Interview conducted by and copyright Ed Gross
In “Welcome to Happy Harbor,” after Speedy declines to join the new team, Robin, Aqualad and Kid Flash fear Young Justice is just a big joke, while new member Miss Martian fears there’s no room for her to be part of it. So when the four heroes and Superboy come up against Mister Twister, it looks like all their fears have just been realized.
“Clearly at the end of episode two,” offers Brandon Vietti, “we introduced Miss Martian, and in this episode we learn a little bit more about her character.”
The introduction of Miss Martian, of course, offers an opportunity for the audience to watch the evolution of this character from the beginning.
“A lot of this episode deals with how she’s going to fit in with the team,” adds Greg Weisman, “and also how she fits in on, for all intents and purposes, a relatively new planet for her. She hasn’t been on earth very long before the episode begins, or, frankly, before the pilot begins. It does sort of shine a spotlight on her and introduces her to the team. “
As to their adversary, Mr. Twister, Vietti explains, “Historically, he was the first villain that Robin, Aqualad and Kid Flash fought together in the very first Teen Titans story, which was in an issue of Brave and the Bold. Mr. Twister in that story was a guy who stole Indian magic and used it for evil purposes. Our Mr. Twister is a newer, sort of modern take on the character.”
The final point Weisman makes regarding the episode is that within it, “We spend some time exploring their new headquarters and exploring the town that headquarters is based in, which is Happy Harbor. So it’s really a big get to know you episode. The title of the episode along gives you a pretty good sense of the themes of the episode.”