Episode name: Frenemies
Episode number(s): 22-23
Synopsis: Harleen Quinzel, Babs’ best friend, moves from Gotham to Metropolis. Harleen is disliked by Babs’ new friends, and Babs doesn’t get along with Harleen’s new friends.
Thoughts: Another amazing Harleen/Babs episode as well as another amazing villain introduction. The villain montage provides a great way to show all our main-stay villains (except for Barbi) get together to form a gang of their own and is also just good plain fun. I love the song they play over it; it really makes you smile and definitely helps you feel every single ounce of fun these kids are having. The fight with the Superhero Girls is so much fun too; I love the way Harleen fights and I also love the way they animate her as Harley Quinn: just like a classic cartoon character with no bones and almost no mental stability. It’s also incredible watching this episode knowing Babs and Harleen have the same voice actor. And as long as I’m spluttering over everything I love about this two-parter, the “Harleen is incredibly annoying” montage was hilarious, and ohhh gosh Babs just climbing across the table to jump into Harleen’s arms as well as the phone call at the end…I just love this two-parter a lot, ok? That’s probably why this review is such a mess.
Rating: 9/10, definitely watch
Episode name: Soul Sisters
Episode number(s): 24-25
Synopsis: Diana meets Tatsu and faces off against the vigilante Katana who traps the souls of people in her sword.
Thoughts: Third two-parter in a row and they’re still going strong. This is probably the best done of the three, even if Frenemies is my personal favorite. It’s one of the darkest episodes DC Superhero Girls has ever done (part 1 is basically just the girls playing with dead bodies), but it’s not dark for the sake of being edgy or for the sake of dark humor. It’s dark in a way that actually works, and hoo boy, does it work. This is another favorite episode of mine; just like with Misgiving Tree, you really feel both sides of the argument. You understand why Diana wants the souls released but also understand why Katana believes she is a hero for trapping the souls in the first place. Every single time you see a character get their soul taken away from them, just the expression on their face just hits you right in the heart, be it horror, grief, or even acceptance. Also bonus points for Tatsu and Katana’s designs, they’re really well done.
Rating: 10/10, definitely watch
Episode name: Abracadabrapalooza
Episode number(s): 26
Synopsis: In an attempt to make Karen feel better about a pimple, Zee recounts her embarrassing transition into magichood—and the rift it created between her and her father.
Thoughts: I have only seen this episode once and from what I remember, I don’t want to watch it again. Please, please, don’t make me watch it again.
Rating: Can’t rate fairly
Episode name: Rage Cat
Episode number(s): 27
Synopsis: Jessica tries to find an adoptive home for the cat Dexter, who turns into a member of the Red Lantern Corps and attacks her.
Thoughts: Love this episode a lot. The name and Dexter’s design just made me think it was gonna be some dumb Grumpy Cat parody, but it is so much more than that. The time limit with Dexter just having a few more days before being put down and the additional anger that makes Dexter feel as well as the commentary on how you can’t just hand a cat to someone and expect it to work out are just perfect. And Once Dexter acquires his Red Lantern ring and can talk to Jess and express his rage and sorrow things just get so much better. I honestly think the ending was perfect too, Dexter really needed someone patient to take care of him.
Rating: 8/10, definitely watch
Episode name: The Good, the Bad, and the Bizarre
Episode number(s): 28
Synopsis: Kara and Supergirl are accused of actions they didn’t commit. Kara suspects she is being framed, and Batgirl helps her find the culprit.
Thoughts: This episode makes absolutely no sense! Why does the city suddenly love Kara after 27 episodes of hating her? Why is Kara suddenly the good girl of the group? How did Babs and Kara fly from Metropolis to England to Egypt in one day? This isn’t a bad episode, but it’s also definitely nothing to write home about. Honestly, if you want an actually funny Bizarro episode, just go watch Teen Titan Go’s ‘Robin Backwards’, it’s much better.
Rating: 4/10, optional watch
Episode name: Back in a Flash
Episode number(s): 29
Synopsis: After an embarrassing incident ruins Barbara Gordon’s reputation, rather than owning it and moving on, she decides it’s easier to harness the Flash’s newly discovered ability to travel back in time and alter the space-time continuum
Thoughts: This episode is absolutely hilarious, I swear. Babs’ hyperactive energy plays so well off of Barry’s nice guy energy and make for a great comedic duo that make me wish they’d get paired up more often. Back in a Flash is just absolute pure chaos from start to finish. Nearly every joke hits perfectly, and that “which is worth more, my dignity, or six billion human lives” line came from this episode, so that definitely gives it bonus points. Overall, Back in a Flash did the impossible: it actually managed to make a skillfully written, bizarre, yet absolutely glowing episode all based on a fart joke.
Rating: 8/10, optional watch, though I’d definitely recommend it
Episode name: Power Surge
Episode number(s): 30
Synopsis: Supergirl is presumed dead by the media after a battle with Livewire. Kara decides to reinvent herself with a new look, a new personality, and a new name, Power Girl.
Thoughts: Power Surge really does have a surprisingly dark setup for a kids’ show, but it’s just like…the writers don’t care. They don’t care what you think about all the constant joking about how literally nobody cares whether or not Kara is dead. They just rub them in over and over again to the point of making Leslie’s book about how she killed her a bestseller, and, surprisingly, it works. It’s really funny, at least to me. It’s also a really creative way to bring in Power Girl and Earth 2, who I am told are actually real in the comics. If you can take all the jokes about how little Metropolis cares about Kara, I’d definitely recommend Power Surge.
Rating: 8/10, definitely watch (unless you dislike that kind of humor)
Thoughts of a Literate Hyena 