#courtney and rick and yolanda are neither perfect themselves and it's very much satisfying to watch heroes grow into their best selves

[hournites]

Charles mcnider was a literal doctor. Even in the comics the third midnite (Pietre cross) was more of support then active field member. He saved their lives so many times because of his medical knowledge and abilities. (There was even that great story in which the villain was holding people hostage unless midnite could rumor a tumor from his grandfather.) The problem with Beths character is that the need to make her the same age as the others robbed us of seeing a black, female doctor fighting crime. Honestly she should have been older (she could have been a prodigy or something. Maybe even 25 because there are 7 year college and med school programs. The she could have been a first year resident when the show started). But the Beth we got doesn’t actually do anything on her own. It’s the goggles. At the very least, Courtney, Rick, and Yolanda all bring something more to the tools they have. I just hope that we get an explanation on how beth got the goggles back online that explains her sudden ability with that kind of tech and then we can explore like an oracle side to her.

I understand what you're saying and where you are coming from, I do. But I don't think it's fair or accurate to say Beth has not actually done anything on her own. On her own, the JSA exists.

From her debut Dr. Mid-Nite episode in 1x05, it establishes narratively that Beth is useful to the team at that point in the same way it was established Artemis was not. Beth is a communicator, a mediator, and without her, there would have been no Rick on team JSA. With Beth, there is no more source of income from the ISA. All of the decisions she's made are her own. The goggles never told her what to do, merely gave contexts and provided assistance when prompted. The goggles never told her she should make the move to donate all of the Gambler's money to charities. They never told her she needed to investigate Cindy Burman's house. Honestly, I don't even think the other kids could handle the multitasking ability required to handle the goggles with Chuck. It's a sensory overload if not managed properly, and she's still keeping up with the rest. It takes intelligence, determination and bravery to put herself in such a position in light of her limitations.

A high school student who has rarely ever paid attention in class cracking a master chemist's equations in the span of two months is no more believable than a lonely girl with an above perfect GPA to teach herself coding/soft engineering over 6 months.

Also, while I am pretty sure Beth is likely to go into medicine and become a doctor, a doctor is not what a hero makes. Beth earning credentials is not going to suddenly validate her position on the team. I love comic!Beth treating Henry Jr. and rushing out to help the both the wounded JSA and villains they come across. She's awesome and I felt SO happy reading comics with her because Beth Chapel truly was a hidden inspiration of her era. But our Beth has compassion and empathy and from what we see again and again, I see Comic!Beth developing through our Beth that we know.

The girl wants to fight. Why can't we let her?

Absolutely, Beth needs to train more and learn to be comfortable combatting, and this season is the time and place for her to do it. She has Hourman watching her back as a defence, and is entering an environment where she may become the only JSA member with a full visibility to see what is going on in the dark.

Beth is only going to grow up. She's going to get older and more experienced just like the rest. We can speculate she'll develop an interest as a team medic but at the end of the day it doesn't exactly matter with where she is right now. Right now, Beth hasn't even had that much character room to grow. But it's nitpicking to fault her for this. She didn't get her own full episode, she didn't get her own training montage or special instructions from Pat. Anj has said Beth goes through tremendous character growth this season, and I believe it based on what we are already starting to see. Let's give this 16 year old a chance and come back at the end of the season.