Welcome back to Supergirl! I know it’s been weeks since this show about Kara Danvers has aired but hey didn’t you want an entire episode about Lex Luthor, a villain who was supposed to die and stay dead months ago? Didn’t you want everything you knew about the women you watch this show for to end up being a lie and find out they were being manipulated by a man this entire time? Great, then let’s get to it!
Spoiler alert, I only like two things about this episode: The fact that Melissa Benoist directed it (and beautifully), and one particular scene. The rest was frustrating as heck, but we’ll get through it together!
Previously on Supergirl, people with broken hearts who used Obsidian to escape started getting trapped in VR and kidnapped, and Alex almost became one of those victims in a reality where she was Supergirl; the post-CRISIS world thinks Lex is a hero, and Lex being back and highly involved in Lena’s life means her and Kara are at odds and they haven’t had a moment to themselves in eons.
We start this episode in the present day, 90 days post-CRISIS, with Lex standing over the body of the Leviathan woman, with everyone lauding him as a hero yet again. Supergirl arrives at the scene, confused, and William shows her that there was a video of the woman saying she was a follower of Amy Sapphire, the woman who wanted to break the VR servers. All signs are pointing to Lex actually doing something good for once, but that doesn’t sit right with Kara.
“Wait so you’re saying this WHOLE episode of SUPERGIRL is about LEX LUTHOR?”
And we’ll learn that her instincts are correct before she will, because we’re flashing back and have the distinct pleasure of seeing what this season of Supergirl would have been like if it was called SuperVillain instead, starting with the day after CRISIS ended. Lex wakes up in his bed with a butler reminding him that he’s about to win a Nobel Peace Prize and Lex is delighted to learn that he made a whole new world that revolves around him.
We see Lex inject his sleeping sister with something to keep her out longer and have his butler get her back to her own apartment because who cares if his only sister has autonomy over her own body, right?
Lex goes to Lillian and tells his mother about CRISIS and how his allyship with Supergirl won’t last now that they both share a reality. Lillian doesn’t understand why Lex is still obsessed with Supergirl when he seems to have it all; power, fortune, fame. He claims it’s because Kryptonians can destroy the world without breaking a sweat, but Lillian points out it seems to be Kara’s closeness with Lena that really sent him over the edge. Is it because they have a connection unlike anything he could ever experience because he is always keeping things too close to the vest, always has an agenda?
Picture me sipping tea like this every time I make a Lex dig in this recap.
Lillian tells him to keep his head on straight and to just support his sister in her scientific efforts and she’ll naturally gravitate towards him and away from Kara, who doesn’t understand her vision. Lillian basically dares him to stay focused and his ego can’t resist the challenge, so he agrees to make his sister his new closest ally.
When Lena wakes up, and Lex asks her what Leviathan is, she’s amused to know more about something than her brother for once. She’s especially amused that he got even more played by Eve than she did.
“Aww did my poor baby bwuvver get played at his own game?”
Lena tells him all she knows, while calling him out for his pride and ego, and Lex sets his mind to getting rid of Leviathan altogether.
We then learn that in the Toyman episode, when Lex learned about Gemma’s connection to Leviathan, he also learned that Eve was working with them, and when he goes to find her, she’s being a kickass yet somewhat reluctant assassin.
We call her Killing Eve.
Lex knows that she’s only working for Leviathan because they killed her father and threatened her mother, and Eve admits that she hates being a spy and assassin. Lex offers to save her, and says he’ll do all her killing assignments for her if she acts as his eyes on the inside.
30 days post-CRISIS, Eve is stressed out because she hasn’t gotten close enough to Gemma to get on the Leviathan ship yet. Lex tells her to relax because he has men stationed outside Eve’s mother’s home to protect her, so she chills out a little and says she DID get put on the Platinum project at Obsidian North.
I miss Hope, tbh.
Since Lex’s plan is to reverse the Toyman code to de-immortalize Leviathan, he wants to use the Platinum glitch that’s trapping sad people to their advantage, so it’s Eve’s job to make sure that the glitch doesn’t get fixed so Gemma will have no choice but to let Lex help them cover it up before the launch.
Lex also finds Richard Bates, puts on a bad wig, and acts as a bartender to give him the idea for a virtual torture chamber for his wife’s paramour.
Two weeks later, Eve skips into Lex’s house and thanks him for her new apartment. He says she’s precious to him, which of course she mistakes for affection, something we know Lex is incapable of anymore.
You’re flirting with a statue, bb.
Everything is working according to plan, and the next step is to make sure Amy Sapphire has gauntlets so she stands a chance against Supergirl. Because that’s right folks, everything is Lex Luthor’s fault. He’s what the girls of the Teen Creeps podcast would call a “Busy Villain.” Who knows how he has the time, but here we are.
Lex takes Eve to his lab where he…disappears a mouse? Using q-waves? I don’t know and I don’t care because Lex is pure, uncomplicated evil which is the least interesting kind of villain.
One month ago, aka 60 days post-CRISIS, around the time Amy Sapphire and Kara had it out in the Obsidian server room, Eve takes Lex to the human burrito warehouse to show him how they’ve started collecting the people Obsidian Platinum trapped with the glitch. She tells him the old lady, Margo, will be watching over them.
As a reward, Lex gives Eve a vial of poison and the information of the man who killed her father. But when he shows her the picture, she might not recognize him, but we sure do.
“Strange, my father’s killer seems to have Alex Danvers’ bone structure…oh well!”
Lex goes on his world tour with Obsidian, and we follow the timeline with clips from the episodes; Alex fighting Richard Bates, Jeremiah dying, Alex going into the VR, William almost finding the human burrito warehouse.
At the end of the tour, Andrea makes an announcement about how quickly Obsidian is spreading to over 100 countries in one month. Kara leaves the conference in a huff and Lena notices and follows her up to her Catco office.
“Is there a chance, a fragment of light at the end of the tunnel, a reason to fight? Is there a chance you might change your mind?”
Lena approaches her ex-friend cautiously, almost timidly, and offers her condolences about Kara’s father’s passing. She immediately chides herself for giving such a rote response, but Kara’s body relaxes and she looks at her sadly. “You look like someone afraid to confront the person who called you a villain.” Lena understands the pain of losing a parent, and even though Kara already knows that pain too, Lena wanted to apologize.
“Here we go around again. You know it, I know it, don’t try to pretend. We know it could be so much better than it’s been.”
Kara thanks her and says it means a lot, and Lena gives her a book that helped her with her grief. Kara takes the book and you can feel the strain between them, the unstoppable force of wanting to hug each other pushing against the immovable object of the pain they’ve inflicted on each other.
“I was empty inside, but I just didn’t know. You are my ten thousand roses and I let you go.”
Kara keeps the desk between them, like Lena has done to her so many times, and Lena leaves quietly.
I loved this scene because it proved what we already knew: Lena is better than her brother. In every way. Lena was hurt by what Kara last said to her, what she’s done, but she didn’t let her pride get in the way when something bigger than this space between us happened. Try as she might, she can’t forget the bond they had, even if it’s cracked now. It’s not easy for anyone.
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I am just writing to say that you hit exactly my feelings regarding this episode. Those were literally the only two things I enjoyed about this episode; that scene (which almost made everything else in the episode more painful because it gave us a glimpse into what could have been), and Melissa’s directing (there was certainly a different style to the shots, which I really liked). But otherwise, good lord, but I really really disliked this episode, especially after the long hiatus. This is not why I’ve watched this show.
I watched Batwoman immediately after seeing Supergirl, and that differences were stark in contrast. Batwoman is a show that is consistently getting better and better, the women aren’t sidelined. Supergirl feels like it’s going in the opposite direction.
This is the third time we’ve had to stop the plot for an episode to villain-splain with flashbacks. (Waverly voice) “No thank you…”
Post-Crisis Lillian is a gift and I wish she was the season big bad, not her petulent, mediocre man-child of a son. Who says a super villain can’t wear pink?
I’d watch an Agent Carter-esque “Miss Tessmacher” miniseries about Eve’s history in Leviathan.
The extended Danvers sisters must not watch Wynonna Earp, or they would not be so trusting of free baked goods.
Surely Eve didn’t use _all_ of that poison to kill Jeremiah Danvers? It would be a delicious irony if she poisons Lex with it later on.
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I’m right there with you; Lex has long overstayed his welcome (heck, I think he was too much a part of the Red Daughter arc). They have almost ten women in the story this season and I would be shocked if they pass the Bechdel Test more than half the time. Gah!
I feel like the stories are always too timid. Even since season one. Nothing has lasting consequences. Ms. Grant figures out that Kara is Supergirl? It gets walked back the next episode. Kara and Mon-El break up? It gets walked back the next episode ON A DIFFERENT SHOW. Meanwhile, look at Batwoman.
I also feel like they squandered the opportunity the Crisis gave them. They could have done anything with the aftermath (again, look at Batwoman). Instead … none of the changes feel consequential. What if they had made Lillian a full on villain?
What if, and here’s your fanfic premise for the week, they had brought Jack Spheer back from the dead, and he was secretly a villain? A Kara/Lena/Jack love triangle, hero and villain battling for her affections? Now there’s a battle for Lena’s heart AND soul!
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The scene between Lena and Kara at CatCo was amazing. So much subtle acting going on in their faces. The tension between them was palpable, since this is the first time Lena has talked to Kara (not Supergirl) since the third episode.
i truly feel sorry for whomever didn’t watch that flash/supergirl crossover because they must have been so confused during the next episode of supergirl. i wouldn’t wish that level of confusion on anyone. i almost even hate to say it but i lost respect for kara seeing how she took mon-el back so fast
Okay, now having watch last night’s Batwoman episode; they had almost as many women with names in that EPISODE as Supergirl has had in the entire SEASON. And every single one of them had a part to play.
(beleaguered sigh)
DEAD @ Melissa’s face is all of us realising this episode is about lex, Killing Eve, Lena social distancing in heels, new zoom filter. Always been a fan of your screenshot captions but YOU’VE OUTDONE YOURSELF!
Also, what if, they’re in the process of writing Lena off…
Shhhhhhh! No! Don’t speak such awful thoughts. I’m officially done with this show if that happens.
The mere idea of Lena being written off the show is horrible, but what if… Lena got sent to the island of misfit toys? By which I mean the Waverider.
Lena Luthor could join the Legends.
Somehow that thought is simultaneously hilarious and beyond my ability to comprehend! Trying to picture Lena in one of her richy-rich power-dresses (or suits) standing on the deck of the Waverider in her high-heels is the most comical thing I have ever seen.
There would be a sharp-learning curve there, starting with her footwear.
However, she would bring a much-needed voice of logic to the Team that we lost with the exit of Amaya and Ava’s complete transformation to the ‘Dark Side’. I’m also imagining all the beautiful top-offs between Lena-Sara, Lena-Ava because you know a certain CEO would be appalled at the number of decisions made just so the Legends can, basically, have fun.
Thank you for your compliment, NO THANK YOU TO THAT THEORY
Pheww, after all the madness IRL, it wasn’t really fun to come back to SG for this trite storytelling. Same, Valerie Anne, same! I wish, they had given Melissa a better script to work off, and less space to a narcisstic man-child. The world (even fictional) doesn’t need any MORE of that.
Putting on Obsidian lenses to forget about that show-eater…
It was good to see Lena and Kara interact in a friend-ly manner for a second. Interested in that book now :)
M’Gann is back, just like that. Random, but hey, cool suit.
Eve will be the ultimate woman scorned. Looking forward to her revenge.
/ End simulation /
Be real SG writers, this show is not about Man being trash but about Women saving the day while enjoying their dumplings. Never forget.
Why does this show think that the only thing to do when they need an episode light on Kara for production reasons is to write a whole episode with almost none of the regular cast?? This one and all of the ones where Melissa needed to be shooting crossovers. Didn’t we even have an episode just like this last season, showing us how Lex has been manipulating everything the whole time? I know we just had an Alex episode, but give her more than two brief scenes! Give us Kelly! Nia! I’ll even accept Brainy and J’onn! Let us hang out with our supporting characters who we actually like!
Also, does Kelly know Kara is Supergirl at this point?? Do the writers and actors even know if she knows??
Also also, why have M’gann back for THIS? It’s nice to see her, sure, but there’s not actually any plot reason that she needed to show up and they didn’t really have her do anything.
Also also also Eve clearly has serious mental/emotional issues?? Falling in love with this narcissist? I just want her to be okay and find healing and stable relationships and real love in her life! But no one in the show or in the writers’ room seems to care about her wellbeing; she’s just a plot tool. I hate how she’s written as this lovesick housewife-y fool. Either dig into the underlying issues that have made her like this, or give her some damn agency!
I’m REALLY hoping they turn it around and Eve gets some agency by the end of all this. She’s been manipulated by him in two separate timelines and it hurts every time.
After barely getting through a season of the boring, annoying Agent Liberty villain, this never-ending focus on Lex Luthor is too hard to take. Sounds like I should be watching Batwoman regularly and downgrading this show again.
While the fantastic red suit was wonderful to see, Lex Luthor’s shtick is not at all interesting. The whole outsmarting everyone in the world thing would make more sense if there wasn’t a good guy literally named Brainy around, plus immortal aliens and such.
Plus they’ve told us several times that Lena is smarter than Lex.