Supergirl: The Darkest Place
November 22, 2016 4:18 AM - Season 2, Episode 7 - Subscribe
Guardian must clear his name after being accused of a murder committed by another vigilante; at the same time, Supergirl comes face to face with Cyborg Superman while on a solo mission to rescue Mon-El from Cadmus.
And then this week, in the very next episode, they explain that when she uses her heat vision it depletes her stored solar energy and rapidly weakens her.
Called it in the last thread, actually - this has been a thing for awhile.
So, I mostly didn't like this one. Stuff:
* James is really out of line, here. His reaction to the vigilante proves he's only in it for personal glory, (especially to prove he's just like Kara, etc.), rather than out of a selfless desire to help people. His treatment of Winn was particularly shoddy. He should've come clean here and gotten the gang involved in fixing this, rather than risking other people being murdered just so he could keep tricking Kara. Really makes him out to look like a bad person.
I also didn't like Alex's immediate turn to threats - her jackbooted thuggery goes back a ways, and I really don't like it.
* Argh, Kara/Mon-El. He should be the sidekick, not the boyfriend. I hope she shoots him down.
* The Jeremiah reveal was clunky. They could've forced him to stay behind, rather than him going, "I can't leave because reasons."
* J'onn actually turning White Martian feels pretty heavy handed. I like the subplot otherwise, but I feel like it would've been better to just let him find out M'gann lied to him without adding a ticking clock there. It also feels weird because they're telepaths: she can prove herself to him pretty easily, and her not offering should be addressed.
* I liked seeing Hank Henshaw, but the Fortress of Solitude has the worst security. I mean, even my laptop requires a password. Also, the 'I am Cyborg Superman' thing was... WTF? I mean, I know enough about comics to get it, but that should not be necessary to understand something a character on a show says. (Working only within the show's context, he should be Metallo Mk II or something.)
* The main positive thing here was Alex/Maggie, which wasn't as good as last time, (too speechy), but still seems to be moving at a natural pace, and looking like how humans actually relate to one another. I maintain that if they're only planning to do one thing right, they should get this right, so... that was good, anyway. Fingers crossed it stays that way.
posted by mordax at 9:54 AM on November 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
Called it in the last thread, actually - this has been a thing for awhile.
So, I mostly didn't like this one. Stuff:
* James is really out of line, here. His reaction to the vigilante proves he's only in it for personal glory, (especially to prove he's just like Kara, etc.), rather than out of a selfless desire to help people. His treatment of Winn was particularly shoddy. He should've come clean here and gotten the gang involved in fixing this, rather than risking other people being murdered just so he could keep tricking Kara. Really makes him out to look like a bad person.
I also didn't like Alex's immediate turn to threats - her jackbooted thuggery goes back a ways, and I really don't like it.
* Argh, Kara/Mon-El. He should be the sidekick, not the boyfriend. I hope she shoots him down.
* The Jeremiah reveal was clunky. They could've forced him to stay behind, rather than him going, "I can't leave because reasons."
* J'onn actually turning White Martian feels pretty heavy handed. I like the subplot otherwise, but I feel like it would've been better to just let him find out M'gann lied to him without adding a ticking clock there. It also feels weird because they're telepaths: she can prove herself to him pretty easily, and her not offering should be addressed.
* I liked seeing Hank Henshaw, but the Fortress of Solitude has the worst security. I mean, even my laptop requires a password. Also, the 'I am Cyborg Superman' thing was... WTF? I mean, I know enough about comics to get it, but that should not be necessary to understand something a character on a show says. (Working only within the show's context, he should be Metallo Mk II or something.)
* The main positive thing here was Alex/Maggie, which wasn't as good as last time, (too speechy), but still seems to be moving at a natural pace, and looking like how humans actually relate to one another. I maintain that if they're only planning to do one thing right, they should get this right, so... that was good, anyway. Fingers crossed it stays that way.
posted by mordax at 9:54 AM on November 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
Also, the 'I am Cyborg Superman' thing was... WTF? I mean, I know enough about comics to get it, but that should not be necessary to understand something a character on a show says. (
My wife and I were enjoying the reveal of him being Henshaw and then he made that annoucement and I said, by way of badly attempted explanation, "oh, he's Cyborg Superman" and got a very curt "thanks sweetheart" in reply. It was a really weird moment.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 10:15 AM on November 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
My wife and I were enjoying the reveal of him being Henshaw and then he made that annoucement and I said, by way of badly attempted explanation, "oh, he's Cyborg Superman" and got a very curt "thanks sweetheart" in reply. It was a really weird moment.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 10:15 AM on November 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
Yep, you definitely called that.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:54 AM on November 22, 2016
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:54 AM on November 22, 2016
James' reaction felt pretty natural to me, and I don't think he came off as a bad person. He's just being childish. Like TV characters do. The story kind of failed to hit that point, that he needs to think through what SECRET means, because this show is as always very clumsy and ham-handed in execution.
speaking of jimmy I have an important message from tumblr
The opening where they're all in the bar, I was just thinking last week, that's how they should start every episode. Skip the cold opens and make it like How I Met Your Mother.
posted by Rainbo Vagrant at 12:12 PM on November 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
speaking of jimmy I have an important message from tumblr
The opening where they're all in the bar, I was just thinking last week, that's how they should start every episode. Skip the cold opens and make it like How I Met Your Mother.
posted by Rainbo Vagrant at 12:12 PM on November 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
also um so last season Kara being heroic would absolutely 100% punch my feels buttons and for some reason it's not doing that this season? Is that just me or are they actually treating her differently?
posted by Rainbo Vagrant at 12:15 PM on November 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Rainbo Vagrant at 12:15 PM on November 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
You're not wrong.
Pre-DEO Supergirl was all, "I'M HELPING! THIS IS THE BEST!"
DEO Supergirl is all, "I will fulfill this task which I have been assigned."
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:24 PM on November 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
Pre-DEO Supergirl was all, "I'M HELPING! THIS IS THE BEST!"
DEO Supergirl is all, "I will fulfill this task which I have been assigned."
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:24 PM on November 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
It's like there's no time for her to have emotions about things because of all the other characters.
posted by amtho at 12:25 PM on November 22, 2016
posted by amtho at 12:25 PM on November 22, 2016
I swear to god somebody needs to slap the director and nail the f'ing camera to the floor. Movement is not action. Speed is not energy. Quick cuts are not art. GrrrArrgghhhh
Since when did "Vigilante = Good Guy"? they were throwing around the word vigilante a lot this episode. Vigilantes are dangerous and rarely as righteous as they claim. Honestly, doesn't the crazy with grief, Navy Seal whose wife was murdered by a bad guy who escaped justice more sympathetic than James "I JUST WANNA BE A HERO TOO" Olsen? I HATE THIS STORYLINE. MAKE IT GO AWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY.
How many identities does David Harewood play on this show? Original Hank Henshaw, Fake Hank Henshaw, Cyborg Superman/Henshaw, J'onn Jonz, Green Martian, Green Martian turning into White Martian. And that's not even the shape shifting stuff! He's good at all of them. He can stay.
I am slowly coming round to liking Mon-El and am 100% ok with him and Kara hooking up romantically. But he's going to have to earn it. Just like Maggie has to earn Alex's trust again. But if all Alex and Maggie ever get to do is play pool I am going to be pissed.
posted by pjsky at 12:38 PM on November 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
Since when did "Vigilante = Good Guy"? they were throwing around the word vigilante a lot this episode. Vigilantes are dangerous and rarely as righteous as they claim. Honestly, doesn't the crazy with grief, Navy Seal whose wife was murdered by a bad guy who escaped justice more sympathetic than James "I JUST WANNA BE A HERO TOO" Olsen? I HATE THIS STORYLINE. MAKE IT GO AWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY.
How many identities does David Harewood play on this show? Original Hank Henshaw, Fake Hank Henshaw, Cyborg Superman/Henshaw, J'onn Jonz, Green Martian, Green Martian turning into White Martian. And that's not even the shape shifting stuff! He's good at all of them. He can stay.
I am slowly coming round to liking Mon-El and am 100% ok with him and Kara hooking up romantically. But he's going to have to earn it. Just like Maggie has to earn Alex's trust again. But if all Alex and Maggie ever get to do is play pool I am going to be pissed.
posted by pjsky at 12:38 PM on November 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
Honestly, doesn't the crazy with grief, Navy Seal whose wife was murdered by a bad guy who escaped justice more sympathetic than James "I JUST WANNA BE A HERO TOO" Olsen?
To be fair, those feelings may be exactly what the writers have in mind. James has always been well-intentioned but not quite honest/courageous/trusting enough. He was a not-very-good boyfriend and now he's a not-very-good hero.
The show is demonstrating the contrasts between old-fashioned, shallow, naive, masculine comic-book "good" and what actually improves the world.
posted by amtho at 1:02 PM on November 22, 2016
To be fair, those feelings may be exactly what the writers have in mind. James has always been well-intentioned but not quite honest/courageous/trusting enough. He was a not-very-good boyfriend and now he's a not-very-good hero.
The show is demonstrating the contrasts between old-fashioned, shallow, naive, masculine comic-book "good" and what actually improves the world.
posted by amtho at 1:02 PM on November 22, 2016
Low-Rent Punisher was no Punisher!
posted by Justinian at 4:46 PM on November 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Justinian at 4:46 PM on November 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
for a second I thought there was going to be TWO Vigilante between this and Arrow, and I thought it was probable since they're supposed to be in alternate universes. And then I read up on Barrage, and remembered how many fucking characters are there in comics.
posted by numaner at 7:15 AM on November 23, 2016
posted by numaner at 7:15 AM on November 23, 2016
I'm with everybody who thinks the inclusion of Cyborg Superman is just clunky and dumb. As said above, Metallo Version X would be much better. Or come up with a new character. It's not like that's never been done on these shows before.
Mama Luthor is an idiot. If she can get her hands on that much Nth metal she can build herself a fortune. Or a powerful army. What a waste.
I was surprised by the use of Kara's blood. Seriously, that much was needed to gain access to the Fortress? Another waste. It seems these Cadmus types aren't very good about making efficient use of their precious resources.
Honestly, given this is Cadmus, I was expecting the blood to be used in the creation of a hybrid human-Kryptonian clone in the vein of Superboy/Kon-El. I guess we could still see that given we don't know how much blood was taken. And hey, then the writers would have yet another chance to shoe-horn in another heroic character (because apparently there aren't enough of them this season).
Before that happened, however, I really wanted to scream at Kara for being an idiot. Of course Cadmus wasn't planning on letting Mon-El go. And why didn't she just agree to put on the helmet, give it a quick short blast to "prove" her compliance, and then rip the darned thing to pieces, and go after the Cadmus thugs with her super speed? Because apparently she was required to carry the idiot ball this week.
So now we've got Hank feeling the side effects of the blood transfusion. What are the odds Mon-El is going to start suffering from the side effects of the lead poisoning? Actually I wasn't expecting them to use that storyline.
Last but not least is Jeremiah. What are we expecting his issue to be? Another Metallo/Cyborg Supes modification? Something biological? It appears Kryptonite enhancement has been ruled out (as he got close to Kara).
posted by sardonyx at 6:49 PM on November 23, 2016
Mama Luthor is an idiot. If she can get her hands on that much Nth metal she can build herself a fortune. Or a powerful army. What a waste.
I was surprised by the use of Kara's blood. Seriously, that much was needed to gain access to the Fortress? Another waste. It seems these Cadmus types aren't very good about making efficient use of their precious resources.
Honestly, given this is Cadmus, I was expecting the blood to be used in the creation of a hybrid human-Kryptonian clone in the vein of Superboy/Kon-El. I guess we could still see that given we don't know how much blood was taken. And hey, then the writers would have yet another chance to shoe-horn in another heroic character (because apparently there aren't enough of them this season).
Before that happened, however, I really wanted to scream at Kara for being an idiot. Of course Cadmus wasn't planning on letting Mon-El go. And why didn't she just agree to put on the helmet, give it a quick short blast to "prove" her compliance, and then rip the darned thing to pieces, and go after the Cadmus thugs with her super speed? Because apparently she was required to carry the idiot ball this week.
So now we've got Hank feeling the side effects of the blood transfusion. What are the odds Mon-El is going to start suffering from the side effects of the lead poisoning? Actually I wasn't expecting them to use that storyline.
Last but not least is Jeremiah. What are we expecting his issue to be? Another Metallo/Cyborg Supes modification? Something biological? It appears Kryptonite enhancement has been ruled out (as he got close to Kara).
posted by sardonyx at 6:49 PM on November 23, 2016
What's up with the Luthors and their helicopter mom? Jesus Christ, lady, your daughter is like 30 now. Let her fight Supergirl or not on her own.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 7:00 AM on November 24, 2016
posted by kittens for breakfast at 7:00 AM on November 24, 2016
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And then this week, in the very next episode, they explain that when she uses her heat vision it depletes her stored solar energy and rapidly weakens her.
DOT, Jr.: "OK, that is a pretty good explanation."
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:17 AM on November 22, 2016 [3 favorites]