Season Two, Episode Nine — “Supergirl Lives”
© 2017 The CW Network. All rights reserved.
By Molly Jane Kremer. Finally, after 8 long, dark weeks (and a world in desperate need of some primary-colored optimism), Supergirl returned from its midseason hiatus backed by *sighs* sadly, a lackluster episode. Yet “Supergirl Lives” still managed to zero in on, and naturally develop, certain characters within this CW superhero brouhaha.
Half of the cast traveled to another planet(!!!) to find a handful of missing National City citizens (prime motivation being a search for one Izzy Williams, a character clearly written so guest director Kevin Smith could have a middling-important character for his daughter, Harley Quinn, to play), but the stakes never got higher than your average supervillain-of-the-week arc. At least Mon-El and Winn were both treated with solid moments. (And I guess I’m really starting to come around on that damn Daxamite.)
Jimmy’s dialogue under his Guardian helmet continued to be completely unintelligible (either dub that gruff Bale-Batman voice of his, or get rid of the muffling from his mask — one or the other, people!), although the effects for his shield–which unfolds from his gauntlet–looked great, along with his tactically shrewd costume, which remains different enough from a certain other big-name, shield-wielding superhero to avoid being too… reminiscent.
Jimmy doesn’t have much to do in this episode, yet again, causing this writer to once again question why the show should bother with this half-baked arc in already over-stuffed season. The assumption is there’s an eventual pay-off coming for Mr. Olsen.
Alex and Maggie’s relationship was further solidified this week. (Alex, giddily, to Kara: “I have a girlfriend!”) The episode’s morning-after sequence was certainly sweet (it was definitely shot with enough sunny, soft-focused sugar), but might be one of the more clichéd scenes the show has produced yet. The sequence existed largely to give Alex a guilt complex for being too happy (yeah, I rolled my eyes at that too), and a reason to sort of try and break up with Maggie because of it later on… which…?
They made up by the end of the episode, because of course they did — and Maggie took the opportunity to reveal that she knows Kara is Supergirl. All’s well that ends well. Though there was no need to knock Kara’s glasses-disguise, ladies.
BEST LINE(s):
“I was the one who had to dodge the surface-to-air missiles, all he did was slap cuffs on wrists.” – Supergirl, on the Guardian.
“In the Venn diagram of things I care about, there is coffee and there is danish: the manna from heaven that keeps me barely–just barely–tethered to the mortal coil.” – Snapper Carr,
“I’m not the red shirt! I’m not the red shirt! You, you’re the red shirt!” – Winn, to the rando alien he knocked out with a rock to the face.
“Guardian protects the Earth, but Agent Schott protects the stars. I’ll see you on the street, James.” – Winn.
“Attagirl, Danvers.” – Snapper Carr, with an actual smile on his face? Unimaginable.
BEST MOMENT: After an entire episode’s worth of very cute interactions and some enjoyably palpable chemistry, Kara and Mon-El’s last scene together was the perfect culmination. Nothing as easy or obvious as smoochin’ (not yet at least), just enough obvious attraction mixed with evident and meaningful friendship, making a quietly conversational scene feel earned and comfortable and sweet and joyous. That Mon-El has every intention to superhero was just the icing on the cake. Well, that and sharing the blanket with Kara on her couch. (Hee hee.)
EPISODE’S MVP: Winn has been growing and evolving as a character by leaps and bounds this season, and this episode saw him working through PTSD after a near-death experience and going into the field with the DEO. Jeremy Jordan wavered between endearingly hilarious and terrified before reaching brave determination. He gave one of the show’s most compelling performances this week.
© 2017 The CW Network. All rights reserved.
HEAT VISIONS:
– The episode’s title, “Supergirl Lives”, is a reference to a film script that Kevin Smith penned long-ago for Warner Bros (Superman Lives) and we’re all very very happy that didn’t get made.
– Dang, Maggie’s already your girlfriend, Alex? Man, TV characters enter committed relationships faster than high schoolers nowadays.
– According to Mon-El, all it takes in National City to become a bartender is to “like alcohol”. Where can I apply? (Literally anywhere — Ed.)
– Oh, hey — that’s totally a Dominator! It’s gratifying to see there’s at least something from the Invasion! crossover that affects Supergirl, but wait… since this is a different universe than the Flarrowverse… those events had no effect on… ah, never mind.
– Winn’s pop culture references to Stargate and Star Trek (“I’m not a red shirt, I’m not a red shirt, I’m not a red shirt”) and even, uh, Timbuk3 when he had on his shades (“The future is so very bright”) were pretty on point this week.
– Since that Dominator said not to harm Mon-El, and even bowed to him, it’s looking like Mon-El is actually that Daxamite prince from his story, instead of the guard he previously claimed to be. What’s up with that?
– What the heck, a solar grenade to bring back Kara’s powers? It made for a cool scene, with Supergirl finally rescuing Izzy and getting everyone off Maaldoria, but dang that’s some silly-ass shit right there.
– That’s a pretty cute (and sorta fitting) scene from The Big Sleep playing on your TV there, Kara. *wink face emoji*
– Oh, and that little exploding fist bump at the end between Kara and Mon-El was got-dang adorable. Okay, okay, I guess I’m into Kara/Mon-El. I said it. All right?
7 out of 10
Next: “We Can Be Heroes”, soon.
Before: “Medusa”, here.
