I have been very pleased with this season of Supergirl. The first four episodes were quite tight, with good character moments, good action, and very solid story-telling. Prior seasons and prior episodes have been heavy-handed or clunky. And I haven't had to say that this season so far.
Episode 405, titled Parasite Lost, was a decent episode. It progressed the overall plot. There were some nice character moments. Alex Danvers ultimately saves the day with Supergirl acting more as a bystander. While Kara the reporter gets a boost, her role as superhero is again diminished. Kara again isn't the hero in her own show. There was a great moment at the end for J'onn J'onzz which elevated this episode a lot for me.
And once more, there is a nuanced approach to the metaphor of alien as immigrant. We saw a more sympathetic view of Agent Liberty a couple of weeks ago. Here we start to see signs of how hate can drive people deeper into evil. In fact, I think two themes of the season are starting to percolate a bit.
After such a solid beginning, I felt this was a bit of a 'treading water' episode, a mini-step back from the excellence we have seen before. Good is still good. I thought this was solid. Just not as fantastic.
And we don't get a single mention of Mercy and Otis. I still don't know if they are dead!
On to the show.
One plot point that I have enjoyed watching is the friction between Lena and James about what is happening in the country. Lena at times has spoken about the divisiveness solely from a business viewpoint. Here she tells James that Guardian being linked to an Earth First movement isn't all bad. In a way he has built a bridge to the other side and could use that to turn people. She honestly thinks there isn't bad press.
I wonder if Lena is so above the fray, so distanced from it, that she doesn't register what is happening. She doesn't seem to 'get it'. I kept wondering if this would be the crowbar to push her to evil.
Meanwhile, Brainy is initially drunk, tossing around big words and a 'Long Live the Legion.' He is able to sober up and there is a nice little moment of attraction between him and Nia Nal. I, of course, want Brainy to be with Kara so I don't know if I want that to happen.
That said, Jesse Rath has just embraced the role of Brainiac 5. He is pitch perfect in his approach to the character.
Meanwhile, Jensen has been infected with the Parasite and is starving. I have said before how the show is leaning into its own history and the same is happening here. During the show's opening, we see a clip of the Parasite's first appearance way back in season two. In Liberty's headquarters, Jensen drains an Infernian completely, killing the alien and gaining its fire powers. As someone who can kill aliens so easily, he is the most valuable asset in 'the war to save humanity.' There is some irony here, Jensen now infected with an alien symbiote is humanity's hope?
At the DEO, Alex bristles when she has to meet with her new commanding officer Colonel Lahey. But it turns out Lahey actually is quite thrilled with Alex's performance and commends her for changes she has made. I was wondering if perhaps Lahey wasn't as bad as I thought she'd be.
And Kara gets a plum reporter job. An alien healer named Amadei is giving his first interview in decades and he is giving it to Kara. Amadei is an old friend of J'onn's as well as both a physical healer and a spiritual leader. He says that while he can't heal humans with his powers yet, he hopes to heal the human heart by showing that divisiveness and discrimination are ripping the country apart.
This is where I worry a bit about where the show is going. I would love to have both a human and an alien come out as wanting to mend the divisiveness this way. I do wonder, based on how the show ends, if that is where we will end up.
As for Lockwood, he is fighting a two front war.
Behind the scenes he is waging a physical war as Agent Liberty.
But on line he has formed The People's Veritas, an opinion site where he stokes the fires of alien fear. He talks about last episode's fight at the state fair. He says how kids were threatened by aliens and only when the human Guardian showed up did things get better.
James and Lena see this and James is upset. But Lena continue to downplay the threat, calling Lockwood a 'fringe lunatic'. Of course, people have called other dictators in history fringe lunatics as well. One thing I did like here was both James and Lena acknowledging having met him in the past. We saw those interactions in the Liberty origin episode.
But slick sites like this led by smooth talkers aren't empty threats. They are how hate is legitimized.
At the National City Waterfront, a hipster shapeshifter is putting on a street show when Jensen arrives.
When Supergirl shows up, Jensen reveals he is the new Parasite, draining her somewhat. It is only when the DEO arrives with guns blazing that Jensen retreats, killing the shapeshifter and utilizing that power to slip away.
The effects this episode are good. Here you can see that Kara's face does partially shrivel. The feeding segments when aliens are drained to husks reminds me a bit of the old movie Lifeforce.
Back in the DEO, Kara gets a sunlamp bath. As Parasite draining her is a major threat, she and Alex decide Kara needs to sit this one out, only doing non-Parasite DEO business.
I wonder if this is going to be a running theme of the season. Kara being asked to sit out a mission has been seen a couple of times this season already and each time she has bucked those orders in order to be 'visible'. Is her being a symbol of hope, a visible icon, going to be a big deal the whole season?
And Jensen keeps needing to feed. Agent Liberty tells him to feast on as many aliens as he can to survive. I wondered if Jensen was in dire straits if Lockwood would sacrifice humans to keep Jensen alive. I do think that hard line Lockwood has of not having humans die is going to be another thematic element. I wonder if at some point he crosses that line and that is what will make him lose his sway with his followers.
Kara's article on Amadei is a hit but gets its fair share of haters. What doesn't these days.
She gets word that Amadei is dying and rushes to the compound.
In a bit of a McGuffin, it turns out that Amadei needs an amulet to survive his healing sessions. The amulet has been stolen. J'onn probes his mind and his last vision is of a young girl, perhaps the culprit.
The alien group is afraid to go to the police because of the amount of prejudice in the world. Amadei's handler asks J'onn to handle this privately. I am sure that the best way for aliens and humans to come together is to avoid law enforcement. That won't breed any distrust.
At the very least, as a high-end crime, Kara could have offered DEO official assistance. That would let the aliens see that not all officers of the state are hate-filled.
Instead, using the DEO in an unofficial capacity, J'onn and Kara track down the girl and break into her house to investigate. That is another bad way to instill trust between aliens and humans. Let's have the alien who can go intangible invade me place.
It turns out the young woman in the vision is Amadei's estranged daughter. He had a one night stand with a human and abandoned them.
The Amadei side plot, for me, took a bit too much time of the episode. It was one of those clunky aspects that the show suffers from a bit.
In another nod to the prior fight with the Parasite, the DEO plots to overload the Parasite with radiation (like they did with him the first time). Lahey and Alex brainstorm together to come up with a forcefield dome idea as well as a radiation gun. Brainy can configure it all.
It is another good scene showcasing how Lahey and Alex riff well together on strategy.
Despite James disgust, Lockwood tries to turn the tables, saying it is James who is close minded to other viewpoints. Not recognizing that people are afraid will drive them deeper into darkness.
It is a great scene and the actors are on point. Lockwood's origin shows that on this world people should be a little afraid. Lockwood is right that ignoring people who are afraid isn't going to help them. James should know he needs to defuse people's fears to improve the world. And the best way is through educating people and reporting the truth. There are aliens we should be afraid of just like there are humans we should be afraid of.
But Lockwood is so charismatic that we might not recognize that we need to be afraid of him.
I actually wouldn't have minded if Amadei had abandoned his daughter because that is a human and a sad reality sometimes. But it turns out he wanted to be with his daughter all along. It wasn't a one night stand. There is evidence he knew the mother for a long time. Unfortunately, the two broke up and the mother, out of spite, kept Amadei away from the girl.
So now the alien is less flawed and the human is all flawed. Giving Amadei the more human story might have made him (and other aliens) more relatable.
When the daughter discovered all this, she ran away. In anger, the mother stole Amadei's amulet and gave it to Agent Liberty. And now the Parasite is armed with the amulet allowing him to survive longer and keep the powers he drains. The obvious attack point? Amadei's vigil, sure to be chock full of aliens.
Great shot. Alex has really shined this season.
And Kara is there in her human guise.
Quickly they learn that Jensen is more powerful with the amulet. The radiation gun as designed won't kill him. They'll need to detonate inside the dome killing all the civilians inside.
The summit is interrupted by news of the Parasite attack. Lockwood sort of forces James hands when Ben says The Guardian is needed.
Now James could have sat out but instead he does don the armor and run interference for damage leaking outside the force field. I don't think James would let himself be played so easily.
While the sights and effects are well done, I don't want Kara on 'crowd control' on her own show.
What that does is allow Alex to be the hero.
She asks Jensen to look around at the carnage he is causing and to ask himself if he is actually making the country safer this way. He is hurting aliens and humans alike. He can't let fear define him. She knows he is a good man.
And this a great speech because it rings so true. Terrorism is never the way to peace and safety.
It works, He takes the amulet off and saturated with power, he basically explodes, collapsing.
Alex has saved the day.
Nothing left but the wrap-up.
Lahey shows her true colors. She had told Alex to detonate to stop Jensen. She tells Alex to follow orders. She has taken Jensen to the desert facility before Alex could interrogate him. She says he is comatose. But I wonder if she sympathetic to Lockwood's cause and is holding Jensen back from Alex.
And then Lahey bashes J'onn as a traitor. When Alex lets Lahey know how loyal she is to J'onn, the chasm between the two grows.
Despite working well together, they will never be friends. They won't agree. This just proves the point that people can act one way and think another.
I look forward to seeing more of these two.
J’onn as detective. Who aliens can go to.
Meanwhile, Kara decides to run a series in CatCo showcasing aliens living in the city, both the good and the bad. She'll show how similar everyone is and how we can live together.
And James decides to go undercover into Lockwood's world. Maybe they will accept Guardian and will reveal things to him.
So not a bad episode. But I think too much time was spent on the Amadei side of things just as a way to demonize the mother. The real purpose of his plot was to get Jensen the amulet which could have been any LCorp gadget. And I am kind of sick of Kara being the back up feature in her own show.
Still, there were good moments for Alex, Brainy, and J'onn in this.
What did you all think?
A good review as always anj. Good episode, but a little slow. I think Alex got the spotlight this episode because Jensen is her protege, like nia is Kara's. So I guess it felt fair. It's still better than Supergirl being stuck in a plastic toy wrap and Mon el having to save everyone as she fawns over him. Yeah, that was minus points for the show from me. If you also watch arrow you will know what I mean more clearly.
ReplyDeleteSome people have pointed out how this season is setting up a kind of sibling foil- we have Alex and Kara on one side, mercy and otis graves, Lena and lex luthor, James Olsen and his sister and ofcourse Kara's absentee cousin kal el too to complete this. So maybe we are all going somewhere with this, the show is still in its early stages of this season, let's hope it can deliver a fight scene on par with the Reign vs Supergirl last season because the ratings are falling again.
Also, sky from power rangers SPD made it here!
I think that while the lena and James isn't working, but they are fleshing out out more since they didn't get to do it so last season. I am interested to see where it goes. Speaking of which, I don't really like the nia and brainiac5 thing which is going to definitely happen I am sure, brace yourself.
They are also not allowing for much meaningful conversation between Kara and brainy- appeasing the karamels? Who knows, hopefully we will see more interactions soon.
Also anj, waiting for the sales post for Supergirl #23
While I love the idea of the Martian Manhunter as a private detective, I was greatly disturbed, and deeply disappointed when his alien client said that he couldn't turn the the authorities because...
ReplyDelete“Our community, doesn't trust the police. There's too much prejudice against us right now.”
What made it even worse was that J'onn just stood there nodding in total agreement, without offering ANY objections, as if he accepted that RIDICULOUS assertion as fact. Say WHAT??? Did I miss the part where the cops were rounding up aliens, and tossing them into internment camps, or sending them off-world, where they wouldn't pose a threat to unsuspecting humans? Is that what Maggie's been doing offscreen? To the contrary, from what I've seen, the cops have been protecting BOTH humans AND aliens alike from what have been mostly alien threats. How are THEY the “Bad Guys” all of a sudden?
To me, the idea of portraying the police as somehow untrustworthy because they're prejudiced is not only disgusting, and incredibly disrespectful of the men and women in blue who are sworn to protect and serve EVERYONE, but it's also a completely unfounded, and a much too harmful accusation to let it go unchallenged. It's myopic attitudes like that that contribute to the very divisiveness the show bemoans so vigorously.
It would've been MUCH more understandable (and better storytellng) if aliens feared the DEO, especially if the new Parasite had been exposed as a rogue member of that organization which, as Colonel Lahey reminded us, was originally founded to COMBAT aliens, and to keep them away from our planet.
In that context, it's easy to see why Colonel Lahey would consider J'onn J'onzz an imposter, and possibly a traitor. From her perspective, he's an alien who infiltrated the DEO by assuming the identity of its dead director, and used that unearned position of influence to shift the DEO's mission in favor of protecting aliens from humans (as well as other, more hostile aliens), instead of protecting the Earth, and specifically the citizens of United States.
I can't honestly say that I disagree with her. J'onn had NO right to usurp Hank Henshaw's identity, or to assume the Directorship of the DEO under false pretenses, any more than President Wonder Woman had to run for that high office when she KNEW she that under our Constitution, she wasn't qualified to do so, because she's not a citizen of the United States. By perpetrating that heinous fraud on the American people, she did more harm to the cause of mutual trust and tolerance between aliens and humans, than ANY of the more overtly hostile aliens who were at least honest about their intentions to take over our world. On a smaller scale, J'onn is JUST as guilty of the same thing, and despite his good intentions, he was right to step down from a position he should've NEVER held in the first place.
If Humans were really as “prejudiced” and “fascist” as some characters on the show seem to believe we are, as soon as the President's deception was exposed, there would've been a a push to ban Lena's appearance-altering technology, and to identify and purge of all aliens out of every level of government, and private business, too, but that didn't happen because we ARE a Nation of Rules and Laws that are designed to protect citizens, and non-citizens alike.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, if the aliens want to live here and take advantage of the opportunities in this country, then they need to accept, and live by our rules and laws, and that includes trusting, and obeying those good men and women who enforce those laws, rather than isolating themselves in self-segregated conclaves, adhering to their old ways of doing things, and refusing to assimilate into the mainstream of society.
Kara and J'onn blatantly IGNORED those laws, with their illegal search of Amadei's daughter's house, just like Alex violated Otis' Miranda Rights last week. What's up with THAT? Somehow, I don't think that Martial Law has been declared, and that the Constitutional Rights of private citizens have been suspended, just yet. It's getting to the point where it's increasingly difficult to distinguish the good guys from the bad guys on this show, because they ALL seem to think that they're above the law. This is what happens when you veer too far away from the core principles of “Truth, Justice, and the American Way!”
"While the sights and effects are well done, I don't want Kara on 'crowd control' on her own show."
ReplyDeleteYet that is HER JOB, to be Earth's protector first and foremost. The show already went through the traditional male hero 'confront the villain with one-on-one fisticuffs' cliché right away, and demonstrated why it would just be suicide. Parasite had to be handled in a more psychological way. Instead, Kara relied upon her circle of influence to 'save the day', which made the proper solution a group effort by default. When Alex was talking Jensen down, her speech was basically channeling what she learned from her sister.
Thus it was Kara's more low-key role as a news journalist which proved a more effective means for resolving a conflict than her Supergirl persona could possibly do in this episode.
KET
Well since we are off on this tangent, I will point out, that suspension of disbelief with respect to Kal & Kara basically requires fans to forget all about immigration law since they are both flying felonies in that regard.
ReplyDelete***
This was indeed a very talky episode that sidelined Supergirl for almost it's entire length, granted there was some debate points that had to be racked up, but a "Parasite" driven script ought to be action driven IMHO. And if Agent Liberty finally goes over the hump it'll likely be for the same reasons common to all demagogues and fanatics, they start believing their own B.S. and when that gets strong enough they start thinking the ends justifies the means.
JF
I didn't find this episode to be very entertaining at all. The plot didn't make a lot of sense, and some of it raised several questions which I'm sure the writers never even considered. For example...
ReplyDeleteWhy would an alien healer, whose power doesn't work on humans, choose to live for DECADES(?!!) on Earth, instead of on a world where he could cure anybody? That would be like a tailor living in a nudist colony. Still, if this guy was such a high profile alien healer that everybody, including his close friend, J'onn, has known about him for years, why didn't the DEO ask him to do his thing on Supergirl last week, when she was dying from Kryptonite poisoning, or on Mon-El when he was poisoned by the lead in the atmosphere?
I was pleased to see Kara in mild-mannered reporter mode, although it's painfully obvious that she's still got a lot to learn about being a fair and balanced reporter, who deals in facts, instead of someone who covers stories with a specific agenda in mind. It's not her job to change the hearts and minds of her readers, and it's CERTAINLY not her job to use the news to shape public opinion to her liking. Her job is to report the facts impartially, and let the people decide for themselves what they mean. At least, that's what mainstream journalism USED to be all about.
Like Anj, I'm always disappointed when Supergirl is reduced to a supporting player on her own show, which happened again in this episode. Wouldn't it have made more sense – and added to the show's continuity – if a now fully recovered Supergirl put on the battlesuit from last week to keep Parasite from making personal contact with her, and to prevent him from draining her powers? Even without the armor, Supergirl should've been able to figure out a way to take on Parasite from a distance. Unless he absorbed some alien ability to survive without breathing, a little super-speed tornado to whisk him high into the stratosphere where he'd pass out from a lack of oxygen is just ONE way she could've gotten the job done, without the risk of nuking half the city.
I thought the writers missed a great opportunity, when Colonel Lahey was ordering Alex to set off the nukes, and she opted to try to talk Jensen down instead. I think they should've shown Alex – who IS a soldier, and trained to follow orders without question or hesitation – with her finger tightening on the trigger, when at the last possible second, Supergirl shows up, putting herself between the Parasite and Alex, and delivering the speech that Alex gave, that convinced Jensen to stand down.
Not only would that have been more consistent with Supergirl's never-ending battle to find a peaceful resolution to every problem (while making HER the hero on her own show), but it would've also given Alex a good reason to ask herself just how far she'd be willing to go, orders, or NO orders. It would've been interesting to see the look of relief on Alex's face that she didn't have to make that choice... THIS time around, and it would've fit right into the subplot surrounding the dynamics of Alex's relationship with her new commanding officer. It was just another missed opportunity in an episode that fell just a bit short of the mark in several ways. Once again, the excellent performances of the actors, and some superb special effects, overcame a mediocre-at-best script.
Good point KET about how she couldn’t fight Parasite.
ReplyDeleteBut prior episodes she also hasn’t fought and won.
I don’t mind every so often for the win to go to the team. But I want her to shine too.
Also, forgot about the ‘darassa ‘ flower reference!
While I really liked the idea of using Brainy's force field technology to reduce the battle field, and hopefully limit the casualties and collateral property damage (I'm looking at YOU “Man Of Steel” movie!), I don't understand why he kept the field so large once they knew exactly where Parasite was. Brainy should've isolated him in an area the size of a football field, as opposed to several city blocks. It's only logical to assume that the smaller the area, the stronger the containment field would be. In any case, this “Battle Dome” concept should be a regular part of the DEO's non-lethal arsenal from now on.
ReplyDeleteDid I mention Guardian Olsen? No? Well, there's a reason for that. There's also a reason why superheroes have secret identities, which James is figuring out a little too late, much to his chagrin, I'm sure.
Anonymous wrote: “Kal & Kara basically requires fans to forget all about immigration law since they are both flying felonies in that regard.”
I don't believe that's the case. On this show, Kara was LEGALLY adopted by Jeremiah and Eliza, using their government connections, probably much the same way many couples adopt homeless orphans who are refugees from other countries.
As for Kal-El, in his very earliest origin story in Action Comics #1 (June 1938), the Kents took him to an orphanage after finding him, and in later accounts, LEGALLY adopted him shortly thereafter, when the superbaby proved to be too much for the orphanage to handle. Kara and Clark are immigrants, but they're LEGAL immigrants, as well as naturalized American citizens.
As far as the show is concerned, Superman remanded Kara to the custody of the Danvers without any recourse to US Law, The DEO under the real Hank Henshaw simply used this as leverage to blackmail Jeremiah into cooperating with said organization. As for Kal El, in almost all cases, the Kents are compelled to lie prior to adopting and after adopting Kal El/Clark Kent, again evading US immigration law and a dozen other statutes, I stand by my original point.
ReplyDeleteI do agree any number of devices could have been deployed to give Supergirl the victory over the Parasite, the writers decided to opt one of the show's annoying crutches, "Alex Mongering". But then again waa-ay back in the silver age Superman never really overcame the Parasite, the first time he survived due to dumb luck the second thanks to alien intervention...so its a family problem I guess. Although has our host analyzed Supergirl's one-off confrontation with The Parasite in TDNAOS #20? I think he has...:)
JF
Some gross bigot using "Scrimmage": "To me, the idea of portraying the police as somehow untrustworthy because they're prejudiced is not only disgusting, and incredibly disrespectful of the men and women in blue who are sworn to protect and serve EVERYONE, but it's also a completely unfounded, and a much too harmful accusation to let it go unchallenged."
ReplyDeleteOkay. We'll pass that "sworn to protect and serve EVERYONE" line to the family of the security guard who prevented a mass shooting only to get gunned down by the racist cops despite the entire crowd trying to stop them. I'm sure they'll realize he was "protecting" that crowd from his scary blackness after saving them. Or the parents of a 12yo boy shot for having a neon water pistol. Or every parent who's ever had to have the That Talk with their sons because people like you think cops are blameless, holy creatures and not domestic abusers deliberately infiltrated & recruited by white supremacist groups (all of these, BTW, are easily provable with Google, which I can only assume you're boycotting for some obscure AM radio related reason).
If you can't stand the fact this show isn't the masturbatory Fox News propaganda you want, STOP FUCKING WATCHING. If you wanna jerk off to Supergirl, Scrimmage, PornHub exists. You might even find one where she's making out with a flag, just like you long for.
And Anj? Every time you let someone like Scrimmage here spew this nonsense and only chide people who call him & his erstwhile like-minded conspiracy theorist buddy out on their bullshit, YOU ARE AGREEING WITH THEM. You are okay with racist police brutality. You are okay with the sort of people who see a bitter bigot as the "real" hero despite slipping up with an oopsie murder. You NEVER clean up your mess, you yell at the people telling you it exists and let it keep spreading. You are an ENABLER.
You, Anj, are as much of a terrible bigot as they are. Accept it and find some other blond to obsess over. Ann Coulter might be more your speed - just photoshop her into a costume.
It seems like the themes of this year's show are played out in real life every week as I review the show.
ReplyDeleteNia tells Kara to ignore the awful comments that appeared on her article and only concentrate on the good ones. Should I not do the same?
Lena tells James to not bother with trolls. Should I not do the same?
Lockwood says James that if people can't voice an opinion they'll only turn to the dark. Should I not allow the same?
But more importantly, I have written my opinions in a 2000 word review. If you can't intuit my thinking from the whole review, to judge me for my thoughts there, I don't know what to say.
I do know I don't like being labeled or insulted.
If people don't think I am right enough or left enough, they should find some place more to their liking. Or maybe I should simply not allow comments on my show reviews.
Sigh, the troll is back into our peaceful dome where we just like talking about all things Supergirl. Also, anj please just ignore all the hateful comments, the show has now done meta commentary twice regarding its fanbase- once in s3 with the cult that changes its object of worship as soon as Supergirl lost the fight ( if you visit tumblr you will know how some fractions of the fandom we know all too well were chanting for Reign to win- a being sent for genocide on earth) and now in this season with the previous episode. The show is hyper aware of its toxic audience but it doesn't give a thought to them and neither should you anj. This is a place where comic fans of Supergirl get to talk about and enjoy the show with others, find out deep cuts and all of the jazz. I would really hate to lose this place because of a troll who pretends to be above it all (just like that shipping faction who advocated for Reign to win and for Supergirl to lose- isn't that hypocrisy then).
ReplyDeleteAnyways anj, don't pay attention to them, these rants sound like they are half coming from a disturbed mind. Let us just be as we are and enjoy talking all things Supergirl. As always anj- that commentator doesn't care about Supergirl at all so their masturbatory comments to you, in here, for a site you have dedicated a decade of your life for is not just unsavory but speaks of how little they know you and us who gather here.
As a card-carrying, Democrat-voting, gun-banning, tree-hugging, Trump-loathing, bleeding-heart liberal, I would like to invite the Anon three posts above to kindly STFU. You sound every bit as unhinged as the worst MAGA loon, and you're not doing sane progressives any favors.
ReplyDeleteOf course it's your decision, Anj, but I'd just like to point out that if you don't allow ANY comments on your show reviews, then the person who is trying to suppress opinions other than his or her own gets what they want. In the end, the person who shouts the loudest, wins.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, you DO have the option of moderating the comments, and deleting any that you feel are not in keeping with YOUR standards of civil discourse. It's YOUR website, after all, you're under no obligation to publish anything you find offensive. Regardless of their point of view, if you wouldn't allow that kind of profanity and crude, disgusting commentary in your house, then it should NEVER be tolerated in ANY forum. Allowing it to continue only encourages them to be even MORE offensive.
Even though I appear to be the focus of this person's angry commentary, I'm not going to respond or engage, mainly because it would be pointless, but also because it would give them the attention that they want, by hijacking a site dedicated to Supergirl, and turning it into a forum for them to promote their own agenda, which has NOTHING to do with the show.
Personally, I will not be intimidated or bullied into silence by an anonymous troll, and I will continue to post here, and voice my opinions ABOUT THE SHOW on this forum for as long as Anj allows reasonable, civil opinions to be expressed. I only hope that lasts as long as the show does.
Amadei's abilities give the show yet another opportunity to lump all alien physiology together. I recall the Season 2 Medusa virus that kills everyone except humans and kryptonians. Here, every race except humans shares some mysterious trait that lets Amadei heal them.
ReplyDeleteSupergirl evacuating the crowd from the dome: Barry does this so much better. Supergirl is just as fast, but she stops to chat.
I welcome the depth we see in Lockwood and the complexity of moral choices that have to be made. I want Olsen to have to make difficult choices and for People's Veritas to misrepresent him in clever ways. We had enough one-dimensional moral screeds last season. The show has thankfully backed off from that so far this year.
Nice to see Anj reply with his usual insistence that he's the "real" victim here. Last week, all of your comments were expressing sympathy for the leader of a hate movement. This week, despite what you wrote, they're expressing disgust with anything less than utter obedience to corrupt cops. And you're yelling at the people responding to this with understandable distaste and whining about being insulted.
ReplyDeleteBut this is the same site that reacted to the mere presence of a trans actress joining the show as "shoving its messages down our throat". How come it's only the left leaning things (like the mere existence of people who aren't like them) that get these complaints, while comments about the show that read like Fox & Friends discussions get an okay? Again, you don't show up until someone pushes back on them and implicitly side with them with your poor-picked-on-baby routine.
Yes, the show covers issues that are affecting real life a lot right now. Whining about not seeing it addressed is an unearned luxury. And acting like being fed up with people basking in that luxury is not "loony". It's people sick of being treated as subhuman being told via Supergirl that they matter & their concerns are valid, and a bunch of manchildren showing up to be angry that something isn't solely for them again.
This show isn't for you, Anj. It's definitely not for Scrimmage, since he hates anything less than 50s Cold War propaganda and pretending he's taking the high road after so many comments on all the episodes showing what kind of gutter he thrives in. I'd rather you stop pretending to be a martyr for an obsession with a fictional character and admit to the kind of person you are. Your reviews show it, your responses & what prompts them truly show it, and no amount of "but mah revyooos" whining will fool anyone other than your compatriots.
My last comment regarding this episode.
ReplyDeleteI think all along I have said that what I desire most is good storytelling. The story can support the agenda. The agenda cannot be the story.
Last season derailed at times when the show tried too hard to communicate its message.
This season they have done a great job of letting the story do the work. I have had nothing but praise for this season and it’s message. Because the story has been good.
I’ll go on reviewing.
I’ll leave comments open.
But moving forward I probably won’t comment outside my reviews which should stand for themselves.
Sincerely to the above anonymous- STFU and if being here is so traumatizing, anger inducing to you then just get off and yell somewhere else, maybe try the YouTube comments section? We are here to just appreciate Supergirl, unlike...you. So just go to a nia nal fansite maybe. Just a thought for your pea brain.
ReplyDeleteOkay.
ReplyDeleteNo attacking people here, Okay?
Let’s stick to talking about the how as best we can.
Oh BTW Our Host DID indeed review TDNAOS #20 (Kara's showdown with the Parasite) on 10/13/2016, its worth re-reading....
ReplyDelete:)
JF
"So just go to a nia nal fansite maybe."
ReplyDeleteWhere does this non sequitur come from? Nia rules.
I have seen my fair share of Supergirl wannabes over the decades, nia will also be a bullet point on that list.
ReplyDeleteLate to the party, but let me also add my voice of support to you Anj.
ReplyDeleteAnd while this episode had some enjoyable moments, unfortunately I think we're back to the
clunky writing of yesterseason again, made up only by the actors' abilities to compensate
for it. By that I mean the alien healer plotline was probably the weakest out of them all
inspite of the "division of our country / healing the human heart," and I agree with Scrimmage's
point that Supergirl was once again reduced to "guest star" within her own show again. I
also had to honestly wonder at the casualness of the DEO going nuclear to deal wih Parasite,
never mind the "uranium less stable than plutonium," "electrical (ionic) forcefield stopping
radiation," "distribution of electrons" and "550% of capacity, but that will kill everyone
in the dome" lines. I honestly don't know what kind of science / physics the writers were
using when they came up with the above lines... but listening to them put my teeth on edge.
Also Colonel Babysitter REALLY irked the heck out of me, at least from my POV that she barely
had any presence onscreen or chemistry with Alex, to say nothing about her "this place has an
alien stench, I must purify it!" spiel at the end. If this was an attempt at a military hardass
Amanda Waller, I'm not sure if it's working or not...
To end on a positive note, I personally would like to single out the following moments as the
highlights of this episdoe :
- Team Supergirl and friends scene at the beginning, and Jessie Rath's "socially awkward"
moments.
- scene of the first Supergirl v Parasite fight -- geo trivial, at Canada Place in Vancouver,
right next to the Olympic Cauldron.
- J'onn's "detective" persona from the comics is referenced.
- Kara adorkable moment when J'onn is doing his B+E routine.
- the ULTIMATE was Supergirl in the iconic hands on her hips pose towards the end. THAT to
me was the capstone this episode!
Regards
Previous Anon again... another positive to dwell on is the latest ep of DCSHG. Supergirl to Starfire :
ReplyDelete"Starfire, have you ever tried yoyos?" HAHAHAHAH!! Oh, why didn't they show us that as well!
Regards
"My last comment regarding this episode.
ReplyDeleteI think all along I have said that what I desire most is good storytelling. The story can support the agenda. The agenda cannot be the story.
Last season derailed at times when the show tried too hard to communicate its message."
I find unbelievable you need to explain this over and again AND AGAIN when it's obvious to whoever has read your posts throughout the years. Clearly, that person who is throwing every kind of insults at you haven't read one single word that you've told. Or they read them and know they are spouting rubbish and lies, but they don't care.
In that vein, I find funny you're being accussed from being a Trump supporter when you made clear in your twitter account and this very site your distate regarding your country's current President. Several times.
Don't let the troll bother you, Anj. He has proved he couldn't care less for Supergirl or her show or your site or your actual opinions. Once again, he's putting in your mouth words you've never said and twisting your actual comments in order to have an excuse to harass you and insult everybody, and when called out on it, he pretends he is not the one who came to your site deliberate to throw insults around. He's nothing but a nameless troll looking forward to bully people and he must be ignored rather than acknowledged.
Talking about the actual episode, I share your concerns with Supergirl being relegated to a secondary role in her own show.