Post — Aaron Ngo

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

I fell behind on Supergirl. I haven’t watched last week’s and the season 4 finale is tonight. I will have both written sometime this week, but let’s discuss what went down earlier in the season to recap what’s been going on with the other characters.

“Crime and Punishment” centered on the aftermath of Red Daughter (disguised as Supergirl) attacking the White House. None of the Super Friends are fooled by this though, not even James who was physically there. James is dealing with PTSD, and courtesy of the serum used to save his life, he starts to develop super powers. James deserves a better storyline, but I’m glad his sister is sticking around National City.

Lena and Kara visit Lex’s prison island to learn more about his escape / plans, where they run into Otis Graves (Metallo edition). He starts a prison riot that Supergirl tries to stop, and ends up getting framed for everything. This leads to Kara’s decision to step back as Supergirl. The acting, direction, and fight sequences were rather impressive.

“American Dreamer” centered around Kara and Nia (Dreamer) getting comfortable in their new roles with other characters doing stuff too. Kara retired from being “Supergirl” because she is public enemy number one, and her presence is causing more harm than good at the moment. Kara is utilizing her reporter skills (finally) to get justice on Lex and Ben Lockwood, who is deputized by the President. After Nia struggles to defeat Agent Liberty, Kara realizes they need to work together. She interviews Dreamer, who reveals her authentic self as half-alien and transgender. The moment would be stronger if she revealed her identity along with all that, but it’s still good representation. James and Kelly Olsen also had a story that moved from PTSD to dealing with superpowers. Also, Ben Lockwood’s wife is murdered, and he wants revenge.

"Will the Real Miss Tessmacher Please Stand Up?" centered around Kara and Lena investigating Lex and Kaznia. This episode finally deals with Kara’s inability to share her obvious secret identity (“I’m Supergirl”) with Lena, and why she’s been wrong the entire time to hide it from her. I did like how the comedic route gradually transitioned into hardened reality because Lena believes Kara is human and needs to be saved at every turn. Lena is killing herself to make sure Kara is safe, and feels momentarily guilty when she sees the building explode thinking Kara was inside.

The other story revolves around Ben Lockwood taking over the DEO completely while Alex and Kelly are off trying to adopt a baby. Yeah, that actually happened. Supergirl’s trying to get us on-board this abrupt romance fast. Kelly Olsen will be a series regular next season, so I do understand the need to layout the groundwork, but I think we skipped a few steps along the way. Anyway, this situation leaves Brainy alone inside the DEO with Lockwood. In the end, James Olsen (powered Guardian), Dreamer, and Brainy try to stop Agent Liberty who has taken the super serum as well. Luckily, Martian Manhunter finally came back saving them Deus Ex Machina style. Why he chose to leave in the first place is anyone’s guess.

I’ll have “Red Dawn” and “The Quest for Peace” episode reviews posted sometime this week. Until I watch those episodes, let’s theorize how Crisis will affect Supergirl once it hits their universe. I’m pretty sure Lex Luthor’s going to have a significant role because I don’t think he’s leaving past this season. It honestly feels like we’re just getting started with Lex Luthor in the Arrowverse. Season four has been a mess, but it’s also Supergirl’s best season yet. Let that sink in.

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