S06.E05: Prom Night!

[scarynikki12]

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Nia and Brainy attempt to save Supergirl from the Phantom Zone by time traveling back to Kara’s home in 2009.

 

 

[Primal Slayer]

It was one of the better episodes of the season. Dont know if that is a good thing or a bad thing lol.

The casting was A+, all of them looked like their adult counterparts. I hate connecting Cat to Kara in anyway before the S1 premiere so wasnt fan of the storyline, Arrow did the same thing with Oliver/Felicity and I hated that as well. But the actress was great.

It took them 6 seasons and a flashback to FINALLY give Kara a good love interest! Where has this guy been all of our lives? It's to bad that the actor is likely 5years younger than Melissa and we dont know how their chemistry could be because young kara + him were great, love them together.

[bettername2come]

I missed the first 15 minutes or so, but I enjoyed this one. Did I miss something about why Kenny's still alive when he's supposed to have been murdered while Alex was still in high school? ETA: Wait, it's Crisis isn't it? Everything's Crisis.

Weirdly, Brainy looked pretty believable as a high school student and I know Jesse Rath was playing teens when it was actually 2009. 

"I would sing my favorite song." Okay, but shouldn't that coping mechanism be one he picked up in glee club? Nia picked Dolly Parton as her favorite song so I like her a little more now. 

Who was playing young Cat? I keep thinking "Summer Glau in a blonde wig" but I don't think that's correct.

Edited April 28, 2021 by bettername2come

[cambridgeguy]

Did the writers of all the Arrowverse shows watch Legends of Tomorrow and decide that hey, time travel and different costumes are fun, so let's do that?  Flash did and now Supergirl has its turn.  Although once again high school security is nonexistent in the not so distant past.  Hey, there's this guy none of us have ever seen before.  Let's put him on the team!

The actress who played Cat nailed a lot of her mannerisms, although young Cat may need to get her eyes checked if she thinks Alex is old enough to be a professor. 

I do wonder if Kenny's going to die next week or if he makes it.  Live or die, he still takes the top spot in the list of Kara's various love interests. 

[Primal Slayer]

5 minutes ago, bettername2come said:

I missed the first 15 minutes or so, but I enjoyed this one. Did I miss something about why Kenny's still alive when he's supposed to have been murdered while Alex was still in high school?

Crisis.

 

I dont know how J'onn is able to give back Pre-COIE memories but the guy cant even get up to date with post-COIE timeline. How do they not end up with both set of memories? It makes no sense. It was stupid then and stupid now.

Edited April 28, 2021 by Primal Slayer

[Jediknight]

That was really fun.

Brainy and Nia, you two screwed up the timeline, the Legends should be offering you a job shortly.

We already knew that young Kara and young Alex were good, but young Cat was great.  She had Cat's mannerisms down to perfection.  But yeah, young Cat was kind of an idiot thinking that Alex was old enough to be a professor.

[thuganomics85]

So, I see this was Brainy and Nia's audition to possibly joining the Legends on the Waverider.  They can screw-up the timeline with the best of them (along with the Legends, the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. gang also have to be contenders in that department!)  And once again, I had to get grumpy and offended over them going "way, way back" to 2009 and then accept that it is now over ten years ago.  That can't be true!  I mean, sure, the MCU was only just getting started, the Harry Potter films were still around, American Idol was the top rated show, and Supernatural was up to whopping three seasons at the time.... yeah, I'm old now.  Time can be cruel!

Once again, Izabela Vidovic and Olivia Nikkanen are really eerily perfect as Young Kara and Young Alex.  They just nail down the similar styles and traits from Melissa Benoist and Chyler Leigh's performances that I can totally buy them being the same people as the current versions of Kara and Alex.  But at the same time, they avoid making it feel like just cheap imitation, which is honestly something that is easier said than done.  Again, gold star for the casting directors for finding those two when they did.

The actress playing Young Cat Grant was also pretty good though.  I was curious to see if I knew her from anything else, but judging from IMDB, she's only appeared in a few small things, so I'm impressed.

Figures that it would be Kara's old high school flame that somehow ends up being the most interesting and fun love interest she has ever had.  Even built a fortress for her!  Oh, Kenny!  I just hope he doesn't die (again?  Thanks, Crisis!), but I have a bad feeling about it.

Poor Brainy is still struggling with learning how to cope emotionally, but while singing himself apparently didn't work, at least Nia singing to him does.  Can't remember if Nicole Maines sung before, but she was pretty good.  Maybe there is time for another musical episode!

Probably my favorite episode so far.  I'm always down for time-traveling antics, the return of both Young Kara and Young Alex was great, and both Nicole Maines and Jesse Rath did great jobs headlining the episode.  Even when this show ends, I kind of hope this isn't the last of Nia or Brainy in the Arrowverse (hint hint, Legends of Tomorrow!)

Edited April 28, 2021 by thuganomics85
Because apparently I can't count anymore.

[bettername2come]

1 hour ago, thuganomics85 said:

And once again, I had to get grumpy and offended over them going "way, way back" to 2009 and then accept that it is now over twenty years ago. 

Wait...is there a time traveler in our midst?

[Jediknight]

1 hour ago, bettername2come said:

Wait...is there a time traveler in our midst?

If they did, they might have just screwed up the timeline.

We have a possible Legend on the forum!

[TV Anonymous]

10 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

They can screw-up the timeline with the best of them (along with the Legends, the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. gang also have to be contenders in that department!)  

Please do not forget Timeless, to be a bit on the serious side.

[angora]

Loved it. I'm always up for some Nia/Brainy focus, and this is a fantastic plot for them. They're both dealing with a lot, and they argue and things get heated, but they're also there for one another, work together, and are delightful to watch while doing it. I loved Nia singing to Brainy (side note: I know the episode was obviously made beforehand, but it made me think of this Dolly-Parton-loving girl who testified before the Texas senate to speak against their bill targeting trans kids,) Brainy's bat tricks on the baseball field, and their delightful prom outfits (w/ the obligatory Glasses of Disguise!) Those crazy kids are just great. I really felt for Nia wanting to contact her mom, and I'm 100% glad that we're leaning into this storyline this season.

Young Kara and Alex continue to be awesome, with the bonus of Young Cat(!!) and a still-alive Kenny (I've been on Keep M'gann Alive watch since she came back at the end of last season, but I'm temporarily putting that energy toward him not getting re-killed in the new reality.) The actress playing Cat was fantastic, and ITA with everyone singing Kenny's praises as an on-point love interest for Kara. He made her a fortress in a barn with twinkly lights! So sweet. I also got a kick out of Kenny's scenes with Brainy, and Kara and Nia showing each other their powers was lovely. And of course Alex is the one feeling like she has to hold everything together.

It'll be good to get back to the main timeline with the rest of the characters and complete the mission of rescuing Kara (please, let's get our girl home before the hiatus!), but I'm really enjoying this adventure in the meantime.

[DanaK]

That was pretty enjoyable and it shows that given the right story and the right actors, you can manage to do without the star for an episode or two

Brainy really needs to deal with his stress eating and managing his emotions

Crisis has really messed with show continuity and plot

I thought Nia was calling her dead mom's voice mail for comfort, not her past alive mom's voice mail. That's tough to deal with

Definitely great casting on young Kara and Alex

[tennisgurl]

I was really excited for an episode featuring young Kara and Alex starring Brainy and Nia, and I was not disappointed. This was a really good episode, the time travel stuff was fun, I enjoyed the 2009 references, even if I would have liked even more (my freshmen year of college, good times) its always nice to return to young Alex and Kara to explore their relationship, and we got a lot of good continuations on Nia and Brainys plots. Brainy is still trying desperately to process his emotions in a healthy way, and is actually pretty believable as a teenager (a 20 something TV teenager anyway) while Nia is really missing her mom and sister. I hope that the references lately to her sister means that they might reconcile, if her sister apologizes for lashing out so cruelly at her when Nia got the families powers, it seems like that would mean a lot to Nia. 

So it looks like Brainy and Nia can now join Barry and the Legends in the "whoops changed the timeline" time travel screw up club! We also find out that Kenny, Kara's old high school almost boyfriend, is alive again thanks to Crisis, and of course Kara's most interesting love interest is someone she broke up with twelve years ago and was only recently brought back to life due to a cosmic reset button being pushed. He and Kara were so cute, I hope that we can meet him again as an adult and he and Kara can reconnect, hopefully the breakup isn't too bad. 

The actresses playing young Kara and Alex are always great, and the women playing a young Cat did a good job as well. I am not sure how much I like the idea of young Cat being involved with young Kara, it reeks a bit of bad prequel connection syndrome, but I guess maybe we can chalk this one up to Crisis as well. Young Cat might also want to recheck her investigation skills if she really thought that 19/20 year old Alex was a professor though. Time to get those glasses I think. 

[shantown]

6 hours ago, DanaK said:

Crisis has really messed with show continuity and plot

I was just thinking the writers must love Crisis as an excuse to not have to remember continuity or past plots!

Someone on another board shared two really good points about this episode changing canon in the show I wanted to share, because it underlines my frustration with this episode (and somewhat this entire season/show post-Crisis):

1) A major bonding experience early in young Kara and Alex's life was Kenny's death. It's one of the things that finally brought them close and made them consider each other actual sisters to each other. Having Kenny alive, while probably the most successful love interest for Kara in any continuity, means that relationship-changing moment after his death never happened. And there's no explanation for what was the catalyst for them to become sisters then.

2) A major point in the pilot episode was that Kara had always lived without using her powers and wanted so badly to be "normal." The only thing that finally forced her into using her powers was that Alex's life was in jeopardy and that forced her to reveal herself. That's been the voiceover at the start of every episode even! Kara using her powers when she was younger means the entire premise of the show is different.

Anyway, there were parts I definitely found humorous in this, Brainy and Nia as Brendan and Brenda were wonderful. Young Kara and Young Alex were great in matching the mannerisms of the older actresses. But when we are in the final season of the show and are going entire episodes without the lead, and entire stretches where she's separated from the team, it's just frustrating. 

Edited April 29, 2021 by shantown

[rtms77]

Lol when Brainy and Nia called themselves Brenda and Brandon I expected “The wonder Twins” and a fist bump. It was the perfect set up.

2 hours ago, shantown said:

1) A major bonding experience early in young Kara and Alex's life was Kenny's death. It's one of the things that finally brought them close and made them consider each other actual sisters to each other. Having Kenny alive, while probably the most successful love interest for Kara in any continuity, means that relationship-changing moment after his death never happened. And there's no explanation for what was the catalyst for them to become sisters then.

You are so right, and the ending where Alex gets mad at her about losing a trip to Europe was telling. They are not bonding as sisters, and in fact weirdly mirrors the first episode with Alex berating Kara for using her powers. Yet in that same ep she helps out with a date outfit. 
 

The timeline is screwball. Cat should already be at the head of her media empire, not still being a gossip columnist for the Daily Planet. If Kara is 17-18 and about to enter university that means she’s got 6 yrs before the show starts. Cat Grant was WELL established by that point, enough that she’s been with Cat for some time. You don’t go from one story to media mogul that fast. Crisis can’t really be the reason.

So the hunter is a cross between the Collector/Lobo? Ok. I wonder if he sent the meteor that Kara got hurt, as a way to capture her but failed.

 

A two parter? Didn’t think we’d get that. But glad to see the young actresses one last time. They have been wonderful ever since they were cast , I just wish we had more with them. 

Edited April 29, 2021 by rtms77

[Humbugged]

8 hours ago, rtms77 said:

Lol when Brainy and Nia called themselves Brenda and Brandon I expected “The wonder Twins” and a fist bump. It was the perfect set up.

You are so right, and the ending where Alex gets mad at her about losing a trip to Europe was telling. They are not bonding as sisters, and in fact weirdly mirrors the first episode with Alex berating Kara for using her powers. Yet in that same ep she helps out with a date outfit. 
 

The timeline is screwball. Cat should already be at the head of her media empire, not still being a gossip columnist for the Daily Planet. If Kara is 17-18 and about to enter university that means she’s got 6 yrs before the show starts. Cat Grant was WELL established by that point, enough that she’s been with Cat for some time. You don’t go from one story to media mogul that fast. Crisis can’t really be the reason.

So the hunter is a cross between the Collector/Lobo? Ok. I wonder if he sent the meteor that Kara got hurt, as a way to capture her but failed.

 

A two parter? Didn’t think we’d get that. But glad to see the young actresses one last time. They have been wonderful ever since they were cast , I just wish we had more with them. 

Chyler directed next weeks episode .And the creators were saying we could get a Midvale prequel

[Jediknight]

20 hours ago, angora said:

I loved Nia singing to Brainy (side note: I know the episode was obviously made beforehand, but it made me think of this Dolly-Parton-loving girl who testified before the Texas senate to speak against their bill targeting trans kids,)

It was made before that, but I do think it was a bit of a reason that Nia sang Dolly Parton.  Despite the damage it could have done to her career, Dolly's been a big supporter of the LGBTQ+ community for decades.

And look at Brainy during that scene, that's the look and reaction of a man who didn't think he could love her anymore, and then found out that he could fall even more in love with her.

2 hours ago, Humbugged said:

Chyler directed next weeks episode .And the creators were saying we could get a Midvale prequel

Don't know if I want a prequel, since it has a definite stopping point.  That said, I wouldn't say no to it, and after the end of the Veronica Mars universe, it would be nice for young Kara's actress to get a starring role.

[Proteus]

17 hours ago, Humbugged said:

Chyler directed next weeks episode .And the creators were saying we could get a Midvale prequel

They didn't say it could happen. Just that it's something they wish could happen. I don't see Supergirl getting any spin offs. Especially with Superman & Lois now on the network.

[Lady Calypso]

This was a fun Back to the Past episode; it's way better than what The Flash tried to do earlier this year too. Brainy and Nia taking front and center, with Young Alex and Young Kara? It was pretty damn good. Again, this show impresses me with finding two young actresses so early on that look eerily like Melissa and Chyler. Izabela, in particular, looked like a clone of Kara Danvers with those glasses. You could almost convince me that it was still Melissa Benoist.

Yep, Kenny is the best pairing Kara has ever had on this show. I love that he's in on the secret and super supportive. I thought for a while that he might turn out to be evil or using Kara, but it seems like he's all in and his fate will very likely be death. Which still sucks; I'd rather Kara breaks up with him so there's a possibility that we see Kenny in the present day, rather than him dying (again) and Kara having another loss in her life. I know that Kenny's death in the original timeline had brought Alex/Kara together. I hope they find another way to be brought together that isn't Kenny's death again. I did note the tension between the two, so it's clear Kenny not dying when he did kept their relationship very strained, but I hope they find another way because, goddamnit, I like Kenny! They're gonna totally make me like him even more and then he's going to die. I just know it.

Brainy and Nia's scenes were spectacular. After Nia being underutilized all of last season, and Brainy having that horrid arc with him working with Lex, this episode really helped their characters. 

We also see Young Cat Grant, who surely should be more established in her career by now, but I'm guessing this Midvale storyline will turn out to be the story to break her into the big leagues. But, once again, they cast a younger version of a character PERFECTLY. Eliza Helm really captured Calista's version of Cat.

[Rushmoras]

I always like flash-back episodes about young Alex and Kara, because they always reminded me of Smallville, but this one... not particularly. Of course, Brainy, being a 12th level intellect gonna find a stupid-way to mingle with the past, not to mention Nia as well. Liked Cat Grant, though, she kinda looks like Calista Flockhart.

But Alex being in college for two years now... um... I don't know, man, the actresses seemed hardly age from the previous seasons, or maybe, I'm just too used to seeing 30 somethings being portrayed as last school grade - first year uni students, but I just don't see her as a uni student.

[Oreo2234]

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They didn't say it could happen. Just that it's something they wish could happen. I don't see Supergirl getting any spin offs. Especially with Superman & Lois now on the network.

I think your right and a Midvale show is not the spinoff I'd like to see even though I like the actresses. I think a few present day characters on Supergirl could work well on a spinoff or join another series but unfortunately it probably won't happen. 

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I know that Kenny's death in the original timeline had brought Alex/Kara together. I hope they find another way to be brought together that isn't Kenny's death again. I did note the tension between the two, so it's clear Kenny not dying when he did kept their relationship very strained, but I hope they find another way because, goddamnit, I like Kenny! They're gonna totally make me like him even more and then he's going to die. I just know it.

I don't know if we are supposed to think their relationship is strained in general or just at the moment because Alex is feeling resentful about not going to Europe. The one issue I had with Midvale is that it also was a bit of a retcon. The flashbacks in season one made it clear that Kara and Alex had already gotten closer before they were that age. 

[legaleagle53]

44 minutes ago, Oreo2234 said:

I think your right and a Midvale show is not the spinoff I'd like to see even though I like the actresses. I think a few present day characters on Supergirl could work well on a spinoff or join another series but unfortunately it probably won't happen. 

I'd prefer just seeing Nia and Brainy move over to the Legends instead. I agree with everyone that they'd be a perfect fit there, Nia in particular. The Legends would totally get her perception of herself as an awkward misfit who still hasn't quite figured out who she is or what she wants to be, and they really could use someone with her powers once she's finally mastered them, especially her main prophecy power.

[bettername2come]

7 hours ago, legaleagle53 said:

I agree with everyone that they'd be a perfect fit there, Nia in particular. The Legends would totally get her perception of herself as an awkward misfit who still hasn't quite figured out who she is or what she wants to be, and they really could use someone with her powers once she's finally mastered them, especially her main prophecy power

Okay, now I want this to happen just so we get a Nia vs. Gideon on making predictions. Brainy would be so torn.

[Trini]

I'm down for a Midvale spinoff!

And I fully accept the Crisis retcon that kept Kenny alive. He and Kara are adorable! I wish present Kara had an adorable romance too. Seems too late in the game now, though. -sigh-

I wasn't taking this episode too seriously, so Brainy and Nia going to the past and immediately screwing up was hilarious!

We already knew the young Kara and young Alex actors were great; young Cat Grant did great too. But I too was was confused at her only being a gossip columnist at this point.

There's probably something to be said about having less focus on the title character, but I really appreciate that Supergirl is one of those shows with strong supporting cast of interesting and developed characters that can carry the show when the lead is not central or absent.

Misleading title? No prom happened. :(

[Lantern7]

Here in New York, the local CW affiliate aired a Yankees game on Tuesday night. I didn't find time to watch the episode On Demand, so I saw it tonight.

*sigh* I wish there was more interaction within the Arrowverse these days, and that no one called in the Legends. Then I remember that Brainiac would have a time ship lying around. I'm good with it. As for the stuff back in 2009 . . . I think this could have been a two-Legend job. One Legend if it was Sara. The situation wasn't at a point where it warranted just Gary. This is a two-part story after all.

Sad that 2009 was  considered "the old days," especially since I was well over 30 at that point. On the bright side, Young Kara was so cute. I don't remember her having a boyfriend. Alex said something that he originally got killed, but that got retconned by Crisis? I'm frustrated by this site's search engine, because I could've sworn I joked about the idea of Kara being intimate with someone as a teen. It involved her crying and trying to dig a hole deep enough to dump a body. But since this is Kara, her relationship with Kevin is strictly rated-PG.

Nia and Brainy were cute playing dumb with the Danvers sisters and Kara. The bit with Cat Grant was . . . .unexpected, but it worked. We could've used aliens that didn't look like knockoffs of Yondu from Guardians of the Galaxy. Bismollans? Nice cut from Legion of Super-Heroes history.

Edited May 2, 2021 by Lantern7

[dmeets]

I kind of wish they'd kept Cat out of the storyline. Not only does her position as of 2009 not really line up (2010-2014 must have been AMAZING for her), but the recasting (while understandable) was a bit distracting since we know that Calista Flockhart looked exactly the same in 2009 as she does now.

Nia and Brainy could have used one of the Legends' flashy thing guns, because no way now that Alex and Kara aren't going to recognize Brainy and Nia as Brandon and Brenda when they join the gang. Especially since they're apparently Kara's first encounter with other young aliens.

Right now this seems to have the potential to mess up the timeline even worse than Flashpoint.