Supergirl deals with the loss of her powers, and proves that even without her powers, that doesn’t mean that she is any less of a hero. Many others step up to prove their worth as heroes too, including James, Wynn, Alex, Cat Grant, and of course, Director Henshaw of the DEO.
Related: Supergirl Gets A Little Red Faced
Honestly, the show hasn’t really improved on its cheesy conversational writing. Luckily, I’m a boy that enjoys cheesy lines as long as they make sense and are executed well, so, no complaints in this episode. Cat Grant’s interaction with Wynn (or Wick, according to her) was hilarious, and James encouraging Kara was undoubtedly cheesy, but it was pretty well done!
Supergirl finally acknowledges Cat Grant’s influence on her, even saying that she “inspired her”. And then, probably for the first and last time, we see Cat Grant smile at the thought of that, as if she’s experiencing… joy.
Also, seeing Supergirl regain her powers and taking flight brought a legit tear to my eye. That whole scene was masterfully done, and really showcased how Supergirl is just a straight-up recognised hero in National City, and not just because she’s female. FINALLY. That’s exactly what Supergirl needs: less focus on gender, more focus on her need to help people, with or without her powers.
Maxwell Lord has also undeniably improved, both in terms of the actual character and the actor. His interactions with James Olsen seemed to hint to what sort of person he really is (hint: attention-grabbing, media hogging billionaire that happens to be a genius), and his conversation with Kara while trying to save a stranger’s father seems like… he knew that Kara is Supergirl. From constantly dropping knowledge bombs about Supergirl’s power, and looking at Kara expectantly, it seems that Maxwell Lord may have caught on.
And last but not least, the Last Son of Mars, Martian Manhunter makes an epic appearance. You might wonder how great a 7 foot tall green alien can look on television, but the show nailed it. I was so amazed that I didn’t even roll my eyes at the following “romantic love triangle tension” scene that followed!
James finally has a tolerable conversation with Kara, without many hints of romantic tension or whatsoever, and Kara has to ruin it. I mean, yeah I get it, you like him, but fact remains that he does actually have a girlfriend. I can’t even be mad at Wynn for his seemingly overreaction.
However, this episode was undeniably the best episode of Supergirl yet! By truly examining what lies in Kara Danver’s heart in order for her to take flight and catch a burning plane way back in the pilot, and showing how the people around her have molded her into a hero, Supergirl pulls out a masterpiece of a television episode.
Bravo, Supergirl, bravo.
Next week on Supergirl:
[divider]Easter Eggs/Theories[/divider]
The superhero never gets the… guy.
Unfortunately, Wynn, it seems like both the Green Arrow and Flash has disproved that.
Jemm
In the show, he’s the leader of the Faceless Hunters, conqueror of twelve worlds… well, that’s half right.
Jemm was originally created to be the Martian Manhunter’s cousin, but because of continuity issues, his origin was completely rewritten, with him now being a Saturnian, in fact, Son of Saturn. Yeap, another son of another planet.
Although he rules over most of the Saturnians, of which there are Red Saturnians, the white “Koolars”, and the yellow “Faceless Hunters.” He doesn’t actually conquer worlds though, because he’s not really a bad guy in the comics. So there.
Martian Manhunter
Ah, J’onn J’onzz, the Martian Manhunter, part of the original Justice League. (I mean, come on, Cyborg? It’s not that I dislike Cyborg, but just let him be a Titan instead of a Justice Leaguer!)
In the comics, his alter-ego is that of a detective, John Jones (close to how you pronounce his actual Martian name), and his powerset is very similar to Superman, and of course, Supergirl. The most defining characteristic about Martian Manhunter is the fact that despite his alien-looking façade, he is possibly the most humane of all heroes. Being the last son of a dead planet tends to have this effect.
Also, if you want some insight into how Martian Manhunter works in a group, be sure to check out JLA: Year One, one of the best Justice League origin stories EVER. You won’t see much Superman or Batman, but you do get to see a lot of Martian Manhunter and well, Flash.