Previously: The Supers were having too much fun and Superman went home.
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Welcome to Earth
Marines: DEO. Supergirl is still being choked by Kryptonian Coma Guy [KCG]. He flips her through some glass and runs out from his medical area. The DEO agents are both incompetent and puny, so they easily tossed aside by the super strong KCG, who seems to have all the same powers as the Supers. Alex shows up and I promise you she cannot successfully wield a gun or take down a bad guy unless we are at least 30 minutes into an episode. So, instead of taking the guy down, she just yells, “FREEZE!” KCG jumps out the window, lands unharmed, and super runs his way all the way into the title card.
Samantha: Okay. Cool.
Catherine: Welcome back, everyone.
Marines: Hank J’onn is sad he got rid of all his Kryptonite now. It’s especially bad timing because the President is visiting National City to sign the Alien Amnesty Act and wants to tour the DEO. Supergirl apparently didn’t know any of this and gets super excited about Aliens getting full rights. Hank J’onn is not so convinced this is a good idea. Supergirl doesn’t get how he can say that. Hank explains that human and aliens don’t mix, even when said aliens can blend in like Kara and J’onn, and there are those who can’t. People aren’t very tolerant of those who don’t look like them. He says that as an alien and as someone who has worn the face of a black man for the last 15 years. I DID NOT expect them to address that head on. The CW just brought up J’onn J’onzz’s intersectionality as an alien and black WHAT EVEN.
Catherine: I was definitely impressed. I feel like the CW is getting off to a good start here with how they’ve been handling this stuff. Probably because the audience is teenagers while the audience at CBS were all over 500.
Mari: Alex agrees with J’onn and kind of takes it to an icky place by saying that she only knows 2 good aliens. 1- Clark Kent was literally just here, ALEX and 2- it’s a weird line to follow-up J’onn’s about being a black man. (S: Yeah, what exactly were you going for here, CW? I was just impressed don’t make me look stupid.) Supergirl says she’s happy the President doesn’t think the same way as them. Alex says Supergirl can tell her that when she meets her. Supergirl spazzes out because she’s excited and nervous to meet the President. Hank J’onn reigns her in by saying she’ll be representing the DEO and he expects her to be professional. Plus, the President is the lucky one, getting to meet Supergirl. She thanks him and then after a beat wonders if she should get a blow out. Hank J’onn leaves with a “oh, dear God.” It’s a very fatherly moment.
CatCo. Jimmy (C: Who?) is trying to run an editorial meeting about the arrival of the President. He wants to start pitching headlines, but Snapper interrupts and says you write the story first and come up with the headline later. Jimmy is all, “but Cat Grant said…!” and Snapper shuts him down there. Everyone is very uncomfortable, especially as Jimmy tries to regain control of the meeting and Snapper talks over him and assigns everyone to their tasks and stories. Jimmy’s last try is to give the exclusive with the President to Kara, but Snapper says she’s a rookie and gives it to someone else. Everyone skedaddles and Jimmy and Kara are left alone. Kara gives him a big sigh, but then has to leave too because she’s meeting the President.
Samantha: At least your side job is super cool, Kara?
Catherine: This scene was painful to me. I feel like they’re trying to phase Jimmy’s character out or something. But like.. slowly?
Mari: Supergirl lands in front of Air Force One, next to a little girl holding a “we love you Madam President” sign. (S: *sniffles*) Supergirl and the little girl geek out over the President for a moment, before she deplanes. It’s Lynda Carter! (S: Whoa!) (C: I forgot this was happening and I got SO excited. WUNDA WOMMMAAANNN!) Everyone claps and honestly Supergirl claps in such a dorky way, it’s kind of impressive. Everyone is happy and things are going well until a fireball takes out of the Secret Service. That definitely halts the happy times as the remaining Secret Servicemen try to get the President to safety. Supergirl tries to see where the fireballs are coming from and gets pegged by one. She’s okay, though, and manages to get to the President in time to protect her from a fireball and save her life.
After a commercial break, Supergirl is still gushing about meeting the President. Alex is there and she’s got information about heat signatures and a clue! a clue! It seems the attack was courtesy of Kryptonian Coma Guy. Alex sees something that makes her scowly. She heads over to some other cop and demands to know what she’s even doing at her crime scene. The lady stands and introduces herself as Maggie Sawyer of the NCPD, Science Division. Alex pulls out her psychic paper-esque ID and hits the magic button that turns it into an ID for the secret service. Alex rudely tells Maggie that this is a federal investigation and she basically needs to GTFO and stop contaminating the evidence. They face off, but eventually Maggie backs down when Alex tells her that her jurisdiction ends where Alex says it does. Maggie says she’ll see her around. Have the ships for these two started yet or should I wait a scene or two more?
Samantha: Lol, they’ve started. You’re good at chemistry, Marines!
Catherine: Cutting in for the nerd lesson: Maggie Sawyer is from the comics but she’s normally a white woman, so it’s really awesome that they chose to cast a WOC for this part. Also she’s a really cool badass police detective in the comics, too. AND she’s canonically a lesbian, which is really cool because her character was introduced in the 80’s, which is before lesbians were even invented yet, guys. She was always one of my fav characters as a kid.
look how COOL her glasses were
Mari: We cut to the DEO, where Supergirl and Hank J’onn are walking the President around. She’s surprised that Hank J’onn doesn’t walk around as J’onn 24/7 now that everyone knows his real identity. Hank J’onn says that would blow The CW’s CGI budget way too quickly that people are more comfortable around him when he’s Hank J’onn. President Lynda says that she hopes her Alien Amnesty act will change that for him and all other aliens making Earth their home. Hank J’onn is still dubious because there are bad aliens out there. President Lynda says that once upon a time, someone gave Hank J’onn the benefit of the doubt. She wants to pay that forward and have hope. Supergirl is super impressed with everything President Lynda said, but she’s gotta jet because she has to conduct her first interview as a reporter. (S: Pesky day job!)
Turns out she’s interviewing Lena Luthor to get her take on Lynda Carter’s Amnesty Act.
Lena answers by showing Kara a mouse looking thing that conducts a skin test to identify non-humans. Kara gets all nervous and asks if this is against everything America is about like, like freedom from prosecution and oppression. I guess the last time I saw a Supergirl episode, Trump wasn’t our President elect, so I’m gonna go cry now. (S: Yeah. This is… rough. This might be a Cry Show for a while. Ugh.)
After a cry-break, Lena says that she’s cool with aliens getting rights, but it’s the right of humans to know who are the aliens among them. (S: Is it, though?) And also, it’s her right to make millionties of dollars. When Lena turns her back, Kara quickly uses her heat vision to zap the mouse. Lena asks her to try it out, and when she does, Kara gets the green light for human.
Catherine: I mean, I thought she was just gonna break it with her heat vision but okay.
Mari: Right, that would’ve been logical.
Back at the DEO, Winn announces that he’s tracked down Kryptonian Coma Guy to a warehouse in the arts district. He tries to explain how he did it, but Alex is already gone. We watch a DEO team break into the warehouse, but all they find is Maggie Sawyer, in the dark, being obnoxious. I cannot stand these kinds of characters, to be honest. Like, why are you even there don’t you have something else to investigate weirdo. (C: Good point.) Maggie has figured out that Alex is DEO, and Alex pays 0 attention to Maggie. (S: Good for you, Alex.)
Science-y warehouse lab. A guy shuts off the lights and gets ready to leave, but Kryptonian Coma Guy is there, ready to choke him and demand to go home.
Samantha: Man, I am always demanding to go home and people never take me seriously.
Catherine: You should try choking them.
Mari: Unofficial #snarkladyadvice.
Back at the DEO again, Supergirl yells at Alex for not waiting for her to go after the Kryptonian. Apparently, Alex hasn’t been around for the past 23 episodes, and thinks running in on an Kryptonian is not big deal. Supergirl stomps away, and Alex gets a call. It’s from Maggie, asking if Alex wants to see how local cops handle aliens. Is that what the kids are calling it these days?
CatCo. Snapper reads lines from the article Kara turned in. Kara is super proud of her scoop and her reporting, but Snapper says her pro-alien slant is showing. If he wanted her opinion, he’d have given her an op-ed. Since Kara knows nothing about journalism, she cries at him for a few seconds about how totally right her article was, but Snapper throws it at her and tells her to rewrite it with just facts. (S: You are new at this job, girl, try to learn.)
Kara stomps out, passing Jimmy on the way, and telling him that she misses Cat. Jimmy’s like, “yeah thanks,” but he gets it. He misses her too. She wouldn’t have let Snapper take over her meeting. Kara gives Jimmy a pep talk, telling him that Cat obviously believed in him. He just has to be the boss he wants to be and stop emulating Cat. Jimmy thanks her, and she’s gone in a flash so this show can pretend like nothing was between these two. We shouldn’t ask questions. Look at how quickly she’s gone! (C: No seriously, who is this guy? Is he a character? Like, on the show?)
Alex meets Maggie in a back alley. She rolls up on a motorcycle and Maggie one-ups her (“I have a motorcycle at home!”) because that’s who Maggie is. Maggie leads Alex to a door in the sketchy alley and knocks. Someone looks through the peephole and Maggie gives them the password: Dollywood. Alex is like, “great a dive bar,” but after a look around she realizes it’s full of aliens. Alex reaches for her gun, like an idiot, (S: Sometimes Alex is so hard to like.) (C: For real. WTF was that?) but Maggie calms her down and tells her this is a alien safe haven. Alex is a little superior about Maggie using this to get all her information, but Maggie says they also make a mean peach mojito.
The waitress comes over with two beers for the girls and tells Maggie that she moved on quickly. Alex is taken aback by the comment, but then also when she realizes that the waitress is a Roltikkon, a kind of alien that can form telepathic connections by making physical contact with the dorsum of the tongue. Maggie is like, “yep. She learned English from me if ya know what I mean.” The waitress is her ex. Alex is still processing that information as Maggie shares more: she doesn’t always date aliens, but she can relate to them. She grew up as a non-white, non-straight girl in Nebraska. She was an outcast and the aliens are mostly the same. “Most of them are hard working immigrants or refugees just trying to get by.” Ah, shit. Are they trying to make me like Maggie right now? (S: Yes. Is it sorta working?) (C: *laughs evilly*)
Also, I feel a little bit prickly anytime the aliens are code for people of color. It’s happened so long across the history of fantasy and science fiction and, hey, people of color are people too, you know? Same applies for the disabled, for the queer, and any other marginalized communities. THAT SAID, I’m not totally hating the parallels they are drawing here between the aliens and some real life stuff we are dealing with. I’m impressed that The CW is even going there and I hope they don’t completely ruin this.
Samantha: Yeah, I’ve been on edge since they started.
Catherine: Television is so relaxing!
Mari: Definitely the way we do it!
A bearded alien approaches the table and gives Alex a super creepy look. Maggie tells him to be careful and then asks about the Kryptonian Coma Guy. She tells him this is to protect the president and he answers, “she’s not my president.” OMG. BEARDED ALIEN, I FEEL YOU. #hesnotmypresident
Samantha: #nastywomenforlife
Catherine: I wish Lynda Carter was our president that would be awesome. INVISIBLE AIR FORCE ONE.
Mari: ANYWAY, Alex pulls back his finger (C: Um, haven, Alex. Remember?) until he tells them that he saw the Kryptonian Coma Guy and he was asking for space coordinates and stuff. Alex figures KCG is looking to send a signal home, and she rushes out of the bar. She bumps into a red head on the way out, and the suspenseful music just takes the heck right off as we follow the red head back to her seat. When she grabs her drink, it starts bowling under her touch. 1- We did this in high school in a hand boiler in chemistry class. Anyone? Anyone? 2- It would SUCK to boil all your alcoholic drinks, right? Like WTF. 3- I have no idea if this girl is significant.
DEO. Winn is doing important computer stuff. Kara is trying to rewrite her article, but she’s struggling because she has a lot of passion. Alex runs in and asks Winn to run a scan for any signals going into space. She says it in a fancier way than that, but you know. Signals into space. Winn finds one and Kara assumes Kryptonian Coma Guy is trying to phone home to Krypton, but no. Winn says the signal went to a planet called Daxam. Kara gets OH SHIT face and then runs out, ripping her shirt to reveal the S on the way out.
Catherine: This threw me. Does everyone at the DEO know that Kara is Supergirl? They can’t right? Why is she hanging out there as Kara? And why is she quick changing in front of everyone?
Mari: Very good questions. They must all know now.
Supergirl flies into the warehouse where Non-Kryptonian Coma Guy is trying to phone home. They fight, even though Non-Kryptonian Coma Guy insists he doesn’t want to hurt anyone. Alex is like HOKAY and beats him up anyway, mainly because he’s from Daxam, ugh, am I right? (S: Those Daxam…ites.)
After a not!break, Supergirl explains that Krypton and Daxam were in a bloody war that Daxam started. Krypton was a democracy with really awesome people and Daxam was a monarchy with really bad people.
Catherine: Daxamites are basically the Romulans to Kryptonian’s Vulcans. They are both descended from the same race and they live 3 minutes apart but they evolved slightly differently so war, obvi.
Mari: Winn is like, “okay, that’s weird, but why would he be trying to kill President Lynda Carter?” Alex offers to go ask, but Supergirl offers to do it herself.
Outside, Hank J’onn is waiting outside the cell. He says that Supergirl didn’t tell DCG what happened to Daxam. Supergirl confirms that no, she didn’t.
Kara visits Lena, who wanted to see her after the article turned out to be pretty good. Kara admits that she first wrote a scathing article, but her boss made her rewrite it. Kara is glad, though, because some things happened that made her rethink her views. She still thinks Alien Amnesty is good, but there are some bad aliens out there. Lena is glad Kara sees things from her point of view. Then she jumps into a story-time about how she used to adore Lex and she was crushed when he went bad. The moral of the story is that some people are just bad to the bone and all you can do is learn to protect yourself.
Samantha:
Catherine: Okay, I guess. Okay? That seems like a weird moral for an upbeat show.
Mari: Presidential Event. Alex and Supergirl are pretty confident that nothing will go wrong since Daxamite Coma Guy is locked up, so obviously something is about to go wrong. Maggie is there too, mostly to walk like a badass, in step with Alex. President Lynda Carter gives her speech, but when she goes to sign the act, alien fireballs appear. It’s the boiling girl from the bar! I SEE, I SEE. This is what happens when it takes you multiple days to watch an episode. I totally forgot that the first attacked involved fireballs. Today, I was bad at TV. D:
Samantha: It was bound to happen, the thing to prove the thing.
Catherine: I had to look this up because honestly fuck if I know, but apparently this villain is called ‘Scorcher’ and she is from the comics. She’s a Teen Titans villain. But ‘Fireball’ is a better name for her, honestly.
Mari: Okay so Fireball does her thing and before Supergirl can stop her, mostly because she stands around an explicable amount of lot here, she disappears and kidnaps Maggie.
After a not!break, Supergirl blames herself for being blinded by Daxam hate. Hank J’onn pulls up some pictures of Fireball, and Alex recognizes her.
Cut to the Dollywood bar. Alex slams down pictures of Fireball Alien in front of Bearded Alien, but he pretends like he has no idea who she is, but a couple hundred would jog his memory. Instead, Alex beats him up and gives an impassioned speech about how Fireball kidnapped Maggie who works so hard to protect his rights. The bartender steps in and tells Alex that Fireball Alien hangs out by the foundry.
Fireball has Maggie tied up while she delivers her alien manifesto: this amnesty act looks like it’s about equal rights, but she thinks it’s about registering aliens and knowing where they are at all times. Supergirl lands and tells Fireball that she’s real cynical and a fight breaks out. Supergirl punches, Fireball burns things. Supergirl freezes Fireball and stands around for a while. Fireball burns out of it, obviously. Alex spots her dropped gun. She tells Maggie to grab it and get out. She stands up and calls to Fireball to… distract her, I guess? Let’s go with that. Fireball shoots at Alex, who ducks out of the way. Supergirl finally stops standing around and flies really fast circles around Fireball, choking out her fire. Fireball falls and it looks like she’s about to reach for the gun, but Maggie is there to hit Fireball with some metal. She smiles and tells Alex and Supergirl that they are fun. (C: This fight was okay but boring and obviously not very high stakes. Not that everything has to be.)
CatCo, the next day presumably. Team meeting. Snapper is yelling at Olson because someone rewrote his piece. Jimmy says he did it because he’s the boss. They have a stare down and Snapper gives in with like 5% of a smile. He asks Jimmy what he wants. Jimmy says he wants a newsroom governed by respect. Jimmy will stay in his lane if Snapper stays in his. Snapper says that’s fair enough and leaves. Kara gives Jimmy a cute little GO BOSS!, but then we cut away from the scene ASAP because FORGET ABOUT THESE TWO, OKAY? (S: THERE WAS NO JEFFING FLIRTING, GOD.)
Catherine: Whot’s this? Representation? *adjusts my monocle*
Mari: Supergirl goes back to visit Daxamite Coma Guy. She opens his toiletless cell and apologizes for assuming he was trying to kill Lynda Carter when he totally wasn’t. She introduces herself formally as Kara Zor El from Krypton. He shakes her hand and introduces himself as Mon-el, so I guess he can stop being Coma Guy now. Mon-el asks if he can send that distress call to his planet now. Supergirl tells him to sit down for this: Daxam was destroyed when Krypton exploded. They have shared sads. (C: I have a whole thing about Mon-El but I’m doing it next recap because I’ve already talked too much once again and they introduce him better in the next ep anyway.)
Out in the main DEO… lobby?, Hank J’onn and Supergirl say goodbye to President Lynda. Supergirl is still super impressed, especially with Air Force One.
#superjokes (S: LOVE IT!) (C: YEEESSSS.)
Hank J’onn is still super hesitant. President Lynda tells him that it isn’t enough to defend the world. He has to live in it. With that, she leaves, and we see that her eyes go all white and her face turns red. The President is an alien!
Samantha: I really really hope she’s a good alien or I’m going to feel like The Kimble Disappointment from Designated Survivor all over again.
Mari: Later that night, Hank J’onn visits Dollywood, except that he goes in as J’onn J’onzz. The helpful bartender from earlier asks what he wants to drink, but when she sees his face, she’s taken aback. J’onn asks if he should transform, but she says it’s fine. He thinks maybe he knows her, but she says her shift is over and runs out. J’onn, now back to being Hank J’onn follows her. He asks who she is. She transforms herself and introduces herself as M’gann M’orzz, the last daughter of Mars.
Someone should go help Mon-el out and tell him that he’s never really the last person from his planet. Ask the Martians and Kryptonians. (S: And the Time Lords.) (C: For real.)
Next time on Supergirl: Alex and Maggie, Kara and Mon-el, J’onn and M’gann in S02 E04 – Survivors.
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.