Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Supergirl Episode 314: Schott Through The Heart


It’s been two months of long hiatus since the last new episode of Supergirl aired. For me, it was a mistake, a lull in the middle of an intense season, it slowed momentum. The season restarted this week with a Winn centric episode which built on the foundation of his character from season one. There are almost no mentions of World Killers or Reign or Purity

In some ways it isn’t the best episode to return with. The main plot is on the back burner for another week. We get no Sam or Ruby. That’s one more week for memories to fade about  the particulars of that plot.

In other ways, it seemed right. We get good character moments from all the main players. Certainly Winn takes center stage.  But there are scenes with J’onn and Alex and James that remind us what we love about them while enriching their stories. And Kara gets great moments both as Suoergirl and Kara Danvers. So no better episode to reintroduce to the cast and remind us what we live about th m.

But also this episode continues the thread of loving and humanity as being a strength for people, not a weakness. I have said all along that Sam’s humanity and hr love for Ruby will win over Reign’s wickedness. That more than punches and heat vision will end the threat. And this episode shows how all the characters are dealing with family obligations and loving responsibility.

The bottom line is this was a fun chapter in this season,  very much a live action comic book with strong emotional beats.

And apologies for clunky writing, rough screen shots and any typos. This review was done on the fly while on a mini-vacation and away from usual tech. Onto the episode!






It’s been a while since a new episode so we open with a bespectacled  Kara giving a rah-rah speech to the gang about heading into battle and giving it their all for the people. Made me think we were going to jump right into an action sequence. Instead it turns out that she is pumping up everyone for a night of Karaoke.

For those of us wanting another musical episode, this might be the closest we get. And it is great to hear Kara cut loose Singing the Beastie Boys. But it is J’onn’s robotic performance of Whitney Houston, M’yrnn’s Suspicious Minds, and Alex’s boozy offkey warbling that really made me smile.

Before Winn can break into song, we see in the news that his father, the Toyman, has died in prison. It puts a pall on the proceedings. We know how terrible the Toyman was as a villain and father from way back in the CBS season one. So I’m happy that we are building on the show’s continuity.




At the cemetery, Winn runs into his estranged mother and it isn’t a pleasant reunion. But before we can learn too much about what has pushed a wedge between them, there is danger.

The machine lowering the casket begins to play Pop Goes The Weasel and at the climax, the coffin explodes. It is a massive explosion, so big Kara had to suoerspeed switch to Supergirl to fly in for the rescue.


Back at the DEO, Winn confronts his mother about how she left him. In a tense scene in which Jeremy Jordan really shows his range, Winn angrily tells his mother that she left him when he needed her most, in the aftermath of the deiscovery if all his father did. He can never forgive her. She reveals that the Toyman was so twisted that he threatened to kill Winn if his mother smaintained a relationship. She was forced to run away to keep Winn alive.

Winn isn’t really buying that excuse. She could have turned to all sorts of agencies for help. But instead she ran. So he tells her to leave again.

It makes me wonder if Winn’s happy go lucky exterior is all some front, or perhaps a defense mechanism he has, to hide the horror in his life and the anger he feels.



It turns out that the Toyman’s threat of not letting Winn’s mother stands the test of time. From perhaps beyond the grave he sends an attack force if obit flying monkeys to the DEO tomtry to kill Winn’s mother. This includes a giant one which looks a bit like a Power Ranger villain.

They’re silly CGI things but there is a nice sequence of Kara and James and Mon-El all flipping, punching, heat visioning, and blidgeoning them. I’ve been waiting to see some Kara action for two months so it was great to see her cut loose. And we know that her favorite movie is the Wizard of Oz so there is an extra layer of fun here.



Meanwhile at J’onn’s house, we get a nice scene between the Jonzz’s and Alex. J’onn states he continues to look like Hank Henshaw, despite the racial issues that comes with that identity, because he wants to face down adversity and change the world into something better rather than run from danger.

But the bigger issue is it becomes clear to Alex that M’yrnn is suffering from early dementia. And when she confronts him about it (while J’onn is in the other room) he becomes angry. He can’t tell J’onn now. They have just got back together as a family. He won’t put that burden on his son now. He just wants to enjoy this new life. He demands Alex stay quiet and then throws her out.

Again, the idea of needing to care for each other and be honest with each other is growing in all the characters. I know, in the end, this will all play out in the final battle with Reign, where they will call upon Sam’s love to overcome the Reign persona.



We then get two very good scenes for character growth and interaction. First, James has a heart to heart with Winn. James wonders if Winn is lashing out at his mother because he needs a target. We’re reminded that James’ father died when out on a story. And James says he was so angry about his loss that he took it out on his mom. Perhaps Winn is doing the same thing. Maybe Winn should be acknowledging that his mother is here now, trying to be together now that she believes it is safe. At least for now, Winn isn’t going to hear it. He still feels like she abandoned him.

Earlier in the episode, James really comforted Winn when he learned about the Toyman's death. It was great to see these two in a scene alone together, solidifying their friendship.



And then we get a scene with Kara and Winn’s mother where Supergirl talks about how crucial Winn is to the DEO. How he often is the one to come up with the idea that solves the problem or rallies the troops to keep going. His Mom knew he was smart and good with his hands. She’s thrilled that Winn iorking on the side of good.

Both scenes give us background of the supporting cast. And for someone like me, who likes Winn a lot, it was great to see Kara talk about how big a deal he is.



In the DEO, Winn and his mother began to dissect the Flying Monkeys hoping to get a clue about the Toyman’s lair. We learn that she was the Toyman’s apprentice, handy with electronics jut like her son. It made me nervous that perhaps she was just engineering these attacks as a way to bring her and Winn together, a bit too Identity Crisis for my liking.

But then she tells a harrowing tale of physical abuse by the Toyman, stalking her and forcing her off the road while she was running with Winn to an abuse shelter. This is the time when the Toyman told her that he would kill Winn if she cared for him. This is when she had to leave him in order to save him. It would be hard to reconcile such a terrible past with a nefarious plot. She does discover a clue about the attack’s origin and heads to an abandoned Toy warehouse where an unknown woman captures her.

The DEO gets a Zod-like transmission telling them to head to Wiggins Toy Company if they ever want to see Winn’s mom alive again. Supergirl, Mon-El, and DEO agents all suit up but Winn insists on going. This time he’ll use his background rather than deny it.



The ensuing fight is a fun, very comic book-y brawl. Supergirl gets trapped in a n indestructible Action figure case with the villainous woman cooing about her powers and points of articulation. Winn’s mother is trapped in a giant claw from a toy grabbing machine. There are flame throwing toy tanks and exploding toy airplanes and eventually a giant toy T.Rex. Those last two seem like homages to the Toyman first appearance on Superman the Animated series. Mon-El uses his cape like a whip effectively to destroy to dinosaur.


It turns out the woman villain was Maintenance in the Toyman’s prison and became his apprentice there. She will act out his final wishes to kill Winn. In a callback to season one, Winn uses his father’s shuriken yo-yo yo free himself. And Winn and his freed mother have to team up to defeat her.

I’m glad that Winn’s mother did not go evil here. She had a super-sympathetic backstory of abuse and it would be weird if she went down a darker path. Plus, that wouldn’t jibe with the theme of the season.



Nothing left but the wrap-up. I have come to appreciate these end scenes where the writers tie up any loose plot threads and tease the next episode.

Back at the Karaoke bar, Mon-El brutally sings ‘Carry on my wayward sin’, so badly he apologizes. In a sign of maturity, Kara says she can’t talk to him about his marital issues. Incredibly he says he only wanted to talk business. Imra and Brainy purposefully because world killer Pestilence becomes Blight! He promises to train Kara in his cape technique. We even get a Rimbor reference.

M’yrnn finally confesses to J’onn about his dementia. His first thought is to spare J’onn any burden.

And then the big hook. Lena, who James has been trying to call all episode, turns out to be in her lab in a medical suite with Sam!! What is Lena Up to? Great hook!

But overall this episode continued the overarching theme of humanity being important for healing. Since we lean so heavily into parents here, I’m still thinking Ruby will be the reason why Sm will reject Reign. We get that vibe from Winn reconciling with his mother. We get it with J’onn not abandoning his father. 

And kudos to Jeremy Jordan for giving us a whole ne layer of Winn. Perhaps that happy-go-lucky  personality is just a defense mechanism.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very entertaining and very comic-booky. The thought of Supergirl being trapped into an action figure is so Silver Age than you get to love it. And the Kara-oke. Heh.

Winn is really the opposite to Dollmaker. Bizarro Dollmaker. Toyman didn't pay attention to Dollmaker, and Dollmaker attempted to murder him. Toyman didn't want Winn to leave his sight, and although died in prison, attempted to get Winn killed.

Off-topic, Anj, but you'll love the Scooby-Doo Team-Up featuring Supergirl and Streaky when it comes out physically. It's a love letter to Silver Age Kara, full of deep cuts.

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed the episode except for bad karaoke. I think they thought it would be as fun for the audience as it was for them recording it.

I also think they made a mistake letting MonEl show what he has learned during all of his years adventuring. Letting his training surpass Kara's means he needs to be gone by the end of the season imo. While the mentor role can work fine a short while in a show, that mentor must also quickly die for the star to grow.

I think I just joined the Mon-El must die crew.

Anonymous said...

Great review Anj, hit all the right points. The shoenis certainly getting dark for my Monday nights with Martian Alzheimers, domestic abuse and child abandonment but I am also loving the dark and mature theme of this season.

As for Sam and Ruby, I think that Ruby will be killed by reign and that maybe the killing of her own child will make sam grieve enough to let go of Reign. I think some parallels between this and Alura and Kara's relationship is coming soon. Brenda strong in her Steel City con said that the plotlines are about to converge and that Erica Durance will play a huge role in the upcoming episodes.

I was really happy to see Kara set those boundaries for herself and also happy that mon el didn't want to talk about his marital issues with his ex. It means that he wants to work through their relationship and I would really like to see that because I feel like bringing back Kara and Mon el will be a huge detriment to Kara's characterization. Jessica Queller did say that Mon el will have a huge role to play in the finale and I am definitely leaning towards a death or eternal phantom zone entrapment. Speaking of Mon el, the backlash of s2 has reached the ears of te showrunners and they are trying to redeem him a lot, especially since all that he has done till now is just mostly just saying exposition and saying sorry.

I am just really loving all the focus on family this season- all kinds of family. With m'yrnn now suffering from dementia, that leaves only Mrs. Danvers who has a healthy and good relationship with her children. I hope they atleast let Kara have one good parent and don't harm her in any way as well.

Since the show is back, let's start discussing our season finale theories because there have been hints and foreshadowing that something will change in regards to the timeline in the finale. My theory is that someone will die- I think it's Alex with all the talk of how she makes Kara feel at home and then Kara will somehow alter the timeline to bring her back. I know it sounds like horse shit prediction right now. But anyone else has some better theories?

Neal said...

Great review. I really enjoyed this episode a lot. My only real criticism is I think the villain could have been fleshed out a bit more. Apparently her name is Jacqueline Nimball, but I don't think that is ever stated in the episode.

Still, I loved the karaoke stuff and the over-the-top superhero action. I liked the action figure trap because it's such a ridiculous comic book thing to happen. It felt like it was a missing line where Nimball explains why Kara can't get out. Super-strong alien material of some kind?

I also feel like the writers are making the DEO's terrible security a meta joke at this point. Mary walked into an unlocked room full of weapons, picked up a handgun that was apparently already loaded, and just walked out of the facility with it. Seriously, do they have any security?

Anonymous said...

YAY! Supergirl is finally back! And yes, was a nice "rest" episode to get away from things a bit. The opening
Kara-oke was PRICELESS! And a nice way for everyone to have some fun.

The Jimmy & Winn bro-bits... BRILLIANTLY DONE! As was Winn's emotional bits with his mother, both good and bad.

And Laurie Metcalf? Brilliant stuff from her. Her witty oneliner quips at the DEO, like "[the bathroom] closed
for enhanced interrogation," "this is your job?!," and "can I try, I love operation." Yeah, the bit of her
sneaking off to the DEO armory breaks the suspension of disbelief meter, but I'll just roll with it. I agree with
@Neal's comment the villan wasn't as fleshed out as well as could be, but the comicy-battle-antics was a treat!
I LOVED the lifesize packaging of Supergirl -- can I have one of those, pretty please? :D -- as well as the battle
with the flamethrower T-rex and hotwheels.

As for the final scene with Lena and Sam... not hot on the "Lena goes dark" implication of the scene. Besides,
Alex already did a full workup on Sam earlier... but we'll see where this goes.

Can't wait till next week!


Regards

Anonymous said...

Man this was a violent episode wasn't it? So violent in fact, that the essentially disposable villain is almost entirely obscured, "The Toyman's Other Apprentice"....but between the violence was a lot of good emotional beats so I guess I shouldn't complain. Lumbly's scenes all had some resonance for me, I hear much the same out of certain elderly relations almost every day. The worst horror of aging is becoming dependent on those who once depended on you...

I haven't got a line on Mon El' or Ruby's fate this year, they could both well die, but thats an increment of harshsness seemingly foreign to the Berlantiverse. I do think Mon El is out at season's end for good simply because they've used up his story potential...so the question is, is Ruby Alex's surrogate daughter in Season Four or Not? I'm thinking.....yes but my mind works sentimentally sometimes.

JF

Anj said...

Thanks for comments!

I can’t imagine Ruby dying. The whole ‘family sticks together’ and ‘helping people left alone’ themes makes me think Sam dies and Ruby gets brought into the fold.

I hope the Legion and Mon-El end up back in the future with the Mon/Imra marriage intact. Let Brainy guest spot now and then.

Lastly, how awesome would one comic book science line about the action figure case have been. ‘This dense polymer from Bismoll is resistant to all your powers!”

Walk the Bay said...

I an yet to watch a single episode of the TV series as yet. I've been wait for the third season to be released on DVD over here in Australia. I've small peeks here an there on various websites but I don't really want know too much about what's going on. I read half of this post but I had to stop. Sorry!

Walk the Bay said...

Few typo's ... Whoops!

Anonymous said...

One thing bugs me, J'onn the metahuman telepath, lives in close proximity with his aging father and never encounters any psychic evidence of mental degradation?? THAT is farfetched, but lets face it mind reading characters are impossible to write, there is always a need for explanations as to why they don't know something in advance...ST TNG has this issue with Counselor Troi.

JF

KET said...

"My only real criticism is I think the villain could have been fleshed out a bit more. Apparently her name is Jacqueline Nimball, but I don't think that is ever stated in the episode."

Actually, there IS more to it than that. When Mary calls her assailant "Buffalo Bill", it's an Easter Egg reference to the fact that the actress playing Toyman's protege (Brooke Smith) portrayed Buffalo Bill's main victim, Catherine Martin, in the 1991 film "Silence of the Lambs". In addition, Smith is also an ex-Grey's Anatomy alumnus, like Chyler Leigh.

Someone also pointed out to me yesterday that Lena is wearing a dress with poppies on it, which is another Wizard of Oz reference.

"I enjoyed the episode except for bad karaoke. I think they thought it would be as fun for the audience as it was for them recording it."

It was for me, considering that most of the actors performing "Kara-oke" are also known as pretty terrific singers as well. BTW, Mehcad Brooks was actually performing one of his own songs during that opening sequence, "Tears Away". It's available for download. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDF8Ila5R04

Yeah, Chyler and Chris were deliberately singing off-key...which is kind of funny in Chyler's case, since she usually spends much of her off-set time these days touring with hubby Nathan West's band East of Eli.

"I am just really loving all the focus on family this season- all kinds of family."

....which was pretty much the point of this episode, re-introducing us to the strong family aspects of this ensemble cast after the show's long hiatus. Certainly worked well for showcasing Jeremy Jordan's range as an actor, especially in his emotional scenes with Metcalf and Brooks....very edgy and dark at times. In fact, this could arguably be Jordan's finest performance on Supergirl to date.

"I also feel like the writers are making the DEO's terrible security a meta joke at this point."

Yeah, that scene when Mary easily picks up a weapon just has 'long running gag of the series' written all over it. :)

KET





KET said...

Oops, missed a couple of replies:

"I haven't got a line on Mon-El' or Ruby's fate this year..."

Won't talk about what secrets Mon-El is keeping yet. However, while Ruby isn't a pair of slippers... :) :)

"J'onn the metahuman telepath, lives in close proximity with his aging father and never encounters any psychic evidence of mental degradation??"

It'll probably become much more pronounced next week, just when Team Supergirl starts thinking about how to prevent Pestilence from spreading.

KET

Uncle Screensaver said...

I thoroughly enjoyed this episode overall, in no small part to the great horror movie-esque trailer and Laurie Metcalf's performance. It was a nice touch to expand upon Winn being Toyman's son (what a change from how he was essentially just young Toyman when the show was first announced). However, I admit it did bug me thatSupergirl is (again) not written using her X-Ray vision nor super speed to find Mary. I loved the T. Rex (T. Rex week with "The Flash," and Mon-El showing he can do more than just punch something.

TV is the only way I'll be engaging with Supergirl since after nearly 40 years of reading and collecting comics I'm done with being a customer of DC (and Marvel, for that matter). The comic book industry does not treat its customers as anymore than "fans" and do not at all consider that they'd have no jobs if it wasn't for us. I'm tired of the toxic and essentially abusive treatment toward the readers when it comes to Supergirl but also in general. As one LCS owner posted in an article online, the writers and artists need to leave their egos behind. Despite what the retailers and readers have requested, we continue to be besieged with never ending events, number one's, and so on. The comic book industry is dying and it seems like the big players want it to die. In any case, despite initally thinking I'd leave all forms of "comic book" media behind, and not just the books themselves, I continue to watch the TV series and look forward to the next episode!

Scrimmage said...

After looking forward to “Supergirl's” return after an untimely hiatus, I was very disappointed by what has to be one of the weakest episodes in the show's run, featuring a pointless, gratuitous, self-indulgent, and at times embarrassing karaoke scene, an inadequate villain who should've posed NO threat to Supergirl, the beginning of an out of place subplot about Martian Alzheimer's, maddeningly unrealistic dialogue between Mon-El and Kara that failed to advance the narrative, and yet ANOTHER primary storyline about a supporting character instead of the titular Star of the show.

The last thing I need to see is Kara Danvers trying to rap. She looked like she enjoyed playing against type, but it did nothing for me, besides make me cringe a little bit. It would've been better if the karaoke had been kept in the background while we had more cast interaction, like the rare, but revealing conversation between Mon-El and James about their respective relationships, but instead we were subjected to some truly (and I'm sure deliberately) awful performances. At least they had the good sense to keep the songs mercifully brief.

Supergirl was right when she told Winn's mom that the threat posed by Toyman's Apprentice rated about a “2” compared to what they usually face. Drones and animatronic flying monkeys built by a prison maintenance worker should've been something that the DEO could've dealt with on their own, WITHOUT Supergirl's help. Equally ridiculous was the fact that Winn's mom was given free reign (no pun intended) of DEO's supposedly “secret headquarters,” including unfettered access to their armory. It's a good thing she didn't turn out to be evil, otherwise she might've made off with some Red Sun grenades, or something else that could hurt Supergirl. As it was, she's just guilty of attempted murder, but I'm sure they'll just let that slide, now that she and Winn have re-connected.

Speaking of renewed relationships...

The idea that M'yrnn, who spent a couple hundred years in prison, would suddenly develop Martian Alzheimer's seems like a weak subplot that belongs in another show, like “This Is Us,” or something equally soapy; NOT a superhero show. I find it rather hard to believe that an advanced, TELEPATHIC race wouldn't have come up with a way to deal with that kind of problem a long time ago, but besides that, I can think of a HUNDRED different, and more interesting ways they could've explored J'onn's relationship with his father, rather than going down THIS depressing path.

And please spare me the platitudes about the difficulties of living as a black man in America. They make it sound as if there's been no progress in Civil Rights since the Sixties. Just who, exactly has been oppressing J'onn or his father? Why didn't M'yrnn compare our world favorably to the centuries of racism, and even genocide between the White Martians and the Green Martians? They wiped out their entire civilization, so it's not as if they have any room to judge US! At least these writers could TRY to make their left-wing political commentary relevant to the show.

In the climactic action sequence, Supergirl failed to save the day once again, leaving that to Winn and his mom, and once again, the Girl of Steel was powered down to the point where she could be caught, and encased in plastic, and left gasping for air, until someone else comes to HER rescue. How could a mere human, a second-rate, poorly developed, cartoony villain who is nothing more than a glorified mechanic, be faster on the draw than Supergirl? Why couldn't Mon-El have been vacuum wrapped instead of Kara? Why do TPTB refuse to let Supergirl be SUPER?

Hopefully the show will get back on track next week. It certainly can't be any worse than THIS disappointing offering.

KET said...

"Why couldn't Mon-El have been vacuum wrapped instead of Kara?"

That's easy. Mon-El figures aren't collectible.


"Why do TPTB refuse to let Supergirl be SUPER?"

She took care of a horde of flying monkeys at the DEO, without having to call in sister Alex and J'onn J'onzz. Seemed plenty 'super' to me.

"After looking forward to “Supergirl's” return after an untimely hiatus, I was very disappointed..."

....which is primarily where your latest rant flies off the rails. You're still trying to mold the series into your own tunnel-vision, instead of what the TV show ACTUALLY IS. Supergirl is by design an ensemble effort, and it's always been more than merely comic book material....and the show has always been arguably better for it.

"It's a good thing she didn't turn out to be evil..."

Well, that was one of the main points of the episode, which flew entirely over your head. Ever since Season One's "Childish Things" episode, viewers were led to believe that Winn could someday emulate his dad, and become "Toyman, Jr., what with all that pent-up anger at both his parents. However, this episode, we discover that Winn really takes more after his mother, who also possesses technical prowess with gadgetry and gaming knowledge.

KET




Anj said...

Thanks for continued discussion.

My guess is Martians need to concentrate to read each other’s minds and J’onn probably hasn’t had a reason to do that with his father.

The show is an ensemble piece. Just like The Flash has had episodes revolving around Iris, Cisco, Caitlyn, etc ... just like The Flash has had episodes where Vibe or Wells saves the day, not Barry, so will this show. The best comics have supporting casts. Shows do as well.

And J’onn remaining Hank when he could be anyone is a fascinating decision.

Neal said...

One other thing that was really unintentionally funny to me: Mary proves her engineering chops to Winn by taking a screwdriver, unscrewing two screws, and removing a metal plate. Wow, Mary, you must have gone to MIT!

Scrimmage said...

How sad it is that some people can't disagree with an opinion that differs from their own without being disagreeable, or without making snarky, insulting, passive/aggressive remarks about someone they don't even know, simply because they express a different point of view. Resorting to ad hominem attacks insulting another poster does nothing to make an argument more compelling. There's no need to make things personal. It's a shame we can't maintain a higher level of discourse than that on this site.

Yes, I'm aware that Supergirl is an ensemble show, but so was “The Adventures of Superman,” and for that matter, “Smallville,” too. In both of those series, the supporting cast was often featured, but at the end of each episode, it was always Superman (or Clark) who saved the day, usually by doing something incredibly heroic to thwart the villain of the week. Sometimes, Lois, Jimmy, or Lana might've saved Superman's life, like tossing away some kryptonite, but they never defeated the bad guy all by themselves while Supes stood around and watched. I just don't think that Supergirl should play second fiddle to anyone, ESPECIALLY on her own show.

Perhaps we can discuss the dubious merits of a large, ensemble cast at another time, but for now I'll just say that bloated casts, featuring too many poorly defined characters are the main reason why I've lost interest in shows like “Arrow” and “DC Legends of Tomorrow.” At least “The Flash” has managed to keep its core cast relatively small, with a few comings and goings from season to season to keep things fresh. Between the DEO (plus friends and relatives), CatCo, and the Legion, plus MULTIPLE “Worldkillers,” and assorted other baddies, the increasingly unwieldy cast of “Supergirl” is rapidly approaching the point of diminishing returns.

Sometimes, less is more.

Anonymous said...

Are we still paying attention to scrimmage who really just bitches about each and every moment of the show. Just don't watch if you don't like it.

The show has issues sure, but it's also fun and incredibly compelling this season.

If you can't take some criticism then honestly I seriously question your mental age

Anj said...

I think this site has more discussion rather than personal attacks.

I don’t see any personal rants. Just my comment saying why I don’t agree with you. That’s all.

I disagree with lots of people here. Lots. It’s all about talking and understanding perspectives and even changing our minds.

Sorry if you feel attacked.

Scrimmage said...

I'm not talking about you, Anj.

It's posters like Ket who seem to feel that they have carte blanch to disparage the intelligence of anyone who doesn't agree with them. I love a good debate, but accusing me of having "tunnel vision," or implying that I lack the intelligence to comprehend the theme of a TV show is NOT the same thing as a debate on the show's merits. It would be incredibly boring if we all saw everything the same way, but if we can't discuss the show without insulting posters we disagree with, then why invite comments in the first place?

I think it's ironic, and rather sad, that the comments section for a show whose recurring theme is one of promoting diversity, and the acceptance of differences between people, is so intolerant of opinions that don't conform to the majority point of view. Apparently, some people are not as open minded as they pretend to be.

Frankly, I don't care if anyone agrees with me or not. I'm not trying to change anyone's minds about anything, or convince anybody that I'm right, and someone else is wrong, but I AM entitled to express my opinions about "Supergirl," and I will continue to do so in the future, no matter WHO whines about it.

Martin Gray said...

I really enjoyed this one, both as a nice focus on Winn and a nice break from the season-long Worldkiller business (Im still catching up with you guys, which meant no several-week gap for me). Was it Buffy that started all these shows having ongoing ‘Big Bad’ season-long arcs? That sort of thing has ruined Doctor Who, but happily, not Supergirl, which balances the ongoing threat with other business nicely.

Anyway, good review Anj, and top marks to Neal for telling us the bad gal was Jacqueline Nimball, a nice nod to the rubbish Toyman II, Jack Nimball. And I liked that the toy company was Wiggins, that being the firm whose boss was the father of Captain Boomerang.