Superhero Weekly: Supergirl, an Ace Reporter? The Once and Future Flash. Arrow’s Dangerous Liaisons

Spoilers are making a comeback after some time off.

Supergirl really, really tried with Ace Reporter. The show played up their strongest character, Kara Danvers, and its most enigmatic one, Lena Luthor. Direct from the pages of DC Comics, we’re introduced to Biomax aka Jack Spheere, played by Rahul Kohli (the charismatic CSI from iZombie). Jack and Lena once had a thing, which in TV means they still have a spark.

Of course the Biomax project, which magically seems to heal a wound in Jack, might turn out to require some troubleshooting when we see the same nano bots eat up a person. Am I having a flashback or this is a similar baddie to the Vardies in the last episode of Doctor Who? Of course the important part is not the people that get killed by this flying cloud of nano- IT IS THE SAME THING DAMMIT. Anyhow, as I was saying, the important part is that Kara gets to be a reporter again. I’d really get 100% behind Kara’s comeback if Kara had studied journalism. Actually, shouldn’t it make sense she did since her thing was working at CatCo? Just revise your back history and make it so.

I think there’s potential, still untapped, in a dynamic between old-fashioned reported Snapper Carr and still-a-rookie Kara Danvers. However, sometimes it does feel like both of them are playing the cartoon version of what they do. On the other hand, we got to know Lena Luthor a little more and she remains my favorite character.

The Flash does another time traveling stint, except this time… Well, there’s a lesson to be learn. Which makes similar to other times he’s done something similar. At least traveling forward will not alter the past. The lesson is a familiar one, be a family, act as a team, yada yada, let Barry take on the bad guys.

But this time, it’s Barry from the past that has to teach that lesson to his future self. I must admit, as depressing as the future gets because Iris perishes, I have to agree with Barry it’s not what should happen when a loved one dies. Movies and TV shows often forget loved people pass away and families grieve and heal. Only in films and tv does the future turn apocalyptic because of the death of one person. But I know that it’s just a TV show and I should lighten up…

We’re riding a lot of payback on Savitar’s real identity, so it’s no surprise that we don’t get to know just yet. However, seems Killer Frost has been given the rare honor to see Savitar underneath that light-up armor. So, is it really that much of a shocker?

Arrow finally goes where it hasn’t gone before and puts Oliver against Felicity. I did like that dynamic. It made sense that Helix would simply want a known hacker free. It makes sense that Argus has a blacksite to hold dangerous individuals without trial. This hacker, that goes by the name of Cayden James also holds another Argus gift: a biometric device/algorithm/thingamajig/macguffin capable of locating people via heartbeat. Hence, the solution for Felicity is clear. Help Helix free Cayden James, gain the location of fugitive formerly-known-as-Prometheus, Adrian Chase.

Unsurprisingly, Layla wants no part of this which makes it a little surprising she would let Felicity just walk away like that. I was expecting for her to pull a gun, a dart, bug her with a tracer, something. But Layla just wants to trap Helix in their attempt. Unfortunately that means not telling Egg Face, ok sorry… Oliver just look ridiculous with that thing on. It means not telling Team Arrow that the princess is on another castle. As it turns out Helix already knows.

Meanwhile, we get a little old father to young father talk with Quentin Lance and Rene. And of course we get to see Quentin’s picture on his desk with Laurel. I had already noticed but the camera decides to zoom at it as if to make a point that I’d think it was already subtly made.

Highs/Lows/HelixComeBack:

Supergirl preaches that if you really believe, you can be a journalist. It’s the Walt Disney school of thought, charming but I’d sooner believe a woman can fly.
The cliffhanger with Rhea (Teri Hatcher!) was a bit anti-climatic for me because I want Lena to do her own thing, may she be villain or heroine, rather than needing an ally.
Lena Luthor punching back a villainess that tells her she’s a black belt, her comeback line about being a Luthor was a high point.
Oh yeah, Guardian was in this episode doing some sort of sitcom with Winn and Lyra. That was just a stupid storyline and undermining Lyra as the “crazy girlfriend” was just shameful.
Lena explaining how she feels warm only when her enemies get their comeuppance. Was that supposed to be another layer of Lena peeled off as she turns to the dark side?
The Flash travels to the distant future and learns a lesson! This hasn’t been done before because we’ve traveled other alternate times and learn a lesson. See, now it was the future so it wasn’t the same thing. Okey, I’m being sarcastic.
Future Cisco and Future Barry definitely felt like fleshed out characters, so kudos to Carlos Valdes and Grant Gustin for their performance.
However I do want to single out Jesse L. Martin as Future Joe West, because that cemetery scene was really well done. I was almost expecting a “run along Barry, it’s what you do best” line to seal it.
Killer Frost is finally out and about. I guess she has to align with Savitar, but I wanted her to do her own thing for a while. Oh well.
If we believe that last scene, Savitar is not HR, not Julian, not Joe and not Cisco. Who else remains? Did Wally see himself from an even more distant future? Could it be Jay Garrick? Or is he a future version of Barry himself? Of course everything will run aground if it turns out that he’s just some x guy.
Oh yeah, Vertigo and the Mirror Master. Ho hum. Boring.
The future Flash’s costume is actually brighter than present Flash’s jumpsuit. Interesting.
You know, I would have loved a few episodes with Felicity and Helix doing a little hacktivism. I wouldn’t have mind Felicity taking to that life for a few more episodes. But no, we gotta get back on the Prometheus train.
Layla and John Diggle’s relationship deteriorates as John doesn’t accept how Layla has started following in Waller’s footsteps.
Rene and his daughter reunited for a few moments because of Quentin was sweet. Quentin gets stuff done. I didn’t understood Rene not wanting to see his daughter when he has full visitation rights. Then again, to each their own, but it felt like drama for drama’s sake.
There’s some teasing that Oliver and Felicity will end up back together. Specially since that cliffhanger has them both caught in the blast of whatever that was. Either that or they’ll tease the hell out for the ratings. We’ve gone back and forth too many times. Perhaps it’s time we leave it alone? No? Fine.
Curtis… There’s adorable dork and just annoying. At some point he crossed the line and kept going. Shut up for a minute.
We never get to see Cayden James. You know what would’ve been a great twist? If it turns out they said they were holding him but it turned out to be Adrian Chase. That would’ve fit in with Layla’s decision to keep him secret, with why they haven’t found Chase and would have put Argus at odds with Team Arrow. But it seems Cayden James was a throwaway character without a face. Too bad, I think there would’ve been potential in giving him more of a backstory or even a future one.
I miss Helix already. Alena saying goodbye to Felicity broke my nerdy heart drive.