Martin Carr reviews the thirteenth episode of Supergirl season 4…
This week Supergirl has mountainous mojo, collective cojones and plentiful pounds of political edge aimed directly at an American administration. Story wise there is a global rampage which adds swagger, sass and social media savvy angles to an episode which will be remembered. Subtlety is something other programmes do, something more conventional superhero franchises stick with, not this one and not now. Words like immigration, segregation, isolationism and racism should be branded across every frame.
When the government is operating outside legal boundaries, contravening established protocols and riding roughshod over civil rights things can get messy. Secret satellite weapon systems which hark back to Reagan’s Star Wars programme tap into a Cold War paranoia which should be long dead. Vigilante groups with advanced technology and the support of public opinion only serve to ramp up a powder keg mentality, while splinter group leaders are condoned by Capitol Hill throwing up more problems.
Manchester Black and a super powered back up team called The Elite prove pivotal in giving both Supergirl and everyone else pause for thought. Based on extreme notions with a solid grounding in reasoning and logic, this team are looking to right wrongs using their system to decide. There is a confidence in the writing, an underlying agenda being manipulated and actors having fun. This is perfectly balanced between the training of new superheroes, dramatic moments of character progression and challenges to leadership within fringe groups, which remind us what makes Ben Lockwood so formidable.
From single opposing voice to a figurehead for countless numbers his metamorphosis from Agent Liberty into government pawn has been seamless. Staunchly apposed to alien occupancy due to personal impact this character has taken a public persona shrouded in mystery and revealed himself to be savvy with and without that mask on. He has been instrumental in making season four divisive and everything which has occurred up until now can be traced back to him.
Beyond the underlying agenda which displays no subtlety in showing displeasure with America’s administration, it is surprising how successful Supergirl has been in mixing things up. By cutting off Kara from her sister, making every decision based to a degree on self-interest and blurring lines of morality and ethics this season has been hugely interesting. Episode thirteen will be a landmark for many reasons but primarily because the kid gloves have come off. This is no longer a show aimed at a clear demographic but instead one taking adult themes, real world problems and cultural touchstones before dissecting them on prime time network television.
Martin Carr
