“Supergirl” Episode 221 Recap: The Present Is Female

This week’s episode of Supergirl was another strong one, and once again it put the women at the forefront of the story. This one was more action-packed, with problems, solutions, and feelings, for and by women. And SO much shade thrown at the current political goings-on that was so air-punchingly satisfying, I didn’t even care that it was heavy-handed. Supergirl has something to say, and something to stand for, and she’s not backing down.

We start where the last episode ended, with Daxamites taking over National City. Chaos is brewing, the streets are chaos, and Lena has been beamed up to the Daxamite mothership. And apparently changed into some kind of death gown.

Lena in a black dress sprawled beautifully on the bed

“Hello darkness, my old friend.”

But don’t worry, Lena’s just a sleeping beauty; Rhea has deemed Lena and exception to her “humans are expendable” stance, which is why she was spared. (Rhea also tries to gaslight her surrogate daughter, saying Supergirl almost killed Lena and she, Rhea, saved her. But Lena remembers exactly what happened, thank you very much. Nice try.) So Lena is stuck on this ship, for now at least.

Meanwhile, the invasion on National City goes right for the weapons first, and attacks the NCPD. Maggie runs out into the mayhem in full force (and decidedly lacking in bulletproof vests) and calls her girlfriend to warn her.

Maggie runs with explosions behind her

BABY YOU’RE A FIIIIIREWORK

Alex’s headset gets cut off, but it’s not long before the DEO is attacked too, and they have to evacuate.

alex jumps backwards off the building while still shooting

Take THAT “bury your gays” trope! Pew pew!

Up on the mothership, Rhea reveals her plan to arrange a marriage between her son and Lena, taking this whole mother-figure thing seriously, and even The Loaf knows this plan will never work.

Down on Earth, in the gaylien bar, Team Super takes stock of what they know and what resources they have. The DEO and NCPD are out of commission. J’onn is still in his hellscape mind prison situation. Superman is missing, and they hope it’s just because he’s in the streets helping out. But you know who’s not missing? Maggie freaking Sawyer.

Maggie is relieved to see Alex

Ride or die. (But don’t die.)

Alex and Maggie run to each other and kiss and Maggie jokes that it’s funny they both headed straight for a bar when times got tough.

Kara, all Supergirl-ed out, says, “We’re all together,” and call me a sap, but the fact that she said that after Maggie showed up made my heart grow three sizes. The only issue is that J’onn is down, so they don’t really have a leader. And on a cue that wasn’t hers to take, Lillian Luthor appears, with an offer of help the Superfriends greet with open arms…literally. (Get it? Like they pointed their guns at–oh, nevermind.)

Lillian is feeling high and mighty about her “aliens are bad” stance and says they can help each other, but Alex isn’t interested in a word she has to say, especially since Lillian has no word about Jeremiah. But Lillian grabs Supergirl on the way out, making a final plea, using the Lena card, and leaving her a way to contact her.

Kara listens to Lillian with a dubious expression

Rightfully wary, unnaturally beautiful

Maggie decides that she should hit the streets again, and wants to take Guardian with her, which is adorable and sweet and I JUST LOVE TEAMWORK, OKAY? And! Alex goes, “That’s a good idea.” And wishes her well and sends her off! Reasonable reactions from a girlfriend! What a world! It was such a small moment but it was very important to me, okay?

Suddenly a new face hacks Rhea’s livestream, and it’s President Wonder Woman, who we shall call Olivia from now on, because we’re buds now, calling from Air Force One and demanding Rhea and the Daxamites back down.

Kara and Alex are SO EXCITED TO SEE HER FACE.

Kara and Alex make doofy faces

MY BEAUTIFUL DORKS, NEVER CHANGE

Oliva and Rhea start to fight, going back and forth about how they’re not going to quit, when suddenly CAT GRANT APPEARS. And tells them all to shut the fuck up.

Cat is lookin sassy as ever

Act normal, bitch.

Cat has every intention of saving the planet without breaking a sweat. She says they’re three strong women, and surely they can sort this out. But Rhea hangs up on them instead, something that probably hasn’t happened to Cat very often. But Supergirl realizes that this wasn’t just a move of disrespect, but a threat. So she flise off to save Air Force One.

Whether it was a logistical thing or she was making decisions heart-first I am unsure, but Supergirl puts Cat Grant safely back on the ground and then realizes she didn’t save the President. Lucky for everyone though, the President is an alien.

Kara looks shocked and Cat looks curious

“I mean I’ve read the lizard people theories but I never thought…”

Kara looks shook but Cat barely bats an eye, asking only if she’s still a Democrat.

Back at Dollywood, Cat is so excited to be back in our lives that she even lets Winn hug her. Hug her! With his arms! It’s amazing. She tells everyone that Olivia was her RA in college, and still loves her, “scales and all.” It’s very sweet.

Olivia orders Director Danvers and Supergirl to destroy the mothership, no matter what it takes, and the girls hop to.

Speaking of the mothership, Lena is up there having a hell of a day. Wasn’t it just yesterday she was having brunch with her gal pal, laughing it up about N’Sync? And now she’s standing here listening to the woman she was starting to think of as a mentor tell her she’s going to be forced into an arranged marriage to produce an heir.

Lena looks SO DONE with this whole situation; there is a blurry form beside her

You don’t just put aged imported brie on a Ritz cracker.

Lena was mostly listening with disinterest until the bit about the heir to which she doth protest. But Mon-El explains that they don’t need to have sex to produce an heir, you just need to mash DNA, which Rhea got from her hair while she was sleeping. And as happy as I am for same-sex couples on Daxam to be able to get a haircut and make a baby all quicklike, that seems really dangerous from a creating-offspring-without-consent standpoint… But either way, Lena is not into this AT ALL and outright refuses to be part of this nonsense.

That is, until Rhea threatens the children’s hospital she donates to. A children’s hospital! Y’all. Lena Luthor is not her legacy. That’s for damn sure.

Alex and Kara are still in the bar, fighting, because Alex wants to get rid of her sister’s Blandsome love interest so badly, she’ll risk Lena too, but Kara says enough queer women have died on TV in the past few years that we frankly can’t even spare our subtext ships, so they have to save Lena, just like they’d have to save Maggie if the roles were reversed. Alex is still riding the high of being named acting director of the DEO and says that she’d blow Maggie up too, to protect the planet, but Kara calls bullshit.

the danvers sisters are fighting

“It gives me belly rumblings when you guys fight.”

Kara storms outside to get some air and finds Cat sitting on a trash heap which seems so not-Cat (it’s super gross out there!) and yet somehow so perfectly Cat (I’ll sit wherever the fuck I want thank you very much) that I love it. They look up at the ship together and Cat can tell something is holding Supergirl back from going up there and punching it to pieces, and Supergirl admits that two people she loves are still on that ship. Loves! She said it. That’s not me projecting (I promise, Heather!) she literally said she loves Lena. Granted, it came on the heels of calling her her best friend, but I’LL TAKE IT.

Supergirl and Cat look up at the sky

“Those especially twinkly stars remind me of Lena’s eyes.” “Oh, honey.”

Kara is worried it makes her selfish, for putting thousands of people at risk to want to save two specific people. But Cat says, funnily enough, it’s actually very human.

Cat regales Supergirl with tales of where she’s been all season, and says that the most important thing she’s learned is the importance of human connection. The people you love are the most important thing in this life. Supergirl is inspired, just like old times, and admits she missed Miss Grant.

Cat shoos away such sentimentality and says, “Up up and away!” and more or less says she hates seeing Supergirl leave but she loves to watch her fly away.

Supergirl’s first stop is Lillian’s, where she admits she needs help. Alex is FURIOUS. She mentions the aliens that slumped to their death on the very floor they’re standing on as she fumes about the idea of working WITH Cadmus. But they’re desperate, so they need Lillian and Cyborg Hank Henshaw.

So here’s the plan: Cat and Winn will distract Rhea so Supergirl can save Lena as fast as she can; fast because, on the President’s orders, as soon as this special murderbeam at the DEO is ready to fire, Alex has to fire it.

Alex hugs Kara with tears in her eyes and tells her to be faster than fast, please, because she doesn’t want to vaporize her baby sister.

Alex hugs Kara tight

That’s more like it, ladies.

Alex watches Kara leaves, gives herself a second to be sad, then nods her head. Now she too is a girl of steel.

Alex steels herself for what's next

Director Danvers, reporting for duty

Lillian and Kara beam up into the mothership, Lillian smirking about how Lena’s gonna be soooo mad when she finds out Kara is Supergirl. Meanwhile, on said mothership, Lena is looking great but also looking PISSED as she marches down the aisle to save the children.

Lena ignores a guard holding out his hand for her to take

“Offer me your hand again and I’m going to assume you want me to cut it off for you.”

Wait I don’t have anything else to say about this scene really but I wanted to also include this image because it’s some of the best shade I’ve ever seen thrown.

Lena glares at Mon-El

Same, girl. Same.

Alex gets back into the DEO through the air ducts, promising Olivia she has solid backup, and then as if from the sky like the angel she is, Maggie drops in.

Maggie lands from the ceiling, squatting and smiling like a boss

“Hey girl. I’ve got your six AND your seven.”

Maggie comments to Alex that their relationship has come full circle because the first time they met President Wonder Woman was involved, too. And then I draft a petition for them to be in the field together all the time.

Cat and Winn break into CatCo and broadcast a message, which is meant to be both a distraction for Rhea and also inspiration to the people. Cat implores them all to #resist. She looks right through the TV screen and into our real eyes and says “they” say they want to make our world great again, but quite obviously don’t know what made it great in the first place. She uses our own words, the words we’ve been chanting at rallies and protest: Stand up. Fight back. We are strong. It’s made me, Valerie Anne, feel re-inspired – which is necessary, to be re-inspired, because every day it’s disheartening thing after disheartening thing, it’s important to keep that resistance fire burning – and it’s inspiring to the residents of National City.

So Rhea puts a hit on Cat.

Up on the mothership, Lena and her no-longer-betrothed-thank-goodness use the distraction to do a little fighting back themselves and Lena saves them literally twice. Doofball says, “I can see why Kara loves you.” And Lena smiles a hopeful smile and then says “Likewise.” Which I’m going to take as meaning she, in this moment, is seeing herself through his eyes and can also see why Kara loves her. Or maybe it was like how when the ticket-taker at the movie theatres tells you to enjoy the show and you accidentally say “You, too.”

Anyway, Lillian and Supergirl appear just then, and Lena is so surprised and excited to see her mother. She came! To save her!

Lena is genuinely shocked

The fact that Lena was this surprised her mother might come to save her BREAKS MY FUCKING HEART.

But when Lillian beams them back to Earth, saying “humans only”, she realizes her mother hasn’t really changed at all.

Lillian radios Alex and says they’re safe on Earth, and having no reason to doubt her, Alex starts getting the murderbeam ready.

Lena is yelling at her mother about letting Supergirl die, but she needn’t worry, because Supergirl was pretty sure Lillian was going to betray her, so she has a backup plan. She sends the artist formerly known as the prince of Daxam back down to Earth and goes to try to reason with Rhea one last time. Once back to safety, he radios Alex to tell her that Kara is still on the ship, and Alex hesitates with her murderbeam. She was really counting on Kara being clear by now, and is torn between her orders/saving the planet, and protecting her sister. It all hinges on whether or not she can and will press a button.

Alex looks more torn than Natalie Imbruglia

“Is this how Clarke Griffin feels all the time?”

Kara tries to talk to Rhea, to reason with her one last time, but Rhea is not moved in the slightest. She tells Kara that she killed her own husband when he tried to get in her way, nothing she can say will deter her from this mission. Not even if she loses the popular vote.

Down on Earth, Maggie is stressed watching her girl try to decide between the human race and her Kryptonian sister.

Maggie looks hella worried

“You can’t even choose your favorite Orphan Black clone, why did you think you’d be able to make this decision?”

But doesn’t at any point pressure Alex. She doesn’t say, “Push the button!” she doesn’t say, “Alex, you can’t!” Hell, she doesn’t even say, “What are you going to do??” She just watches, tormented by the torment on Alex’s face. But the decision is made for her; in Alex’s hesitation, the murderbeam gets destroyed. And Alex knows she’s in biiiiig trouble.

Alex covers her mouth and closes her eyes, upset

“What do you MEAN Sweet/Vicious was cancelled?”

So the good news is, Supergirl wasn’t murderbeamed to death. The bad news is, Rhea has more tricks up her sleeve, one of which is revealed in the form of Superman, who appears fist first and looking quite unlike himself.

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Valerie Anne

Just a TV-loving, Twitter-addicted nerd who loves reading, watching, and writing about stories. One part Kara Danvers, two parts Waverly Earp, a dash of Cosima and an extra helping of my own brand of weirdo.

Valerie has written 582 articles for us.

42 Comments

  1. You’ll all be relieved to know, that despite the presence of Lena looking FIIIIINE in several gorgeous gowns, my Supercat shipper heart remains completely intact and OH MY GOD I”VE MISSED CAT GRANT SO MUUUUUUCH. Every word out of her mouth felt like manna from heaven.

    I would like a shirt with Calista Flockhart, Lynda Carter, Teri Hatcher, Brenda Strong, Melissa Benoist, Chyler Leigh, Floriana Lima and Katie McGrath on it that says “The Future is Female”. Or “Nevertheless, She Persisted” (aka the title of next week’s episode!) Pick your favourite feminist protest slogan, I want it on a tshirt above their faces. That scene with the three powerful female leaders, just UGHHHHHH. THAT IS THE WORLD LEADERSHIP I WANT. Well, less genocidal, but still.

  2. I LOVE your recaps, Valerie Anne – I always look forward to reading them after each new episode, but this is my first time commenting.

    This episode really was centered around all of the strong female characters – and there are so many! That’s one of the things I love the most about this show – that they have so many powerful roles for women; even the Big Bads are women!

    And I was so excited to have Cat Grant back! Her sharp wit and keen insights have been sorely missed. I can only imagine what she would have to say about Mon-El if she met him…”Really, Kara? I think you can do better…” We can only hope. Anyone else curious how Cat found love in her search for happiness? She and the prez seemed pretty close…

    Lena looked amazing, as always, and they really do seem to be playing up this subtext about Lena and Kara loving each other…even if it’s only subtext, I love it! Their chemistry is amazing.

    Did anyone else think Kara staying on the ship to try and talk to Rhea was incredibly stupid? I mean, I love Supergirl, but sometimes she has way too much faith in people – not everyone changes. And what did Rhea do to Superman?!

    The not-so-subtle political comments were on point – we all need reminders like this to keep resisting, even and especially when we feel overwhelmed and exhausted. I really like how a show that could be so divorced from reality regularly provides really poignant commentary on current events.

    It seems like this season is back on track, and interested to see how they will get out of this mess.

    • I also felt a vibe between Cat and the president… Talk about power couple! :)

  3. So… it seems to me like Cat is going to die soon.

    1. She’s back and talking about reclaiming her office, but as far as I know there is no change to the existing circumstances preventing Calista Flockhart from appearing regularly.

    2. She’s acting totally gay all of a sudden, including, unless I am mistaken, almost calling Supergirl ‘hot’ as she flies away, and that feels like they’re throwing a bone to SuperCat shippers, which they would only do if they don’t have to deal with the fallout.

    • Seriously worried about this too. Particularly when she suggested she wouldn’t be leaving again anytime soon (yet we know CF isn’t sticking around).

  4. I loved this. All the women. The political shade. Cat Grant! Danvers sisters. Supergirl catching both Alex and Cat. Lena practically saving herself (certainly more effective than ME). Cat almost calling Supergirl “hot”. Cat calling James out the instant she sees him dressed up as Guardian.

    But does Kara have a death wish or something? I could not believe that she took the time to talk to Rhea and possibly make Alex vaporize her. Like, Alex would not be getting over that. Have some priorities, Kara!

    But from a larger perspective, I have to reiterate, I just could not believe all the women. It was so glorious. Heroes, villains, comic relief, leaders, scientists, queens.

    Finally, I don’t know how Superman is being controlled by Rhea. Doesn’t he get mind-controlled like every other month? Maybe Cadmus has a point? (they don’t)

    Can’t watch next week live from Wisconsin!

  5. “the artist formerly known as the prince of Daxam” cracked me up ohhhh goodness. and then the clarke griffin mention made my heart shatter but it’s fine

  6. I am loving the badass 50 year old woman vibe in this episode, but I wish they weren’t all WHIIIIITE ladies.

    BUT I CANNOT BELIEVE THEY ACTUALLY USED TRUMP’S SLOGAN, like I know you said that, but I feel like it bears repeating because CAT GRANT USED HIS SLOGAN AND SAID #RESIST AND SAID STANDUPFIGHTBACK AND WHERE THE FUCK WAS THAT WRITER ALL GOD DAMNED SEASON LONG and that BILL O’REILLY REFERENCE WAS THAT…DID THEY KNOW???

    But you made me SNORT with ” Or maybe it was like how when the ticket-taker at the movie theatres tells you to enjoy the show and you accidentally say “You, too.”” so there’s that.

  7. – Lilian isn’t wrong about the alien apocalypse.
    – That Air Force One Cat Grant scene made me cringe so hard.
    – That Cat Grant advice segment was actually really well written.
    – Hmmmm, we all pretty much guessed why Lillian didn’t tell Lena about Kara.
    – Lena ain’t got no time for Mon-El. Just shoots the guard and walks off.
    – The “Likewise” meant that she loves Kara.
    – Daxamites, the stormtroopers of the DC universe. Can’t hit targets, their super-advanced armor doesn’t stop bullets, and their elite soldiers can’t take on a guy with a black belt.
    – “Lena, run.” “No, I’ve got a better idea.” Goes and kills her ex to save Supergirl.
    – “Mon-El, you need to leave.” “Bye, I’m out.”

  8. This was such a great episode, I loved it..

    And btw. The answer is Helena. There is no other choice about favorite clone.

  9. I saw on Twitter someone mentioned the only reason they had Lena on the ship was so the entire audience didn’t go “Eh, it’s just Mon-El, go ahead and blow the ship up.” Truer words were never spoken.

  10. 1. Holy fishsticks this was an amazing episode. I vote Miss Cat Grant for president! Or atleast for her to return to National City. She shut down Guardian’s identity just like that and I loved it! Never been a fan of his since day 1 – okay mayyybe I was a little bit touched by that scene he had when he pleaded with the alien telekinetic boy from This Is Us, but other than that that was it.
    2. I want that shirt, @arvan12 – I wear a size small. #TShirtIdea
    3. Valerie Anne – you know by now I’m a huge fan of yours and you slayed once again! Thank you and good job!
    4. I loved that caption RE OB clone! I can never really choose just one!
    5. ALL. THE. SHADE. I LOVE IT!!!
    6. I’d totally watch a Sanvers action/romcom movie – they are badass!
    7. I wanted Superman to come back but not this way. Uh-oh might be appropriate.
    8. I love this tweet of a GIF of Viola Davies laughing hysterically, the caption: “Lena was about to hit her own mother to bring Supergirl back. Mon-El deadass left Kara there to die.” Mon-El gots to go foh real. LOL

  11. “At least tell me you’re still a Democrat?” I think I sprayed something!

    While I love the way Teri Hatcher is playing Rhea, I wish she had more layers than “I Will Be Your EEEEEvil Queen”.

    Women love their best friends. I know this. I KNOW this. And yet, and yet… <3<3

  12. Valerie, you didn’t mention my favorite scene when Rhea’s goons went after Cat and she was still cool under pressure like “it was fun while it lasted” but then Guardian jumped in to save them and she called him out as James and then she went back to business as usual.

    Speaking of James, when Lillian came in and they all drew their guns at her and Guardian had his little red beam of light he reminded me of how Buzz Lightyear would shoot his “laser” from his arm too, LOL. I was worried for Maggie when she said she was going to comb the streets with Guardian, I was yelling at my TV like Maggie save yourself and get back to Alex if things get too crazy.

    I don’t really have much else to say about this episode since it was good for the most part.

    I will say this, I get that the move to Vancouver wasn’t what Calista Flockhart signed up for but this show NEEDS Cat Grant(period). James was never right her job and a lot of the CatCo stuff was lost when she left. If they want to keep James around (ugh) then just give him the job at the DEO and have Cat be around even if it is every 5 episodes (she’d only have to fly to Vancouver 4 times a year). Because Supergirl does need to keep her Kara side too for a nice balance.

    On a side note, I thought it was a fun reunion of sorts which I didn’t pick up on before. Teri Hatcher, Brenda Strong (and Mehcad Brooks played the Applewhite son) were on Desperate Housewives together, Calista was on Brothers and Sisters and they aired back to back on Sundays. stupid fun fact.

  13. Y’all, Cat Grant literally formed the “h” sound with her lips before deciding instead to say “that’s still so h-… cool” She is so gay, and now I’m suddenly worried that she will meet a tragic death! #SavetheLesbians

  14. I really liked Cat’s speech to National City. And basically most of the episode (mainly because from my limited tinted POV, it was also Danvers Sisters centric). :)

    I didn’t like Kara lying to Lena again after that conversation with Lillian. If Lena now loses faith in her, feels betrayed and turns into her enemy, nobody but Kara is to blame. I know, they were busy, but there was no need to lie. Just nod and fight; or say… since there would be no time, she is Kara, and she knows Lena would feel betrayed and they can talk about it later and then go back to fighting. I don’t ship Kara with Lena (or Cat), but I’d really rather have the friendship intact and Lena remain her saintly self.

    About Kara’s decision to remain on-board. Was weird and stupid, but she is Kara after all. The thing though is that she knew she was going to get killed; not risking her life, but going to get killed (99%) because she cannot possibly escape from there; not when there is no way in either.

    It’s weird Mon El left her there. The writers don’t know how to be consistent; or at least try to make the character redeemable.

    I do feel highly disturbed that Kara and Alex just rolled with the President being alien. This woman lied to an entire nation and became president because of that. She is in a position that could harm the country and the world, and they are okay with that? Based on what?

    See, I have sympathy for her being refugee. And for her concealing her identity as a civilan. I wouldn’t have minded if she had become president while letting everyone know that she is an alien. (Though, in this earth, it’d probably take a millennia). But to lie and cheat and get into such a position of power; even if she had good intentions, she is not someone to be trusted and should be removed from her position. May be without others knowing so that she can remain safely as a private citizen.

    If Kara was angry at Mon El for lying to her about his identify while in a romantic relationship with her (as she was justified to be), she should also have been angry at the president for misleading an entire country.

    Why is she not?

    • Or, may be Lena has figured out Supergirl’s identity by now thanks to Mon El. If so, it would be yet another way to defy her mother’s expectations; which I hope she does.

    • Thank you! I didn’t want to be the first to say it, but Linda Carter really is portraying a terrible President, even apart from the false pretenses and being Constitutionally disqualified. Everything we’ve ever seen her do has either been absurd, or appropriately-hard-headed-but-proved-wrong-by-our-heroes. And the fact that the writers don’t see it really undercuts their messages.
      As a different reviewer elsewhere pointed out: If a *Male* president (with bad hair) had done exactly what Olivia did this episode (charging in on an unarmed Air Force One, giving Rhea plenty of advance notice via empty trash-talk, getting two fighter pilots and the entire crew of AF1 pointlessly killed, and walking​ away with no remorse), it would be an over-the-top parody of Trump.

  15. Welcome back, Supergirl from Season 1. THIS episode is everything I’ve been missing all of season 2. The strong female characters, solid storyline centered around said strong female characters and OMG CAT GRANT IS BACK!!!! Lord how I’ve missed this woman and her rapier wit. She just instantly made everything better. She literally walked onto the screen and it was like a Hallelujah chorus and golden beams of pure warm and bright light.

    Highlights:
    – Alex’s jump from the DEO balcony – badass and a heartfelt Danvers Sisters moment. She trusts Kara to infinity and beyond, trusts without a doubt that her baby sister will catch her. I almost couldn’t handle the feels.
    – Alex and Kara hugging before she leaves on a potentially fatal mission and Alex telling her to be faster than fast even though she knows she’s fast. I’ve missed moments like this between Kara and Alex and boy did they deliver.
    – Kara doesn’t even think before she plucks Cat out of the sky. Subtle, Kara…not. Lol. Cat should be flattered especially considering how much Kara fangirls over the president.
    – Cat so dismissively and casually unmasking James
    as the Guardian. I. Laughed. So. Hard.
    – Lena is badass and should continue being badass in beautiful gowns.
    – I agree that Maggie and Alex should go on missions together all the time.

    Did I mention how much I LOVE that Cat’s back?? Shame it’s not permanent but I’ll take what I can get.

  16. I am a bit miffed at the whole Kara-Cat conversation and the Bhutan-Yurt thing, but well, this is Supergirl. It’d be weird if I didn’t find some offhand comment that is not deeply thought out.

    Do not get me wrong. Human connections are important; and certainly the most important to a person who has decent food, clean water and good health.

    Also, this makes me think. Only Cat Grant (or someone with her privilege) could have gone to Bhutan and learnt just those things. Someone poor (like the refugees from Tibet) or even road workers from India would find Bhutan a happy place because its king cares about its people, its economy is growing (though there is a lot of work to be done), and the king actually thinks the environment needs to be taken care of. (He lives in a small cottage and his father willingly made the country a constitutional monarchy from an absolute monarchy. The place is clean (as per friends visited), people are reasonably economically satisfied, and helpful, the country is among the least corrupt, and there is peace.)

    Of course, an LGBT person visiting there would be depressed because it is yet another country where homosexuality is illegal. (Thanks to eighteenth and nineteenth century Britain, probably, just like India).

  17. What a delightful turn this episode was.

    1. Having Calista Flockhart back with her amazing line reading really highlighted how clunky the dialogue tends to be. She is amazing and makes it sound amazing. God, I missed her. And am happy to have canonical confirmation that she thinks Supergirl is hot.
    Similarly, Lillian Luthor also has so much swagger and just DELIVERS on every line like woah.

    2. Why did Lena and Mon-El have to get married if all you need for an heir is some hair? If they were gonna rot in a cell after it’s not like they were gonna raise the kid or be some kind of public face? So confused. And why didn’t Rhea and Hercules just make some new heirs when the old one disappeared for a million years? Makes no sense. Daxam just works however it needs to for the plot of whatever episode and I am so glad it’s self-contradictory no-thought-put-into-it story is ending soon.

    3. LENA LUTHOR WAS SO AMAZING IN THIS EPISODE! She was just done with everything, completely over it. Even her WALK after she saved Mon-El was all ‘I can’t believe I have to deal with this bullshit ugh’. I.loved.it.

    4. I know Supergirl is all into talking people off a ledge but going back for Rhea was really nonsensical and weird and the writing didn’t really sell it. I know it had to happen for Plot Reasons but I think Rhea and Superman surviving the destruction of the ship so they could face off somewhere else would’ve made more sense than Kara going back so they’re in an isolated place for the fight.

    5. If Lena Luthor and Cat Grant don’t both canonically know that Kara is Supergirl and confirm that duh, they’ve known for a while by the end of the next episode I will scream.

    6. Kara loves Lena and Kara would save Cat Grant over the president. That’s canon. So there.

    7. Alex’s trust fall was like… I don’t even trust myself that much. These precious precious sisters I want more Danvers sisters in season 3.

    • Agree with what you said about Lena. She spent the entire episode throwing shade and being DONE with everything Daxamite and their BS. Maybe she can sass and shade Rhea to death. Lol. I also agree about what you said about Alex and that jump. I have a hard time trusting myself to make a simple PB&J sandwich; I can’t fathom harboring the type of implicit trust that Alex has in Kara. It’s not conceivable to me in any shape or form. But I guess that’s why Kara and Alex’s relationship is so special and unique. I hope they refocus back on that in season 3 too.

  18. I’ve seen terrible comments that Cat might meet her demise since she seems too eager to be back but we all know CF won’t make the move to Vancouver. So it got me thinking, we know Katie McGrath is a gping to be a regular next season, and it doesn’t seem like Lena is going evil any time soon so what if she takes over things at CatCo should anything happen to Cat since James sucked at the job. Also it would make sense that maybe Lena might want to distance herself from the sciencey/engineering stuff seeing as it was her device that nearly caused World War D (for Daxam). As I mentioned in a previous comment, Supergirl does need her Kara side to balance the Show better and without Cat that was lacking this season. It kind of worked with Snapper but not as well as the dynamic between Cat and Kara or Lena and Kara.

  19. This episode!! So. Damn. Good. I could go on and on about my love for Cat Grant. I didn’t know how much I missed her until the Democrat comment had me cracking up.

    Am I the only one that pouted when Maggie ran off from the bar with James and Alex didn’t give her a big old hug before she left? If my lady love was running out into an alien invasion I don’t think I would let her leave without allowing me at least 5 minutes of hugs that are way too hard and promising that she come back in the same perfect condition that she is leaving in. Then more hugs. Then maybe hold onto her leg and be dragged on the floor as she tries to leave. Maybe that’s just me? Ok.

  20. Oh man, what an episode. What an episode indeed. My favourite things (off the top of my head):

    1. Cat Grant is back bitches!!
    2. SO MANY BADASS LADIES!
    3. Alex and Maggie fighting baddies together
    4. Super unimpressed and salty Lena Luthor on the ship!

    I’m super exited for the finale and am crossing my fingers that NOBODY (of importance) DIES! … so yeah, Mon-El can totally sacrifice himself and I’d be okay with that.

  21. Let’s think about this for one moment. Daxomites revolve around a red sun. They have power like Superman. Honestly, the Daxomites should have mopped the floor with anyone.

    • In the comics, yes. On TV, they’re more like 1938 Superman:. Strong and tough, but that’s all.

        • Woo hoo, I’m just glad you’re here, VA.

          I only now caught this banner across the top, “most of the autostraddle staff is at a-camp.org this week” and thought “Oh No, they’re off re-enacting Sanvers (After Dark), and have left us poor SG-aholics in the lurch!” ;-)

          • Either that, Valerie Anne, or you’d gone

            “…up to a place
            Where the world is small”!

            Holy Rao, can’t get that song out of my head—and don’t want to (Idina FTW!)

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