Supergirl’s 17th episode (“Distant Sun”) was directed by Kevin Smith—and that always makes this Jersey Girl happy (I loved that movie. Fight me.). It was rife with the usual humor and quips: Kara’s delight over bacon (yesssss), Mon-El’s Romeo and Juliet blunders, and Winn’s customary awesomeness. But it was also riddled with a series of awkward and awful parental encounters.
But as terrible as Rhea and Lar are—and great Caesar’s ghost, she’s objectively off-the-charts heinous—it was super fun to watch. I’ll even forgive Rhea’s weapon of choice being Raphael’s Sai’s from the Ninja Turtles. Mon-El’s mommy dearest took a bounty out on Kara, via what Winn calls “some kind of alien darknet, for all your shady needs.” I don’t know that we’ve ever seen Teri Hatcher as a villain before—and I mean this is the best way—she’s really frakkin’ great at it.
Of course, the parade of bounty hunters means everyone at the DEO wants Kara to hide—sorry, lay low—including Mon-El, who made me want to punch him, even though I do understand the concern. Kara counters everyone’s pleas: “I don’t bend. I don’t break. I don’t bow down to anyone.” Buuuuut she caves for 24 hours, which means game night! Unfortunately, it’s interrupted by Kara’s pouting—sorry, I mean a telepathic bounty hunter. Winn besting him with a red Swingline stapler is my favorite. I kind of wish they’d named that bounty hunter Michael Bolton.
All this leads to the worst plan ever, which is also very Kara, chockful of hope: she thinks they can reason with Rhea. So, of course, they tell no one and meet Evil Mommy in the Fortress of Solitude. Mon-El and Kara make a good case, impassioned and earnest. Kara especially, in all her doe-eyed goodness. I’m surprised anyone can resist her Pollyanna plea: “You have kindness in your heart.” Unfortunately, whatever kindness might’ve been there expired eons ago, and I’m pretty sure it festered.
Speaking of festering, let’s pause and talk about Alex and Maggie. First, they are freaking adorable, and I love them. Second, Maggie’s new name should be Pinocchio. Third, Alex is consistently kind, wise, and leads with her heart. I love how these two work things out, through discussion and a bit of armchair psychoanalysis: “You have a pattern of keeping things to yourself. … I’m not here to judge you for things that happened in the past.” And the conversation between them felt reminiscent of Winn and Lyra last week, when Lyra expected Winn to bolt and hate her. In the same vein, Alex sees Maggie for who she is and who she has been. People make mistakes. No one is perfect. To love someone, you have to love their imperfections, and that rang very true.
Rescuing Mon-El was pretty fabulous. From J’onn posing as Supergirl to Mon-El’s “Aren’t you a little short for a Stormtrooper?” it played really well. The fights were compelling, the tension was high, and Lar had a heart in the end: “Enough! Enough! He’s made his decision. I can see now that this is your family.” (Of course, he ends later ends up stabbed to death by Rhea—poor Kevin Sorbo—which is pretty Shakespearean. She’s Lady Macbeth, if Lady Macbeth had said, “Screw this shit. I do what I want.”)
On the whole, I’m liking Kara and Mon-El’s relationship more and more. I awwww’d when he told her, “You believe that people can change, and you give them the chance to do it. … So you were right to be hopeful.” He sees her, and there’s genuine emotion there. But I swear to java, if they don’t fix her whole day-job situation, I will riot. No one just gives up on their passion without fighting for it. And I can’t imagine Cat Grant, wherever she is, would be not too pleased to hear Kara had just slunk off without a fight.
Of course, the biggest question mark is President Olivia Marsdin. Why was she so concerned about the Daxamites? What kind of alien is she? When do we get to see more of the divine Lynda Carter? Needless to say, I’m both excited and impatient.
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