Supergirl 2×10 – No Time For Nemesis
Kara has a nemesis
Livewire, a name that we haven’t heard in a while, is being interviewed by a prison shrink ala the Joker and Harley Quinn, and is still despondent and cheeky. While the prison shrink tries to figure Livewire out, a prison guard helps break a prisoner out of prison and then they both taser the prison psychologist and free Livewire.
Malex are investigating the prison break and Kara using her press credentials to get into the cell and ask questions.
Winn gives Supergirl and Mon-El the rundown on Livewire, and reminds us of episode 1×18 where his ex-girlfriend goes crazy pants bananas and frees Livewire from prison the first time.
In a laboratory somewhere in National City, it’s revealed that Livewire is actually being held hostage by some mad scientist type dude who is stealing her powers to build an army.
The DEO gets security footage from the prison and it’s revealed that Livewire didn’t break out from prison, she was abducted. Kara must come to terms with the fact that she wrongly villainized someone (again! Mon-El being the first), but they (Winn) aren’t sure where Livewire is.
Kara arrives and saves Winn, James, and Mon-El and it turns out the scientist who was siphoning off Livewire’s powers also experimented on himself and attacked Kara. Livewire in true nemesis form, save Kara (all part of the dance) and escapes.
M’gann has a meltdown
M’gann is right where we left her, in a cell, where she seems to be doing fine until she has a complete breakdown and starts to scream. Her psychotic break is noticed by the DEO and when J’onn goes to see what’s up M’gann screams so loud the glass keeping her in shatters, and then she faints.
Alex runs some scans on her and can’t physically find anything wrong, she suggests that J’onn mindmeld with her, but he refuses, not wanting her to be able to access any of his memories or emotions.
Alex tries to convince J’onn to mind meld with M’gann again and he refuses because she is the focus of his hatred, Alex suggests that he forgive her because, in the long run, it’ll be better for him.
When M’gann is clearly about to die, J’onn has a change of heart and agrees to bond with her, Alex and Kara have J’onn’s back, volunteering to assist him if anything goes wrong.
J’onn finds out that M’gann is reliving her past. She’s scared that the other white Martians will find her and kill her. J’onn reassures her that she’s fine and lets her know that she actually helps him, a green Martian too. She apologizes for lying to him, stating that she just wanted to be his friend.
M’gann who’s feeling much better, thanks J’onn for his help and he decides to let her go but not before M’gann tells him that she was being attacked by other white Martians who are coming for her.
Guardian is exposed
After busting some bad guys, a very tired Winn tells James that they need to tell Kara that they’re Guardian.
James invites Kara to his/Cat’s (I MISS YOU CAT) office to essentially tell her he’s Guardian but when she enters she goes on a tirade about Livewire instead. James ensures her that she’s not alone, but instead of acknowledging Guardian’s hard work she decides to lean on newly trained Mon-El.
This rubs James the wrong way, mostly because it feels like (to both him and I) that he’s being replaced by Mon-El, but instead of sharing his feeling or telling her what he was supposed to tell her, James deflects and their meeting is cut short, by Livewire who is attacking a police station.
After being injured, James is taken to the DEO office where Alex checks to see if he has a concussion. Kara is pissed that she is the only one who didn’t know about Guardian (except for Mon-El, but honestly, when does Mon-El know anything?). The two argue about his involvement and his safety. Kara is convinced that James will die, and James is frustrated by Kara’s double standards as she’s okay with Mon-El, someone who isn’t a superhero for the right reasons, fighting bad guys because he won’t get hurt. Kara threatens James when he disagrees with her, and the two leave the DEO on bad terms.
Winn lies to the DEO and uses the knowledge of where Livewire is to play the hero with James, Mon-El overhears Winn telling James Livewire’s location and follows him there. The three of the attempt to rescue Livewire and fail getting captured instead.
After being saved by Kara, Winn is chewed out by J’onn for insubordination. Supergirl tries to get Winn and James to stop being Guardian but again they refuse. She decides to back down and will no longer try to stop them, but she refuses to support them either.
Mon-El graduates from Superhero Kindergarten
After confessing last week that he wants to be a superhero, Mon-El and Kara begin training. Mon-El has improved greatly in his training and Kara thinks he’s ready to go out on the field.
Livewire attacks a few cops in a car garage so Supergirl and Mon-El (who doesn’t have an alternative 3rd name) go to stop her.
While battling Livewire, and her surprise accomplices with similar powers, Mon-El, determined to help Supergirl (instead of following instructions), injures Guardian who arrives just in time to save a police officer but is knocked out in the process. Supergirl removes Guardian’s mask (isn’t there like some unspoken superhero rule that you don’t remove another hero’s masks) and finds out he’s James.
Despite ending her argument with James without a resolution Kara takes his words into consideration. She questions Mon-El and his actions in the garage reprimanding him for not following her instructions. She brings up their kiss from two episode’s ago and Mon-El continues to deny his feelings for her.
Mon-El meets Kara at her apartment later and confesses what we all knew, that he has feelings for her. Kara doesn’t feel the same (really not a surprise here) and Mon-El accepts it saying they should just move on.
I loved the relationship complexities and unsaid things in this episode especially between James and Kara. Though a lot of how James feels about Mon-El has surface value logic, I think a lot of his disgruntle-ness has to do with the way they handled their “relationship” at the beginning of the season. Also, I know a lot of people (probably outside of the Black Girl Nerds readership) ship Mon-El and Kara but I don’t see it, and neither does Kara, at the very most they seem like brother and sister to me. If they do get together (and they probably will) it will be because Kara is lonely and friendless because of the fallout between her and team Guardian and Alex being preoccupied with Maggie, so they probably won’t last long.
I appreciate the juxtaposition of Livewire’s speech and her being broken out of prison. Though cinematically this is something that is used often, it was very well done in that scene.
Musings
- Does Kara know that Maggie knows that she’s Supergirl?
Supergirl 2×11 – One is The Loneliest Martian
This week episode of Supergirl focuses on Kara, despite being honest and trying to do right by everyone, isolating herself.
M’gann’s Ex
After M’gann told J’onn that the White Martians were coming for her, he starts secretly following her everywhere much to her annoyance. She finally tells him to stop; as much as she appreciates his attempt she isn’t in danger yet. Of course, at that exact moment, they are both attacked by a White Martian. Supergirl, steps in to help, but the Martian gets away.
The three (M’gann, J’onn, and Supergirl) head to the DEO to find the Martian. Kara and Winn have a tense conversation about how she’s still salty that he’s part of Guardian.
J’onn and Supergirl try to help M’gann and insist she stay in the DEO for protection but she refuses. When J’onn tries to get M’gann to see reason, she reminds him that it isn’t his fight and goes about her day.
Later at the alien bar, M’gann is cornered by the White Martian who attacked her and it turns out he was her husband! It also turns out that she tried to kill him, so it’s safe to say they had a happy marriage. He tells her that if she doesn’t return to Mars he will kill all the people she cares about including Supergirl and J’onn.
Not one to take threats lightly, M’gann is getting ready to skip town when J’onn (who must’ve spent his lifetime on Mars as a spy because he’s constantly coming out of dark corners) jumps out and questions her actions. He tells her that a life on the run isn’t a life to live and she has friends who are willing to fight for her in National City. He gestures that he wants her to come back with him, and she presumably agrees.
With M’gann in tow, J’onn tells Winn that she has agreed to help fight the White Martian when M’gann shows up. The M’gann who arrived with J’onn reveals himself to be Armeck and they get into an explosive fight that knocks out the power. When Winn fixes the lights, it’s revealed that the Martian is gone meaning he’s one of them.
Everyone gets paranoid and tense accusing each other of being the Martian (as homage to The Thing a movie I’ve never seen but the trope is clear here). J’onn and M’gann come up with a fire test (which exposes Martians when they are incognito) everyone takes turns and it’s revealed that the Martian is Winn. Armeck fights off everyone and escapes, he causes the reactor that powers the building to become explosive so the team splits up to find the real Winn, because he’s the only one smart enough to recode the passwords and shutdown the reactor.
They all split up to search for Winn, and along the way J’onn and M’gann find a cocoon but instead of Winn, Alex is inside. J’onn finds Armeck and they fight. Armeck gets the upper hand and it appears as if he is going to kill J’onn when M’gann stabs him in the head killing him.
The real Winn fixes the reactor, and they are all saved by a fraction of a second.
Later, M’gann decides that she needs to go back to Mars (after all that) to find other White Martians like her. She and J’onn share an intimate moment that isemi-relationship-y, semi family-ish… it’s in a very weird place. And she leaves.
Earth Birthday
Kara heads to the Alien Bar (does this place have an actual name?) to further explain to Mon-El why she rejected him (because that’s really what he needs right now) and does horribly, making things even more awkward between them. Alex is also there, and was completely aware that Mon-El had feelings for Kara, because it is completely NOT obvious. (end sarcasm)
Kara and Alex then get to talking about Kara’s Earth Birthday, a celebration of when her pod crash landed onto earth (like in the opening title). Kara has taken it upon herself to plan an elaborate evening just the two of them, but Alex has to cancel. Maggie, has surprised her with tickets to see The Barenaked Ladies. Kara pretends she’s okay with it but you can sense the dismay and see it all over her face.
Alex later meets up with Maggie to pregame before the concert. Maggie realizes that Alex isn’t as excited as she should be to see one of her favorite bands and she asks her what’s wrong. Alex is feeling guilty because she left her sister hanging on her “birthday” during a time when Kara seems to be going through a lot. Maggie encourages Alex to go talk to Kara before the concert.
At the DEO while Kara is helping J’onn and M’gann find Armeck Alex checks in with Kara again and she admits that she was a little hurt by Alex ditching her, but dismisses her feelings telling Alex she was being immature and that she’s over it.
While they are searching through the DEO for Winn, Alex and Kara finally hash out how Kara felt about being ditched on her “birthday.” Kara admits to her feelings being hurt and feeling a strain on their relationship, because Kara is used to Alex always being there and now she’s less available. Midway through them talking out their issues, it’s revealed to Kara that there are two White Martians (three if you count M’gann) in the building, Alex (who never did the fire test) is the other one. The two get to the reactor and battle it out, Kara eventually beating the fake Alex.
Later, Kara is home alone watching TV when she gets a knock at the door. Alex is there with a cupcake and a candle. Though she didn’t confess her emotions to the real Alex, due to the telepathic link she has a brief dream-like memory of their conversation. Kara confesses again, and Alex reminds her that she’ll always be there for her. Alex also thinks Kara emotional congestion is tied to her (invisible) feelings for Mon-El that she is denying herself. Kara admits that she is afraid of putting herself out there because every time she does it ends badly.
The next day at Cat Co. Kara runs into Mon-El who is heading to a date with another girl. Kara pretends to be happy for him, but leaves dejected.
I enjoyed the execution of this episode a lot more than others, because there was a lot at stake, which I haven’t felt on Supergirl for a while. I appreciated the nod to the comic books and keeping the mythology of Martians and their weakness to fire a part of the story. Plus evil Winn was awesome.
Kara’s relationship problem continue to frustrate me, but this week I felt for her, because her loneliness was apparent. After last week’s episode, Kara put a riff in her relationships with Winn and James and with Alex unavailable she doesn’t really have anyone. I think Alex is wrong about Kara liking Mon-El and if she does, it isn’t really about him, but that he was available and focused on her when no one else was, which is what I said last week.
But, Kara’s fear of making herself vulnerable because it ends badly is ridiculous, if only because SHE is the one who ended her relationships (all three of them). She put herself out there with James and then promptly ended it because of… I still don’t know. As for Adam (Cat’s son) their “relationship” (if you can call it that) ending was sensible, she didn’t want him to get hurt, but she should’ve told him that. There’s less risk with Mon-El because he already told her how he feels.
Questions
- Are you guys sad to see M’gann go? Because I am!
- Do you think Mon-El is dating that girl to make Kara jealous?
- Kara needs more friends, where’s Lucy? And Lena (she’s in next week’s episode so maybe Kara will be less lonely then)
- When do you think Cat will come back? ☹
Stephanie Francis is an aspiring journalist with a TV addiction. She has been published in a multitude of small papers including the Gloucester Times, the Salem News and the Boston Globe. You can find a collect of her published work at adventuringsomewhere.wordpress.com. And her live tweets @stephsfrancis.
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