EPISODE 9: SUPERGIRL LIVES
SYNOPSIS: The story of a missing woman named Izzy moves Kara to investigate, even though Snapper Carr has told her to leave the matter alone. When Kara and Mon-El check out the last place Izzy was seen, they end up thrust through a portal to another planet, where the downtrodden are sold as slaves as part of a trafficking ring run by Roulette. Meanwhile, Alex blames herself—and her new relationship with Maggie—for her sister’s disappearance.
REVIEW:
Mid-season premieres are tricky. In one way, you’re simply picking up from where you left off, and in another, you want your return episode to “pop” and get your viewers re-energized. I’m sorry to say that, unlike our friend Winn, I did not feel the punch of tonight’s episode. For me, something was missing from tonight’s adventure. While I appreciate that the events of “Supergirl Lives” did not rely heavily on the happenings of the recent “Invasion” crossover event, I couldn’t help but feel like it lacked sincerity, which is kind of the show’s stock and trade. That being said, let’s break this sucker down, and talk about both the positives as well as the negatives.
As you may have heard, “Supergirl Lives” was directed by none other than fanboy extraordinaire, Kevin Smith. For what it’s worth, I think Smith does an admirable job in choosing his shots, and matching the dynamism that has been a constant throughout this second season. I will say though, that the action got a little too frenzied (in terms of camerawork) for my taste, particularly at the start of the episode. In keeping with the episode’s beginning moments, I have to admit that I thought the Guardian’s fight sequence was rather cool. I’m still not feeling James as a vigilante, though. My attitude about this stems from James’ bravado, and his lack of concern for Winn’s well-being when on the job. For me, James has always been a bit of a wild card in terms of likability. At one time, I thought that The Guardian persona would bolster his character in a positive way, but as things progress, I’m starting to doubt my initial reaction to his nightly activities.
Moving right along, Alex was certainly a treat, this episode. While some have groaned at the “Hallmark” nature of her relationship with Maggie, I’ve rejoiced in their union, and have found Detective Sawyer to be instrumental in making Agent Danvers character more engaging. In my opinion, the beaming smile and playful posture looks really good on Alex. Far too often do we see Agent Danvers under a tremendous amount of stress in this program. So, without getting into too much detail, I’m happy to see that her change in sexual orientation has so far been a real positive – not just for her mood, but for the way she carries herself physically as well.
As to the details of tonight’s plot: Kara, while continuing her work at CatCo, learns of a young woman who’s gone missing (played by Smith’s own daughter, Harley Quinn Smith) and decides, as Supergirl, to look into the disappearance. After a bit of snooping, and some help from Maggie, Kara discovers that several people have gone missing within the span of a few weeks time. Shortly after Winn uncovers a commonality between all the missing millennials, Kara, and an eager Mon-El, head to a nearby doctor’s office to investigate. Before long, the super pair find that the doctor is indeed an alien slaver, who’s been absconding with his test subjects to a sunless planet called Maldoria. Unafraid of the consequences, Supergirl and Mon-El follow the doctor through a strange, Stargate-like portal, where they find themselves powerless, and then, as prisoners themselves.
Alright, so it turns out that Maldoria is run by a race of lizard people, which is actually pretty cool. Oh, and there’s this one rogue alien who looks as if he wandered off of the set of the movie STARMAN. Visually, both the planet and its inhabitants look really good. As someone who enjoys the use of makeup and practical effects, I really appreciate that all of the aliens featured in tonight’s episode were the real deal in terms of prosthetics, gear, and weaponry. I will say this though, I thought it was a bit odd that Roulette was a featured player in the lizard people’s plan for human trafficking. While I understand that perhaps the alien race needed her connections to get the operation up and running, I simply didn’t take anything away from her involvement in the plot. Don’t get me wrong, Dichen Lachman’s sinister demeanor often brings a smile to my face, however, I found her angle in the alien dealings to border on the verge of unnecessary.
In turning to some positive takeaways from tonight’s episode, I thought this was a great one for Jeremy Jordan’s Winn Schott. Having a gun shoved in your face can be a very traumatic event, and I was moved to see that Winn broke down, and voiced his anger about the ordeal to a rather cavalier James Olsen. Of course, Winn gets his lust for danger back by the end of the episode, but not before he sorts through his emotions, and comes to grips with what it really means to be the The Guardian’s eyes and ears. For what it’s worth, I think that Jordan has really been delivering a solid performance for this entire season, so far. In the beginning, Winn was little more than a love sick puppy, fawning over Kara’s every move and turning into a wet blanket when shit hit the fan. Now, he’s building his confidence and is a true asset to the team. Good for you buddy, keep it up!
Another positive is that we’re finally seeing some forward movement on Mon-El’s character. It’s been a slow burn with this dude, but after tonight’s episode, not only does he want to suit up, but we now have the obvious reveal that he’s the lost prince of Daxam. This means that not only is Mon-El going to play a bigger part in the events to come, he’s also going to have to smarten up if he’s to outrun the bounty hunters who are now in hot pursuit.
That’s about all I’ve got for this week’s episode. Overall, I’m really excited that Supergirl is back on the air, though I do hope that the show returns to firing on all cylinders like it was at the start of this season. It’s like I said earlier, mid-season premieres are tough. There are a lot of expectations for the program to come roaring back and remind you as to why you enjoy it in the first place. With any luck, Supergirl will be flying high as the latter half of season two takes Kara and her friends to new heights.
SCORE:
STINGER:
Supergirl sets out to recapture Livewire, who has seemingly escaped from prison, but her efforts hit a road block when Mon-El puts Supergirl’s safety before the citizens of National City. Meanwhile, James decides to be truthful with Kara; and M’Gann falls into a coma following a psychic attack.