Martin Carr reviews the season 4 premiere of Supergirl…
There is more than a hint of Trump’s administration in this opener for season four. Alien emancipation acts, interspecies backlash and some big bad in the background pulling Machiavellian strings are just a few indications. Alien self-help groups gather in AA sized social circles to discuss their feelings, raise concerns and prepare against an influx of anti-alien sentiment. Meanwhile Brainiac and Alex Danvers are at loggerheads as one has been abandoned by his Legion, while the other rebels against Winslow’s absence. Lillian is doing a Hannibal Lecter dishing out sage advice from behind bars while Kara turns from mentored into mentor, as her mirror image is employed at CATCO. There are other instances which involve Jonn, Lena and James Olsen but episode one is primarily about establishing building blocks and setting tone.
New characters are being carefully introduced while long term faces are being provided with a refreshing make over or change in professional responsibility. American Alien provides little of earth shattering interest but does work in some emotional beats between established characters and a modicum of under the radar action. This feels to some degree like returning to old friends as everyone from Benoist to McGrath and on to Leigh and Harewood play their roles with subtlety and confidence.
Breadcrumbs like potential pieces of plot line are glimpsed in the latter stages and our fully encased Svengali remains elusive, whilst admonishing his underlings in gravelly tones. Something which is unavoidable remains American attitudes to illegal aliens and by extension immigration. There is a minimal jump to be made from the fear of persecution due to difference through to current attitudes as voiced repeatedly by Donald Trump. Berlanti and company have decided in their wisdom to address something which is going on right now, affecting millions of people and likely to have repercussions across an increasingly small world.
As Supergirl and a majority of hero franchises deal with difference and change on some level this is nothing new, but done now, in this manner there can be no avoiding the comparisons and no room for grey area in the conclusions drawn. Those points aside there is a sense of beginning here which illustrates a confidence in their core audience and sense of purpose behind these new elements. That being said it would be nice to see a little fire and brimstone in coming weeks to provide more momentum.
Martin Carr
Originally published October 17, 2018. Updated January 8, 2019.
