Martin Carr reviews the eighth episode of Supergirl season 5…
This might be the warm up episode prior to cross over shenanigans but it still comes across as copy book stuff. Numerous stand offs happening simultaneously make things entertaining but ultimately predictable. Inadequate gods fail spectacularly to raise the ocean floor or destroy our resident lady in spandex whilst being superseded by committees. That is not to say Supergirl lacks action, empathy or a decent narrative but instead feels signposted.
Brotherly bonds which brought another Martian into the fold two weeks ago pay dividends here, while evil Lena becomes predictably not so evil after all. Alex has a crisis of conscience and trusts Kara’s judgement at the last minute, while Andrea looks distraught but wins out eventually. Mountain lairs, strategic defence measures and volcanic eruptions make sure that The Wrath of Rama Khan is a grandstanding event if nothing else.
Mitch Pileggi wears the leather tunic with menace and begrudges his weakening position with suitable amounts of pomp. Elsewhere self-sacrifice is the order of things as Miss Tessmacher aids Lena in an ever increasingly transparent ruse. There is the requisite navel gazing, tear stained glances at sentimental photographs and moments of musical interlude before everything is temporarily tied off.
In subsequent episodes I can only imagine Leviathan gets its act together and poses some sort of threat which is worthy of an apparent adversary. Lots of secret meetings and the occasional waving of a big stick are not really going to work. What we need is the son of Krypton back again to liven things up a bit. Between a vanquished Rama Kama, a diminished Shadow and the sub-committee of lesser threats currently jostling for position Supergirl is suddenly lacking in the villain stakes.
Ideally the return of Lex would be welcome as Jon Cryer has proved himself extremely suited to the role. Avoiding the comic undertones of Gene Hackman, Shakespearean take of Kevin Spacey or ill-advised appearance of Jesse Eisenberg. Cryer offers up a more concise fit than those that have come before and with less tongue in cheek. Bring him back on board and I feel that Supergirl will finish in style.
Martin Carr
