Every week, Fangirlish writers will be discussing new episodes of Supergirl and sharing their thoughts, feelings, and speculation about the hour’s hot topics in a little something we like to call Fangirlish Roundtables.
Today, we’re breaking down episode 18 of Supergirl, “World’s Finest” where we discuss Barry Allen’s visit to National City, the chemistry between Kara and Barry, and Kara’s earning the trust of the city back.
What were your overall thoughts on “World’s Finest?”
ALYSSA
There are no words for how much fun this Supergirl/Flash crossover was – but obviously I’m going to find those words otherwise this roundtable is rendered useless. This crossover reminded me how much fun superhero crossovers can be. I was grinning like an idiot the entire time. While the Arrow/Flash crossovers are always a treat, this year they took on a darker tone that consisted of two of my least favorite things: lying and Vandal Savage, so obviously that put a damper on the mood. But “World’s Finest” was the perfect example of how two heroes can come together and have fun while doing it. For Supergirl’s first crossover, Grant Gustin’s Flash was the perfect character to do it with. These two heroes are so similar in their positive demeanor, but also it provided Barry the opportunity to mentor a young hero like Oliver had mentored him. It’s the circle of (superhero) life.
Now, the obvious question: When can we expect Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow to collide with Supergirl? Or at the very least Arrow? Oliver thinks he can’t handle one puppy in Barry Allen? Just wait until he meets Kara and there are puppies, puppies everywhere. Give me all the crossovers – and make them fun!
LIZZIE
What a fun episode this was. I wish I could be more poetic, but that’s the best word to describe it – fun. I almost always enjoy Supergirl, it’s light, Kara is adorable, and even when I have issues, there are enough things there to make me smile. This episode, however, I didn’t even have to look very hard, the smile was permanently plastered on my face. Barry and Kara are adorable. Like puppy gifs adorable. In fact, I’m pretty sure this is an ACTUAL picture from the episode:
Sounds about right, doesn’t it?
Look, I’m not saying Supergirl NEEDS Barry to be good, it’s been good without Barry, and it will probably deliver fine episodes without him. I am, saying, however, that the crossover really, really worked. Grant and Melissa’s chemistry was electric, Barry fit in well with absolutely everyone on this show (even Cat!), he and Winn would probably be BFFs if they weren’t from like, different universes, and there wasn’t a moment in the episode that felt out of place. So that’s it. Experiment over. It works. Now, can we work on getting Oliver Queen in the middle of these two? Imagine Stephen Amell’s surly face as Barry and Kara trap him in the middle of a hug. PLEASE, IMAGINE IT. I’m doing it.
LYRA
The World’s Finest strengthened my belief that Kara needs more heroes, crossovers, and BFF’s like Barry in her life. (On the hero note I don’t mean the human ones or Hank. I mean people like Barry who understand the heroes journey and aren’t afraid of Kara’s abilities.) She was carefree in this episode, as Supergirl and Kara, a sense of freedom and wonder in everything she did with Barry. And even though we might not see the speedster for a whileeeeeee, the person she was with him will stick with her for a long time to come. She’ll want that freedom again, to be completely open with someone. I can’t wait! Bye bye James, hello world!
While we have Batman and Superman fighting each other, the television world brought us Supergirl and Flash working together. What were your thoughts on their team up?
ALYSSA
Aren’t things so much more fun with the superheroes team up? No, seriously, in movies right now the superheroes are clashing, whether it’s Batman vs. Superman or soon-to-be Captain America vs. Iron Man. Can’t we all just focus on the most important thing? Taking down the bad guy? My favorite thing was that Kara and Barry’s first instinct when they discovered each other was to join forces to stop evil – and become fast friends. While I get the drama of it all with these superheroes – these good people – clashing with one another, it’s not exactly a bore when the heroes instead work together and there’s no clashing whatsoever.
I thought that Supergirl and The Flash had a nice rapport together. They worked really well together as heroes. You could see them sort of expanding upon one another’s abilities or using their prior knowledge to outsmart the villain, which really brought a focus on why we were getting this superhero team-up. Both heroes had so much to teach one another and they had their own unique experiences that made them both essential in this episode.
LIZZIE
Funny, Batman and Superman are fighting, Marvel is bringing us Civil War, and then we have Barry and Kara, who make us dream about Justice League possibilities. Imagine a crossover between them, Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow! Are you salivating? I am.
I know, logistically, it would be a nightmare. But marketing wise? What a big hit. Which is why I think it should be done – or, at the very least, it should be attempted. We’re past the age of superheroes, and we’re right smack in the age of wanting our superheroes to work together, to BE friends. DC TV has a real opportunity here, and I hope they don’t drop the ball. Kara and Barry clicked. We already know Barry and Oliver click. What happens when you put them all together?
LYRA
I loved it more than I expected. I knew that Supergirl and The Flash were bubbly goobers but I didn’t think I’d enjoy their team up SO MUCH. It was a give and take with both of them that reminded us of what a great crossover looks like. We can’t forget the rest of the team either. For the first time in weeks I enjoyed Winn’s company on the show. He was just as fascinated as Kara and acted like a supportive friend. Now that’s what I want to see from here on out. As for James…*rolling eyes* sulking like a toddler who can’t play with his favorite toy? I’m not buying it. Try to sell it to someone else who cares. This episode was about fun and none of that pouting is going to take away how refreshing the episode was.
So the chemistry between Kara and Barry was off the charts. What are your thoughts on SuperFlash?
ALYSSA
I’m not even going to attempt to conceal my feelings about this one. I ship it. I ship it real good. I mean, I think it was obvious that Kara and Barry were going to have chemistry going off the promos we saw, but once I saw the finished product on screen I couldn’t control the shipper within me holding on for dear life. No lie, Kara had more chemistry with Barry in one episode than with James and Winn combined in 18 episodes.
SuperFlash, while they’ll never work out because they’re not only on different shows but exist in different universe, was the tease of something beautiful that we can never have, but perhaps might get a little taste of with future crossovers. There was something just so natural about their relationship from the start. They were instant friends, but there was some hardcore flirting going on there and you can’t tell me otherwise. You could just feel it. For a moment I found myself going, I would so watch a show about these two superheroes. I mean, obviously we’ve got two shows, but you know what I mean. Barry just fit so perfectly into this world and in Kara’s life that it was really something special. Plus, with Supergirl not really exceeding with the romance of it all (sorry, still haven’t found my way back to the Kara-James train), this showed me how much I want that romance aspect of it all to work on this show.
LIZZIE
I know it’s not going to happen, but I can’t help it if a part of me was going: I LIKE KARA WITH BARRY MORE THAN WITH JAMES OR WINN! I just can’t. Not only because, as we mentioned about 7 times before, chemistry was off the charts, but also because, those two dorks are sorta perfect for each other, aren’t they? Seeing Kara with Barry left me convinced that Winn is probably a better choice in the long run than James. How can James really hope to understand the side of Kara that Barry so easily tapped?
But back to our two heroes – they are not only incredibly compatible, they can have eating contests, and race around deserted fields, and quite possibly, have kids so chipper and happy that the world would explode from the sheer adorableness. And fine, I know DC TV isn’t likely to give me this, but a girl can dream, can’t she? Or read fanfic. Is there fanfic out there? Point me towards it.
LYRA
It was like watching two puppies fighting to prove they’re the cutest without realising it. But wait…plot twist! They’re both adorable as hell! The amount of chemistry between these two was off the charts. They understood the hero life and what it meant to be different. That right there is something that I think Kara has lacked big time in her journey. She’s connected with others who know her story but none that know how it is to walk in her shoes (except Superman, but we really don’t see him flying about because he’s got Justice League business coming soon.) Every moment they spent together felt like two best friends hanging together and gushing over how cool the other was. Barry impressed her with his skills and wowed her with speedy ice cream delivery. And Kara showed off her ship and got a whine of excitement out of Barry when she admitted she had a sister. All of this sharing and caring wasn’t about one-upping each other, it was about sharing something because they could and because it’s fun!
Now I just want more SuperFlash. *grabby hands* I know it’s almost, keyword there, impossible because they live on two Earths. But if Barry did it once he can do it again. He just needs to make sure he brings Oliver along. I look forward to the Green Arrow freaking out over Kara, because who wouldn’t, and being pulled into the sweetest three way hug everrrr! Don’t deny it. You want to see it too!
While Kara has struggled to earn back the trust of National City, she was able to accomplish that in this episode after she protected them from Livewire. Why do you think Kara was able to earn their trust back?
ALYSSA
It goes back to what has become a theme in DC television this season: show, don’t tell. Like it would be one thing for Kara to passionately promise she’ll never do something like that again – that it wasn’t intentional. But what the people of National City needed to see were her words in action. Anyone can promise anything. I can promise that it’s going to rain meatballs or dollar bills (preferably dollar bills), but that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. I could say that one of these days I’m going to keep my roundtable responses to a minimum, but that doesn’t make it true. It’s only through action that one’s intentions can be measured. It’s only through action that the people of National City were going to believe that they could trust Kara again. And that’s exactly what Kara did.
That entire scene where she took a bolt of electricity to the chest to save the helicopter, how the people watched in awe, how Kara crashed to the ground, how they formed a protective wall around her to protect their hero was all incredibly emotional. “You’re willing to die for her?” Livewire asked them. “She was willing to die for us,” one of them says, and I swear I couldn’t control the moisture forming in my eyes, including when the firemen took down Livewire and told Supergirl, “It was our turn to help you.” That right there is why heroes are so important. They are willing to sacrifice their lives for us. They don’t owe us a thing, and yet they never hesitate to put their life on the line for us. This was one of my favorite storylines on this show as Kara learned that action is bigger than words.
LIZZIE
I think the people of National City really wanted to trust Supergirl. They wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt, because, well, because we all want to believe our heroes can fall down and get up. We all want to believe that they don’t really leave us, that they’re better than us. That’s why they’re heroes. All Kara needed to convince the city was to keep at it, and continue being her. It’s that simple. Of course, it didn’t hurt that Barry was there to make Kara less self-conscious. Barry didn’t save the day, Kara did. The only thing Barry did was distract Kara so she wasn’t constantly worrying about getting the people of National City to like her. Turns out when she’s not obsessing over it, Kara/Supergirl can be pretty damn awesome.
LYRA
Kara was able to earn their trust back because she put her life on the line. When it really came down to it she ignored the mistrust and displeasure her people felt towards her and saved them. That’s what they saw with their own eyes. A savior who forgives. All those people physically being there was also key in earning the people’s trust. How many times have you seen something crazy on TV and just shrugged it off before turning away, essentially ignoring it? I know I’ve done it plenty of times and probably so have the people of National City. An experience is made different when your life is put on the line. You connect with it and never manage to stop it being part of you, no matter how much time passes by. What those people felt, being in the mix of things, urged them into action to protect Supergirl like she did for them. That’s what saved Kara and what will restore everyone’s faith in her.
This week saw the villainous team-up of Livewire and Silver Banshee. What were your thoughts on this other dynamic duo?
ALYSSA
One of the things I loved about this episode was how we essentially got two team-ups. Of course we had the superhero team-up between Kara and Barry, but then there was also our villainous duo of Livewire and Silver Banshee that made this really interesting. I loved how it wasn’t this single enemy that was so grand that it required not one, but two superheroes. For once it was nice for the numbers to be even. Also, can we take a moment to acknowledge that three of these four people were women and that everyone involved in this was a total badass? And Barry’s joke about “settling this like women” still has me laughing. Livewire was always one of my favorite metahumans that this show has come across because of her personality. She wasn’t someone you forgot. Not to mention her ability to harness electricity was pretty damn awesome. Put her with Silver Banshee that puts Mariah Carey to shame and you had yourself one evil, Taylor Swift group, as Livewire put it. But the two women’s attitude when it came to taking down a select group of people was something refreshing as there was humor in the villains than typically expected.
LIZZIE
Go for women power, even if it’s like, evil women power. Supergirl already defies stereotypes in many ways, with Lucy at the head of the DEO, a female superhero, Alex a badass crime-fighter and Cat the head of her own media empire. Powerful women are not the exception in Supergirl, they’re the normal. Still, two female villains teaming up to go against the female superhero? Be still my comic-loving heart! Can you imagine the impact this has on, let’s say, a seven year old girl, watching the show. I’m not saying kids should see villains as their role models, but we should give our kids representation, we should encourage the notion that they can be ANYTHING they want to be. And Supergirl does that and more.
By themselves, though, Livewire and Silver Banshee were just okay. I liked Silver Banshee much more than Livewire, and I hope to see her again. Especially considering her connection to Winn. That’s not just going to end here, right?
LYRA
Gotta admit that I loved these two. I’ve been ready for crazy ladies on a mission to destroy the city as much as Kara wants to save it. Then these two came around. First off, they helped each other out without even really knowing each other. They had a little faith in each other. Silver Banshee helped Livewire escape and in return she helped her with her villain look. Extra points for finding that wig where ever she did. It wasn’t Party City, I’ll tell you that! Secondly, they had similar goals in life. Together they worked on a plan to lure Supergirl to them with Cat as bait. Sure, everything didn’t go as planned but they worked, schemed, and cackled evilly about what they were going to do together. I appreciate team work in any form it takes. To bad that they’re locked up. I’d love to see more! Come on Silver Banshee and Livewire. Time to escape and cause more havoc.
So Kara and James locked lips just before Non set the Myriad plan into motion, which turned the humans into zombies. What do you think happens next?
ALYSSA
Well, obviously Kara’s got to find a way to stop this device from turning her friends, family, and city into the walking dead. So Kara will jump into action following this sudden outbreak. Also, how far of a reach does this device have? Is Alex safe because she’s not directly within the city? Perhaps we’ll be getting a team-up of my three favorite people – Kara, Alex, and Hank – as they search for the source (Non) and solution (to be determined). There are only two episodes left this season so obviously this isn’t something that’s going to be solved in just one episode. This is a problem that most likely will carry on for these final two hours – although let’s hope that the zombie thing is remedied pretty quickly because it’s just creepy. Obviously this is setting up the showdown between Kara and Non (our big bad?) as Kara must take down this Myriad device and lock up these rogue Kryptonians once and for all.
LIZZIE
James and Kara come to the realization that the world doesn’t want them to be together and go their separate ways? Oh, you mean with Myriad? I have no idea. Non now has an army at his disposal, and Supergirl can’t really fight against regular people who have no idea what’s going on. Or, at least, she wouldn’t. So point Non. I can only imagine Alex/Hank and a hopefully alive Jeremiah Danvers will be in some help as they face this latest threat. The season is almost over, and it all has to come together somehow.
LYRA
Non isn’t stupid enough to destroy the people of the planet he’s trying to save. I think. If anything, maybe he’s using them as a workforce for whatever nefarious plan he’s got. The fact that he’s doing this to honour his dead wife throws me off big time because he doesn’t seem livid about it. Any other movie/show the villain would be off the walls with rage on the people who killed his wife. Ex. Superman losing it over his bae Lois Lane in Batman vs Superman. Rage right there!
Non is just chill about the entire ‘people lining up like drones in the streets’ during his evil monologue at the end. I’m not feeling it. And because of that I frankly don’t care what his evil plan is. Set the human’s off planting trees or something to save the Earth. Better yet make them productive members of society who don’t fight, kill, and destroy. Either way I’m not really concerned. Kara will fix it and everything will be right as rain for a while. *sigh* I care more about Barry returning and bring Oliver with him. Now that’s something I can zone off and think about for ages.
What are your thoughts on “World’s Finest?” Sound off in the comments to keep the discussion going!
Join us for another Supergirl roundtable next Sunday.
Supergirl airs Mondays at 8/7c on CBS.