Martin Carr reviews the eighth episode of Supergirl season 2…
Anyone familiar with the stop motion classic which is Clash of the Titans where an aging Laurence Olivier played a soft focus Zeus and lorded it over his minions, will be aware of Medusa. A temptress cursed to turn those who looked upon her into stone, Sporting a nest of vipers inside of your more traditional Grecian bouffant. Which is why such an intriguing tagline should be nothing more than that, as Supergirl has gone to some lengths in the past linking content and title together. That surprise aside there are at least five plot threads slowly coming together, in what has politely be referred to as ‘crossover’ week for DC fans everywhere.
Fans of Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl will be able to experience interlinked episodes which kicked off this Monday with the latter. Last year The Flash turned up in an episode which proved to be a huge ratings winner, as well as being really good fun hence the premise being expanded. Not that Supergirl currently needs a boost of any kind bearing in mind the amount of intrigue currently circling National City.
With CADMUS and the identity of its ring leader common knowledge to audience and character alike the unmasking was only a matter of time. That their weapon of choice designed to wipe out alien life was in fact designed by an unexpected source, brings both a sense of responsibility and guilt to an already overcrowded playing field. Throw in the real Hank Henshaw and some serious smack down action in an alien slash cyborg dust up and you can understand why Supergirl is working.
Berlanti has really focused on balancing the right elements here. Steering clear of saturating his audience with too many set pieces, topical preaching or overt character manipulation to remain relevant. There is a sense that these actors are really having fun with the arcs they are currently playing out. Whether that is Kara and Mike, James and Winn or Alex and Maggie there is a sense of cohesion which remains smart but not cocky. Whilst bringing in elements from another show as your closer on the episode works well without seeming like a life line.
Outside of that it was nice to see Helen Slater getting involved with DEO business, in a move which felt natural rather than forced. While the burgeoning romance between Kara and Mike remains the only weak link, in the sense of it feeling too convenient. But if this is the only element sticking out like a sore thumb amount so much positivity, then I feel sure Supergirl will survive what most will consider a minor narrative niggle.
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Originally published November 30, 2016. Updated November 29, 2022.
