Martin Carr reviews the seventh episode of Supergirl season 3…
As the tagline suggests there are multiple moments of revelation running throughout episode seven, which makes for another rounded entry in a solid season. Relationships are tested, families reconciled and new elements uncovered, that gives our main protagonists their moments of drama before the conclusion. With shades of Captain America: The First Avenger edging its way into the storyline, comic book legacies collide and breadth is added. Time travel conundrums are thrown into the mix, emotional connections are severed then renewed, while others experience biological change that requires investigation.
With the imminent emergence of Reign which has been teed up early on, we have been fed a trail of visual breadcrumbs as to her identity. A lot of Supergirl as a series has had time taken up with this, while the transformation itself has been endlessly teased. What can be said as we inch ever closer to the mid-season break, is that Reign is coming and we best batten down the hatches. Embodied by Odette Annable this latent super villain may prove to be the making of season three, combining invulnerability with an act of God vibe guaranteed to level the playing field.
As for emotional issues brought up by others including Jonn, Kara and Alex these are all pulled into sharp focus by the coming Reign. Although they may provide solidly emotional segues this is all window dressing, until we hit that smack down moment being cued up for next year. If anything the fact that Reign represents Kara’s opposite number should make those encounters meaty enough for both actors to get something worthwhile from.
Those promising elements aside the sub-plot involving implied time travel, Chris Evans overtones and human deep freeze comparisons is massively unbelievable. Without going into detail suffice to say that this piece of plotting is so ludicrous that towering pillars of sand erupting into the sky seem feasible. Thankfully these scenes which scream plot device are tempered by commitment from everyone involved. Benoist is both perky and teary within the space of forty minutes, Harewood does brooding, emotive and conciliatory, while Jordan does what Jordan does which amounts to being inoffensive yet impactful.
‘Wake Up’ as an episode contains lots of good stuff and maintains the standard of this highly watchable season, carried in the main by solid lead performances. Like all good shows it allows you to dip a toe in that world whilst providing enough connection to bring you back without wearing out the welcome. Three years in it’s nice to see Supergirl continually finesse their initial formula bringing something fresh to the table each week.
SEE ALSO: Promo for Supergirl Season 3 Crossover – ‘Crisis on Earth-X – Part 1’
Martin Carr
