Supergirl: Back From the Future - Part One

January 26, 2020 8:24 PM - Season 5, Episode 11

As Supergirl tries to thwart a Toyman copycat, Winn Schott returns from the future.

EW - Supergirl director David Harewood on that new home base and epic 'Eye of the Tiger' moment

TV Fanatic recap

posted by oh yeah! (9 comments total)

I didn't have any feelings one way or the other about seeing Winn back, but I think they handled it well.

The bit with Brainy and Winn was a nice bit of work, especially Brainy revealing that he's still the same character he was (with the same feelings) before he took off the personality inhibitors. He's just in a bad situation.

i really could do without turning Kara and British reporter dude (his name escapes me at the moment) into the next Lois and Clark.

At this point, I have no idea what Nia's actual power is or how it's supposed to work. It really seems to turn into something new with every situation -- whatever the script demands, she can do. I'm not really impressed by this approach. If they wanted some kind of magical, all powerful character with an ability that looks good on screen, they shouldn't have gone with Dreamer-based powers in the first place. They have a lot of natural built-in limitations and don't really lend themselves to big, flashy battles.
posted by sardonyx at 9:21 PM on January 26, 2020

Oh, I forgot to add that the Legion ship light cube was the cheapest, tackiest looking prop I've seen in a long, long time.
posted by sardonyx at 6:25 PM on January 27, 2020

Yeah, I've never gotten how dreaming is a superhero power either. Also, I still want to know how Nia ends up having descendants.

I enjoyed the return of Winn. It was fun. As was Eye of the Tiger.

"By 2126, anti-trolling legislations are in place all around the world. Stopped World War III."

I WISH.
posted by jenfullmoon at 10:44 PM on January 27, 2020 [1 favorite]

It really seems like this could have been a solid episode but they introduce too much stuff that does not allow enough time to focus on just a couple of the bits that just get tossed out. Flesh out Dreamer's power-set, something like how dreams release psychic energy that can Dreamer can collect and store. This energy can then be used for other psychic effects, telekinesis, prophecy, etc...with Winn helping her to understand how. Reveal the Tower next week. Save the data cube and Lex's manipulation of Lena for next week as well. Then let us have a little more Toy-Winn on Winn conflict. I doubt that William is going to be Kara's Lois Lane. He might be but ever since they mentioned the Anti-Life equation I keep thinking that he gets tied into the New Gods somehow. No basis for it, just a stupid impulse I can't quite quell.
posted by Ignorantsavage at 3:39 AM on January 28, 2020 [1 favorite]

Please don’t make Kara and William a thing.
posted by plastic_animals at 6:40 AM on January 29, 2020

I'm also on board with no Kara and William. I don't know why but this show never seems to handle Kara's relationships well. At least her and Jimmy was actually nice, because the actors/characters already had a chemistry. And although Melissa Benoist is now married to Chris Wood, I still didn't see their chemistry on screen together working that well.
posted by numaner at 6:48 AM on January 29, 2020

Dreamer's powers were explored last season and I thought they showed it pretty well. She can blast out dream energy or weave it into some tangible objects. We've seen her train with Brainy on how to harness it. Her weak point seems to be her dreams themselves, because interpreting them was something her mom couldn't teach her before dying. Seems like Winn will help her with that, which is a funny time loop because now she can pass it down to her descendants, who will teach Winn, who will time travel back etc etc.
posted by numaner at 6:51 AM on January 29, 2020

The conflict with Brainy is really enjoyable to watch. Jesse Rath is handling it well. I wonder how long he can keep it a secret though.
posted by numaner at 6:52 AM on January 29, 2020

Nia, herself, doesn't know what her powers can do. When Winn showed her what the ring was capable of doing by channeling her powers, she asked, "I can do that?" (or something to that effect), so I don't think people like us should feel bad for not fully understanding her capabilities.
posted by sardonyx at 3:59 PM on January 29, 2020