tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669531469217423923.post2504657278570004576..comments2024-03-28T20:51:56.173-04:00Comments on Supergirl Comic Box Commentary: Supergirl Episode 214: HomecomingAnjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10023193805914075078noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669531469217423923.post-1372721529706089222017-03-03T00:11:53.210-05:002017-03-03T00:11:53.210-05:00I enjoyed the opening action sequence showing Supe...I enjoyed the opening action sequence showing Supergirl using her X-ray Vision, or at least trying to, which, compared to her heat vision, is a power we don't see her use very often. It sure would've come in handy if she used it to take a peek at Step-Daddy's six million dollar arm, but Nooooooo!! That would've been to easy, and made too much sense. And how did Jeremiah get past his physical, and his psyche evaluation, anyway?<br /><br />Yes, this show was filled with WAAAAY more plot holes than usual, the bionic arm being the most glaring, but the choice to make Jeremiah – a character created specifically for this show who was NOT a part of the comics - a bad guy is the most puzzling of them all. <br /><br />It seems that this week, it was Mon-El and Kara turn follow the pattern established by Alex and Maggie. First, they start off doing something adorable (and they WERE cuter than a litter of kittens early on), followed by a misunderstanding that could've easily been avoided, and then finally, the reconciliation, and hugs and kisses all around. I think the problem with Mon-El is that he suffers from a version of Jessica Rabbit Syndrome. He's not REALLY an insensitive, boorish idiot; the writers just write him that way.<br /><br />Head scratching and eye-rolling aside, I enjoyed this episode, especially the scene where Supergirl proved that she was, indeed “More powerful than a locomotive!” Last week, she was “Faster than a speeding bullet,” and we heard the crowd say a version of the classic... “LOOK! Up in the SKY!...” line. I admit it! I'm a sucker for that sort of thing. I also enjoyed the return of the lovely Helen Slater, whose character should be explored much further. I think she has tremendous potential as a supporting player on the show. <br /><br />Speaking of supporting characters... Of course, any week without a James/Guardian subplot is a good week in my book.<br /><br /> Scrimmagenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669531469217423923.post-56496776350133966742017-03-02T16:51:35.983-05:002017-03-02T16:51:35.983-05:00In broad strokes, I liked the episode, but I'd...In broad strokes, I liked the episode, but I'd suspected that the reunion with Jeremiah would not go well. Before the season started, I'd suspected that he might be the true Big Bad of the season, or at least aligned with the Big Bad, but then have to redeem himself by sacrificing himself. It never made sense that someone held captive by Cadmus for so many years would still be alive unless he'd been somehow compromised.<br /><br />Drilling down deeper, there were a lot of details that made the episode less enjoyable. Part of this was the Mon-El plot. I don't dislike Mon-El the way that some do, but we're playing the same tune with him every episode. I get that the whole purpose of his relationship with Kara is to show his journey to being a better man so that he'll make a better Daxamite ruler, but his only value-add to Kara is that he's the first guy she can crush on whom she won't damage. After breaking several noses and feet, she's probably not had the opportunity for any kind of serious relationship. <br /><br />This was obviously a 2-parter episode. I'm holding back final judgement until next week. <br /><br />The best part was when Mon-El said that if his own father showed up, Mon-El would run because his father is not a good man. That had foreshadow writ large across the screen. ceolstannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669531469217423923.post-63664600248770504702017-03-02T12:33:49.909-05:002017-03-02T12:33:49.909-05:00"If those two are leaving 'plot holes'..."If those two are leaving 'plot holes', then it's more likely that it's intentional, for something to be addressed later."<br /><br />Hi, KET. This is my problem, they don't get addressed later. I'm sure some of them will get resolved, but this just hasn't been my observations about this season. To be honest I wouldn’t have a problem with the show’s plot holes at all if the writers had simply adhered to Supergirl’s character, but they didn’t. Supergirl was way out of character back when she killed Rudy Jones/Parasite (if you recall one of the themes of that episode was how to be a great superhero!). This was the turning point for me. And then, in a recent episode written by Sterling Gates, Supergirl says she doesn’t kill, really? She says she doesn’t kill and then comes face to face with Parasite, a villain she DID kill. And all she could say was “aren’t you supposed to be dead?” Seriously? That’s it?<br />But I know your opinions on this differ from mine, and that’s fine.<br /><br />I just don't understand how such hypocrisy like Supergirl saying she doesn't kill, to then showing a villain she did willingly kill, can go unaddressed. How can such an in-your-face contradiction go unnoticed? A very shaky moral parameter indeed. The CW is all over the place with her character. Supergirl doesn't kill unless your name is Rudy Jones, Hank Henshaw (burning his face off with heat vision BEFORE learning he's a cyborg), Metallo (Supergirl holding him vulnerable and telling Alex to kill him… though this was clearly retconned a couple of episodes ago), or if you're a pilot in a ship (Supergirl Lives, no information was given to us at all that the ship was unmanned), or if you're Dominators in the final crossover episode... and who knows how many more yet to come. But apart from that, Supergirl is non-lethal. You know, just like James Bond is a non-lethal character, except for all the people he kills. For me, this show is now like the cinematic murder-verse. In the upcoming Justice League movie they say they're going to address Batman's killing in BvS. Well, they can address it all they like, but they can't negate it. Batman (and Superman) will always be characters who have willingly taken life in those films. Supergirl, likewise, will always be a character who has killed on the TV show. You can't undo that. And for her to still preach the moral high ground is hypocritical and, frankly, insulting. <br /><br />So yes, I think the writing is amateurish at times. I think I've said this before, but a low budget shouldn't mean low standards. In this season, Supergirl is reckless because the writers are reckless. <br /><br />Of course, I understand it’s just fiction, but the inspiration, hope and optimism from these characters are real. There are plenty of articles and pictures online showing Melissa Benoist posing with children wearing Supergirl costumes for photographs. She is clearly a role model to many people. And yet reading in the scripts that Supergirl will kill villains (or totally destroy something without establishing whether it's empty) should’ve raised a red flag in her mind. I wonder how Melissa Benoist would react if a child were to ask her why Supergirl has killed. I wonder also how much protesting she did (if any) against these lurid violations of Supergirl’s character.<br /><br />I won’t mention this again because I know I’m just repeating myself. To keep going over the same point is like mental self-harm. It’s just my opinion that CBS got it right, and the CW has effed it up. As I said, I could overlook the show's various plot holes had they not had Supergirl cross a line that can never be uncrossed, but they did. This, to me, makes Kara hard to like. I still like Supergirl, but the REAL Supergirl can only be seen and read in the comics. Again, this is just my opinion.<br /><br />Once again, thank you, Anj for a great site and reviews. I apologise for the long post, and for what I'm sure are plenty of grammatical errors.<br /><br />Have a great and safe day, people. :)<br />Aaronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10807259990722204859noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669531469217423923.post-43573475246628830602017-03-02T06:28:37.531-05:002017-03-02T06:28:37.531-05:00Well KET,
I think this episode stretched what I th...Well KET,<br />I think this episode stretched what I thought was credible for the DEO. I understand that part of this was all about the emotions of Alex, Kara, and J'onn. But it just seemed a wee bit too much for many of us. <br /><br />So the premise was fine for me, the execution seemed off. And judging from what I am seeing, many others thought so. <br /><br />I understand that the story needed to be moved forward. And certainly the acting in all scenes with Benoist and Leigh was fantastic. <br /><br />But this just didn't click with me the way other episodes have. Anjhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10023193805914075078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669531469217423923.post-71821241835121071692017-03-02T04:14:52.178-05:002017-03-02T04:14:52.178-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.KEThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13797904604074311480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669531469217423923.post-33057263366523857912017-03-02T00:08:06.698-05:002017-03-02T00:08:06.698-05:00'You mean Derek Simon and Caitlin Parrish, oft...'You mean Derek Simon and Caitlin Parrish, often cited by the producers as the show's most reliable writers? Perhaps one should look at the credits when they air'. <br /><br />And perhaps one could try sounding a wee bit less condescending? Of course the show top brass has faith in the writers, that doesn't mean the odd episode won't have problems. Martin Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09574149543260175962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669531469217423923.post-57953920791747400242017-03-01T22:37:45.538-05:002017-03-01T22:37:45.538-05:00"And what happened to Supergirl's X-Ray v..."And what happened to Supergirl's X-Ray vision? She should've seen Jeremiah's metal arm straight away. Or doesn't she have that superpower this week for the convenience of a story written by amateurish writers?"<br /><br />You mean Derek Simon and Caitlin Parrish, often cited by the producers as the show's most reliable writers? Perhaps one should look at the credits when they air. If those two are leaving 'plot holes', then it's more likely that it's intentional, for something to be addressed later. In this case, it was the emotional through-line of 'family'; after all, Jeremiah hadn't seen his family and friends for a long, long time. One doesn't become suspicious of family members unless they've previously wronged you...and in Kara's case, her dad helped rescue her recently.<br /><br />"I think Supergirl NEEDS to upgrade Slater to "weekly cast member" status, maybe she could move in with Alex and help manage her rehab or something."<br /><br />I certainly wouldn't mind seeing Helen Slater on a more regular basis on this show; however, I also know that she has her music career on the side, which may make for some scheduling issues as well. <br /><br /><br />"...she'd deftly fill the gravitas void created by Cat Grant's departure she just nails every scene she gets."<br /><br />Well, I expect that Calista will return at some point; however, part of the confusion I think some are having with this season is that Cat Grant isn't around playing 'den mother' to everything going on this time. It's part of what makes this a growth season for Kara, as opposed to last season's nurturing out of her former 'office wallflower' status. She can't hide behind her boss' advice anymore. <br /><br />KET<br /><br />KEThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13797904604074311480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669531469217423923.post-52500616495299121632017-03-01T18:47:32.951-05:002017-03-01T18:47:32.951-05:00Just want to apologise if my comments are harsh. I...Just want to apologise if my comments are harsh. I only get passionate because, believe it or not, I really like Supergirl; she's a great comic book character and I really wanted the CW to do her justice (which as you're aware I don't think it has, at all). But I still love her in the comics. Kara Zor-El is simply inspiring. Aaronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10807259990722204859noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669531469217423923.post-18262071616293368852017-03-01T17:09:51.091-05:002017-03-01T17:09:51.091-05:00Thanks everyone for great comments. Interesting to...Thanks everyone for great comments. Interesting to see other viewpoints, especially those thinking the overlooking of Jeremiah made sense given emotional connections.<br /><br />We'll have to see how it plays out. And I think I'll,need to rewatch.Anjhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10023193805914075078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669531469217423923.post-54008231226762983552017-03-01T13:34:20.321-05:002017-03-01T13:34:20.321-05:00> I think Supergirl NEEDS to upgrade Slater to ...> I think Supergirl NEEDS to upgrade Slater to "weekly cast member" status, maybe she could move in with <br />> Alex and help manage her rehab or something...she'd deftly fill the gravitas void created by Cat Grant's <br />> departure she just nails every scene she gets...<br /><br />+1,000,000,000 on that! Say it with me everyone! Helen Slater Zen! Ommmmm!<br /><br /><br />RegardsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669531469217423923.post-91722597700897744562017-03-01T13:31:13.131-05:002017-03-01T13:31:13.131-05:00Thanks for the review and insights as always, Anj....Thanks for the review and insights as always, Anj. I'd agree the return of Jeremiah D and putting Cadmus back into the spotlight <br />was probably the highlight of the episode, after the superheroics displayed by Supergirl and the train -- TOTAL callback to <br />Superman 1's earthquake scene IMO -- and the shot of a floating Supergirl and and a guntoting Alex loaded for bear -- as Alex said <br />once, the Danvers Sisters should come with their own warning label, and that scene was it! :)<br /><br />At the same time, the plot holes / inconsistencies did irk me; I'd held out hope that with Cain's return the episode would end with <br />a happy ending, but I think the Cain / Slater dinner scene where she admits "they're no longer the same people they were" pretty <br />much told me TPTB had decided Jeremiah was going to be a Cadmus plant; the Mon-El stuff was just fertilizer on top, and inline with<br />his "jerk Daxamite" sensibilities, which everyone on the pro-Jeremiah camp pretty much wrote him off as. <br /><br />I'd also agree the cast did an AMAZING job with the script inspite of the flaws, especially Helen Slater Zen! Ommmmm!<br /><br />Besides the plot hole / inconsistency of the lax security and procedures at the DEO of Jeremiah's return, the other one that gets me<br />is the ease that Cadmus got away (again!) -- Kryptonian X-ray vision and superspeed anyone? And there's no cloud of gaseous kryptonite<br />for Cadmus to use as cover -- never mind a personal betrayal of THAT level, you'd think Supergirl and Alex would follow Jeremiah and <br />Cadmus to the ends of the earth, end of episode or no end of episode. I'm also somewhat disappointed that the grieving scenes with<br />Alex and Kara weren't in each others company or with Eliza, but seperately -- it's frickin' FAMILY! and Eliza needs to know this new<br />development, you'd think?! But again, the cast did an excellent job of selling me on the level of pain they're both feeling at a <br />major betrayal of personal trust.<br /><br />RegardsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669531469217423923.post-47819789064257866442017-03-01T13:07:40.001-05:002017-03-01T13:07:40.001-05:00"Mon El has always been romantic cannon fodde..."Mon El has always been romantic cannon fodder as far as I'm concerned although he has more charisma and chemistry with MB than any of his predecessors. The vibe I get with respect to his creeptastic boorishness is that we aren't supposed to see him as good long term match part of his appeal is that Kara doesn't need to hold back with him, but admittedly he is a deeply flawed individual and will likely be clouted out of Supergirl's Life & into the 31st Century when push comes to super shove."<br /><br />Probably.<br /><br />Supergirl has gotten zero luck at the romance department historically, so I have trouble believing Mon-El will be a regular. He'll be forced to travel to the 31st century when the Supergirl writers are tired of him.<br /><br />Which would be terribly ironical given how Smallville ended.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669531469217423923.post-70824383794461032332017-03-01T13:03:42.324-05:002017-03-01T13:03:42.324-05:00"There is a cute moment when she says she lik..."There is a cute moment when she says she likes being able to kiss a guy without accidentally breaking his nose."<br /><br />Then surely that elbow in the face she gave to that thug in last week's episode should've decapitated him.<br /><br />And what happened to Supergirl's X-Ray vision? She should've seen Jeremiah's metal arm straight away. Or doesn't she have that superpower this week for the convenience of a story written by amateurish writers?Aaronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10807259990722204859noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669531469217423923.post-13338169588933559712017-03-01T12:45:47.163-05:002017-03-01T12:45:47.163-05:00Mon El has always been romantic cannon fodder as f...Mon El has always been romantic cannon fodder as far as I'm concerned although he has more charisma and chemistry with MB than any of his predecessors. The vibe I get with respect to his creeptastic boorishness is that we aren't supposed to see him as good long term match part of his appeal is that Kara doesn't need to hold back with him, but admittedly he is a deeply flawed individual and will likely be clouted out of Supergirl's Life & into the 31st Century when push comes to super shove. What I liked about this ep was that weirdly Mon and Eliza were on the exact same page, what she said to her nominal husband was pretty chilling if evaluated from a marital perspective I was half hoping she's admit to having other dalliances during the period when she thought herself a widow. THAT would have been kewl and Helen Slater would have sold it like water in a drought. While we are on the topic, I think Supergirl NEEDS to upgrade Slater to "weekly cast member" status, maybe she could move in with Alex and help manage her rehab or something...she'd deftly fill the gravitas void created by Cat Grant's departure she just nails every scene she gets....and Slater is getting too little IMHO. Boy I looked at this ep and just saw another string of blunders by Alex, she somehow manages to overlook her Dad's bionic arm (huge laughably huge plot hole at this point I've gotten numb to them they are part of the show's zeitgeist we can't escape them), immediately defaults to pretty nasty emotional blackmail when Kara questions the situation and then finishes off by getting drunk as usual. If she was not played by the intensely likeable Chyler Leigh Alex would be a thoroughly unpleasant character by now. I actually liked a lot of the acting this time around it's a skilled charismatic ensemble (the proof of that is that you can easily recast almost all of them in another show and come up a winner) hobbled at times by some real plotline howlers....That having been said I'm kinda hoping Dean Cain's commitment to the show is a finite one, the guy is notably mediocre performer when up against the show's regular cast....he has this slightly blank affect and it's been his go-to for a lot of years now.<br /><br />JFAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669531469217423923.post-51881011056170712152017-03-01T11:52:03.602-05:002017-03-01T11:52:03.602-05:00Oops...forgot another thing:
"The fact Jerem...Oops...forgot another thing:<br /><br />"The fact Jeremiah got this far seems a little far-fetched, even on a show with a Martian leading a black ops group with a Kryptonian."<br /><br />Not really. The DEO seems a lot less secure in its new above ground setting than it ever was in the Season One cave. They've experienced a couple of escapes, and now, at least two security intel breaches. It's almost as if Russian hackers have been managing the place lately. <br /><br />KETKEThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13797904604074311480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669531469217423923.post-45583627678158932992017-03-01T11:15:44.583-05:002017-03-01T11:15:44.583-05:00"So more problems now. You would think they w..."So more problems now. You would think they would have scanned Jeremiah when he came into the DEO. No one discovered his robot arm? Not even Alex when she examined him?"<br /><br />That's because everyone was letting their emotions get in the way of the reunion, except Mon-El, who saw things clearly. J'onn was being just as slipshod about security as the rest, since it was Jeremiah's actions that had saved him from death in the past. <br /><br />"It made no sense to me for him to do that there. Be a bit more subtle, or controlled. But, as we have seen all season, it isn't necessarily in Mon-El's nature to be those things."<br /><br />To be fair, that's because English might not be Mon-El's first language; he is still an alien to Earth culture, even if he looks quite human in appearance. He's been demonstrating a beginner's ineptitude with casual lingo and etiquette all season, so having him say things awkwardly and inappropriately seems perfectly in character for him. Old habits die hard. <br /><br />Mon-El was merely striving to be open and honest around Kara and her friends; but of course, Jeremiah had to remind him in secret that he's still hiding something big from Kara. <br /><br />"It felt like Kara 'saw the light' about her father a little too quickly. And she confronted Alex a little too bluntly as well."<br /><br />Well, she was the judge who was weighing all the circumstantial evidence in the matter. Kara started to become skeptical of Jeremiah's claims, because they simply didn't add up among family and friends. <br /><br />"While it is clear his fears about Jeremiah were justified, Mon could have gone about his investigation in a different way. And how the DEO let their guard down this much is lunacy. Just weeks ago two white Martians infiltrated the place. Why no standard screens?"<br /><br />Because apparently, it's different among 'family'. And Mon-El doesn't have any established credibility yet, because he still isn't 'family'. <br /><br /><br />KET <br />KEThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13797904604074311480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669531469217423923.post-91746761806392126092017-03-01T11:10:50.881-05:002017-03-01T11:10:50.881-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.KEThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13797904604074311480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669531469217423923.post-61973497221534214192017-03-01T09:21:19.962-05:002017-03-01T09:21:19.962-05:00I agree, the episode was a mess.
How ironical tha...I agree, the episode was a mess.<br /><br />How ironical that once again, Helen Slater rises above a mediocre script.<br /><br />I still think Mon-El is heading to the 31st before the third season, though. I don't think his relationship with Kara lasts long.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669531469217423923.post-18010623551835772052017-03-01T08:21:29.316-05:002017-03-01T08:21:29.316-05:00I assumed J'onn and Alex were kidding about HR...I assumed J'onn and Alex were kidding about HR... it's even funnier if they weren't. I see no sexual harassment as neither Kara nor Mon seems to have an official role or rank.<br /><br />Certainly, Mon-El was boneheaded in his lack of sensitivity - I agree this shows he and Kara shouldn't be together,whie agreeing it's in his established character. Maybe he's actually Bart Allen, no impulse control.<br /><br />I still see chemistry, I don't think a row precludes passion.<br /><br />Just think, if Mon's attitudes are out of touch with 21st century Earth, how much of a boor will he seem in the 31st?<br /><br />I wish we hadn't had that drinking scene, I just can't be bothered watching a long plotline of Alex recognising a problem, Maggie supporting her, Alex trying, Alex failing, Alex winning... they're already carrying the hopes and dreams of young lesbian viewers, don't give them a heavy personal drama on top of that.Martin Grayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09574149543260175962noreply@blogger.com