Performance

"Performance" is the 24th episode of the first season of Young Justice, and the 24th of the overall series. It aired on April 7, 2012.

Logline
The Team goes undercover at the Haly International Traveling Circus to locate a thief stealing weapons technology across Europe. But a thief isn't all they find...

Synopsis
Jack Haly opens the Bruges performance of his circus with his latest act: The Daring Dangers, who are in fact the Team in disguise, with;
 * Robin as Dan Danger: a trapeze artist
 * Miss Martian as Dawn Danger: another trapeze artist
 * Artemis and Red Arrow as Diane and Dane Danger: the archers of the act
 * and Superboy as Dean Danger: the strongman/juggler

Robin nearly falls to his death when M'gann can't catch him. Conner throws up a barrel for Robin to land on so M'gann can catch him with her telekinesis. The audience cheers as they land and Robin, sick with a bug that appears to be going around the circus, reflects on the mission briefing.

At the cave, Robin discloses the recent thefts of advanced weapon technology across Europe, each robbery coinciding with stops made by Haly's International Travelling Circus. Robin has word from Batman that they are to go undercover and apprehend the thieves. Red Arrow joins the mission so as to keep an eye on the other members, one of whom he suspects to be the mole.

The Team/the Daring Dangers finish up their act and head backstage. Jack Haly also heads backstage where he is confronted by an acrobat team, who are angry at him for replacing them with the Dangers. Haly rebutts by telling them they were replaced for missing the show in Paris. Carlo, one of the brothers explains he was sick. Haly is also confronted by Interpol agent King Faraday, who has been monitoring Jack because he suspects him to be behind the thefts. Faraday threatens to shut Haly's circus down if he proves they're behind the crime.

The Team gathers later at a warehouse in Bruges. The Team wonders about the likelihood of the thieves turning up, but Robin is adamant in his confirmation that they will strike there. M'gann worries about Robin's growing illness, but he says he'll manage.

Superboy spots someone heading toward the warehouse, using acrobatic skill to vault over the fence. The Team moves to intercept. Superboy puts one of his shields on, which seems to be having a strange effect on him. They gather outside the warehouse, wondering which one. With his x-ray vision, courtesy of the shield, Superboy locates the thief. They catch him opening a crate and pulling out a piece of one machine, thinking it's Carlo or his brother. But the thief pulls out a flare and blows a large jet of fire at the Team. The fire ignites crates of live ammo lying about. The warehouse explodes with the Team inside it.

Title
The title refers mainly to the Team, who goes undercover as circus performers in Haly's Circus. Also, Robin's performance as a team member is jeopardized for a moment when he is seemingly assailed by a malady. Additionally, it turns out that one member of the circus family is pretending to be someone else. Thus, he was performing for most of the episode. In the end of the episode, Robin acquiesces to Haly's request and does one last performance for old times' sake.

Cast and characters
! colspan="3"| Uncredited
 * Crispin Freeman
 * colspan="2"| Red Arrow
 * Stephanie Lemelin
 * colspan="2"| Artemis
 * Jesse McCartney
 * colspan="2"| Robin
 * Danica McKellar
 * colspan="2"| Miss Martian
 * Nolan North
 * colspan="2"| Superboy
 * Khary Payton
 * colspan="2"| Aqualad
 * Jason Spisak
 * colspan="2"| Kid Flash
 * Actor
 * Jack Haly
 * Actor
 * King Faraday
 * Actor
 * Parasite
 * colspan="2"| Kid Flash
 * Actor
 * Jack Haly
 * Actor
 * King Faraday
 * Actor
 * Parasite
 * King Faraday
 * Actor
 * Parasite
 * Actor
 * Parasite
 * colspan="3"| Carlo
 * colspan="3"| Carlo

Continuity

 * Wally knows of Robin's past; Dick had told him his secret identity as revealed in Young Justice: Face Your Fears.
 * Superboy uses the Shields that Lex Luthor gave him in "Agendas".
 * Red Arrow continues his search for the mole, which was started in "Targets" and mentioned in "Secrets" and "Insecurity".
 * Red Arrow accuses Artemis and Miss Martian of hiding secrets. Artemis lied about being Green Arrow's niece in "Infiltrator", and Miss Martian lies about her true form in "Image".
 * Red Arrow speculates that Superboy might have trigger phrases programmed into him, a fact that (unknown to him) was established in "Agendas".
 * When Red Arrow finally concludes there were no moles in the team, his reason is a direct echo of Aqualad's rationalization in "Secrets."

Trivia

 * Main title clips:
 * Jack Haly introducing an act
 * The Team dressed up as circus performers
 * A close-up of Superboy
 * Robin and Miss Martian standing in the podium
 * Red Arrow and Artemis scouting
 * Robin passing by a circus poster
 * This episode aired in Brazil on March 15.

Cultural references

 * Artemis's stage name is Diane Danger; in Roman mythology, Diana is the equivalent of the Greek goddess Artemis.
 * One of the posters circus shows an elephant has the name Titano on it. Titano is the name of several different mutated apes with the ability to emit kryptonite eyebeams that have fought Superman on occasion.
 * When Miss Martian wonders who would have thought that a human virus could harm a Martian, Robin responds "H. G. Wells", the author of The War of the Worlds (1898). In his novel, mankind is attacked by Martians, who didn't account for their vulnerability to human bacteria and die from microbial infections.
 * When Dick leaves Jack Haly bound, the circus owner yells that he's no Houdini, referring to the escape artist Harry Houdini.
 * The scenes in Geneva play at the Globe of Science and Innovation.

Unanswered questions

 * Where were Aqualad and Zatanna?
 * Why did Intergang want to create a black hole in Geneva?