I’ve been loving Supergirl‘s sophomore season, but this was not as exciting as I wanted it to be.
The idea of Kara traveling to another planet is definitely ambitious (and Director Kevin Smith does well in differentiating that world from Earth) but I never really felt the stakes with our powerless heroine. The only truly impactful scene was Kara standing up for the prisoners and getting relentlessly electrocuted. Sadly, the show zipped right past that and straight into the resolution without letting the arc truly land. And why bring back Dichen Lachman as supervillainess Roulette if you’re going to give her nothing for the second time in a row? Even her imprisonment was anticlimactic and rushed.
On the bright side, Chris Wood continues to kick ass in his starmaking turn as Mon-El. All of his banter with Kara is hilarious, and his presence injects the show with a wonderful dose of positivity and fun. In addition, the writers have done a terrific job of slowly building his up his relationship with our heroine, and scenes like that final cozy conversation on the couch go a long way towards making their dynamic feel lived-in. Plus he wants a costume now; woohoo!
Moreover, this was the first time the writing team somewhat dropped the ball with regards to Alex and Maggie. Did we really need such a contrived disagreement with Alex overreacting and immediately pushing Maggie away? It feels less like the Alex we know, and more like an excuse to add some unnecessary melodrama. The fact that the ladies were able to solve their problems so quickly in the end further proves how useless the conflict was. Oh well, at least Maggie knows about Kara now. This should be interesting.
Super Bits
– Nifty camerawork in the opening car chase. I especially loved the rocket launchers. But didn’t Kara hear Guardian kicking ass close by and Winn fumbling about? #Contrived.
– The fact that Kara and Alex are binging The Night Of is epic. They have great taste.
– Although I’m not a fan of Snapper (he pales in comparison to Cat) I admittedly enjoyed James and Kara vying for his attention.
– Mon-El working at the alien bar is filled with comedic possibilities. Let’s hope the potential is not wasted.
– So many amusing touches at the clinic: Kara hoarding candies, throwing her clothes at Mon-El as she jumps into the portal, and of course the two of them playing undercover.
– Loved Alex’s pep talk to Winn. More scenes with these two please.
– Why I love Alex: the “I got dibs” moment with the alien gun.
– Mon-El screaming “start the car” cracked me up.
– Yellow sun grenade? Badass.
– If nothing else, the episode got to showcase Kara’s never-ending optimism and hopeful demeanor; she’s definitely a hero because even when powerless, she’s determined to save others.
– I liked Jo; it would be fun to see more of him now that he’s on Earth.
– Does anyone else not to take James seriously in Cat’s office? The drama between him and Winn wasn’t the most engrossing although Jeremy Jordan did a great job. I particularly loved him kicking ass in the end and overcoming his fears. #SouvenirRock
– It’s a quick moment, but notice Mon-El pulling Kara’s blanket. Aww.
– So The Dominators are now headed to Earth in search of Mon-El. The fact that one of them bowed to him makes me think that Mon-El was the Prince and not the Prince’s bodyguard back on Daxam.
Kara Quips
Kara: I’m gonna get Botox for that. If you can figure out a way to get a needle in my skin, I mean.
Kara: What’s more important than a mother finding her daughter?
Snapper: My coffee and my Danish, and the five minutes of peace and quiet you stole from me.
Kara: I’ve just been feeling betwixt and between of late.
Mon-El: Betwixt and between?
Winn: I got mugged and I’m fine. And it hurts to smile.
Kara: What are you doing here?
Mon-El: I took the day off.
Kara: It’s your second day.
Mon-El: Yeah, didn’t wanna overdo it. So lunch?
Mon-El: Yeah, and we’re trying to save up for a trip to Paris city.
Kara: It’s just Paris.
Kara: That is… That’s against our religion.
Mon-El: Yes. Yes, we are very religious. Very into our gods.
Kara: God.
Mon-El: One God. We are madly monotheistic.
Mon-El: We are going away from Murder Castle because we don’t have our powers anymore.
Mon-El: You know how on Earth they rate everything? One-star. This is a one-star.
Winn: Oh, no. I know that tone. That’s a bad news tone.
Jo: Jo dissected a human once.
Kara: Of course he did.
Jo: Learned your tongue. Hideous pink thing.
Kara: Well, if this isn’t deja vu. Why are you here?
Mon-El: Yeah. Wait, who is this?
Roulette: And they’ll sell for top dollar.
Kara: It’s blood money.
Roulette: (showing off her bracelet) Blood diamonds, actually. This planet’s lousy with them.
Kara: I know that you want me to follow my head, but I would rather be wrong about a dozen leads than not follow the ones I believe in. That’s the kind of reporter I wanna be. I’m always going to follow my heart.
Snapper: Your therapy bills.
Olson: You went to another planet without me? No way.
Winn: Milky Way.
Maggie: The only person you get that torn up over is Kara. Plus, the glasses don’t help.
Alex: I always said that too. It’s kind of ridiculous.
Conclusion
While it had its moments (and some great one-liners), Supergirl Lives falls short when compared to the rest of the stellar season.
Nad Rating
B