Supergirl Episode 204: Survivors

Supergirl episode 204 was aptly named 'Survivors' as it explored a number of themes around surviving a disaster. There are so many characters on this show that are sole survivors or 'almost sole' survivors and with that comes any number of issues. Whether it is guilt, or self-loathing, or looking back through rose-colored glasses, there is a lot of psychological trauma to deal with.

These themes are interwoven through a plot of an underground alien fight club. And yes, the action sequences are great. But for me the meat of this episode is looking at the lengths people will go through to deal with surviving.

For Supergirl, she has already had to deal with the trauma of being sent away from her planet. She has come to realize her parents weren't perfect. And now she is trying to live up to expectation of her being a leader for aliens, helping them cope with being on Earth. Now she has to come to terms with her own prejudices about Mon-El.

For Mon-El, he is at the beginning of understanding what it means to be completely alone, without a home planet to return to. He is young and brash. And I think he is in a bit of denial, looking at Earth as a playground until he sees that he needs some mentoring.

J'onn is still suffering from all the issues he has had to deal with from the purging of his race to witnessing his family's death. Now he is trying to latch onto Miss Martian as a way to keep his race and their traditions survive.

But Miss Martian has a secret. And that weighs on her to the point that she doesn't think she is worthy of surviving. She is part of the fight club because she thinks she needs to be punished. She wants to forget her past as much as Kara and J'onn want to remember theirs. This is excellent grist for the mill.

And all the other nameless aliens are out there struggling to survive on Earth and willing to debase themselves to do just that. The problem is that surviving by being in an arena only cements the prejudices Earth people have, viewing them as threats.

This is a long intro, proof that these themes were powerful, making this my favorite episode of the season, strong praise given the giddy feeling of the premiere and super-cousin team-ups.

On to some details.

Supergirl Episode 9: Blood Bonds

Supergirl Episode 9, titled 'Blood Bonds', came out this week and was, in my opinion, the best episode of the season. This show has been slowly gaining momentum in my mind, finding its legs, working out plots, and playing up the chemistry between the actors on set. This episode seemed to be the culmination of all that, showcasing all the simmering plotlines, giving Melissa Benoist tons of powerful scenes, and adding some great action sequences. As old time comics used to boast, 'this one had it all'.

But, as always, the foundation of this show is the Supergirl character and Melissa Benoist's portrayal of her. I have marveled at the range and depth of emotions that Benoist has brought to Kara. Add to that a subtlety that I know am noticing and I honestly think she is worthy of an Emmy nod. I am noticing expressions and body language and intonations in her performances that make her remarkable.

Overall though, in this episode, I love the undercurrent of faith and love battling fear and hate. I love how there is feeling that civility and humanity can be scraped away if hate rules, that the ends can suddenly justify the means, and how Supergirl as a symbol can change that.

The episode opens right where the finale ended. Non and Supergirl battling in Maxwell Lord's site and even into the skies. Just when it seems as if Non has bested Kara, he tosses her aside, grabs Hank Henshaw and flies off.

I have to say, this is the one part of the plot that I had a hard part wrapping my head around. They 'allow' Astra to be captured to free up Non to attack Lord. Then, when things seem to be in hand, Non runs off after grabbing Henshaw. That seems odd. Especially when we later learn that Non grabbed Henshaw to trade for Astra. Why give her up if you then want to trade to get her back?

With Hank out, Alex is named Director of the DEO. And Maxwell Lord officially ends his partnership with Alex, demanding the DEO to get off his property. Hopefully, this means the feared Alex/Max relationship won't materialize.

 Back in the DEO, Kara asks her aunt why Hank was singled out. The scenes between Benoist and Laura Benanti are fantastic, both trying to be hard to the other while softening now and then because of their relationship. I loved that Astra says Kara is the 'true heir of the House of El' because Kal has gone native on Earth. She reminds Kara of the old saying 'blood bonds all'.

It leads to a great flashback to Krypton including a stunning flying sort of shot through a Kryptonian city. Zooming into a Kryptonian courthouse, we see Alura acting as judge, condemning her sister and brother-in-law's violent acts. Non acts very much like Michael Shannon's Zod, yelling as he is sent to Fort Rozz.

Astra says that Alura is weak because Alura clings to the idea that people are inherently good. Like mother like daughter.

So Maxwell Lord is becoming downright evil and the released prisoners from Fort Rozz are mobilizing. That would be bad enough. But there's more. Cat thinks Kara is Supergirl.

An overly nervous Kara vaporizes Cat's latte with her heat vision and begs James and Win to act 'normal, not super-normal, just normal'. Cat won't let go of a good story, interrogating Kara about her youth, and later telling her to quit CatCo so she can superhero 100% of the time. Cat talks of 'leaping a tall building in a single bound', having a 'plane to catch', and even 'truth, justice, and the American way.' When was the last time we actually heard the American part of that old saw.

I think Calista Flockhart's performance here was also strong. After a couple of episodes where we saw a softer Cat, this time we really see the claws.

At Non's headquarters, a telepath can't probe Hank. Troubled by this and to show his strength, Non kills the telepath. Henshaw quips that such a move doesn't make him think Kryptonians aren't savages.

Back at the DEO, General Lane has arrived and taken control. In a horrifying and uncomfortable scene, we see him torture Astra, holding her down and drugging her to drag information out of her. (I will say, I like that we learn that Lane's Xenophobia was born from viewing 'The Day the Earth Stood Still'.) Lane is no different than Non. Both are willing to cross a line to feel safe and advance their cause.

This was chilling, especially seeing Kara crying and trying to stop this from happening.

Astra gives up information and tells the DEO where Hank is being held. This is another great sequence where we see Kara flying along side the armored vehicles. Just gorgeous.

It is, of course, a trap. A bomb is where Hank is supposed to be hidden. In another great image, Kara uses the indestructible cape to shield Alex from the bomb blast. Just beautiful.

 While Kara battles Non and struggles with Cat, James Olsen decides to be 'Mr. Action' and, with Win's help, breaks into Lord Industries to find what Max is cooking up to fight all the Kryptonians. In what could be a throw away line, Max tells Jimmy that maybe Olsen wouldn't trust aliens if one had injured him. Is there an alien involved in Max's back story.

Max discovers Jimmy and goes about torturing him. In fact, Lord uses his fists to batter James before threatening him with one big old wrench.

Again, the similarities between Non, Lane, and Lord aren't subtle. There is evil all around here. And yet, all these people think their causes are noble and therefore their actions are justified. Brilliant.

 With her entire life unraveling, and learning that James was beaten up, Kara loses her cool. Her plan is simple ... break into Lord Industries and confront Max. It is clear she means to do this with violence.

In one of my favorite moments in the episode, Win steps in front of Kara, blocking her way from leaving. He tells her that she needs to be better than everyone else. She has to be better or why bother fighting the good fight.

Again, Benoist shines here. She talks about losing her life at CatCo, Hank, even the memory of her mother. Her life is in shambles and she feels powerless. James reminds her that heroes will always find a way.

 Reminded that there is a better way, Kara heads back to the DEO and reengages with Astra. She is ready to listen.

We get another great flashback where we learn that Alura believed her sister was right, that Krypton was dying, and that Alura would fight to save the planet. Alura always believed in her sister, a sign of faith in family.

These Benoist/Benanti scenes crackle. But this one, with both remembering Alura fondly, just grabbed me. There was serious feeling here.

It becomes clear that the only solution is to trade Astra for Hank. Kara takes control of the situation. Even when Lane orders his men to stop Kara, the troops defer to Supergirl. She is a hero. Her inspiration overwhelms his orders.

The switch happens without a major hitch. Non seems poised to doublecross when Astra, as general, takes control and tells all her troops to stand down. It isn't a truce; it's a start. Again, Kara's inspiration and optimism effects her potential enemies. Wonderful.

Hank heads back to the DEO and relieves Lane, reminding the general that idealism will save the world.

Then, Hank and Alex reveal his Martian identity to Kara. They didn't tell her because she can't keep a secret. Too funny.

But Hank's powers let Kara solve the Cat problem. Look, Supergirl and 'Kira'. J'Onn is Supergirl here and you can see how Benoist is sort of 'play acting' Supergirl like J'onn would, her hands on her hips, shaking hands strongly. The two Karas practically snicker throughout the whole scene. (I am pretty sure I called this.)

Kara tells Hank that her friends at CatCo keep her grounded. I liked that too.

The episode ends with two cool beats. One, we once again see Superman IM'ing Kara. This had to happen. There were 8 Kryptonians in the skies of National City in this episode. Someone would ask 'where is Superman'. So they needed to put this in to once again kick Superman out of the show. Kara tells him he isn't needed. She'll call when she needs him there.

And the episode ends with us finally seeing what Maxwell Lord is keeping in his Lab #52, a brain damaged young girl with no family being pumped full of some drug. It has to be BizarroGirl.

Seriously, this was one great episode from opening shot to closing shot. It was what a Supergirl story should be. It had action. It had an optimistic Kara. A fierce Kara. It had emotional punch and some humor. It was everything. This one truly had it all.

Such a great episode.

Supergirl Episode 8: Hostile Takeover

On Monday, CBS aired the 'winter finale' of Supergirl. Episode 8, titled 'Hostile Takeover', did a great job of building tension in Kara's two worlds - CatCo and the DEO - and ends with two fantastic cliffhangers. If the creators were hoping to leave me wanting more, they succeeded spectacularly. This is would have been an excellent season finale. I can't believe we have 13 more episodes to go!

As always, the strength of this show begins with Melissa Benoist and her performance as Kara. Like many of the prior episodes, Benoist has to run the emotional gamut here, from happiness to sadness to anger. There is another moment which is emotionally heart-wrenching and had me gripping my seat and feeling all the feelings. But the rest of the cast shines here as well. Calista Flockhart shows some vulnerability but continues to be prickly when needed. Jeremy Jordan gives Winn some edge here. David Harewood shows some wry humor behind the gruff Henshaw exterior. Chyler Leigh continues to make Alex a powerful agent. And Laura Benanti also show some range, playing the icy Alura and the passionate Astra. But Astra isn't a one-note serial villain. She also is given a sympathetic back story.

I can't believe I have to wait a month to see the next episode!

The episode starts with Astra holding Supergirl at bay. Astra has a Kryptonite-neutralizing armor now, so she can wield Hank's knife against Kara without fear. Astra is impressed with Kara, saying she has the heart of a hero, and wanting Supergirl to join her.

But Supergirl has nothing but contempt for her aunt. She is able to escape and flee to the DEO and fill in Hank and Alex. We get some back story from Kara who had investigated her aunt's crimes. It sounds as if Astra was something of a terrorist, blowing up government buildings, and being on the run. It is clear that Kara has no love left for her aunt.

Meanwhile, back at her lair, Astra's lieutenant Non asks her if she could kill Kara if she had to. Astra, who we learn is a General, says she won't let another world die. She feels that Kara will join them.

With the fear that Astra and her super-powered army will strike soon, Alex recommends more training with Kara.

Back in the K-room, we see that Supergirl has clearly been a fast learner. She holds her own against Alex including doing a modified Frankensteiner which makes a young Anj very happy.

In a nice mirror moment, Kara is asked by her sister if she could kill Astra if she had to. Supergirl's immediate response is 'Superman doesn't kill', the implication being she won't either. For folks like me, who like a classic Superman and don't like the Man of Steel movie, that line was perfect.

This battle has Kara again reflect back to her time on Krypton where we learn more about Astra. Astra knows that Krypton is nearing an explosion because of the ecological ravages the people have done to the planet. She is trying to save everyone, even if her means are at times unsavory. But we see how much she loves Kara, hugging her young niece and saying she couldn't love anyone more. She is doing what she is doing to save Kara. Sympathy for the villain!

Meanwhile, CatCo has been hacked and embarrassing emails by Cat are flooding social media. Cat needs to figure out how it happened and what else might get leaked. So she asks Kara, along with James and Winn (who Cat calls the 'handsome hobbit with more cardigans' than Kara) to try to track everything down.

While the three try to get ahead of things, the CatCo board tells Cat they may be forced to ask her to step down. Using her super-hearing, Kara overhears that the head of the board, Dirk Armstrong, is responsible for the release of information in an attempt to take over the company. Cat calls him 'the walking personification of white male privilege'.

Realizing they might need to hack the hacker, James, Kara, and Winn bring in their legal counsel. Stressing it is all hypothetical, Lucy says that if it is discovered that Dirk is behind it that he could be incarcerated. But getting caught trying to illegally get the information would be just as bad.

One thing I like about this is that it portrays Lucy as a friend and ally. She isn't the evil girlfriend that the audience loves to hate. She hasn't done anything here that is odious. She is pretty cool and nice. You can't hate her even if you want to root for Kara and Jimmy to get together.

Before things at CatCo can heat up too much, Astra appears over the city. She has no armor, no K-knife, and wants to talk to Kara. Astra calls Alura a liar. Alura imprisoned Astra to cast blame away from herself. But Supergirl won't take for any bad things being said about her mother.

The two brawl in the middle of the city, crashing into buildings, throwing cars, and shooting heat vision. It is very evocative of the Man of Steel end fight. Except in this battle, Supergirl continues to break away from the fight to save everyone from the collateral damage. This, like the 'Superman doesn't kill', is a repudiation of Man of Steel and it's tone.

But the fight ends almost too quickly. While Astra seems to have the upper hand early, she gets pummeled into unconsciousness by Kara at the end.

In the DEO, an imprisoned Astra again confronts Kara. She tells Supergirl that she knew Krypton was going to die and had to do things to try to save the planet. We get a flashback where the sisters face off. Alura has used a signal Kara uses to talk to her aunt to lure Astra there. We hear that Astra is trying to save the world and that her methods resulted in the death of a Government guard. We learn that Astra's husband and lieutenant, Non, is the person who murdered the guard.

But it is too much for Alura. She arrests Astra right there in the family home. Astra insists that doing this is signing Krypton's death warrant.

This is a great scene for Benanti who gets to play two very different characters.

Throughout this show, we have heard Kara talk about Alura with an almost hero worship. Even earlier in this episode she calls Alura 'the best woman that ever lived'. So to hear that Kara was the bait to arrest Alura is a blow to that image. And to hear that Alura learned that Krypton was doomed but she still arrested Astra (who claims she could save the planet) is crushing.

Kara ends up shrieking at the A.I. Alura to try to get more information. And when the program can't answer the questions, we again see emotional agony within Kara. She lashes out at the hologram with her heat vision.

But again it is Benoist who brings the real power here. We see her anger and dismay and distrust build as she interrogates this Alura-bot. We see her be both angry and sad. She still mourns Krypton. By arresting Astra, did Alura doom Kara to this life on Earth where she still is trying to fit in?

There was a lot to love in this episode but this scene was the absolute best. It felt like the strained relationship with Alura I felt was a key part of the Gates/Igle run in the comics.

As for the CatCo issues, the team uncovers that Cat has another son, Adam, older and estranged, and that information could be damning to both Cat and him. She has a heart to heart with Kara about how she fought to keep Adam in her life until she realized maybe he would be better away from her. She is hurt each day by this failure. That sentiment is a nice reflection of what Alura may have been dealing with. I love how the show creators use Cat as an inspiration, a mentor, and a surrogate mother to Kara but also keep her as this prickly, self-absorbed, catty CEO.

Luckily, through some chicanery, the team has uncovered evidence that Armstrong is behind the hack. He is led off in cuffs.

Throughout the episode, Winn has had an edge and been somewhat mean to James and Kara. James finally calls him on it. James can tell Winn loves Kara and advises Winn that he should go for it. Kara is worth it.

Winn says, almost stammers, that 'she's her and I'm me', a way to say that he doesn't think he is in her league. I felt a pang for the guy there having thought similar feelings of insecurity in my own past.

But then we get to the cliffhangers.

Cat corners Kara on the balcony. She wondered how Kara learned about Dirk's scheme, she puts together all the clues from the earlier episodes, and she wonders if Kara is Supergirl. She even calls Kara her 'secret weapon' and her 'guardian angel', pure Easter Egg nomenclature from the comics.

When Kara removes her glasses, Cat calls her Supergirl and says thank you.

Just incredible ....

At the DEO, Alex realizes that Astra wanted to get caught as a feint. She confronts Astra for information. It is a brief interaction but it is great. Astra acknowledges Alex as the 'one who killed Hellgrammite' and says she likes Alex. Alex says she will go into the DEO cell and beat out information if she has to. I really really like Alex.

It turns out the plan is to attack Lord Industries to defeat Max, 'the world's champion'. The strike force includes Non, two more Kryptonians, a guy who can split in two (a version of Duplicate Boy), and a woman with poison breath (a version of Gas Girl)?

Between the DEO and Lord's Security, it is a decent fight. Hank even uses some Martian powers to defeat a Kryptonian. The show ends with Kara squaring off against Non, telling him he is going to wish that all the women from the House of El had died.

Whew!

That is a lot to stuff to into one episode. But unlike the pilot, I felt this all unwound nicely. Things felt pressured but nothing felt rushed. All the information to get through these beats were presented. And so much is revealed earlier in the season than I would anticipate. I thought Hank's reveal would be later. I thought Cat figuring things out would be in the season finale. The pace is unheralded!

And there are the usual flourishes in this episode which make it feel real. Cat has M&M's in an ice bucket so she doesn't always go for booze when troubled. While she supports other women, she continues to take pop shots at Lois. Armstrong has a Maserati, the perfect car for a weasel like him. Hank misses his Kryptonite knife that Astra stole. Winn says James abs wouldn't understand Winn's insecurities.

But it is the main storyline of Astra, who seems like a misguided eco-terrorist like Ra's Al Ghul, trying to shake Kara's confidence that is the meat of this episode. Between the flashbacks and the interrogation and the confrontation with the computerized Alura, this was just wonderful.

Supergirl Show: Alura Has Been Cast

 There has been lots of news coming out about the Supergirl television show, everything from leaked audition tapes to confirmation that a cape will be part of her suit. I have yet to hear anything that seems off.

But yesterday some official news broke and it is fabulous! Iybwas announced yesterday that Laura Benanti will be playing Alura! Here is the link from Deadline: http://deadline.com/2015/02/laura-benanti-supergirl-mom-pilot-greg-berlanti-cbs-1201377441/

And the blurb:
Nashville standout Laura Benanti has been cast in key recurring role in the CBS pilot Supergirl. She will play Alura Zor-El, the birth mother of Kara (Melissa Benoist). A strong noblewoman, Alura sends Kara to Earth to escape Krypton’s destruction. Her wisdom and guidance echoes across space and time, proving invaluable on Kara’s journey toward becoming Supergirl. 

Now there is a lot that I like about this announcement.

First off, I love that Alura will have a recurring role in the show. Alura has been a much more important part of Supergirl's life in recent years. It all started when Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle made her a key part of their run. And more recently Tony Bedard had Alura be a protectorate of Argo City, a peace officer. So to have that relationship highlighted in the show is wonderful.  I think it is great that Kara's role model is her mother, a strong woman in her own right. (Although I hope that the Danvers are a key part to the show as well. And I hope that Alura is not some semisentient interactive hologram computer like Jor-El has been in other places. Leave her to flashbacks or video diary entries.)

But secondly, I love the casting!

Benanti is a talent. She is the only actress I know who has made me feel the tiniest twinge of compassion for the Baroness in The Sound of Music (she played her on the NBC live version as seen above). I actually semi-understood why the Captain might like her! And I have never felt that way before. So you know Benanti has some acting chops!

It also adds this nice little wrinkle of another singer in the cast. Could a musical episode happen? (Maybe Season 3.)

And she looks the part. Regal. Strong. And she looks like Melissa "Supergirl" Benoist ... she could be her mother!

So far I think producers Greg Berlanti and Ali Adler are producing gold! what do you think of the casting?