna gets in her handful of episodes only serves to show how thinly Kid Flash and Aqualad were written throughout the entire season. In comparison, Rocket was badly handled. She gets dumped into the story with no development, gets no growth, and is shuffled off to the League in Season 2.
So, patchy characterization. But it's okay overall.