S02.E05: Crossfire

[StarBrand]

I liked this episode. I've liked every episode this season so far...more often than not, it hits instead of misses.

Mon-El is totally the prince. He's totally used to having things go his way, not listening to others, and used to having women fall all over him. Although it was kind of funny to see him react awkwardly with casual interactions and phones. Kara didn't think about how...well...alien this planet is to him, and she's had all her life to adjust to it...

I like the Alex/Maggie thing. I agree they might be going a tad too fast with it, but it works, for now.  Alex is pushing things mostly, although she's probably been unaware of it until now.  I liked her last scene as well, how she could barely get it out that Maggie might've been right. She's like a 13-year old trying to ask someone out, and being so nervous they can't formulate words and say what they want to, and she might as well be, because this is obviously something new that she has no idea what to do about.

I don't think it was a "coming out" as much as Alex acknowledging that Maggie affects her, at perhaps she's not too adverse to exploring it...

I do like the fact Maggie isn't getting over being dumped quickly-she was definitely in the dumps about it. Also, that she was legitimately freaked out over all the things that she's seen lately.

[BkWurm1]

On 11/10/2016 at 7:43 PM, ottoDbusdriver said:

There is precedent -- like the mayor of Star City.

Who has his kid sister and a current drunk covering for him.  And last time he tried to run a big company, he lost it and his fortune because he was too busy.  

On 11/11/2016 at 8:52 AM, ItCouldBeWorse said:

As I've said, you could be right. I partly agree with your statement "I see no reason for this to be the case aside from some weird psychological guilt thing.... " 

If he is indeed the Prince, Mon-El either:

1) Feels guilty that instead of staying behind to die with his people (as the Prince in the story he told the D.E.O. did), he survived.  He abandoned his subjects.

or

2) Is aware that his actions in leaving Daxam might appear cowardly so doesn't want people to know the truth.

He also interestingly only told his story about who he was after he was told his world was gone and there was no return on the message he sent.  (Though I'm sure that will be answered eventually) If there was no world left to rule, and he no longer had body guards to protect him from possible enemies, and he still was uncertain about if he should really trust these people that asked no questions before locking him up (and still weren't letting him have free run) it makes sense that he'd be cautious about revealing the truth of who he was.   Plus in the comics

Spoiler

it was eventually discovered his real name was Lar Gand so I'm expecting that 2nd part to come up later and for Kara to recognize the royal name.  

Everything is still spec but its pretty reasonable spec.  

Edited November 12, 2016 by BkWurm1

[PatternRec]

On 11/8/2016 at 10:35 AM, kdm07 said:

I don't know if they're purposely playing up the "Lena has a crush" thing but it's amusing to watch.

I think the actress who plays Lena has chemistry with everyone. 

[ACW]

On 11/12/2016 at 5:14 PM, BkWurm1 said:

He also interestingly only told his story about who he was after he was told his world was gone and there was no return on the message he sent.  (Though I'm sure that will be answered eventually) If there was no world left to rule, and he no longer had body guards to protect him from possible enemies, and he still was uncertain about if he should really trust these people that asked no questions before locking him up (and still weren't letting him have free run) it makes sense that he'd be cautious about revealing the truth of who he was.  

  Let's not forget that Krypton and Daxam were at best rivals, at worst enemies.  He may have thought that telling his Kryptonian captor that he was the Prince would be dangerous.

  I'm hoping that "Mon-El" is neither his real name (which it almost certainly isn't, given the comics), nor his bodyguard's.  Rather, he panicked and chose a stupid fake name:  "Oh, you're Kara of the house of El?  Hi, I'm... Mon-El?  (Damn, why did I say that? Better hope everyone on this show is too stupid to ask why I have the same last name as her!)"

[Sakura12]

Yeah, the fact that no questioned why they have the same surname, even if it's asking if "El" is a common name on Krypton and Daxon is bothering me. 

Edited November 15, 2016 by Sakura12

[ottoDbusdriver]

9 hours ago, Sakura12 said:

Yeah, the fact that no questioned why they have the same surname, even if it's asking if "El" is a common name on Krypton and Daxon is bothering me. 

He should have gone with Ron Popeil of the House of K-Tel.  :)

[AudienceofOne]

Go back and read my 'tired of all women being portrayed as bi' rant on a previous episode. Wash, rinse, repeat. If they'd had Alex say she was bi and always had been in this episode I may have given this a pass. It's not like the show has put a lot of attention on her love life. But since this isn't a show about 15 year olds this storyline continues to annoy. If she 'comes out of the closet' next episode I may throw something.

On 15/11/2016 at 8:44 AM, PatternRec said:

I think the actress who plays Lena has chemistry with everyone. 

When she was on Merlin, people shipped her with just about everyone her character spoke to for a reason. She has amazing chemistry.

[Lazlo]

On 11/14/2016 at 10:44 PM, PatternRec said:

I think the actress who plays Lena has chemistry with everyone. 

I agree. The only other person we've really seen Lena interact with on a one to one level besides Kara is Winn and there was a definite hint of chemistry there too. Besides she's Katie McGrath and as AudienceofOne noted there is a reason she was universally shipped on Merlin!

I know this a sensitive area and I have no personal experience in this but isn't Alex a little old to only now realise she's a lesbian given she is in her late 20s? If she were from a very conservative family I could see it but from everything we've seen the Danvers are pretty progressive types and Alex herself had a pretty wild party girl phase. It seems strange that she never would have experimented. I wouldn't have any issues if the show said she was bi but that doesn't seem to be the direction they are going in.

[secnarf]

49 minutes ago, Lazlo said:

I know this a sensitive area and I have no personal experience in this but isn't Alex a little old to only now realise she's a lesbian given she is in her late 20s? If she were from a very conservative family I could see it but from everything we've seen the Danvers are pretty progressive types and Alex herself had a pretty wild party girl phase. It seems strange that she never would have experimented. I wouldn't have any issues if the show said she was bi but that doesn't seem to be the direction they are going in.

I don't think so - from personal experience (though I wasn't quite as old as Alex, and came from a more conservative/religious upbringing) as well as that of others. It's remarkable what societal expectations can do. You are expected to be heterosexual. For that matter, you are expected to be sexual, rather than asexual. Without getting into the numerous ways people can identify themselves, sometimes you just don't have the words or the self-awareness to realize that what you've been told you are all your life isn't true.

[legaleagle53]

17 minutes ago, secnarf said:

I don't think so - from personal experience (though I wasn't quite as old as Alex, and came from a more conservative/religious upbringing) as well as that of others. It's remarkable what societal expectations can do. You are expected to be heterosexual. For that matter, you are expected to be sexual, rather than asexual. Without getting into the numerous ways people can identify themselves, sometimes you just don't have the words or the self-awareness to realize that what you've been told you are all your life isn't true.

And even then, realizing it and actually admitting it to yourself and accepting it (coming out to yourself, in other words) are two entirely different things.  And coming out to yourself is ironically the hardest aspect of coming out for the very reasons that you set forth.

[KirkB]

I have no personal experience to bring to the discussion, but based on what Alex said to Kara it seem like in her earlier days she hung out with guys, dated, had sex, and found it unfulfilling/boring. So rather than giving girls a shot it seems as if she found sex to be less of a priority and threw herself into her work. It's only after meeting Maggie she realized there might be something she was missing.

Edited November 24, 2016 by KirkB

[StarBrand]

This is the second time Alex has invoked the "you might've been right about stuff" speech-she did so last year after Kara's experience with the Red Kryptonite...

[questionfear]

I am just catching up now, but I want to add how incredibly realistic the Alex/Maggie stuff was. I came out when I was a teenager, and even then I latched onto anyone gay I knew or knew of, just because they were the only ones who could understand how I felt. And on the flip side, I have definitely had people who are just coming out confide in me for the same reasons. 

I read the last Alex/Maggie scene as pretty true to life, and Maggie definitely reacted like someone who knew this conversation was coming. She picked up on Alex before Alex did. 

Sadly, I do not work for an extralegal government alien organization, nor are any hot cops trying to get in my pants. (though Mrs QF is likely relieved! ;))

[Miss Dee]

Count me in as believing Mon-El is actually crown prince of Daxam. The clues dropped certainly suggest it, and considering how Kara acted when she realized he was a Daxamite, he might have thought it prudent to pretend he was a nobody. This Kryptonian was from a prominent family; she might be nursing a grudge against the Royal Family. Best not to piss her off in front of the humans likely to follow her lead in terms of his treatment on this planet, at least until he can gauge what their reaction is likely to be.

And of course, by the time he figures it out he's committed to the lie and Kara is trying to be his friend and mentor...there's no advantage to telling her (nobody gives a shit about royalty in this society) and plenty of disadvantage in that it'll cause her not to trust him again. Better to keep his mouth shut and hope there's nothing left to tell on him.

It's hard to develop supporting characters if they're not involved with the hero(ine) romantically or part of their "real" life. Mehcad Brooks is a good actor and extremely easy on the eyes, so I'm willing to accept this storyline for the purposes of moving his story closer to Supergirl's.

As sad as I am that my crackship of J'onn and Alex will never come to pass, her coming-out story is believable and Leigh is killing it so I've no issues on that score.

I'm really hoping Kara is straight or at least bi though, solely because I'm selfish enough to admit that I don't want to have to give up my SuperHeat crackship too! :) But from a storyline perspective, I wouldn't have an issue with her being bi if it's set up believably, like they did with Alex being gay. I just don't think DC is going to go there.

Or they could just have Supergirl experiment with Lena Luther and decide she's just not into girls. But I highly doubt DC would ever show Supergirl being sexual in anything but a committed relationship. (Which is why my SuperHeat remains a distant dream, alas.)

Edited December 11, 2016 by Miss Dee