S02.E09: Supergirl Lives

[The Crazed Spruce]

When Kara investigates the story of a missing woman, she and Mon-El end up being thrust through a portal to another planet where the downtrodden are sold as slaves.

[Primal Slayer]

I wasn't that big of a fan of this episode, to much got done way to easily I feel like.

Alex is like a teenage girl all over again, which I understand this is your first girlfriend but you freaked out way to easily, especially after everything you've been through together.

Wynn seemed to be on a semi interesting storyline but it got wrapped up in a pretty bow by going to an alien planet and punching a glorified reptile. James get let off without even "sorry I lead the bad guy to you, you didn't sign up to fight crime physically"

The Yellow sun burst at the end to repower Kara was just a teeeeennnnyyy bit to convenient for me. This is why they show us the Dominators again?

We can officially say that Cat knows Kara is Supergirl right? I mean after how easily Maggie put 2 and 2 together that easily, lets just let it out of the bag completely.

[StarBrand]

I liked this. Perhaps things did get solved a tad too easily (J'onns bottle of sunshine). I liked how Alex just couldn't contain herself early on.

I figured Maggie had put 2 and 2 together-and yes, the only other person capable of freaking her out like that is Kara. Maggie's been dealing with aliens like it's' no big deal, so her knowing Kara is one is kind of low on the shock-ometer.\

I also liked that Maggie let Alex know, she'll forgive this one little freakout, but Alex can't keep doing this-we'll see how this plays out...

[stealinghome]

This episode was a B, but it felt like it should have been better. Like the whole was less than the sum of the parts somehow. A lot of it may have been that it was overstuffed--either the "Winn is scared" or "Sanvers tension" storylines ought to have been saved for another episode--but I think the pacing was off too. They took too long on setup, but then the actual time on Slavers' Moon was short/it was absurdly easy to escape.

Things I liked: for at least half the episode, the show remembered it was supposed to be about Kara and her internal life (I don't think the writers know how meta the "betwixt and between" comment is). Her "arc" this season still seems to be nagging reacting to guiding Mon-El, but at least we had SOME exploration of her reporter job--even if she didn't actually grow or learn anything (I guess that's the next step!)--and a reminder that what sets Kara apart is her immense heart. For most of 2A, they forgot that Supergirl saves the world by hoping, but they seemed to finally remember that she inspires (via compassion) in this episode. I'm wondering if a scene, or some dialogue, between Kara and Snapper got cut, because her "I follow my heart!" thing seemed pointed but I don't think he said it in their earlier confrontation. Though maybe I just didn't register it at the time.

Alex and Kara giggling over Maggie spending the night in the middle of the DEO. Usually that kind of stuff annoys me, but it was just such a charming sisters moment that I can forgive it.

Kara's face when the lost girl was reunited with her mom. Benoist really sells the moments where Kara's losses just hit her like bricks.

Beginning to weave Maggie into the show's larger canvas.

Seeing Alex be happy (more on this below though).

The meh: Okay, I love Sanvers, but they are fucking flying through storylines for them. Where's the fire, show? Slow down some, ffs. Let Alex and Maggie be happy for a few episodes before Alex starts beating herself up about it. Also Maggie figuring out Kara's Supergirl like that was super duper lame (and makes everyone who hasn't figured it out look like an idiot). And I'm bummed they passed up the opportunity for secret identity-related hijinks. Slow down, show, slow down. Oh, and Maggie's "you get one, Alex" was totally foreshadowing, right?

Snapper was a jerk without being an asshole. That's what I want to see more of from him.

Mon-El. He actually didn't actively irritate me as much in this episode as he has in the past, but a) playing his lack of Earth knowledge for humor in serious situations still doesn't work, b) bartender? Really?, c) he's still so contrived/forced in because he's just the Love Interest, d) PLEASE get Kara a personal arc that's not about Mon-El. ffs.

The ugly: James' ripoff Batman Guardian voice. Also Winn's whole "learn to be brave" storyline. Totally unnecessary, and just plugged in there to give him something to do. Just leave him as Mr. Computer.

They are really contriving ways to keep J'onn off-screen.

Slavers' Moon was ridiculously boring, blah, and easy to escape. Also a lot of the action sequences were subpar I thought.

I have a feeling this episode will lower in my estimation the more I watch it.

Edited January 24, 2017 by stealinghome

[mtlchick]

Quote

We can officially say that Cat knows Kara is Supergirl right? I mean after how easily Maggie put 2 and 2 together that easily, lets just let it out of the bag completely.

"The glasses don't hide it."  Ya don't say!  I think Maggie was tipped off more by Alex's freakout but I still think Cat knows, but respects her boundary on that.  But I did like that Maggie said "I'll let this slide, but we're going to have problems if you get upset and uptight about everything."

Mon El is still trying to get adjusted to Earth, how the hell did he get a job as a bartender?  I can imagine him pouring some top shelf vodka as if it's water and doing a number on a bunch of patrons in the process.

[statsgirl]

I loved this show last season but I think I'm done with it now.  I don't care about any of the characters any more, especially Kara/Mon El.

The whole plot was a rip-off of other shows, Star Trek (at least Winn had a red shirt line),  a Stargate to Arcturus, and a bunch of other sci fi shows.  Everything was so predictable.  J'onn can't help because he can't breathe the atmosphere... yeah, lame.

I'm not nearly as in love with Mon El as the people who write this show are, and the "romance" is impossibly heavy-handed..  Kara has been glued to his side for too long.

Winn is now Cisco V2, and approaching his Gary Stu levels, although not as bad yet.

I hope Mehcad Brooks is looking for another job because Kreisburg really has no time for James.  Everyone was involved in the A plot except him, again  I kept saying "Why isn't Winn saying they should take The Guardian for extra muscle?" but nope.

[Primal Slayer]

9 minutes ago, mtlchick said:

Mon El is still trying to get adjusted to Earth, how the hell did he get a job as a bartender?  I can imagine him pouring some top shelf vodka as if it's water and doing a number on a bunch of patrons in the process.

It's at the rundown, dimly lit alien bar isnt it? I don't think they really care that much about the quality of their employees. I really hate how cliche that entire set/place is.

[Oreo2234]

I still enjoy the show and I though this episode had several good moments but I agree that it is trying to tackle too much at once. I liked the episode but it could have been much better if it was more focused. Season one had more cohesive, better paced episodes. There is room on the show for all the storylines tonight but not in the same episode.

[Lantern7]

Minimum, I'm happy Harley Smith doesn't resembled her father in any way. Especially the lack of beard.

Still feeling for Snapper, even though he's inching towards liking Kara. I can't see how he puts up with Kara and James, even if the latter is his boss. I can related to the irritated. Like he spends his scarce spare time contemplating ways to murder people and make it look like suicide.

Anybody else suspect Mon's change of heart isn't on the up-and-up? I hope so, because "Superdoof" doesn't have much depth.

[Cthulhudrew]

Though I agree the Winn story got wrapped up a bit too quickly and tidily, and James got off way too easy for not really giving a crap, I have to say that I like Winn much better this season than last. Getting him out of Catco, and out of the mopey chauvinist "I was friendzoned" wah, I think he's coming into his own. I like his scenes with Alex. I wish she had called him on the "mugging" story, and think she should have at least left Winn with a gun, but otherwise I like the two of them.

(Granted, I pretty much think Alex makes any scene great, regardless of who she's with. She is the MVP of this show.)

I still like Mon-El, at least the actor playing him. They are gradually giving him a bit more to do, but it's still very clunky, and all this mystery they keep slowly spooling out is kind of meh. We get it, he is really the Prince of Daxam and was all along and his bodyguard story was bogus from day one. The only reason they could possibly keep dragging it out is because they want to have a really (melo)dramatic confession scene that makes Kara suddenly view him completely differently after they've already gotten together and blah, blah wangst. The show really does better when it lets things actually play out and doesn't force that kind of silliness. 

I suppose his codename is just going to be his real name, Monel? They really should have used his real name from the comics. 

[wevel]

Agree with everyone who commented on the episode feeling too crammed/rushed.  Why must every. single. storyline be wrapped up in one episode?  If we're going to have Kara powerless *again* so soon after she was held captive by Cadmus in 2x07, why not extend that storyline over multiple - even two - episodes?  Especially if they went to all the trouble of having the Stargatey device getting them to an unusual setting - another planet! - that could have made the by-the-numbers slave-trade story more interesting.

Alex/Maggie went from morning-after bliss to "I can't do this" to we-made-up so fast it was whiplash territory. 

I was actually interested in Winn's crisis of confidence, and thought maybe *that* would get explored over the next few weeks, but no, all he needed was to win one physical fight and he's all gung-ho again.

1 hour ago, stealinghome said:

Slow down, show, slow down.

Amen to that!

Edited January 24, 2017 by wevel

[stealinghome]

30 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

Anybody else suspect Mon's change of heart isn't on the up-and-up? I hope so, because "Superdoof" doesn't have much depth.

I think his change of heart is on the up-and-up. The problem is that he's already had it 2-3 times before.

More than anything, this episode cemented for me that Mon-El isn't working for me because he doesn't feel like a real character. It feels like he is whatever the writers want him to be at any given time. They've totally rushed his character evolution and he just feels like an amorphous blob as a result. And I'd probably be more charitable if the writers hadn't completely halted Kara's evolution to focus on his. That they're executing very poorly.

 

Oh, I did get a chuckle out of Maggie's "the glasses don't help" and Alex's like "OH I KNOW." Heh.

[thuganomics85]

Alex kind of turned into Oliver Queen there for a second, with how quickly she almost self-sabotaged her relationship, due to her inability to believe she deserves happiness.  That whole thing was ridiculous.  Chyler Leigh and Floriana Lima still have great chemistry, but if this is a sign of how they are going to handle Alex/Maggie going forward, then I'm.... not optimistic, here.

Another episode where it felt like it was more about developing Mon-El then anything to do with Kara.  Again, I like Chris Wood and everything, but I just feel like this season has been strangely Kara-lite, which is just bizarre to me.  Either way, the entire A-plot just felt like an "away mission of the week" episode of Star Trek, but not as interesting (or nostalgic, at the very least.)  And despite all the hype, Roulette barely factored into it.  And wasn't she still locked in the cell, when they all escaped back to Earth?  Is she just stuck there or are they going to find some way for her to come back?

OK, now I got extremely close to actually hating James.  Now, granted, Winn was being an idiot to start celebrating after he merely just knocked the guy down and if I wanted to be generous, I can understand James asking him for help without thinking about the consequences, but the way he was acting so indifferent to Winn about it was mind bogglingly.  How can he be that self-absorbed?  Never once did I hear him say anything along the lines of "Hey, you OK with all of that, Winn?" from him.  What the hell, James?!  I'm glad Winn gain some confidence at the end, but the whole storyline was a bust for me.

Hi, J'onn!  Glad they worked you in for one or two scenes.  I hope David Harewood at least is doing something else as well, and isn't just hanging around Vancouver, twiddling his thumbs.

Snapper is still a dick who I find myself agreeing with most of the time.

Yikes, it sounds like I hated this episode, but I really didn't.  I was just disappointed in a lot of it.  At least next week looks better with the return of Livewire.  Of course, I really want the return of Lena since Katie McGrath is awesome and Lena usually means Kara gets actual focus, which is the reason I actually started watching in the first place.

[stealinghome]

Apparently the black lung joke was a Chyler Leigh improv. She does all the best improvs!

[MarkHB]

I will give Chris Wood credit, as he's doing some good work delivering the idiocy that is Mon-El.  Madly monotheistic!

[Miss Dee]

I have to admit, I cackled madly at Mon-El's bon mots. Paris City... madly Monotheistic... I think it's the way he tries to recover from the errors that makes it so funny. The actor really sells it.

I do love Kara, but I hope one of the overarching themes of the show is her learning to grow into her own womanhood and maturity. She's cute and girlish and adorkable and fun, and I'm fine with that; I never want her to lose her hope and optimism and ability to inspire others, but I'm ready for her to develop a sense of gravitas and authority as well.

[Black Knight]

This was a fun episode. (Well, you know, aside from the squicky slave trade and Kara getting tortured.) I don't usually care much about the CoTW/procedural side of things, but this whole bit with an alien slave planet was so far from the typical Supergirl plot that it felt fresh.

I do wish they'd come up with a better excuse for why J'onn couldn't tag along. Really, with all the equipment the DEO has, there's no gas mask he could have worn?

I liked that Maggie figured out the truth on her own, because at some point she needed to know that Kara is Supergirl, but I also never thought that it would ring true if Alex told her, no matter how much she might want to. Alex grew up keeping Kara's identity a secret; it's hardwired into her. I doubt Alex has ever told anybody and I couldn't see her starting now. 13 years of (mostly justified) paranoid protectiveness aside, from Alex's point of view it is not her secret to tell.

As cute as Maggie and Alex are, I cringed at the anvilicious "You get one" foreshadowing. Alex is going to fail at some point, and from Maggie's look as they hugged, deep down inside she knows that. She just wants some more time with Alex first. That said, their story has been moving along at whiplash speed, so I hope the writers slow it down now and give us a few episodes of them happy before the inevitable.

"You found us?" "Always." Ah, my Danvers sisters. Forever my OTP.

I'm not crazy about Mon-El's "I want to be a superhero" kick and I hope it lasts no more than an episode before he decides the costume is dumb and that he'd rather be what he's been, someone who'll help but not someone who'll make it a calling. Because seriously there are too many superheroes/wanna-bes running around at the moment.

Finally, I missed Lena. I hope she's not done just because her mother was exposed as the big bad and arrested.

[The Crazed Spruce]

I, for one, am glad that Maggie figured it out, rather than having to be told. She is a police detective, after all, and it just adds credence to her detective skills. (Also adds fuel to the "Cat Knows" theory.)

3 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Still feeling for Snapper, even though he's inching towards liking Kara. I can't see how he puts up with Kara and James, even if the latter is his boss. I can related to the irritated. Like he spends his scarce spare time contemplating ways to murder people and make it look like suicide.

I get the feeling that Snapper's going with the "tough love" approach to mentoring Kara. He's being a dick to her because he wants her to push back against him to improve her reporting skills. (Or am I the only one who noticed his smile and "attagirl" after she left the room?)

2 hours ago, Cthulhudrew said:

I suppose his codename is just going to be his real name, Monel? They really should have used his real name from the comics. 

I suspect (and bear in mind that this is all speculation) that they're gonna wrap that detail into

the big reveal about his royal heritage that we all know is coming. (In other words, Lar Gand is the Prince's name, and Mon-El was the name of the guard whose identity he stole when he escaped.)

[VCRTracking]

I'm glad Maggie figured out Kara was Supergirl. She'd be a bad detective if she didn't figure it out by now.

Thank god Winn's problem isn't going to be dragged out for a few more episodes. All it takes is beating up an alien on another planet to get your confidence back up! I loved his saying "I'mnotaRedshirtI'mnotaRedshirt".

With Kevin Smith directing that was probably a deliberate Indiana Jones reference when Kara saw the Dominator and said "I hate those guys!" I remember "No Ticket" being in Dogma.

Guess we'll be seeing more of "Joe" in the future.

[Lady Calypso]

2 hours ago, wevel said:

I was actually interested in Winn's crisis of confidence, and thought maybe *that* would get explored over the next few weeks, but no, all he needed was to win one physical fight and he's all gung-ho again.

I would have loved to see this being explored over several episodes. I loved that Winn got pissed at Jimmy and rightfully so. I actually smiled when Winn called Jimmy out on his actual reason for coming to see him at the DEO. I think it's important that superhero shows start exploring the idea that superheroes are not always out on the field, fighting. Of course, even that idea got lost with the Alex/Winn conversation, so I do hope they find a balance, where Winn takes self defense classes from Alex, but he doesn't need to always go out on the field. I guess I just love when shows subvert tropes, such as Winn playing a comic relief role in stopping the bad guy in the beginning of this episode, only to actually be in danger seconds later. It was very, very refreshing. 

As much as I loved Winn's "I'm not a Red Shirt" line when Alex left him, I am annoyed by Alex just leaving Winn alone. She knows that he has no fighting experience; at least leave him one guy to help back him up! 

Oh, how funny show! Jimmy and Kara arguing about Guardian with Jimmy being Guardian! How hilarious will it be when she discovers his secret identity! Except it's not so funny because I really am annoyed by the Guardian arc. They're not even using Guardian well. He's used once per episode to do a twenty second fight scene, and that's about it. He didn't even partake in the main action this episode; he was used for Winn's story. Not that I liked the story in the first place, but they have done nothing to make me want to see more of it. Even Kara's role in it feels forced and superficial. 

I do like Mon-El, even if I don't actually like him and Kara as a couple. It's too bad his story is very cliche and predictable. I think nobody will be surprised when it is revealed that he's the Prince, because the writing is anything but subtle about it. They can call it foreshadowing, but it's basically Writing Trope 101. I also don't like the steady focus on his character; I'd like to see more of others instead of Kara/Mon-El every episode. 

Also, they basically confirmed Mon-El as the Prince with the aliens who couldn't harm him. They basically screamed "Don't harm the Prince" in that moment. 

I did enjoy Alex and Kara giggling like school girls about Alex/Maggie. It may be another writing trope, but the actresses sold it, and I always appreciate a little bit of sunshine in shows. That being said, Alex's freak out did seem forced, so I'm glad they also subverted that trope with Maggie figuring out the Supergirl-is-Kara secret, and dismissing Alex's attempt at a break up as just a freak out moment and that she let it slide once. I do agree that they're moving through the relationship tropes rather quickly, so that's a bit annoying.

I liked Snapper Carr scenes, even though I still don't buy Kara as some hard hitting journalist. 

[Artsda]

I really enjoyed it.

Mon-El was great and funny all episode. Loving his character.

Enjoyed the Wynn plot of him going to space and not thinking he could do it.

Minimal James is great. 

Maggie  figured Cara out too fast over the glasses.

[Agent Dark]

When I first saw the 'Transmatter Portal', I was like "Hey, its a Stargate!"  And then Winn was like "Hey, its a Stargate!", and then also made a Portal reference!  So that's my main takeaway from the episode.

[Starfish35]

1 hour ago, Agent Dark said:

When I first saw the 'Transmatter Portal', I was like "Hey, its a Stargate!"  And then Winn was like "Hey, its a Stargate!", and then also made a Portal reference!  So that's my main takeaway from the episode.

Same.  And then Alex telling him to figure out how to dial home. :)  

Also loved Alex calling dibs on the alien gun. 

[Cthulhudrew]

3 hours ago, The Crazed Spruce said:

I suspect (and bear in mind that this is all speculation) that they're gonna wrap that detail into

  Hide contents

the big reveal about his royal heritage that we all know is coming. (In other words, Lar Gand is the Prince's name, and Mon-El was the name of the guard whose identity he stole when he escaped.)

Ah! Good thinking! You're probably right. That hadn't even occurred to me, but it makes a lot of sense. 

[BooBear]

8 hours ago, Primal Slayer said:

I wasn't that big of a fan of this episode, to much got done way to easily I feel like.

I hate to say it but another disappointment for me. The show is overstuffed and the Monel thing is so glaring. Beyond the fact I need to figure out why he is constantly hanging with her -- he shows up unannounced for lunch? He didn't do what she said -- again. She told him to get Alex and she could have been in real trouble if Alex hasn't figured it out anyway.  If they are going for romance these two have zero chemistry and Kara acts like his mom. 

James is not only boring, but a jerk.

Snapper is not only boring but a jerk -- though... he was right missing kids aren't usually investigative journalism. 

Glad to see Wynn get a story but it felt not organic and rushed. 

HOW LONG are they going to drag out this "Monel" is the prince. We had that since episode 3 -- get to it. 

[cambridgeguy]

Kara probably shouldn't have lost her powers instantly (she still has them at night so she has some stored solar energy) but I guess there wasn't time to show a gradual loss.

I wonder how long it's been since the crossover because saving another earth from alien invaders wasn't like stopping some petty theft.  Or does that not count since it was on a parallel earth?

Even though they didn't bother lowering their voices or anything like that at least last season Kara never visited the DEO in her civvies.  You'd think her overprotective big sister or favorite martian would say something about that.

Speaking of Alex, maybe you want to leave a bodyguard for the one (unarmed) guy who can get you home? 

[Sakura12]

That felt really rushed and then got ties up in nice little bow. I get that they want this show to be light and optimistic, I think we can have a little more danger and still keep it way.

Maggie/Alex are cute but also moving at breakneck speed. Slow down. I like that she figured out Kara's glasses don't really hide her identity, but I also think it was Alex's worry over Supergirl missing, that was more then you'd give just a co-worker/friend. 

Mon-El is cute and sort of charming. Still don't understand his purpose. And the Prince thing is being dragged on too long, reveal that already. This show is not sophisticated enough to pull of any kind of intrigue. 

And James bragging about your exploits all the time, takes away the heroism. I'm glad that Winn found courage, but I still don't think that should've made him forgive James for not giving for a shit about him. He has a job saving the world and people that are willing to help him. He doesn't really need to help a supposed friend that just wants the glory of being a hero. Winn started helping James to protect his friend while James doesn't care that much about what Winn wants. That is not the type of hero I can get behind.

[Chicago Redshirt]

I  mostly liked this one. I like the emphasis that Kara isn't Supergirl merely because she has Kryptonian powers. She's Supergirl because she has an indomitable heart. I like Wynn's mini-arc and his wonder at being in space and his nerdy lines. I liked that they actually tried to make Kara's reporting part of who she is and that Snapper was not over the top in his jerkiness.

The things I disliked this time around were relatively minor:
1.  That Snapper was made to seem wrong when he was totally right that a) missing kids are typically routine and b) it was incredibly unprofessional of Kara to promise that Catco (what the heck is the paper called anyway?) would find the daughter. For all Kara knows, daughter is cut up in pieces or is hooking in Metropolis's Suicide Slum or something

2. Jimmy bragging on Guardian/writing about his own exploits. I give a pass to Superman and Supergirl writing about their exploits barely. They are reporters and what they do as Superman/Supergirl tends to be the biggest news around. But Jimmy is the editor in chief or publisher or something. He shouldn't be writing anything. And Guardian actually stopping low-level crooks is not that big a deal. Oh the old-timey "Here's my article, looking like a book report" thing doesn't work for me either. Reporters haven't turned in copy like that for probably 25 years minimum. 

3. The contrived Guardian actually catching the crooks. There's no good reason why Supergirl couldn't have swung back for the arrest. 

4. The Yellow Sun grenade. Someone asked about the effects of a red sun. I think the Superman/girl mythos has had different versions, but mainly, red sun radiation means no more superpowers immediately. So I guess it seems surprising that such a thing worked. But given that it was, why wasn't it deployed earlier so that Supergirl could superspeed the hostages to safety earlier. Also, why wasn't Mon-El doing things when he had (presumably) the same reaction to the yellow sun radiation as Kara?

5. Roulette. Every time she's on screen, she stinks up the joint. There's no particular reason the aliens need her to herd slaves to Slaver's Moon, or to pick out slaves, or for her to go personally to Slaver's Moon. 

Edited January 25, 2017 by Chicago Redshirt

[Jediknight]

I laughed at the Superman Lives reference with Thanagarian Snare Beast.  And hey, it wasn't a giant spider, and he was a good guy.

I've said it a lot this season, but I've got to say it again, I love Alex and Winn's sibling chemistry.  Alex as the big sister giving Winn a pep talk and confidence was a nice touch.  It really is amazing how much chemistry the cast has.

I laughed at the Goofus and Gallant reference because it made me think of King of the Hill, Hank was in a hospital waiting room reading an issue of Highlights and blurted out "I tell you what, this Goofus fella is a dumbass."

Edited January 24, 2017 by Jediknight

[AzureOwl]

3 minutes ago, Jediknight said:

I laughed at the Superman Lives reference with Thanagarian Snare Beast.  And hey, it wasn't a giant spider, and he was a good guy.

Or being a good guy's dinner. I could've sworn the Thanagarian Snare Beast was what was in the pot.

3 hours ago, cambridgeguy said:

Kara probably shouldn't have lost her powers instantly (she still has them at night so she has some stored solar energy) but I guess there wasn't time to show a gradual loss.

I would assume that in this iteration, the light of a red sun somehow blocks their ability to access the energy stored in their cells. Notice how the yellow-sunlight grenade was used at night, when the light of Arcturus would not be present to negate its effect.

This would also account for how the limited energy available in a tiny grenade was enough to restore Kara's powers, it just allowed her access to the energy already stored in her body that had been blocked by the red sun. 

[JapMo]

Really enjoyed that they went to another planet, but they sure overpowered the bad guys quickly.  That was disappointing.

I love the Mon-El character as played by Chris Woods, but am disappointed Mon-El wants to be a superhero.  I like the sleazy Mon-El that doesn't see anything wrong with using his powers for personal gain.  I see chemistry between Kara and Mon-El, but they need to slow it down.   He should be doing everything to avoid Kara, since all she does is correct him like a prissy schoolmarm, only to be drawn into her heroics because he has to...not because he wants to.  That's kind of how they started out with him, and now he's already like a lovesick puppy following after her.  They portray him as a Goofus (I personally always liked Goofus over Gallant) but it would be nice to see him have a plan.  He knows aliens are looking for him.  Why?   

[Primetimer]

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[BooBear]

Quote

He should be doing everything to avoid Kara, since all she does is correct him like a prissy schoolmarm, only to be drawn into her heroics because he has to...not because he wants to. 

When he said he wanted to be a super hero I thought Kara was going to balk. Not only didn't he follow her directions but his judgment was poor - running in there without letting anyone know what was happening (dude, you have a phone don't you).  Even with powers you need to have good judgment.   And I am just going to say it... why does Monel walk around in glasses now? 

I was also annoyed with Kara's judgment last night though. Monel was right that Kara was foolish to walk in there without powers. Frankly the only reason they escaped was lazy writing.  Seriously, the 8 or 9 other kids rebelled against their captors.. and that worked? How does Slavers bay ever keep anyone captive? No other potential slaves ever thought of that?   Now the show did have a perfect opportunity to have them go easy on them because of Monel and have Kara gets suspicious and later confront him about what he wasn't telling her ... but alas... opportunity wasted.

I would love for Cat to come back to the story just to try to clean up the messes Kara and James have turned into in her absence.

[StarBrand]

I guess Maggie figuring out that Kara is Supergirl does create an issue in that it makes anyone who hasn't figured it out yet, an idiot.  Although one could say she figured it out pretty much based on Alex's reaction-she goes berserk right around the time Supergirl goes missing, correctly figuring that anyone who could provoke that reaction had to be someone very, very close to her.

Although Alex's overreaction was a tad extreme. It would have been one thing for her to say to Maggie "this is a bad time to chat, could we go over it later?", straight to "this thing with us, it can't continue, no, get out".  Because of that, things with Maggie almost got ended before they got started-and Maggie let Alex know that these overreactions can't continue, and for this, she gets a pass. Alex has to prove with her actions she means it when she says she won't run away again.  Although the look on Maggie's face after the hug is somewhat troubling.

I agree perhaps there's a few too many plotlines, one too many balls in the air. If they could do away with the whole Guardian thing entirely, that alone would be fine by me...

[mrspidey]

2 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

 4. The Yellow Sun grenade. Someone asked about the effects of a red sun. I think the Superman/girl mythos has had different versions, but mainly, red sun radiation means no more superpowers immediately. So I guess it seems surprising that such a thing worked. But given that it was, why wasn't it deployed

The "immediately" is what's wrong about the whole thing. If that were really the case, Kara would lose her powers every single night as soon as the sun has set. They could've solved this by havig Kara and Mon-El wander around for a day or so before encountering resistance and realising their powers are gone. 

[Lady Calypso]

9 minutes ago, StarBrand said:

I agree perhaps there's a few too many plotlines, one too many balls in the air. If they could do away with the whole Guardian thing entirely, that alone would be fine by me...

Yeah, there are a lot of plotlines going on at once, and it is making the show crowded. The problem with the Guardian storyline is that it's not being done well at all. It makes Jimmy look like a total self obsessed jerk only in it for himself and not for the good of the people, it's making Kara look like an idiot for not figuring it out as well as giving her and Jimmy pointless drama for the season as they are unintentional enemies, and it's not even doing anything to benefit Jimmy's storyline; this is all about Winn. He's been getting the emotional beats that should belong to Jimmy. It's a good thing I like Winn, because he's the only reason why this storyline is tolerable for now. 

It's really a waste of time. And if we compare Guardian's act of heroism to Mon-El wanting to be a superhero, it makes Kara look slightly worse for possibly allowing Mon-El to be a hero but criticising Guardian. Sure, she has no idea who Guardian is and sure, he's not an alien. But Mon-El has no good judgment. He has not listened to a word she says and he's been very reckless. Also, the Guardian vs Supergirl issue they planted this episode is dumb because Jimmy's barely been shown as Guardian, so we've seen nothing of their rivalry until now. They didn't even interact in the beginning scene! 

At this point, they should just have Jimmy move back to National City. They really can't make him work on this show, so it'll be better to ship him back off to Superman. 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

14 hours ago, Primal Slayer said:

14 hours ago, mtlchick said:

Mon El is still trying to get adjusted to Earth, how the hell did he get a job as a bartender?  I can imagine him pouring some top shelf vodka as if it's water and doing a number on a bunch of patrons in the process.

It's at the rundown, dimly lit alien bar isnt it? I don't think they really care that much about the quality of their employees. I really hate how cliche that entire set/place is.

He even made a comment alluding to the fact that the bar regulars were killed by the gas that CADMUS released, which almost killed him.  I guess the bar's owners can't be too picky.

9 hours ago, Artsda said:

Maggie  figured Cara out too fast over the glasses.

 

3 hours ago, Sakura12 said:

I like that she figured out Kara's glasses don't really hide her identity, but I also think it was Alex's worry over Supergirl missing, that was more then you'd give just a co-worker/friend. 

She's seen both Kara and Supergirl fairly often.  I think she's be a pretty bad detective if she couldn't make that ID, even without Alex's freaking out.

 

2 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

The contrived Guardian actually catching the crooks. There's no good reason why Supergirl couldn't have swung back for the arrest. 

I can think of a few better ways that Supergirl could have stopped the getaway car.  She could have easily killed the occupants by causing it to overturn as she did.

27 minutes ago, StarBrand said:

Although Alex's overreaction was a tad extreme. It would have been one thing for her to say to Maggie "this is a bad time to chat, could we go over it later?", straight to "this thing with us, it can't continue, no, get out".

Maggie doesn't have the clearance to be a party to everything that happens at the DEO, does she?  Alex should have taken a breath and explained that there was a crisis now that she wasn't authorized to tell Maggie about, and that she'd have to leave.  There should already be an understanding about this between them.

9 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

And if we compare Guardian's act of heroism to Mon-El wanting to be a superhero, it makes Kara look slightly worse for possibly allowing Mon-El to be a hero but criticising Guardian.

How is she going to react when she finds out that James, Winn, ALEX, and Mon-el have all been deceiving her? Don't Kara and Alex have the kind of relationship where the latter withholding information about Guardian would be seen as a pretty bad thing, even though it's James' "secret"?  Alex should have insisted that James tell Kara, or she would.

Edited January 24, 2017 by ItCouldBeWorse

[Oreo2234]

Quote

I agree perhaps there's a few too many plotlines, one too many balls in the air. If they could do away with the whole Guardian thing entirely, that alone would be fine by me...

The first few episodes or so this season were pretty coherent and well paced but since the Guardian plot line has been introduced they've struggled to balance all the plots. 

[BkWurm1]

The episode was cheesy but most of the actors are delightful enough to pull it off.  

Jimmy has not been a delight at all.  Are they flat out trying to write him as a dick now?  It sure seems that way. 

[MarkHB]

Something I wondered during the show: why is James, the publisher, pitching stories to Snapper, the editor? I once read that one definition of a publisher is "someone who can fire an editor over editorial differences;" by that rule, James should just be saying, "run this."

[Starfish35]

Yeah that didn't make sense.  Nothing really about James' story makes sense anymore. 

[KirkB]

I think the major issue this season is James/Guardian. I mean, I have little interest in Mon-El and his burgeoning relationship with Kara (no offense to the actor, I know he's doing his best, it just isn't working for me) but at least they SORT of have something for him to do. And he has a big reveal...well, for Kara anyway, coming in the future. James has no story or plot relevance outside of being the Guardian, and any positive feelings I might be able to drum up are decimated every time he opens his mouth to brag about how cool his is. If they really couldn't find anything for Mehcad to do they should have just taken CatCo out of the picture all together and left James behind.

BTW, why was there even a Dominator there? Did they have some CG left from the crossover they wanted to use? That was so random.

Edited January 24, 2017 by KirkB
Typing too fast make for bad spelling

[Unclejosh]

Did anyone think the little thing with the blanket at the end was an improv by Chris Wood and a genuine laugh by Melissa and they just kept rolling?  Seemed that way to me.

[Chicago Redshirt]

5 hours ago, mrspidey said:

The "immediately" is what's wrong about the whole thing. If that were really the case, Kara would lose her powers every single night as soon as the sun has set. They could've solved this by havig Kara and Mon-El wander around for a day or so before encountering resistance and realising their powers are gone. 

Just spitballing about how it all works, but Superman/girl are effectively solar batteries that manage to take yellow sun radiation and translate it into their super-abilities. They don't have to be actively bathing in yellow sunlight to access their abilities, so they are going to have stores of it at night and even when not directly in the light of a yellow sun (say, in a solar system with a non-yellow, non-red sun). 

Something about red sun radiation either drains their storage of yellow sun radiation or blocks their ability to translate it into super powers. There have been depictions where they have immediately lost all access to super powers, and ones where it gradually weakened them over time. 

5 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

Yeah, there are a lot of plotlines going on at once, and it is making the show crowded. The problem with the Guardian storyline is that it's not being done well at all. It makes Jimmy look like a total self obsessed jerk only in it for himself and not for the good of the people, it's making Kara look like an idiot for not figuring it out as well as giving her and Jimmy pointless drama for the season as they are unintentional enemies, and it's not even doing anything to benefit Jimmy's storyline; this is all about Winn. He's been getting the emotional beats that should belong to Jimmy. It's a good thing I like Winn, because he's the only reason why this storyline is tolerable for now. 

It's really a waste of time. And if we compare Guardian's act of heroism to Mon-El wanting to be a superhero, it makes Kara look slightly worse for possibly allowing Mon-El to be a hero but criticising Guardian. Sure, she has no idea who Guardian is and sure, he's not an alien. But Mon-El has no good judgment. He has not listened to a word she says and he's been very reckless. Also, the Guardian vs Supergirl issue they planted this episode is dumb because Jimmy's barely been shown as Guardian, so we've seen nothing of their rivalry until now. They didn't even interact in the beginning scene! 

At this point, they should just have Jimmy move back to National City. They really can't make him work on this show, so it'll be better to ship him back off to Superman. 

We did have Jimmy-as-Guardian interact with Supergirl at least once, where she noted that he was wearing a lead mask and he said something like, "Couldn't make it too easy for you." Too bad she's too lazy to use her other super-senses to figure out who he is. 

3 hours ago, MarkHB said:

Something I wondered during the show: why is James, the publisher, pitching stories to Snapper, the editor? I once read that one definition of a publisher is "someone who can fire an editor over editorial differences;" by that rule, James should just be saying, "run this."

Earlier in the season, James already won his dick-measuring contest with Snapper (who, btw, I don't even think is editor in chief. I think he was introduced as editor of the investigative team). So perhaps James no longer felt the need to be as blunt as he could have been. It is just fundamentally weird to have the publisher say "Hey, here's this piece I wrote myself." That would be like the CEO of McDonald's showing up at the drive-thru and handing customers their orders.

9 minutes ago, KirkB said:

BTW, why was there even a Dominator there? Did they have some CG left from the crossover they wanted to use? That was so random.

Yeah, they did. 

[Cranberry]

16 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

Also, they basically confirmed Mon-El as the Prince with the aliens who couldn't harm him. They basically screamed "Don't harm the Prince" in that moment. 

The Dominator actually bowed to him. If he's not the prince, I'll eat all the hats.

[MarkHB]

1 hour ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

It is just fundamentally weird to have the publisher say "Hey, here's this piece I wrote myself." That would be like the CEO of McDonald's showing up at the drive-thru and handing customers their orders.

True. Usually, if I see a piece by the publisher in my paper, it's either "here's a new section that was my pet project," or "here's why our paper now costs $3.00 but it's been reduced to a single sheet of purple mimeograph."

[secnarf]

31 minutes ago, Cranberry said:

The Dominator actually bowed to him. If he's not the prince, I'll eat all the hats.

I took that scene as flat-out confirmation that Mon-El is the prince, thus exiting the realm of speculation/anvils and entering the realm of dramatic irony.

[wevel]

Both of the inevitable reveals (James-as-Guardian, Mon-El-as-prince) are being dragged out for so long after we the audience knew the truth/figured it out that it makes Kara look foolish for not catching on sooner.  Knowing this show, though, I suspect both reveals will happen in the same episode to make it *super*-dramatic.

I appreciate Maggie actually figuring out that Kara is Supergirl pretty fast, although I wish we'd gotten a little more comedy/drama from her not knowing.  Maybe the writers thought about having three reveals, but decided that it would be too much, even for them ...

[KirkB]

Maggie figuring out Kara was Supergirl so easily didn't bother me. Most people in National City only ever get a glimpse of Supergirl and few know who Kara Danvers is, so there is no way for the majority of them to ever make the connection. Maggie has spent time with both and is now intimate with Supergirl's DEO partner, AKA Kara's sister, which gives her an unusual perspective. Exceptional in a different way people like Cat Grant and Perry White with Superman may very well know the truth and not say anything.

[Cranberry]

Plus Maggie is a detective. She detects!

(Really, I think that anyone -- but especially a detective -- who's had a decent amount of contact with both Kara and Supergirl should figure it out relatively quickly. I'm in the "Cat knows" camp, too... and I think that Lena Luthor will probably get there, if she's not there already.)