Supergirl: Strange Visitor From Another Planet
January 27, 2016 4:57 PM - Season 1, Episode 11 - Subscribe
A member of the alien race responsible for killing Hank's people kidnaps anti-alien Senator Miranda Crane; Cat's estranged son visits National City.
This ep felt wildly uneven. Kara is in pursuit of a White Martian and Cat calls so she just ditches the search for a deadly alien to fly back to the office for a chat? Whaaaaat? Priorities girlfriend! The end was interesting ... guess there may be another shape shifting Martian out there somewhere?
posted by pjsky at 6:14 PM on January 27, 2016
posted by pjsky at 6:14 PM on January 27, 2016
Yeah, it felt like they wanted to do both those stories, but they didn't have two available episodes, so they had to jam together into one, no matter what happened.
Next week's episode looks like a real blast, too. Oy.
posted by Naberius at 6:50 PM on January 27, 2016
Next week's episode looks like a real blast, too. Oy.
posted by Naberius at 6:50 PM on January 27, 2016
I was amused that Cat went into INSTANT MATCHMAKER Mode once she noticed that Adam was flirting with Kara. "She's free for dinner‼" Are you really implying you approve of Kira/Kara as potential daughter-in-law material, Cat? Or is Kara/Kira a treat dangled from a hook to tempt Adam to stick around longer?
I was also amused by Hank/J'onn all "A father couldn't be prouder of two daughters like you and now we will NEVER HUG AGAIN." Just give in to it, Daddy J'onn, accept your family fate.
posted by nicebookrack at 9:19 PM on January 27, 2016
I was also amused by Hank/J'onn all "A father couldn't be prouder of two daughters like you and now we will NEVER HUG AGAIN." Just give in to it, Daddy J'onn, accept your family fate.
posted by nicebookrack at 9:19 PM on January 27, 2016
I'm pretty sure the other Supergirl is a character we've already seen in the show, but we'll find that out next week.
The thing with Cat's son, who seems to be replacing Winn for the moment as a possible complication to Jimmy/Kara (or maybe the time-passer if the show is actually going) seemed like the trope in YA fiction where the spunky girl can do no wrong even when she does something amazingly dumb that should turn out terribly. The letter was Super-Dumb, and even Adam figured out that she wrote it, but it all wrapped up nicely with a bow and instead of deciding (realistically) that she's an interfering git, Adam thinks she's cute and is interested. I can roll with it, but it made me make an eyerolly emoji face.
posted by immlass at 7:38 AM on January 28, 2016
The thing with Cat's son, who seems to be replacing Winn for the moment as a possible complication to Jimmy/Kara (or maybe the time-passer if the show is actually going) seemed like the trope in YA fiction where the spunky girl can do no wrong even when she does something amazingly dumb that should turn out terribly. The letter was Super-Dumb, and even Adam figured out that she wrote it, but it all wrapped up nicely with a bow and instead of deciding (realistically) that she's an interfering git, Adam thinks she's cute and is interested. I can roll with it, but it made me make an eyerolly emoji face.
posted by immlass at 7:38 AM on January 28, 2016
I had no idea that J'onn J'onzz, stoic father figure, was something I wanted, but it turns out it is.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 8:16 AM on January 28, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 8:16 AM on January 28, 2016 [5 favorites]
I found it perplexing/distracting that Cat's younger son never got mentioned by anyone. I would think that would be a huge deal - either as an additional source of bitterness for Adam to have missed out on getting to have a little half-brother, or jealousy that Cat could find the time to be super-Mom to Carter but not him, or Cat's worry about him feeling that way. I do think they were right to save any face-to-face meeting of Adam & Carter for a different episode so as not to steal thunder from the Adam & Cat scenes, but it felt weird for the topic to not come up at all.
posted by oh yeah! at 8:20 AM on January 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by oh yeah! at 8:20 AM on January 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
I'm super annoyed that they're pitching Adam as yet another potential romance for Kara, and that they picked such a Blandy McBlanderson to play him.
I mean, Winn's infatuation was super-creepy, but at least he's interesting (due in no small part to Jeremy Jordan's acting ability).
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 11:15 AM on January 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
I mean, Winn's infatuation was super-creepy, but at least he's interesting (due in no small part to Jeremy Jordan's acting ability).
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 11:15 AM on January 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
TheWhiteSkull - per the AV Club recap, Adam is being played by Melissa Benoist's actual husband.
posted by oh yeah! at 11:35 AM on January 28, 2016
posted by oh yeah! at 11:35 AM on January 28, 2016
*cough* she still has more chemistry with flockhart, whether as kara or sg. but interesting tidbit!
posted by twist my arm at 11:46 AM on January 28, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by twist my arm at 11:46 AM on January 28, 2016 [2 favorites]
liked the detail with alex not hugging henshaw. kara, woman of steel but heart of cotton candy, actual golden retriever puppy, clearly the hugger. alex's scene with him was just as emotional (look at me. LOOK AT ME.) but I figure she's had to be the tough older sibling for so long, keeping the DEO thing a secret from her family. kara lost much more, but maybe alex never got to mourn her dad what with the responsibility for kara that her mom gave her. and here is this guy saying anyone would be proud to call her daughter. this adorable family.
i'd be surprised if cat is using kara to keep adam around though (though i'm also not saying it would never happen as a bad writing decision). kara is like. talking back to her, snapping fingers in her face, taking her shit and not taking it personally because she can tell immediately there's fear behind the anger, basically daring cat to fire her--when was the last time cat couldn't dangle that over an underling? not that alex is wrong about boundaries, but i don't care bc these 2 entertain me so much. family therapist kara.
so uninterested in any romance. unfortunately i totally buy benoist's goofy awkward omg-a-boy shtick. her laugh <3. i kinda didn't get what some folks were talking about in ep 1 about her charisma or likeability or whatever and now I'm the most embarrassing worst. what is happening to me
posted by twist my arm at 12:15 PM on January 28, 2016 [2 favorites]
i'd be surprised if cat is using kara to keep adam around though (though i'm also not saying it would never happen as a bad writing decision). kara is like. talking back to her, snapping fingers in her face, taking her shit and not taking it personally because she can tell immediately there's fear behind the anger, basically daring cat to fire her--when was the last time cat couldn't dangle that over an underling? not that alex is wrong about boundaries, but i don't care bc these 2 entertain me so much. family therapist kara.
so uninterested in any romance. unfortunately i totally buy benoist's goofy awkward omg-a-boy shtick. her laugh <3. i kinda didn't get what some folks were talking about in ep 1 about her charisma or likeability or whatever and now I'm the most embarrassing worst. what is happening to me
posted by twist my arm at 12:15 PM on January 28, 2016 [2 favorites]
This was the most integrated episode yet, with the solving dad's problems! solving mom's problems! making it seem like one show for the first time to me.
In the same way that whatever was making me not like house was solved by Laurie coming on screen; she does the exact same thing. Just Benoist being supergirl fixes all these flaws they haven't solved yet.
posted by humans are superior! at 1:09 PM on January 28, 2016
In the same way that whatever was making me not like house was solved by Laurie coming on screen; she does the exact same thing. Just Benoist being supergirl fixes all these flaws they haven't solved yet.
posted by humans are superior! at 1:09 PM on January 28, 2016
unfortunately i totally buy benoist's goofy awkward omg-a-boy shtick. her laugh <3. i kinda didn't get what some folks were talking about in ep 1 about her charisma or likeability or whatever and now I'm the most embarrassing worst. what is happening to me
I'm not sure if its a strength or weakness of the show how well Benoist's likability works. Her sending that letter was an unconscionable choice and I felt pretty mad at her about it...for like ten minutes maybe? I forgave her pretty fast, and I think most of that is Benoist's doing, not the writing justifying it. Maybe they should twist it performance art level, Supergirl crashes a school bus into a field of puppies: how long until you forgive her because she's so fricking adorable?
Generally, I also find the romance plots kind of boring, but they're watchable. I'm a sucker for substitute parent-child dynamics, so I'm digging Martian Manhunter's thing with the two of them. I like Cat, but I'm pretty bored by her son; I hope they give her something better soon. I'd like a better long term villain than Lord, but he's fine enough, I guess. Lucy Lane remains terrible.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 1:40 PM on January 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
I'm not sure if its a strength or weakness of the show how well Benoist's likability works. Her sending that letter was an unconscionable choice and I felt pretty mad at her about it...for like ten minutes maybe? I forgave her pretty fast, and I think most of that is Benoist's doing, not the writing justifying it. Maybe they should twist it performance art level, Supergirl crashes a school bus into a field of puppies: how long until you forgive her because she's so fricking adorable?
Generally, I also find the romance plots kind of boring, but they're watchable. I'm a sucker for substitute parent-child dynamics, so I'm digging Martian Manhunter's thing with the two of them. I like Cat, but I'm pretty bored by her son; I hope they give her something better soon. I'd like a better long term villain than Lord, but he's fine enough, I guess. Lucy Lane remains terrible.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 1:40 PM on January 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
The new villain looks to be some sort of Supergirl clone, which for me begs the question - how did Maxwell Lord create it? Did he somehow manage to snag some of Kara/Supergirl's DNA without her knowing?
posted by Roger Pittman at 2:42 PM on January 28, 2016
posted by Roger Pittman at 2:42 PM on January 28, 2016
I feel dumb for not realizing Blake Jenner and Melissa Benoist are MARRIED. I saw him and I'm like "wait, this is that guy she was sort of dating on Glee! Couldn't they find someone else?!"
... well, okay, if they're married, I suppose that makes sense.
As to the episode, I'm not sure how I feel about it. I find the Catco day-to-day so much more interesting than the DEO stuff, but then there was all the Adam stuff (and I must have been exhausted while watching because I didn't figure HE was Adam when I saw him at the restaurant). I think the most interesting Adam stuff was the conversation Kara and Alex had with the ice cream at the end.
I'm glad Hank/J'onn didn't carry out his revenge and they, instead, captured the White Martian. I did not like the kryptonite cuffs on Kara, though.
I guess there was some decent character development here, but I felt like Naberius in that it felt like two episodes smushed together.
Also, very interesting other Supergirl. Had I been Kara, I'd have flown over at top speed to find out WTF was going on. I'm rewatching Lois & Clark and there was an episode with a clone of Superman created, because Superman had donated a lock of hair to science and that hair had been stolen. Wonder if it's going to be like that with Supergirl.
posted by juliebug at 10:02 PM on January 28, 2016
... well, okay, if they're married, I suppose that makes sense.
As to the episode, I'm not sure how I feel about it. I find the Catco day-to-day so much more interesting than the DEO stuff, but then there was all the Adam stuff (and I must have been exhausted while watching because I didn't figure HE was Adam when I saw him at the restaurant). I think the most interesting Adam stuff was the conversation Kara and Alex had with the ice cream at the end.
I'm glad Hank/J'onn didn't carry out his revenge and they, instead, captured the White Martian. I did not like the kryptonite cuffs on Kara, though.
I guess there was some decent character development here, but I felt like Naberius in that it felt like two episodes smushed together.
Also, very interesting other Supergirl. Had I been Kara, I'd have flown over at top speed to find out WTF was going on. I'm rewatching Lois & Clark and there was an episode with a clone of Superman created, because Superman had donated a lock of hair to science and that hair had been stolen. Wonder if it's going to be like that with Supergirl.
posted by juliebug at 10:02 PM on January 28, 2016
Were J'onn's kids really called Kim and Kanye?
Really?
Man, I tuned out at the Cat/Adam scenes. It was the worst WB melodrama.
posted by Mezentian at 6:00 AM on January 31, 2016
Really?
Man, I tuned out at the Cat/Adam scenes. It was the worst WB melodrama.
posted by Mezentian at 6:00 AM on January 31, 2016
I remain committed to the dream of a Flash/Supergirl crossover for the sole purpose of Benoist and Grant Gustin being adorable fluffy golden retriever puppies onscreen.
posted by nicebookrack at 7:12 PM on February 1, 2016
posted by nicebookrack at 7:12 PM on February 1, 2016
When Holocaust Themes Don’t Work: A recent episode of ‘Supergirl’ invoked imagery that felt exploitive and uncreative
posted by homunculus at 7:22 PM on February 3, 2016
posted by homunculus at 7:22 PM on February 3, 2016
I may not have 18 years of Yeshiva education (or even 18 minutes, and I admit I am not 100% sure what defines Yeshiva education) but I thought the flashback worked really well, even it was particularly brutal for Supergirl.
posted by Mezentian at 12:06 AM on February 6, 2016
posted by Mezentian at 12:06 AM on February 6, 2016
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The life expectancy for DEO agents is pretty damn low right now. Anyone notice if they're being reused?
posted by ODiV at 5:59 PM on January 27, 2016