“Every
woman worth her salt knows that we have to work twice as hard as a man to be
thought of as half as good.” – Cat Grant, CATCO Media CEO. If Week
2 displayed Supergirl overcoming early frustration as National City’s hero, the
week 3 episode – “Fight or Flight” – saw her face one of her strongest fears,
the loss of her own identity. The overarching narrative of the show is about a
young woman vying for space in a universe dominated by male figures, most
notably her cousin, Superman. It is a quest for recognition on her terms, to
which Grant’s prescient Episode 2 quote alludes. Kara shoulders not only the onus
to achieve greatness, but also the unique challenge of neither allowing her successes
to be usurped nor her failures to be ascribed to causes beyond her control. As
she tells Jimmy Olsen, “I will be defined by my victories and my
losses.”
Week
3 teed up this dynamic early with Kara’s interview by Grant. Despite
declarations that her
ascendance was “her story,” it is the slip of a familial
link to Superman that becomes the news peg of the conversation. When asked a deliberately
loaded question about starting a family, Supergirl indignantly responds that “nobody
asks my cousin” about such an idea. The Super-connection instantly is the focus
for everyone. With this anxiety in place over whether Kara can be her own
person, the action begins.
The villain that Supergirl opposes is perfectly chosen for this undercurrent about identity. He is the mechanically-suited nuclear scientist, Reactron. A former engineer, maimed and widowed in a nuclear plant attack that Superman failed to prevent, he now intends to inflict the same pain by killing Superman’s cousin. With Kara struggling for her own distinction, what better nemesis exists than one who sees her as a tool for hurting another man? Nevertheless, Supergirl succeeds in their first battle, damaging Reactron’s suit and forcing his retreat.
Fully
believing that she can develop a separate understanding with Reactron,
Supergirl tracks him down and offers both a truce and support for the scarred
scientist. Still, he remains blind to seeing her as anything other than a device
for revenge. Having repaired his weaponized armor with the help of kidnapped corporate
leader and genius, Maxwell Lord, Reactron subdues her in their second clash. On
the cusp of his desired vengeance, Superman then swoops in and speeds Supergirl
to safety.
When
she regains consciousness, Kara suddenly meets the fear she’s carried since she
started toward her destiny. She feels her own worth vanishing in the world’s
eyes. Every public doubt about her being an equal hero is becoming validated.
Compounding her humiliation was that her own friends tipped off Superman that her
rematch might be too much. While Alex provides what reassurance she can, one
final indignity remained for Kara: duty called as Cat Grant’s executive assistant. The CATCO gala celebrating the Supergirl interview that had diminished her was underway.
Her work as Kara Danvers, though, would not last long. Hungry for final victory, Reactron crashes the party in hopes of drawing Supergirl out. In the final decisive meeting, Supergirl wins in a knockout and regains control of her narrative. Below are my takeaways.
Superlative: The writers of Supergirl are clearly still having fun
by taking age-old tropes and reversing who gets stuck with them. The best
example is Kara’s co-worker, Winn Schott. A typical (and tired) role for women
is the Unrequited Tragic Maiden. Their defining characteristic is that they can
never obtain the love that would complete them. Delightfully, in Supergirl, this role falls to Winn. From
his rejection for a date with Kara in the series pilot, to his organizing of
the crime-fighting lab to impress her, Winn’s motivations are never for his own
advancement. The writers further accelerated their fun this week by adding an
overtly “catty” moment between Winn and Jimmy Olsen as they stepped on each
other’s sentences and dismissed each other’s contributions in helping Kara
track down Reactron’s hideout. Winn even suffered a moment where he fell to the
ground as a pillar was crashing toward him…only to have Supergirl come to his
rescue. Watching these cliché reversals take place has been some of the smartest
and most consistent fun of the season.
Another
credit goes to Supergirl’s writers
and to actress Chyler Leigh for finding a purposeful role for Alex Danvers,
Kara’s older stepsister. In the first
two episodes, her character vacillated awkwardly between austerity and sympathy
toward her younger sister. This week, she found a consistent voice by being the
mentoring presence that Kara as a twenty-something still needs. Initially, Jimmy
Olsen appeared to get this role, but having it go to Alex was a welcome change.
Villainous: Providing
an actual role for Superman within this episode felt like touching a third rail. If
his blurry image continues reappearing, he becomes a running gag and a distraction
from Supergirl’s evolution. Yet, portions of the audience will crave to know whether
he cares to maintain a connection to his only family on Earth. In the end
(despite my placing this creative decision under Villainous), his presence in
“Fight or Flight” works because his arrival forces Kara to confront the
visceral insecurity she’s felt from the beginning. Kara must learn that losing
a fight only deprives her of her agency if she lets it. As Alex rightly points
out, “Your story is only
starting.” With season 1 being an arc about how Supergirl fulfills her
potential, this limited use of
Superman seems right.
Bizarro (my own strange
musings): “Someday,
you’re gonna be the one saving him.” Without a doubt, my eyes widened at this
line from Alex during her pep talk with Kara. I can see two possible
interpretations for its use, which must be more than simple throw-away
dialogue.
1) The season finale, and
Supergirl’s evolutionary arc, will be punctuated by a rescue of the Man of
Steel! Or…
2) The line is actually a
poignant reference to the 1985 comic series Crisis
on Infinite Earths. In the famous DC storyline, Supergirl gave her life to
save Superman and defeat the evil Anti-Monitor.
“Fight
or Flight” is clearly a critical piece for the maturation of Supergirl. It also
provides an allegory for the pressures women face as they strive to succeed in
historically male roles. Through these initial stories as well as the actor’s
strong performances, Melissa Benoist has clearly made Supergirl a compelling figure.
Trepidation lies ahead, though, as the arrival of Lucy Lane (younger sister to
Lois) seems to herald a diversion into love triangles. For me, I’m more
interested in the professional triangle between Kara, Alex and DEO Director
Hank Henshaw, who may prove to be more foe than friend.
Written by : Joseph Money
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