Supergirl: Ace Reporter
April 24, 2017 8:30 PM - Season 2, Episode 18 - Subscribe
Lena's ex-boyfriend Jack Spheer comes to National City to unveil his big breakthrough in nano-technology, which has the potential to eradicate all disease, but Kara's investigation turns up something more sinister...
(Also Lyra joins Team Guardian, Kara gets her CatCo job back, and Rhea has a proposal for Lena)
*Den of Geek review - Lena chooses Supergirl over her ex-boyfriend in a character-centric episode of Supergirl.
*IGN review - Can Kara salvage her newspaper career?
*EW recap - After three weeks away, Supergirl is back — and with a Lena Luthor-centric episode to boot
*AV Club recap - Supergirl finally puts its focus back on mild-mannered reporter Kara Danvers
(Also Lyra joins Team Guardian, Kara gets her CatCo job back, and Rhea has a proposal for Lena)
*Den of Geek review - Lena chooses Supergirl over her ex-boyfriend in a character-centric episode of Supergirl.
*IGN review - Can Kara salvage her newspaper career?
*EW recap - After three weeks away, Supergirl is back — and with a Lena Luthor-centric episode to boot
*AV Club recap - Supergirl finally puts its focus back on mild-mannered reporter Kara Danvers
Honestly, has a big breakthrough in nano-technology, which has the potential to eradicate all disease, ever not had something more sinister going on?
posted by Naberius at 7:27 AM on April 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Naberius at 7:27 AM on April 25, 2017 [1 favorite]
RAVI! I SAW RAVI ON THE TV!
posted by Justinian at 5:20 PM on April 25, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by Justinian at 5:20 PM on April 25, 2017 [5 favorites]
Straggler recaps:
*CBR - Superfriends and Nanobots
*Autostraddle - Just Gals Saving Pals
posted by oh yeah! at 7:02 PM on April 25, 2017
*CBR - Superfriends and Nanobots
*Autostraddle - Just Gals Saving Pals
posted by oh yeah! at 7:02 PM on April 25, 2017
"RAVI! I SAW RAVI ON THE TV!"
It was disconcerting. I couldn't unsee him as Ravi. And the villainous CFO was played by a regular on Timeless.
I think he played the confident, attractive technologist quite well -- but, gosh, maybe it's just my familiarity with him on iZombie, but I think the nerdy, snarky pathologist suits him better.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 9:18 PM on April 25, 2017
It was disconcerting. I couldn't unsee him as Ravi. And the villainous CFO was played by a regular on Timeless.
I think he played the confident, attractive technologist quite well -- but, gosh, maybe it's just my familiarity with him on iZombie, but I think the nerdy, snarky pathologist suits him better.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 9:18 PM on April 25, 2017
I put off watching this a bit, but it was better. I'm good with pretty much any Lena / Kara teamup. (I still want Lena on Team Supergirl - having a Luthor and a Kryptonian team up permanently still strikes me as a great subversion of the usual storyline.)
This episode had approximately 1 minute of Mon-El which is precisely the optimal amount of Mon-El.
Plus, he was only helpful. (Well, a little fish-out-of-water, but not too much.)
There is zero reason for the Guardian/Lyra/Winn story and I am tired of it taking time away from other, more interesting stories/characters
Yeah, that was my only real complaint about the whole deal.
posted by mordax at 10:50 PM on April 25, 2017
This episode had approximately 1 minute of Mon-El which is precisely the optimal amount of Mon-El.
Plus, he was only helpful. (Well, a little fish-out-of-water, but not too much.)
There is zero reason for the Guardian/Lyra/Winn story and I am tired of it taking time away from other, more interesting stories/characters
Yeah, that was my only real complaint about the whole deal.
posted by mordax at 10:50 PM on April 25, 2017
"I still want Lena on Team Supergirl - having a Luthor and a Kryptonian team up permanently still strikes me as a great subversion of the usual storyline."
Yes, yes, yes. They seem to be just recapitulating Clark/Lex, with that little glimpse of her childhood brilliance (far beyond Lex's) and a sly smile after her conversation with Kara in a past episode. But, god, I hope that's misdirection because it would be so much more interesting for Lena to be at least as nominally good as Mon-El or Lyra (which is to say, she doesn't have to be perfect to be friends with Kara, just not actually a villain) and for Kara and Lena to become genuinely best friends.
The show's been strongest on women's relationships -- Cat and Kara, Kara and Alex, Alex and Maggie, Kara and Lena -- and the fourth completes the set of mentoring, familial, romantic, and friendly love. This is a show about a woman who is a superhero -- and not just any superhero, but one expected to live up to an impossible standard of personal virtue. This is a theme of Kryptonians, but it's also a theme for a performance of femininity. And the show, to its credit, is insisting on a Supergirl who embodies that role, not subverts it, for better or worse. What this means for Kara as a person is revealed to us in her closest relationships with other women -- that's why they're the core of the show and, frankly, her romances have never held much interest.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 12:48 AM on April 26, 2017 [5 favorites]
Yes, yes, yes. They seem to be just recapitulating Clark/Lex, with that little glimpse of her childhood brilliance (far beyond Lex's) and a sly smile after her conversation with Kara in a past episode. But, god, I hope that's misdirection because it would be so much more interesting for Lena to be at least as nominally good as Mon-El or Lyra (which is to say, she doesn't have to be perfect to be friends with Kara, just not actually a villain) and for Kara and Lena to become genuinely best friends.
The show's been strongest on women's relationships -- Cat and Kara, Kara and Alex, Alex and Maggie, Kara and Lena -- and the fourth completes the set of mentoring, familial, romantic, and friendly love. This is a show about a woman who is a superhero -- and not just any superhero, but one expected to live up to an impossible standard of personal virtue. This is a theme of Kryptonians, but it's also a theme for a performance of femininity. And the show, to its credit, is insisting on a Supergirl who embodies that role, not subverts it, for better or worse. What this means for Kara as a person is revealed to us in her closest relationships with other women -- that's why they're the core of the show and, frankly, her romances have never held much interest.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 12:48 AM on April 26, 2017 [5 favorites]
But, god, I hope that's misdirection because it would be so much more interesting for Lena to be at least as nominally good as Mon-El or Lyra (which is to say, she doesn't have to be perfect to be friends with Kara, just not actually a villain) and for Kara and Lena to become genuinely best friends.
This is the only angle I was really thinking about when I wrote my own comment, but the rest of what you said about it is all right on point too.
Plus, I feel like Supergirl's draw is that it's hopeful. In some stories, the message is that all even a superhero can do is hold bad stuff at bay. Like... in most depictions, all Batman is doing is fighting a holding action. He's not making the world better, he's desperately trying to keep it from getting worse. Supergirl is, on the other hand, all about the idea of how people are stronger together. She beats villains up, but it's only one tool in her toolkit - she's also about drawing out the best in others. Like, she got J'onn to come out of hiding. She got Mon-El to at least try to be decent. Her S1 plot had a strong component of her reaching out in addition to punching.
If she gets Lena to stay basically good, that's another victory for hopefulness over cynicism in her story. It's one more example of, 'things don't have to go down some predestined path if we reach out.'
(I think this is another reason I don't like the Guardian subplot - James' understanding of how to be a superhero seems pretty shallow by comparison: 'I will go out in my suit and beat the tar out of people and that's all' instead of 'sometimes I gotta beat people up, and maybe I like the rush of action, but I have other choices too sometimes.')
posted by mordax at 9:23 AM on April 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
This is the only angle I was really thinking about when I wrote my own comment, but the rest of what you said about it is all right on point too.
Plus, I feel like Supergirl's draw is that it's hopeful. In some stories, the message is that all even a superhero can do is hold bad stuff at bay. Like... in most depictions, all Batman is doing is fighting a holding action. He's not making the world better, he's desperately trying to keep it from getting worse. Supergirl is, on the other hand, all about the idea of how people are stronger together. She beats villains up, but it's only one tool in her toolkit - she's also about drawing out the best in others. Like, she got J'onn to come out of hiding. She got Mon-El to at least try to be decent. Her S1 plot had a strong component of her reaching out in addition to punching.
If she gets Lena to stay basically good, that's another victory for hopefulness over cynicism in her story. It's one more example of, 'things don't have to go down some predestined path if we reach out.'
(I think this is another reason I don't like the Guardian subplot - James' understanding of how to be a superhero seems pretty shallow by comparison: 'I will go out in my suit and beat the tar out of people and that's all' instead of 'sometimes I gotta beat people up, and maybe I like the rush of action, but I have other choices too sometimes.')
posted by mordax at 9:23 AM on April 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
I thought the end of the episode when Kara went to visit Lena was very interesting. It was wonderful to see Kara consoling her friend and it was enlightening to hear Lena talk of feeling cold and shutdown. If that's not a big honking warning sign I don't know what is!! I really hope Lena doesn't go all loony lethal Luthor on National City. Also - I still can't believe the exceptionally smart, insightful, observant genius Lena Luthor hasn't figured out that Kara is Supergirl. It would have been really fun if they had Lena and Supergirl bonding as friends and Kara and Lena butting heads! The over-privileged, trust fund corporate powerhouse in Jimmy Choos vs the scrappy, minimum wage making, sensible shoe wearing digital journalist/blogger.
This is a show about a woman who is a superhero -- and not just any superhero, but one expected to live up to an impossible standard of personal virtue. This is a theme of Kryptonians, but it's also a theme for a performance of femininity. And the show, to its credit, is insisting on a Supergirl who embodies that role, not subverts it, for better or worse. What this means for Kara as a person is revealed to us in her closest relationships with other women -- that's why they're the core of the show and, frankly, her romances have never held much interest.
This is so insightful. I love it. It makes me think how Superman is shown as a chick magnet because he's honorable and hunky and Clark is presented as a nerd and - though an upstanding guy - so much less sexually desirable. Supergirl, on the other hand, is not shown to have guys drooling over her as she flies by and righteously punches villians 10x her size. And I'm not sure how I feel about that, now that I think about it!! Anyway, "the impossible standard of personal virtue" and "performance of femininity" are definitely themes worth exploring and whether the writers actively choose to do that or it's happening by accident, I am here for it.
posted by pjsky at 9:53 AM on April 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
This is a show about a woman who is a superhero -- and not just any superhero, but one expected to live up to an impossible standard of personal virtue. This is a theme of Kryptonians, but it's also a theme for a performance of femininity. And the show, to its credit, is insisting on a Supergirl who embodies that role, not subverts it, for better or worse. What this means for Kara as a person is revealed to us in her closest relationships with other women -- that's why they're the core of the show and, frankly, her romances have never held much interest.
This is so insightful. I love it. It makes me think how Superman is shown as a chick magnet because he's honorable and hunky and Clark is presented as a nerd and - though an upstanding guy - so much less sexually desirable. Supergirl, on the other hand, is not shown to have guys drooling over her as she flies by and righteously punches villians 10x her size. And I'm not sure how I feel about that, now that I think about it!! Anyway, "the impossible standard of personal virtue" and "performance of femininity" are definitely themes worth exploring and whether the writers actively choose to do that or it's happening by accident, I am here for it.
posted by pjsky at 9:53 AM on April 26, 2017 [2 favorites]
Supergirl, on the other hand, is not shown to have guys drooling over her as she flies by and righteously punches villians 10x her size.
While its true we aren't shown Supergirl Fanboys (who you know must be out there) and thank god for that, it's also true that all three of the age-appropriate men in her orbit have fallen in love or drooled over her. (I'm excepting Hank 'cause he's a father figure and, uh, a Martian). But Winn, Jimmy, and Mon-El all fell for her and two of them have dated her. So she's not depicted as somehow above that. Get it? Above that? Because of flying? Oh well.
I thought Winn maturing past seeing himself as Captain Friendzone was handled quite well (last?) season. He spoke up, said his bit, and then moved on.
posted by Justinian at 10:35 AM on April 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
While its true we aren't shown Supergirl Fanboys (who you know must be out there) and thank god for that, it's also true that all three of the age-appropriate men in her orbit have fallen in love or drooled over her. (I'm excepting Hank 'cause he's a father figure and, uh, a Martian). But Winn, Jimmy, and Mon-El all fell for her and two of them have dated her. So she's not depicted as somehow above that. Get it? Above that? Because of flying? Oh well.
I thought Winn maturing past seeing himself as Captain Friendzone was handled quite well (last?) season. He spoke up, said his bit, and then moved on.
posted by Justinian at 10:35 AM on April 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Lena and Kara are so hot.
Also I SAW RAVI ON THE TV!!!!!!!!!!!
And Mon-El was brief but adorable.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:37 PM on April 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Also I SAW RAVI ON THE TV!!!!!!!!!!!
And Mon-El was brief but adorable.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:37 PM on April 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Ravi! Jiya! yay!
and I sorely missed some Alex and Maggie screen time...
posted by numaner at 1:03 AM on April 27, 2017
and I sorely missed some Alex and Maggie screen time...
posted by numaner at 1:03 AM on April 27, 2017
When this episode started I was 100% convinced that Lena was a lesbian, because I have been convinced of that for weeks, come on, L-CORP, wake up sheeple. But not even halfway through the episode they had convinced me otherwise. And that is entirely to the credit of the two actors involved.
And I'm so glad Rahul Kohli got to play this dude, because it's so different from his role on iZombie, and I imagine he doesn't get to play heartthrobs very often.
Lena's bit at the end, about "loss does strange things to the women in my family," had me utterly transfixed - really she had my utter attention the whole episode - but I dearly hope that isn't really foreshadowing. Like, expressing these emotions, making sure we know she COULD go evil, yes good. Continually not doing so, that would be even better.
posted by Rainbo Vagrant at 8:43 PM on May 1, 2017
And I'm so glad Rahul Kohli got to play this dude, because it's so different from his role on iZombie, and I imagine he doesn't get to play heartthrobs very often.
Lena's bit at the end, about "loss does strange things to the women in my family," had me utterly transfixed - really she had my utter attention the whole episode - but I dearly hope that isn't really foreshadowing. Like, expressing these emotions, making sure we know she COULD go evil, yes good. Continually not doing so, that would be even better.
posted by Rainbo Vagrant at 8:43 PM on May 1, 2017
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Kara pulling a hot pan out of the oven with her bare hands was a nice, sly reminder that she's indestructible but it was a shame no one was there to react to it!
There is zero reason for the Guardian/Lyra/Winn story and I am tired of it taking time away from other, more interesting stories/characters. At the very least the writers could justify their existence by planting a few clues that this unholy trinity is going to be instrumental in helping Kara defeat Cadmus and/or Mon-El's Mom. Or whoever the Big Bad is supposed to be this season.....
And finally, Lena had the best line of the night:
EVIL CFO: Did I mention I am a black belt. kick to the torso
LENA: Did I mention I am a Luthor. punch to the face
posted by pjsky at 6:43 AM on April 25, 2017 [3 favorites]