Supergirl Episode 402: Fallout

Supergirl episode 402, titled 'Fallout', aired this week and truly was a show about the fallout of the reveal to the world that President Marsdin is an alien. With this Earth already torn about alien rights, this was, as Otis said, the perfect fuse to light the bomb. Certainly, this episode leaned heavily onto the theme of this season. It looks like the main storyline will be about respecting and accepting people who are different than us, assuming their actions are good. So while it might seem that aliens are an easy substitute for immigration issues, I think this can apply to other marginalized groups who feel attacked.

One of the things that I liked about the premiere episode was that it set the tone and the theme of the season in motion without being too heavy-handed or preachy. This episode sort of continues that mode. Certainly, people speak with weighted words which sound more like a script than normal conversation. But the writers here do a good job of showing both sides of this issue while clearly standing up for one. For me, I applaud them.

Let me start out by saying that this Earth has every right to be worried about aliens since for three seasons an army has come and tried to brainwash, take over, or kill everyone. The planet has been subject to alien army invasions and terra-forming. People should be nervous. That said, not all aliens can be painted with the same villainous brush, nor should they be. At the very least, the show comments on all of this. The bottom line is clear, as said by Supergirl in this very episode. People, alien or not, should be judged on what they do, not where they come from.

Political agenda aside, the episode also is entertaining to watch. This isn't a documentary; it's a super-hero show. We see Supergirl in action. It is clear she is a big deal on this world, hanging out with the President and addressing the world. We see her hiding her powers while acting as Kara, a nice fun lift in the middle segment. We see character growth in all the mainstays. But this is most apparent in Nia Nal who goes from nervous cub reporter to open force for justice. And seeds for future plots are planted.

I liked this episode a lot, albeit a little less than last week's. Onto the particulars.

Outside the White House, there are protesters on both sides behind bike racks. On one side are the people asking for the President to step down. Included are the haters yelling 'roaches go home'!

Inside the Oval Office, the President reminds Supergirl that she is in violation of the Constitution. Despite Supergirl reminding the President about the compassion and fight for equal rights that has marked the Presidential term, it doesn't matter. Stepping down will limit the chaos.

The President sounds Presidential. She is tired of hiding. She says that fear can create monsters where none existed before.' But she asks Supergirl to be the beacon of hope the country needs.

So Marsdin knew she was breaking the law. So that's not cool. Hard to think she wasn't biased on alien laws. And heck, just months ago, Reign was terraforming the world. So saying fear creates enemies where none existed seems a bit over the top. But the non-world killers? They shouldn't be thrown in with that lot.

Finally the protest becomes a brawl and Supergirl has to fly in to stop it. I love the imagery of her holding the American flag; she is a symbol of what it should mean. And she says that people should be talking, not fighting right now.

 This division reaches into the DEO. Agents there are split. Some, like an Agent Jensen, think the President and aliens should be expunged. Alex seems surprised at this. She says the DEO will defend all citizens. And it is a workplace and not a place to talk politics. Really? Politics in the government black ops division? She's  surprised?

In interrogating Otis, he mentions how the DEO used to attack and send aliens running, bringing up the lead dispersal device against the Daxamites. I like the internal continuity we are seeing in the show these days.

But from a continuity viewpoint, there is a lot for me digest here. The DEO was split last season in the gun control episode. How can Alex be surprised about political disagreements here. And a reminder that the DEO was initially set up to find and incarcerate aliens. So somewhere along the way that has changed to just 'bad aliens'.

I agree with Alex's viewpoint now. The DEO isn't supposed to round up all aliens. But it might be nice throughout the season to hear her discuss the mission of the DEO and bring up the past. I'd also love to hear about this from a worldwide viewpoint. Do other country's have an alien problem? How are they handling it?

 Meanwhile, Mercy is still on the loose. She kills a low level LCorp employee and steals his laptop. And then she shows Agent Liberty her secret weapon ... Kryptonite. He is a cunning foe. He doesn't want Supergirl killed. That would make her a martyr.

Kara heads to LCorp to talk to Lena about Mercy. She brings up the President and Lena has some interesting answers. She talks about how the President stepping down should mean that there won't be any economic ramifications. It is only when Kara mentions the personal side of things that Lena agrees. Hmmm ... maybe she is a Luthor at heart.

 We start to see Nia Nal's powers kicking in.

Asleep at her desk, she wakes up suddenly craving coffee. She runs off.

I like this riff on Dream Girl's power of dreaming and precognition.

Back at the DEO, Brainiac 5 realizes that the tension in the office could be eased with pizza. He heads off to the pizzeria where he has become a regular. Nia arrives. I assume she had a vision of this encounter.

Because Mercy hacks the image inducer tech via the dead LCorp employee's credentials and turns them all off. Luckily Lena is able to outhack Mercy and turn them all back on.

But at the pizzeria, Brainy suddenly looks like a Coluan. And the cashier calls out the cooks in the back who immediately attack Brainy with a baseball bat. He seems rather adept at evading the attacks. Perhaps he calculates most likely attacks?

But it is Nia who stands up to the workers, telling them they need to back off.

Leaving the place, Nia says people need to accept a person for who they truly are.There is a whiff of a potential romantic plotline between the two. But as someone who thinks Brainy and Kara belong together, I hope I don't see it.

 J'onn investigates his friend Fiona's disappearance and sees that she was engaged to Manchester. So I guess British citizen Manchester Black could be a hero ... or maybe an anti-hero ... this season. I like that! That is a good wrinkle.

Maybe Black doesn't think Supergirl is going far enough in his defense of aliens and she needs to fight him? A sort of take on his comic motives?

 At CatCo, Nia had been asking James to write an editorial stating that CatCo is against alien prejudice. She discussed her gender identity and how she has been the target of hate. It is the time for justice.

Throughout the episode, James has been talking about a balanced coverage of the issue. He knows that the unbiased news is what will change people's minds. Also, he doesn't want to be prematurely called biased. The readers who agree with them know where they stand. But Nia pushes him and says it is the time for justice.

A few thoughts.

I know this is television. But the cub reporter walking into the CEO's office and putting his coals to the fire seems a little unrealistic. I suppose it shows how passionate Nia is about this.

Second, I don't think anyone, even James, would think that an editorial against hate and attacking innocent people is too edgy. He should write that. But I hope that he will cover news, like the President's unmasking, truthfully.

My guess is I am opening myself up to attack here. I am probably saying things wrong.

I also like the backstory we are getting about Mercy and Lena. Lena considered Mercy akin to a big sister. Both believe that humanity should be pushed ahead, to gain powers and be as strong as aliens. Between this reveal and Lena talking economics, I think we will see her become darker as the season goes on.

Mercy decides to attack LCorp directly to get to the actual servers to shut down the image inducing tech. Kara is still there in her civilian form. Despite protests to split up, to have her hide somewhere, to stay in armored hallways (all so she can become Supergirl), Lena says she will protect Kara and they all (Lena, Kara, and Miss Tessmacher (yay!) need to stay together.

This leads to my favorite scenes in the show. Kara has to use her powers slyly to keep the three safe without giving away she is Supergirl. That means catching and throwing bullets back at gunmen, super-sneezing at them, and using her foot to wedge a closing door open.

Perfect!

 The chase leads Lena and the others into Lena's prototype lab. There Lillian's armor sits on a table. Mercy and Lena each arm themselves with a gauntlet and get into a brawl.

I love how Lena circles the room, always keeping herself between Kara and Mercy. She is protecting her friend!

There is also great dialogue here. We learn Lex always belittled Lena. Lena wants to clear the Luthor name, not grow in power. Finally Kara is able to slip away and returns as Supergirl. She says 'the Luthor name doesn't deserve Lena'. Nice line.

I also like the fight scene between Lena and Mercy. Mercy is a great fighter!

And Lena asks suspiciously how Supergirl got into LCorp. Hmmm ....I think she knows.

 Back at CatCo, James witnesses a microaggression. An alien from Dryad (Blok's world!) finds wood chips in his coffee mug. He told someone in confidence he was from Dryad. That co-worker played a prank but clearly it wasn't taken that way. It was taken as a breach of trust.

It looks like this finally tips James. He calls the CatCo writers together and says that in that office, they need to respect each other. Catco does not tolerate hate in their walls or on their pages. Ignorance is the enemy, not each other.

I actually like what I have seen of James this season. He's kind of reminding me of Perry. Glad he is settling into a leadership role.

 At the DEO, Mercy begins to wear down the DEO agent Jensen.

He is reminded that aliens want to take over the planet. They want to become us and replace us. And the DEO used to fight those aliens. Now they partner with them. Those who care for aliens are Earth traitors.

It is hard that Mercy can so easily sway someone who worked for a Martian just a couple of weeks ago. He should know that not all aliens are criminal or evil.

But it works.

 And Brainy is still shook by his pizza visit.

He tells Alex that he was known as Barney at that place. He was friendly with him. He is surprised that his appearance alone could incite such hate. And Alex, who just last episode talked about how Brainy was driving her crazy, tells him she will defend him without pause.

I loved this small scene showing growth between the two. I also love how Alex says she'll defend him without pause.

I do like how his human name is Barney, sort of Brainy as an anagram.

 The end of the episode truly crackles.

Supergirl uses CatCo to address the country. In a very stirring speech, she talks about how America is in the midst of complicated times. People feel betrayed by the President. But she urges people to remember that people are not defined by where they are from but from what they do. She is an alien. She loves the planet. She is against those who are trying to divide the country, to have people live in fear. She wants what we all want – to be a good American. How great to hear her say those words! At a time when 'the American way' is chopped off all super-sayings, I am glad to hear this. I also think this was a nice speech to hear in comparison to the 'hope' speech from Season one. She sure has grown. 

Then we see her in the Oval office again where she tells the newly sworn in President that she is loyal to the country and the person leading it. She will defend the office. I like how Supergirl is so important that she has an early audience with the leader of the free world. But given the politics of the show, my guess is he is going to start putting through legislation she doesn't agree with and will be torn.

 J'onn tracks down a rally for Agent Liberty where he pours out some propaganda.

He asks for a show of hands of people who lost their jobs to an alien, who lost their homes to an alien attack, who can't make ends meet. He says the country can't live on hope as Supergirl wants them to.
The aliens want their jobs. The aliens want their lives. The laws are supposed to protect all from discrimination but it seems they only protect aliens and not regular folks.

The crowd lustily agrees with his words chanting 'Earth first'.

I think Liberty is going to be a great foe. There is no denying that National City has almost been leveled three times in recent years. It will be easy for him to exploit that fear.

And then the kicker. The Graves wanted to be put in the DEO so they could steal the lead dispersal tech that Otis had mentioned earlier! Nice foreshadowing.

The Graves use the device to atomize the Kryptonite they have. It is just enough to weaken Kara, sending her falling from the skies.

Now that is a great cliffhanger.

So this was another very good episode. I love the characterization. Nia's strength, Kara's hope, Lena's questionable ideas, James' leadership. That all worked. Even Agent Liberty showed me that he is as much a charismatic villain as he is a fighter.

But I truly loved the 'Kara stuck as Kara in a Supergirl situation' scenes. Those were brilliant.

The theme is pretty much set up. Eager to see where we end up going.