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Supergirl: Make it Reign

M’yrrn J’onzz: “Home is not a place. It is living among those who love and honor you.”

Lots going on in this episode, following from previous threads and hinting at what is come – we’re obviously nearing the season’s end.

Brief recap: Kara and Mon-El are stuck (most of the time) on Argo, while the dark witches are planning to terra-form (krypto-form?) the Earth to make it home for their kind. This is extremely logical: basically what happens nearly every time superior (at least more powerful) beings arrive. Think of what happened to the natives in Australia and the Americas when the Europeans showed up. And what happened to all the other species (mammoths, giant sloths, dodos) when humans reached their environments.

The Kryptonian dark witches are three in number (at least for now), and I can’t help but think of how often witches come in threes, from ancient Greece to Macbeth.

This episode contained plenty of satisfactory moments. Thomas Coville, a religious fanatic who used to worship Supergirl – but she tried to avoid the adulation – ended up serving the dark witches. Religious fanatics are, you know, fanatics, and often quite short-sighted. I was glad when they murdered him.

I was not as glad when Demos, one of the DEO employees, was murdered despite his new belt shield, but I did appreciate Winn’s reaction and deep regret. One of those “feel real” moments. James can point out to Winn that Winn’s work has saved him a thousand times – but that doesn’t make up for the loss of someone who was counting on Winn’s technology.

Mon-El and Kara are stuck on Argo for a good part of the episode (hey, everybody – always lock your car or your ship), but manage to trick one of the witches into hitting the right button so they can transmat across five lightyears.

I thought the evolution with respect to feelings between Mon-El and Kara was really natural, and the writers showed some lovely symmetry. Winn wants to have a drink with Mon-El to learn more about it, and Alura, too, wants to understand her daughter’s feelings better.

The moment when I came closest to tears was when Supergirl introduced her mother to Alex. For a moment Alura doesn’t get it, and then Kara says, “Mom, Alex,” and Alura realizes that this is the human who has done so much for her daughter. Few words, just a big hug. What words would suffice?

M’yrrn J’onzz, however, tries to find words for Alex, thanking her for giving his son a home. J’onn may have been living on Earth since before Alex’s birth, but Alex is what made Earth J’onn’s home. Alex kicked ass numerous times, even telling the guys to get out of there while she took on the witches. Hence she gets the photo today, also in celebration of her improved hairdo.

The special effects for The Reach – the transfer of Martian memories – are really cool, but the crisis on Earth meant it had be terminated before M’yrrn died. And now we’re getting hints that he may come to a noble end, by fusing with the planet.

We’re left hanging, with Earth’s future in the balance. So what will happen? Will M’yrrn fuse with the Earth? Will Sam die in order to end Reign? I kind of hope so; Sam hasn’t been doing much for Lena lately. Besides, Alex wants to be a mother, and it’s a lot easier to work with an actress in her teens than with a baby. Will Kara and Mon-El finally kiss? Will Mon-El send his wife a dear Imra capsule? Am looking forward to the next episode!

Title musings: “Make it Reign” is a play on “Make it Rain” – they are having fun with the homophones! But the word “reign” is relevant, too – who is going to rule Earth? Our team, or the Dark Kryptonian witches?

Bits and pieces

Selena or Serena? Last week I thought it was neat that the writers gave the Kryptonian high priestess the name Selena, as that evokes the Roman goddess Selene, and the title of last week’s episode was “Dark Side of the Moon.” IMDB lists her as Serena – but the captions say Selena, and it sure sounds like Selena to me.

Glad Alex has a less asymmetric haircut.

Lots of apostrophes in those non Terran languages!

Hey, Erica Durance still looks good in a miniskirt – and although miniskirts are not as practical as pants for superhero business, they are a lot better than long princess gowns.

Quotes

Sam: I promise I will never keep you in the dark again. (Right! That is a promise any mother has a hard time keeping.)

M’yrrn J’onzz: There is no need for watering of the eyes, child. All of life is change.

Alex: Didn’t they teach you how to knock on Krypton?

Overall Rating

Very nice episode, with a good pace and some tugs at my heartstrings. Three and a half out of four shield belts (and I’d like one, even if Winn has lost faith in them).

Victoria Grossack loves birds, math, Greek mythology, Jane Austen and great storytelling in many forms.

2 comments:

  1. Hard to feel sorry for Demos when he watches like an idiot while Alex is buying him time with kryptonite. Also Kara throwing the blood towards the witches, talk about contrived.

    I bet Reign's life is linked to Sam and they will both die. I agree that instant teen children are the only way to do it in TV shows.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Selena was also the name of the villainess in the 1984 Supergirl movie with Helen Slater.

    ReplyDelete

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