Pat and Courtney find themselves at odds over Eclipso and The Shade. A new clue indicates Eclipso might be closer than anyone feared. Condy’s recruitment drive for the new JSA hits a speedbump.

So we’ve established that there is more to The Shade than we might have initially assumed and that Pat is keeping… something from Courtney and the rest of the JSA about the old villain and the exact fate of the various people who may or may not have met their ends at his hands. Courtney, somewhat understandably confused about who to trust, makes a rather rash decision which leads to a confrontation between her and Pat and a later one between Barb and The Shade. I sense that the story of this villain may run and run, possibly into Season 3.

Meanwhile when he’s not scolding Courtney for her decision making, Pat may have worked out a way to track Eclipso’s more precise location, leading the gang to believe that they may have located him closer than they might have hoped. When they go to confront him however, things are a little more complicated than they might have hoped. Eclipso preys on the fears and thwarted desires of mortals, and that means that he’s no easy foe to face, especially up against a team of heroes all of whom are carrying their own personal demons.

Finding Eclipso may be the team’s top priority, but thanks to Beth’s latest revelation from the patchy, intermittent presence of Dr McNider, finding the old owner of Beth’s magic goggles may also get added to the list, wherever he may be and however they might manage that.

Mike is feeling left out after his brief experience of wielding otherworldy powers, and does his best to think of ways in which he can once again become a part of the team. His ideas are at least a little less directly bonkers than they have previously been, and it seems that there might well be hope yet for the character beyond the slacker comic relief little brother.

And then there’s Cindy, hell bent on recruiting the various sons and daughters of the previous ISA to wreak vengeance on the world. Only problem is, her plans hinge on getting Cameron involved in the team and his family aren’t exactly on board with that idea. And whereas Cindy isn’t the type to take no for an answer, the Mahkent grandparents aren’t exactly weaklings – after all, Jordan’s powers came from somewhere…

But frustration doesn’t dissuade as much as alter the course of Cindy’s plans. A new target in her machinations is identified, and it’s one that promises big trouble for all our heroes.

As the series progresses, it’s clear that we are dealing with multiple complex narratives and themes, revolving around identity, faith, fears and the human condition. Whether it’s Mike’s vulnerability. Cindy’s single-minded quest for revenge, the undoubtedly bad but not necessarily evil Shade or a dozen other threads, this is a show that mixes fun and light heartedness with some real darkness and moral complexity.

Verdict: Pacy, tight and genuinely tense. 9/10

Greg D. Smith