Supergirl Episode 212: Luthors

Supergirl episode 212, titled 'Luthors' aired this week and was a decent episode, building up the threat of the Luthors and Cadmus, bringing back a couple of villains from earlier in the season, and shoring up one of the relationships that has suffered the most during this season - Kara and James. And, in continuing and running theme of this second season, we touch on prejudices and biases.

For me, the most interesting plot involved the relationship between Lillian and Lena. We learn a lot about their family's history. We meet the other members of the Luthor clan. There is a nice understated current of the eternal argument of nature vs. nurture. There is a lot here to remind me that you can't trust a Luthor. And that bias is unfortunately played out on Lena who is trying to do good and distance herself from her family's legacy. But Luthor motivations are, to quote Churchill, a riddle wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. People just keep thinking there are ulterior motives.

But I was definitely glad to see that some time was spent on the Kara/James friendship. It has felt, at times, this season that the show runners simply didn't know what to do with James. The Guardian plot felt a little forced at times. So seeing them at least voice their issues with each other and try to move past them was welcomed. I also liked hearing James add some Superman/Luthor context to his concerns about Lena.

And we continue to nudge the Kara and Mon-El romance forward. In fact, we get just about as close to a kiss as we have before a surprise ending stalls things.

Finally, I have to compliment Katie McGrath for her performance as Lena in this episode. She really has to emote a ton here, veering from sadness and worthlessness to a touch of anger and self-reflection. And she simply nails it. What a nice showcase for her skills.

On to the show.

The episode starts with a flashback looking into the Luthor home back when Lena was preschool aged young girl. We see Lillian playing chess with a nicely coiffed Lex. He defeats his mother who then resets the board to challenge him with a new defense. A bald Lionel tells Lillian that Lena is joining the family. And, in a fascinating beat, Lex invites Lena to play chess with him. He isn't a vile loner right now. He's just a kid.

We then fast forward to the present where news of Lena testifying against her mother is all over the news. The whole DEO crew including James and Mon are in the alien bar chilling out. The scene plays like shorthand for the characters. Alex tells everyone that she is together with Maggie. Winn calls pool 'geometry with sticks' and says he can play. Mon-El hopes Lillian gets marched through the town to be publicly shamed, again letting us know Daxam is a bit less enlightened than Earth. Kara worries about Lena and think she needs to reach out to her friend. And James worries that Lena will use Kara's friendship against her. Boom ... we know everyone.

Heading to Lexcorp, Kara talks about how she spends a lot of time wishing she could talk to people that aren't around any more. That nudges Lena into visiting Lillian in jail.

At the prison, we have a nicely staged scene. The two Luthor women literally face off, a cold distance between them. But, for the first time, Lillian shows some humanity. She reveals to Lena that she truly is a Luthor. She is the product of an affair Lionel had. When Lena's mother died, Lionel brought his daughter into the house to raise her. Lillian chose to spend more time with Lex and avoid Lena. Lena looked too much like her mother for Lillian to be comfortable around. And she was ashamed and angry. Lionel wasn't a saint. It is time for the two women to mend their rift. The truth is out.

Lena reaches out to touch her mother's hand. Perhaps there will be a thaw. As I said, both in the early scene with Kara and here, McGrath shines, showing surprise, confusion, and some sadness.

Nice symmetry here with the scene above. Lillian sitting across a table with her children, but very different circumstances.

While all that is happening, Metallo (who I thought died when his 'heart; got removed by Alex earlier in the season) is alive and well in prison, albeit without his Green K. That is, until a package holding some arrives in his cell.  Don't ask me how he can survive without a heart but I am glad this means Alex didn't stone kill him earlier in the season.

We cut to the courtroom where Metallo is scheduled to testify against Lillian. Lillian smirks the whole time while Metallo uses the cross-examination to again voice Cadmus' intolerance. He says that earth is in crisis and aliens bring violence and disease. He then says he will be a hostile witness and shows that he is once again armed with Kryptonite. This clearly riffs on the prejudice theme which has been coursing through this season.

A skirmish breaks out and Metallo rushes Lillian outside. Supergirl arrives but before she can stop the villains, Metallo shatters a huge crane which is nearby. Kara needs to save the citizens instead of trailing Metallo and Luthor. I have been pretty impressed with the special effects this season. Nice rescue here.

There is a lot of fallout from this escape. Footage arises showing Lena taking Kryptonite out of a Lexcorp safe. People think she slipped the Green K to Corben when she visited Lillian. She is arrested by Maggie. Lena's apparent guilt will be on display on the cover of CatCo's magazine. Kara protests Lena's innocence but the mantra of 'she's a Luthor' is implied or stated by Maggie, Snapper, and James.

When Kara says Lena set up her mother to be arrested, James says it shows how easy Lena will betray people. Maybe all her actions have been a long con.

James figures if Lena is secretly in cahoots with Lillian that someone will come to break Lena out. Sure enough, Metallo shows up. A pretty nice fight breaks out. Using the shield effectively, the Guardian is able to hold his own for a bit.

But James is just James. Eventually, Metallo gets the upper hand and knocks him out. Metallo then grabs Lena.

In the DEO medical bay, James gets care for his Metallo-inflicted wound. James noticed that Metallo seemed to be hurt by the very Kryptonite he was using.

Everyone outside of Kara in the bay - Winn, Alex, Hank, and James - thinks Lena is guilty. Maybe shooting Corben in the first episode was so Lillian could make him into Metallo. Maybe everything is some long con. Everyone is truly dizzy in trying to unravel what they think Lena's motives are.

In a great scene, James and Kara have a serious conversation. James reminds Kara that Lex and Clark were friends. Clark was also swayed by Lex and Lex's lies. But all that takes a back seat to what is going on between James and Kara. James wants Kara's trust. But she is still ticked off about his Guardian work and his unwillingness to believe in Lena. She storms off. Once again, we see a character alone. Once again we see Kara distancing herself from her friends, another theme this season.

Inside a van, Lillian tells Lena that the time has come for Lena to join Cadmus. Everyone believes Lena is guilty. No one will be able to change that perception. With the Luthor men gone, it is time for the Luthor women to unite. Lena initially asks to be let out to fend for herself but there seems to be a pause with this. Could she being turned?

Meanwhile, Winn cracks the footage of Lena stealing the K. With a little decryption we see that it was the Cyborg Superman who grabbed it. At the same time, Metallo's Kryptonite radiation is picked up on a DEO scanner. But it is clearly artificial K and it is about to hit critical mass.

As for Lillian's plea for Lena to love her and join her, I question how true it all was. The villains enter one of Lex's lairs to grab the weapons Lex had created to fight Superman. The only way to open it is with a bioscan looking for Luthor DNA. That is why Lena was brought there. (Or was it, maybe Lillian thought Lena would willingly join). When Lena refuses to aid her mother, Cyborg Superman forces her palm to the pad.

It shows just how twisted the Luthor's are. Was all that emotional talk in three prior scenes with Lillian all a lie? Or was she telling the truth? Could she mean it and also need Lena to open the vault? No wonder everyone is going crazy when thinking about the Luthors!

I just have to applaud the writers for leaning on past episodes and DC lore.

The vault holds an atomic axe (remember the Lumberjack/Vartox), a black mercy (remember 'For the Girl who has Everything') and something in a small box that Lillian is thrilled to see. She is surprised that Lex was able to complete whatever is in the box. Hmmm ... any guesses? 

Supergirl arrives and it is this scene that is sort of my low point.

With Metallo about to go nuclear, Kara arrives. Unfortunately she is quickly incapacitated by some sort of sonic grenade tossed by Lillian. Luthor and Cyborg Superman escape while Metallo fights. And then, despite her warning that he is about to die and begging him to let her help him, Metallo moves in for the kill.

Luckily, Martian Manhunter arrives to save the day. How I wish that Supergirl would save the day on her own! I didn't like her needing to be saved.

With Metallo dazed, J'Onn, Kara, and Lena all fly away. Metallo does indeed explode, killing him.

That means nothing is left but the wrap up.

James and Kara decide to stop protecting each other and instead just going back to being loyal friends. I was glad to see the relationship mended.

Lena is exonerated and thanks Kara profusely with hugs and flowers. But then we get a scene of Lena looking at a chess board and sitting on her sofa pensively. She remembers beating Lex at chess even at a very young age. Maybe, now that she realizes she truly is a Luthor ... not just in name ... she will embrace who she is and become evil. Or am I succumbing to the overthinking all the characters have been doing all episode?

And finally we see Mon-El and Kara seem to profess their feelings to each other. In her apartment, she tells him that she will always fly to protect others but she doesn't like feeling vulnerable herself. She didn't want to like Mon-El because he is a 'dude bro' but he keeps surprising her in how he has grown. And she calls herself the personification of the American Way (which I loved and Mon appropriately teases her about) who is ready to have it all. Just as they are about to kiss ...

Mr. Mxyzptlk shows up professing his love for Kara.

Whoa!

So overall a very good episode. The Luthor relationships, like onions that have stinky layers, was brilliantly shown here. I don't know what to believe. And James and Kara reaching out to each other was very nice. Add the re-emerging threat of Cadmus now armed with a mystery weapon and a great cliffhanger, I think this nicely pushed the overall season plot forward.

All that said, Lena better not turn evil.