How It All Ends
Episode 8 of Jupiter’s Legacy Season 1 begins the finale with Walt and Sheldon discussing their newfound powers after the island incident. Now that they’re back in mainland America they want to make a difference. Sheldon implores Walt to try and work with George and at least try to see eye to eye. As they conduct a superhero council together, Sheldon tells them they need to use their gifts to help the country back on its feet – and not kill or get involved in government matters. Back in the present, Walt is thrown into the clone Darkstar’s mind. Sheldon is not happy and heads out into the hallway, pacing back and forth. Brandon arrives though, where Sheldon admits that what happened to Skyfox really rattled him. As they get talking, Brandon admits that he spoke the same words he did, echoing that the Code does help keep people together. However, they’re both interrupted by Petra racing in with bad news. Someone has freed Blackstar (the real one) from his cell and he’s on the rampage. Brandon and Sheldon both team up, heading to the cell and intent on finding the dangerous foe. Sheldon eventually finds Blackstar, who holds Brandon round the neck and challenges Sheldon’s code. If he kills Blackstar then his Code is broken. If Brandon dies then the new generation will turn away from him. What a choice to make. Eventually Petra shows up to help, with the three heroes thwarting Blackstar’s threat and avoiding any killing, despite Sheldon’s eyes turning a brilliant shade of blue. Meanwhile, Walt finds himself face to face with Skyfox, who’s seemingly been waiting for him inside the clone’s mind. The two eventually square off, with Skyfox hitting Walt with a nasty right hand across the mouth. He’s no match for George, until Grace shows up to help. The ideologies between good and bad are brought up between them, as George bemoans Walt for turning the Union against him. Back in the present, Hutch leaves Chloe and tells her he’s leaving to meet his gang. He even refers to Chloe as Utopian’s daughter too. Hutch holds his own though, telling her that there’s secrets she’s keeping too – namely not inviting him over to meet their parents. After all, the son of the world’s greatest supervillain and the daughter of the world’s greatest superhero certainly has a bit of a poetic ring to it. For now, it seems like opposites attract but neither are willing to admit as much. Hutch’s gang are not happy about him sleeping with Chloe and eventually bail, leaving Hutch to enact his master plan all alone. Hutch heads to China but he’s blindsided and outsmarted by the guards there. Teleporting into a room without any oxygen, it falls to Chloe to burst in at the last second and help. She saves Hutch from certain doom. It turns out Hutch is looking for a power cell, which has the power to rip through the strongest being on the planet. However, he’s not looking to destroy Sheldon with it. H actually wants to try and find George. Their final moments of the season see the pair inside Hutch’s basement, prepping to use a machine. Walt and Grace both return from Blackstar’s clone with a message. A nasty vision shows Skyfox standing over a bloodied Sheldon and Brandon. According to Walt, George was the one who cloned Blackstar, knowing this villain would cause problems for the Union. Back home, Walt speaks to Raikou about the Blackstar job. He apologizes for not being around so much but Raikous ees straight through his facade. And now the truth is revealed. Walt was the one who’s responsible for everything that’s happened, with him determined to gain control of the country himself and usurp power away from Sheldon. He’s unhappy with the country’s direction and believes he should be in charge. With Raikou trying score a deal, Walt uses his abilities to thwart that threat, killing his daughter before she can be bought up by anyone else. As he lays a hand on Sheldon’s shoulder, offering comfort, we cut back to Raikou who has her throat slit.
The Episode Review
Jupiter’s Legacy bows out this final episode with a big reveal over what’s going on and a promising sign of things to come if this is renewed for a second season. It’s perhaps been a little obvious that Walt is the real mastermind behind all this, especially after that early chat in episode 1 about the direction of their Father’s company. However, if there’s one thing this series has handled really well, it’s the surprising twists and turns. The timeline has been a little wonky across the 8 episodes, with the flashbacks to the island oftentimes offsetting the pacing of the far more interesting story in the present. However, the twists have helped keep everything consistent. I know that the comic books flit back and forth in this manner too, but I can’t help but feel the show may have flowed so much more organically with a linear story, beginning with a single episode or two back with the island. Either way though, the themes and ideas have certainly done well to keep things engaging and the final reveal with Brandon living up to the Code and not killing is a nice touch as well. Beyond his character arc, and Chloe’s moments too, everyone else has sort of just blurred into the background. This turbulent first season just about manages to pull it together here during the finale, even if there is a big cliffhanger teasing more to come. If this one is renewed, let’s just hope the editing and pacing is far more consistent than what we’ve got here.
