Superman Homepage reviewer T.A. Ewart (aka liheibao) reviews episodes from the “Supergirl” TV series, airing on The CW.
Check out his review of the 19th episode of Season 2 in which Alex (Chyler Leigh) is kidnapped and the kidnapper threatens to kill her unless Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) releases a notorious criminal from prison. Supergirl and Maggie (Floriana Lima) have always had different approaches to apprehending criminals but this time they must work together to save Alex. Meanwhile, Rhea (guest star Teri Hatcher) has an interesting proposal for Lena (Katie McGrath).
Originally Aired: May 1, 2017
WRITTEN BY: Eric Carrasco and Greg Baldwin
DIRECTED BY: Rob Greenlea
REGULAR CAST:
Melissa Benoist (Kara Danvers/Supergirl)
Chyler Leigh (Alex Danvers)
Mehcad Brooks (James Olsen)
David Harewood (Hank Henshaw/J’onn J’onzz)
Jeremy Jordan (Winslow “Winn” Schott)
RECURRING CAST:
Chris Wood (Mon-El)
Floriana Lima (Maggie Sawyer)
GUEST CAST:
Teri Hatcher (Rhea)
Katie McGrath (Lena Luthor)
Gregg Henry (Peter Thompson)
David Hoflin (Rick Malverne)
Curtis Lum (Demos)
Rating – 4 (out of 5): Why does Alex get a show about her? Alex is just a…, wait, they’re trying to kill her? Please pass the popcorn. It took an episode with Alex being pushed to near death to finally maker her interesting. Gone is the Mary Sue magic, and in its place was a resourceful, composed, and clever character, fighting to maintain for as long as a rescue would take. This wasn’t Alex who can defeat any alien with a Karate chop, this was a character slicing open her body to remove a tracker and jerry-rig an SOS. Mary Sue Alex can fly a Kryptonian vessel with no training, but this character can use her trousers to create a life preserver in the most clever fashion. In the moments where panic and fear could be embraced, this character remained resolute, right to the end where the air was gone, and all options were exhausted. It’s excellent character writing, and the needed characterization that’s been missing from Alex… but will it be maintained after this episode? That question was answered with Alex punching her kidnapper in the face and J’onn smiling in acquiescence.
While Alex was done quite well, Maggie more than made up for her usual nauseating plays. Maggie’s prickly nature with Kara, and the faux indignance that came with it, were the thickest arrogance she could generate for no good reason. Supergirl and Maggie are on the same side. They want the same outcome. Maggie’s ire is petty, petulant, and foolish. The lashing she later gives Kara, which J’onn excuses (he should be called the Martian Enabler) should have been rewarded with a spanking for her childish behavior. When push came to shove, Maggie was no more effective than Supergirl, and they had to work together to rescue Alex… mostly because J’onn couldn’t read the mind of the kidnapper (worst telepath ever). Maggie should watch Superman: The Movie. “No, sir! Don’t thank me warden! We’re all on the same team!”
Check out the “Supergirl – Episode Reviews” Contents page.
I’ve never understood why people think Alex using Kara’s ship/pod to rescue her last season didn’t make sense. We know the DEO is used to studying and even using Kryptonian/alien technology. In the Red Tornado episode they used Kryptonian technology to create a hologram of General Lane to distract the Red Tornado. So to operate Kara’s ship you need familiarity with Kryptonian technology. Done. You can fill in the blanks for everything else. It’s fairly likely the ship is mostly self-driving – give it the co-ordinates and it will take you where you want to go. After all it brought… Read more »
I’ve never understood why people think Alex using Kara’s ship/pod to rescue her last season didn’t make sense. Because it didn’t make sense. The long explanation to make is sensible just confirms that. If J’onn flew it or Maxwell Lord, OK. There you have an alien and a genius; there’s very little to question. Alex? You would have had to show her learning the controls, trying to fly it at least once, something that suspends disbelief. Instead, he just hops in and is able to fly it correctly, and alien spacecraft, where the average human being would need weeks of… Read more »
I agree, they should have “Chekhov’s Gun”‘d the ship thing. But knowing this writing staff, they’d have telegraphed that ending so bad, you’d have seen it coming a mile away.
I think they did “Chekhov’s Gun” the ship though. They showed it numerous times throughout the first season in the DEO cave. Starting from the pilot episode. The whole premise of the DEO is that they were experts on aliens and alien technology. They were on the frontline in dealing with that stuff. They showed the DEO using Kryptonian technology throughout the first season. After all they managed to download the Fort R’ozz database at some point so they could use it to identify the alien menace they were tracking each week. As for the ship itself how did Kara… Read more »
As for the ship itself how did Kara pilot it? Or baby Kal-El pilot his for that matter? It’s obvious that Kal-El didn’t fly his ship which means it flew itself. No, the respective ships had to be programmed, and they were shown to be programmed. Who did this for Alex? If the ship could be programmed by anyone in the DEO, what was the worry about Supergirl going to space, when she could easily be rescued by anyone in the DEO, as they are all well versed in alien tech? As for Chekhov’s Gun, if you really believe it… Read more »
I really don’t like this version of Maggie, she comes off as jerk and very , dislikeable which is a very unMaggie like. From the time she was in Superman comics, then later on in Batman comics, she always had good relationship with Superman even in the animated series, and her fellow cops in Gotham, when they moved her to Gotham and the Batman books, but this Maggie seems like she trying too hard to offend everybody even turn fans off. Plus it seems like the show is being less and less about Supergirl and more and more about Alex… Read more »