Supergirl Season 2 'Supergirl Radio' Review

A couple of weeks ago, I did a rambling, off the cuff, 'typed as I thought' review of the second season of Supergirl. I definitely think I got my point across. But I am typically an organized, structured writer and that felt a bit too free form for my liking.

A bit later, Supergirl Radio did their end of season recap and it was much more organized. Impressed with their categories and wanting to revisit the season one last time, I thought I would give my answers to their questions. In particular, I liked that they broke out 'best' from 'favorite'. I think those are two very separate things.

And I'll try to spread things out a bit. The action of 'Alex' and the ending of 'Exodus' are so powerful that they could have swept the awards. 

So let's begin!

Best Episode – Exodus 

This episode really seemed to have it all. But for me, the biggest thing about Exodus was that the Alex/Kara relationship and connection ,which had been pushed into the background by each character's solo plotlines, was showcased once again. It ends with one of the most powerful moments for this show ever. (More on this later.)

But we saw so much more. This episode showed Alex's loyalty to Jeremiah even in the face of damning evidence, here beating up a Cadmus lackey to try to find her father. We saw Kara decide to stand on her own, blogging about Cadmus rounding up aliens and getting fired by Snapper. She says the classic line 'Supergirl is what I can do; Kara is who I am.' We saw Maggie support Alex's 'off the books' mission of infiltrating Cadmus and we saw Alex take down a Cadmus site on her own. The continued threat of Lillian Luthor was on display. And we saw that Jeremiah might not be all bad but certainly isn't all good.

As I said, Exodus could easily have taken home a number of these superlatives. It was the best episode.

But there are more awards!

Favorite Episode - Mr. and Mrs. Mxyzptlk 
I think we all knew we were going to be in for a treat when we saw Sterling Gates listed as one of the writers. But this was even better than I could have imagined. This was pure comic fun. Peter Gadiot was pitch perfect as Mxy, mixing insanity, mischievousness, and menace all in one dapper foe. He could go from singing Aladdin and talking Vera Wang to nearly killing Mon-El and threatening Kara. Just perfect. 

It also highlighted some of the problems people would have with the Mon-El/Kara relationship. The two have a pretty fabulous argument in the middle of the episode, crackling with chemistry. But Mon's quick temper, efforts to protect Kara to the point of not listening, and desire to kill Mxy all showed that maybe he wasn't (at least then) the perfect match. 

Add things like a 'McGurk' reference, a Hamilton scene, and more homages and references than I can list, and you have a comic fans dream episode. But it also had this moment when Kara enjoys a slow drink of OJ, one of the few things Mxy can't manipulate. This almost won favorite moment, coming in second by a nose.

Underrated Episode That More People Should Be Talking About –We Can Be Heroes
The main plot was Supergirl tracking down one of her rogues, Livewire.

But there was a ton more in this episode that makes me wonder why it wasn't lauded more when it came out. Kara learns that James is the Guardian and Winn has been helping him. We see a flashback of Mars in J'onn's mind. We get a supervillain brawl. We have Kara having mercy and letting Livewire escape .. for now. And we get this great shot, this moment where Kara seemed to be pushing people away from her rather than bringing them closer, a subplot I watched closely early in the season.  

Best Actress – Chyler Leigh
Hopefully Chyler Leigh gets recognized nationally for the work that she did this season. She still had the usual 'badass' Alex moments, throwing kicks and punches and generally battering enemies. But she also had the arc where she came out, struggled with that for some time, and grew into her relationship with Maggie. Leigh really shined here. Seriously, she should receive Emmy recognition (although a show like Supergirl might not grab the voters attention).

Best Actor – Jeremy Jordan

Once Winn left CatCo and joined the DEO, the character was able to cut loose. And Winn had a lot of great moments throughout the season. Yes, there was the usual comedic moments like imitating Batman, being starstruck at Superman, and playing the wisecracking piano man in 'Duets'. But we also got to see Winn be more confident in who he was, shining with the DEO. We saw him worry about his mortality when fighting with Guardian. We even got to see him be a bad guy (okay it was a White Martian imitating Winn). Just awesome.

Favorite Character The character you were always excited to see in Season 2 - Lena Luthor
Faithful viewers kind of knew where they stood when it came to most of the characters this season. Supergirl was confident and strong. Alex was working her way through her personal issues while remaining a DEO superstar. James was trying to find purpose. Lillian and Rhea were evil.

The one person who seemed to keep us guessing? Lena Luthor.

Would her Luthor nature overwhelm her? Would she become a villain? Was her desire to clean the Luthor name legitimate or a feint? She held up a chess piece, the white knight, at the end of 'Luthors' and I assumed it was some internal conflict. Was she a hero? A white knight? But others saw it as a sign she was conniving and strategic. Do you realize how much social media discussion there was about her looking at a chess piece?

It seemed almost every episode where there was a Lena moment, someone would try to read into it. She grabbed us. 

And Katie McGrath just crushed it in the role. Brilliant.

Favorite Guest Star – Calista Flockhart
There were so many this season which are worth mentioning. Dean Cain as Jeremiah. Linda Carter as President Marsden. Helen Slater as Eliza Danvers. Teri Hatcher as Rhea.

But I have to give the award to Calista Flockhart for returning as Cat Grant. When Cat returned, it suddenly felt like there was this foundation for the show to rest on. The Cat/Kara moments had the usual impact. She was the straw that stirred the drink. I really hope she returns for more episodes next year.
 

Favorite Villain – Mr. Mxyzptlk
I already talked about Mxy up above. Hearing him quote Willy Wonka, call Mon-El 'tall, dark, and blandsome', pull a Magneto move, and then animate the Fortress Jor-El statue made him my favorite. This episode is on the DVR with the 'keep until I delete' tag. 

Best Villain – Lillian Luthor
There is a difference between 'favorite' and 'best'. And the best villain was Lillian Luthor. Yes, Teri Hatcher chewed up the scenery as the Wicked Queen. But Lillian kept us guessing. There were many moments this season where Lillian seemed to show actual compassion and love for Lena only to then show she was faking. She tricked me every time. She was conniving, keeping her eyes on the prize, and being deceitful when it suited her, luring fools like me to ruin. Perhaps worst of all, her evil views were semi-justified when her fear of an alien invasion actually happened, proving her beliefs. Brenda Strong was spectacular in the role.

Favorite Moment or Scene of Season 2 – 'Exodus' (holding back the alien ship)
I warned you Exodus would be mentioned a lot. This moment, with Kara trying to hold back a starship from warping to Slavers' moon with Alex and alien immigrants, was so powerful. It brought back the 'super sisters' vibe of the first season, of these two leaning on each other and caring about each other deeply. We don't get to hear Supergirl, but Melissa Benoist emotes so well we know just what she is feeling. This is brilliant. (Cat Grant saying 'go get her Supergirl' in the Season Finale was on a  short list of other answers.)

Favorite Supergirl Moment – ‘Exodus’ (holding back the alien ship)
I already mentioned this scene, as it helped Exodus win Best Episode and Best scene. And since it is Supergirl holding back the ship, it is also the best Supergirl moment. Sorry if repetitive but that scene ruled. 

Favorite Kara Danvers Moment – ‘Alex’ (I stand for help, hope and compassion!)
This might be a cheat because this is Kara talking about her life as Supergirl. But the fact that Sterling Gates' Supergirl motto has become canon and made it to the show was too fantastic to not mention. I would say there were plenty of close seconds. Kara telling Alex she was proud of her big sister in 'Changing' was also great.

Season 2 MVP – Melissa Benoist
If I had to pick a character, I would have picked Alex. But I don't think this show would continue to exist if it weren't for Melissa Benoist's earnest portrayal of the character. She *is* Supergirl, from the dorkiness to the heroism to the uncertainty to the fierceness. She is just an incredible actor, pulling off both Kara and Supergirl. Just incredible. Where would this show be without her??

 What’s on your Wishlist for Season 3? 

I am hoping that Kara's romantic life takes less of a prominent role in the next season. The Mon-El relationship really seemed to dominate things this season. I want to see Supergirl grow as a person. I want to see more sister time as well. Bring back pizza and Netflix. I'd also like to see the Jeremiah storyline wrapped up once and for all. And more of Kara watching old movies!

What elements from the comics do you wish the show would adapt? 
I better get me some Legion of Super-Heroes next season. I would love to see more specific Supergirl villains next season. Reign is a good start. But what about Psi, Satan Girl, and more BizarroGirl?

Would you rather see Supergirl go up against Gorilla Grodd OR King Shark? 

I think Grodd with his telepathic powers is a much more suitable villain for Kara.

Should Kara Danvers blob about sustainable food  OR tropical rain forests? 
Sustainable food!

Which feline friend would you rather see Kara Danvers interact with? Streaky the Supercat OR a Sumatran Tiger? 
The only answer is Streaky! In fact, they should give Kara a cat named Streaky next season, maybe a place to place her affection given Mon-El's absence.

What would be more adorable? Supergirl swimming with sea turtles OR hanging out with polar bears at the Fortress of Solitude? 
Definitely polar bears. There could even be a nod to the aborted polar bear scene in the never made Superman Lives movie!

And that's the end.

Thanks for Supergirl Radio for letting me co-opt their format for review.
And thanks again to all involved with the show for putting together such a great season!