3x04 Shebang

[7.1/10] I like the idea of Static having a female counterpart, but this episode didn’t particularly click for me. I think it’s because everything seemed so rushed. First we met Shebang, then we meet Shenice, then we have various setpieces, then we have the government kidnapping her, and so on and so on. It’s a lot to try to pack into twenty-two minutes, and it leaves the whole thing a bit sweaty and threadbare.

Still, I appreciate that the show’s consistent on Static being jealous when new potential heroes show up in town and upstage him (see also: Rubberband Man), and the final set piece, where he digs deep and catches up with the plane that Shebang is on, is a really cool, visceral sequence for the character.

There’s also something intriguing about Shebang’s backstory. Her existence as something besides a Bang Baby -- a test tube baby built from the ground up by her supergenius parents to be in peak physical condition -- distinguishes her in this corner of the DCAU and makes her predicament a unique one as well. There’s some natural and relatable conflict to her parents wanting her to keep a low profile due to the risks of her secret being exposed, and her bristlign at that as a teenager, especially when this is a city full of teen heroes.

Again, everything about the reveal and details are very rushed, and the show backs into some less-than-inspired romantic material, but this is at least a solid outing for the show, even if it doesn’t quite realize its potential.