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Alex (aka Aldrius) writes...

Arc 4 review! (Kaldur's story, so episodes 14-18 I think)

So I LOVE this arc. I love the Atlantean lore, I love the storytelling, I love the characterization and I love the way time is used.

I've always loved this version of Kaldur and Atlantis. I like it so much that when I rewatched Justice League (and Unlimited) this year, I liked their version of Atlantis & Aquaman so much solely because of how well presented they were in *this* show. Maybe that sounds weird, but it's true.

So this story to me, more than anything despite being "Kaldur's arc" is really a story about Atlantis. Kaldur is the pivotal character, the POV character, the hero who (kind of) saves the day, but it's really a story about the fate of Atlantis, and who should rule it. It's also, forgive me for putting it this way, but it "makes up for" the sort off-handed way Ocean Master got dealt with in season 3. In a really cool way. It wasn't really necessary, but I like it.

I love the way time is used in this arc. The fact that we start before the start point of arc 3, but then we cut to a few weeks later halfway through this arc is really cool. I also really love the mystery of the Return of Ocean Master. I cannot remember what I thought at the time, I don't know if I put much thought into it, and really only a clone is what makes sense. Well, I guess there're other things that make sense, especially since the Light transplanted the real Orm's brain into a new cloned body. So I suppose the sky's the limit on what the light is capable of.

I suppose one could think it a cheat, a way to bring back a character. But firstly, Orm's death wasn't like a super impactful thing that I feel like it undermines some important emotional moment. I think it only makes the Light seem more devious, that not only would they have their enforcer behead Orm, but they'd keep his brain around to use later for their own ends. So I don't think it's a cheat.

I really do like the way the show will find new ways to use old concepts. So the Light making new clones to develop even more insidious plans than it did before.

The Orm clone was a lot of fun too, and I really liked all the scenes between him and Orin. In fact, I LOVED all the Orin scenes in this arc in general. Orin sort of working out all of his issues with his brother, through his clone and giving clone-Orm a chance to have a different fate. I also like the way the Arion stuff from arc 3 (which seemed interesting but a bit superfluous at the time) and really uses it well here. The scene with the Tiara could be seen as a bit of a cliche, ala the Nazis opening the arc of the covenant, or really any story where an arrogant mortal man abuses the power of god, but it's such a triumphant moment I really don't care.

David Kaye does a really good job making Arion and Vandall sound like different people. I really get a strong sense of who Arion was in general.

The only REAL complaint I have about the arc is the lack of Mera. And that's not because I love Mera and think she needs to be more important, but just because the storytelling and the plot are really built around Mera. And in the end while making her Queen is both logical (i.e. it makes both her father and her husband happy) and is narratively satisfying with the prophecy angle, to a degree I wish we got more of a sense of what *she* thinks is going on, but she's really just a mouth piece for a prophecy, which I find less satisfying than I would like. It didn't hurt the story or the storytelling, and certainly Mera comes across as competent and heroic through out the story; but that's my minor quibble for the episode. I would have liked to have seen more of her perspective.

Kaldur's arc, which is something I think a lot of people kind of took umbrage with; I'm honestly totally fine with. Not wowed by it, but it's fine. It's honestly not really that important to the story because ultimately as I said, it's a story about *Atlantis*. And I've never really understood what it would add for Kaldur to have some lesson, or some theme, or have some transformation. Kaldur's whole thing is that he's *steady*. He's reliable, he's a good leader, he's a good mentor, he approaches problems and situations logically. By the end of this story, he's just worn out, he's just been working too hard and everyone is telling him to take it easy.

It's fine. I think "he's just *too stoic and capable*" is kind of a weird conflict to give a character because I think it's a tough thing to make relatable or to provide some dramatic tension. Kaldur really isn't showing any signs of fraying until the story's over, when he has his break down. And that's tragic and heartbreaking, but it comes a bit late in the arc to be emotionally effective I think. Again, I don't think this detracts from the story, but it feels like the sort of thing that maybe would have been more dramatically effective at the midpoint of the story. I'm not sure. I think it might have worked better, but I also don't think it's something Kaldur needs.

I think it's totally fine that Kaldur is just consistent and reliable. Seeing a bit of humanity and weakness at the end was fine too. I really don't see the problem with any of this. Like yeah, if I was breaking the story down using Saving the Cat or something I might say it's a weak arc for your main character, but I've really never bought into the idea that the character who transforms or changes or goes through the mud has to be your *main* character necessarily. It's okay for your lead to be steady, and for *another* character to go through that dramatic transition.

In this case I think it's Atlantis at large, and to an extent Orin/Arthur who really go through that transition. And it's super effective, as I mentioned above I *love* all the Orin scenes in this arc. I love the bit where the Sharks are circling like his muscle. I loved seeing Orin as a detective. It's all just really, really cool.

I really liked the epilogue with Vandal and Dr. Fate too. This is a sort of story archetype I'm seeing more and more (at least it was a big part of Toy Story 4 of all things --...and Mad Men). Where a male character who is used to being the decider discovers that things are kind of moving on from him, that the world maybe doesn't need him to take risks and make big decisions for it. I like it a lot, and I think it's very well placed here. And very thematic too, with Orin's arc in the story. Even Kaldur's arc really.

I think that's everything, I usually forget something I wanted to mention but I think that's everything.
Alex (or Aldrius)