Supergirl S2 Ep. 8 Thoughts

"Medusa"

This week's episode of Supergirl was by far one of the more climatic installments of the new season. With character twists, transformations, and cliffhangers flying around every corner, fans were definitely treated to something equally exciting as it was interesting. So, let's dive into what is considered to be the first episode of the 4-Night Crossover Event for CW's expanding DC universe.

Before we get into the geek out worthy cameo appearance at the end of the episode, let's talk about what worked and didn't work here as far as being a stand-alone Supergirl episode. First off, just as I've mentioned in previous episodes, one of the biggest key components of this series is its character drama which is very much present here as emotions start to brew between characters. As far as Alex and Maggie's relationship, we've already seen this emotional bond growing in the course of a few episodes as Alex started to discover something new about herself. Considering everything that transpired beforehand, to see these two finally hook up in the end felt natural, but more importantly, earned and rewarded.

As for Mon-El and Kara, I won't jump as far as to say that things felt forcefully inserted, but I do hope that the writers take things slow with both characters moving forward. I've already nitpicked in the past about Mon-El feeling expendable to this season and being presented as yet another love interest for Kara doesn't really cover for that. This is one of those situations that can go either way for me depending on how much their potential love story interweaves with everything else taking place. I've trusted the story direction for this season so far, but I can definitely see the possibility of soap opera-like elements being tossed in for the sake of filler.

As for now, let's just say that the writers are currently standing on thin ice where Mon-El's character is concerned. But to speak for their scenes during this episode alone, I did find it touching considering their similiar backgrounds. What better love interest to have for Kara than someone who has also lost their home planet in a horrible tragedy while ironically having some connection to the Kryptonians. As I said, there is definitely a way to make this work in a touching and dramatic way without coming across as unnecessary and dare I say...cheesy.

As for the villain(s) of the week, personally, this was the first time where Cadmus actually felt like a threat as oppose to feeling like an overhyped name and presence. With Hank Henshaw (who I will never bring it upon myself to call "Cyborg superman") roaming around as their mechanical muscle, I did enjoy seeing the confrontational scenes between him and J'onn as well as Supergirl. There's this "blast from the past" feeling that comes with every scene that he's a part of considering his history in this universe. This particular aspect makes him interesting despite his design failing to live up to his acclaimed title.

Henshaw aside, this was also the first episode where Cadmus actually did something that felt impactful in both scale and weight. The idea of releasing a virus into the city that specifically targets and kills all alien life forms was pretty drastic even though Lena stops them in the end. We did see a small sample version take place at that alien bar wiping out the majority of the residents which I'd imagine will have some repercussions moving forward.

As for the Lena Luthor's heroic misdirection, although a bit telegraphed, I did like the idea of her essentially proving herself to Supergirl by sabotaging her own mother's plans for genocide. To see a character fully rise up against the negative historical trope of her family's name is a powerful thing. Unfortunately, I do have to point out one of my nitpicks of the episode centering around Katie McGrath's shaky performance as Lena Luthor. There's something about the actress's facial gestures during the character's more dramatic moments that simply doesn't sell it for me despite not having any issues with the character itself.

On a more positive note, we do get to see a couple of pretty decent action scenes during the more climatic portion of the episode such as Supergirl chasing after a virus spreading rocket as well as a fully transformed J'onn J'onzz taking on Henshaw. During the Season 1 finale, I brought up that one of the most promising things about that episode was the possibility of seeing Supergirl and Martian Manhunter on more missions together. With that in mind, it was nice to see this season deliver on that concept by having the two team up to take on different obstacles in their own unique ways.

Watching J'onn J'onzz fully transform into a White Martian while embracing his possible bleak fate was a pretty powerful character moment as it added an extra layer to his story. Although briefly mentioned by Kara and only alluded to during the virus misdirection, we did essentially see J'onn embark on a suicide mission with the mindset of becoming the image of his worst enemy while expecting to meet his end. There's even that moment where he closes his eyes mentioning one of daughters' names while the failed viral debris surrounded him. It's a brief but powerful moment that showed the Martian father coming to some form of peace with himself. After Eliza cures him of his transformation towards the end, you do have to wonder if this "coming to clarity" moment will have some ripple affects towards his relationship with Megan. 

As for the title character herself, it was interesting to learn that her family created the virus as a means to protect Krypton from a possible invasion event. There's a strong theme centering around "legacy" that follows through different characters here. As for Kara, her shame in being a part of her family's bloodline after learning about their destructive invention goes alongside Lena and the Luthor's name. However, in this case, it's J'onn that tells her that her family's legacy lies within her being a hero more than anything else.

What makes this a key moment is the fact that not only do we get to see J'onn presented as a father figure to Kara (which I wish we'd get more of), but Kara's strong opposition to causing death no matter the cause. Even acting as a defense mechanism for her home planet's safety, Kara still strongly goes against the idea of killing which has been a consistent trait of the character since Season 1. Something tells me that this family discovery will be brought up again in the near future in an even more profound manner via Cadmus or something else. Personally, I'd like for the series to dive into the lore of Krypton even more as there always seems to be something new and interesting to discover about the high tech alien planet.

Now, for that geek out worthy cameo that I mentioned earlier, I simply cannot emphasize enough how awesome it was to see Barry and Cisco pop up out of nowhere during the end tag of the episode. If you've been keeping up with the marketing of CW's DC universe, then you're aware that Supergirl kick starts the 4-night crossover event bringing all the different series together in one giant ensemble story. I was hoping that we'd at least get teased regarding the villains or story of the crossover (which was a little bit of a missed opportunity here), but I did enjoy at least seeing the characters reunited.

For fans of the Flash, it's important to note out that Cisco is able to travel through the multiverse at a possibly easier rate than before. Also, I thought it was pretty hilarious to see Cisco react to Supergirl's universe wondering if they ended up in the right place and implying that it's nicer than theirs. With Cisco being able to successfully (although we do see a couple of failed attempts during the episode) breach into Supergirl's Earth, the floodgates are now opened for future crossovers which makes this scene all the more exciting. With Kara deciding to help Barry as a favor considering where their last encounter left off, I now look forward to seeing the new episode of The Flash even more now to continue this story thread.

We've seen crossover episodes in the past between the CW shows but never on an epic scale such as this (as far as the 4 night event goes). Overall, this week's Supergirl was a pretty solid continuation of what has been a well directed season thus far. With quite a few cliffhangers and revelations to take note of, we're definitely left off with a season that can go several directions which makes Supergirl all the more enticing to stay onboard with. As a crossover episode, this may not have been the strong first installment that fans of the other series might've desired, but as a standalone viewing, I think Supergirl fans will be satisfied here. 

Bonus Content

1. A Look At Our Potential New Villains

Since I personally haven't read up on these characters, I'm completely left in the dark here which is perfect. Who are these characters? Why are they after Mon-El? Questions aside, I do like the design of their outfits and ship. For now, consider me very intrigued. 

2. Mysterious Alien Ship

3. J'onn J'onzz As A White Martian

The visual FX continue to improve from the previous season as both forms of J'onn J'onzz are very well realized in this episode.

4. A Wall of Possible Easter Eggs

During the virus outbreak scene at the bar, there's a brief moment where Mon-El runs pass a wall of black and white pictures and writing. What is exactly shown in these pics? Are those scribbles worthy of investigating? Probably not, but I thought it'd be cool to put it up here just in case.

Kryptonian Tech

5. Fortress of Solitude

With an amazing atmospheric soundtrack flowing in the background, the Fortress of Solitude scene was by far the most beautiful presentation of the isolated setting so far.

6. Kelex

It was awesome seeing Kelex again, but I honestly hated the fact that Supergirl was forced to destroy him. There was something cool about seeing a physical and "living" representation of Kryptonian tech roaming around the Fortress of Solitude so seeing that get annihilated definitely rubbed me the wrong way. What can I say? I have a soft spot for adorable robots. 

7. Kryptonian Computer

Episode Rating: 8/10