Young Justice: Phantoms continues its latest season with Artemis, Jade, and Onyx as they attempt to escape the horrible island of Santa Prisca. Failure surely means imprisonment… or worse. The idea of captivity, or feeling stuck in-general, plays a huge part in the story of this episode. Orphan’s being literally locked in a cage. Barbara being confined to a wheelchair. Jade feeling trapped by family and responsibility. The threat to Onyx that she won’t be leaving the island. And finally Tigress herself as she feels literally trapped by her enemies, mentally trapped by Cassandra’s betrayal, and emotionally trapped trying to save her sister from the darkness within.
We see the impossible juxtaposed with the all-too-real in this episode, and it’s one of the things Young Justice has always done extremely well. Artemis and Jade’s emotional journey comes to an exciting conclusion this episode, so make sure you check out the recap/review for S4E07 to stay caught up!
The Story
‘I Know Why the Caged Cat Sings’ opens in a flashback to one of Artemis’ (Stephanie Lemelin) first nights out as a hero when she catches Cheshire (Kelly Hu). Cheshire threatens to reveal their secret to the OG Team and Artemis’ determination wavers. Cut quickly back to the present where Lady Shiva (Gwendoline Yeo) offers an ultimatum: Cassandra (Zehra Fazal) and Onyx (Logan Browning) stay, but Tigress can leave unharmed. The heroes find themselves surrounded and severely outgunned. This is not good.
Next we see Lois Lane (Grey DeLisle-Griffin) and her young son sitting with Superboy’s wolf. Clark (Nolan North) and Pa Kent (Mark Rolston) are working on a tractor a few feet away when Ma (Zehra Fazal) summons them all for supper. They’ve enjoyed some much needed family time together. As they all make their way inside, little Johnny (Grey DeLisle-Griffin) asks if Conner will be joining them. Everyone’s face immediately shifts and no words are exchanged.
Wolf howls for his fallen master as we cut to Barbara Gordon/Oracle (Alyson Stoner). She reveals to Tigress that Orphan is still working on picking her shackles and will need time. Tigress takes this opportunity to question Cassandra. She gets the villains talking, as they always like to do. Cassandra explains that she had told the truth, but not the whole truth. Vandal did kill her sister and steal her away from her family, but Cassandra was grateful. “…elevating me to a destiny of greatness at his side.” The deep red light of the inside of the Santa Prisca facility casts everything in an uneasy glow as Shiva takes control of the conversation. The operation was never about getting a mole onto the Team. No. This was always about Orphan.
Barbara continues to walk Tigress through with info as Shiva and Cassandra reveal the extent of their deception in true comic book villain fashion. What’s the point of going to all that trouble if you can’t brag about it after, right? Shiva and Cassandra used Onyx to facilitate their plan. They knew she was unhappy with the changes in the League of Assassins and took full advantage. Suddenly Orphan springs her shackles and kills the lights, sending the whole room into a frenzy. What follows is a truly spectacular fight scene. Orphan v Lady Shiva, Tigress v Rictus, Onyx v Cassandra, and Cheshire v Black Spider (Josh Keaton). All while the numerous henchmen also all try to take them down. The fights themselves are all fantastically staged as we watch these powerful people take each other on.
Rictus gets his hands sliced off! O-F-F, off. It’s awesome.
Each fight has so much more going on in it than just who is punching the other though. We have a mother and daughter swinging blades at each other. Two former friends and comrades at each other’s throats. Sisters, once enemies, now fighting as a team. Despite their best efforts, Shiva is able to hold her own and bring the lights back on. With reticles on every major organ, suddenly the Shade advances and takes the heroes all away. Shiva is just barely able to leap through with them. They all land hard on the beach, now with the tables drastically turned in the heroes favor.
Amidst the heat of battle, we cut back to the Kent farm. Get ready for the feels, because this scene is heavy. Lois and Clark sit with their young son and Wolf on the front steps of the Kent farmhouse. The parents explain to Johnny that Conner isn’t alive anymore and what that means. Johnny doesn’t seem to understand that Conner isn’t coming back. As best they can, they try to explain what death is. It’s obviously a very hard moment for everyone involved.
When we return to the beach, Shade (Joel Swetow) explains his betrayal before making a swift exit. The New-Genesphere arrives and locks onto Lady Shiva, preventing her from doing anything drastic as the heroes all pile aboard. Shiva goads Orphan into attacking her, saying she’ll kill Barbara Gordon before they make it back to Gotham. The fight that ensues is personal, quick, and brutal. Orphan beats the snot out of her mom before stabbing her through the stomach with a sword! Rather than kill her mother, Orphan heeds Barbara’s pleas and lets her live. She climbs aboard the New-Genesphere and the heroes take off, leaving Shiva bleeding on the sandy beach below. The masks come off as the heroes make their way home. A silent nod of approval between Tigress and Onyx solidifies their trust as the choppy waters spray the underside of their ship.
If there was ever a time for a drink, this would be it.
We fade into the opening flashback again and see that Artemis wouldn’t take in her sister. Wouldn’t confront her at the time. Cheshire leaves and returns to the League of Assassins saying Sportsmaster was right about her. Back in their childhood home, Artemis and her mother have a conversation about Jade. Only family will be able to bring her back from the brink that she finds herself on, but Jade isn’t willing to open herself to that. Their mother admits that she left them with their father, abdicating her responsibilities, and Jade seems to be doing the same in her own way.
When the heroes reach their safehouse, Artemis makes a call to Roy (Crispin Freeman) and Liann. As she is about to reveal that Jade is with her, Liann shows off a Cheshire mask that she made. This hits Jade particularly hard and she bolts. Artemis and the others race after her. As they close the door behind them we rejoin Clark on the front steps. This time however Clark is sitting alone. Lois steps outside and we see that Clark is quietly crying. Seeing the Man of Steel in tears was shocking. It’s a side to him that is so often left on the drawing room floor, and I can’t express how amazing this scene is. Lois and Clark have a heartfelt conversation about how he wishes he’d spent more time with Conner sooner, and Lois comforts her husband in this rare moment of vulnerability as the sun sets on the farm.
We rejoin Artemis, Onyx, and Orphan onboard the New-Genesphere in hot pursuit of Jade. She’s headed for Infinity Island, Talia, Sensei, and almost certain death! Before we reach the former home of the League of Assassins we return to the past. After Artemis and Cheshire’s run in out in the field, Jade returns to her childhood home. She tries to run without being noticed rather than coming inside. Artemis confronts her on the rooftop before she can make her getaway. We quickly return to the present and see Jade’s helicopter make a startling U-turn. She comes back around at her pursuers, knocking them from their ship, and then makes an epic crash landing on Infinity Island. Cheshire wants to do this on her own terms. No interference.
Sensei (Keone Young) and the Red-Hooded ninja (Josh Keaton) emerge to find Cheshire waiting for them. She moves to attack Sensei, but is blocked by none other than Tigress. It’s here that all is laid bare and everything made clear. Jade doesn’t think she can be a good mother because she is too much like their father, Sportsmaster. Artemis insists that she can change and offers to bring her home. “Don’t you get it!? I wouldn’t be joining them. I’d be bringing them into my cage with me.” She can’t stand the idea of hurting her daughter like Crusher hurt them. Artemis offers a rebuttal and uses herself as the example.
If anyone is proof that upbringing isn’t everything, it’s her.
Onyx steps in and tells the story of what led her to Sensei and Infinity Island in the first place. She felt like she could make a difference with them. She and Jade both agree that the League of Assassins was more of a family than what they’d had. It’s at this point, surprisingly, that Sensei chimes in. He openly admits that he manipulated them both into becoming loyal shadows. They did everything they could to bring them in and keep them there from the moment the two were born. Solemnly Sensei shows that he regrets his actions and the damage they caused to so many. He offers them both sanctuary on the island to rehabilitate them, and they seem open to it. Artemis is very upset at the prospect.
Talia watches silently from above as her father, Ra’s, enters the courtyard. Ra’s (Oded Fehr) gives his word that if they agree to stay he will help them. There is an air of distrust and Ra’s is immediately aware of it. He calmly and quietly insists that Onyx and Jade could be helped a great deal there. Artemis sees that Jade needs this and the two sisters embrace. Tears well up in Jade’s eyes as they bid farewell, not forever, but til next time. We fade away from Infinity Island as Jade’s parting words leave her lips.
We fade back in on stills of all the different groups we’ve seen take part in events over the last four episodes. First, we see the Kent family, happy and together on the farm. Orphan and Barbara reunite. Onyx, Jade, the red-hooded ninja, Talia with her son, and Sensei gathered in meditation. Cassandra in conference with Vandal Savage. Lady Shiva staring angrily in defeat at the shackles that once held her daughter. And finally Artemis as she returns home to Roy, Liann, and her mother.
The credits role as Artemis recites a single sentence from Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. We see two framed photos on a small table. On the left is Artemis with her late-husband Wally West. On the right we see an older photo of Artemis with her arm around young Jade. A melancholy theme plays throughout, but with just a hint of hope as the sequence ends.
The Final Word
9/10: A heartfelt conclusion to Artemis and Jade’s 4-part adventure through family.
‘I Know Why the Caged Cat Sings’ was a fantastic conclusion to Artemis and Jade’s story. It felt earned when Jade agreed to stay with Ra’s and Sensei on Infinity Island. She still needs some time to pull herself together, but there’s hope for the first time. Seeing how Conner’s death affected the Kent’s was particularly powerful and well-executed. Everyone and everything happening in this episode felt sincere and real.
Despite being a show filled to the brim with the absurd, Young Justice: Phantoms continues to find a way to do something truly spectacular and unexpected. They managed to tell stories with real emotional weight and take themselves seriously. I love it, and I can’t wait to see more. Tune into HBOMax every Thursday for new episodes, and check back every week as I recap and review the whole journey!
Before we let you go, we have officially launched our merch store! Check out all of our amazing apparel when you click here and type in GVN15 at checkout for a 15% discount!
Make sure to check out our podcasts each week including Geek Vibes Live, Top 10 with Tia, Wrestling Geeks Alliance and more! For major deals and money off on Amazon, make sure to use our affiliate link!
I’ve worked my whole life to become a comic book illustrator, writer, and stand-up comedian. Batman and Captain Benjamin Sisko helped put a good head on my shoulders. I spent most of my childhood saving Hyrule and the Mushroom Kingdom and seeing the Justice League save all of creation time and time again. I live in Johnson City, TN with my wife Kary and daughter Laila enjoying the beautiful mountain scenery and occasional show. Three puppies round out the family and take up the rest of the time that isn’t spent debating which Wes Anderson or Studio Ghibli movie to watch. I spend an inordinate amount of time binge watching SVU, Futurama, and Letterkenny, and when I’m not watching I’m listening to “My Brother, My Brother, and Me” or playing the occasional game of D&D. If there’s a nerdy endeavor out there, I’ve probably at least tried it.
