No one likes change. Not entirely. Not after getting acclimated to a certain lifestyle only to have things uprooted. But then again change is good. Change is healthy. Change is inevitable.
In “The Last Children of Krypton,” our adorkable, valiant hero had to confront change head-on in many facets of her life. And she didn’t exactly take it well in the beginning.
But change is inevitable. Change is a reminder that things can’t and won’t remain in a standstill. Not if good is to come from it.
Although I will say one change that I’m convinced will only bring pain and heartbreak is the (hopefully temporary) departure of Cat Grant from the show. One of the downfalls of Supergirl moving its production to Vancouver. But more on that later.
This episode focused on the many changes in Kara’s life, and it showed a weakness in her when it comes to forging her own path. Not that it’s necessarily a bad thing – it’s part of her journey – but watching Kara’s reaction to change really showed that she’s still not confident in standing entirely on her own.
Ever since Superman’s arrival in the season premiere, Kara has gravitated and clung to Clark’s presence and everything that he represented. This was someone – the last someone – who understood what it’s like to be her. Not only that, but Clark is her hero. She’s grown up idolizing her cousin and everything that he represents, that when she finally got the change to stand beside him, to fight beside him, to be stronger beside him, that was a feeling that she didn’t ever want to part with. So much so that she even considered moving to Metropolis to stay with Clark.
So much has been made about Superman’s presence on Supergirl – whether it was initial concern that he would overshadow Kara on her own show – but the show has managed to bring part of that into Kara’s story this season.
While the first season proved that Kara could be Supergirl, this season is about her learning to balance all aspects of her life. While Kara might be an alien, she’s actually more human than most humans. She struggles; she falls; she claws her way back.
Kara’s fear of change – of the unknown – is something so very human that we can all relate to on some level. That feeling of comfortable consistency being stripped away and uncertainty replacing it is something that really challenges us as human beings. And it’s something that really challenges Kara.
It made me think back to the season premiere when Cat Grant told Kara that she had to take a dive. Cat knows Kara probably as well as anyone that’s not named Alex Danvers. Cat knows that Kara has an incredible amount of potential that she fears will be snuffed out by fear. It’s funny when you think about it, Kara is Supergirl – this symbol of heroism, bravery, fearlessness. Only she’s far from fearless. No one is really.
But that’s what makes Kara such a lovable and relatable hero, even despite the fact that she’s an alien. Kara is so endearing in the honest nature of her demeanor. She feels with every part of herself. She’ll protect those she cares about with every fiber of her being. She strives to be the greatest version of herself she can.
Kara’s an inspiration. But sometimes heroes need a little bit of inspiration.
Luckily, Kara has a supportive, loving cast of characters around her – most notably her sister Alex – that remind her that whenever she needs that inspiration to get her through a difficult time – be it as Supergirl or as Kara Danvers – that she can always come to them. And that makes change a little more bearable.
The Rise of Cadmus
We’re only two episodes in, and I’m already loving this Big Bad that Supergirl has crafted. Cadmus in itself has a very personal feel in a way that Astra had the potential to last season. Only the show jumped the shark and killed Astra only to have Non be the Big Bad. Yawn. But the fact that Cadmus is an organization – one where we now know (I think) that Jeremiah Danvers is alive (although well we don’t know) adds so much potential emotion and story.
Of course the big storyline surrounding Cadmus is Jeremiah Danvers’ involvement and now it appears his being alive and well. Is Jeremiah really all together? And if he’s not, is he aiding the enemy? Alex’s determination to find her father and make this organization pay are going to be huge for her arc moving forward. And there’s nothing like a Big Bad with a personal connection to drive home what’s already been a fantastic start to season two.
Cat Grant’s Leave of Absence
I knew it was coming. I knew it was coming, but that didn’t stop the rage and the heartache from surfacing. Cat Grant is taking a leave from CatCo – and Supergirl – in a move that was expected with Supergirl’s production moving from Los Angeles to Vancouver. But that doesn’t make it any less painful.
Next to Supergirl, Cat Grant has been the star of this show with her complex character and progression that has proven to be one of the real gems. She began as a character that seemed robotic and flourished into one of the more complex characters on television. We’ve watched her non-existent relationship with Kara grow into a mother-daughter relationship that has been home to some of the biggest tearjerkers. We’ve watched the slow progression of Cat finally pronouncing Kara’s name correctly. Simply put, it’s been beautiful.
On the show, Cat tells Kara that she’s taking a leave of absence because she’s accomplished pretty much everything she can at this point with CatCo. She wants to wake up the next morning and not know what to expect. I mean, I get it. The same-old same-old can get pretty boring. But I also know that CatCo is a part of Cat Grant, as if Kara. She’ll return. Not even long distance can keep Cat Grant quiet for long.
Kara’s Struggles as a Beginning Reporter
With Supergirl’s second season being all about Kara learning to balance her life as Supergirl and her life as Kara Danvers, one of the things I’m excited to see is Kara branching out in her professional life. With Cat Grant promoting her in the season finale, Kara came to the realization that she wanted to be a reporter – like her cousin, but also because she’s someone who wants to share stories.
Her first day on the job started off incredibly adorable as Kara was beyond excited to begin her foray into the profession. She even bought a new notepad! But that joy didn’t last long once Kara met her new boss Snapper Carr, whose first name is incredibly on the head. He was sullen, uninterested, bitter, and everything opposite of Kara’s endearing personality. Obviously these two were never slated for an easy road.
In the beginning of the episode, Kara felt diminished by Snapper’s harsh words and shutting her out before she had even begun. Kara was hit below the belt, and when she came crawling to Cat for help, Cat understood that this was a battle that Kara needed to fight herself if she was ever going to get anywhere.
Kara had to learn to step up for herself. To go toe-to-toe with Snapper with the harsh criticism. And that’s exactly what Kara did. She took a stand, she took a dive, and she earned the right – from Snapper – to come back the next day and show him what she’s got.
Obviously Kara’s got a long way to go when it comes to being a reporter – especially in this universe – but it’s all part of Kara’s journey as Kara Danvers. So I don’t doubt that Kara’s going to struggle. But it’ll only serve to make her stronger.
Kara and Alex Find Home in Each Other
Perhaps my favorite dynamic on Supergirl is the relationship between Kara and her sister Alex. I always hesitate to use the phrase “adoptive sister” because I don’t really see the point in indicating it. Other than the fact that one’s an alien and one is not. Kara and Alex’s relationship is reminiscent of some very real sister-sister relationships. While there’s this undeniable loyalty to one another, the two also have their moments when they disagree about certain things or feel vulnerable when it comes to certain aspects of their relationship.
In this episode, we saw that Alex had been biting her tongue for the past two episodes since Clark made his arrival and Kara had been ignoring her. She was pissed. I get it. I do. That’s got to hurt. But then there was also the fact that Alex was trying to pawn off her frustration and blame Kara for the lack of progression in her life. That wasn’t fair.
If Alex wanted things in life, she’s got to go out and get them herself. Don’t hide behind blame for someone else. It’s kind of life Kara’s fear of change. You’ve got to take the dive.
Winn had a nice heart-to-heart with Alex where he unloaded on her about how family isn’t about keeping score, it’s about being there. Kara has always been Alex’s family; and Alex has always been Kara’s family. Nothing will change that.
And just as they’ve seen in the past, Kara and Alex understood that they’re stronger together than apart. They might have their differences, but Kara and Alex have proven time and time again that their bond overcomes all obstacles.
The Kryptonite Issue
One of the more interesting storylines that went under the radar in this episode was the rift between Superman and J’Onn J’Onzz. The origin of the rift was something that was teased in the premiere, but we really got to see these two talk it out like the adults they are.
Basically, Superman and J’Onn don’t agree about this little Kryptonite issue. J’Onn keeps some stored at the DEO – just in case – and that’s the reason why Superman has never worked with the DEO. Morally he just didn’t agree with what J’Onn was doing – housing a weapon that could cripple Superman or any other Kryptonians. And to be honest, last week I was on Superman’s side. Why – especially now with Kara in J’Onn’s life and caring about her like he does – does J’Onn feel the need to store that stuff there? I’d be upset if I were Superman, too.
But it was the talk between these two in the Fortress of Solitude where we finally got to hear J’Onn defend his stance. He brought up a good point – how the Kryptonite was what helped defeat Non during Myriad last season. But it was his personal connection that ripped through me and ended up making a ton of sense.
J’Onn has been keeping an emergency supply of Kryptonite as in a “what if” scenario. J’Onn reflected about his race being destroyed by the White Martians and him being powerless to do anything to stop it. He vowed that he would never be in the position to let something like that happen again. And suddenly I was on J’Onn’s side. Or neutral, rather. It was never something that J’Onn did with malicious intentions. J’Onn would not subject another planet, and more people he loves, potentially be in a helpless stance.
The New Kryptonian
When our mysterious Kryptonian was hinted at in the season finale and then teased in the season premiere, I was convinced that this was something that the show would drag out for a few episodes. But leave it to me to be dead wrong.
Ever since Kara and J’Onn came across this mysterious, unconscious Kryptonian, there have been a lot of questions about his origin and his intentions. Up until now he’d been unconscious and causing random spurts of electrical feedback. But in the show’s final moments, Kara – who was reassuring this alien that he was not alone – suddenly found herself being held by the throat by this alien.
This mysterious Kryptonian goes by the name Mon-El, not that he was conscious long enough to utter his name. But in the comics he possesses the same powers as Superman, which should make his integration into this series an interesting one. Will he serve as an ally to Kara? Or will be an adversary?
