The title of the review refers to the fact that of the original seven from the first two seasons, two heroes have inevitably got the short end of the stick - the Flash (not appearing at all) and J'onn (stuck in the Watchtower). Here the episode basically focuses on the two of them.
But first, the main "guest star" of the episode. Interestingly, Mister Miracle isn't made a League member. I'm not sure that's an entirely wise decision - 40+ League members and more than half have had little more then a cameo, and now we get to dwell on two non-members? This could almost have been a Season 1-2 episode based on the dynamics - everyone's gone on a mission but J'onn and Flash, and J'onn refuses to help.
Scott Free/Mister Miracle doesn't really come across as that interesting a character. He had a few good moments at the beginning and then near the end with his escape and "We make miracles!" but he didn't seem well-served here by the half-hour approach.
Barda does a little better as a berserker-type who puts Wonder Woman to shame. Oberon is pretty much a enigma and most casual viewers would be puzzled by his presence here. This episode might suffer from too many characters - Flash, J'onn, Miracle, Barda, Oberon, Granny, Vermin, and Kalibak, all playing significant roles, makes for a pretty crowded half-hour.
This episode is another one that, like Hawk and Dove, seems to rely excessively on guest casting. Ioan Gruffudd doesn't really bring anything to the role except a name check for the upcoming Fantastic Four movie, and Arte Johnson basically redoes his German Soldier schtick from Rowan & Martin. Granted his character Vundabar in the comcis isn't that three-dimensional either.
We do get an update on Apokolips (in civil war) and Darkseid (still missing). This episode is definitely a homage to the creations of artist/writer Jack Kirby, and it's nice to have Ed Asner and Michael Dorn back. The X Pit doesn't really come across as that threatening - shouldn't it be filled with deathtraps that give the Flash a hard time? Instead it seems to mostly be filled with soldiers.
And that brings us to the Flash. One only wonders what's been keeping Michael Rosenbaum away - his work schedule or the writers/producers just not being able to figure out where to slot in the character. Whatever the reason, it's a mistake - he brings a substantial element to the show here that has either been lacking, or we've had lesser "humor" replacements like Booster Gold and Elongated Man.
Maybe a 50-member League doesn't need a "conscience"...or maybe the writers just can't come up with how to figure how to put Flash in in this role. They need to. For one thing, he serves as the audience's point of view - here he asks why the League does/doesn't get involved and we get an answer (of sorts). Maybe we should have an episode where the Flash asks why the League has and needs a WMD in their Watchtower, or why they have jerks like Hawk & Dove on the team who can't bother to answer their calls.
Anyhoo, Flash gets appropriate humor and one-liners - another aspect of the show either missing (except for Batman's grim sense of humor) or transferred to other folks. He gets a few good superspeed moments although he does spend a lot of time running around at human pace.
J'onn doesn't get a lot to do, but it's more then he's had character-wise in the third season. One thing lost in the third season is that the original 7 Leaguers were, to one degree or another, friends. We've had plenty of the Superman-Batman and Wonder Woman-Batman and Green Lantern-Hawkgirl relationship in season 3. But there's been no Flash-Superman, or Flash-Batman, or J'onn-Hawkgirl, or heck, even Green Lantern-Superman or Wonder Woman. Those pairings above, we've had, let's try a couple of others with the original League.
Elongated Man makes an appearance - as has been noted, J.M. DeMatties wrote the episode and the Leaguers that appear (even the cameos) are ones he wrote as part of Justice League International. Unfortunately, it's hard to tell if that's deliberate or not - DeMatties did a lot of characters.
Overall, I don't think "The Ties That Bind" was an incredible episode, but it made a decent half-hour of entertainment and brought us up to speed on a few subplots and relationships that were abandoned in Season 3. Hopefully they'll continue this trend throughout Season 4.moreless
When escape artist and superhero Mr. Miracle can't get help from the rest of the League, the Flash volunteers to help him break out a special prisoner from an inescapable prison on Darkseid's homeworld of Apokolips.
 Carl Lumbly |
Martian Manhunter/J'onn J'onzz |
 Michael Rosenbaum |
Flash/Wally West (Seasons 1-2, 4+) |
 Ioan Gruffudd |
Mr. Miracle |
Guest Star |
 Farrah Forke |
Big Barda |
Guest Star |
 Edward Asner |
Granny Goodness |
Guest Star |
Watch Online
Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions
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TRIVIA (3)
ADD TRIVIA-
When the troops come out of the fortress to fight Flash, Barda and Mr. Miracle in the first fight scene, we see several Parademons fly out towards the trio of heroes. No one fights them, but they all vanish after the hound-riders are defeated.
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During the initial practice session, in the close-up shot Barda and Oberon are backing away side-by-side. But in the long-shot as the shadow of the helicopter falls over Scott, only Barda is present. Then in the next shot Oberon and Barda are side-by-side again.
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In the captions, whenever they mention "Darkseid," they mispell it "Darkside."
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QUOTES (15)
ADD QUOTES-
Big Barda: All the trouble we had to go through because of you.
Oberon: All legs and no heart.
Big Barda: You're just too far away to hear it. -
Flash: Why do I get the feeling those puppies haven't had their shots?
Mister Miracle: So let's give them a few! -
Flash: Not that I mind the exercise, but couldn't your boob tube have transported us any closer?
Big Barda: It's "boom tube." -
Vermin Vundabar: And still you refuse to join Vermin Vundabar's noble cause.
Kalibak: You are about as noble as my armpit.
Vermin Vundabar: Very well. You force me to my last resort. Cake? -
Flash: Tell me the truth, Ralph - do I seem immature to you?
Elongated Man: Not in the least.
Flash: Ha! I bopped your block off! -
Barda: (relieved) Scott, I thought you were dead! (angry) You insufferable showboat - I thought you were dead!
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Flash: What are you guys? Twelve? I can't believe I'm the mature one here!
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Kalibak: Now what?
Mister Miracle: Now we make miracles! -
Granny Goodness: Again and again you try, Scott, and again and again Granny stops you. Give up. Give in to hate and helplessness. Give in to Granny.
Young Scott: I'd rather die!
Granny Goodness: If that's your preference... -
Flash: What do you say to that, big guy?
J'onn: I was only going to ask if you wanted to play Brawlin' Bots?
Flash: Dibs on the green one!
J'onn: I wanted the green one... -
Barda: Not bad.
Flash: Is she always this free with the compliments? -
Flash: Robots! I love smashing robots!
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Mister Miracle: Neither of you signed on for this.
Barda: Actually I did, the day I married you.
Flash: Well I'm not that committed, but I'm with you. -
Mister Miracle: Listen to me - they've changed the whole architecture of this place since the last time I was here. All my plans are out the window.
Flash: Who needs plans? I've always been a spontaneous kind of guy. -
Granny Goodness: Because soon, I will be ruler of all Apokolips!
Oberon: You always been this deluded, or is it just since senility set in?
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NOTES (6)
ADD NOTES-
Character bios: Mister Miracle, Big Barda, Virmin Vunderbar, Granny Goodness, Oberon, (Jim) Steranko, Kalibak, Elongated Man
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Previews at the end of this episode on its original airing are from the upcoming episode (apparently) "Task Force X".
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Other heroes that appear without dialogue: Fire.
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Farrah Forke, Ed Asner, Michael Dorn, and Jeremy Piven reprise their prior roles of Big Barda, Granny Goodness, Kalibak, and Elongated Man, respectively. Edward Asner, who had previously played Hephaestus in "Hawk and Dove", plays Granny Goodness here and reprising his role from Superman: The Animated Series.
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Working title: "Miracles Happen"
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This is Flash's first speaking appearance on the series under its title Justice League Unlimited.
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ALLUSIONS (3)
ADD ALLUSIONS-
Vermin Vundabar: Very interesting... but futile.
This is a reference to the catchphrase Arte Johnson (playing Vermin) used as a German soldier on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. -
Mr. Miracle: A curse on both their houses.
The line is an often-cited mis-quote of Shakespeare's "A plague on both their houses!", spoken by Mercutio in Romeo & Juliet as he lay dying as a result of the families' feud. -
Flash: Ha! I bopped your block off!
This table-top game is an obvious parody of Rock-Em Sock-Em Robots.
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Destroyer (2)
S 5 : Ep 13
Aired 5/13/06
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Alive! (1)
S 5 : Ep 12
Aired 5/6/06
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Ancient History
S 5 : Ep 11
Aired 4/29/06
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Far From Home
S 5 : Ep 10
Aired 4/15/06
Season 4 Episodes
See AllEp 13
Epilogue
Ep 12
Divided We Fall
Ep 11
Panic in the Sky
Ep 10
Flashpoint
Ep 9
Question Authority
Ep 8
Hunter's Moon
Ep 7
Clash
Ep 6
Double Date
Ep 5
The Balance
Ep 4
Task Force X
Ep 3
The Doomsday Sanction
Ep 2
The Ties That Bind
Ep 1
The Cat and the Canary
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