From the flashback/fantastical nature and the sadistic beatings of the previous episode, this week we have a more light-hearted and whimsical episode (for the most part). While it's not quite the bundle of yuks that last year's "Comfort and Joy" was, it's definitely about the next funniest.
Of course, the main humor stems from the "Junior Justice League." All the voice artists are well-chosen and clearly they're having fun with the parts. Superman doesn't get a lot of focus (other then being perenially clueless), but Batman gets a few new looks - he's sympathetic toward Green Lantern's feelings, clearly irritated he can't keep up physically, and still trying to play the team leader. Clearly his reference to "not being a kid since he was 8" refers to the death of his parents. The only regret is that he doesn't seem to have enjoyed his second childhood...or perhaps his first childhood since he was forced to grow up so suddenly.
Wonder Woman is in fine form, being alternately bossy and flirty - Green Lantern loses the commanding authority (verging on obnoxiousness) since in "Initiation" and elsewhere, and is pretty likeable here - clearly a kid in a candy shop, so to speak, with a power ring of infinite power. He displays a lot more imagination then his future-adult self does.
All the kid actors do a good job of conveying the basics of the characters - you don't even totally realize they got new actors. But the voices wouldn't do any good without good writing - Henry Gilroy here is an amazing discovery. He probably didn't come up with the basic idea, but he certainly runs wild with what he's given. All of the Junior Leaguers are well-realized, and Baby Etrigan's appearance is a great surprise. Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!, which Gilroy produces, is coming out this fall on ABC Family and based on Gilroy's writing here, it might be worth a look.
But besides the humor, there's also the underlying tragedy and serious stuff. There's a bit of Peter Pan with Mordred as the boy who's never grown up, and never will. Until the end, when he unwisely chooses to do so anyway and pays the price. He's clearly bored with the responsibilities of rulership and seems almost thankful the Leaguers present a challenge to him.
Morgaine is also well-drawn as the mother doing the best for her child, in her own twisted way. If her relationship with Blood gave her a little more dimension in "A Knight of Shadows", then her mothering here is another facet.
The half-hour format seems pretty beneficial here - the kiddie stuff would have become annoying expanded to 2 episodes. And like "Initiation," this episode seems packed with stuff. All four Leaguers get characterization, Mordred gets characterization, and we get Baby Etrigan. We also get some visits from a few old villainous friends, and two new ones (the KGBeast and Blockbuster).
The only potential problem is that the writers and producers still seem uncomfortable with the expanded cast they put in (or were forced to put in). Granted, the first two seasons also had times when the absence of the other heroes were pretty awkward, a problem even worse here. On the other hand, would we care about a young Captain Atom? Although a young Green Arrow might be interesting... Part of this may be the schedule rejuggling - this episode was apparently moved up on the schedule from where it was originally supposed to air. This may be to address concerns that folks weren't fond of the expanded ranks, although ironically there's also some fans griping that the whole expanded-team concept is wasted. Go figure.
Overall I'd give the episode high marks. Entertaining and funny, laugh-out-loud in spots, yet with a certain tragic note both with Mordred's final fate and Batman's final statement on his own childhood.moreless
Episode Summary
EDIT
When Mordred banishes all adults into Limbo, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern must make a deal with his mother Morgaine to transform into 8-year-olds in a desperate attempt to defeat the boy-wizard.
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GUEST STAR
Dakota FanningKid Wonder Woman
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GUEST STAR
Kyle AlcazarKid Batman
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GUEST STAR
Marc John JefferiesKid Green Lantern
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Phil LaMarr
Green Lantern/John Stewart
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George Newbern
Superman/Clark Kent/Kal-El
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Susan Eisenberg
Wonder Woman/Diana
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Kevin Conroy
Batman/Bruce Wayne
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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions
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TRIVIA (8)
ADD TRIVIA-
Apparently, being of the nobility, either Mordred had little experience with cattle, or he forgot it. When a girl complained her baby sister was hungry, he created a cow with five teats, and didn't give the girl a bucket.
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If Mordred's spell is literal (as is presented throughout), then it shouldn't work the way it does. He's over 5,000 years old, even though he looks 8 years old. With the exception of other immortals like Hippolyta and Morgan Le Fay, most people would just stay on Earth because they're all younger then him.
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If the Leaguers are physically deaged (as indicated since Green Lantern's vision is at his childhood levels), shouldn't their physical powers and intellect be equally reversed? But Superman didn't have most of his powers until he was a teenager (at least in the Animated setting). But if Morgaine's spell let them keep their powers and intellect at adult levels, why didn't she make sure GL's eyesight remained unaffected?
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How did Etrigan end up on Earth in baby form? If he was an adult when the spell hit, he would have ended up in Limbo with the other adults. There's no indication that he was on Mordred's trail and Mordred somehow deaged and imprisoned him before Mordred got the amulet. So apparently Etrigan was immune to the spell in some manner, confronted Mordred, and got deaged...all off-camera in the five minutes or so before the League emerged from Limbo and confronted Mordred. Hmmm? Further confusing the matter, Etrigan doesn't revert when Mordred's spells dissipate, but when Morgaine reverses her own spell on the Leaguers. So who turned him into a baby?
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Where's the rest of the League? They're neither in limbo or on Earth after Mordred establishes his realm. If they're in limbo, the four Leaguers make no effort to find them and get more forces on their side. And if by coincidence every single other Leaguer (except for Etrigan) was on the Watchtower in orbit and trapped, why didn't the four Kid Leaguers at least try to signal them?
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Although Morgaine did help the League, you would think that Etrigan would try to take her down before she left. He didn't make a deal with her.
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When Mordred first puts on the amulet, he gets a new costume. However, after the teaser and throughout the rest of the episode, it disappears. What happened to it?
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At least one new League member should have been able to operate on Earth if its similar to its comic incarnation: Red Tornado, which is an android and at least in the comics, has only been around for a few years.
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QUOTES (23)
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Kid Batman: You're just a chicken. Kid Green Lantern: Yep. Big chicken, that's what you are. Kid Batman: Face it, sweetness. You could have grown up whenever you want to. But you enjoy being a mama's boy. Mordred: I'll show you. I'll show you all! (Mordred turns into an older form of himself) I'm older than you now. Kid Batman: You sure are.
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Batman: Wait. What happened to Mordred? Morgaine: My spell gave him eternal youth. But now that he has broken it, all he has is eternal life.
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Mordred: The Justice Babies. Kid Batman: Your tyranny ends now! Mordred: So, Mother sent you huh? Shouldn't send a boy to do a man's job.
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Kid Batman: (regarding his kid-like state) This better be temporary. Kid Superman: Dude, your voice sounds weird. Dude, my voice sounds weird. Kid Wonder Woman: I kinda like this.
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Morgaine: Did you miss Mummy? Well don't you worry, baby, mommy's going to take good care of you. From now on...
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Etrigan: Mommy!
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Kid Wonder Woman: I guess I'll go with Clark. Unless I should go with you. Kid Batman: Whatever. Kid Superman: I'm fine to go with Diana. Kid Green Lantern: So Bruce and I are good to go? Kid Wonder Woman: I changed my mind. I'll go with Bruce, and John can go with Clark. Kid Batman: Whatever!
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Kid Green Lantern: Your girlfriend sure is bossy. Kid Batman: Shut up!
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Kid Wonder Woman: That's enough! Girl: You can't tell us what to do. You're not our mom. Kid Wonder Woman: No, but I promise you--we will find all your moms. And I'm going to tell!
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Boy: What are you going to do? You're just a kid. Kid Superman: I'm the kid with laser beams comin' out his eyes!
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Kid Wonder Woman: (burps Etrigan) That's all he needed. (the Demon baby makes a "mess") Kid Green Lantern: Oh man, that ain't all he needs. Kid Batman: Now that is a job for Superman.
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Wonder Woman: Circumstances aside, it was kind of... enjoyable to be a kid again. Batman: I haven't been a kid since I was eight years old.
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Kid Wonder Woman: Etrigan, you stop right there! I mean it! You naughty monster--bad, bad Etrigan!
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Kid Superman: What's with them? Kid Green Lantern: Man, for somebody with like fifty different kinds of vision, you are so blind... Kid Superman: What?
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Kid Wonder Woman: You okay, tough guy? Kid Batman: Let go, I'm fine!
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Kid Green Lantern: I'll make a laser cannon! No, a missile launcher! Oh - oh, I know! Kid Batman: Just pick something!
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Mordred: The Justice Babies! (laughs) Kid Batman: What are you laughing at, "precious"?
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Morgaine: (after Mordred banishes her) And after I spent millennia feeding him, bathing him, preparing him to be king... where did I go wrong?
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Copperhead: It was Judgment Day, and we got sent to the bad place! The bad place...! Cheetah: Snap out of it, Copper. Green Lantern: Yeah, calm down. We're probably just in another dimension. Copperhead: Oh, is that all?
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Green Lantern: Guess that's a wrap. (everyone stares) Sorry, been hanging out with Flash too much.
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Copperhead: I won't go down easy! Green Lantern: (slams him unconscious) Sure you will.
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Blockbuster: Pound their heads! Superman: Pound your own!
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Mordred: What's this thing? Another stupid charm? Morgaine: It's the Amulet of First Magic. The source of all Earthly sorcery. Mordred: Hmmm, shiny.
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NOTES (6)
ADD NOTES-
This episode along with "Initiation" and "Hawk And Dove" was released on DVD as Justice League Unlimited: Saving The World.
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Character bios: Morgaine Le Fay & Mordred, The Demon Etrigan, KGBeast, Blockbuster, Copperhead, Cheetah
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Olivia D'Abo and Soren Fulton reprise their roles from "A Knight of Shadows". Sheryl Lee Ralph reprises her role from "Injustice for All". Jose Yenque reprises his role from "Fury (1)". Michael T. Weiss clearly doesn't reprise his role as Etrigan. His one word of dialogue is uncredited, although he sounds a bit like Kevin Conroy.
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John Stewart's "glasses" are similiar to the mask Kyle Rayner wears in the comics.
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Only League members Superman, Green Lantern, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Etrigan appear in this episode.
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The villains at the beginning are Blockbuster, Cheetah, the KGBeast, and Copperhead.
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ALLUSIONS (10)
ADD ALLUSIONS-
Silver Surfer Green Lantern's surf board could be a reference to Marvel's Silver Surfer. In the comic book saga DC vs Marvel, a group of heroes from Marvel battle a group of heroes from DC. Silver Surfer battled Green Lantern Kyle Ryner in the showdown and the Lantern lost.
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Sins of Youth Adult heroes becoming children also occurred in the Young Justice event, Sins of Youth. In that story, Klarion the Witch Boy uses magic to turn the Justice League into teenagers.
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Worlds Without Grown-ups DC featured a story, World Without Grown-ups, which featured a boy using the powers of a genie named Bedlam to form two Earths (one for kids one for adults). Only heroes who were already teenagers (Superboy, Robin, and Impulse) remained on Kid-world to stop him. They later came together to form the superhero group Young Justice.
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More Worlds Without Adults The idea of all the adults in the world disappearing or dying and only children and young people left are found in many sources: the TV show Jeremiah, the 1971 movie Gas-s-s-s, and even "Childhood's End", the episode of Stargate: Atlantis that premiered the night before "Kid Stuff" premiered.
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Visual: Mordred drawing a sword from a stone
In the Arthurian legend – which Mordred originates from – King Arthur draws Excalibur from the Stone of Destiny in order to become King of Britain. -
Kid Batman: Now that is a job for Superman.
This is a funny reference to the ongoing line in the old Adventures of Superman series. -
Batman: Pulling Down the Throne
Kid Batman using his grappling gun, "missing," and then yanking something onto the person he was aiming at parallels the scene in the movie Batman Returns when he takes out a clown threatening Selina Kyle. -
Funseyworld:
Clearly a veiled reference to the Disney franchise, specifically it's Magic Kingdom theme parks. We see a mermaid statue (The Little Mermaid) and a sword in a stone (The Sword in the Stone), among other references. -
Statues:
The octopus-headed statues in the ruins at the beginning bear a suspicious resemblance to Cthulhu, one of the Old Ones chronicled in the fictional (?) writings of H.P. Lovecraft. The Cthulhu mythos was also referenced in "The Terror Beyond." -
Green Lantern: Glasses
The first pair of glasses that Green Lantern forms for himself give him a more than passing resemblance to Steve Urkel, the nominal main character of the TV show Family Matters.
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