Supergirl 3x21 "Not Kansas" Review
Major spoilers for the latest episode in this review. Caution!
I had to take a minute to process what happened in the latest episode. The trailer is incredibly misleading for starters. I knew this going in though, like come on... no way Kara is gonna just leave National City with Reign on the loose.
But this episode picks up where we left off in last week's episode. Supergirl and Mon-El are having a hard time taking down Reign for some reason. Lena is going like super-scientist on the mystery rock, which is allegedly black kryptonite, and is able to create the cure in the nick of time. The syringe SOMEHOW PIERCES Reign's flesh, and she returns to Sam.
All this happened in the first few minutes of the episode. The threat of Reign is over in a hurried manner so we can get to what the episode is actually about:
- Kara and Mon-El going to Argo City
- Gun Control
I really wish the show didn't cram these two plot lines this into one episode. They could've easily save the gun control stuff for another time because it felt tight in contrast with Kara going home.
Yes. Gun control is a serious topic and it starts a conversation. I understand that, but it appeared Supergirl was trying to shove it down our throats. Especially when the show went one direction without addressing the other side's opinion.
The Arrow did a fantastic job on the gun control issue episode (Arrow 5x13 "Spectre of the Gun") when they presented both arguments in the form of Rene and Curtis. I'll post the YouTube video below for those who do not watch that part of the Arrowverse.
The scene is a good one. I enjoyed their honest conversation. But back to the review:
J'onn and James did well in this episode when it came to the criminal who used a DEO weapon. I'm not sure I agree with how J'onn decides to use non-lethal weaponry moving forward. First they get rid of kryptonite and now their guns? I'm with the DEO agent who walked out and complained about defending themselves.
How will you protect people? Especially from aliens and... I mean, aliens are a serious thing.
Supergirl tackled the issue overall in a good way, which is a great thing to do, but just not in an episode where Kara bonds with her mom Alura (Erica Durance) and childhood best friend.
This is an important aspect of Supergirl's mythology and to have it rushed close to the end of the season bothered me immensely.
Erica Durance is a wonderful actress, but her limited presence in this episode hindered what should've been an emotional punch in the gut. Instead, we got Karamel, the readdressing of Kara and Mon-El. Will they get together or not?
Do we honestly care at this point? Several times I have wished he would just leave. Nothing against the actor, I love him as Kai on The Vampire Diaries, but their relationship was also a distraction to the Argo City storyline.
I found myself getting frustrated ... in the end, it became about how Kara is more human than she realizes, and how right she is about someone stalking her. Selena, the dark priestess of Reign, stole Kara's spaceship and met with Thomas Coville to enact a mysterious endgame.
Oh yeah... Sam is not completely cured. She froze in place when Selena made her arrival.
There are other small things going on here too:
- Lena hires Eve Teschmacher as a fellow scientist (I know right!) and discovers the rock is a scientific breakthrough.
- J'onn has to prepare for "The Reach" with his father because his time is near. Damn it!
- Alex wants to adopt a child after her experience with Ruby. YAY!
My support for Supergirl ended when I finished the episode. I thought it was on a roll for the second half but this one decided to fly off the handle. The last two episodes might make up for it, but we will just have to wait and see.
Question? Why didn't Kara call Superman when she discovered part of their home planet was alive? I think that would be pivotal information to learn. I guess she forgot.