Previously: Red Kryptonite upgraded Kara’s wardrobe.
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Manhunter
Marines: Kara is wearing flannel over her Supergirl costume and eating a donut on the couch so that her brooding is super telegraphed. She’s watching coverage of a bank robbery she tried to stop, but people are still pretty wary of her after she murdered alcohol bottles with peanuts, or whatever. (S: And wore extra cute clothes!) (C: Boo the lady with the fashion sense.)
At Cat Co, Cat is having a bad day because “Sandy Bullock” stole her exercise machine and also because National City is being slow to forgive Supergirl and the crime rate is up. Winn asks if the city will ever forgive Supergirl and Cat makes some joke about Mel Gibson. She dismisses everyone, but Winn and James stick around because of reasons. Cat calls out for Kara so Winn reminds her that Kara called out sick, and that usually is an all day thing. Cat asks who is going to man the phone and James and Winn look at each other. Winn haltingly says he’ll do it, but then he gets a call from Siobhan and I kick myself for thinking maybe that storyline was over with her employment. Too hopeful, Marines. Too hopeful.
Samantha: I for one am pleased to know that there’s still hope alive in you. I was afraid Eclipse had killed it for good.
Catherine: It killed mine. I knew this shady ass b would be back.
Mari: I wish I could feel good about my hope.
Joy of all joys, we cut to National City’s One Restaurant where Siobhan and Winn are having lunch. Siobhan talks about how much she hates Kara for ratting her out to Cat, because now she can’t get a job anywhere in the city. All her dreams of being a journalist are dashed. Winn sits there and listens to this crap, and because he tapped it a few times in a closet, doesn’t say what we are all thinking: THIS IS YOUR OWN JEFFING FAULT, SIOBHAN.
Samantha: JEFF IS SO SICK OF YOUR CRAP, SIBBY. And yeah, Winn, WTF are you even doing here?
Catherine: Torturing us? Why do we have to watch these two date? This is a nightmare.
Mari: Winn tells Siobhan to focus and set a goal and nothing can stop her. She creepily agrees so we just know that her goal is to wear Kara’s face.
Somewhere remote and top-secret-y, Department of Extra-Normal Operations. Um, this is just the DEO. I should’ve know that but also, why did they give us a subtitle? It’s episode 17. Alex is sadly watching the coverage of Supergirl and the mystery of who Manhunter is.
In a toilet-less cell, Hank is eating chocolate. That would be one of the only things comforting me in a toilet-less cell, but seems it would make the lack of toilet a bigger problem. Alex comes in and Hank kind-of thanks her for the chocolate before telling her not to keep making these visits. She needs to distance herself and betray him, if necessary, to save herself. Alex says she won’t. She’ll lie and convince, but she won’t betray him. She gets choked up as she says that this is rock bottom and she knows what kind of person she wants to be.
Samantha: The kind of person who makes sure your mentor has a toilet?
Catherine: Okay, this is dumb but I have to note it. The chocolate Hank is eating is a chocolate cookie with cream in the center called Choco-o’s. It’s an obvious reference to Oreos, which are the Martian Manhunter’s favorite snack in the comics. Like, it’s a thing that he eats them all the time and sometimes they find them and they’re like ‘Oh, Martian Manhunter has been here’. Explaining this is… it’s making me feel weird.
You may have seen this picture at some point:
So anyway. Yeah.
Mari: I’ve never seen it and I’m really not sure how I feel now that I’ve seen it.
Another DEO agent walks in and says Alex should see something.
Outside, Lucy Lane is there with Colonel Someone and they are here to investigate J’onn J’onzz infiltration of the DEO. Everyone will be interviewed. Supergirl gets a zinger in there about how surely Lucy is there to protect their civil rights. Lucy flinches at that as she’s actually there to help “cut through the subterfuge,” presumably because she’s worked with members of the DEO before.
Samantha: Man, I was surprised to see Lucy for some reason. I am always surprised that she is still on the show.
Mari: I suppose she’s the original Siobhan.
J’onn is first to be interviewed. He calmly greets Lucy and Jim, but Jim isn’t having his niceties. Jim basically calls J’onn a lying liar who lies. J’onn says he’ll cooperate with their investigation, but Jim asks if that means he’ll be placing fake thoughts into their heads. Jim knows about his powers, but they are building a stasis field to keep J’onn in Hank’s body and unable to use his powers.
Catherine: Uh.. why? Wouldn’t they want him to transform back into his real self so they could know what they were dealing with?
Mari: Nah.
Out in command, Supergirl and Alex see J’onn’s interrogation on screen. Supergirl tries to use her superheating to hear what’s going on, but they’ve done something to keep her from hearing.
In the interrogation room, Lucy asks J’onn what happened to the real Hank Henshaw.
We flashback there, to 10 years ago. Hank is explaining to his team that they’ve found Manhunter. The camera pans around and we see that OLD DEAN CAIN! is there! Aw, yeah! His face is so puffy (and cute). I’m sorry. My love of Dean Cain is deep and never-ending. (S: No this is great! He super improves each episode that he’s in!) (C: Never stop loving Dean Cain. NEVER STOP!) Anyway, Hank explains that Manhunter is super dangerous and they should shoot to kill. After everyone breaks, Dean Cain asks if maybe they should keep the super old creature alive to glean knowledge and Hank basically says, “ew, no.”
On the ground in the Peruvian Andes, the tropes spread out. Dean Cain gets startled by a boa constrictor, but his gun jams and he trips and I don’t appreciate this trying to convince us he’s incompetent or something. Snakes are scary. (S: You go ahead and rightfully trip, Dean Cain!) J’onn J’onzz shows up and grabs the snake and saves Dean Cain.
Catherine: IDK I think they were trying to convince us he was more of a science guy than a guns guy. Like he was only there to science things but ended up with a gun.
Mari: Okay, sure. But someone should question who left the science guy alone with the gun.
At the DEO, Supergirl tells us that J’onn has been in the interrogation room for hours, but when we get back in there, they are still talking about the snake that almost ate Dean Cain. I’m not sure what they’ve been doing for hours.
Samantha: Maybe there was a weird segue where they started talking about different types of snakes and then started rating them based on scare level.
Mari: Nothing else makes sense.
Lucy and Jim are having a hard time believing that J’onn didn’t kill Dean Cain, so we head back to the flashback.
Dean Cain is keeping warm next to a fire and realizes that J’onn is staying a health distance away from it. Dean Cain says he needs the fire to survive, unless J’onn wants to cuddle… Well. That would certainly make this more interesting is all I’m saying.
J’onn explains that he doesn’t like fire on account of how Mars burned to the ground and he’s the last surviving Martian. Aw, J’onn. Maybe some more are in the Phantom Zone. Have hope. The Phantom Zone has everything.
Samantha: I bet my lost Polly Pocket is there.
Catherine: There’s a whole SECTION of lost Polly Pockets. And retainers.
Mari: J’onn knows that Dean Cain is here to kill him, but Dean says it isn’t like that. His unit pegged him as a threat, but that was before J’onn saved him from snake. J’onn is a refugee, not a threat, just like his daughter Kara. Dean fishes out a picture of a Alex and Kara and shows it to J’onn who emotionally says that he too had daughters. Dean promises to explain everything to his unit and to do everything he can to protect J’onn. He introduces himself as Dean Cain [Jeremiah Danvers] and extends his hand. J’onn introduces himself as J’onn J’onzz and goes in for the handshake, but before it happens (*significant*) J’onn hears people out in the woods and he’s shot.
Dean Cain tries to stop Hank, but he comes guns and prejudice a-blazing, talking about how he designed special bullets for the most powerful being on the planet, which is what Superman called Manhunter. J’onn and Dean both plead with Hank, who won’t listen. Dean finally results to toppling Hank over. Hank starts wailing on Dean and stabs him in the gut. Dean manages to roll Hank off him and off a cliff. J’onn struggles up and kneels next to a wounded Dean who whispers, “take care of my girls,” and dies. I guess this kind of puts a kibosh on dreams of Dean Cain living happily in the forest somewhere? OR DOES IT? (S: IT DOES NOT. I need this dream, Mari. If Jon Snow can zombie back then Dean Cain can be living in the forest.)(C: Mostly dead is still slightly alive.)
Hank walks through the DEO and people welcome him back. He thanks them and his eyes glow red.
In the present, he tells them that he’s used Hank’s identity to protect the planet. If they want to take him down for being different, so be it. Lucy looks conflicted, but says this isn’t about being different. Jim thinks maybe J’onn has been planning to build an alien army or something. You would think he would need evidence of that or something. (S: Aliens don’t have civil rights, guys. Just because they are sentient and you know, exist, doesn’t make them people. Sheesh.) (C: He literally goes, “Maybe you’re planning to build an alien army. But WHY would you want to do that???” Like, IDK dude, you tell me, it was your idea.) J’onn gets a little angry and says he’s only brought honor to this department and Hank Henshaw was a sorry excuse for a man. Jim stands and says Hank Henshaw was his BFF. Those two things aren’t mutually exclusive, Jim.
Lucy ends the interrogation and she and Jim lead J’onn out. Alex and Supergirl approach and ask where they are taking him. Alex defends J’onn, saying that he’s saved her life countless times and is an honorable man. Jim don’t care.
Cat Co. Cat is leaving for the day. Siobhan sneaks in and sits at Kara’s desk. She starts writing an email to Cat from Kara about “how she really feels.”
Catherine: Oh god the hacking on this show. You don’t need to literally break in to someone’s office and sit in front of their computer to hack their email! THAT’S NOT HOW THIS WORKS THAT’S NOT HOW ANY OF THIS WORKS!!
Mari: DEO. It’s Alex’s turn to be questioned and she’s attached to a lie detector machine. Out in Command, Supergirl asks Agent Vazquez if she can disable whatever tech they are using to block Supergirl’s super hearing. Vazquez stands and says she most certainly will not do any such thing, but she walks away and leaves her earpiece behind.
Lucy asks if Alex knew that Hank was really an alien criminal when she was recruited. Alex says she did not know Hank was an alien refugee, and that he in fact saved her life. We flashback to Very Bad Behavior, including shots, club lights, and zoomy camera and LONG HAIR. We watch Alex take shots, dance like a bad girl and then stumble out to her car. A policeman catches her and we cut to her being sad in a police department. Hank arrives to give her a heartwarming speech about her special potential and recruits her into the DEO. (S: Who doesn’t like recruitment with their hangover?) (C: Alex was a bad girl? What?)
Hank gives her a tour of the DEO and in the present, Alex says that J’onn gave her a home and a purpose. Jim says that’s all heartwarming, but doesn’t answer the question of whether or not Alex knew Hank was really an alien. Alex says no and the machine doesn’t beep. Jim congratulates her on not being a criminal, just a terrible agent.
Lucy is the worst, though, and says that Alex is lying and under arrest.
Catherine: Just like that. And then Jim just… goes along with it, I guess? Even though he already said she was free to go and he outranks Lucy. This episode is really poorly written, guys.
Mari: Only this episode?
Supergirl charges over, demanding to know what’s happening, as Alex is led away. Jim says Alex is going with J’onn to Project Cadmus.
Samantha: Fun fact: Cadmus was one of those vaguely douchey Greek heroes who slayed monsters and stuff, so the name fits.
Catherine: Other fun fact: Project Cadmus is in the comics. It’s a lab run (in the beginning) by a mad scientist who does a bunch of shady experiments on aliens. Cadmus created Superboy in the comics and they were the ones that stole Superman’s body after he died fighting Doomsday to do weird shit to it. I seem to remember it being on Lois & Clark: TNAOS, too. But I might be wrong. Let’s rewatch that right now and find out?
Mari: It’s in my Amazon library, don’t you tempt me.
The next day, Kara fills Jimmy in on everything, including Lucy’s role in the interrogations. Kara mentions Project Cadmus, and Jimmy says that’s bad news. It’s like a dissection lab for aliens. It’s why Clark won’t work for the government. Clark doesn’t know where it is, though. Kara says she knows what she has to do.
Cut to the Super Pad. Jimmy opens the door and Lucy’s there. They exchange barbs before Kara says she needs to tell Lucy something. She rips her shirt open and reveals her S. Lucy is taken aback for a second, but then says it all makes sense. Kara is sorry Lucy had to find out this way, but she’s the only person that can stop Alex and J’onn being sent to Project Cadmus. Lucy asks why she would want to help when aliens are lying liars. Kara says that when you are an alien dropped in a new world, you have to be.
We flashback to 12 years ago, in Midvale. Alex and Kara are walking together in school and Kara’s powers are freaking out. Alex calls out to a boy and he invites her to the beach after school. Alex says she’s supposed to hang out with Kara, and boy invites Kara too.
At the beach, Kara is (and this is actually super cute) beaming as she watches the birds. Boy tells Alex her sister is weird, so Alex runs over and tells her everyone is staring. Kara apologizes, saying there were no birds on Krypton. Alex is like OMG you can’t say things like that. Kara superhears brakes screeching and super-runs out to the road. She spider-monkey climbs onto the overturned SUV and rips off the door. She reaches in and grabs the woman and literally throws her out of the SUV. Calm down, Baby Kara, damn. (S: Omg, she’s kind of like a Baby Vamp! Only… good…) (C: And not hooking up with an adult werewolf.)
We cut to the Danvers’ home. Dean Cain sits next to a broody Kara and says that Alex will need stitches, but she’s okay. The parents and kids are all asking how exactly Kara pulled off the rescue and they say she got lucky, but that excuse will only work once. Kara apologizes and Dean gently says that the world already has a Superman, and her job is to be Kara Danvers. Dean Cain gives Kara a pair of glasses lined with lead to help suppress her vision and make her life easier. Kara puts them on and we cut to Kara wearing the same pair as an adult, which explains why they are so small and do not fit her face. But also a little bit of why she wears them apart from super good disguise. (S: Do not even.) (C: Ssh, Sam. It’s okay. Let’s just move on.)
Kara’s in an elevator at Cat Co. On her way out, she runs into Winn and hurts him with her super shoulder. Winn introduces himself and she hurts him again with her handshake. (C: Lol. Yes! Hurt him more! Kick him in the nads!) Kara explains that she’s there for interview with Cat, and she’s actually called next as Cat’s current assistant runs out crying. As soon as she walks in Cat starts up with a speech about UGH MILLENNIALS, SO HORRIBLE WITH THEIR OPINIONS AND SPECIALNESS. Kara is like, “nope, I’m definitely not special. Totally normal. I just want to help.” Then she uses her super powers to tell that Cat needs a pharmacy refill and ink for her pen. Mad skillz.
Back in the present, Kara ends her flashback by saying that aliens need to hide themselves in order to fit in. Lucy’s basically like “whatevs, liar.” Jimmy says Lucy can’t possibly be thinking of letting them send J’onn and Alex to Project Cadmus. Kara says that it was difficult for her to show Lucy who she really is, but she did it because she knows who Lucy really is underneath her uniform. She’ll do the right thing.
Truck. Alex and J’onn are being transported while Jim says menacing things about protecting human. Two people on motorcycles ride up behind the truck and the driver starts swerving to avoid them. Jim gets thrown to the side and drops the device that is keeping J’onn’s powers in check. The driver starts shooting at one of the riders, but the bullets all bounce off, so that’s Kara. She shoots one of the tires, stopping the truck.
Inside the trailer, Kara stomps on Jim’s device and J’onn is instantly able to free himself. Outside, we see the riders are indeed Kara and Lucy.
Catherine: Good thing they shot at Kara and not Lucy because she would have died???
Mari: Also, Kara did a pretty damn good job with that gun.
J’onn says that he isn’t going to kill Jim, just erase his memories of that night. Inside Jim’s head, though, he sees images of Dean Cain! HE’S ALIVE. Knife to the gut and death in a forest don’t mean A THING. J’onn says that Dean Cain is at Project Cadmus. (S: Omg omg omg omg omg WOO!) (C: We called it! 10 episodes ago.)
Outside, Alex tells Kara that she’s a fugitive now and she’s going to go find Dean Cain. Kara wants to go and help, but Alex tells her that this is something she has to do. Besides, Kara doesn’t need her. They have a tearful goodbye and J’onn assures Kara that Alex will be safe. Kara and Lucy watch them drive off.
Cat Co. Cat invited Siobhan for a meeting. It’s clear Siobhan thinks her plan has gone off without a hitch. On the one hand, does she even know Cat? On the other, stupider things have happened. Unfortunately for Siobhan, this is not her day and Cat immediately questioned the hateful email. She asked someone else to take a look at it. Siobhan looks up and Winn is standing there, looking gutted. He analyzed the typing speed and some other patterns when really, they probably just could’ve played back the security tape but OKAY. All the patterns matched Siobhan. Cat says she’ll call the police if Siobhan ever tries anything like that again. Siobhan leaves and Winn sill looks like a kicked puppy. (S: Literally wtf were you thinking, Winn? You two never even liked each other actually?) (C: Boo-hoo your gf of 5 minutes who you knew was trash did something trashy. Get a haircut.)
DEO. Supergirl and Lucy wonder if anyone knows they were the ones who broke the prisoners out. Lucy asks Agent Vazquez what’s being done to recapture the detainees and Vazquez informs her that actually, Jim resigned and named Lucy the new head of the DEO. Supergirl smiles and says that J’onn is getting good at mind control. Lucy asks Supergirl if she’ll help her do this job and Supergirl says she will. Lucy will do great in her 76th job of season 1. (S: Which I will forget immediately.) (C: Is she gonna wear that stupid hat the whole time? I hate that hat.)
Vazquez tells Supergirl that there is a bank robbery going on. Supergirl has feelings about people not trusting her anymore. Lucy says that Supergirl got her to trust, which is a good start. Supergirl takes off.
Siobhan is getting drunk on a roof. Winn finds her and thinks she’s about to throw herself off, but she says she has too much self-esteem to commit suicide. Oof. Siobhan freaks out at Winn for ratting her out and he explains that of course he did because Kara is his friend, she committed email fraud and also she would’ve regretted it. Siobhan says he doesn’t know her. She’s got no job, no friends and it makes her want to scream. As she delivers this speech, she’s been drunkenly approaching the end of the building. Her heel breaks and she topples over the edge.
She screams on the way down and her scream forms some sort of shield or sonic boom that keeps her from hitting the ground. Winn looks down at her like WTF and she looks back at him like BRO. NO IDEA.
Mari: Title screen.
That wasn’t the worst episode and I’m not just saying that because flashbacks, baby!Kara is adorable, and Dean Cain. Wait, yes I am.
Next time on Supergirl: Flash and a fun yet nonsensical episode in S01 E18 – World’s Finest.
I'm a 30-something south Floridan who loves the beach but cannot swim. Such is my life, full of small contradictions and little trivialities. My main life goals are never to take life too seriously, but to do everything I attempt seriously well. After that, my life goals devolve into things like not wearing pants and eating all of the Zebra Cakes in the world. THE WORLD.
I am a 30-something year-old human woman who lives in Maine. I'm a freelance writer who mostly spends time that I should be doing that, watching T.V. I also love reading and comic books way too much.
I'm a 28 year old graduated English major and almost librarian. I can often be found singing too loudly (poorly) in the car or spending some time (hours) on Tumblr. I am a lover of Harry Potter, the Spice Girls, and too many other things.