Spoilers might fly up.

(Source: CBS)
(Source: CBS)

In Supergirl 1×03: Fight or Flight, Kara seems to be fighting an enemy seemingly too powerful for her. Here’s where that question that keeps coming up gets a definitive answer: Will we be seeing Kal-El on the show? No, but he might appear as a blurry silhouette now and then. And that’s exactly what happens. Kara is fighting new baddie, Reactron. He’s a human affected by radiation who wears some advance gear to channel the power of a mini nuclear core he carries on his chest. For a moment, I thought he was Metallo. Nope.

Yes, Cat Grant got his interview for last week and that didn’t help a lot. Kara’s relationship to Superman is exposed and Discount Iron-Man (that’s Reactron) goes after her. Doesn’t help that Kara doesn’t have a firing solution yet, i.e. she doesn’t know how to stop him. Reactron’s not E.T. He’s human. The DEA doesn’t want to intervene, but we expect Alex was going to try anyway and we’re not disappointed.

At the heart of the story is Supergirl’s own persona. Kara is still trying to figure out what being a superhero is. She’d rather stand or fall by herself. That might not sound like the safest decision, but I’m with her here. Superman showing up and saving the day does not gave Kara the chance to break out from his cousin’s shadow. Maxwell Lord even fails to name Supergirl and just mentions the Man of Steel in the news. Unfortunately, the other man in this picture is James Olson. Cue the famous emergency watch that allows him to call the big blue boy scout.

Reactron’s not defeated yet. He attacks Cat Grant’s magazine release. Kara fights him, or rather tries to while getting blasted. At this point Alex has been discovered by Henshaw (more on that later) and they’ve figured a way to defeat him. It’s endearing that Supergirl wants to essentially try to reason with him, but he’s having none of that. Finally, Kara melts lead from a nearby sculpture to use to encase the core in lead. So much for Reactron. It’s a victory in the end.

Superheroes are very territorial. You don’t come to their city and start solving crimes without them asking you what you think you’re doing. Kara is still in her first “steps” as a super, although she has been in Earth for a while. You can tell she’s not used to the role yet during her interview with Cat Grant. I can understand some people’s opinions on how she might seem like she’s bumbling through her superheroics. The deal is, she wants to make a name for herself and has her own support people to help her out. She’s got her own super team now. The last person she needs is her cousin.

And that’s the way that the series feels as well. Yes, we got an implied, blurry appearance of Superman this episode because you know they had to address Kal-El, but we should expect Kara to do better as the series gets better as well. After all, we’re only three episodes in, people!

Highs/Lows/KryptoniteAaah!:

  • Yes, Superman showed up and weakened Kara’s rep in National City. It was bound to happen and it might as well happen now while the series is young. Now we can move on having set boundaries.
  • Maxwell Lord (Peter Facinelli) is definitely back in the recurring Steve Jobs meets Lex Luthor role. It might work. He’s been set as a possible love interest for Cat Grant as well.
  • Cat Grant is a little bit more weird in this one, although still insightful enough. She still does this thing of being “all that” when she points at the screens behind her that I don’t buy anymore. I hope that turns to be an act.
  • Hank Henshaw is an alien! Or something meta. The question is, is he hiding it or partially unaware of it?
  • Winslow “Winn” Schott creates a computer lair a-la-Felicity-Smoak. He also has a moment with Kara while dancing. He’s still way in the background and losing ground.
  • James Olsen casually giving away Superman’s secret identity to Winn while talking to Kara. Really, Jimmy! Really! Cool watch though.
  • You probably have noticed that whenever there’s a news channel on TV, it’s usually 52 – as in DC’s New 52 lineup (which ain’t new anymore at this point).

That will do for now.