Item: Supergirl
Rating: 8
Author: Steve Seigh

Last Updated on October 5, 2021

EPISODE 10: WE CAN BE HEROES

SYNOPSIS: Supergirl sets out to recapture Livewire, who has seemingly escaped from prison, but her efforts hit a road block when Mon-El puts Supergirl’s safety before the citizens of National City. Meanwhile, James decides to be truthful with Kara; and M’Gann falls into a coma following a psychic attack.

REVIEW:

Well hot damn! It looks like after a tepid mid-season return, SUPERGIRL is back in action with this week’s episode being one of the series best by far! For me, “We Can Be Heroes” was a “back to business” episode that is packed solid with stand-out character moments and plenty of forward-momentum with regard to the show’s many lingering sub-plots.

I’ll be straight with you, the reason this episodic analysis is a tad late to post is because your boy had a nasty visit to the ICU over the past week and a half, so I hope that you’ll bear with me as I attempt to write this week’s review while under the influence of some pretty gnarly medications. With that bit of personal information out in the open, let’s dig into the events of SUPERGIRL’s latest adventure.

The events of “We Can Be Heroes” begin with Mon-El and Supergirl going at it in the training room. No, no, no, they’re not jumping each other’s super bones, I simply mean that they’re working together to tighten up Mon-El’s combat skills. His intentions are pure, but it’s obvious that by the end of the session, Mon-El will still need to be kept on Kara’s short leash a bit longer before he’ll be ready to fight crime in a more public setting. And yet, instead of asking him to repeat the exercise, Kara proclaims that she believes he’s ready to be fitted for his own super suit. It’s a curious moment for Supergirl, I think. Does she genuinely think Mon-El is ready, or is this perhaps a bit of her puppy love for the dashing Daxamite overriding her good decision making? Hmmm, I suppose only time will tell.

Next, we’re treated to a fair bit of what I like to call the “Winnguardian Chronicles”. As of this episode, James Olsen and Winn Schott are still engaging in their nightly crime-fighting activities, away from the watchful eye of their friend, Supergirl. At this stage of the game, Winn has just about had it with lying to Kara about The Guardian’s identity – not to mention the fact that he’s burning the candle at both ends while trying to simultaneously work for the DEO in addition to being James’ eyes and ears on the combat grounds. In my opinion, Jeremy Jordan absolutely slays for this entire episode. The Winn character has grown on me by leaps and bounds, this season, and here I found both his sincerity and forthrightness with James to be refreshing as all get out. Granted, Winn’s pleading for James to tell Kara the truth will have been too little too late, but you’ve got to give the little squirt some credit for trying to give his friend the opportunity to come clean on his own.

Another thread that’s heavily touched upon this episode is that of the on-going martian rivalry between Hank and M’gann. If you remember, the last time we checked in with M’gann, she’d been incarcerated under the direct orders of Hank Henshaw, after he’d discovered her true identity as a White Maritan. That being the case, we as viewers know that M’gann is indeed a rogue White Martian, whose actions helped save the life of a Green Martian child in addition to throwing a major wrench into the nefarious works of her own hostile race. Hank hasn’t come to terms with these circumstances yet. So when M’Gann is psychically attacked by her own people (in an effort to pinpoint her whereabouts and seek revenge for her transgressions), and shields herself in a protective coma-like state of being, it’s Hank who must search deep within himself, and commit to extending an act kindness on a member of the species who helped destroy his own family. It’s actually quite the compelling conundrum, and the whole scenario is played up very well by both a harsh David Harewood and a vulnerable Sharon Leal. Typically, I don’t always buy into Hank’s intensely emotive displays, but I felt it here, and it was one of his finer moments in some time.

Ah, but what is a Supergirl episode without a super villain to muck things up for our heroes? That’s right folks, Leslie Willis AKA Livewire is back! Of all the villains that have made their way onto this program, I’ve got to say that I’m jazzed for it to be Livewire who has steadily risen through the ranks to becoming Supergirl’s first tried-and-true nemesis. Despite some of the bloated superhero/villain dialogue that is to be expected with a show like this, I find that Brit Morgan and Melissa Benoist display a rather delightful on-screen chemistry, together. Additionally, off the subject of their verbal tete-a-tete, I really dug the mad scientist plot twist in this episode. I was totally convinced that Livewire had orchestrated the break from her less-than-adequate holding quarters, so finding out that actor Steve Valentine was indeed the one pulling the strings struck me as a nice comic book-inspired switcharoo. It’s not everyday that the villain is the victim. A fine touch indeed.

Alright, let’s get to what is perhaps the biggest reveal of this week’s episode. After a botched battle sequence against the Mad Scientist’s Livewire clones, Kara has finally learned that James Olsen is The Guardian. Ugh, in all honesty, I’ve been dreading this moment, mostly because Kara reacted in the exact fashion that I knew she would – with staunch disapproval. Granted, it’s natural for superheroes to want to protect their non-powered friends, but I was really hoping that Kara would recognize what an asset The Guardian has been to Central City as of late. I know that I’ve relentlessly bagged on James in the past, but since the show’s mid-season return, he really has displayed a knack for crime fighting. Don’t get me wrong, I still find James in need of an attitude adjustment, every now and again, but I’m not below giving his character credit where it’s due.

These heated moments shared between Kara and the rest of her team really serve to highlight Supergirl’s insecurity – something that I feel is essential to making the character appear flawed despite her bevy of super powers and pension for dolling out long-winded speeches about where the needle on a person’s moral compass should swing. I totally get that she’s against her nearest and dearest being put in harm’s way, but I also hope that she comes to realize that standing in front of her is the makings of a honest-to-goodness super team – and that soon enough she’s going to need all the help she can get when the White Martians come for their revenge against M’Gann.

Lastly, let’s talk about that sweet Livewire and Supergirl team-up moment. What a breath of fresh air that scene was. Not only did it serve both of the character’s best interests, it bolsters what I was talking about earlier with regard to the on-screen chemistry between Benoist and Morgan. There’s this … and you’ll have to pardon my description … electricity between the two actresses that I feel should be both recognized and celebrated. Far too often do the hero and villain altercations on these CW superhero shows devolve into nothing more than paint-by-numbers fisticuffs and harsh words, so I hope you’re with me when I say that the decision to fight side-by-side was a welcomed change in predictability.

There’s also that Hallmark moment shared between Mon-El and Kara toward the end of the episode. I don’t want to spend too much time on this, as I feel there isn’t much to discuss, yet. It’s cool that Mon-El is finally being honest with Kara about his feelings, though I suspect that it will be another episode or two before Supergirl admits to her own self that she too feels something for the eager-beaver Daxamite. I don’t blame her, though. Mon-El has proven himself to be quite irresponsible since crash-landing on Earth, and seeing as Kara hasn’t had the best of luck-in-love, I don’t begrudge her a spat of hesitation in accepting Mon-El’s advances.

For real, I think this is the most fun I’ve had with an episode of SUPERGIRL in a while. The events of “We Can Be Heroes” really made every moment count, and has me positively pumped for the events to come. I suspect that we’re headed toward a flashy all-out war as the White Martians descend on Central City in search of M’Gann, and it’s going to take every able-bodied hero to send them packing. Now that a lot of the lingering emotions and identity reveals are out in the open, the writers can focus down on delivering a very action-packed and eventful ride toward the finale as SUPERGIRL Season 2 continues on.

SCORE:

STINGER: EPISODE 11: THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES – Armek arrives in National City intent on taking M’gann back to Mars to face her punishment as a traitor. Thinking she’ll be safe at the DEO, Hank and Supergirl are in for a startling surprise when shapeshifter Armek is in the building and under disguise.