Downtime

"Downtime" is the eighth episode of the first season of Young Justice, and the eighth of the overall series. It premiered on March 4, 2011.

Logline
After a disastrous mission with the Team, Aqualad returns to Atlantis to choose between a life on the surface world, or one beneath with the girl of his dreams, Tula. But other forces of play make Aqualad's decision for him.

Synopsis
The Team is overpowered in a skirmish with Clayface. Batman steps in on the scene and defeats him with a taser.

He then tells them to hit the showers and head home, but tells to Aqualad to stay behind. He apologizes for the Team, but Batman claims he is to blame, not the Team. Aqualad admits that he was right and said that all of his dreams were in Atlantis. Batman questions if it was Atlantis or someone in Atlantis. Batman makes him choose to live life either under the sea or on surface-life.

Aqualad returns to Atlantis and swims through the city with his king talking about a dinner he and Queen Mera are hosting. Aqualad finds one of his friends, Topo, making a display about how Kaldur'ahm became Aqualad. He later finds his childhood friends Garth and Tula practicing with Queen Mera. Queen Mera asks if Aqualad will be attending her dinner where he asks Tula if she would attend with him responding that she and Garth have training to do but will be happy to come while swimming away, Garth told her that she has to tell Kaldur'ahm about them.

Meanwhile, back at Mount Justice, Miss Martian is trying to prepare dinner while Superboy is looking at a blank TV. She asks if he'd like her to turn it on which he replies, no. She also asks him he'd like to help her make dinner and he also replies, no but helps her anyways. As she was using her telekinesis to quickly gather all the needed items, all the items crash into Superboy leaving him covered in milk, eggs, tomatoes, and flour. She quickly grabs a rag and cleans him while apologizing. For a moment their eyes meet and they were staring at each other for a moment. Later, Red Tornado finds M'gann chopping onions while Superboy was watching the blank TV while covered in food, he simply leaves without saying anything.

Back in Atlantis, Black Manta and his crew attack some palace guards. Black Manta sticks a bomb on one of the palace walls.

Robin is exercising in the gym, still mad at Batman for wanting to only talk to Aqualad earlier and takes his frustration out by punching the wall unaware that Batman was watching him. Their butler, Alfred Pennyworth later tells him that Batman wished to see him. Robin walks outside while Batman throws a basketball at him. Batman tells him that it's training.

Back in Atlantis, Prince Orm starts to tell a story about a creature they are keeping at the Science Center while Aqualad considers that he would come back to Atlantis and study with Tula and Garth. Queen Mera explains that he can't be in Tula or Garth's class because he left his studies a long time. He then considers that he'd need a tutor referring to Tula.

Wally and his parents are at their house celebrating Jay Garrick's birthday. Barry Allen is clearing the table while Wally's mother is telling his wife, Iris, that she is lucky to be married to Barry because Wally wasn't that fast when it comes to clearing the table and he got embarrassed. Joan (Jay's wife) later thought the same about her husband too, but then said she knew he was a retired speedster and since it was his birthday, they weren't going to argue. Barry came back out and explained that Wally could be fast when he wants too and turns around, showing Wally eating a gallon of ice cream as his mom got mad.

In Atlantis at the dinner party, Aquaman said that he and the queen had an announcement to make. Queen Mera said that she was pregnant and everyone got excited. Aqualad congratulated the king and said there finally will be an heir to the throne he then apologizes to Price Orm because he didn't want to offend him. He tells him that it wasn't a big deal and that he was most happiest for the new baby as Aquaman thanked him.

While he and Queen Mera are kissing, he gets a message from Superman telling him there's an emergency in Tokyo Bay. He then tells everyone that he has to leave and asks Aqualad to swim with him. He tells him that Batman had told him about his dilemma and tells him how hard it is for him to love Atlantis and live in the surface-world and also hopes he would make the right choice. Aquaman then leaves and Aqualad swims away. Back in the city he and Tula are swim together. At the same time, they both told each other they had something to tell one another. Aqualad tells her that he has made the decision to stay in Atlantis with her and because of her. Tula then tells him that she and Garth are already together leaving him heartbroken and upset.

Then a building explodes due to a bomb Black Manta's crew set. Queen Mera and Prince Orm quickly rushes to the scene. They all begin to fight Black Manta's men. Garth comes behind Tula and she warns him to look out. She quickly pushes him out of the way saving his life, but also gets shocked by one member of Black Manta's crew leaving both Garth and Aqualad upset. Prince Orm said that he must protect both the queen and the heir.

Queen Mera insisted that she didn't need any protection and for them to go. Price Orm explained that Aquaman would never forgive him if she or the heir got hurt as Aqualad agreed with saying the battle was his. Garth offered to help him, but Aqualad said that his place was with Tula.

Artemis is in the living room of her small apartment with the TV on while inspecting one of her arrows. Her mother comes in turning the TV off and telling her that something came in the mail for her. Artemis saw her mom had opened it and confronted her for it, but her mother just told her to read it. She looked at the letter which said she had been into accepted into Gotham Academy with a Full Wayne Scholarship even though she didn't apply. Her mom explained that it was a very prestigious school that she should be thrilled about. Artemis then crumples up the letter and throws it on the table explaining to her mom she wasn't switching schools and her friends were at Gotham North. Her mom told her she was going or she would have to give up her 'extra curriculars'. She then tells her mom not to make threats because she can't enforce them, her mother grabs her hand telling her it is a chance to better her life, a chance her mom never got. Artemis then changes her mind when she sees tears in her mom's eyes and decides to go for her.

In Atlantis, Black Manta and his crew in the Science Center are trying to steal the giant starfish creature. Aqualad is with Garth swimming up behind him. Aqualad tells him that he should look after Tula, but said Queen Mera is looking after her. Inside the Science Center, Black Manta commands that one of his men to check the perimeter and says that once the Manta Ray ship melts through the roof above the starfish, they will take the starfish and go. Garth then asks Aqualad if he had a plan and turns around not seeing him he then sees two of Black Manta's men coming out while Aqualad steps in and saves him saying he also has his studies. Black Manta then says its such a waste working for Aquaman and that schools risk their live for him. Garth then almost gets captured and Aqualad tells him to get his head in the game. They then try to fight Black Manta and his gang. Interestingly, Garth summons the "power of the Tempest". The creature later explodes and Black Manta escapes.

Prince Orm reports that the remaining piece of the echinoderm is regenerating but they no longer have the means to study it in Atlantis. He suggests sending it to the surface world and Aquaman acquiesces. Aqualad decides to leave for the surface world for good. He then hugs and congratulates Garth and Tula and asks what would happened if Garth became Aqualad. Garth replies "never". Aqualad replies "neither have I" and leaves Atlantis.

When he gets back to the Cave, Batman asks if he has made a decision. Aqualad tells him that he's there 100%. As the rest of the Team come out, he briefs them on an anomaly detected in the Bialyan desert.

Back in the depth of the ocean, Black Manta reports to the Light that the mission was a failure and was forced to execute Plan B. L-5 praises him for doing so.

Title
The title may refer to Aqualad momentarily taking a leave of absence from the Team. It may also literally refer to his going to Atlantis, which is underwater, to spend some time there. The secondary storyline shows how the other members of the Team occupy their downtime.

Cast and characters
! colspan="3" | Uncredited ! colspan="3" | Non-speaking roles
 * Stephanie Lemelin
 * colspan="2" | Artemis Crock
 * Jesse McCartney
 * colspan="2" | Dick Grayson
 * Danica McKellar
 * colspan="2" | M'gann M'orzz
 * rowspan="2" | Nolan North
 * colspan="2" | Superboy
 * colspan="2" | Superman
 * rowspan="2" | Khary Payton
 * colspan="2" | Kaldur'ahm
 * Black Manta
 * Jason Spisak
 * colspan="2" | Wally West
 * rowspan="2" | Jeff Glenn Bennett
 * Vulko
 * Alfred Pennyworth
 * George Eads
 * colspan="2" | Barry Allen
 * Bruce Greenwood
 * colspan="2" | Bruce Wayne
 * Kelly Hu
 * Paula Crock
 * Phil LaMarr
 * colspan="2" | King Orin
 * Yuri Lowenthal
 * Garth
 * Roger Craig Smith
 * Prince Orm
 * rowspan="2" | Kath Soucie
 * Queen Mera
 * Joan Garrick
 * rowspan="2" | Cree Summer
 * Tula
 * Mary West
 * James Arnold Taylor
 * Topo
 * Kelly Hu
 * Paula Crock
 * Phil LaMarr
 * colspan="2" | King Orin
 * Yuri Lowenthal
 * Garth
 * Roger Craig Smith
 * Prince Orm
 * rowspan="2" | Kath Soucie
 * Queen Mera
 * Joan Garrick
 * rowspan="2" | Cree Summer
 * Tula
 * Mary West
 * James Arnold Taylor
 * Topo
 * Queen Mera
 * Joan Garrick
 * rowspan="2" | Cree Summer
 * Tula
 * Mary West
 * James Arnold Taylor
 * Topo
 * Tula
 * Mary West
 * James Arnold Taylor
 * Topo
 * James Arnold Taylor
 * Topo
 * James Arnold Taylor
 * Topo
 * Kath Soucie
 * Lori Lemaris
 * Yuri Lowenthal
 * La'gaan
 * Roger Craig Smith
 * L-5
 * Nolan North
 * Clayface
 * Roger Craig Smith
 * L-5
 * Nolan North
 * Clayface
 * Nolan North
 * Clayface
 * Clayface
 * colspan="2" | Beluga Boy
 * colspan="2" | Coral
 * colspan="2" | Iris West-Allen
 * colspan="2" | Jay Garrick
 * colspan="3" | Red Tornado
 * colspan="2" | Rudy West
 * colspan="3" | 4 other members of the Light
 * colspan="2" | Iris West-Allen
 * colspan="2" | Jay Garrick
 * colspan="3" | Red Tornado
 * colspan="2" | Rudy West
 * colspan="3" | 4 other members of the Light
 * colspan="3" | Red Tornado
 * colspan="2" | Rudy West
 * colspan="3" | 4 other members of the Light
 * colspan="2" | Rudy West
 * colspan="3" | 4 other members of the Light
 * colspan="3" | 4 other members of the Light
 * colspan="3" | 4 other members of the Light

Continuity

 * At the end of the episode, Batman informs the Team that the Watchtower has detected an immense power surge in the Bialyan desert, leading directly into the following episode, "Bereft".

Ratings
"Downtime" garnered an average of 1.2 million viewers among kids between 2 and 11 and 9 and 14.

Trivia

 * Main title clips:
 * Clayface being electrocuted (00:37)
 * Miss Martian standing in front of the fridge and reacts to something (06:41)
 * Batman talking to Aqualad (01:22)
 * Aqualad swimming in front of the portal to Poseidonis (02:26)
 * Queen Mera and King Orin (10:34)
 * A Manta man taking a shot (14:03)
 * In the comics Garth was the first person to carry the title of Aqualad. He later took the codename "Tempest". This was alluded to in the episode when Garth recited an incantation for a spell as such: "I summon the power of the tempest!"
 * The newspaper in Artemis's and Paula's apartment has a photo of two men shaking hands. This is taken from the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Pretty Poison", and, in that context, features Bruce Wayne and Harvey Dent. The banner in the background reads "Future Site of the new Gotham Penitentiary".
 * This is a featured episode in Young Justice: Season One, Volume Two.
 * The DVD closed captioning for this episode reveals the identity of L-5, months before it was revealed in "Revelation".
 * The establishing shots of Gotham City at the beginning of the episode were recycled from the movie Batman: Under the Red Hood, directed by Brandon Vietti.
 * A translation spell cast by Lori Lemaris at the beginning of the episode facilities the use of spoken English. In-universe, all of the characters from the Atlantean segments (except Black Manta, his men, Superman and the Justice League Computer) are speaking the Atlantean language, but the audience hears English because of Lori's translation spell.

Cultural references

 * On the envelope of Artemis's letter, her address is Sprang Boulevard, a reference to Batman artist Dick Sprang.

Goofs

 * Despite being established as a city in Connecticut in "Welcome to Happy Harbor" and "Schooled", Artemis's letter has the ZIP code 10510, a New York code.

Answered questions

 * Why was the Team fighting Clayface? (Answer #1, Answer #2)
 * Where was Artemis during the fight? (Answer)
 * Why is Aqualad the only practitioner of Atlantean sorcery with visible tattoos? (Answer)
 * What did L-5 mean when he said "everything falls into place" if Black Manta didn't procure the echinoderm? (Answer)
 * Why did the Light want to acquire it? (Answer)

Partially answered questions

 * Why is Paula Crock in a wheelchair? (Answer)

Unanswered questions

 * Why did the Ocean-Master attack Aquaman?
 * What happened to him?