S01.E07: Human For A Day

[Winston Wolfe]

 

It has never been established (on the show anyway) that she can travel at the speed of light.

I'm all for suspension of disbelief, but its hard to imagine this iteration of SG - who burns her powers out defeating the likes of Red Tornado - can travel at the speed of light.  I stopped reading the Superman line a few years ago, so I'm new to the whole "48-hours recharge" thing.  It's plausible; at the end of the day Kara and Kal are sentient solar batteries.  But it seems to me only a mega display of powers (like using heat vision to near super-nova levels) should lead to that outcome.  The 10-year old in me thinks Martian Manhunter (with all his many powers) would kick SG and SM butt all day long.

Edited December 10, 2015 by Winston Wolfe

[MarkHB]

I believe we saw the "Fortress of Togetheritude" last week; I noticed the walls weren't painted (visible Spackle on the SheetRock).

 

While the limits of CatCo haven't been defined, they seem to have at least a TV station, a radio station, and a newspaper all housed there.  That doesn't seem far-fetched to me (even if I wonder why Kara seems to have to buy the paper when she goes out for Cat's latte and to-be-tossed-away sandwich).

[Chicago Redshirt]

Another random thought:

 

What exactly was the need for the original elevator shaft rescue of the people on the higher floor? The people on Kara's floor were blocked from going any lower, according to Jimmy or Winn. How does getting people from the 26th floor (I think) to the 23rd floor make them any safer? I think there was a reference by Winn that he lied to people in a floor on fire or something, but I don't remember seeing any signs that the higher floor was in fact on fire.

 

Also, it should be pointed out that apparently Supergirl didn't bother clearing the path for the Catco employees. 

[secnarf]

Another random thought:

 

What exactly was the need for the original elevator shaft rescue of the people on the higher floor? The people on Kara's floor were blocked from going any lower, according to Jimmy or Winn. How does getting people from the 26th floor (I think) to the 23rd floor make them any safer? I think there was a reference by Winn that he lied to people in a floor on fire or something, but I don't remember seeing any signs that the higher floor was in fact on fire.

 

Also, it should be pointed out that apparently Supergirl didn't bother clearing the path for the Catco employees. 

My interpretation was that the people on the upper floors were blocked from getting down due to the fire, but the people on the floor Kara et al were on had a clear path out of the building. She told Winn to get everybody else on the floor out, I think.

 

When Jimmy opened the elevator door at the higher floor, there was definitely smoke there, and as they say, where there is smoke, there is fire.

[Jordan27]

Well the episode name certainly spoils the cliffhanger from last time, right?

Not unless you turned the show right off when it ended last week as it clearly showed in the scenes from this week that she had lost her powers.

[Jordan27]

Wow, another dismal episode.  Oh, where to begin...

 

..something I don't think mentioned was why is Supergirl out in public without her super powers?  She should have been in DOE where she is safe.  She is way too important to take a chance on getting killed.

 

It was cliché time...the earthquake just when SG doesn't have her powers, SG taking down the robbers with her reason, the jealously of Winn...oh my, not interesting.

 

And Cat continues to annoy. 

 

And when we were informed that only an adrenaline rush would bring her powers back, we knew that Jimmy would get into trouble and bring this about. 

 

The MM reveal was expected, but good.  Perhaps he can be another character that might be interesting.

 

Melissa still is the only thing really good about this show.  She is adorable as Kara and engaging as Supergirl. 

[legaleagle53]

..something I don't think mentioned was why is Supergirl out in public without her super powers?  She should have been in DOE where she is safe.  She is way too important to take a chance on getting killed.

 

Sure, and then YOU come up with a way for Kara to explain to Cat why she was taking a week off from her job at Catco on short notice without getting herself fired (and don't think for a minute that Cat wouldn't do it, either!).

[Chicago Redshirt]

Not unless you turned the show right off when it ended last week as it clearly showed in the scenes from this week that she had lost her powers.

I think he was focusing on the "for a day" part...no pretense that she wouldn't be repowered by the end of the episode. Although it technically should be "Human for two days and some change," as her losing her powers was at least 48 hours for Max to drop the knowledge that SM has repowered within 48 hours.

[Kromm]

Not unless you turned the show right off when it ended last week as it clearly showed in the scenes from this week that she had lost her powers.

When I wrote that I meant the "For A Day" part--although note I wrote that before the episode aired and actually revealed that despite the title it was actually for 2 1/2 days.  A misleading title? Go figure.

 

EDIT - What Chicago Redshirt said. Just saw that (even though it was written 20 minutes ago!)

Edited December 11, 2015 by Kromm

[sjohnson]

Can't help but think that it takes misinterpretation to read the hug as anything but a flirtation moment. 

 

But for those whose notion of friendship looks a lot like being a stand up guy in a gang, that is, you never rat out a buddy and you always support them no matter what (not just ignoring mere laws, but talk about right and wrong,) no doubt Winn is a thorough going villain. Except of course he's totally incompetent and perfectly negligible, so if they think they're doing some sort of Nice Guy trope to make a Big Bad, they've screwed the pooch already. And not just because it's doubtful Nice Guy is really a thing. No, friends can be friends and still be disappointed in your failings. If they mean such an arc, the only giveaway so far was when he blurted out the lesbian line. Now that really is a dead giveaway of his vanity. The problem for this hypothetical arc is that Supergirl, who is allegedly telling her best friend at work about her full identity, somehow didn't notice. Evidently she didn't really care about his reaction or she would have heard him. Why did she tell him? 

 

The discussion seems to be assuming Supergirl apologized to Winn, but somehow it played more as her regretting an indiscretion. Reading this scene as her being too afraid to offend a nice guy, but not really thinking that she had taken a step down a path with James she wouldn't be proud of...really, that diminishes her as a person, at least as the kind of person who cares about whether she does the right thing. 

 

Lastly, asking someone you don't care about (no, being pleasant at work is not caring!) to commit a crime is using someone.

[John Potts]

One of my favourite things about this episode - somebody actually died. Not to sound morbid, but it bugs the hell out of me when a disaster that causes "mass casualties" is resolved when a hero (or at least, protagonist) inspires Emergency Medical Personnel to "Just! Keep! Trying!" when it seems all hope is lost - and the previously dead victim survives! Also, just because Cat said it doesn't mean Max Lord (who I'm increasingly liking) was spreading fear & panic - to my recollection he was saying, "We need to sort this out ourselves" - which is scarcely spreading fear & panic (and yes, he was self promoting too, but he was actually helping people as well). And good on Supergirl for stopping that robber despite being vulnerable, though I was expecting the fellow shoppers to dog pile onto the mugger once he gave up his gun.

 

AudienceofOne Alex's breakdown in the middle of the crisis made NO sense, whatsoever. It's not as if Henshaw could be suspected of orchestrating Jemm's escape. But good going tying up the other person with the gun during a crisis and then taking on the bad guy by yourself.

 

I know! Unless she somehow thought that Hank was in league with Jemm's (and his Holograms!) escape, you don't reduce the number of available agents to capture him. Handcuff him once you've subdued the guy! And on that subject, I assume Jemm knew of Hank's secret identity, but I wonder why he didn't say anything. Also:

 

Chicago Redshirt  Why take on the Hank Henshaw persona rather than Jeremiah Danvers or just straight up telling the Danvers who he was?

 

I assume it was because the Danvers would never believe the impersonation but that Hank had no close family. Maybe he could have simply told the Danvers family, but it would be a risk for somebody who'd just been hounded by government agents. And yes, since the real Hank died offscreen, I expect he's not dead and will turn up in person eventually.

 

NorthstarATL  I had to laugh at the scene where Kara breaks her arm and JimmyJames quickly removes his shirt, as we've all been trained to do in CPR

When I learned first aid, it was pressed into us that taking off your shirt to use as a sling was only valid for hunks!

 

KirkB As for Kara being surprised about Astra, well auntie, we haven't seen you for a couple of months. I think all of us had kind of half forgotten about you.

 

If she wasn't in the previouslies at the beginning!

[Zuleikha]

Can't help but think that it takes misinterpretation to read the hug as anything but a flirtation moment.

Yeah, it wasn't intentionally so, but it definitely became so. That's why Kara felt guilty and part of why Winn reacted so strongly (although I think there was definitely jealousy in that). Also, as far as I can remember, Winn hasn't hit on Kara at all since the pilot. He's clearly still into her and jealous of James, but he seems to be a genuine friend without expectation that she'll ever return his romantic feelings.

 

I'm waiting for all of the stuff about his father to go somewhere, though. I know the comic book reference, but this show is clearly putting its own spin.

[Jordan27]

Sure, and then YOU come up with a way for Kara to explain to Cat why she was taking a week off from her job at Catco on short notice without getting herself fired (and don't think for a minute that Cat wouldn't do it, either!).

What's more important, Supergirl or her job?

[legaleagle53]

What's more important, Supergirl or her job?

 

How about her secret identity, of which her job is an essential part?

[MarkHB]

What's more important, Supergirl or her job?

Well, she apparently needs to eat, and has to pay for that loft and all the painting supplies we never see her using.  I don't believe she's getting paid by the DEO.

[Izeinwinter]

The fact that her powers are finite is actually quite clever here - because it justifies her having  a civilian job instead of just signing up for full time search and rescue and nagging the government into putting her on payroll or otherwise just using her powers to fund her superheroing. (She wouldn't have to dig very many miles of subway tunnel to pay for even quite extravagant a secret base. Her powers are very easy to commercialize.)  Presumably, she'd run out of solar energy very often if she spent 40 hours/week putting out fires and pulling ambulance duty. 

Edited December 15, 2015 by Izeinwinter

[Jordan27]

How about her secret identity, of which her job is an essential part?

There are many jobs.   That job is not essential.

Well, she apparently needs to eat, and has to pay for that loft and all the painting supplies we never see her using.  I don't believe she's getting paid by the DEO.

Is this the only job in the world? 

[secnarf]

..something I don't think mentioned was why is Supergirl out in public without her super powers?  She should have been in DOE where she is safe.  She is way too important to take a chance on getting killed.

 

 

What's more important, Supergirl or her job?

 

 

There are many jobs.   That job is not essential.

Is this the only job in the world? 

 

No, this specific job is not essential to her role as Supergirl, but Kara has goals for her life separate from Supergirl and this job plays an important role in that. She also has friends there - it seems like the most important people in her life outside of her family are at CatCo. Also, this is a job that allows her some degree of flexibility, which is important if she's going to be running off saving the city every other day, and she can influence how the media portrays Supergirl.

 

I don't believe she has any obligation to stay locked up for a week or however long it takes her to recover. She's not a possession that somebody owns. It is her decision, and she doesn't owe the world anything. To say that she is "too important" and needs to be essentially locked up in DEO until she recovers - against her wishes and possibly costing her her job - is treating her like an object instead of a person, imo.

 

I also think that part of the point of the episode was that part of what makes her a hero is her character, and it is not in her character to hide herself away until she has her superpowers back. Part of what makes her a hero is her "humanity" (using the term loosely because she's obviously not human), her empathy and her desire to help others in any way she can.

[LisaM]

Now that I finally saw this episode, I liked it -- except for the triangle, which I find boring and disruptive. Have no background with the comics so I too thought "John Jones"!

 

 

I really liked the scenes where Kara stopped the looters--the moment when the camera panned down to her broken arm and you could see her hand shaking was really well done.  Kara was able to talk the bad guys down and I liked that we could see how determined she was to help, even though she was afraid.

This was a great scene. Really liked the cutting back and forth between Kara and Cat's speech.

 

We didn't see Jeremiah's dead body so I suspect that he will make a miraculous return at some point. MB is perfect in this role - very earnest, a bit dorky and quite believable.

[Jordan27]

I don't believe she has any obligation to stay locked up for a week or however long it takes her to recover. She's not a possession that somebody owns. It is her decision, and she doesn't owe the world anything. To say that she is "too important" and needs to be essentially locked up in DEO until she recovers - against her wishes and possibly costing her her job - is treating her like an object instead of a person, imo.

 

I didn't say she needed to be locked up against her wishes.  I would think it would be common sense not to do anything risky.  You make it sound like her job is more important than Supergirl.  Plenty of jobs, only one Supergirl.

 

I also think that part of the point of the episode was that part of what makes her a hero is her character, and it is not in her character to hide herself away until she has her superpowers back. Part of what makes her a hero is her "humanity" (using the term loosely because she's obviously not human), her empathy and her desire to help others in any way she can.

 

It was the show being manipulative and it was dumb.

[queenanne]

I didn't say she needed to be locked up against her wishes.  I would think it would be common sense not to do anything risky.  You make it sound like her job is more important than Supergirl.  Plenty of jobs, only one Supergirl.

 

Then this is the fault of the show/writing, for not giving Kara clear repeated ambitions to, say, succeed Cat.  There is no real "conflict" between her job and her calling/career.  At least Clark gets to be conflicted about what he writes and says from time to time.  

 

The show spent and focused some very loving, long, personal time a few episodes back on making it clear that for Cat, the ruling passion is writing, which IMO rang true because this show's real-life writers unleashed their inner "What Is It Like to Be a Writer and Care About Your Words" yayas all over the scene.  Deep down in fact, we have learned, that what Cat really wants is to be acknowledged as a better writer than Lois Lane.  Conversely, what does KARA want from her job except some fake deep Everygirl cover??

Edited December 19, 2015 by queenanne

[Chas411]

I'm catching up on this and the love triangles revolving around Jimmy and Kara are the worst part about the show. He's in a committed relationship so no matter how they attempt to spin it they both look like jerks.