"Batman Beyond Season 2" Scraping the Barrel


    When I read on Batman Beyond's Wikipedia page that the second season would be of lower quality, that due to the increase in episodes it'd feel more like your average villain of the week cartoon, I was highly skeptical. I can say with full confidence though that after completing the second season, that Batman Beyond is losing a bit of it's touch, and it's quickly just becoming another background show for me, sort of like Justice League when I first started out with it, and the issue simply is, I miss Blight.

    Look, to have some variety in these twenty minute long episodes, you need to have some sort of large under arching plot, so that by the time you're done binging it, you feel pretty satisfied for having sat through everything. I suppose for some TV shows it doesn't have to be that way, just look at Rick and Morty, usually it's one episode per season dedicated to that long game. But you know what Rick and Morty does instead? It's actually funny. Basically, the formula to this season can be boiled down to this, Terry either finds trouble at school, or while he's patrolling as Batman, he talks to Bruce, talks to Max, if we're lucky maybe a Dana scene, then some fight with the villain, or maybe a twist.

    I think part of the issue is that the villains simply aren't that interesting. I mean come on with some of the episodes. If they're not revisiting old villains, it's and I kid you not "a random rat man kidnapping Dana", or something weird like a family group. I don't know, it's either they're just too generic to be memorable, or just too gimmicky to be enjoyed. Like sure some of the villains were cool, and honestly go revisit them, I like Inque as a villain anyways, though everyone just wants to see Blight again.]

    Other than that, I would describe this season as mostly low ceiling, and mediocre floor. I mean I don't remember if I really enjoyed any episode as much as I did last season. Actually I do remember the episode where Terry fights his own suit. I remember watching it as a kid and thinking it was so cool he had to use the utility belt, also Dana sliding down an elevator for some odd reason. Honestly, maybe I'm just starting to slowly resent the TV show because me binging it has made my sleep schedule pretty abysmal. Like I enjoy it but also waking up at 8 and sleeping at 1:30 is taking a toll on my body.

Final Score: 70/100

    I suppose when I wrote "the people need more", I was unable to foresee that this would be the result. I hope that for season three they re-introduce some new bad guy. I mean that's part of what made Teen Titans so good, it relied on these season-long character specific arcs, and they pretty much made or broke the season depending on how great they were. I feel like the Terry-Bruce divide is slowly being felt, so they could definitely amp that up a bit more if they wanted to, but who knows. All I know is that this show is ruining me and I want more Dana.

    

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