Greg Bishansky writes...

Secrets

I am speechless. This episode was perfect. I loved it, and I say this as a guy who has been wanting to love this series but so far has only been able to just like it a lot. I loved this episode.

Harm was a deliciously creepy villain. Everything about him was chilling. His speech patterns could have easily been corny, but thanks to great writing and terrific voice acting they were very unnerving. I spent most of the episode wondering how Artemis and Zatanna were going to defeat him. Scratch that, not just wondering how they were, wondering IF they were. And as a thirty-year old jaded TV watcher, I hardly ever wonder IF the bad guy is going to be beaten.

The story was very heavy, and the truth about Secret was heartbreaking. I've heard of Secret and Harm before, but I didn't know their story, and I had no idea she was dead, never mind that her brother killed her. Child murder in a cartoon? Okay, there's been plenty of attempted child murder, but the real deal? Harsh. Very harsh.

The B-plot balanced out the dark drama with a lot of humor. While Artemis and Zatanna fought for their lives, Superboy, Miss Martian, and Kid Flash were attending a school Halloween dance and there they warded off... a prank. I would like to say that Marvin the Martian with Godzilla's roar is the single greatest thing a human being could ever have come up with.

Martians invading, eh? Ooh... foreshadowing for season two? And here I thought Darkseid was being set up for season two. Hmm, maybe he is. Maybe he'll be in cahoots with the White Martians. Maybe I am reading too deep into this. It wouldn't be the first time.

The brief C-plot was about Aqualad, Red Arrow, Robin, and Batman discussing who the traitor was. At this point, I have no idea. I'm leaning towards M'Gann. Or maybe it's Aqualad.

If I had one complaint, it was about Artemis taking the news that Superboy and Miss Martian are a couple that hard. She only expressed interest in him on screen once, and that was in her first appearance. Aqualad alluded to it a few episodes back, but I think we needed more. Artemis, aggressive as she is, could have flirted with Superboy more. But that doesn't detract from this perfect episode, because it's not this episode's problem. The episodes that preceded this one should have laid a little more pipe.

BTW, Marvel Zombie... very cute.

A+, Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, Encore! Encore!

The Batfan writes...

"Secrets" intrigued me. I'm really glad we got to see more Zatanna - her YJ incarnation is the best I've ever seen. Is she an official member of the team yet?

As an intriguing episode should, this one prompted a few (more) questions:

1. Zatanna has an "A" authorization code, unlike the Team's "B" classifications and League's pure numbers. Can you explain what the difference is between "A" and "B" designations? What they represent?

2. Where does Zatanna live? (And, if it's "with G. Zatara, where is that?)

3. I'm really interested in how magic works in the Earth-16 universe (and specifically on Earth). We've seen Nabu and Klarion, magical beings from other planes of existence who assert their influence on Earth (and really, why Earth of all worlds?); we've seen Wotan, whose design evokes a wizard vampire, and who casts his incantations in Latin; and we've seen the Zataras, who speak backwards in English to use their magic.
And then there's the sword of Beowulf, unleashed from its scabbard by an incantation in Olde English.
So:
a) Just restating the point above: Lords of Order and Chaos choose to manifest on Earth. Is it only Earth (and, if so, why?), or are there Lords of Choas and Order who choose to duke it out over other worlds?
b) I've noticed that all magical energy used so far is yellow (Fate, Wotan, Zatara) - with the blatant exception of Klarion's red magic. Does this have any significance, and, if so, what is it?
c) Can anyone who has an affinity for magic (and what does that mean? Kent Nelson said something to that effect about Madame Xanadu) learn magic? What is the source (or sources) of magic, when used by beings who are not inherently mystical (i.e. not Lords of Chaos/Order)?
d) How do the sword and scabbard of Beowulf have magical power?
e) How well-known is the existence of magic among the general populace of Earth? Is it an accepted academic fact - and, if not, how do people explain Zatara's powers?

4. This episode suggests that the public has some awareness not only of the existence of *one* Martian (i.e. Manhunter), but of the entire Martian nation (since the response to a supposed Martian invasion is not "OMG Martians," but seems more like "Shoot, war with Mars"). How exactly is the public aware of the Martian civilization? How aware are the governments of the Martian civilization, and are there any kinds of diplomatic relations/trade?
If people are not aware, how is this possible with a Martian as a public hero?

5. Ghosts. We've seen Kent Nelson's soul, bonded with the helmet for a few thousand years, and "Secret," the ghost of Harm's dead sister. When do departed souls manifest as ghosts in the world, and why? How much power do they have?

Thank you so much, for all your considerate attention. The numbers here are meant to serve as "headings" for similarly-themed questions, so there are actually quite a lot in here; again, thanks for your consideration.

Cassidy01 writes...

Loved 'Secrets'!

1.) What color are Greta Hayes' eyes?

2.) I've had some difficulty grasping Zatanna's personality, and I was wondering if you'd be willing to describe her. Not some detailed analysis or anything - just a handful of adjectives innate to Zatanna's incarnation in Earth-16. (Ex. Kid Flash: Class Clown, Immature, Goofy, Impulsive, Flirty, etc.)

Thanks so much!

Anonymous writes...

Hey Greg,

"Secrets" was quite an interesting episode to say the least, specifically the conversation concerning the possibility of a mole on The Team.

Based on what Red Arrow said, he instantly ruled out his friends (Aqualad, Robin, and Kid Flash)as potential traitors since he's known them the longest. This left us with three possible candidates: Superboy, Miss Martian, and Artemis. I have questions regarding these three people.

First, there's Superboy. In "Fireworks," when Superboy met the Justice League, I'm guessing he told them everything about himself offscreen; that's also assuming he told them what the purpose of his creation was, right? (Since his purpose was to replace Superman if he dies, or kill Superman if he turned evil) In this episode, Batman thinks that Cadmus programmed something specific into Superboy, and suspects that Superboy could be the mole without being aware of it. What does that mean? Is Superboy at risk of being mind-controlled or is it something more?

Second, there's Miss Martian. According to Red Arrow, Martian Manhunter told Black Canary he had a few hundred nieces and nephews. I don't remember that being that being mentioned in the comics, so is this fact true or false on the show? I'll be surprised he has a large family if this fact turns out to be true. Red Arrow claimed that Miss Martian met her uncle for the first time 5 months prior to this episode when she stowed away on his last trip from Mars to Earth. (Storywise, that's June,isn't it?) If that is true, why would she do that? Given her personality, I personally doubt she is the mole, but will there be a reasonable explanation for her coming to Earth in a future episode?

Lastly, there's Artemis. Red Arrow knew right off the bat that she wasn't the niece of Green Arrow, and he even told Aqualad and Robin in this episode. Batman defended Artemis' status, which I'm not surprised at. I know the comic kind of explained what he knows, but did Batman really connected the dots and knows Sportsmaster is Atermis' father and is just not saying anything to let Artemis tell The Team on her own terms?
In terms with how Artemis has been acting, she's been really protective about her family secrets, since she still refuses to open up, even to Zatanna. Will her constant unwilliingness to come clean get her into serious trouble in the remaining episodes of this season?

Thanks for reading my questions.

Greg Bishansky writes...

So, I was chatting with a friend about tour theories on Demona and her future, both near and far. And this subject came up, and he suggested I ask you. I said "no way, not in a million years will he answer this one." And yet, here I am...

I am not asking for any specifics or clues beyond this one tidbit; when Demona dies, will she be in her human form or her gargoyle form?

Carter writes...

Hey Greg, sorry if this seems like a silly question, but I was under the impression that the Young Justice episodes were written by different members of the production staff. So I was just wondering if that ever becomes annoying or frustrating not having creative control over the details of an episode, or if it makes it more interesting for everyone involved. Or if you all work as a unit to piece it all together. I'm really not sure of how everything is set up but I was just so curious about the effort and work that goes into the show. I'm sure you get this a lot but thank you so much for being a part of this show and making it all happen. I look forward to new episodes all week long.I really love it! Thanks again, and sorry if this question seems impertinent.

The Trickster writes...

If Secret was indeed a ghost, and also intangible, how was she able to remove Zatana's gag?

Corrigan writes...

Greg, I've just watched Secrets. About time there's a good episode. But there's two things that really bother me.

Did you based Harm's constant use of the word "harm" on Mr Freeze's "ice puns" from the infamous 1997 George Clooney Batman & Robin movie?

I noticed a very obvious error with the color of the NYPD police cars. They were black and white instead of white with blue markings. What's up with that?

Anonymous writes...

Hey Greg,

In the Young Justice episode "Revelation," when the plant creatures attacked the bridge in Star City, they were also attacking what appears to be a Metropolis school bus. Inside the bus, only the students and the bus driver himself were seen. Was that some kind of mistake? Was that supposed to be a Star City school bus instead? If was meant to be a Metropolis school bus, I can assume there was some kind of field trip involved, but if that were true, then where is the teacher?

Thank you for reading the question.

B writes...

What will episode 20: misplaced be about?