Is Supergirl finally back on track? Is… is this a good show again? After two pretty good episodes that finally put the characters and their relationships back to the fore, this episode takes many of the disparate plot threads that have been left lingering throughout the season to turn things around in time for the finale.
Read on below to find out what we thought of Supergirl‘s ‘City Of Lost Children’, but beware of spoilers.
1. Trying To Right The Ship Before The Finale
This season has been, I think, a bit of a mess. Okay, maybe more than a bit of it. It’s storylines have been unfocused, character progression scattered and there’s been no real cohesion to the writing. Kara’s character arc has been pretty much lost in the weeds, unable to figure out what to do with here between a unearned romance subplot with Mon-El and a half-hearted attempt at a career in journalism.
There’s been no guiding star, no real narrative drive to tie everything together. This episode was an attempt to course correct and that, in many ways succeeded. It felt scattered, but only so it could bring those scattered threads together in a climax that actually did a good job of setting up an interesting arc for the conclusion of the season. Sure, it’s weird to me that the threat of CADMUS has all but disappeared at this point, but I’m interested in seeing what this show will do with the New Daxam stuff.
At least, I hope this is setting up for the climax and isn’t going to be immediately resolved next episode.
2. Finally Doing Right By James
This is the storyline this season needed and did a great job of actually bringing James back to the fore with an interesting story. I was so worried that this story would end up just pulling a Daredevil with the beginning scenes about how James wants to do good as Guardian, but ends up spreading more fear. I mean, maybe it’s because you roam around at night in a suit of armour beating people up from the shadows? Maybe work on the optics of that, my dude.
Thankfully, though, they spent more time with James out of the costume and interacting with Marcus and actually gave Mehcad Brooks the room to act and emote and breathe within the character. It felt like the episode that realised that they’d fucked up with the Guardian arc and that it made no sense and that James can and should be a hero outside of the costume.
I hope they retire the Guardian costume after this and bring back James as James, but if they don’t I still hope they learn from this and put the character first before the costume.
3. Making Lena A Luthor
The other big thread this episode was Lena working together with Rhea on the transmatter portal which, until the climax, largely felt like a distraction from the James storyline. Like I said, the episode felt pretty scattered for the most part only to tie it together in the end. It’s a weird feeling because even though it’s fairly obvious that Rhea’s plans are affecting the Phorians, you’re left wondering why they’re connected for most of the episode.
However, I think the most interesting part to come out of that was Lena finally being able to work with a supportive mother figure. At least, someone she thought was a supportive mother figure. Actually feeling praised for her work and her genius made such a difference to her that I have to wonder where they’ll go with the character now she knows Rhea betrayed her.
Is this the push that turns Lena heel?
4. Mon-El, Hero Of Earth
So… I’ve been fairly harsh on Mon-El for most of this season. I’ve called him some fairly insulting names and dismissed pretty much his entire developmental arc over the season. I stand by all of that, but I think this episode made some really interesting moves with the character. I mean, sure, that’s because he wasn’t the central focus and the episode wasn’t about how much he wanted to bone Kara, but couldn’t stop getting in his own way, but I digress.
Continued belowThe most interesting moment for him was the standoff between him and Rhea. This season has put a lot of work into telling me that Mon-El is a hero without really showing any of it. Even in this episode, there’s mention that he’s off working with Kara to find Marcus’s mother, but we never get to see it. However, what we do get shown is Mon-El pointing a loaded gun at his own mother and coming pretty close to shooting her.
We see a side to Mon-El that shows that he would consider doing something that Kara never would. That he would take that step, that he doesn’t inherently see a way to save someone from themselves. I’m interested in seeing how this moment evolves the character and hopefully pushes him either towards a darker, more anti-heroic role or towards the costumed hero we know from the comics. Just do anything with him, please.
5. Milking That Teri Hatcher Money
So… Rhea’s our Big Bad for the season, huh? You know, I probably should have guessed that, but I was still expecting the season to wrap up the CADMUS conflict. I’m not saying they won’t factor into the final three episodes, but that’s likely going to involve them having to choose who to side with between the DEO and Daxam.
I’m glad to see that Teri Hatcher’s toned down her performance and seems to feel more comfortable as the manipulative puppet master more than the weird Shakesperean family drama in her introductory episodes. Here, she feels much more in control, much more comfortable in the character and it makes a world of difference and she anchors the entire climax of the episode.
I’m very impressed in how this episode turned things around and I’m really hoping it continues into the finale.
