This episode may have been focused on Kara’s dire situation but this was Alex’s episode. Every actor was phenomenal but Chyler Leigh was given a multitude of intense situations and she excelled at everything the show threw at her. She dominated this episode from the moment Alex strode down the hallway to Kara’s door and kicked it in until the very last moment where the family was back together and whole again. Make no mistake this is a show about Supergirl but as Hank/J’onn so perfectly summarized it Alex is “Supergirl’s hero” and he was right because in Kara’s world no one is more important than Alex. At the end of the day no matter what Kara’s friends do for her the one constant in her life is Alex and that is a bond that not even the Black Mercy could prevail over.
I saw on the main
Supergirl Twitter account where they were dubbing this episode a “game changer” and that was exactly what this episode was. By having Kara attacked Non crossed a line and his actions had dire consequences across the board. Very few characters escaped this episode unscathed or unchanged. Some may never be the same again and given what they went through no one would blame them with Alex and Kara being tied for the most impacted by the events of this episode.
Kara was given a chance to be back with her birth family and experience life back on Krypton which was her hearts greatest desire. Then in order to be saved and return to her living family she had to give up all of that for a second time which would be traumatic for anyone especially when she knew that the fantasy could never again be reality.
Alex on the other hand spent the entire episode unraveling as she came up against one dead end after another in her quest to save her sister. When she confronted Holo-Alura it was evident that she was barely holding on as her desperation grew in her quest to find a way to save Kara. Nothing and I mean nothing was going to get in her way or stop her until she had Kara back safe and sound. She risked her life by going into Kara’s mind after her and quite possible sacrificed a small part of her soul by killing Astra. Yes, she is a soldier, but in that moment she was acting as a daughter to J’onn and a protective sister to Kara. She gave up parts of herself throughout the episode for the two people who mean the most to her outside of her own mom. This was her family she was fighting for and it was a courageous and honorable fight she fought.
James and Winn can’t be forgotten in this episode. They are the type of friends you want to have because without hesitation they realized something was wrong and took swift action to ensure Kara was okay. When she wasn’t they fought to stay be her side and with Alex on their side they were fairly successful and are now privy to the world of the DEO. I was pleased to see Winn not only acknowledge the strained nature of his current relationship with Kara but also to see how desperate he was to get Kara back so he could try and fix that relationship. Whatever else happens between them they are friends first and foremost and maybe they’ll be more one day but reestablishing that friendship was critically important. Not to mention he is now a part of the DEO world and should they be in the need of a computer IT genius again he has proven himself a valuable asset allowing him to potentially spend a bit more time with Kara in the future. For the sake of everyone I just hope he is never called on again to lie for anyone because that is one thing he does not excel at. James on the other hand had an equally important role to play as a protector. Yes, he cares for Kara, but in this episode his job was to aid Alex in her mission and by doing that for a brief moment in time he became Alex’s protector and champion while she was vulnerable and unable to protect herself. They shared a common goal of doing anything and everything to get Kara back and he was willing to face down the entire DEO and Hank Henshaw in order to keep his promise to her. Alex asked a big favor from him and he did not let her down. Both men also proved themselves during Hank/J’onn’s time at CatCo so something tells me this episode is likely to not be the last time we see them at the DEO.
Now to talk about the Krypton coma dream inflicted on Kara. First off the graphics were extraordinary and that helped to fuel the impact of this dream to the audience. This was Kara’s home for the early years of her life and being back in that world was literally a dream come true and it would have been had it not been part of a nightmare. To Kara’s credit she fought so very hard to hang onto her memories of her home and family on Earth. She knew something wasn’t right but the fantasy of the dream was just too real for her to fight on her own. Of all people to go in after Kara I’m so happy it was Alex because she got to experience a taste of what Krypton was like and hopefully better understand what her sister lost. More than that of everyone in Kara’s life I’m a hundred percent sure Alex was the only one who was going to be able to get through to her and give her a reason to come home. Alex was willing to die for Kara and nothing was more telling of that then her telling James that if she didn’t come back with Kara she didn’t want to come back at all.
Once in Kara’s mind Alex wasted no time trying to find her sister and once she did the fight was on. Alex threw everything at Kara to try and get through to her compromised mind. She put her heart and soul into saving her sister just as Chyler did in her performance. Alex’s plea for Kara to accept that life isn’t perfect and isn’t without pain but that pain is what defines us was utterly heartbreaking as Alex’s voice broke with emotion time and time again. What Chyler did with her performance here made it explode off the screen and Alex’s desperation was palpable. Melissa gave Chyler plenty to play off of as she took Kara from a cold and distant shell of herself to a gradual return to herself as her eyes came back to life and her rigid Kryptonian posture lessened. It wasn’t the mention of her friends that brought Kara back or even Earth it was Alex and her mantle as Supergirl that pulled her back and made her accept the truth of Alex’s words. The moment when Kara once again called Alex her sister made evident the decision she had made. Yet the fight wasn’t over as Kara had to get past the Black Mercy’s final attempts to stop her and with one last desperate attempt to save her sister Alex reached out for her in what was easily the most poignant visual of the entire episode with their outstretched hands so desperate to reach each other and coming up just short.
When Alex came back before Kara the fear in Alex’s eyes and movements made evident how unraveled and desperate she was to save her little sister. To then see her go after Hank and James really sold home how true Alex’s words to James had been. If she couldn’t come back with her sister she didn’t want to come back at all. When I first watched this scene the only problem I had with it was that Alex didn’t embrace her sister especially after all they’d just been through together. Then the more I thought about it the more this reaction made sense to me. I rewatched the scene and in the background as Kara is trying to shake off the final effects of the Black Mercy you can see Alex visibly distraught. Her arms are crossed in a closed off distraught way and Hank/J’onn has a firm reassuring grip on her shoulder. Alex was completely and utterly drained and overwhelmed and for that brief moment she needed to hand over Kara’s care and comfort to James and Winn so she could regain herself because even though Kara was back the fight was far from over and she needed to change gears and get her head back into the other fight coming their way. I still wish the sisters would have allowed themselves a moment to cry in each other’s arms but they are at war and both knew what had to be done.
Then came the fight against Non and Astra. In the case of Astra I truly believe Alex was getting through to her before J’onn showed up and I wish he had been just a bit later because much like Kara I believe Astra could have been redeemed. Alex was right in her assessment that Astra had been given half a dozen opportunities to kill both her and Kara but her heart never seemed into it. Then it came down to Astra or J’onn and Alex made the only decision she could in killing Astra. She had spent an entire day fighting desperately to put her family back together and losing J’onn was not even an option at that point. In Alex’s defense she tried to bring Astra over to their side and I do believe skewering Astra with the Kryptonite blade was an absolute last resort. With Astra gone there is no one to stop Non and his psychotic attempts to overtake Earth. The battle between Non and Kara is only just beginning and he will have no mercy on Astra’s niece.
The goodbye between Astra and Kara proves that had J’onn been just a bit later Alex may have been able to win her over to their side. Despite her actions she had an immense love for her niece and Kara still carried an equal amount of love for her aunt. Yes, they fought one another but I believe both always thought they would one day stand on the same side together. Even in Kara’s fantasy Astra was portrayed as her family and not her enemy which was very telling of how Kara truly felt for her aunt. Laura Benanti was brilliant throughout this episode as she played the dual roles of Astra and Alura but no scene was more defining than this one as Astra said her goodbyes. Laura and Melissa showed the complicated love their characters still shared and did so while bringing the audience along for the painful and emotional acceptance that this was the end. Losing Astra was yet another blow to Kara on a very emotionally taxing and painful day.
It was noble of J’onn to take the blame for Alex but knowing Alex this secret will weigh on her until one day the truth is revealed to Kara. While I think their relationship could have survived Alex’s actions I’m not sure how the revelation of this secret will impact them in the future. When Alex and Astra met in Kara’s apartment the picture of young Alex and young Kara was dropped to the ground and the camera made a point to show us the glass shattered. Mix that symbolism with Alex’s obvious distress over the secret and Alex may once again have to fight to save her relationship with her sister.
This episode wasn’t all drama and heart as they managed to slip in some lighter moments as Hank/J’onn pretended to be Kara. I know Alex was trying to help Kara by sending him on this mission but I think he may have done a bit more damage than good. Still it was hilarious to see Melissa playing Kara who was actually J’onn trying to be Kara. The way she moved was a very good mimic of the way David Harewood moves and stands when he is playing Hank/J’onn. Kara definitely has some serious damage control to do with Cat and I look forward to seeing how she manages to fix her strained relationship with her boss.
This show has had many great episodes especially in the back half of this season but this, for me, was by far the best. The stakes were high, the emotions were off the charts, and the consequences will have lasting effects on the rest of the season and beyond. From stellar acting to a brilliant story to extraordinary visuals and spot on directing this episode was a homerun. What comes next is anyone’s guess but whatever it is promises to be impactful and powerful.
There is no new episode next week but be sure to tune in on
Monday, February 22nd for the next new outing of this stellar show.
Hit the comments with your thoughts regarding this episode. Did you enjoy it and think it was as impactful and game changing as I do or did you have a different interpretation of the episode? What were your favorite moments? Leave your thoughts below and lets discuss this incredible episode.
About the Author - Aimee Hicks
Aimee works for a newspaper in North Carolina and has a BA in Broadcasting and Cinema. She has been a TV lover since before she really understood what TV was. She has a long list of shows that she loves to watch and can be found on twitter (@ahicks83) live tweeting about each new episode whenever she can. If the show is sci-fi, fantasy, comic book based, drama, or action the odds are good she watches it or has at least watched a few episodes of it. She also has a love for comedies 2 Broke Girls and Mom. She was the original creator and co-founder of LOST Video Island (lostvideo.net) which is still operating under the management of the very capable and skilled group she turned it over to.
You can email her at aimee@spoilertv.com.
