"Supergirl" Season Three Talkback (Spoilers)

[The Penguin]

Supergirl flies again! Tonight at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.

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"Girl of Steel"
Monday, October 9, 2017 @ 8 p.m. ET/7 CT on The CW
Kara deals with the loss of Mon-El by focusing all her energy on being Supergirl and the mysterious new threat against National City.

Season Two talkback
Season One talkback

CWTV.com - Supergirl

 

[hobbyfan]

So now Cat's in Washington. We have a Trump wannabe in Morgan Edge in National City. Adrian Pasdar would be a better fit to play Vince McMahon in a movie than Bradley Cooper, IMPO.

Edge was introduced in the books in the 70's as the head of Galaxy Communications, and was later revealed to be in league with Intergang. So now he'll be in the same position Max Lord was in during season 1, except there's no redeeming qualities with him, and Lena's already pwned him.

So wasn't digging Kara deciding to quit Catco, so she'll be back at work next week. Some of us throw ourselves more into work to get over loss. I know I have, losing my parents. Hopefully, Supergirl won't have the same issues with 3rd season writing that Arrow & Flash have had.

 

[Fone Bone]

Supergirl "Girl Of Steel”

Wow, those were some pointed political observations from Cat Grant. It saddens me they had to be THAT pointed, but that’s the world we live in. We actually have to explain to people that conspiracy theories are not real. And we are all dumber for it.

Oh, Alex. You totally ARE that. It’s cute that you think you aren’t.

Season Three cast notes: Chris Wood is still listed as a series regular, which tells me he is coming back for real at some point. Otherwise he’d be a Special Guest Star. Speaking of which, I believe Erica Durance should have been given that title. As for Adrian Pasdar, he makes a better Glen Talbot than a Morgan Edge. Profit aside, Pasdar always plays better with some nuance. Talbot is probably his best character besides Profit for this reason. The women who plays Maggie Sawyer (I can never spell her name right) is also no longer a series regular, so I sense trouble in paradise for Maggie and Alex.

Speaking of which, I think the show wanted me to be more moved by J’onn’s reaction to walking Alex down the isle than we should have been. Hank doing that was literally the only logical choice. I don’t know why both of those characters treat it as either a surprise, or a world-shattering revelation. It’s kinda a no-brainer. Were I Hank, I’da been like, “’Bout time. Where YOU been?”

I’m looking forward to getting Mon-El back if Kara is going to be this much of a drip all season. ***1/2.

 

[Otaku-sempai]

Supergirl "Girl Of Steel”

Wow, those were some pointed political observations from Cat Grant. It saddens me they had to be THAT pointed, but that’s the world we live in. We actually have to explain to people that conspiracy theories are not real. And we are all dumber for it.

That's right! Conspiracy theories are not real--except when they are.

Remember, the American Revolution was a conspiracy.

 

[goatbat]

I'm glad that Kara is starting to recover from the loss of Mon-El. I really hope they are able to bring him back in the future, whether he continues to be a dream or in the real world.

However, was I missing something with the opening scene? I didn't know who the woman was that she was hugging.

But like Hobbyfan said, hopefully this will be a better season 3 than both Flash and Arrow! And so far it looks like it will be.

 

[The Penguin]

Fear itself! Tonight at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.

"Triggers"
Monday, October 16, 2017 @ 8 p.m. ET/7 CT on The CW
Able to immobilize people by tapping into their worst fears, Psi proves a formidable opponent for Supergirl.

 

[hobbyfan]

Psi was unimpressive. Period.

Samantha Arias (aka Reign) is now unaware of her true heritage, though we've seen hints already. However, that won't last. Kara & Lena may be in for some rough times, and not just because they're under the same roof professionally now.

Next week: Kara & J'onn on Mars. Oh, this should be appropriately spooky.

 

[Fone Bone]

Supergirl "Triggers"

God, I hate James Olsen. He seems genuinely surprised that Lena Luthor actually showed up to work as if she owned the place. Except... she DOES. What, does James believe that Lena outbid Edge so she could simply GIVE him a multimillion dollar company for free, out of the goodness of her heart? Why does he expect that? Why SHOULD she be expected to do that? James suck.

Also, how does Kara think she can blow off her new boss like that? She was being disrespectful, and I appreciated Lena calling her on it.

Wedding DJ's are better than wedding bands, due to the reasons J'onn stated. Also, because something is far less likely to go wrong with only one person doing the entertainment, instead of a group of them.

That being said, I don't ever want to hear J'onn saying "Getting jiggy with it" ever, EVER again.

What is Supergirl: The TV Series doing by making the Big Bad of the year a sympathetic, struggling single mother? Do the producers think I actually WANT to see that? I honestly do NOT get what they are thinking. It is one thing to make a villain sympathetic after the fact. It's an entirely different thing to show a good person suffering, if the endgame is to make the audience hate them. Killer Frost on The Flash sucks for the exact same reason. What is WRONG with the Berlantiverse anyways?

The "Mind over matter" ending is literally one of the worst superhero resolutions in the entire Arrowverse. Ever. I'm not joking. It makes no freaking sense, and solves nothing. It's embarrassing the writers thought it sounded even slightly acceptable.

I like that Winn is more afraid of Alex than he is of Kara. But then Alex is all like, "Winn is terrible at keeping secrets!" No, he isn't! He kept Kara and Guardian's secrets well enough. He only spilled this one because Alex threatened him. That's on Alex, not him.

Casting notes: Chris Wood is still billed as a series regular, but the woman who plays Maggie is still a Special Guest Star. I suspect she and Alex will not make it down the isle, since the actress is no longer a regular. I suspect the disagreement about kids will be the key. Erica Durance was not only NOT billed as a Special Guest Star for the second week in a row, but she was billed third in the guest star credits! Unacceptable, producers! Give Lois Lane her freaking due!

The show has done better. **1/2.

 

[hobbyfan]

I think some of the writers come from the Vince McMahon School of Ignoring Logic in Writing.

One exception, of course, being Marc "Crazy" Guggenheim, who is scripting for both Arrow & Legends of Tomorrow, and not entirely perfectly, either.

Chris Wood (Mon-El) appears in flashbacks, which to this creative team counts as being a series regular. He'll probably be back in the mix at the end of the November crossover.

 

[The Penguin]

Supergirl is on now!

"Far From the Tree"
Monday, October 23, 2017 @ 8 p.m. ET/7 CT on The CW
Eliza throws Alex and Maggie a wedding shower, which causes Maggie to reach out to her estranged father.

 

[hobbyfan]

Dang, yo! J'onn's on Mars with Kara, and meets his father. Carl Lumbly, who'd voiced J'onn on Justice League & Justice League Unlimited, plays J'onn's dad here. Serendipity city!

The theme tonight seems to be parental issues. J'onn's dad was initially duped into thinking J'onn was dead. Maggie's having troubles with her father because he hasn't completely gotten over the bigotry he faced as a youth.

And, of course, they just had to reference President Dum-Dum's threat of putting up a wall. Please.

 

[Fone Bone]

Supergirl "Far From The Tree"

Best episode the show has done in a long time. Possibly since Season One. Where to start?

It was genius to cast Carl Lumbly as J'onn's father. What I love about him in the role is that he cannot be too much older than David Harewood, but they gave his character so much more gravitas, that it still plays that he's his father. This is the first DCAU based casting the show has done, and I approve heartily. Kevin Conroy used to be a live-action actor. I'd like to see him show up at some point too.

My one regret about Lumbly is the same beef I have with Erica Durance and Laura Vandervoort's roles: He wasn't billed as a special guest star. His DC history says he should have been.

I really, REALLY want Alex and Maggie to still get married. I hope Floriama Lima's Special Guest Star status is because they are going to be using her less, not because she is leaving the show. I hope she doesn't. Her stuff with her father was probably the most interesting and devastating non-superhero related drama ever. He left her on the side of the road. But he still put up the picture on the board. He's not a black and white character. I want Maggie to still be on the show because I'm interested where this plot could go. And it could go many interesting places.

Part of me thinks if Maggie and Alex had not so passionately publicly kissed he might not have angrily split. But you know what? His views were the warped ones. Even if Malex could have been a little more aware of his comfort level, it's not like they need to adjust their normal behavior solely so her father won't run out in a snit. He should be enough of an adult not to do that anyways.

When he's talking about the rapists and murderers thing and the wall I was like, "That does not work in this Universe." The whole point of the Supergirl universe is that's its politics are better than ours. The strong female candidate is President and Cat Freaking Grant is the honest press secretary. It's what our world should be. I understand the show likes taking shots at Donald Trump. But the way they do that should be consistent. Either the politics of Supergirl's America are better, or they aren't. They are trying to have it both ways simply so they can take a shot at Trump under any circumstance. Which is something I believe is wrong. I think the integrity of the continuity and narrative is more important than the writers scoring political points at every opportunity. And I think that is not just true for this project, but it should be true for every show, even shows I otherwise agree with.

Part of why Mr. Wheeler's values are so warped, is because his perspective is that he had it hard enough as a Hispanic, and his daughter made it worse by being an even more hated minority. This is what I hate about bigots: They think equality is a zero-sum game. As if they lose a chunk of their identity and independence, the more the targeted minority gets respect and agency. And it doesn't work that way, which is why bigots are so stupid. They don't understand that equality and acceptance is not a limited resource, or even that it shouldn't be. And that's why you've got a character who has clearly suffered incredibly demeaning bigotry, being an incredibly demeaning bigot.

I want Maggie to be still on the show. Because Maggie seemed to almost be getting through to him at the end. I want to see what happens next after that conversation.

I love's that J'onn's spaceship is a classic car. Supergirl coming upon those White Martians in it with the radio jamming classic tunes, while saying she must have taken a left turn at Albequerque was pure TV magic. I really was wondering what what going through the White Martians' heads at that moment. I'm betting it was like, "What. Da. FRAK?"

Best episode in at least two years. *****.

 

[hobbyfan]

Oh, yeah. Forgot about Kara ripping off a classic Bugs Bunny bit. Super-genius.

 

[The Penguin]

New episode! Right now on The CW.

"The Faithful"
Monday, October 30, 2017 @ 8 p.m. ET/7 CT on The CW
Kara investigates a secretive new group whose leader, Thomas Coville, has a mysterious connection to Supergirl.

 

[hobbyfan]

This episode has its roots in yet another Superman story, this one from Action Comics' weekly period in the late 80's, but slightly more blasphemous IMPO than the original, if that was even possible. There are some good Supergirl stories in the books that the producers can mine for material, but so far, that's been few & far between. Too far.

So now we see the first signs of Reign, in the form of a hallucination. This will probably be the big storyline after the crossover next month.

Coville (Chad Lowe) doesn't get it. He's screwed up in the head, but IIRC, the guy who was in the Superman cult 30 years ago eventually experienced an epiphany, and gave up the cult. Lowe will be directing an episode next month, BTW.

Could've done without the cult angle.

 

[Fone Bone]

Supergirl "The Faithful"

I kind of didn't really see the conflict of the episode. I get the cult leader was endangering people, but before he started doing that, the episode was trying to say his religion was already wrong and misguided. But James had it right. The Supers are the tangible proof of miracles. If some goofballs didn't start worshipping them at some point, that would be weird. I don't think the actual struggle in that scenario is to make the followers believe Supergirl is mortal, and no better than they are. I think the struggle is how Supergirl can live with these people off to the side, believing this crazy thing about her, without her being able to do anything about it. In the end, the cult leader saves Supergirl, and some of his flock lose the faith because he does, even though he does not. Other than the show forcing the issue like that, there IS no pat resolution to the scenario. It might be if they were worshipping Batman for example, but the Kryptonians have a legit claim to being divine beings. Just because they don't think they are, doesn't mean every person they save is going to agree.

The leader instantly recognizing Supergirl out of costume was something I worried would happen. It's not a good idea to wave around the secret ID to a person obsessed with you. I am actually glad that he didn't turn out a bad sort ,and was never going to reveal the ID. I like his rationale. He's sure she gave him a name at some point, but it never registered with him because it seemed unimportant. Which kind of tells me that he's unlike other villains on this show because he isn't actually a villain. Chad Lowe was pretty amazing in the role.

I felt Alex's biological clock thing at the end was a bit overwrought, but do you know what? I don't like the position Maggie put her in. Maggie unilaterally decided that for the both of them. She put the onus of the ultimatum on Alex, which is both incredibly unfair, and something you should not ever do to someone you love. Maggie is about as new to actual love as Alex is, but she's definitely not new to relationships. How does she not know that?

The double cliffhanger means that next week looks interesting at least. ***1/2.

 

[The Penguin]

Poisoned! Tonight at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.

"Damage"
Monday, November 6, 2017 @ 8 p.m. ET/7 CT on The CW
When multiple children get sick from lead poisoning, Morgan Edge points the finger at Lena and blames her creation of the lead bomb she made to save National City.

 

[hobbyfan]

Oh, the irony.

When Lex Luthor was rebooted into a millionaire businessman in the late 80's, a generic plot called for him to absolve himself of any involvement in any criminal activity any way he could. This lasted for a few years.

Morgan Edge, then, is being posited as an analogue for this particular incarnation of Lex, but even more of a coward than imaginable. Unfortunately, he lacks what charismatic presence Lex had. That he tried to frame Lena should've given away to the viewer that he was the real culprit (DUH!). If they take this route too many times, it's going to ruin the show, and run it into the ground.

Samantha now knows she's bulletproof. If only she knew the rest of the truth.

Have to get this in re.: the breakup of Maggie & Alex.

You can't believe the number of haters online that are happier than pigs in slop that this arc has ended. The haters felt that Malex, to use my term for it, was a distraction from the main plot. Look, the CW is all about soap opera, even on genre shows like Supergirl, so we have to accept and deal. 30 years ago, the producers would've been alternately hailed as brilliant and brave for taking a chance or villified for those same steps. Today, it's become almost the norm, as Hollywood has grown more PC to appeal to as many sub-sections of the audience as possible. That, as the late Walter Cronkite would say, is the way it is.

 

[Fone Bone]

Supergirl “Damage”

The episode sort of picked up at the end due to Adrian Pasdar’s interesting and sinister performance, but I was lukewarm on the rest of the episode.

Where to start? I feel like Reign is being totally shoehorned into Kara and Lena’s sisterhood, which is actually quite annoying. They’ve worked very hard to build those two characters' relationship together, and they have an entirely new character stepping on that carefully plotted dynamic in her fifth episode. I actually find it a bit insulting.

Also, I feel like the drama of the episode, wasn’t just misguided, but misplaced. By the end of the episode it’s revealed that Edge was behind the poisonings, and Lena was innocent. But I don’t like the tack the episode took before that was revealed. Because what if Edge was right? If he was, he’s not the bad guy for assigning the blame in that scenario. Even Lena could not defend herself against the charges. The only reason Lena is off the hook is because she was framed. But if she wasn’t, the episode is acting like Edge is the bad guy the entire time for bringing the truth to light.

And don’t get me started on the chants of “Lock her up!” That was obviously designed to draw a parallel to Hillary’s email scandal persecution, but it really bothers me that the show thinks those scenarios are equivalent. Hillary’s emails never hurt anybody. Her server was never breached. If Lena WAS guilty, she isn’t being unfairly persecuted for the accusation. Holding her to account for her negative actions is what SHOULD happen. I had a feeling it would turn out Edge was framing her, because the series sees things like that in black and white. But truly, the only black and white thing is that if Lena is guilty, that isn’t a lynch mob. Unlike the people at that horrible Republican convention, the people’s rage at Lena would be justified in the real world.

I’m a bit perplexed at the show bringing up Flint, Michigan, because it is another example of the show playing fast and loose with whether Supergirl: The TV Series shares our politics or not. I’ll also tell you another reason it shouldn’t have been brought up: No-one was held to account in Our Universe for that. So it’s pretty much the worst example ever.

At first I was annoyed that it was Maggie making Alex break up with her. I thought that it’s incredibly selfish for her to put the onus solely on Alex. But as the episode went along, my perspective changed. She’s allowed to do that if the break-up is totally amicable. They still love each other, and wish they could make things work. There is no anger or tantrums involved in their split. Maggie even tells Alex she is going to be an amazing mother. So I’m less mad at that than I would have otherwise been if the split had been messier.

Pasdar did a MUCH better job with Morgan Edge this episode than he did in the premiere. Probably because they were willing to reveal the actual criminal aspects of the character, rather than just hint at them. Whatever the reason, Pasdar played the h*ll out of those moments.

I was very annoyed that James was the one who suggested Lena step down from CatCo. And I resent that Lena agreed. It should not have been James’ suggestion. He’s been trying to get that company from her ever since she bought it, and it does not strike me that James is suggesting that because it’s what would be best for CatCo. It’s what would be best for him. And that’s really unnerving. In his defense, by the end of the episode, he actually invites Lena to call him Jimmy, which is not something he has ever been willing to let another character do on this show. Baby steps.

The effects of Supergirl carrying two halves of the plane were amazing. I don’t care as much about action scenes as I do character drama, but it was still really cool and impressive.

Mediocre week for me. **1/2.

 

[Road to Gotham]

Although I have lost interest in the series, I am still watching.
Hopefully things will pick up without the Alex-Maggie drama.
Looking forward to the LSH. I see Brainiac 5 has been cast with Jesse Rath.

https://www.inverse.com/article/38151-supergirl-love-new-brainiac-5-casting-jesse-rath