Supergirl: Truth, Justice and the American Way
February 23, 2016 4:54 AM - Season 1, Episode 14 - Subscribe

Supergirl battles with Master Jailer, who is tracking and killing escaped Fort Rozz prisoners; Cat hires an additional assistant, who tries to one-up Kara; James and Kara don't agree on the DEO's methods.
posted by oh yeah! (22 comments total)
 
Directed by Lexi Alexander!
posted by 1970s Antihero at 5:02 AM on February 23, 2016 [1 favorite]


It didn't show that Lexi directed this.
Some of the fight scenes were Supergirl bad.
But, overall, I thought this was where Supergirl hit its stride.

(and did Hank have serious Spock Ears in the scene with Max/Luthor/Hitler?)
posted by Mezentian at 6:06 AM on February 23, 2016


So Cat doesn't fire Kara, she....hires another assistant.

The crazy lack of logic continues.
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:04 AM on February 23, 2016


Hiring a second assistant could be... how Kara gets promoted!
posted by amtho at 7:08 AM on February 23, 2016


Having someone finally compare a secret prison to Guantanamo was great. Now we just need James to visit The Flash.

Did Supergirl snap dude's neck / crush his windpipe at the end there? Because, damn.

I really hope assistant #1 is a normal assistant with normal motivations. If she's somehow an alien/Lord plant I'm going to be annoyed.
posted by ODiV at 8:14 AM on February 23, 2016 [1 favorite]


lobolobolobolobolobolobolobolobolobolobolobolobo
posted by humans are superior! at 11:01 AM on February 23, 2016 [1 favorite]


lobolobolobolobolobolobolobolobolobolobolobolobo

That's what that was, right? But nothing will ever come of it? Right? Please?
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 11:25 AM on February 23, 2016


Don't google the assistant's name if you want to stay unspoiled, that's all.
posted by nicebookrack at 11:44 AM on February 23, 2016


You know, I did think as Siobhan was going on about her career aspirations, what ARE Kara's career aspirations, if any?

Also, oh sure, you pronounce HER name right....
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:49 AM on February 23, 2016


That's what that was, right? But nothing will ever come of it? Right? Please?

It HAS to be! In my mind's eye I see Brad Garrett in only okay makeup acting exactly like how he voiced him on the animated series. It is beautiful.
posted by humans are superior! at 12:31 PM on February 23, 2016 [1 favorite]


Having someone finally compare a secret prison to Guantanamo was great. Now we just need James to visit The Flash.

Yes, yes we do. I'm pretty tired of the notion 'we had to do [x atrocity].' I don't need that out of my superhero shows too. (I don't mind that it's a part of the conversation, and people being temporarily wrong, but imprisonment without due process 'because they're especially bad,' so needs challenged in fiction too.)

Don't google the assistant's name if you want to stay unspoiled, that's all.

Oof. Yeah, good advice. Although googling Master Jailer led to some funny Silver Age wtfery.

Other stuff:
* The fact that Fort Rozz wasn't *just* Kryptonians on the back end is another thing that bugs me about the broader world of Supergirl. Like, sure Krypton is gone, but aren't any other space governments interested in where their prisoners ended up? Is Earth really far away? Are we a no-fly zone for some reason, (possibly proximity to an army of White Martians)?

It's not *important* per se, but I'm curious about their bigger world, and wish the show had room to poke around with that a bit.

(Stuff like this makes me doubly disappointed that Kara didn't just let Cat into her inner circle - I love Cat, want more Cat, but I could use less CatCo and work related shenanigans. I'm with the AV Club about the two worlds meshing pretty poorly at the best of times.)

* They sure are taking a laid-back approach to Non declaring open war. I guess I don't find him that intimidating either, but he's got a pretty big gang of people who are roughly equivalent to Superman.
posted by mordax at 3:47 PM on February 23, 2016


I'm about ready to give up on Supergirl. The work plots are so unbelievable it's making me not care about the rest of the show. I'm prepared to accept a bunch of silliness and weak logic from superhero antics, but the Kara/Cat relationship disbelief I have is just tearing into my disbelief in general.

I think choosing to make Kara an assistant, a position where the person is supposed to be around all the time, was a poor writing choice. Superheros need jobs they can duck in and out of.
posted by bswinburn at 5:20 PM on February 23, 2016 [1 favorite]


Now I'm wishing they had made CatCo not such a huge enterprise, so it would make sense for Cat to have a virtual assistant instead of a living one. I think fight scenes where Kara is also making appointments and ordering delivery on some headset for Cat would be awesome.
posted by bswinburn at 5:23 PM on February 23, 2016 [1 favorite]


I think choosing to make Kara an assistant, a position where the person is supposed to be around all the time, was a poor writing choice. Superheros need jobs they can duck in and out of.

Not enough favorites for that, needed to just hear it one more time instead. (I'm not ready to give up on Supergirl by any means - it's doing too much that I like - but this really is weird to the point of jarring.)
posted by mordax at 5:32 PM on February 23, 2016


I gotta say, it wouldn't be out of line for someone like Cat Grant to have two assistants. One handling internal corporate stuff, and one handling more personal stuff, fielding interview requests, etc.

The use of sunlight was pretty gorgeous this episode. I mean, cinematography-wise.

How freaking weird was Lucy's conversation with James? What? "Are you as close with her as you are with him?" did James have a crush on Superdude too, is that what you're saying, what the what
posted by Rainbo Vagrant at 8:26 PM on February 23, 2016


"I think choosing to make Kara an assistant, a position where the person is supposed to be around all the time, was a poor writing choice. Superheros need jobs they can duck in and out of"

True, but those jobs are hard to find (though reporter used to be one of 'em). Kinda odd she isn't one if we still pretend they exist though. But I guess Kara could theoretically be in a long coffee line pretty often/busting crime.
posted by jenfullmoon at 10:27 PM on February 23, 2016


How freaking weird was Lucy's conversation with James?

It was the complete Kent/Olsen.
posted by Mezentian at 12:33 AM on February 24, 2016


James makes no sense. Fine, he needs to explain his relationship with Supergirl to Lucy, then do that. "Honey, since I'm here in National City, Big Blue asked me to look in on his little cousin and offer her my support. He figures since she's new at this, she might need somebody to talk to." Done. Enough said. No need to divulge her secret identity.
posted by sardonyx at 8:12 AM on February 24, 2016 [2 favorites]


Why James didn't say exactly that made no sense to me either. The bit where the Master Jailer, or whatever the villain's name was, was Supergirl's equal in a fight early in the episode but was then knocked around pretty easily by Alex during the climactic fight scene also made no sense. Also, wear your helmet, Alex!

There is a real amateurish quality to the writing on this show. I'm not a big TV viewer. Supergirl and iZombie are the only two shows I'm watching at the moment. The difference in writing quality between the two is really jarring. On the latter the character beats and the various story arcs are incredibly well thought out and crafted, so there is a logical payoff to earlier scenes. Here, though, it often feels like there is no head writer who is coordinating the storylines.
posted by plastic_animals at 10:24 AM on February 24, 2016


I'm studying screenwriting and I gotta agree, or kind of. The storylines are okay enough, but every episode I'm like itching to take another pass over the dialogue. One pass is all it would take.

In the meantime I'm just a total sucker for Alex and Kara.
posted by Rainbo Vagrant at 12:02 PM on February 24, 2016


I'm just a total sucker for Alex and Kara.

yeah i feel like nobody in these threads is really feeling this the way i'm feeling these goobers.
posted by twist my arm at 1:55 PM on February 26, 2016 [2 favorites]


The fact that Fort Rozz wasn't *just* Kryptonians on the back end is another thing that bugs me about the broader world of Supergirl. Like, sure Krypton is gone, but aren't any other space governments interested in where their prisoners ended up? Is Earth really far away? Are we a no-fly zone for some reason, (possibly proximity to an army of White Martians)?

Maybe the rest of the universe simply doesn't know where it ended up? It seems like the only people who know it's on Earth are the escaped convicts and the DEO. Does the DEO have any interactions with ET civilizations?

How freaking weird was Lucy's conversation with James? What? "Are you as close with her as you are with him?" did James have a crush on Superdude too, is that what you're saying, what the what

As I recall, the reason she originally left him was that Superman was a bigger part of James' life than she was. Not a romantic thing, outside of slashfic.
posted by brundlefly at 12:48 AM on April 21, 2016


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