Saturday morning/afternoon cartoons

[allisnow]

Watching Green Lantern: The Animated Series.

I just... have a lot of feels for Razer/Aya.

(Speaking of the relationships involving emotionally screwed-up characters being the most interesting ones...)

He's a Red Lantern who was all set to help his boss blow up a planet in the premiere but then he had second thoughts but the planet blew up anyway and he felt really bad about it. He was happy for Hal to kill him but Hal refused, so Razer spends most of the rest of the season being angry (that's sort of what Red Lanterns are good at anyway) but basically trying to redeem himself. He's defected from the RLs and even tried to kill his old boss but the ring stays with him cause, you know, anger issues. Most of that comes from the fact that his wife was killed when he went off to fight and he can't forgive himself for leaving her.

Meanwhile, she's the ship's AI and didn't even have a physical body until halfway through the season, but she reached out to Razer after Hal and co captured him, and told him that he wasn't a bad person even when he didn't believe it. After going into his memories while saving him from his crazy-ass RL ex-boss, she copies his wife's form and uses it as a basis for her android body, although she swears it's just a coincidence. She tries to help him find a way to circumvent using the creepy RL ring-charging oath.

Oh, and did I mention she's brave and selfless and even Hal's like "sweetheart, love you but you're just a computer program" and she's like "STFU I'm a Green Lantern, bitch". Although maybe not in those exact words.

And they snark at each other (although she's a lot more subtle about it) and fight bad guys together and save each other and it's just awesome, but still, I was thinking that I was probably just projecting... and then the finale happened.

First of all, she volunteers for a crazy-dangerous mission. Then when the guys screw up she gets abducted along with the ship and reprogrammed to work for the RLs. They fly off to attack Oa leaving the guys in the middle of nowhere and facing an invasion fleet.

Hal and Razer need to get across half the galaxy to stop them so they use the Star Sapphires', um, love-powered wormhole to send Hal back to Carol, and Earth. Then the Star Sapphires are like, hey Razer, why don't you use our nifty love wormhole too, and go help? And he's all, yeah, me... love... I don't think so and they're like o rly? I think we know more about this stuff than you do...


And then right when Aya's about to get her personality wiped HE USES THE WORMHOLE TO CROSS THE GALAXY AND SAVE HER OMG which he could only do BECAUSE HE LOVES HER.

It always kind of amazes me that these shows are ostensibly written for kids. Same with Young Justice, which has gotten pretty dark. It makes me wonder if maybe I just wasn't aware of a bunch of complex, adult themes in Inspector Gadget and Carmen Sandiego when I was a kid.

When do we get new episodes, dammit?

ETA: Oh, thank you internets.

The second season debut for Green Lantern: The Animated Series is slated for Fall 2012.

Not all that specific, but I'm glad it'll be coming up soon.

Comments

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

She tries to help him find a way to circumvent using the creepy RL ring-charging oath.

For me, that best part of that subplot, was the fact that Razer LIES about it working. It's not just that he hates who he is now, it's not just that he wants to change, it's that HE WANTS AYA TO SEE HIM AS SOMEONE WHO IS BETTER THAN HE CURRENTLY IS.

/all the feelings.

I love lies like these - that are really illuminating about the character and why they lie in the first place.

And then right when Aya's about to get her personality wiped HE USES THE WORMHOLE TO CROSS THE GALAXY AND SAVE HER OMG which he could only do BECAUSE HE LOVES HER.

Yeah, I really, really, really loved that moment.

Oh, and did I mention she's brave and selfless and even Hal's like "sweetheart, love you but you're just a computer program" and she's like "STFU I'm a Green Lantern, bitch". Although maybe not in those exact words.

Seriously, Hal treating Aya like she's less-than are the only times I dislike him.

[allisnow.livejournal.com]

For me, that best part of that subplot, was the fact that Razer LIES about it working. It's not just that he hates who he is now, it's not just that he wants to change, it's that HE WANTS AYA TO SEE HIM AS SOMEONE WHO IS BETTER THAN HE CURRENTLY IS.

Guh, yes. That scene hurt my heart a little but it was also awesome.

Yeah, I really, really, really loved that moment.

I loved the unspoken-ness of it. I mean, it was obvious that was going on, but neither of the Star Sapphires ruined the moment by EXPLAINING it. And Razer managed to avoid any explanations as far as we know. But to the audience it was just a big flashing neon RAZER LOVES AYA sign.

Seriously, Hal treating Aya like she's less-than are the only times I dislike him.

Yeah I can maybe forgive him for it at the beginning because before she created her body she was 'just' a computer program without a lot of experience, but I think by the finale she had pretty well proven herself. Hopefully Hal will keep that in mind *looks crossly at Hal* On the other hand, Hal's a test pilot, who as a rule are considered to be pretty cocky bastards, so I suppose that's just part of his personality. ;)

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

And Razer managed to avoid any explanations as far as we know.

AND AS YOU KNOW HE WOULD. God, he would HATE having to talk about feelings. So much.

But to the audience it was just a big flashing neon RAZER LOVES AYA sign.

It really, really was.

Yeah I can maybe forgive him for it at the beginning because before she created her body she was 'just' a computer program without a lot of experience, but I think by the finale she had pretty well proven herself. Hopefully Hal will keep that in mind *looks crossly at Hal* On the other hand, Hal's a test pilot, who as a rule are considered to be pretty cocky bastards, so I suppose that's just part of his personality. ;)

I also think he (I'm betting a significant portion of the guardians) have some very set ideas about AIs not being human.

[allisnow.livejournal.com]

AND AS YOU KNOW HE WOULD. God, he would HATE having to talk about feelings. So much.

Oh God yes. And yet... Aya HAS to know, right? She would recognize the Star Sapphire's energy, she knows how it works. How she interprets it, of course...

I also think he (I'm betting a significant portion of the guardians) have some very set ideas about AIs not being human.

Well, you kind of have to give them that one, because she's not human :) Then again, neither are the vast majority of the corps. On the other hand, I think - definitely by the end of Homecoming - Hal and Kilowog both would argue pretty vociferously that she is SENTIENT. The Guardians, on the other hand... I was reading a fic where they were very wary of Aya because their last foray into intelligent robots - the Manhunters - kind of turned into a hot mess, to put it lightly.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Well, you kind of have to give them that one, because she's not human :) Then again, neither are the vast majority of the corps. On the other hand, I think - definitely by the end of Homecoming - Hal and Kilowog both would argue pretty vociferously that she is SENTIENT. The Guardians, on the other hand... I was reading a fic where they were very wary of Aya because their last foray into intelligent robots - the Manhunters - kind of turned into a hot mess, to put it lightly.

Phrasing fail, on my part! But yes, as we've seen, the Guardians do not look kindly on sentient robots and it puts Aya in a REALLY precarious position - because she doesn't have a safe place to return to, and unlike Razer, I don't think it's possible for her to be self-sufficient in the same way. Like, how long/can she exist without the space ship? Will she lose something if she's parted from the ship long term? Or could she go off with her AI and her body and maybe BUILD a second ship for herself?

[allisnow.livejournal.com]

Ooh I don't know but that's an awesome possibility. Naturally I have lots of questions about Aya. I mean, we know her mechanical parts are, well, mechanical, but what about her, er, green parts? Are those parts energy constructs? Is the power source the ship or her mechanical parts? I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I like the idea that her green parts are a construct and that she's a mix of 'real' and 'visualized' parts, if that makes sense.

[allisnow.livejournal.com]

Works for me!