The tenth episode of Supergirl marks the first time in a long while where Winn finally gets some long-awaited screen time, in a thrilling episode that lets Jeremy Jordan shows off his acting chops.
Related: Supergirl Faces Her Blood Bonds
For a guy that was the first to know Supergirl’s identity, Winn tends to get the short end of the stick when it comes to Supergirl. However, thanks to his criminal father, the Toyman, escaping from prison, Winn is thrust into an emotional roller coaster to end all roller coasters as his father constantly barrages him to be a “good” son.
Of course, Henry Czerny put in a remarkable shift as Toyman. As of yet, Supergirl does not have very memorable Freaks of the Week (remember Reactron? Yeah, neither could I), but Czerny injected a sinister vibe to Supergirl, something this super-optimistic and bright show rarely has.
(Editor’s Note: I actually do remember Reactron… but only because I’m a Superman nerd.)
The show mainly revolved around the concept of identity, whether it’s the fact that Martian Manhunter chooses to remain hidden under a human mask, Supergirl embracing her Kryptonian powers, or Winn struggling to remain separate from his father’s less-than-stellar legacy.
Also, as always, Winn gets rejected by Kara. Hopefully this doesn’t become the reason for Winn turning into villainous Toyman, but honestly, I give Supergirl two episodes tops before they get back to being good friends.
Of course, Winn could still turn into good Toyman like Hiro Okamura of the comics, and eventually join Supergirl in her crusade. Much like The Flash or Arrow, the current DC TV-verse is definitely not averse to the hero’s sidekicks eventually becoming kickass heroes themselves! And honestly, Jeremy Jordan is a great actor, I wouldn’t complain about seeing more of him.
Also, Agent Danvers ditches her uniform for a much hotter gown, as she goes on a date with Maxwell Lord. As always, Lord says some ambiguous evil things, Alex goes home and thinks about him, and turns out that Lex Luthor wannabe has planted a camera on a special agent’s bag. OK, let’s get this straight.
Firstly, there is no way in hell that a trained special agent such as Alex Danvers, belonging to as secret a organisation as the DEO, would not have a dummy organisation-given handbag, much less not be subjected to some rigorous screening at the DEO. Yes of course, it’s kind of a secret mission, but surely J’onn J’onzz is not that careless.
Speaking of J’onn J’onzz, the Martian is forced to use his powers to wipe a man’s mind clean, and he is clearly horrified by the experience. Hank is clearly reluctant to speak about the issue, and it will be interesting to see how his relationship with Alex and Kara advances, considering that both of them wants Hank to reveal himself to the world, a la Supergirl.
Also, Alex and Kara have some cute dinner scenes together, and it’s nice to see a superhero not having a family member either a) screaming at him, or b) teaching him life’s lessons.
All in all, this was one of Supergirl’s strongest episodes so far, and it was really nice to see the supporting cast get their own storylines and issues to deal with. It’s getting kind of old seeing Kara react awkwardly to James and Lucy being intimate, but it would never get old watching Martian Manhunter dissing Maxwell Lord.
Next, on Supergirl:
[divider]Easter Eggs/Theories[/divider]
Jack Nimball
The doll that contains the message Toyman leaves for Winn is a reference to Jack Nimball’s costume from the comics. Jack Nimball was also the Toyman, taking up the mantle after Winslow Schlott was thought to have retired. Of course, Schlott eventually kills him and returns to being Toyman.
Animated Toyman
The other doll that Schlott Sr. leaves at the arcade, warning Winn to run, was shaped like a ventriloquist’s dummy. It also bears a more than passing resemblance to the Toyman we see in Superman: The Animated Series.