Supergirl’s 18th episode (“Worlds Finest”) was nothing short of delightful. It was lighthearted and funny, which is very true to the tone of the show. The addition of Barry Allen/The Flash (Grant Gustin, who is perfect; if you’re not watching The Flash, DO IT) infused even more humor into and wit into an already charming show.
First, let’s tackle Siobhan. It turns out that her family is cursed. The cure would be killing Kara (the person who wronged her), but Siobhan goes full Vader and embraces her dark side. After Kara gets some pretty solid relationship advice from Cat (no, really), Siobhan marches into CatCo and hurls Kara through a window. The Flash saves her. This meet-cute is how Barry and Kara are introduced, discuss various identities and dispositions, and then later bond over ice cream—and a shared love for extreme calorie consumption. (My people!)
Jimmy, of course, is an absolute sad panda, because of how great Kara and Barry get along. He spends most of the episode rushing in, trying to help, and then making a face that even Eeyore would consider over-the-top. And one point, Winn calls him out on it, quipping, “Jealousy, thy name is Olsen.” It was very well-delivered, and I love that we’re getting more depth out of Winn. More on that later.
Someone caught a photo of The Flash, who Cat wants to name…The Blur. Barry foolishly suggests The Flash, but learns his lesson with merely a look: “Speaking was the wrong choice, I see that now.” But I nearly choked on my water when Cat scoffs that it sounds like the name of a trench coat flasher. SNORT.
Of course, there’s still trouble yet to come. After getting checked out at the DEO, Siobhan overheard Lucy interrogating Livewire, and “an evil Taylor Swift squad” is born. Not quite the #squadgoals most people have in mind, but okay. She breaks Livewire out of the DEO, plies her with beer (did that seem random to anyone else?), and chaos inevitably ensues. Cat refuses to leave the city, because she believes in Supergirl—knowing full well that Livewire wants her dead.
This leads into an excellent opportunity to bring Barry to the DEO. Once there, he is fascinated and thrilled by Kara’s spaceship (he wanted to take a photo with it!). He reveals his secret identity to basically everyone, but it’s okay, because he’s from another earth. (That’s what we’re going with, people.) Much like on his earth, Barry works some tech magic—with the help of Winn, his new BFF—and locates Sparky and Shrieky (to borrow his phrasing).
Kara and Barry rush to the abandoned warehouse (because of course), but with no plan, things go poorly. It’s only by working together that they get out at all. But the failure allows Barry to give Kara an excellent pep talk. Although she’s wearing the cutest yellow dress in history (guy’s, I’m a size 2/4!), she’s far from bright and sunny: “I feel lost. And I’m in such a hurry to prove myself again, I’m making stupid mistakes. Like today.” The whole Red Kryptonite debacle left a mark on Kara’s self-confidence along with her public image. But Barry helps set things to right. It is wonderfully ironic that his advice is that she slow down, but he also advises, “When you stop trying to force the solution, it’ll happen on its own.” And that is excellent life advice. Situations cannot be forced. Things have to happen naturally. The terrace scene is touching. It is full of kindness and a sweetness that was endearing and remarkably genuine. It’s something that DC has gone extremely right on this show, consistently. *side eyes Batman v. Superman*
Unfortunately, Silver Banshee and Livewire show up. Cat delivers a deadpan, “I see that my ex-minions are united.” Not going to lie, I love her bravado, her fierceness. She’s a badass and a role model just by being as strong as she is. Annnnnyway, my heart cracked for Winn during this scene. He tries to intercede with Siobhan, pleading with her so passionately, trying his best to reach her. She blasts him with her scream, and well…that’s going to leave a mark, in more ways than one.
The evil duo kidnap Cat and instruct Supergirl to come to the park or they’ll kill her. The park is a really odd choice of venue, but sure. Thankfully, Barry makes earplugs that negate Siobhan’s wailing. When Siobhan’s shrieking doesn’t work, Kara deliver a very Barry quip complete with swagger: “What, you lose your voice?” It was perfect.
You know what wasn’t perfect? Barry got his butt kicked by Livewire, leaving Kara to fight Siobhan and her alone. She puts herself in between Livewire’s blast and a helicopter (remember how Livewire got her powers? To be fair, I might hold a grudge, too.). The electricity drains Kara and she falls to the ground, but then a curious thing happens: the people of the city step in to save her. This does two things. First, it shows that her efforts are noticed—people saw she was willing to die for them. Second, it demonstrates what good people can do in the face of difficulty. That ordinary people can rise to the occasion and do extraordinary things. That one doesn’t need a cape to save people. In fact, it’s the firefighters who fell Livewire, spraying her with a hose: “Supergirl, it was our turn to help you.”
All’s well that ends well. Barry shows the police department how to contain metahumans, so that Sparky and Shrieky can get a fair trial. We also learn that Cat is well aware that Barry is The Flash, “he was so unfailingly charming and nice that he either had to be a superhero or a Mormon. Keira, I can spot the extraordinary pretending to be a nobody in my midst just like that.” So, I have to wonder if she is faking not knowing Kara’s Supergirl or what. Although, I do love the dynamic in which Cat gives Kara advice on her love life, so either way, I’m good.
Barry posits that if he and Kara combine their powers (run, then she throws him), they summon Captain Planet! Wait, that’s not right—Barry can get back to his earth. Before he leaves, he brings up Jimmy, causing her to blush like a shy thirteen-year-old girl, in the best way. It’s so sweet when Kara gets flustered. Harkening back to his earlier advice, telling her, “Maybe it’s time to speed things up.” They hug, and it’s really adorable. The characters are utterly charming together, and I sincerely hope Gustin comes back for another visit.
The episode closes with more chaos. Jimmy shows up at Kara’s, and awkwardly tries to use Barry’s multiverse theory to draw a parallel between them. Then she basically says, “Oh, screw it,” and kisses him. It is everything I’ve been waiting for—I mean, Kara and Jimmy too, whatever—and it is spoiled by Non.
He activated Myriad, which apparently turns all humans into mindless drones, leaving Jimmy and the rest of National City marching down the street. SO CLOSE. We were SO CLOSE to happiness and making out.
Ah, well. I suppose there’s always next week. I’ll race you there.
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