Supergirl Episode 210: We Can Be Heroes

(Please be aware that this is a long review ... even by my standards.)

Supergirl Episode 210, titled 'We Can Be Heroes' aired this week and heralded the return of Supergirl's arch-enemy Livewire. Given the commercials we had seen for this, I thought it would be something of a very action-heavy episode. But instead, we got a character driven show in which several of the show's primaries had to deal with either personal biases or outright misjudgments. This concept of prejudice blinding someone has been a popular theme to tackle on this show right from the beginning. But usually it is the main character's reaction to it, not wading in it a bit themselves.

Perhaps the most perplexing plotline in the episode was Kara not wanting to let other less proven people wade into super-hero business. She tries to shelve Mon-El (not trained) and James (not invulnerable) throughout the episode and even moving on. And yet ... you think that Kara of all people wouldn't feel this way. After all, it was in the premiere itself that Alex tries to stop Kara from being Supergirl and it is Kara who still pushes forward on her journey. Supergirl wasn't trained at all but she knew she wanted to help people. It is this hypocrisy which I think is easy grist for the mill moving forward.

There is a very good subplot of J'Onn finally having to deal with his own hatred of White Martians as he weighs the pros and cons of helping a dying M'Gann. We get the slightest peek into the deepest part of J'Onn's psyche which shows he is pretty human in his own way.

And then there is the Livewire subplot which took a left turn I wasn't expecting. Are villains immutable in their evil ways? Or can they change and redeem themselves?

Mixed in all the action were two or three very powerful conversations where characters confront each other in ways that aren't warm and fuzzy. Things aren't always bright in National City. In particular, Mehcad Brooks gets a couple of standout moments which made me say 'wow'. God knows his character needed it.

If I have one complaint about the episode it is in the directing. There are a lot of moments of conflict between characters here. And yet the shots are often a closeup of one character's face, sometimes as viewed over the shoulder of another character. I would have loved it if both characters were in the shot so that we could see body language and other cues. These weren't comfortable discussions at times. Let me see that!

On to the show!

The episode starts off with a nice montage of Supergirl and Mon-El in a training sessions in the DEO, fighting laser shooting droids and trying to avoid hitting cardboard cutouts of 'innocents'. (One of the cutouts is of Hank glowering, a nice touch.) Mon-El seems to be getting better in all this but in defending himself he lets an innocent get torched. He laughs it off as 'only one' casualty this time. But Supergirl reminds him that the only goal in superheroics is to protect the innocent.

After that, we cut to the Guardian and Winn out on patrol after stopping some drug dealers. James is wounded, his arm grazed by a bullet. Winn is exhausted both physically and mentally. He demands they tell Kara. James agrees, but only after they stop one more crime. James even laughs when he hears the 'frat boy' Mon-El is trying to become a hero.

The contrast couldn't be cleared. James is willing to sacrifice himself for the good and is serious about his job. Meanwhile, Mon-El seems to think it is a bit of a game.

Meanwhile, we see M'Gann still in the DEO prison cell she was thrown in earlier this season. Inside, we see her screaming in telepathic pain, haunted by visions of white Martians. Then she seems to be possessed, saying 'Blood. Death. Beautiful War' over and over. Finally, she collapses. Alex cannot deduce what is wrong with M'Gann who remains comatose. But J'Onn doesn't seem to care. In fact he says that he doesn't worry about war criminals. That is pretty harsh from J'Onn but you couldn't expect easy forgiveness even from a dissenter.

We then cut to a real criminal, Livewire. In prison, Livewire is being interviewed by the prison psychiatrist. It is clear that Leslie has truly become Livewire. She won't respond to any other name but Livewire. And she talks about frying Supergirl and even this therapist. But before we hear more, a prison guard and another inmate break Livewire loose. 

Again, these are good scenes contrasting M'Gann, someone who we know is innocent being treated the same as Livewire who clear is wallowing in her evil.

We get a nice scene in the DEO where Winn reviews Livewire almost like the announcer of the dating game. And we see Kara's dislike of her 'nemesis'. It is clear that Kara isn't interested in necessarily rehabilitating Livewire. I don't know if she would hold out a hand and say 'let me help you' off the bat. Instead, Livewire is described as despicable, someone who brings death and destruction.

Meanwhile, M'Gann is drowning in her own mind and will be brain dead shortly. The only thing that could help would be if J'Onn does a 'mind meld'. A 'Mind Meld'!!! Holy Star Trek!! But J'Onn refuses. He won't share his loving memories with someone he feels should die a 1000 deaths while drowning in their own sins. I have to say, that is pretty hard core. Almost too awful.

Back at CatCo, James tries to tell Kara about being the Guardian. But Kara goes off on a tangent about Livewire and Mon-El. Almost disgustedly, James tells Kara that he thinks Mon is doing it all for the wrong reasons. A hero wants to make a difference and is willing to put their life on the line. That isn't Mon-El.

This idea of who is a hero, who can be a hero, and what are the motivations of a hero run through this episode.

We then get a nice action sequence.

We see Livewire tormenting some police officers in a garage. Supergirl arrives to take on Livewire who turns out to be the female prisoner who helped spring Leslie now sporting her powers. And then the prison guard from earlier arrives also sporting powers.

Mon-El arrived with Supergirl but is told to stay back and protect the police. The Guardian shows up as well. With Supergirl looking defeated, Mon-El jumps into the battle. Mon deflects a lightning bolt which strikes a police officer and James.

After the villains escape, Supergirl rushes to the Guardian and unmasks him. Hit the climactic music!

But again, this scene is meant to contrast James and Mon-El. Mon-El 'disobeyed' orders to join the fight and almost got an officer killed, were it not for James who takes some of the damage to save the man.

Back at the DEO, Kara asks James to explain himself.

And it is here that Mehcad Brooks really shines. He says that he tried to make everyone better in his life and initially he did it in his career and as a friend. But he can't live in the shadows anymore, or behind Superman and Supergirl. He has to cares about people and wants to be the hero. In many ways, Kara could have given the same speech in the show premiere.

But she is beyond that. She tells him he isn't strong enough. He'll get himself killed. She'll stop him.

Kudos to James for doubling down. Kara shouldn't accept Mon-El as a hero because he has powers. Mon-El is heroing only because he cares about Kara. And then James says that she can't decide his life. And who is she anyways to tell him what he can do. He won't back down. Heck, Kara could have given this speech to Alex in the premiere. I thought to myself 'whoa' when he faced off against her. Incredible.

But as I said, it is all single character facial close ups. Pull back director! Show me how they are interacting!

Kara then confronts Mon-El. Is he heroing because it is the right thing or because he 'likes' her.

She chastises him for not listening to her and for putting those officers in jail.

Frustrated with him as well, Kara flies off to find Livewire.

There is some chemistry here and tension. Both Mon and Kara are speaking from their hearts. But once again we barely see the two in the same shot ever, only this one brief peek.

Winn is able to grab the prison security tapes and it seems that Livewire wasn't broken out by allies. She is kidnapped. We briefly see her strapped to chair which seems to be torturing her.

There is a nice throwaway line in the DEO where Winn tells the incoming agents that all they have missed is awkward silence. It is clear that the Guardian work and the threat of Livewire and the distance between Mon and Kara has just put a strain on the team.

When it is clear that M'Gann is about to die, Alex presses J'Onn reminding him that M'Gann 'opened up a vein' for him, even though it jeopardized her hiding.

Hank says that when hate becomes the reason to live when you lost everything. He doesn't want to forgive M'Gann. It is a rare look deep into his character.

But eventually he relents. He can't watch her die. He knows heading into M'Gann's mind will make him relive his worst memories. He asks that Alex and Kara stay with him for support. It shows that these three are family now.

Inside M'Gann's mind, we hear her memories. She lit a guardhouse on fire. She killed other White Martians. She refused to kill the young green Martian she had been ordered to execute. She is as much a hero as anyone in this issue, standing up for what is right even though it meant going against the biases of her people.

There is that notion of prejudice again. 

M'Gann tells J'Onn that she pretended to be a green Martian so he wouldn't feel alone. She is trying to atone.

Meanwhile, Winn has figured out a way to track where Livewire is. Rather than tell the DEO he gives James the information. It is a way for the Guardian to shine.

In the lair we learn what is going on. An evil scientist is draining Livewire so he can create new super-soldiers. Military groups will pay this guy millions for his tech. And the fight with Supergirl and the police will only up the price. 

Mon-El also shows up but the scientist has experimented on himself and defeats both Mon and the Guardian.

There is a lot of great snappy dialogue in this scene. Livewire is deliciously nasty saying the super-soldiers are copyright infringement, that Mon-El's costume is sucky cosplay, and other barbs. The scientist says that of course evil scientists experiment on themselves. He calls Livewire 'such a nasty woman', akin to recent political statements. 

Winn comes clean that the Guardian and Mon-El have been captured so Supergirl has to streak in.

There is a nice sequence where Mon-El and the Guardian fight the Livewire-dupes. Supergirl frees Livewire who then punishes the scientist who tortured her. There is a sort of 'enemy of my enemy is my friend' moment between Kara and Leslie.

But Livewire wants to kill the scientist. It is only when Supergirl says she will let Livewire go and wait a bit before she pursues Leslie that a truce is made. Livewire leaves. The scientist is arrested.

It is an interesting dilemma for Kara. She knows Livewire is a killer. But she negotiates this escape. Fascinating.

I loved this little circular shot of the super-team.

Nothing left to do but wrap things up.

Winn is chastised by Hank for his reckless offline action with James. But Hank also says he was impressed with the work Winn and the Guardian did. Truly, I have loved the treatment of Winn this season.

Kara tells Alex that she believes that maybe there is some good in Livewire. She didn't kill the scientist. Maybe one day Leslie will ask for help.

J'Onn frees M'Gann who reveals that she had receded into her mind because she had received a telepathic message that the White Martians are coming to Earth to retrieve her.

The big scene was between Supergirl, Winn, and James. She says they have always been heroes to her. She won't stop them. But she won't support them either. They leave her.

And then get the shot above, Kara alone in the middle of the DEO floor. She has pushed James and Winn away. Alex is concentrating on her relationship with Maggie. Hank is dealing with M'Gann. For the first time, Kara is sort of alone. And this shot conveys that. Finally, a wide shot!

 But there is even one more ending.

Mon-El shows up at Kara's apartment and reveals that he does have feelings for her. He remembers kissing her. He can die now because he kissed her. He realizes that she doesn't feel the same but he wants them to remain partners and for him to become a hero. They end the scene with an awkward high five.

But it is clear that Kara is burying her growing feelings. When he says he remembers the kiss, she adjusts her glasses, a tiny sign that she is feeling nervous, perhaps because she had feelings from it. And this pained look on her face her. I just kept yelling 'kiss him, you dope!' at the screen.

So overall a very good episode focusing on heroic motivations, realizing your potential, and dealing with prejudice. After several weeks of dominating the screen, Alex and Maggie take a little bit of a back seat even if we still get cute dialogue snippets. And the action was well done. I like Livewire as an arch-enemy.

Kudos to all those involved. And a big shout out to Mehcad Brooks for his work in this episode.