5 Thoughts About Supergirl: "We Can Be Heroes"

1.) "Behold, ye mighty, and despair!" - Between this and Martian Manhunter's lines, this show got borderline biblical with the quotes this episode!   Seriously though, Livewire makes a return for the first time since the series' move to CW.  I don't know her backstory with Supergirl since I skipped season one and refuse to go back, but Kara was treating her much like Superman often treats Lex or Bruce treats Joker.  She starts off super-serious about Livewire getting out and at first I was thinking there'd be a big showdown between the two...but eventually the whole thing goes left and we learn Livewire was actually kidnapped by a mad scientist and being used for her powers!

That kind of took the wind out of the episode's sails if they were meaning to build the character up as a major nemesis of hers, but then again even without seeing season one I think we can do a lot better than Livewire, a former shock jock with massive delusions of grandeur.  On the other hand, Roulette's only made two appearances thus far and she's already succeeded in being a major thorn in the Maiden of Might's side.  Just saying...

Anyway, ultimately Supergirl eventually lets Livewire go, which in this case is something I really hope doesn't come back to haunt her, 'cause it'll be hard to handwave her guilt if Livewire murders a dozen people for her fourth appearance.

2.) "Let her drown in her own sins!"-   Okay first off, David Harewood is WAY too good for this show--or any of these CW series, for that matter.  This episode, M'gann is nearly killed after being trapped in her own memories, with the only way to save her being for J'onn to mind-meld with her and pull her back into consciousness.    Still full of fury at the White Martians for, y'know, committing genocide on his people, he spends most of the episode struggling with the pain of wanting to do the right thing.   He comes off as callous at first, but this episode does a great job of breaking down exactly what his problem is: he doesn't know how to let go of the hatred for the White Martians, as that's been the only thing driving him all these years.  But eventually, his heroic nature wins out and both he and the viewer get a chance to see things from M'gann's point of view, from which we learn two things: M'gann might be a White Martian but she lacks the monstrous killer instincts of her brethren, and there are more White Martians out there, coming for her--and presumably J'onn.

3.) "If I'm right, you gotta try vegan ice cream."  - Fortunately, the episode toned down the Maggie/Alex stuff for the week.  I think they're the cutest couple in the CW-verse (yes, even cuter than Barry/Iris), and this episode kept that going with them making bets on how various events in the episode would play out.  But last week's "Supergirl Lives" introduced some unnecessary drama between the two of them and the less of that, we get?  The better.   It's okay CW, not every couple needs the "will they won't they" element--just let the kick-ass action girl couple be a kick-ass action girl couple, alright? 

4.) "You know what I love?  Little boys who think they can do the job better than the woman who's an actual superhero." -  While we're talking about ass-kicking, this episode nearly knocked me off the train for both Guardian AND Mon-El. 

For whatever reason, James Olsen donned the Guardian outfit a few episodes ago, and has basically been going around doing the vigilante thing in National City to the complete chagrin of Kara.  It's been going....well enough....until an accident in this episode sees him get completely knocked out and Kara discovers his identity before he can even come clean himself.  Worse still, later in this very episode he ends up captured by the same mad scientist who captured Live Wire.   Not five minutes after having a conversation with Kara about how he's got neither the experience nor the powerset to do this job, he basically proves her point.   Which brings me around to...why are we even DOING the James Olsen/Guardian thing?   It barely made sense in the first place--he learned some Tae Bo and got a fancy suit (which, while having a nice shield, is apparently not insulated) and suddenly he's a superhero?   I'd point out all the heroes that didn't work for, but that was on a different Earth.

Meanwhile, after last episode Mon-El decided to join Kara as being a superhero--which sets him down the (hopefully) eventual path of being a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes.  And I'm loving that--but he's such a freaking putz right now it's insane.  Much as I like Supergirl better as a show, I have to say Earth-1 puts in much more work on its novice heroes insofar as training and making them...y'know, not suck.   While we're on the subject, why are Daxamites so garbage compared to Kryptonians?   Mon-El's not as strong as Kara or Clark, he's not as fast, and judging by this episode has no vision powers.    Hopefully this is just him needing to absorb more yellow sunlight, 'cause right now I see nothing he does that couldn't be accomplished by a version of Steel.  You couldn't have thought differentiating powers was that important--this is the same group of people who gave Gypsy the same powers as Vibe.

5.) "See you tomorrow, partner."  - Lastly, Mon-El finally comes out and admits he has feelings for Kara...and nothing happens, other than an awkward high-five.   You know, it's okay to give your main character a love interest.   She's already turned away James Olsen, Wynn, and now the bad boy Daxamite?   It's seeming more and more like her only type is "JUSTICE!".   Which is cute and all, but has to make for some lonely Friday nights.  For goodness sake--at this rate, unless a certain green-skinned twelfth-level intelligence shows up, she's going to be alone forever.   I know she's supposed to be the clean-cut member of The CW League, but so's Barry and he's still got Iris.    Here's hoping they don't leave this Kara/Mon thing in the air for too long.