Supergirl: Legion of Superheroes

“Rats indicate neurological issues.”

Given the title, “Legion of Superheroes,” I was afraid this would be another Supergirl episode that barely featured Supergirl. I have become tired of those. (Dear producers of Supergirl: people choose the show because they want to watch Supergirl.) Fortunately, the episode was much better than I expected.

Supergirl is stuck in a coma, but it looks pretty much like Kara Danvers’s digs, and Brainiac-5 – Brainy – comes to visit. That was a lot of fun, and especially interesting when she couldn’t find her way back to reality. What would keep me in stuck my own mind, I have to wonder?

Then we had some comic awkwardness. Lena and James discuss their kiss. Lena also wonders where Kara is, and we are reminded that if Supergirl is unavailable because she’s in a coma, Kara Danvers is necessarily in a coma as well. Fortunately for our heroes, there’s an alternative: our Martian can shape-shift and so he plays Kara when Lena comes over with soup for the allegedly flu-stricken Kara.

Other shows would have milked the Lena Luthor delivers soup to J’onn J’onnzz for more – I appreciate that the humor did not get too broad and awkward during the scene, which it could have, even when Lena was telling J’onn-in-Kara-Danvers disguise about what it’s like to kiss James Olsen. The episode did refer to it more than once afterwards, but those references were almost necessary.

Back to more serious stuff. Reign wants to implement justice without mercy – a terrifying thought, and one which could use more exploration, but that probably belongs to another show, not a series based on comic books. I hope Supergirl goes there anyway. It’s fitting that our heroes end up defending a prison (and Reign has no problem with killing guards as well as prisoners).

Title musings: “Legion of Superheroes,” as far as I can tell, refers to Mon-El and Imra Ardeen and Brainiac-5 (my knowledge of the vast realm of comic book literature is pitiful) and not much else. Fortunately for me, the title was misleading, because I’m tired of watching other characters.

Bits and pieces

I really enjoyed the character of Brainy. Nicely done.

I liked the story about Supergirl and how afraid she was to pet the stray cat when she arrived on Earth.

I liked how Supergirl, when writing on Alex’s cast, puts in binary code.

There is more chemistry between Mehcad Brooks and Katie McGrath, so I’m glad the Olsen/Lena Luthor romance is still a go.

I thought the show was going to have Samantha attack her daughter Ruby, but they did that very well.

Glad to see Thomas Colville again. He’s one weird, sick puppy.

Relieved to know that the DEO has a “what if Superman attacks Earth” scenario and plan. That’s what government agencies are supposed to do.


Brainiac 5: Your brain is in truly remarkable health for someone languishing in a coma.

Dark Kryptonian: This world needs to be cleansed, not just of sinners, but of those who harbor them.

Reign: There will be no more mercy. There will only be justice.

Reign: Apathy is the worst sin of all.

Alex: Never underestimate Supergirl.

Brainy: Rats indicate neurological issues.

Supergirl: Reality re-entry?

Mon-El: Interfering is our specialty.

Overall Rating

I was much more entertained than I expected, and I was happy that it was not all about the Legion of Superheroes (just enough about that group for their fans). Still, I wish the episodes would be more ambitious. Why was it so important for Kara to be Kara? Had she really turned away from that aspect of herself? What are the implications of justice without mercy? But, I did enjoy the episode a lot. Three stray cats out of four.



Deborah Gallegos said...

Thanks so much for your review!

I personally LOVE the Legion of Super-Heroes as it was the first comic book series I ever read as a really young kid and has a huge, and very active fan base, although the comics themselves have languished in recent years due to editorial decisions/constraints.
Imra/Saturn Girl is a FAR cry from her comic book self.
My main issue with Brainiac 5 was his AWFUL wig. I could accept the bad makeup job, but that wig was SO incredibly distracting. Totally don't understand why they didn't just put a little blonde dye in the actor's hair, the character has no weird hairstyle that necessitates a wig at all. Weird.
Also, the Legion is important because Supergirl and Brainy "team up" and she joins the Legion.
Lastly, there is one part of your review that I have to take issue with -
Of course, these kinds of issues belong in comic books! (And shows based on comic books) I often think that people have an idea of what comics are from just the Batman 1966 TV series and haven't actually read any. Comics have been tackling social issues since the very beginning, in 1938, and in recent decades tackling them head on, no holds barred. Some "graphic novels" have actually won a Pulitzer Prize and have been on the New York Times bestseller list, all while dealing with nuanced issues such as justice without mercy among many other things.
Basically, as much as I love the Supergirl show for being a breath of fresh air and light in a very dark, anti-hero superhero age in current media, don't sell her short - her writers are capable of so much more... I hope.

Thanks fo listening!

Victoria Grossack said...

Deb, I applaud your defense of the genre! And I hope the writers do take the issues further, that would be great! Maybe Brainy's wig is connected to the other stuff stuck on the outside of his head.

Patryk said...

Supergirl needs some more powerfull sidekicks, that or J'onn should stop avoiding fights, so I'm glad that we got the Legion now for some more fun especially that Reign will get her own team soon.

Speaking of Reign, have the comics ever established the power level of a half-kryptonian half-human hybrids? Because I keep waiting to see powers in her daughter.