Supergirl: Nevertheless, She Persisted
May 23, 2017 3:54 AM - Season 2, Episode 22 - Subscribe
Supergirl challenges Rhea to battle to save National City. Meanwhile, Superman returns and Cat Grant offers Supergirl some sage advice. (season finale)
*IGN review - The Cousins of Steel throw down.
*EW recap - Supergirl is the champion Earth needs
*CBR recap - Up, Up and Far, Far Away
*AV Club recap - Supergirl’s finale shoots for the moon, doesn’t quite land among the stars
*Den of Geek review - In a heart-wrenching Supergirl Season 2 finale, Kara protects the Earth, but breaks her own heart in the process.
*IGN review - The Cousins of Steel throw down.
*EW recap - Supergirl is the champion Earth needs
*CBR recap - Up, Up and Far, Far Away
*AV Club recap - Supergirl’s finale shoots for the moon, doesn’t quite land among the stars
*Den of Geek review - In a heart-wrenching Supergirl Season 2 finale, Kara protects the Earth, but breaks her own heart in the process.
Also, any guesses on who is in the evil rocket from Krypton? I'm guessing it was baby Doomsday.
posted by Servo5678 at 5:06 AM on May 23, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Servo5678 at 5:06 AM on May 23, 2017 [1 favorite]
Why not use the white kryptonite on Kara? Ugh.
Rhea wanted Supergirl to suffer, and the impact of that is lessened if Kara's mind is muddled. Rhea was being sadistic, not practical or efficient.
posted by Servo5678 at 7:21 AM on May 23, 2017 [4 favorites]
Rhea wanted Supergirl to suffer, and the impact of that is lessened if Kara's mind is muddled. Rhea was being sadistic, not practical or efficient.
posted by Servo5678 at 7:21 AM on May 23, 2017 [4 favorites]
I liked this one. It wasn't perfect, but it was a pretty big step up. Stuff:
* About time they stopped teasing about Cat.
I like that she's just respecting Kara's privacy, (while disregarding James').
The only part of that sequence I didn't love was her being on board with 'poor Jimmy will hurt himself.' I think the show means it in a 'girl power' way, rather than a 'humans suck' way, but I've complained about that thread on this show before, and stand by the notion that it needs to go. Powers don't make heroes, choices do.
However, Cat complaining that she'd never seen Star Wars was also pretty great. I really want her back full time.
* This is a pretty classic kind of story, but gender flipping almost all the characters was great.
One of the things that keeps me coming back to Supergirl is that I love watching them do this. Almost all the major players are female: Supergirl as the Hero, Rhea as the archnemesis, Lillian as the Enemy Mine, M'gann with the cavalry, Cat as the wise but mercurial mentor, Superman as the sidelined hero, J'onn relegated to a coma due to not enough screen time, Alex and Maggie as the street level heroes, Mon-El as the doomed damsel. Guardian as Sir Not Appearing In This Episode. Lena as the best friend left out of the loop.
This is part of why I want this show to kick ass.
* Supergirl is canonically stronger than Superman in the Arrowverse!
I remember this being a plot point in some modern continuity - something about Clark learning to pull his punches more than she did, or maybe some shenanigans about her pod giving her a solar boost? I know it was a thing in Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, regardless.
* Silver Kryptonite is from Smallville.
I was only dimly aware of this - I stopped watching Smallville 2 seasons in - but the AV Club talked about it some.
* Pod child is probably either Doomsday or Reign.
I had never heard of Reign, but she sounds likelier due to Doomsday's use in the DC cinematic universe. I know there's some overlap - Flash and Superman in particular - but I bet they'd prefer to use a female villain anyway.
* I'm assuming that Mon-El died on the way back to his home planet.
(The show is going to let me down here, but I feel owed.)
posted by mordax at 9:22 AM on May 23, 2017 [6 favorites]
* About time they stopped teasing about Cat.
I like that she's just respecting Kara's privacy, (while disregarding James').
The only part of that sequence I didn't love was her being on board with 'poor Jimmy will hurt himself.' I think the show means it in a 'girl power' way, rather than a 'humans suck' way, but I've complained about that thread on this show before, and stand by the notion that it needs to go. Powers don't make heroes, choices do.
However, Cat complaining that she'd never seen Star Wars was also pretty great. I really want her back full time.
* This is a pretty classic kind of story, but gender flipping almost all the characters was great.
One of the things that keeps me coming back to Supergirl is that I love watching them do this. Almost all the major players are female: Supergirl as the Hero, Rhea as the archnemesis, Lillian as the Enemy Mine, M'gann with the cavalry, Cat as the wise but mercurial mentor, Superman as the sidelined hero, J'onn relegated to a coma due to not enough screen time, Alex and Maggie as the street level heroes, Mon-El as the doomed damsel. Guardian as Sir Not Appearing In This Episode. Lena as the best friend left out of the loop.
This is part of why I want this show to kick ass.
* Supergirl is canonically stronger than Superman in the Arrowverse!
I remember this being a plot point in some modern continuity - something about Clark learning to pull his punches more than she did, or maybe some shenanigans about her pod giving her a solar boost? I know it was a thing in Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, regardless.
* Silver Kryptonite is from Smallville.
I was only dimly aware of this - I stopped watching Smallville 2 seasons in - but the AV Club talked about it some.
* Pod child is probably either Doomsday or Reign.
I had never heard of Reign, but she sounds likelier due to Doomsday's use in the DC cinematic universe. I know there's some overlap - Flash and Superman in particular - but I bet they'd prefer to use a female villain anyway.
* I'm assuming that Mon-El died on the way back to his home planet.
(The show is going to let me down here, but I feel owed.)
posted by mordax at 9:22 AM on May 23, 2017 [6 favorites]
D'oh, last thought:
Am I the only one thinking landing a ton of White Martians on Earth cannot possibly end well? (Even if they mean well, that means spillover from their internal conflict into National City - I feel like M'gann's vision with J'onn hinted that strongly.)
posted by mordax at 9:29 AM on May 23, 2017
Am I the only one thinking landing a ton of White Martians on Earth cannot possibly end well? (Even if they mean well, that means spillover from their internal conflict into National City - I feel like M'gann's vision with J'onn hinted that strongly.)
posted by mordax at 9:29 AM on May 23, 2017
* I'm assuming that Mon-El died on the way back to his home planet.
Hah! I said out loud "Mon-El died on the way to his home planet!" when he went through the wormhole thing.
We're such goobers.
posted by Justinian at 1:50 PM on May 23, 2017 [4 favorites]
Hah! I said out loud "Mon-El died on the way to his home planet!" when he went through the wormhole thing.
We're such goobers.
posted by Justinian at 1:50 PM on May 23, 2017 [4 favorites]
I found it hard to enjoy this episode, despite the good bits, because I'd just seen this tumblr post about how the original show-runner/creator, Ali Adler, is no longer listed as a producer for S3 on the CW site, and appears to have been pushed out during this season. So I'm just feeling really despondent about the show ever being able to recover from the CW-fication/Mon-El-ization.
Also, the lead poisoning of the atmosphere was bonkers. I mean, whatever, they detonated nuclear bombs in Arrow, I know they don't care about science, but, sheesh. I meant to comment in last week's thread that James' spraying aerosolized in in the Catco office had me head-desking, but now the whole planet?
posted by oh yeah! at 6:20 PM on May 23, 2017 [4 favorites]
Also, the lead poisoning of the atmosphere was bonkers. I mean, whatever, they detonated nuclear bombs in Arrow, I know they don't care about science, but, sheesh. I meant to comment in last week's thread that James' spraying aerosolized in in the Catco office had me head-desking, but now the whole planet?
posted by oh yeah! at 6:20 PM on May 23, 2017 [4 favorites]
You know they did zero testing of the long-term effects of that global atmospheric modification on crops, bees, weather, and children's academic achievement :(
Talk about bad science. Come on. I mean, I know it's just a show, but kids watch this... kids who are going to be voting for bad/good science someday, with no real scientific background.
posted by amtho at 6:56 PM on May 23, 2017
Talk about bad science. Come on. I mean, I know it's just a show, but kids watch this... kids who are going to be voting for bad/good science someday, with no real scientific background.
posted by amtho at 6:56 PM on May 23, 2017
It's not just the effects on the earth and humans, but you'd figure low levels of lead might possibly interfere with powered Kryptonians. I mean if it can prevent them from seeing through things, could it also perhaps block their ability to absorb solar radiation?
I get the feeling that somehow Kara's necklace is going to be a talisman that allows Mon-El to come back. Maybe its Kryptonian origin gives it properties that counteract the lead's harmful effects on Daxamites. I'm not saying Mon-El will be back on the first episode next season, but I'm betting he'll be in the back pocket of the writers for when they need an emotional hit.
I'm glad you dug up Reign, mordax. I totally forgot about her. My money was on baby Doomsday, but I'd like to cancel that bet and jump to the filly in the race. Good catch.
So if Cat knows about Kara (yippee for finally making that clear!) does she know about Clark? If so that would add a whole other level to her speculation about his spectacleless talents.
posted by sardonyx at 8:00 PM on May 23, 2017
I get the feeling that somehow Kara's necklace is going to be a talisman that allows Mon-El to come back. Maybe its Kryptonian origin gives it properties that counteract the lead's harmful effects on Daxamites. I'm not saying Mon-El will be back on the first episode next season, but I'm betting he'll be in the back pocket of the writers for when they need an emotional hit.
I'm glad you dug up Reign, mordax. I totally forgot about her. My money was on baby Doomsday, but I'd like to cancel that bet and jump to the filly in the race. Good catch.
So if Cat knows about Kara (yippee for finally making that clear!) does she know about Clark? If so that would add a whole other level to her speculation about his spectacleless talents.
posted by sardonyx at 8:00 PM on May 23, 2017
Oh, and in case people haven't seen it, here's Supergirl and Friends promoting a certain Amazon. (Which makes my guess about the Cheetah reference in last week's Arrow episode being a WW promo much more likely.)
posted by sardonyx at 8:03 PM on May 23, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by sardonyx at 8:03 PM on May 23, 2017 [1 favorite]
This episode was not nearly as fun as last week, but better than other episodes this season. IDK ... Dare I say there was way too much punching? I am thrilled that its been established that Supergirl is stronger than Superman. And yet, I'm bored with the punching. I am also bored to death of aliens and otherwordly threats. I want Supergirl, James and Winn to become the biggest, baddest, best SJWs this world has ever known. Remember the origins of Superman in the comics? He fought gangsters and evil corporate overlords. He fought for the little guy. I am not criticizing the show's obvious stand with aliens and immigrants, I thought that was wonderful. But I'd like to see the show be less sci-fi and have Supergirl be more of an anomoly in this world, rather than just 1 of thousands of aliens with superpowers.
Oh and ... buh bye Mon-El.
posted by pjsky at 6:30 AM on May 24, 2017
Oh and ... buh bye Mon-El.
posted by pjsky at 6:30 AM on May 24, 2017
You know they did zero testing of the long-term effects of that global atmospheric modification on crops, bees, weather, and children's academic achievement :(
I'm comfortable with the argument that you need to fast-track things when not doing them means your planet gets completely destroyed by the alien invaders who have shown they won't honor any bargains/negotiations.
I had more trouble with the idea that a non-human-impacting level of lead would quickly kill the Daximites but we somehow had to fling it all up in the air. Send half your fighters out to Ace Auto Parts to pick up some bottles of lead additive for old cars, send the other half to Toys Backwards-R Us for some super soakers and just fight it out on the ground.
As far as the episode as it did happen, I really enjoyed how non-issue Kara's power level and taking the reins was with Superman and that it didn't get overly underlined/lampshaded. It just was, which was great.
But pencil me in as not delighted to have Cat explicitly call Kara Supergirl. You're talking about a woman who left your office 4 seconds ago and who has super-hearing. At that point just speak openly to her. This way is just kinda uncomfortable to me.
posted by phearlez at 10:05 AM on May 24, 2017 [2 favorites]
I'm comfortable with the argument that you need to fast-track things when not doing them means your planet gets completely destroyed by the alien invaders who have shown they won't honor any bargains/negotiations.
I had more trouble with the idea that a non-human-impacting level of lead would quickly kill the Daximites but we somehow had to fling it all up in the air. Send half your fighters out to Ace Auto Parts to pick up some bottles of lead additive for old cars, send the other half to Toys Backwards-R Us for some super soakers and just fight it out on the ground.
As far as the episode as it did happen, I really enjoyed how non-issue Kara's power level and taking the reins was with Superman and that it didn't get overly underlined/lampshaded. It just was, which was great.
But pencil me in as not delighted to have Cat explicitly call Kara Supergirl. You're talking about a woman who left your office 4 seconds ago and who has super-hearing. At that point just speak openly to her. This way is just kinda uncomfortable to me.
posted by phearlez at 10:05 AM on May 24, 2017 [2 favorites]
I'm thinking she put two and two together when she saw Superman face to face whenever it was last time he stopped by, because she's obsessed with his eyes, and also she recognized James from his eye slit. And I'm sure the news about a shapeshifting Martian helping Supergilr didn't escape her.
I liked this finale, I love the whole gender flipping. And that episode title is so great. (In case you forgot, it came about from when Elizabeth Warren persisted in reading a letter condemning Jeff Sessions as a nominee for Attorney General, and was barred from doing so by Mitch McConnell, who said those exact words in a statement to the press.)
posted by numaner at 11:57 AM on May 24, 2017
I liked this finale, I love the whole gender flipping. And that episode title is so great. (In case you forgot, it came about from when Elizabeth Warren persisted in reading a letter condemning Jeff Sessions as a nominee for Attorney General, and was barred from doing so by Mitch McConnell, who said those exact words in a statement to the press.)
posted by numaner at 11:57 AM on May 24, 2017
And J'onn says "stronger together" to Superman while they're beating up on the redshirts.
posted by phearlez at 11:51 AM on May 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by phearlez at 11:51 AM on May 25, 2017 [2 favorites]
I really liked that part. The finale touches on my personal wish for the show: Kara becoming the leader of something like the Justice League. It didn't quite hit it, but a battle like this one would be a good catalyst to get something like that going.
posted by mordax at 12:33 PM on May 25, 2017
posted by mordax at 12:33 PM on May 25, 2017
Good point on the super hearing.
But I did love that it proves that Cat isn't a blind idiot and knows. Yay.
I know most people didn't like Mon-El, but they were cute together and had way more chemistry than the previous dudes, and the ending made me sad. I hope they somehow bring him back (sorry, I do!).
Nthing that pitching lead into the atmosphere would probably kill us all.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:28 PM on June 1, 2017 [2 favorites]
But I did love that it proves that Cat isn't a blind idiot and knows. Yay.
I know most people didn't like Mon-El, but they were cute together and had way more chemistry than the previous dudes, and the ending made me sad. I hope they somehow bring him back (sorry, I do!).
Nthing that pitching lead into the atmosphere would probably kill us all.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:28 PM on June 1, 2017 [2 favorites]
We will never be rid of Mon-El -- he's already listed as a main character in the CW site S3 description. (While Maggie gets no mention whatsoever, and has already been downgraded from regular to recurring.)
posted by oh yeah! at 5:51 AM on June 2, 2017
posted by oh yeah! at 5:51 AM on June 2, 2017
Floriana Lima tweeted that Maggie was meant to be a one-season character, so her coming back in a recurring role is a bit of a bonus.
posted by plastic_animals at 9:37 AM on June 2, 2017
posted by plastic_animals at 9:37 AM on June 2, 2017
Hey, just wanted to say that I’m bowing out of posting the Supergirl threads for S3. I’m still unhappy about the course of S2, the ousting of Ali Adler, and the obnoxious behavior of the cast at San Diego Comic-Con. Not sure if/when I’ll be watching S3, but I won’t be watching it live and in time to launch the discussion. (I’m fine to continue posting the other CW DC shows though.)
posted by oh yeah! at 11:49 AM on October 9, 2017
posted by oh yeah! at 11:49 AM on October 9, 2017
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posted by Servo5678 at 5:05 AM on May 23, 2017 [5 favorites]