S03.E02: Triggers

[DeathQuaker]

10 minutes ago, tofutan said:

This has been denied over and over and over again by Katie McGrath in interviews. As far as Katie is concerned, yes Lena really is that blind. 

I am aware. That's why I used the word "fanon." To be clear, that is how I am handwaving it in my head so it doesn't bother me. :)

 

4 minutes ago, KirkB said:

You mean the same terrible experience Mon-El himself had already been through? He, like Kara, was stuck in a pod for over a decade when Krypton was destroyed.

While that's a fair point, I doubt she thought of it that way. She was far from able to be rational.

Don't get me wrong, I would have preferred they focus on that trauma without bringing Mon-El into it, and I wish the story had been written differently. But working with what we do have in reality, I choose to see it as not just about Mon-El.

Edited October 17, 2017 by DeathQuaker

[MadyGirl1987]

There was some things I really liked about this episode; Kara dealing with trauma from the destruction of Krypton and the moments she had with Alex and Winn for example.

However, there was a lot of moments I found stupid. Alex and Maggie not discussing something huge like having kids when they are getting married was ridiculous. I know a lot of couples neglect discussing important things before marriage but these two seem like they would be more sensible then that.

The worst part of the episode was Ruby for sure. Putting herself in danger so her Mom would have to save her, thus revealing superpowers, was bad enough. A teenager doing that so her Mom would not have to work and spend more time with her rose it to levels of idiocy. I will say, I think she is the stupidest character of the 4 DC CW shows, unseating Wally West who 

Spoiler

Went out into traffic to kickstart speedster powers he was convinced he had(before he actually got speed powers).

[tofutan]

Quote

 If the show wanted Kara's fear to not be her own experiences but the fact she had 'killed' Mon-El, why wouldn't she be more focused on the fact she was the one who hit the button and filled the atmosphere with lead in the first place.

I thought that that tied over nicely enough, that it's not JUST that she might have got him killed, but in a way that is particularly horrific to her. 

Quote

 She was the one who made it impossible for Mon-El to be with her, and she had no way of knowing if sending him off in the pod would even save his life since she couldn't be sure he hadn't been too exposed already. 

Well, it's not like not putting him in the pod would have improved his chances of survival, and within the universe of the show, unlike in the comics, Daxamites can recover from lead poisoning. Many people have pointed out that it still kind of a plot hole that they went for the pod rather than let's say sending him to Barry's universe or just putting him into a containment chamber. Aother one of those "well, you have to go with the flow" moments, no matter how little it makes sense. 

[Iceman91]

I'm loving this beginning of season and I love that the writers are committed to really explore Kara's sense of grief after last season and don't just ignore it after one episode. It's this kind of thing that makes Supergirl more interesting for me than the others shows of the arrowverse and it gives Melissa the occasion to really show her talents.

I'm happy that so many brought the wtf aspect of Kara creating a hole through catco and nobody reacting to it, the scene was insisting on Kara's glasses and open shirt like her secret was in danger and then nope nothing at all.

I wasn't a fan of Alex forcing Winn to talk because I felt like she wasn't respecting her sister's privacy but she did a good job of being there for her, better than last week.  The focus on the Danvers' sister this season is definitively a good thing

The conflict between James and Lena was brought at the beginning and then ignored until the end, there must have been a few scenes cut in this plot. I'm not sure what is James' exact position but ignoring his advice and not inviting him to meetings that concern him is very unprofessional by Lena. 

Once again fantastic acting by Melissa when Kara breaks down and think that she killed Mon-El. I find it very logical that her fear of losing Krypton and all this time alone and scared in her pod would bring her mind back to Mon-El and the similar experience he must have gone through.

Ruby punch kids, run away, put herself intentionally in danger just because she doesn't want her mom to be away from her when she's working? Awful kid, she should have been disciplined

I concur with others, it was nice to have a scene between Kara and Winn, they were the original friendship after all.

Edited October 17, 2017 by Iceman91

[DigitalCount]

I really hope that line about Lena taking her coffee black wasn't some sort of twisted foreshadowing. I'm not a huge fan of the "we're at each other's throats, until we're...at each other's throats" trope, especially right after doing that last year with Karamel. I've seen spec that there's something in the works for Lena/James and so that line made my ears prick.

[Quark]

Really enjoyable episode. 

I need more Erica Durance though, she has been given scraps so far.

[tofutan]

21 minutes ago, DigitalCount said:

I really hope that line about Lena taking her coffee black wasn't some sort of twisted foreshadowing. I'm not a huge fan of the "we're at each other's throats, until we're...at each other's throats" trope, especially right after doing that last year with Karamel. I've seen spec that there's something in the works for Lena/James and so that line made my ears prick.

Katie's interview made my ears prick: 

Quote

 

As for the possibility that something more could be developing between Lena and James, McGrath says, “We’re not that many episodes in, so I don’t know, but he’s a very handsome man and we’re only human. I think the best TV relationships are the ones born out of antagonism. That might just be because I’m Irish and rough and argumentative, but I always think that friction and passion makes for the most interesting viewing.”

 

http://tvline.com/2017/10/16/supergirl-kara-lena-season-3-spoilers-katie-mcgrath-interview/

I thought the scene between Lena and James stuck out precisely because nothing happened in it. Like, why was it included? Just to inform us that both of them are working late? It also didn't have any scheming or sinister music going on to suggest that it was something along those lines. I'm always suspicious when a show shows scenes like that, especially if those scenes don't include the main character. 

[marketdoctor]

I strongly suspect the "DJ vs. Band" was a snark at Dancing with the Stars, where there are recurring complaints that the band doesn't sound like the songs they're covering.  (In a wedding band, this usually works, because wedding bands usually do their own thing.)   Personally, I think it depends on the DJ, the band, and the budget (how much you want a specific song, a specific sound, etc.)

Nice to see Eve get some recognition--she always seemed like she was waiting for a Powerless crossover until today.

I liked the acting choices, considering the holes.  I hope they build to a moment where Supergirl finally uses banter as a distraction, and says/does something like "Do you know what I (zap! POW!) like about distractions?"

[iMonrey]

Quote

is no one going to ask why there's a massive hole from the elevator shaft to the roof of Catco?! No one at all?!

Not to mention that Kara's glasses and purse are sitting on the floor.

This episode was especially problematic because (as others have pointed out) - all Supergirl had to do was zoom in and knock Psy out before she had a chance to use her psychic power. Instead, even already knowing what her super power was, Supergirl still stands there and talks with her like an idiot. 

And the fact that Alex and Maggie are planning a wedding when they haven't even discussed children just proves they are moving way too fast and aren't ready for a lifetime commitment. 

[mommalib]

I can't wait to see how the James/Lena thing plays out. Something is definitely going to happen between them. 

[CatWarmer]

15 hours ago, statsgirl said:

I can accept the hole in the roof of the elevator more easily than I can accept:

1.  Sam has a workbench with tools in her house? She doesn't look like the type to make furniture on the side.

2.  Lena gave her job at L-Corp to a young woman who is a recent hire and is hanging out at Catco all the time.  We've been given to think that L-Corp is way way bigger and more diverse than the media company of Catco.  Why would she give her company to a new person to run?

So much agree on point 2.  I don't read the comics so don't know the character but my impression is that she was an unemployed single mom; no idea of her professional background.  And she's the only person Lena could find on short notice to run a huge international corporation?  Not one underling at L-Corp was capable?  Or if Lena didn't trust her own employees to take leadership, how is this random unknown newcomer going to handle it and them?  This is a parent who does not have backup child care provisions in place (granted it's the first day on the job but for most people that would become the last day on the job).  How did Lena even get to know her?  Not through normal job posting and interview processes!

Also I would pick a live band over a DJ in a second for a wedding because to me it seems more sophisticated and classy.   It creates an experience that can't be duplicated.  Now if it was a bar or bat mitzvah...definitely DJ!

[Chicago Redshirt]

2 hours ago, iMonrey said:

And the fact that Alex and Maggie are planning a wedding when they haven't even discussed children just proves they are moving way too fast and aren't ready for a lifetime commitment. 

I'd bet that there are a lot of real-world couples who don't discuss kids, money, religion or a lot of other topics that are important before getting married. And I'm not even talking the "YOLO, we're in Vegas, let's get hitched" crowd. 

Especially with kids, people might jump to the conclusion "Of course, everyone wants to have kids!" 

And there's always the possibility that in a previous superficial conversation Maggie said something superficially supportive of raising kids.

[Lugal]

16 hours ago, TV Anonymous said:

The villain is a meta human? They have a STAR Labs that exploded and exposed people to dark matter and negative energy in that universe?

I assumed with all the aliens and secret agencies (DEO, Cadmus, etc.) that there have been enough experiments going on to create some metahumans.

8 hours ago, JapMo said:

Speaking of words, I've got three.......ditch the kid.

Not everyone can luck out with Trixie from Lucifer.

14 hours ago, tofutan said:

Well, they kinda wasted J'onn here. The only person on the team with psychic powers only tries once and that's it?

J'onn's probably my favorite character on the show, but he's always been hard to work with because really his powers should solve the episode's problem within about five minutes.  Sometimes they find a good excuse to keep him out of the action and sometimes not.

6 hours ago, KirkB said:

Alex made a point earlier in the episode of Kara having bouts of claustrophobia before, which makes since considering what she'd been through. That should have been enough for Psi to prey on, at least IMO.

As one of the few people who was almost neutral about Mon-El last year (I thought he was a good supporting character and foil, but did not work as well as a romantic partner for Kara) I have to say that making her fear about him, rather then the claustrophobia, watching her mother send her away, and her planet being destroyed did sort of lessen the moment for me.

And speaking of Kara's mother, it feels like they're trying to ease in Erica Durance as if they're giving us little doses saying: "She's Kara's mother now, remember."

[Star Aristille]

All of this and no one mentions probably the funniest part of the episode?

Alex is so fucking awesome.  Now she has Winn so scared of her, she can make him talk with just a look and maybe by advancing on him just a bit in an intimidating fashion.  I watched that part about three to five times and still haven't stopped laughing every time I think about it.

[Cthulhudrew]

On 10/16/2017 at 6:09 PM, kdm07 said:

Before I say anything else, I have to get this off my chest: is no one going to ask why there's a massive hole from the elevator shaft to the roof of Catco?! No one at all?!

They're all too busy enjoying the now-open-to-all Executive Elevator.

[tofutan]

Quote

Alex is so fucking awesome.  Now she has Winn so scared of her, she can make him talk with just a look and maybe by advancing on him just a bit in an intimidating fashion.  I watched that part about three to five times and still haven't stopped laughing every time I think about it.

That was almost a complete ripoff from the scene from season 2 where Alex forces Winn to fess up about Guardian. 

If some is so rich that she has such a fancy house and it totally equipped to take over LCorp, why doesn't she just hire a nanny? 

[legaleagle53]

9 hours ago, tofutan said:

If some is so rich that she has such a fancy house and it totally equipped to take over LCorp, why doesn't she just hire a nanny? 

Ruby is 12 or 13, not 2.  What preadolescent child would put up with the notion of a glorified babysitter?

[JapMo]

1 hour ago, legaleagle53 said:

Ruby is 12 or 13, not 2.  What preadolescent child would put up with the notion of a glorified babysitter?

A preadolescent child that thinks Mommy has superpowers and she should run away and find danger so Mommy will have to use said powers to save her.  Yeah, Ruby is 12 going on 3.

[NicoleQueen]

I'm not going to enjoy much watching Ruby being so head-bangingly(?) stupid. Like, this is the second time this week (The Gifted) I'm watching a kid outing someone's powers which 1) is none of their business to do unless that person is very dangerous, 2) is none of their business, 3) is so fucking stupid, 4) is none of their business and it's fucking stupid.

Besides, telling someone your mom has superpowers and then punching them when they don't believe it? And walking in a dangerous situation, which by the way can lead to your death way earlier than your mother can appear and use her dubious powers to save you.

Also, as Sara Lance said, they have bills to pay so what, she expects her mom not to work and rob banks?

Just mind-boggling from everywhere.

[tennisgurl]

I’m actually interested as to why Ruby thought that Supergirl never has to work. Is that just a kid not understanding that even superhero’s need groceries, the public’s perception that Supergirl only exists as Supergirl, or does Supergirl have some corporate sponsorship deals that we haven’t seen? 

I mean, I’m not THAT interested, but it’s something...

[legaleagle53]

12 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

I’m actually interested as to why Ruby thought that Supergirl never has to work. Is that just a kid not understanding that even superhero’s need groceries, the public’s perception that Supergirl only exists as Supergirl, or does Supergirl have some corporate sponsorship deals that we haven’t seen? 

I mean, I’m not THAT interested, but it’s something...

It's simple.  With her powers, Supergirl could easily dig up enough gold, silver, uranium, and oil that she'd be one of the richest beings on the planet and therefore never have to earn a living.  Heck, in the Silver Age comics, she could even turn lumps of coal into diamonds just by super-squeezing them in just the right way!

[Cthulhudrew]

On 10/18/2017 at 7:30 PM, tennisgurl said:

I’m actually interested as to why Ruby thought that Supergirl never has to work. Is that just a kid not understanding that even superhero’s need groceries, the public’s perception that Supergirl only exists as Supergirl, or does Supergirl have some corporate sponsorship deals that we haven’t seen? 

I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's because, although Ruby is presumably the same age as the actress playing her (13), she's being written as a 5 year old?

[statsgirl]

On 10/18/2017 at 9:45 AM, legaleagle53 said:

Ruby is 12 or 13, not 2.  What preadolescent child would put up with the notion of a glorified babysitter?

Hire a housekeeper.  If Sam really is taking over for Lena, she's got to be working 80 hours a week.  She'd probably appreciate coming home to a clean house and dinner on the table.

Edited October 21, 2017 by statsgirl

[legaleagle53]

33 minutes ago, statsgirl said:

Hire a housekeeper.  If Sam really is taking over for Lena, she's got to be working 80 hours a week.  She'd probably appreciate coming home to clean house and dinner on the table.

You've got a point there!

[Jacks-Son]

Just wondering, but why does Kara have her phone set on audio instead of vibrate? Is that part of some pointless disguise? Most of the people I know keep their phones on Vibrate Only. Now, I know some shows have Closed Captioning say "Phone vibrating" or your can hear the vibrations, but Kara has her phone set on audio.  Is that just her way to let others know she has a call and she may have to leave?

[Chas411]

That moronic child lost me the moment she walked into a death trap just to prove a point to her mother. Now I don't care what happens to her.

[John Potts]

On ‎17‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 4:59 AM, Trini said:

As for band vs. DJ -- Sorry, it comes down to whichever is cheaper for me. :)

Hey, don't bring any of that "Earth Logic" into this! The ONLY criteria for a TV wedding is to have HUGE DRAMA, preferably involving a cast of thousands and a budget rivalling that of small countries. Such minor things as "actual ability to pay for it" are entirely irrelevant!

On ‎17‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 7:27 AM, thuganomics85 said:

Alex and Maggie are so doomed.  They really didn't talk about children before this?

I know! I wouldn't assume my (imaginary, alas) fiancée would want kids. And I certainly wouldn't bring up the issue in public, but discuss it privately. But that's bringing reality into this again.

On ‎17‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 1:06 PM, Chicago Redshirt said:

Psi, why rob banks in National City with Supergirl (and Martian Manhunter) protecting it, when you can scare the crap out of people in basically any city but there and Metropolis and not have to face superpowered opposition? For that matter, after you've successfully robbed one bank, what's the need to rob two or three more in the next couple of days?

In many ways, that's why the human villains are the most interesting. The fact that Lex Luthor is Superman's Nemesis despite being completely outclassed by Kal makes him a good villain. Pretty much every reader/viewer of Superman/girl's powered villains can see that the reason they lose is because they make pathetic use of what powers they have.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 10/16/2017 at 11:53 PM, immortalfrieza said:

Yep. It's almost as though TV thinks relationships are entirely about having kids or something,

Sure, but if one partner does very much want children, she may never be completely happy in the marriage.  Just like the partner who doesn't want kids might be unhappy with an unplanned child.

On 10/16/2017 at 11:53 PM, immortalfrieza said:

it's not as though plenty of couples never have children and are perfectly happy, if not happier without them.

You never really know if you are happier without children unless you had them, and then you don't (which might arise in a step-parent situation, I suppose) but you can certainly know that you don't want children.

On 10/17/2017 at 2:27 AM, thuganomics85 said:

Oh, Alex and Maggie are so doomed.  They really didn't talk about children before this? 

It seems as though Maggie assumed Alex didn't want them, and Alex assumed that Maggie did.  Given that a certain amount of effort would have to go into having a child, I think that Maggie's assumption was more reasonable than Alex's.  Especially as Alex has repeatedly mentioned wanting the white picket fence and the dog, but has never mentioned children. This is why premarital counselling is a good idea.  Or reading a newspaper article:  https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/03/23/fashion/weddings/marriage-questions.html

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 10/16/2017 at 9:42 PM, KirkB said:

I mean, seriously, her home was destroyed in front of her eyes, and she was trapped in a pod for fifteen+ years, but the thing that scares her the most is the fact she lost her boyfriend?

Wasn't she in stasis for those 15 years? She shouldn't remember the journey.

On 10/17/2017 at 11:41 AM, DeathQuaker said:

I thought the child was foolish, but I don't mind the actress

She's Emma Tremblay, sister of Jacob (Room, Wonder).

On 10/18/2017 at 10:30 PM, tennisgurl said:

I’m actually interested as to why Ruby thought that Supergirl never has to work. Is that just a kid not understanding that even superhero’s need groceries, the public’s perception that Supergirl only exists as Supergirl, or does Supergirl have some corporate sponsorship deals that we haven’t seen? 

Which begs the question, what was Kara planning to do for money after she quit?  Does the D.O.E. pay her? I don't see how they could without revealing her alias. (Not sure if it's her style to harvest gold, silver, uranium, and oil as per legaleagle53.)

[Last Time Lord]

On 10/16/2017 at 9:33 PM, Oreo2234 said:

I really enjoyed Yael Grobglas as the Psy (she's great on Jane the Virgin too) and the effects surrounding her powers were pretty good. I hope she returns. 

I thought that was her! Really not too different from Petra, all things considered. 

[AudienceofOne]

On 17/10/2017 at 0:09 PM, kdm07 said:

Before I say anything else, I have to get this off my chest: is no one going to ask why there's a massive hole from the elevator shaft to the roof of Catco?! No one at all?!

I'm like, "oh sure, she just busted a hole in the roof, nobody will notice that". AND THEN NOBODY DID>

On 17/10/2017 at 0:19 PM, quarks said:

I seriously came over here to complain about that EXACT SAME THING.

Come on, show. I'm handwaving a lot, and I get that Catco gets attacked a lot and James is probably used to smoothing things over, but a new CEO arrives and a hole just HAPPENS to appear in the roof and NOBODY is going to question this? NOBODY?

James is a vigilante and full-time publisher. Of course he's also a part-time construction crew. 

On 17/10/2017 at 0:26 PM, kdm07 said:

But...why would Supergirl bust a hole in the roof when she could easily use a window since she's a frequent visitor? On top of that, they have a new boss....how is this not picked up by anyone especially the new boss who's pretty much going everywhere to learn about the company? It honestly bugged me from the minute it happened until the episode ended. This isn't like a small continuity error of a character having a jacket in one scene and then without it in the next, it's a massive hole that has probably stopped the elevator from working and created a nice big draft coming into Catco. How is no one bringing this up?!

Well, she was having a panic attack related to claustrophobia so she wanted out and didn't care how she got here. That's fine. But as to how nobody noticed... well, these people are fooled by glasses and a French bun so a giant new air-conditioning system isn't much.

[Lugal]

On 11/24/2017 at 4:08 AM, AudienceofOne said:

James is a vigilante and full-time publisher. Of course he's also a part-time construction crew.

I figure the DEO has a secret construction crew they send out on these jobs.  I'm waiting for the "Lower Decks" style episode where we see them at work.  Kara would probably be nice enough to get them coffee and donuts or something.

[Shades of Scarlet]

I'm waaaaaaay late getting this season started (it's pretty much my favorite show on TV along with Handmaid's Tale, Westworld and The Crown so I like to savor it), but I thought this episode was great and the season is off to a strong start.  The dialogue was excellent.  Yael Grobglas is awesome and she was genuinely scary and sinister, especially for "just" a bank robber.  I like how Psi did a little Darth Vader move in her initial confrontation with Kara by saying Supergirl should join her and be happier.  A little clue that she could read minds or sense feelings, possibly from quite a distance.  

The writers seem to have been listening to the fans.  Kara had interactions with everyone.  Loved her scenes with Winn. 

Melissa was fantastic.  Although she's a real sweetheart in person just like Kara, she really sells the drama just as well as the comedy and lighter stuff.  Her portrayal of the fear she felt, particularly in the scene where Alex talked her down, was just great.  All the sister scenes were gold, and I loved the end where they were watching Wizard of Oz.  "She's so cute."  Awwwww.  

Lots of little bits here that I liked including J'onn reading the residue of what Psi did to Kara, and Kara finding Mon-el's personally annotated version of R&J, with a line from the glove soliloquy/balcony monolgue underlined with "Kara" written next to it.  Also, two musical montages.  

I didn't mind the lack of a tranq dart solution to Psi.  She made it pretty clear she could anticipate attacks.  Sure, Kara should have used super-speed, but maybe Psi could feel that coming too.  Plus, wasn't it great how Kara overcame Psi's powers through sheer force of will instead of the DEO's doodad?  

I thought the Sam storyline was interesting even if Ruby was making some questionable choices.  I got no hint she was unemployed; their house was big and a "Mrs. Crawley" was mentioned, presumably a housekeeper of some sort.  I figured Lena hired her away from a competitor.  

And from the shallow end, seeing Yael and Melissa standing an inch apart at the end was quite enjoyable.  Both beautiful.  Come back anytime, Psi.