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Supergirl: All About Eve

Supergirl: I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders. And since Superman left, and Lex has been free, it feels a lot heavier.

There's nothing like a great villain to get the juices running in a series, and nearly all the characters have plenty to do.

OK, Lex Luthor doesn’t appear, but that’s just as well, because that master criminal stole all the scenes in the last two episodes. His deeds are still felt and the characters work on tracking who they perceive as the weakest link in Lex Luthor's organization. That happens to be Eve Teschmacher, who turns out to be much more devious than anyone expected (first lesson: don't underestimate bubbly blondes).

For the A-story we have Alex, Lena and Supergirl teaming up, after Supergirl sweetens her acceptance at the DEO with doughnuts. Kara may be Alex’s sister and Lena’s best friend, but Supergirl is no longer known to them as such, and at times things get a little awkward. I especially liked this exchange:

Supergirl: This is how Lex had powers. Is that a part of your research too?
Lena: This is why I didn’t want to work with you. Because every time I think things are getting better with us, you display an inherent distrust of my intentions. What is so wrong about helping humans protect themselves?
Supergirl: Because someone like Lex could get hold of the technology and use it for evil, which is exactly what happened.
Lena: You look past all the good we’ve done and only see red when you feel vulnerable.
Alex: Lena saved Argo with this, she rescued Sam. She cured Bitsie’s cancer – and she saved James’s life.

The episode also gets back to the anti-alien sentiment (I guess James’s photo in “Stand and Deliver” didn’t work on everyone, or, more likely, those with significant interest in being anti-alien pushed back). We have some scenes in Washington, where Agent Liberty in his guise as Ben Lockwood is lobbying a senator to vote to repeal the Alien Amnesty Act. The senator says no, but later changes her mind (why? Lex Luthor? Or the Children of Liberty?). Everyone goes to DC, even James Olsen with his camera. Then Teschmacher sidelines Supergirl with a clever trick (stop underestimating Eve, or perhaps the idea came from Lex; we don't know) while Red Daughter shows up and attacks DC. Everyone thinks that Red Daughter is Supergirl – with the exceptions of Alex, Lena, and even Colonel Haley (and I don’t think Haley's attitude was just because Supergirl brought doughnuts). Still, only a handful of humans know that Supergirl is not still the protector of humanity; instead most consider her to be Enemy Number One. This is promising. Supergirl, who was so loved, is now a pariah.

The only character outside the main arc of “Let’s find Lex,” is J’onn J’onzz, who is having issues with his inability to be a true man of peace. The anguish makes sense, but actually I wouldn’t care all that much about the self-searching – except then a facsimile of his father shows up and M’yrrn J’onzz is just so funny. Even though we’re pretty sure that this is all taking place inside J’onn J’onzz’s mind (confirmed at the end), M’yrrn J’onzz still manages to behave in ways that are unexpected for J'onn.

So, if the Alien Amnesty Act has been repealed (what pressure was brought to bear is still an open question) and if humans can now get super powers, is it still Supergirl’s duty to protect Earthlings? Even if that’s what she promised Kal?

Title musings: “All About Eve” is the title of the episode, and even though Eve Teschmacher showed up in a few scenes, more of the episode was spent learning about some of the things she had done: such as her passion for Lex, her lead-lined lab, her affection for her cousin Bitsie, and the fact that she was the one who shot James Olsen. So that’s the literal interpretation; however, there’s a second. All About Eve is also the title of a movie, in which an understudy, Eve, is trying to replace the star of the show – and we have Red Daughter trying to replace Supergirl.

Bits and pieces

Interesting risk for shapeshifters: you can forget your true form. Makes sense, actually.

Liked how Supergirl showed up at the DEO with a box of doughnuts and an offer of help, and loved the emphatic way that Colonel Haley grabbed the box from her.

Carl Lumbly, as M'yrrn J'onzz, does a perfect glottal stop. And inserts it into c’off’ee.

Kryptonite-shooting zombies. Cool!

James is also having a tough time, suffering from PTSD when guns are fired. It doesn’t help when he learns that Eve Teschmacher was the one who shot him. That’s a serious betrayal.

If the Alien Amnesty Act could be repealed by a vote in DC, doesn’t it only apply to the United States? Are aliens welcome on other parts of the planet? Or am I being too nitpicky?

At the end, J’onn J’onzz sets off for Mars, in his shapeshifter spaceship (I really liked it when it was a car). Supposedly he’s going there to bury the Sacred Symbols of the Green Martians, so that they can be rediscovered when the Universe is ready for them. So he won’t be around when Supergirl needs him most.

Quotes

Supergirl: Kal left me here to protect Earth, and I let his archnemesis slip through my fingers.

J’onn: What would you have me do, sit around and pray all day while the world around me burns, like you did on Mars?
M’yrrn: At least I didn’t run.

Brainy: The transitive property strikes again.

Lillian Luthor: I hate to say, I told you so.
Lena Luthor: Really? Because I just love saying it.

Lena: So who are you going to bet your life on – the psychopath – or me?

Overall Rating

A very strong episode, bringing plenty together, with good dialogue, great special effects and lovely acting. Four out of four cups of c’off’ee.

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

2 comments:

  1. I'm enjoying this season. It's working for me. And I really enjoyed seeing Carl Lumbly as M'yrrn again, and especially in such an unexpected and delightful way. And I'm glad this "holy man" subplot is finally over. It was never right for J'onn anyway.

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  2. The senator looks at the woman (staff? another senator?) we saw on TV (Eve with the face-changing tech) after Lockwood asks about her changing her vote. So Eve and therefore Lex were behind the changed vote. Which makes sense. How else would they explain Red Daughter's attack as Supergirl going crazy after the vote?

    I'm trying to remember - was the Alien Amnesty Act just for the US? It makes sense that individual countries would make their own rulings on aliens, until at some point the UN would make a more global ruling.

    I was a little bored by J'onn's scenes, but glad the man of peace plot is over.

    I'm really liking that Supergirl and Lena made up and that Alex and Lena (and Brainy and Haley) are on Supergirl's side for this. So many times in TV shows a plot like this drives people apart, and all the distrust when you know it's a misunderstanding (or an evil clone, lol) becomes tiring quickly. I'm hoping Haley's softening toward Supergirl will lead to J'onn being able to restore Alex's memories by the end of the season.

    I really liked that James has a bit more character work to do with his PTSD (and nice setup with him talking about the torture in a previous episode during Lex's trial). Does he realize he has superpowers yet? With having the same powers as Lex (and both having "gadgets" too, although Lex's are more advanced), it sets things up for a future battle - Lex vs. James, and Red Daughter vs. Supergirl.

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