S01.E09: Blood Bonds

[MarkHB]

Supergirl playing Kara Danvers, assistant, only makes sense if she regards Danvers as being too much of her true self to give up. Fooling Grant doesn't seem to promise much except the long term prospect of Kara Danvers working part-time while drawing a full-time salary...from Cat Grant. Oh dear.

 

 

Yep, it makes no sense for Kara to keep this job.  She's a flunky and this is what Kara wants to do?

 

I think that first point is a big part of it: in the eternal question of "who is real, Kara or Supergirl," I think in this case the "real" personality, or at least the way the character sees herself, is awkward, dorky Kara Danvers.  Melissa has talked in many interviews about the feeling of empowerment that comes with putting on the suit, and I think that happens to Kara as well: she puts on the suit and puts her self-confidence on along with it.  That's part of why she wanted to keep her job at Catco: because part of her, at least, wants to hang onto "normal," and I think she actually feels more like herself in that environment, as opposed to the DEO where she would perpetually have to be "on" as Supergirl.

[sjohnson]

For what it's worth, the show has explicitly referred to Kara moving on. The point of an internship is the resume and contacts and recommendations, just like in The Devil Wears Prada. Which I firmly believe to be a big influence on the series. 

[Chicago Redshirt]

I'm confused...

 

As far as I've seen, Kara is a permanent Catco employee rather than an intern. She did not seem inclined to move on from Catco at all in "Blood Bonds." I don't remember Kara ever indicate that she wanted to do anything more in her civilian persona than continue to work for Catco and learn from Cat Grant.

[Actionmage]

Kara did tell Cat to her face that she didn't "want to do this forever" or something along those lines. It was when Kara was explaining why the job was important to her.

[Kromm]

I think that first point is a big part of it: in the eternal question of "who is real, Kara or Supergirl," I think in this case the "real" personality, or at least the way the character sees herself, is awkward, dorky Kara Danvers.  Melissa has talked in many interviews about the feeling of empowerment that comes with putting on the suit, and I think that happens to Kara as well: she puts on the suit and puts her self-confidence on along with it.  That's part of why she wanted to keep her job at Catco: because part of her, at least, wants to hang onto "normal," and I think she actually feels more like herself in that environment, as opposed to the DEO where she would perpetually have to be "on" as Supergirl.

I've always thought of this as the reverse of Superman though. Clark is really clearly the "real person" between Clark Kent and Superman. Other than adding the unnecessary glasses, and acting clumsy, Clark is the bedrock of who his is and Superman kind of a pose.

 

With Supergirl (at least this version of her), I've always thought it skewed more towards the logic that Supergirl (except for the name) is more the real one. Kara is talked up as having actively suppressed her true self so much in the pilot, and Supergirl is the one who can more actively reflect Kara's childhood--well except child Kara, living on Krypton, had no powers. I dunno maybe that's part of the counterbalance.  Clark has always had powers for his whole living memory and Kara hasn't. So I suppose that argument could be used to say that the persona WITH powers (Superman) might actually be the more real one to him and the one without powers (Kara Zor-El.... as opposed to Kara Danvers OR Supergirl) the most real to her.

[Perfect Xero]

I've always thought of this as the reverse of Superman though. Clark is really clearly the "real person" between Clark Kent and Superman. Other than adding the unnecessary glasses, and acting clumsy, Clark is the bedrock of who his is and Superman kind of a pose.

 

With Supergirl (at least this version of her), I've always thought it skewed more towards the logic that Supergirl (except for the name) is more the real one. Kara is talked up as having actively suppressed her true self so much in the pilot, and Supergirl is the one who can more actively reflect Kara's childhood--well except child Kara, living on Krypton, had no powers. I dunno maybe that's part of the counterbalance.  Clark has always had powers for his whole living memory and Kara hasn't. So I suppose that argument could be used to say that the persona WITH powers (Superman) might actually be the more real one to him and the one without powers (Kara Zor-El.... as opposed to Kara Danvers OR Supergirl) the most real to her.

 

Some versions of Clark didn't have his powers start to kick in until he hit puberty and then it took him years to learn how to actually control his powers (like the scene in Man Of Steel where his super senses kick in for the first time while he's at school and his classmates see it as him just freaking out for no reason). If you can't participate in gym class because you might not be able to control your strength and accidentally kill another kid or can't walk down the hall without bumping it to walls  because your x-ray vision is making you see through them you'll probably come about the reputation for being the awkward, nerdy kid quite naturally.

 

So, in that respect Clark and Kara could have had a similar curve, grew up a normal kid until they hit 12/13, then suddenly having to learn to control all these crazy powers while attempting to fit in, making them seem weird and awkward and making it difficult for them to feel close to their peers.

[Kromm]

Some versions of Clark didn't have his powers start to kick in until he hit puberty and then it took him years to learn how to actually control his powers (like the scene in Man Of Steel where his super senses kick in for the first time while he's at school and his classmates see it as him just freaking out for no reason). If you can't participate in gym class because you might not be able to control your strength and accidentally kill another kid or can't walk down the hall without bumping it to walls  because your x-ray vision is making you see through them you'll probably come about the reputation for being the awkward, nerdy kid quite naturally.

I do think that's the exception for the character though and not the rule. Although I suppose it's more common in the more modern versions, where "Superbaby" is a concept they didn't want to struggle with.

[legaleagle53]

After finally getting around to watching this episode just a few minutes ago, I have to say that I've reversed my opinion on putting Cat back into the dark regarding Kara's identity as Supergirl.  Cat's smug self-righteousness as she constantly needled Kara to the point that Kara simply quit her job rather than give into Cat's demand that she reveal herself got on my nerves so much that I ended up feeling that she deserved to get gaslighted by Kara and J'onn at the end.

 

Sorry, Cat, but you wanted the truth?  You've proven to me that you can't handle the truth!

[Chicago Redshirt]

For the first 40 years of Superman's existence, Superman was the "real" person and he was play-acting to be Clark. Kill Bill had this to say about him:

 

Now, a staple of the superhero mythology is, there's the superhero and there's the alter ego. Batman is actually Bruce Wayne, Spider-Man is actually Peter Parker. When that character wakes up in the morning, he's Peter Parker. He has to put on a costume to become Spider-Man. And it is in that characteristic Superman stands alone. Superman didn't become Superman. Superman was born Superman. When Superman wakes up in the morning, he's Superman. His alter ego is Clark Kent. His outfit with the big red "S", that's the blanket he was wrapped in as a baby when the Kents found him. Those are his clothes. What Kent wears - the glasses, the business suit - that's the costume. That's the costume Superman wears to blend in with us. Clark Kent is how Superman views us. And what are the characteristics of Clark Kent. He's weak... he's unsure of himself... he's a coward. Clark Kent is Superman's critique on the whole human race.

 

In the 80s, that flipped with "The Man of Steel" miniseries. That introduced the notion that Clark Kent was the real person, and Superman was a costume/persona he put on so he could maintain a normal life.

 

With Kara, I think we are to think that Kara Danvers is who she actually is. She was acting as Kara Danvers when there was no particular reason for her to. 

[legaleagle53]

For the first 40 years of Superman's existence, Superman was the "real" person and he was play-acting to be Clark. Kill Bill had this to say about him:

 

 

 

 

In the 80s, that flipped with "The Man of Steel" miniseries. That introduced the notion that Clark Kent was the real person, and Superman was a costume/persona he put on so he could maintain a normal life.

 

With Kara, I think we are to think that Kara Danvers is who she actually is. She was acting as Kara Danvers when there was no particular reason for her to. 

 

Classically, that was also the idea behind Kara/Supergirl.  She'd been just Kara for 15 years on Argo City, and she was still Kara when she landed on Earth.  Her Earth identity, "Linda" (as she then called herself) was only a role that she created at Superman's insistence to hide her existence on Earth.  Over time, however, she came to think of herself as "Linda" whenever she was in that identity, even after her existence as Supergirl had been revealed, and it in large measure was because being "Linda" gave her a chance not only to live a normal life, but also to decompress from the pressures of being the most powerful woman on Earth and Earth's second Kryptonian champion.

[Chris24601]

For the first 40 years of Superman's existence, Superman was the "real" person and he was play-acting to be Clark.

 

In the 80s, that flipped with "The Man of Steel" miniseries. That introduced the notion that Clark Kent was the real person, and Superman was a costume/persona he put on so he could maintain a normal life.

More recently than that, around 2004, Mark Waid introduced the concept referred to as the "Three Clarks." Smallville Clark, the face he shows to people aware of his double identity is the real person while Metropolis Clark (the mild-mannered reporter) and Superman (the bold hero) are both masks that he wears where he's really pushing one aspect of his personality and downplaying others and neither one on its own let him fully engage with the world in a manner that would fully satisfy him (he needed Metropolis Clark for the ordinary life with ordinary friends and the chance to embrace his love of writing and he needed Superman for the ability to help and inspire others).

 

Given the popularity of that approach since its introduction (you even saw it welded onto Batman in the Nolan films) it would not surprise me if that was the approach they're taking with Kara here; You've got Kara Zor-El, the person she is with those who know her secret... but she needs Kara Danvers for the ordinary life that she simply couldn't get as Supergirl and she needs Supergirl to feel like she's embracing her full potential by helping and inspiring others.

[Kromm]

Ugh. The only way I can go with that explanation is if we make sure we always specify that "Smallville Clark" has no italics on "Smallville". The name of that show really screws things up.

And even there I think it depends on a.) no Superboy having existed and b.) no interpretation where as early as him growing up, there was no nebbishy disguise at all. It really depends on the reason for the nebbishy disguise in the first place--if it was directly because he didn't want "Clark Kent" to resemble Superman, or if part of it was always rooted in him holding back his power so much that he came off as clumsy and maybe even a little bit of an outsider. I mean we have versions of the young Clark where he was everything from a football player, to a science nerd, don't we?

[Chris24601]

Well, the thing is I think RealClark (let's sub that in for SmallvilleClark to avoid aneurysms) has been shown to be a bit of a geek too on the show (ex. he names his powers) and the interpretation is that MetropolisClark and Superman are just exaggerations of RealClark's existing traits (the geeky and preferring privacy aspects for MetropolisClark for example).

 

Its really just an extension of the idea that we express different things in different roles; a man could simultaneously be a son, brother, husband, father, friend and co-worker and while he's the same man, he presents certain aspects of himself more strongly when he's in one role (more serious at work, less serious off the job) or the other such that his co-workers might have a completely different image of him than his friends and those have a different image than his wife or children.

 

As it relates to the show though I kinda see them doing that approach with Kara already... Kara with Winn, James and Alex displays the same adorkable traits she does as Cat's assistant, but mixed with a bit more of the confidence she displays as Supergirl... that's the RealKara and she's neither wholy Kara Danvers or Supergirl. The point of the Three Clarks interpretation is that without BOTH identities; the superhero and the civilian; the hero is unable to fully express who they really are and that neither is more real than the other.

[that one guy]

The thing I didn't realize about either Superman or Supergirl before this show that now seems obvious: Being a superhero doesn't actually pay the rent. Clark Kent and Kara Danvers have real jobs, that pay money, so they can afford to live in the expensive cities they protect. Kara doesn't trust the DEO completely, and if they pay her rent, she's dependent upon them. Having a real job working, for a powerful media figure no less, gives her some independence. She works with Hank, but he's not her boss. If she gets fired, she needs to get another job, with a resume that says she couldn't hack it at Catco. I would think she would be angling to get something with a little more job security and flexible hours eventually, however.

 

Kent's gig is actually much more flexible, because he's apparently a famous journalist at this point, and if he's smart he's taking longer-term, long form assignments like James Fallows or somebody like that, setting his own hours, and using his super senses to cheat a little on the investigative stuff. Kara's job requires her actual physical presence in the office . . . 

[Izeinwinter]

Money isn't really a very persuasive reason, because, well, she could use her powers to make enough money to support heroing, random charities, and a lavish lifestyle in very little time. Take, as a random example, tunnels. Tunnels are very expensive to dig. They're also very popular with people planning urban transit. Therefore, supergirl could, on any random day raise a couple of million digging one. Some city gets a subway extension either cheaper, faster, or both, and she gets a pile of money.

Even without going into the construction business, there is the basic fact of life that she's a very capable first responder. Taking a paycheck for that gig doesn't make her dependent on the DEO, because she could always go be a very effective first responder in Paris, France instead if they cut her of.

Edited January 16, 2016 by Izeinwinter

[Jordan27]

The thing I didn't realize about either Superman or Supergirl before this show that now seems obvious: Being a superhero doesn't actually pay the rent. Clark Kent and Kara Danvers have real jobs, that pay money, so they can afford to live in the expensive cities they protect. Kara doesn't trust the DEO completely, and if they pay her rent, she's dependent upon them. 

 

Superman can turn coal into diamonds.  Plus, as mentioned, there are other ways the Kryptonians could make money using their superpowers.  For storyline reasons, they let them have jobs.

Edited January 17, 2016 by Jordan27

[lion10]

I've always thought of this as the reverse of Superman though. Clark is really clearly the "real person" between Clark Kent and Superman. Other than adding the unnecessary glasses, and acting clumsy, Clark is the bedrock of who his is and Superman kind of a pose.

 

With Supergirl (at least this version of her), I've always thought it skewed more towards the logic that Supergirl (except for the name) is more the real one. Kara is talked up as having actively suppressed her true self so much in the pilot, and Supergirl is the one who can more actively reflect Kara's childhood--well except child Kara, living on Krypton, had no powers. I dunno maybe that's part of the counterbalance.  Clark has always had powers for his whole living memory and Kara hasn't. So I suppose that argument could be used to say that the persona WITH powers (Superman) might actually be the more real one to him and the one without powers (Kara Zor-El.... as opposed to Kara Danvers OR Supergirl) the most real to her.

 

I think this is the direction the show wants to go in.  Presumably Clark's raised as a human for a certain number of years before his parents reveal that he's actually an alien, but even then he's got no memory of Krypton.  All he knows is Earth, so I can see "Clark" being the "realer" person and Superman being more of the mask.  Whereas Kara spent the first 12 years of her life on Krypton before coming to Earth so Supergirl would be more real than Kara.  It should be noted that Astra seems to share this viewpoint.  When Kara threatens to bring Superman into their fight, Astra says "Kal-El doesn't have the stomach for it.  He was raised on Earth, he might as well be human.  You are the true heir to the House of El."  Though I think the show has done a poorer job than Man of Steel in demonstrating the differences between American and Kryptonian culture.  "Blood bonds us all" isn't much different than the idea of staying true to your family above all others OR the saying "blood is thicker than water" which means that the family you make is more important than the family you're born into.

[Miss Dee]

I think "Blood bonds us all" was specifically spoken of in the show as not just the primary meaning of "Blood is thicker than water" but also the second meaning of referring to all Kryptonians, not just the family whose genes you share. As in we're all sentient and sapient beings with desires and fears and wishes, and it's our shared humanity (Kryptonity?) that binds us together. Hence why Supergirl constantly tries to reach out to people's better natures using her sense of empathy.

As for wanting to be bossed around all day, I figure that's a sanitized version of the kind of hunger that makes successful billionaires want to be secretly submissive or even infantilized in the bedroom. She spends every day of her life being the most powerful being in the room. Maybe there's a kinky part of her that enjoys getting belittled and bossed around by Cat Grant, in addition to the career building and accidental mentoring Grant provides.

I am binge watching this show now and I am ADORING it.

[John Potts]

Disappointing episode. Too many factors that I'd liked got reversed here - Team Astra went from Possibly Well Intentioned Extremists to just flat out evil (OK, it may be that Non is the hothead that Astra's leadership keeps in check), they backtracked on the whole "Cat knows Kara is Supergirl" and Max Lord went from "suspicious of aliens" to "Mwa Haha evil" (Arrest the guy! As cambridgeguy said, the guy is illegally in your building, the police will be on your side!). I also REALLY hate the "Soldier disobeys orders because their officer is wrong" trope that apparently allows soldier to get off scot free (I'm sure that works in the real military). General Lane may be an idiot, but he's still the guy that gives the orders!

 

KirkB They specifically chose to attack Lord's company for some unexplained reason.

 

They've got the set!