S02.E06: Changing

[Cassandre]

1 hour ago, Writing Wrongs said:

Whatever happened to them trying to find their dad? Is that over?

that's why I wouldn't mind an Alex and J'onn spin-off. 

[regularlyleaded]

2 hours ago, Kendra said:

[...] there are just too many people on a show that really shouldn't be an ensemble cast. It seems like every episode there are one ore two characters completely missing...and most of the time there is too much going on to even notice. I honestly think Chyler has stolen this show from Melissa. She is the real mvp this season. She's done a fantastic job [...]

Yep. But, that's the thing isn't. Alex has been handed essentially the only heavy emotional arc being written and Kara has been relegated to background position. So, ya, Alex has quite literally stolen the show. And I'm not in any way diminishing Chyler here, she's done absolutely excellent, excellent work, but when the only story of considerable depth is sole property of one character, of course they are the MVP, because there aren't any other positions for anyone else to play. Kara wasn't even involved in Alex's story until this episode because it's a story line that doesn't lend itself to other players because it's a personal journey for Alex. And any part that Kara could play has been in some ways entirely played out in this episode because all Kara can do is be supportive of Alex, Which it's great that Kara gets to show that personal growth by being the supportive sister as Alex was supportive of her last season, but it's a story that only offers a literal supporting position for Kara, who is the presumptive lead character in the series.

I think for me while I didn't really care one way or another whether they did this coming out story for Alex, I was nonetheless reticent because I was concerned that a story of that nature would gobble up this show because it's no small thing. And lo and behold that's exactly what's happened (IMO), especially with regards to the heavier dramatic elements, Alex's story line has in many ways swallowed the show whole. It doesn't have to be that way because Alex's story doesn't take up every single scene in every episode, but her story line dominating the focus of the show is compounded by all the other story lines being thrown into the mix that have nothing to do with Kara, notably Jimmy's "Cape Envy" story arc and, to a lesser extent, Mon-El.  

In terms of story lines that are relevant to Kara, Jimmy's story is particularly problematic (IMO). His cape envy (arguably, ego tripping) vigilante arc doesn't feel to me like it's a story that meshes with this show in general, it has really no relevance to the other things going on in the show, and it, worst of all, doesn't add anything to Kara's story. (Which, say what you will of Mon-El's character, at least his story does add to Kara's story line to some extent, not to mention that being an alien in a strange land gives him a good degree of common ground with Kara, plus their respective cultures and planets have history together.) All that is to say that, if the writers/producers weren't so fixated on getting Jimmy to work on this show by any means necessary, then screen time could be better served by giving Kara, the titular heroine of the show, an individual story arc.

6 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

I just want an individualized story about Kara. Cat was the one character who got to give her that. I love Cat, but her main purpose had been for Kara and Supergirl. Though Cat was still given her story with her sons, so she wasn't just Kara's cheerleader. 

I'm gonna come sit next to you, @Lady Calypso ;) The further we get into this season, the more I miss Cat (not just because Calista rocked that role because she totally did. Come back, Calista!), but because she was so great for Kara. With all these story lines going on that have little to nothing for Kara to be involved with or where she's essentially the supporting player, and thus no overarching individual story arc for Kara being written, I'm left feeling that the show has warped into something that they should rename "Keeping up with Kara's Friends" because it's not Kara's show or story anymore.

I feel like I sound bitter, and maybe I am, but I swear I will die on this hill (I will, don't test me ;) - If your going to have a show about Supergirl, then write the show about Supergirl, give her a meaningful story arc in her own damn show.

While this episode was a (so-so) improvement for Kara compared to recent episodes, the fact remains that I shouldn't have to go back all the way to episode two to find the last time that Kara had a story line that had any depth to it (Cat was still present as her awesome self helping drive Kara's story.)  Come on, Show, do better. I'm rooting for you, but if this trend continues I may have to tap out. Kara Zor-El being the background character in a show titled Supergirl is a deal breaker for me.

Edited November 15, 2016 by regularlyleaded

[Tarasme]

9 minutes ago, regularlyleaded said:

 

 The further we get into this season, the more I miss Cat (not just because Calista rocked that role because she totally did. Come back, Calista!), but because she was so great for Kara. With all these story lines going on that have little to nothing for Kara to be involved with or where she's essentially the supporting player, and thus no overarching individual story arc for Kara being written, I'm left feeling that the show has warped into something that they should rename "Keeping up with Kara's Friends" because it's not Kara's show or story anymore.

 

I. Miss. Calista.

[Lady Calypso]

16 minutes ago, regularlyleaded said:

In terms of story lines that are relevant to Kara, Jimmy's story is particularly problematic (IMO). His cape envy (arguably, ego tripping) vigilante arc doesn't feel to me like it's a story that meshes with this show in general, it has really no relevance to the other things going on in the show, and it, worst of all, doesn't add anything to Kara's story. (Which, say what you will of Mon-El's character, at least his story does add to Kara's story line to some extent, not to mention that being an alien in a strange land gives him a good degree of common ground with Kara, plus their respective cultures and planets have history together.) All that is to say that, if they writers/producers weren't so fixated on getting Jimmy to work on this show by any means necessary, then screen time could be better served by giving Kara, the titular heroine of the show, an individual story arc.

I'd even say that's best case. Worst case is that it totally overpowers Kara's story and is going to make her look like a dumbass for not figuring it out sooner, as well as the rest of the DEO. I'm sorry, but J'onn already wondered how the hell Jimmy knew about Kara's accident and knew details. Winn then rushed Jimmy off. That should have been tip off #1 that something was up. When Winn disappears at night to go fight crime with Jimmy and then he's tired all morning afterward, that should really be tip off #2. 

This story is literally going to undermine characters who are supposed to be intelligent; and guess what? They already are. Mon-El, at the very least, adds something to Kara as she learns to accept a Daxam and maybe learn that they're not all bad while she teaches him something. What is Jimmy going to do for Kara's story? Is it going to teach her that anyone can be as good of a hero as her, even without any superpowers and only a suit to trust in? Against aliens, no less. Hell Oliver Queen has more experience than Jimmy in vigilantism, but I don't think he stands as good of a chance against aliens as someone like Kara or even Barry Allen.  

[StarBrand]

Jimmy's whole "Guardian" arc is about attempting to make him relevant. It's really the only ongoing plot right now that I'm not into. Although the writers might somehow find a way to make this work, but for now, that particular plot sucks.

And irrelevant plot right now is not what we need. We have plenty of plot-let's see

-Mon-El-which is actually growing on me

-the ongoing Alex coming out

-Cadmus

-By extension, Lena Luthor-good or bad? (I'm hoping for the latter)

-J'onn Jones-this thing with the White Martian is coming to a head very soon.

-Kara attempting to be a reporter

-Oh yeah, the Danvers' search for Still-Alive-Dad

So, yeah plenty of plot to go around.

Edited November 15, 2016 by StarBrand
spelling is goot

[BooBear]

1 hour ago, regularlyleaded said:

Yep. But@Lady Calypso, that's the thing isn't. Alex has been handed essentially the only heavy emotional arc being written and Kara has been relegated to background position. So, ya, Alex has quite literally stolen the show.

 

The problem with this plot is it is rushed and thus seems to be taking up time. I like a show with breakneck speed but not if they have to focus too much on the side characters to make it work.  It should have been a full season arc. I think frankly... Alex's sex life is irrelevant to the show. We haven't even seen her apartment up until this point. No bad dates with guys, dates at all, Kara shopping with her. Until now Alex as only seen at the DEO or as Kara adjacent - no private time. It seems like a bit of an over share or.. a plot to be done when we don't have 4 other plots happening.

Mon-el seems like a crazy missed opportunity for Kara to impart some of the Cat Grant knowledge that helped her so much on to someone else. But frankly it seems the Cat writer went with Calista because Kara can't remember any of it.   That would have been really perceptive to say that Kara's human experience might have made her Krypton up-tightness softened so that she could relate to a Daxim person better.

I despise the monster of the week / demon of the week plot development.  Not Supergirl and just evidences poor lazy writing. They were out of ideas and had to go to the grab bag of weird aliens.

My midyear votes.

- Jimmy is hurt badly and sent back to Metropolis to recover and get back with Lucy. We see him once a year as a guest star.  The "guardian" is no more.

- The Demon bar is blow up and Kara doesn't see the demons so much anymore.

- Lena buys out Cat co and takes over firing Snapper. Lena would be a Cat replacement but they would be more contemporaries. 

- Mon el moves in with Kara (roomies) just to help him get on his feet -- it is just about making him pass for human until the end of the season where he gets a job -maybe with the DEO? Winn and him are gold.

- Alex... every 3 or 4 episodes she gets a social life.

- J'John... sorry to say... he functions best as the non attached head of the DEO.  He should be all about getting Jeremiah back.

- Cadmus.. recurring bad guy.

[BkWurm1]

4 hours ago, sjohnson said:

Martian Barista giving Martian Manhunter a disease from her blood transfusion was very AIDS-like in the time of Alex's coming out story.

They seem to be playing a long game with Winn Schott, AKA Toyman. His big speech to James about being the best [toymaker] James was ever going to meet was anvilicious I thought.

I expect that rather than a disease, J'onn will have be influenced by the darker nature of the White Martian blood (since the rest of the race were about killing everyone) and that will be his story, fighting those tendancies now (or for an episode til they cure him).  

As for Winn, he isn't Toyman, his father is Toyman.  Winn is Jr.  

3 hours ago, xaxat said:

I agree with all of the criticism about James/Guardian. And what makes it worse is that James is not some anonymous schmo working a dead end job with no prospect of affecting real change. He runs a GLOBAL MEDIA CORPORATION! Perhaps his time would be better spent having his people follow up on reports of supers being kidnapped/killed.

I just love it when Melissa/Kara gets to eat or drink. Ice cream, pot stickers, alien booze. . . her reactions always make me smile. 

I don't disagree with really any of the criticism about Jimmy, I just for some reason flipped a switch between the last two episodes and apparently decided to ignore the flimsy reason for him needing to put on a mask because I think he is doing a good job with his material beyond of course the huge motivation makes him look like a douche problem.  I liked him more last year when he was in the action and so in this instance, I'm willing to forgo a compelling reason for him to hit the streets to finally get him better positioned to be useful on the show.  In real life, his position as head of Catco should be plenty, but it's not for how they tell their stories on this show.  

I think I also found peace with this story line because I think the show accepts that he is acting reckless and manic.  I'm pretty sure Winn really taken control of this attempt is what turned my opinion around.  Jimmy (he still needs to earn back James) has the drive for whatever reason but Winn IS the brains.  I hate the idea of Jimmy running around in a suit he extorted Winn to make but somehow now that I see The Guardian as a clear partnership, I'm on board.  It reminds me of Firestorm on LoT.  It's them working together that is making me interested and open to this writing choice.  

 

2 hours ago, Writing Wrongs said:

Whatever happened to them trying to find their dad? Is that over?

ETA: I hate the monster bar. It makes Kara seem less special somehow, IMO. It's monster of the week territory now.

It does, but for me it solved the rampant xenophobia the show displayed last year when every alien was evil except Kara and Clark.  That bothered me more than the a bar full of aliens that came out of nowhere.  I also have enjoyed the stories that have come out of having the bar.  The show badly needed a space that wasn't work or home and the place Kara went every day to pick up Miss Grant's coffee was to generic and bland IMO.    

[Bruinsfan]

18 hours ago, kdm07 said:

Alien beer. Ten times as strong as Earth beer ;)

So, like shots of whiskey or tequila, then? Not wowing me with that aspect of Kryptonian invulnerability if the kids from Jersey Shore are more resistant.

[Perfect Xero]

Obviously that ale rum Kara drank was also from a planet with a red sun.

Edited November 15, 2016 by Perfect Xero
It was rum!

[Cranberry]

It was rum, actually! "Aldebaran rum. Deadly to humans, but a refreshing cocktail for the two of you." The fact that it got Kara drunk so quickly was amusing, but all I could think about in that scene was that everyone in the alien bar apparently knew who Kara and Mon-El were. Does Kara simply trust that everyone in that bar is a fine upstanding alien who wouldn't sell her out for a few bucks?

Chyler Leigh is killing it, and whoever's writing Alex's coming out is spot-on with literally everything about it. 

I'm definitely on the "Mon-El is actually the prince" bandwagon. The guy can barely fight, and he expects us to believe that his job was to protect his planet's royalty?

[sjohnson]

1 hour ago, BkWurm1 said:

As for Winn, he isn't Toyman, his father is Toyman.  Winn is Jr.  

Didn't know evilness was White Martian genetics, thanks. 

But as for Winn? This is Hollywood. A beta male who tries to get above his station is not just contemptible. Demons are driving him to the dark side. And Winn is as beta male as you get.

[Cthulhudrew]

6 hours ago, Writing Wrongs said:

ETA: I hate the monster bar. It makes Kara seem less special somehow, IMO. It's monster of the week territory now.

I agree. It feels cheap, somehow. It reminds me of Caritas on Angel, and as much as I love Andy Hallett (RIP), Caritas always felt really cheap to me, too. "Hey, here's a secret bar where all the grotesquely inhuman creatures hang out and somehow they are the only ones that know about it. Except for when the plot requires everyone else to know about it, too."

One thing that I found kind of laughable about this Supergirl episode was when Alex asked Professor Jones to stay on for observation and he's all "No! I can't be detained in my mission to thwart global warming! It is an imminent danger that won't wait for one more second to be averted!!!" Like, seriously, not even 24 hours, dude? Earth's not going to up and swallow humanity that quickly.

[regularlyleaded]

4 minutes ago, Cthulhudrew said:

One thing that I found kind of laughable about this Supergirl episode was when Alex asked Professor Jones to stay on for observation and he's all "No! I can't be detained in my mission to thwart global warming! It is an imminent danger that won't wait for one more second to be averted!!!" Like, seriously, not even 24 hours, dude? Earth's not going to up and swallow humanity that quickly.

Hehe, I laughed at that too.....and took it a step further because if the guy seriously thinks the global warming is so bad it can't wait 24-48 hours then J'onn and Alex should've just held him anyway because he was clearly mental.  What the hell is he going to do about it if the disaster is so imminent that it can't wait a day? I mean, at that point the best thing he can do is visit his favorite pub, order a drink, chug it down, then put a paper bag over his head, lay down on the floor, and wait for the end.

[BkWurm1]

Quote

Didn't know evilness was White Martian genetics, thanks. 

I don't know for sure,but it seemed implied.

[miracole]

I don't like how Kara was all on Mon-El's case about being a hero. Let him be who he wants to be. 

They are being so bogus to Jimmy.

I was pretty much only here for the Alex/Jonn friendship(maybe more) and that seems to be out the window so... 

Edited November 16, 2016 by miracole

[ottoDbusdriver]

3 hours ago, Cranberry said:

It was rum, actually! "Aldebaran rum. Deadly to humans, but a refreshing cocktail for the two of you." The fact that it got Kara drunk so quickly was amusing, but all I could think about in that scene was that everyone in the alien bar apparently knew who Kara and Mon-El were. Does Kara simply trust that everyone in that bar is a fine upstanding alien who wouldn't sell her out for a few bucks?

That bugged me too.  Does Maggie know that Kara is Supergirl ?  Because she is apparently in that bar ALL the time.  Does M'Gann know about Kara as Supergirl ?

[BkWurm1]

9 minutes ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

 Does M'Gann know about Kara as Supergirl ?

How can she not?

[secnarf]

14 minutes ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

That bugged me too.  Does Maggie know that Kara is Supergirl ?  Because she is apparently in that bar ALL the time.  Does M'Gann know about Kara as Supergirl ?

I don't know about Maggie - though if her and Alex ever get together then I hope so - but if Kryptonians are impervious to Martians' telepathy, and humans (i.e. Alex) are not, then M'Gann should have figured it out pretty fast.

[Trini]

Seemed to be a lot of manufactured drama in this one; the scene with James and winn yelling at each other was especially cringe-worthy.

I agree the show may be too overcrowded now. And Lena and Snapper weren't even in this one.

Wait-- So the Alien Dive Bar is going to be a regular set for this season? It is so annoying that apparently that aliens have just been hanging around National City this whole time, the DEO knew nothing about it, and now it's the team's new hangout spot?

I guess I'm glad that they want to find ways to keep James involved, but this Guardian arc seems pretty useless to the show overall.

Glad we had more sister bonding scenes in this one; we need at least one of the DCTV shows to pass the Bechdel Test.

And yep, the writers could benefit from lessons on subtlety.

Edited November 17, 2016 by Trini

[stealinghome]

Quote

Before James was boring, now his cape envy is making him annoying. And I don't care at all. This is supposed to be Supergirl's show. I'm not here to see her get defeated then have two male heroes suddenly be heroic. The opposite would never happen on a Superman show. 

So much word.

Quote

I think for me while I didn't really care one way or another whether they did this coming out story for Alex, I was nonetheless reticent because I was concerned that a story of that nature would gobble up this show because it's no small thing. And lo and behold that's exactly what's happened (IMO), especially with regards to the heavier dramatic elements, Alex's story line has in many ways swallowed the show whole. It doesn't have to be that way because Alex's story doesn't take up every single scene in every episode, but her story line dominating the focus of the show is compounded by all the other story lines being thrown into the mix that have nothing to do with Kara, notably Jimmy's "Cape Envy" story arc and, to a lesser extent, Mon-El.  

I hear what you're saying, but I don't think Alex's storyline has swallowed the show. I think it might feel like that because it's the only really good storyline the show has going at the moment--and Chyler Leigh is acting the shit out of it and is, now that Calista Flockhart is gone, the show's best actor--but imo the problem isn't Alex's storyline, it's that we're wasting what ought to be Kara's time on Mon-El, James, and Winn bullshit. Those three characters are useless and aren't adding jack to the show, and it doesn't help that James and Mon-El are basically getting the exact same character arc to boot. If Kara had a compelling arc for herself, I don't think Alex's storyline would feel like too much; I actually think the writers probably had visions of complementary arcs here, with both sisters struggling to find their way in their personal lives (Kreisberg has said multiple times that this season is supposed to be about Kara Danvers finding herself). The problem is that the writers are whiffing hard on Kara, and for what? We've covered the James-related stupid here at length, but Mon-El isn't adding anything to the show other than making Kara learn the same exact after-school special lesson in every single episode. Seriously, what Kara should be learning is that Mon-El is a dick and they should shove him back into his pod and blast him back off into space, never to be heard from again. It's so obvious that he's there to fulfill the hot-but-douchey white fratboy CW archetype. If the cast weren't horribly bloated with the three useless dudes, it wouldn't feel like Supergirl is getting lost in her own show (which I totally agree she is).

Though I might be biased, since I've thought since last season that Alex was way overdue for a meaty storyline of her own. She was the only regular who didn't get a real storyline last season; she was a--or the--major supporting player in Kara and J'onn's arcs, but she didn't get anything for herself.

Quote

I don't know; I felt like the drunk scene should have been funnier, but I found Melissa Benoist to be a bit too over-the-top in it.  Strangely, I felt like that has been a bit more of a problem so far this season.  She's extremely talented, but it feels like the directors or whatever are directing her to take it to the limit, and it's just not fully working for me.

I've actually wondered if the directing has been part of the problem, too, but as I look it up, now I'm not sure. Wiki tells me that the directors for 2x03-04 were new, but the directors for all the other episodes are old hands for the show. Heck, the director of this episode directed 1x07, 1x16, and 1x20 last season, three Benoist performance standouts. So...who knows. Maybe the directive is coming from on high, or maybe some of the production changes from moving to Vancouver are influencing MB. Or maybe she's just overthinking it based on last season.

Though I will say the show has never been particularly good with, for lack of a better term, situational humor imo (for example J'onn posing as Kara--I didn't think Benoist sold that well at all). This show's funniest moments are always one-liners, and 99% of them come from Kara/Cat/Alex/J'onn.

[Lantern7]

Thanks to Time-Warner for putting the episode On Demand after the local CW station ran ESPN. It felt more "natural" than seeing it online.

Any chance Kara would recognize James through the narrow slit in his mask? Great that he's being productive and not dealing with people like Snapper, but it seems so obvious. If Kara busts him in the end of the season without much proof other than the eyes, I would be shocked.

I keep wondering if sexual identity is a "thing" on Krypton. I don't think it would be, but Kara would still be the most supportive adopted sister in the history of adopted sisters.

I think Mon would have been a better character to have on Smallville, because characters were more morally ambiguous there.

Still waiting for the "Hello, Megan!" moment. While I'm thinking about it . . . are Martians naked all the time? Or would they be able to manipulate fabrics at will?

[Trini]

Oh right, forgot about Mon-El. He's here to give Kara her own arc, but he was mostly pointless in this one, and his storyline was made up of clichés.

But on a positive note; I thought the Parasite monster (and related effects) looked good considering the CW budget.

[Writing Wrongs]

I really miss Cat. I don't like that they have sidelined CatCo for the DEO. Kara's workplace kept things more grounded and not "all alien all the time". 

James is still meh for me, but I like his outfit better than Diggle's on Arrow.

[KirkB]

7 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

While I'm thinking about it . . . are Martians naked all the time? Or would they be able to manipulate fabrics at will?

Essentially, yes. At least in the comics (I presume the same is true on the show) J'onn's REAL appearance is a large, green, what we would consider naked being. A smaller version of what M'Gann looked like when she briefly reverted to her White form. Traditionally he only started wearing clothes (which are just a manifestation of his shape changing) when he got to Earth and saw it was a thing with humans.

Edited November 16, 2016 by KirkB

[Sakura12]

I agree with it only feeling like Alex's storyline is taking over because it's the only interesting and well acted storyline going on right now. I assume the writers thought that the James/Guardian arc and the Mon-El arc would be just as amazing. When they are just frustrating and unnecessary. This is Supergirl not the origin of story of the side kick becoming a hero. James is like Laurel from Arrow, only she at least had the because comics thing backing her up. He doesn't have that and it feels like strong men can't be side kicks to a chick.  He needs to be a hero too. 

Between this show and the Flash, I'm not seeing much heroics with their supposed heroes, they want to be special and call themselves heroes before anyone else does. That makes them more like villains in my eyes. 

Edited November 16, 2016 by Sakura12

[Chris24601]

15 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

That bugged me too.  Does Maggie know that Kara is Supergirl ?  Because she is apparently in that bar ALL the time.  Does M'Gann know about Kara as Supergirl ?

My read on Kara in the bar was that it was "Rule of Funny" trumping logic. Seeing Kara get giggly drunk is more amusing than seeing Supergirl get drunk.

I can mostly justify it as Kara's civilian guise not being all that well known (she's was Cat's assistant and is now a junior print reporter) and as a secret alien bar its not like they're carding her.

Has Maggie even met Kara (as Kara)? If not, she already knows that Alex works with Supergirl and J'onn was there too so the logical conclusion for Maggie would be that Alex is checking on Supergirl (her friend from work) in disguise, not that she's Alex's sister. The fact that Supergirl left with Alex, J'onn and Mon-El makes the famial tie less obvious as well.

Also, per the dialogue all the drinks were being sent over for Mon-El by the ladies so its entirely possible the warning about the drink being lethal to humans was because the bar-goers weren't sure whether Kara and/or Mon were alien or not (as both look completely human), though Kara downing the drink without dying would settle that for anyone paying attention.

So its nebulous enough that I can give it a pass for now. What could be a fun continuity nod though if she's going to keep hanging out at the bar would be if she used 'Linda Lee' as an alias there.

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

Is Supergirl Becoming A Supporting Character On Her Own Show?

Kara's friends have problems of their own; are they going to suck the life out of her?

[DigitalCount]

While I welcome having flawed, 3-dimensional characters, I'm not particularly enthused about Supergirl being...kind of consistently bigoted. I get that this was all in the bag long before election night, but it left a bad taste to see Kara shy away from Alex so abruptly and fall so easily into a racist remark about Mon-El. 

Also, I found the conversations between James and Winn to be some of the best material this episode. Winn telling James he was basically going to die full-stop was amazing.

So I guess I fell on the opposite side of the consensus this week. I know most people are bored by James, but for me he was one of the highlights. Alex continues to be heartbreaking, and I applaud the writers for having Maggie say no. I do think that it'll end up being a "not right now" thing, but it had already been moving quickly; we don't need them to be living together by the hiatus.

[KirkB]

3 hours ago, Chris24601 said:

Has Maggie even met Kara (as Kara)? If not, she already knows that Alex works with Supergirl and J'onn was there too so the logical conclusion for Maggie would be that Alex is checking on Supergirl (her friend from work) in disguise, not that she's Alex's sister. The fact that Supergirl left with Alex, J'onn and Mon-El makes the famial tie less obvious as well.

 

Good question. I don't think she has. Maggie knows Alex has a sister. That was part of the whole "I told my sister" conversation. Maggie probably doesn't know that perky blond girl in the bar IS Alex's sister. She may just think she's a human looking alien.

[Chris24601]

32 minutes ago, KirkB said:

 

Good question. I don't think she has. Maggie knows Alex has a sister. That was part of the whole "I told my sister" conversation. Maggie probably doesn't know that perky blond girl in the bar IS Alex's sister. She may just think she's a human looking alien.

That's my read on it too.

She knows "that girl over there is an alien cause she can drink stuff that would kill a human" but she doesn't know that the girl over there is named Kara Danvers and that she is Alex's sister.

At worst, she recognizes that its Supergirl (because she's met Supergirl and knows Alex works with Supergirl and that Alex was going over to the booth to talk to her and helped Hank and Mon-El drag her out when duty called), but she thinks it's Supergirl wearing civvies to not draw attention to herself rather than "that's Alex's sister, Kara."

Admittedly, if they ever get a chance to officially meet, Maggie should figure it out instantly, but for now I'd say at worst, the people at the bar know that Supergirl occasionally likes to slum it dressed as a human so she doesn't draw too much attention when she's doing it (kinda like the celebrity in a hoodie to avoid the paparazzi). They just don't know enough and Kara isn't in any way famous enough in her civilian identity for them to know any more than that.

I do think that if she's going to keep going there she needs to come up with a different name/fake ID to give the people there though (and that using Linda Lee for that would be a perfect way to incorporate that little bit of Supergirl lore).

[KirkB]

1 hour ago, Chris24601 said:

At worst, she recognizes that its Supergirl (because she's met Supergirl and knows Alex works with Supergirl and that Alex was going over to the booth to talk to her and helped Hank and Mon-El drag her out when duty called), but she thinks it's Supergirl wearing civvies to not draw attention to herself rather than "that's Alex's sister, Kara."

Which is really going to complicate things if Alex ever decides to introduce Maggie to Kara, or vice versa. Maggie should recognize her as that cute alien girl from the bar, or if you're right and she already knows that blonde alien is Supergirl...

[stealinghome]

I wouldn't be surprised if, like someone above said, they'll basically just handwave Kara being at the bar as Kara in the future. As someone above said, I think that scene was in there mostly for a gag. Which drives my little continuity-loving heart nuts, but!

[Cthulhudrew]

19 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Still waiting for the "Hello, Megan!" moment. While I'm thinking about it . . . are Martians naked all the time? Or would they be able to manipulate fabrics at will?

Speaking of, M'gann's green martian outfit seems to look identical to J'onn's for some reason; is it supposed to be some kind of martian uniform? Otherwise- heck, even if so- I'd like to see the both of them in their green martian forms in some other outfits. Like maybe just hanging out in civvies with their green faces on. (And I wish they'd have made the white martians less CGI and more practical effects, so that we can see M'gann in her natural form more casually on occasion, too.)

[rtms77]

So if Mon El is susceptible to lead as he was in the comics, why isn't/ wasn't he doubled over in pain when near Guardian or the lead pencils at Catco or any other lead items in a city like this. Would this explain why he doesn't seem as strong as Kara? 

I'm getting tired of Kara getting her butt kicked in every fight now.Last year wasn't too bad since they were kryptonions but this season you could flatten her with a feather and win the fight.

Edited November 17, 2016 by rtms77

[secnarf]

7 minutes ago, rtms77 said:

So if Mon El is susceptible to lead as he was in the comics, why isn't/ wasn't he doubled over in pain when near Guardian or the lead pencils at Catco or any other lead items in a city like this. Would this explain why he doesn't seem as strong as Kara? 

I'm getting tired of Kara getting her butt kicked in every fight now.Last year wasn't too bad since they were kryptonions but this season you could flatten her with a feather and win the fight.

Pencils have graphite (carbon), not lead.

Maybe he wasn't close enough to the Guardian? I can't remember how close he got, or how much lead is needed for a noticeable effect..

[Perfect Xero]

Lead is dangerous to humans too, so, presumably Winn sealed it up in the lining of the helmet/suit to avoid exposing James or anyone else to it.

[legaleagle53]

1 hour ago, Perfect Xero said:

Lead is dangerous to humans too, so, presumably Winn sealed it up in the lining of the helmet/suit to avoid exposing James or anyone else to it.

Not the way it's supposed to be dangerous to Daxamites.  For lead to be toxic to a human, the human has to take it into his or her system somehow, but a Daxamite merely has to be exposed to enough of it at a close range.  Lead affects Daxamites in exactly the same way that green Kryptonite affects a Kryptonian, and supposedly, once they're exposed to it, they're goners unless they take the cure for lead poisoning, which also renders them immune to future lead exposure and enables them to retain their powers even under a red sun such as the one that Daxam and Krypton shared.  Ironically, the only substance that can completely protect them from lead is -- Kryptonite!

Edited November 17, 2016 by legaleagle53

[CabotCove]

Freaking fantastic episode, maybe the show is finally gelling well with the CW now, seems things are changing. Alex's story was handled with a lot of sensitivity and looks like the made an effort to be educated on this matter, the actor brought it.

Really starting to like Mon El, more and more, he is better written than the first episodes and he is bringing the comedy. Yeah dont like how everyone is rushing him to be a hero and an earthling, not fair on the guy. And I dont see the problem with using your powers for money, every superpowered hero does to an extent, they all got jobs with a salary

The Guardian introduction was awesome, and James/Winn works well. Appreciate the effort to include James in the main story and writing for him. Of course he is still gonna be deemed useless and wanted out of the show, what else is new?. Is it perfectly executed? NO, but what is in these shows.....

That was brave and selfless of Ms Martian to donate her blood to save J'onn, I wonder if they will be any issues with having a White Martian's blood in his system. And they better start stock piling J'onn's blood from now on, in case something like this happens again

Quote

For lead to be toxic to a human, the human has to take it into his or her system somehow, but a Daxamite merely has to be exposed to enough of it at a close range. 

Well that was comics canon, we dont know if that will be adapted as show canon or not. Lets wait and see......

Edited November 17, 2016 by HeroLeague

[MarkHB]

I think Kara needs some Kryptonian business casual outfits to wear to that bar, similar to the ones we've seen in the Krypton flashbacks, probably with the little glyph up near the neckline.  She shouldn't be going as Kara Danvers, but she doesn't need to wear her supersuit, either.

[Sakura12]

Didn't she have a Kryptonian like outfit when she was on Red K? 

[legaleagle53]

4 hours ago, HeroLeague said:

Really starting to like Mon El, more and more, he is better written than the first episodes and he is bringing the comedy. Yeah dont like how everyone is rushing him to be a hero and an earthling, not fair on the guy. And I dont see the problem with using your powers for money, every superpowered hero does to an extent, they all got jobs with a salary

But they don't, as a rule, use their superpowers to perform their everyday jobs.  And Mon-El's career choice was questionable at best.  I mean, an enforcer for a loan shark, who specializes in beating up on aliens?  Really?

Edited November 17, 2016 by legaleagle53

[mtlchick]

It wasn't BAD but...like others said, the lead character is disappearing in her own show and now we have too many people stepping in when she's down for the count for a short time.  At least when she's Kara, she has her moments with her sister (it was well acted even though the writing was not) and her being drunk was a hoot.  But come ON show.  She's the maiden of might!  Show that she's a tougher chick!  Or least get back on track on finding Jeremiah!

Quote

I. Miss. Calista.

All. Of. This. 

[ACW]

19 hours ago, legaleagle53 said:

  Ironically, the only substance that can completely protect them from lead is -- Kryptonite!

I've been assuming that Mon-El has temporary lead immunity due to all the kryptonite radiation the DEO exposed him to when he was in their custody (and they assumed he was Kryptonian).

[Humbugged]

23 hours ago, rtms77 said:

So if Mon El is susceptible to lead as he was in the comics, why isn't/ wasn't he doubled over in pain when near Guardian or the lead pencils at Catco or any other lead items in a city like this. Would this explain why he doesn't seem as strong as Kara? 

I'm getting tired of Kara getting her butt kicked in every fight now.Last year wasn't too bad since they were kryptonions but this season you could flatten her with a feather and win the fight.

What they have done is give him the same powers as Superman had when he was originally written - super strong,super fast ,can leap tall buildings but none of the fancy flying,heat vision  or freeze breath.Cemented this week by having him in a recreation of the original cover from Action Comics #1 when Superman was first introduced

 

Agree with everyone about Chyler killing it . Having watched her on Greys where she had the house fall on her at regular intervals and Reunion where it was all of it's 13 episodes she is amazing at the heartbroken schtick .You see a lot of fake ugly crying she makes it look so natural

Edited November 18, 2016 by Humbugged

[Humbugged]

On 11/15/2016 at 11:01 PM, Cranberry said:

Chyler Leigh is killing it, and whoever's writing Alex's coming out is spot-on with literally everything about it. 

Berlanti himself wrote her parts this week.I read somewhere else that a lot of it is from his own experience coming out

[Ottis]

Finally had to fast forward through Alex, Kara and gay. Not sure why it required all the angst. I would think Kara would be fine with it. You're gay, great. What difference does it make?

Between last week with Mon El banging someone on the copier, and all the hesitation this week over saying "I'm gay," I'm not watching this with my 11yo anymore. It's a shame because it used to be a good show to talk about the strengths of women. It treated being gay as something to hide. It may well be an accurate portrayal of coming out, but it's a superhero show, not 30something.

BTW, wasn't force kissing Maggie in the bar not cool? If a guy did that, I can't imagine it would be ignored. 

Edited November 18, 2016 by Ottis

[Cranberry]

Kara wasn't upset about Alex being gay; she was upset that Alex didn't feel comfortable telling her. Prior to this, their big conversations were all about Kara's secret, and Kara felt like she hadn't been supportive enough of Alex.

[DigitalCount]

1 hour ago, Humbugged said:

What they have done is give him the same powers as Superman had when he was originally written - super strong,super fast ,can leap tall buildings but none of the fancy flying,heat vision  or freeze breath.Cemented this week by having him in a recreation of the original cover from Action Comics #1 when Superman was first introduced

I totally saw that too, and I love how these people keep putting these little things in. Not to get all sappy, but this was kind of a heartwarming moment for me because I once got my dad a birthday card that recreated that moment with the car.

I think they could probably get some mileage by having Kara take down something really tough that everyone else is having trouble with. Have her swoop in and save everyone so that it's clear that Supergirl is in fact still a story about Supergirl. I have faith, because they were able to bring in Clark without having him overshadow her, so it should be easy to let her shine beyond the Martians and the Superfriends. I'm thinking the Alex story is going to cool off for a bit; I can see her shutting down and being totally "work first" for a few episodes. I could also see Supergirl and Guardian becoming somewhat antagonistic, especially if James makes a mistake--which he's almost sure to do if they're writing him correctly.

Heck, just spitballing, but maybe they'll end this season with a total rip-off of Civil War; by this point they certainly have enough minor heroes and redeemable villains to do so.

[ahisma]

The one thing I was waiting for in the Maggie/Alex scene was, "We're in different places right now. Everything is shiny and new for you which doesn't last.... And I just got my heart broken. You should go have fun with someone up for fun. I'd still really like to be your friend right now." I mean, why would Maggie be ready to date anybody right now? And it would make the blow land a little softer—"it's not (just) you, it's me."

[BkWurm1]

1 hour ago, ahisma said:

The one thing I was waiting for in the Maggie/Alex scene was, "We're in different places right now. Everything is shiny and new for you which doesn't last.... And I just got my heart broken. You should go have fun with someone up for fun. I'd still really like to be your friend right now." I mean, why would Maggie be ready to date anybody right now? And it would make the blow land a little softer—"it's not (just) you, it's me."

Does anyone really believe the "it's not you, it's me" line?  :D

Quote

Heck, just spitballing, but maybe they'll end this season with a total rip-off of Civil War; by this point they certainly have enough minor heroes and redeemable villains to do so.

Spoiler

Sounds like the crossover will accomplish this instead.  Those pesky mind controlling aliens.