WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Young Justice: Phantoms Episodes 14-16, now streaming on HBO Max.
In Young Justice: Phantoms, one of the most profound arcs has been Beast Boy's depression. Garfield got broken when Superboy was killed on Mars, self-destructing in ways fans never anticipated. He quit his acting career, reneged on commitments with the Outsiders, and became a shut-in.
He even broke up with his girlfriend, Perdita, which left fans hoping he wouldn't overdose on all the sleeping pills he's been taking. Unfortunately, no one got through to him, not even one of the teens' mentors, Blue Devil, as Gar rebuffed any attempts to heal. With the second half Season 4 now under way, the outlook's still bleak, compounded by how he insulted Miss Martian and the Doom Patrol in the worst possible way.
Gar's teammates held an intervention, with Blue Beetle, Static and Cassie/Wonder Girl begging him to break out of the funk. However, Gar played it off, calling their concern a scripted act he has no time for and that he didn't want to inspire new members anymore. This spurred Robotman/Cliff from Doom Patrol into action, pointing out how Gar helped him through his own PTSD. Back in the day, when he and Gar lived together with Niles' team, Cliff ended up with survivor's guilt after a mission killed Rita and Co.
This was the second family Gar lost, after his real one, but he was young, so it didn't impress on him as much as it did Cliff. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because Beast Boy convinced Cliff to live on and honor the Patrol's memory. Sadly, Gar didn't receive Cliff's request to do the same well, lamenting how he returned from the dead to give such a weak speech. It was disrespectful and totally inconsiderate, leaving Cliff lost for words and struggling to process how Gar tainted the crew's memory so caustically and nonchalantly.
Miss Martian then took over, begging for her adoptive brother to take care of her. Conner's tragedy struck her hard and even though she brought her real sister, M'ree, from Mars, and had the old guard to rely on, Gar's the only one who can really help with her anguish. That's because they shared a unique trifecta with her husband, but sadly, Gar made it clear he didn't want her, or anyone, needing him.
M'gann was left with no choice but to remind him that if he didn't partake in Black Canary's therapy sessions, he could be cut off from the superhero coalition. It was a last resort decision, and honestly, one that might not really make an impact given how angry Gar is over the constant pall of death in his life.
There may be hope to come with Superboy actually being trapped in the Phantom Zone, but this message may come too late. Gar's spiraling downward quickly and as this failed intervention showed, time's running out for people to help him, and for him to help himself.
See how Gar's depression continues to unfold, with new episodes of Young Justice: Phantoms debuting Thursdays on HBO Max.
