I might have misunderstood something in the episode Summit, but I think Nightwing wanted Kaldur to take BACK leadership of the team. The way I understood it, Kaldur had remained team leader until he went into deep cover. Nightwing has only been interim leader.

When Season 2 opened, I assumed, because Nightwing was immediately shown as team leader, that he had transitioned into that position during the five-year gap. After all, it was made pretty obvious in Season 1 that Dick would become leader at some point. This might have been my bad, but I figured that meant he had been leader for some time and that he was in charge of the deep-cover plan. But, if Kaldur was still leader before he went into cover was the plan not really Nightwing's? Is this Kaldur's plan?

If so, this raises a few questions for me and offers some disappointments.

-Why did the other team members not suspect something like this was happening? It seems to me that it would be much more suspicious if your team leader suddenly went bad than if a subordinate did. I know Kaldur was supposed to be hurting over Aquagirl's death, but his defection would make even more sense if he went over to his father's side in order to regain a position of power. If your leader suddenly disappears, it seems like that should set off a few alarm bells.

-So is this deep-cover plan not really Nightwing's? I hope not, but the immediate passing off of leadership to Kaldur makes me wonder. If the plan was Kaldur's, then Dick might not be such a badass. Boo.

-This harms Dick's growth if the plan was not his. I have really enjoyed how the kid who didn't want to be Batman has become Batman. It was tearing Dick up inside and providing great growth. What kind of hero did he want to be? Was he coming to a deeper understanding of how and why Bruce operates like he does?

Maybe the plan was still Dick's. I don't know. The ending just left me with some questions. I thought this was Nightwing's crowning achievement as leader, but Dick trying to pass back leadership left me disappointed. I know the show is not the same as the comics, but I wanted Dick to have been leader for a while - and to continue as such. I felt like that was what Season 1 promised me. If Dick is so eager to give back leadership, it strikes me as being rather un-Nightwing-like.

But hey, maybe he's handing off leadership of YJ so that he can join the Justice League like Zatanna and Rocket.

Thoughts? Am I making something out of nothing?

The plan was both of there's but, Nightwing was the one leading the plan on all fronts. Kaldur had his fair share to deal with but, Nightwing ran it all. Nightwing faced impossible odds and kept the team and the plan from falling apart against a foe at a level that even the Justice League haven't faced before. Nightwing had to go against his nature and lie to his closest friends while making impossible choices that Kaldur never had to deal with (i.e. Mount Justice, backlash from the team etc.). Kaldur may have risked the most in terms of him being discovered and killed yet, Nightwing had to become a Batman-like figure and isolate himself from what he treasures most, his relationships with people. He played the role he had to and was chewed out by Wally, Conner and even Garfield (Even though everyone just buried the hachet about Miss M. lobotomizing people all season instantly). Nightwing's plan ended up being a success yet, Kaldur received the praise from all, Nightwing included. To top off Dick's modesty, immediatly after the mission, Nightwing graciously offers Kaldur his old position as team leader. Through out this season, Nightwing faced impossible odds, took BS from hypocritical comrades and orchestrated the greatest inside job in the history of the DC Animated Universe which resulted in blowing the minds of the most intelligent members of the Justice League's Rogue's Gallery. Just like his mentor however, he's fine with not taking the spotlight because for Nightwing, it isn't about glory. He's the hero Earth-16 deserves but, not the one it needs right now. It's ok because he can take it. He's a silent guardian. A watchful protector. A dark knight!

@Nightwing_Beyond said:

The plan was both of there's but, Nightwing was the one leading the plan on all fronts. Kaldur had his fair share to deal with but, Nightwing ran it all. Nightwing faced impossible odds and kept the team and the plan from falling apart against a foe at a level that even the Justice League haven't faced before. Nightwing had to go against his nature and lie to his closest friends while making impossible choices that Kaldur never had to deal with (i.e. Mount Justice, backlash from the team etc.). Kaldur may have risked the most in terms of him being discovered and killed yet, Nightwing had to become a Batman-like figure and isolate himself from what he treasures most, his relationships with people. He played the role he had to and was chewed out by Wally, Conner and even Garfield (Even though everyone just buried the hachet about Miss M. lobotomizing people all season instantly). Nightwing's plan ended up being a success yet, Kaldur received the praise from all, Nightwing included. To top off Dick's modesty, immediatly after the mission, Nightwing graciously offers Kaldur his old position as team leader. Through out this season, Nightwing faced impossible odds, took BS from hypocritical comrades and orchestrated the greatest inside job in the history of the DC Animated Universe which resulted in blowing the minds of the most intelligent members of the Justice League's Rogue's Gallery. Just like his mentor however, he's fine with not taking the spotlight because for Nightwing, it isn't about glory. He's the hero Earth-16 deserves but, not the one it needs right now. It's ok because he can take it. He's a silent guardian. A watchful protector. A dark knight!

Best booking of Nightwing in the DCAU, Deserves his own series with Weisman behind it.