DISCLAIMER: I claim no ownership of the television series Smallville. Smallville is the property of Warner Bros. Entertainment and the CW Television Network. No profit is being made in the making of this review, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Topic: Episode Review
Reviewed Episode:"Supergirl."
Reviewer: Dark Onyx
Dedication: This chapter, and every following chapter, is dedicated to both Jimmy Olsen and my deceased grandfather Andre. Rest in Peace. The both of you will be dearly missed.
"SMALLVILLE SEASON TEN, EPISODE THREE: SUPERGIRL."
REVIEW
Three weeks ago, at the conclusion of the episode "Lazarus," a relatively unpopular radio show host named Gordon Godfrey was possessed by the malevolent spirit of Darkseid.
The possession, shown to us in the form of ravens (surrounded by black smoke) entering the body of the host, was pulled off unconvincingly. The effects were a little bit shady, and the acting didn't make it any more convincing.
Three weeks later, in the present time, Gordon Godfrey in holding a press conference to discuss the message of his new book: "Super-Heroes or Super-Menaces?"
Clark, along with a host of other reporters, is there covering the event. Naturally, he looks uncomfortable and in disagreement with the "anti-vigilante" message Godfrey is spouting.
Lois steps unexpectedly into the frame and has a brief reunion with Clark, in which they discuss Lois' disappearance and Clark's urging for her to do so. They looked as though they wanted to kiss the entire time. I'm glad they didn't; grown-ups getting all kissy-faced is icky!
Godfrey takes his criticism of the Blur's methods (as well as his apparent goodwill and unwillingness to come out of the shadows) too far for Lois' liking, and she starts up to his podium to confront him on the issue.
"Bring out the marshmallows, Clark. I'm gonna roast this turkey!"
Before Lois is able to have her ill-timed confrontation, Godfrey's "STOP THE MENACE" billboard is unveiled. Without warning, Godfrey's billboard began to shake tremendously. Within seconds, it begins to plummet downwards into the crowd.
Clark uses his speed to push Lois (who is frozen almost directly underneath the billboard's path) out of the way and stop the billboard from harming the reporters and Godfrey. Before the sign comes far enough down for him to catch it, however, it is caught in midair by someone who is most certainly not Clark.
Kara, dressed in an outfit that is almost perfectly identical to her Supergirl uniform (minus two or so major details), winks at the stunned Lois and Clark and flies off into the Metropolis skyline.
The red cloth that was used to cover the billboard was obviously CGI. It looked depressingly fake, and it took me out of the scene. Kara holding up the billboard was, if possible, even worse. Instead of looking as though a professional special effects crew put together a short scene of a girl holding up a billboard in front of an astonished crowd, it seemed to me that film students with only moderate experience and a really tight budget decided to slap something together for a quick fan-film. But I digress.
Oh, and if you were curious, the writers explained Cat's absence in this episode through Lois:
"She was conveniently volunteered to cover a dog-sled race in Alaska."
Back at the Daily Planet, Clark and Lois discuss Kara's actions and the impact she's had on the public. Lois (who seems to have forgotten everything she and Carter discussed last episode) continues to play coy with Clark by addressing the oddness of him seeing his cousin with super powers. After uncomfortable dialogue (which wasn't uncomfortably given or acted) the two agree that Kara must have come into close encounter with a meteor rock.
Lois and Clark go on to debate the rewards of a hero going public. In a show of continuity and character development, Clark expresses the idea that the Blur should follow Kara's lead. Lois shoots down the idea fairly quickly; also showing continuity, she argues that heroes coming out into the open and showing their faces could have very bad consequences for both them and the people they love.
I don't have much experience with journalism, so maybe I'm simply overreacting to everyday occurrences, but was I the only one who found it odd that a full-fledged article on Kara (nicknamed the "Maiden of Might") was written, edited, and published in the thirty or so minutes it must have taken Lois and Clark to make it back to the bullpen?
"Mmm, gurl you sexy! Ooo, that's right, work it hunny! And pose! And pout! And pose, and pout, and whuuuuut? Whoo Jesus, if I wasn't gay, I'd just smack your little bottom!"
Clark walks in on Kara's photo shoot, and upon seeing him, Kara calls for a break in the action. The two of them come together for an embrace, and the pleasantries are exchanged. Clark questions Kara on her actions at the press conference with thinly-veiled concern.
Kara, vague in her reasons for doing so, tells Clark that it is critical she get her image spread around the city as quickly as possible. She claims that she's doing it for his benefit; as you might be able to understand, Clark doesn't really see the silver lining.
Clark doesn't appreciate Kara's blatant flaunting of her images and abilities; if anything, he's almost offended by it. He demands answers. Kara reluctantly hands them over.
Jor-El has given Kara a mission, and getting her image and powers around the city is a part of that mission. Clark wasn't informed of either Kara's return or her operation because Jor-El has, effective three weeks ago, disowned him; he is no longer considered his son.
Am I the only one stricken by how absolutely odd it is that Jor-El would trust Kara with a mission before Clark? Jor-El has expressed nothing but the deepest loathing (and I admit that perhaps that is too strong a word) and distrust for Kara ever since he became aware of her presence on Earth. His feelings for her have never been shown to have changed, and the idea that he would come to her for any problem is laughable.
Instead of Jor-El abandoning his son just because he, for once in his life, displayed confidence in himself and his abilities, he should be guiding Clark onto the "right path." What he is doing now makes no logical sense; if he doesn't believe that Clark is ready to defend the Earth and is susceptible to being swayed by the darkness, why would he continue to let Clark keep his powers? Completely abandoning and disowning him will not help the Earth - at all. If anything, it makes Jor-El looks like a complete and utter buffoon.
And can someone explain to me the logic of Jor-El disowning Clark now, of all times? What, confidence is a no-no, yet his endless defiance is a-okay?
And you could argue that Kara is simply a last resort, and that perhaps Jor-El and Kara were willing to put their past disagreements aside for the protection of the Earth. I can understand that. But, again, if Jor-El has now reached the conclusion that Kara is a more worthy candidate than Clark to defeat Darkseid, then why does Clark still possess super-powers? This does not make any sense!
By letting Clark continue to keep his powers (and bear in mind that I'm following Jor-El's logic here and not stating my own personal feelings) he in unnecessarily endangering the Earth. If there were ever a time to strip Clark of his powers, it's now.
Jor-El shouldn't be able to do any of this anyway. It's been three episodes, and we still haven't been told how the Fortress was able to repair itself.
Also, Kara wasn't exactly all that sweet on Jor-El either. Why would she just blindly follow his orders with absolutely no intention on finding out Clark's side of the story? Why wouldn't she try and find out Clark's point of view on the whole situation and then proceed in whatever manner she saw fit? It was very out-of-character for Kara.
That aside, I can almost guarantee that it will be revealed that, in the end, this was all some sort of test. I can assure you that whatever will come out of Jor-El's artificial mouth if this is indeed true will be (for lack of a better term) utter bullshit.
And the way Kara is going about the mission is idiotic. If she really needs to get her face and image all over the city, then she needs to be using a disguise for that image. She is known as Kara Kent (thanks to her winning the Miss Sweet Corn pageant back in the seventh season), and there is no doubt that reporters, fans, and crucifiers alike will be doing back-checks on her. Not only could that hurt Clark (who would logically be investigated as well) but also Martha Kent. It's quite obvious that she (and therefore the writers) didn't think this all the way through.
Lois and Godfrey finally have their confrontation, in a church that bears a strong resemblance to the one that was looked after by Edward Teague. Their discussion begins on a slightly hostile note. Lois asks him for his comment on his "embarrassing save by a certain Girl Wonder."
Godfrey is unconcerned with his near-death experience and remains stubbornly un-swayed in his "anti-vigilantism" philosophy. He assumes that Kara was responsible for the accident, and believes that her actions were a ploy to get people to lose their faith in him.
"She may fly, but I have a feeling that blonde bimbo is no angel."
HEY! You're still in church, you schmuck!
Unrepentant, he continues on to reveal his plans to dig up any and all information on the vigilantes that operate within Metropolis' city limits. The Green Arrow (whose secret identity has been told to him by someone who is implied to be Rick Flagg) will be the first to have his identity revealed, and if all goes to plan, his reputation will be slaughtered.
Tomorrow morning, the final chapter of his book will be released online; and with it will come the secret identity of the Emerald Archer.
The dialogue in this scene (as well as the chemistry between Erica Durance and Michael Daingerfield) was spot on.
Oliver is undergoing his martial arts and disciplinary training inside his office at LuthorCorp Plaza. He flashes back to the very first time he and Chloe shared a kiss, and in his anger and frustration at not being able to locate her, he smashes his fist into a wooden board, shattering the center of it into pieces.
Lois sarcastically applauds the effort. The two of them fall back into their usual banter, and Oliver speculates that Lois left simply because she was afraid to let Clark down, and is only back because she is regretful of her actions. Lois corrects him and gives him a bit of insight into the insecurities she and Carter discussed in the last episode.
Lois and Oliver discuss Godfrey's plan to make Oliver's secret identity common knowledge. Oliver wants to brush it all off; he conveys that he doesn't consider Godfrey a real threat. What's interesting to note is that he seems extremely unconcerned with the fact that his identity has been compromised.
Lois insists that they continue to discuss the issue, and Oliver is revealed to think that it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing for his identity to be revealed to the world. He believes that the people have a right to know.
Am I the only one who noticed just how weird it is for Oliver to be practicing this sort of thing at his job? I know he's the boss and everything, and therefore he can do whatever he wants, but why would he make the decision to catch up on his practice at LuthorCorp of all places? It looks really odd, and it clues you in on the fact that the producers destroyed the Queen Tower set.
Also, I feel the Chloe-Oliver scene was inserted at a very odd moment, and felt really out of place. It was just unnecessary in my opinion, and it didn't belong in this episode. I have nothing against Chlollie (I've actually grown to like it), but I don't need it shoved down my throat every episode.
And where the Hell is Oliver's scar?
Godfrey's publicist enters his limo and compliments him on his interview. She remarks on the fact that she hasn't seen his final chapter and requests that she be able to look it over before its due date to be released. He denies her.
The two go on to talk about Godfrey's influence. He wants to be able to touch every soul in Metropolis - and likely the whole world. He goes on to note the frailty of human beings and notes that the greatest architects of their own undoing.
Slightly unnerved, his publicist recommends that he take a break for the night and leaves him to his devices. He seems to agree with her; reaching into his inner coat pocket, he pulls out a flier for "Club Desaad."
The women listed on the flier are as follows:
XX-Kitten.
Poss Sinstress.
Mistress Shea.
Those names are completely and utterly irrelevant to this review. I just felt that you deserved to know.
Plus, I like the sound of XX-Kitten.
He commands his chauffer to take him to the club, his voice taking on a dark undertone. The driver (Lois) agrees.
Clark is upset to find that his shortcut to the Fortress has been stolen. Kara flies in at that moment and reveals to him that she confiscated the Key. Annoyed, he takes it back from her, and the two begin to engage in further discussion about Kara's purpose for coming back to Earth.
Kara's motivations for showing off earlier are revealed to be because she is trying to draw the dark force that has come to Earth (Darkseid) to her so she can defeat it. Clark is upset because Jor-El turned to Kara for help instead of him.
The conversation begins to drift directly to Clark. Kara maintains Jor-El's opinion that Clark isn't ready to face Darkseid. Clark maintains that he knows his destiny, and believes that with all the training and trials he has received, he can defeat the threat.
Kara reveals that the evil has the ability to take advantage of peoples' doubts. Clark once again maintains that there isn't anything out there that he can't handle. Kara begins to mock Clark by noting his inability to fly.
Clark suggests that the two team up, instead of Kara blindly placing her faith in Jor-El and putting the world at potential risk. Clark urges her to help him.
Both Kara and Clark came off to me as arrogant in this scene. Clark was less so; if anything, he was overconfident in his abilities and his belief that he could handle anything. Kara, on the other hand, came off as arrogant and mocking when she mocked Clark for his inability to fly. Personally, I don't see what flying is going to do against Darkseid, of all people, but it's normal for others (even fans) to put a sense of over-importance on the flight issue.
And, umm…it only occurred to Clark to go back to the Fortress to have a chat with Jor-El now? He's had an entire episode (Shield) and several hours of off-screen time to go talk to daddy, but he chooses now to have a family reunion?
Clark and Kara are standing at the top of a windmill, attempting to gain access to Clark's power of flight. Kara describes to Clark how flying just comes naturally to her, and he seems to take the words to heart. He tries to tune out every noise and concentrate on his objective, but it proves to be impossible for him.
Kara recommends that he focus only on one particular sound; such as the flapping of the wings of a butterfly. With a look of utter determination, Clark takes to the sky.
And he flies.
For a few seconds. Then he crashes down into the barn.
Clark is understandably upset by his failure, and Kara remarks that it was a mistake to go against Jor-El's wishes and attempt to train Clark. Clark insists that he just needs more time to figure it all out. Kara denies him his second chance and stresses that he isn't ready. Clark refuses to sit by and do nothing. Kara spontaneously reveals how Darkseid managed to come to Earth (through a rip in the universe three weeks ago) and insists that he won't wait around until Clark has access to all of his powers.
Clark, who seems to have caught on to how Darkseid arrived, speeds off. Kara follows in his wake.
It was blatantly obvious that a green screen effect was used to create the field at which the windmill resided. The windmill itself was made out of bad CGI. The flight scene was really good, however. I was slightly disappointed when Clark wasn't allowed a second chance, but by no means was I surprised.
Also: Kara's ensemble of a blue leather jacket, yellow shirt, red skinny jeans and boots was a really good look for her. I actually like it (in terms of proto-suits) better than Clark's current Blur costume, although I shouldn't have to say that I wouldn't want him wearing it.
Kara and Clark arrive at Clark's old tower. Clark reveals to Kara that he used the Book of Rao three weeks ago to open a portal; that portal, he reasoned, must have enabled Darkseid to come to Earth. He speculated that perhaps Darkseid could perhaps be sent back to wherever it came from by using a separate portal.
Kara reveals that she has had previous practice in using her bracelet to open portals. She goes on to say that Darkseid feeds off of negative emotions. He can see a person's thoughts and feelings just by looking a them, and if given the chance, he can find the barest trace of doubt in even the purest soul. He can possess those people, and if Clark confronts Darkseid before he is ready, he will most surely be possessed.
Darkseid, however, cannot prey upon someone who is pure of spirit.
Okay: this would have been a wonderful time for Clark to explain to Kara the events of what happened last year with Zod and the Kandorians. Instead of (justifiably) demanding why Clark opened a portal that Darkseid was able to sneak through, she just excepts his explanation without question. This was most likely to gloss over the fact that Kara's arc in season eight was rendered completely and totally unnecessary and worthless by the entirety of the ninth season.
This also makes everything that Darkseid does this season Clark's fault by extension. Whoopee.
And I did not at all appreciate the implication that Kara is a better hero than Clark at this point. In my opinion, that can't be farther from the truth.
Clark has had much more experience with dealing with these sorts of situations than Kara. Over and over again he has been tested and put through ridiculous trials and he has managed to come out on top each and every time. Kara has pulled off a few saves and traveled in space for a year. Do the writers truly expect me to believe that she is currently the better hero just because Jor-El said it was true? I don't think so.
This is a typical case of introducing guest heroes (old or new) and building them up while making Clark look bad at the same time. I hate that. I have absolutely no problem with Kara coming back to give Clark a helping hand or whatever, but to almost outright state that she is the better hero right now? In the final season of Clark's show? Yeah, I don't appreciate that.
And why the Hell is it suddenly nighttime?
Oliver enters the same church that was seen earlier during Lois and Godfrey's first face-to-face interaction. He kneels by the alter and pulls out a picture of his parents.
He begins to speak to the picture, his voice choking up with held-down emotion with every sentence he spouts. He feels that he's let his parents down because he failed to protect the person he cared about the most. He tells them of Chloe's sacrifice, and how he feels that she (nor should anyone else close to him) shouldn't have had to go to such great lengths to protect him. He kisses the photo and walks out of the church, leaving the photograph behind.
After following Godfrey into Club Desaad, Lois dresses up in full Dominatrix gear (along with a mask and blonde wig) in an effort to seduce him. Her plan works, and within seconds, she and Godfrey are going at it like wild animals in the backroom.
I'm not joking.
Okay, I am, but wouldn't that be hilarious?
Los is easily able to seduce him, and in the process she learns a few…kinky…things about the guy that I don't think anyone in particular really wanted to know.
She handcuffs Godfrey's hands to the chains above his head and invites two other women to "smash [her] body up against his" and "[become] the woman his Mama warned him about." The girls eagerly adhere to Lois' request, and in record time, Lois has successfully gotten several pictures of the threesome on her camera phone.
After sending the two other women off to go spank each other (no joke) Lois reveals her identity. Godfrey is suitably impressed.
His attempt to bribe Lois into not publishing the photos by giving her his one and only copy of the evidence revealing Oliver's identity as the Green Arrow proves to be futile. With the click of a button, the pictures are sent to her editor.
Godfrey snaps the handcuffs, his voice once again taking on a deep undertone. He comments that, thanks to her pure heart, he is unable to take control of her body. She attempts to fight him off, but he deflects her efforts, and with one hit, she's down for the count
Some people may think that the fetish club fiasco was a little bit too intense for Smallville, but I disagree. Aside from seeing people in risqué costumes and a little bit of grinding here and there, nothing big or intense actually happened. If anything, the whole thing was pretty tame.
I rolled my eyes when I saw Lois dressed up in yet another one of those eye candy outfits that were obviously designed to attract the young male crowd (such as myself). Those cheap little ploys need to stop, effective immediately. I love seeing Erica in these outfits as much as the next guy, but even I recognize that there's a limit to how far the writers can go with it before it starts to get grating. I honestly have no idea how or why Erica puts up with it.
I have mixed feelings on Darkseid visiting a fetish club. On the one hand, he is freaking Darkseid! Among the greatest and most powerful of the New Gods, ruler of the planet Apokolips, evil manifested in physical form, the conqueror/destroyer of worlds, freaking Satan himself! He should be above things like this!
On the other hand…like I said, Darkseid is considered by many to be the ultimate evil. He has often been compared to Lucifer himself. This is something I could easily see the devil doing. And honestly, when I think about it, I don't think it too much of a stretch to think that Darkseid would come to a place like a fetish club, whether it be for amusement or pleasure.
I'll just dock half a point.
Clark leads Kara into the Watchtower and does a very quick run-down of its function and history. After taking a glimpse of the Tower's interior and seeing Clark taking command of its accessories, Kara comments that Jor-El might have underestimated Clark after all.
Kara mentions that it's likely that Darkseid's host is someone who has a lot of influence. Clark accesses the newsfeeds and decides to start with Gordon Godfrey. He finds a video of a speech Godfrey made on the website of a fictional news station, and within minutes, his super hearing picks up on the underlying voice of Darkseid underneath Godfrey's.
Kara steps up and uses the computers to try and track Godseid's movements. They are able to access a street's security cameras and come across Godseid's limo just before it pulls off to Club Desaad. After zooming in on the face of the driver and realizing that Lois is involved, the two of them speed away.
I really liked the Kara-Clark teamwork that this scene exhibited. This is what we should have gotten instead of the condescending remarks from Kara and the arrogance from both of them.
Lois wakes up to find herself bound and gagged with Godseid standing over her. The noises she makes while she tries to escape sound really sexual, especially when you keep in mind that she's in a fetish club and dressed in Dominatrix gear.
Godseid commends her on her faith in superheroes and mentions that her suffering is exactly what he needs to bring the Blur to him. He switches on a device that begins to pull at the bonds wrapped around Lois' arms and legs, stretching them in different directions and making it likelier by the minute that she'll be ripped apart.
I just realized that the producers most likely had the actor who played Godfrey use the same voice changer Justin Hartley uses when he dresses up as Green Arrow. The voices sound incredibly similar.
Clark and Kara enter the club and Clark decides that they should split up and search for Lois separately.
Clark enters a dark room and sees Godseid silhouetted against a stormy sky. He demands to know what he's done to Lois. Godseid dodges the question and begins to plant the seeds of doubt within Clark's mind. Clark tries to shake off his feelings and once again demands to know where Lois is. Godseid delves deeper into Clark's mind, and starts to bring up Clark's insecurities and darkest desires. Godseid can literally see the darkness in Clark's heart, and right then and there announces his plan to possess his body.
The essence of Darkseid exits Godfrey's body in an explosion of black smoke and crows. The essence begins to surround Clark, and just as it swoops in in an attempt to take control of his body, Kara darts in, her bracelet acting as a shield and repelling the darkness with a bright light.
Clark is shaken.
I'm annoyed; not because Kara saved Clark, but because we were given no explanation as to how Kara's bracelet was able to repel the darkness. It was stated earlier that her bracelet has the potential to open a portal to send Darkseid back to where he came from, but there was no mention or implication of it being able to completely repel his essence.
Clark rushes to Lois' aid without a second thought. He frees her from her restraints and gently places her on the ground. Before Lois wakes up and realizes that it was Clark who rescued her, he speeds away and Kara takes the credit for the rescue.
I actually liked that Clark's rescue bit was hidden behind a red sheet. Not only does it leave the save to the imagination (which is sometimes necessary, in my opinion, and somehow even makes the rescue more exciting) but it also saved us from more bad special effects.
Lois and Kara walk out of the club. They begin to talk about Lois' ordeal, and Lois brings up the topic of Godrey's apparent "double life." Kara, going along with Lois' misinterpretation what truly happened, is unimpressed by Godfrey's dark side.
"There's two sides to everyone. Even heroes."
Lois and Kara then begin to discuss what it's like to have super-powers. Kara mentions that, ever since she gained her abilities, she hasn't been beholden to anyone or anything. Lois' expresses sadness over this. At Kara's confused look, she goes on to say that Kara must feel incredibly lonely. She speculates that it might be easier to be a hero; that way, you don't have anyone tying you down.
Kara remarks that it is easy for people to only see the powers, and not the person behind them. Upon reflection, she realizes that even heroes, on occasion, need someone to come home to.
I really liked this scene. We very rarely got to see Klois interaction before this episode, so to see the two talking to each other in a genuine and thoughtful conversation was refreshing.
Back at the DP bullpen, Lois drops a newspaper article detailing Gordon Godfrey's sexual exploits onto the files Clark is looking through. She mentions that a friend of hers at the Metropolis Inquisitor published the story in her place; after all, "leather and lace" realy isn't the Planet's style.
Clark thinks that Lois went too far in her efforts to discredit Godfrey. Lois defends her actions by saying that she wasn't able to stand idly by and listen to Godfrey badmouth and undermine Metropolis' faith in its heroes.
Clark commends her on her bravery, but he is still hesitant to simply let Lois' dangerous actions go. Lois once again defends her actions by revealing to him her fear of being alone in the world without heroes like the Blur or Kara. Clark warns her that, if she continues to place people like the Blur on such a high pedistal, they just might let her down.
Lois scoffs at this; she is fully aware that every hero - including the Blur - is a real person, just like her. She recognizes their internal wrestlings with their doubts and fears. But she believes that the Blur is…different. He's her hero. And no matter what, he will always be there for her.
This was a very beautiful scene. I really liked it.
However, I have to note that it's unfortunate that Gordon Godfrey's career was absolutely ruined because of Darkseid. We saw at the beginning of the episode that he was just a simple radio host that stood for nothing more or less than "Truth, Justice, and the American Way." Because of Darkseid's interference in his life, his career has been flushed down the toilet. I do not blame Lois for being the one responsible for making Darkseid's actions in his body public knowledge; she had no way of knowing that he was possessed. However, I still feel sad for the guy.
Clark, deep in thought, leaves the Daily Planet and bumps into a brunette woman just outside the entrance. He looks back to apologize, but with a start, he realizes that the woman he ran into is Kara, in a dark grey business suit and glasses.
Clark hesitantly compliments Kara on her new look, but questions why she felt it necessary to play dress up. Kara claims that she recognizes now that you aren't able to save people when you are the center of attention; nevertheless, she's going to stay in Metropolis and continue to fight Darkseid.
Clark and Kara begin to discuss what happened back at the club. Clark reveals his confusion over how the bracelet was able to repel Darkseid's essence. Kara explains that the bracelet most likely wasn't able to act as a portal because Darkseid was trapped inside of a host.
Clark and Kara then discuss why Darkseid didn't see it fit to try and possess Kara instead of Clark. Without waiting for an answer, Clark morosely comes to the conclusion that Kara is "pure of spirit." For that reason, her efforts in leading the Darkness to her were futile.
Kara doesn't feel as though she's pure of spirit. She feels as if she has just as many issues and flaws as anyone else does. Clark reminisces on what occurred between him and Godseid; he acknowledges that if Kara hadn't come between the two of them, he would have been possessed by Darkseid's spirit.
Kara tries to encourage Clark to try and overcome his failure at repelling Darkseid. She goes on to urge him to stay out of the fight with Darkseid. Without another word, she leaves him. Clark reflects on her message, and wonders if maybe the Blur truly isn't the hero he always thought he was.
Okay: now I'm angry.
Did the writers really just do this? Did they really come up with the idea that Kara should get a separate identity from her heroic persona before Clark and actually have the nerve to think that it was a good idea? Did they really think that the only way to make Kara look even more great in comparisoin to Clark was to once again have her (unintentionally on her part) spit in his face and announce that she's better than him? Did they really just do this?
I don't have much a problem with Kara announcing her prsence to the world upon reflection; someone could easily (and justifiably, I might add) argue that Supergirl going public before Superman is just as much a spit in the face to not only Clark Kent of the Smallville universe, but the Superman mythos itself, but I would have to disagree simply because of one fact: her presence didn't do squat.
It truly didn't. When Superman made his presence known to the people of Earth, everything changed. More costumed heroes began to come out into the sunlight; people began to put their faith in the heroes that emerged; and they looked to Superman as a symbol of hope and inspiration, and in the most extreme cases, he was regarded as a savior. Kara's debut did absolutely none of that.
Public opinion, as a whole, has not changed. No heroes have decided to come out into the light directly because of her influence. She is not looked at as a savior or source of inspiration. Her outing accomplished virtually nothing, and for that reason, I do not see this as a sign of disrespect to the mythos. Plus: since Kara's outing was an absolute failure (in terms of the mission she was assigned), she put Clark and Martha at risk for nothing. Oy.
So Kara's staying in Metropolis to fight Darkseid. Does this mean that we'll be seeing her around often? I sincerely doubt that. Laura Vandervoort (the actress who plays Kara) is currently a series regular on the sci-fi show "V" and we were lucky (and I hesitate to use that term) that she was able to find the time to make even one appearance. Not giving Kara a clean send-off was irrational and misleading, and I don't appreciate that at all. I can almost smell the plot holes that are bound to arise.
I noticed that the writers didn't actually explain how the bracelet was able to repel Darkseid's essence. All they did was explain that he couldn't be banished back to Apokolips because he was taking on host bodies instead of physically appearing. That doesn't in the least explain why the bracelet was able to act as repelent. I'm not surprised that we weren't given any straight answers, but to try and be coy by distracting us with a second exlanation and then completely ignore the actual question? That's low.
Kara doesn't feel as if she's pure of spirit and acknowledges that she has flaws and doubts. So why is she trying to fight the darkness, and why is she insisting that Clark stay out of the fight? Does that make sense to any of you? She berates and condescends to Clark for not fully believing in himself, but to then pull a one eighty and reveal that you yourself have doubts? And to then turn around and say that Clark should stay out of the battle and let her handle it alone? Are you freaking kidding me?
And then she just up and leaves. She doesn't hug him; she doesn't say she loves him; she just turns around and walks away from him. My…God.
Lois brings Oliver the flash drive she confiscated from Godfrey. Oliver looks slightly disappointed that his secret wasn't revealed, but he nevertheless thanks Lois for her efforts. However, he no longer wants the people he cares about fighting his battles for him.
Their conversation switches to Chloe's extended absence. Oliver reveals to Lois the true (but not complete) circumstances of Chloe's disappearance. Lois is confident that Chloe will eventually return, but Oliver doesn't look as though he shares Lois' self-assurance. However, he hopes that she's right.
A crowd of reporters enter Oliver's office. With little hesitation, he reveals to them that he is the Green Arrow.
I'm glad that Lois is aware of Chloe's disappearance, and that the matter of her disappearance in regards Lois' feelings about it were brought up. I like it when things like that aren't simply swept under the rug.
ANONYMOUS REVIEW RESPONSES
hot chocolate:
You are very welcome
katara:
No, she's not actually dead.
Kori:
Sorry, but Chloe lost her healing powers a long time ago. Watch the first episode of season eight.
Someone who used to care:
I'd appreciate it if you didn't insult other people when you review my stuff. It's fine that you dislike Clark's new costume, but to say that he looks "gay" is unacceptable. I would prefer it if you refrained from doing that. But I do agree that it would have made a lot more sense for him to simply have asked his mother to make a second suit.
ADDRESSING CONCERNS:
I have nothing personal against Kara. I actually like her character. I just really hate the condescending attitude and arrogance that she displaed in this episode. I won't miss her.
RATING:
This episode immasculated and regressed Clark in ways I wouldn't have thought possible in the final season. Things didn't make sense; decisions weren't fully thought out; they tried to make Kara seem like the better hero the whole episode, only to reveal in the end that she actually isn't, but then did a complete one eighty and said she indeed was; plot points were wonky; explanations weren't given; I could go on and on. For these reasons and more, I give Supergirl…
A 1 out of 5. I hate this episode. And I can't even dock half a point, because 0.5 isn't exactly a rating I can go with.
NEXT EPISODE'S PREVIEW:
http:/www. you tube . com/watch?v=yqc7XWrJIHU
I hope to God Homecoming is better than Supergirl. After all: it's the 200th episode. Take care, and God bless.
-Dark Onyx