Spoilers are all about female empowerment this week.
It should really be more often, but both Supergirl and The Flash shone a light on their strongest female characters. The results were mixed, but welcomed. While Supergirl the relationship of Maggie Sawyer and Alex Danvers comes to a crossroad, The Flash tackled giving Iris a starring role alongside exploring the duality of Caitlin Snow and Killer Frost. Let’s get to it, then.
Highs, Lows and Sanvers’ End:
- Maggie Sawyer was, of all things, a fleshed out female character that was both strong and flawed. She may have been the best thing that has happened so far to Alex Danvers, but she was also the best thing that happened to the show.
- In more ways than one, the end of the road for Alex and Maggie was even more important than the distance traveled. The show couldn’t just close that door without first giving us the pain of the separation. This was not Kara putting Mon-El on a space pod. This was the show giving us a human breakup of a human relationship without relying on death, sickness or completely changing the character at the last minute via cheating or supernatural event. Maggie walks out in the end, but it’s a decision and not a surprise.
- Thanks to Floriana Lima for being Maggie Sawyer, a human character with depth and an agency. I do hope she makes a sporadic appearance here and there in the future.
- On the other hand, we have Lena being framed by Morgan. That we all know that in the end it wasn’t really Lena’s fault and that Kara and Samantha were going to get to the truth of the matter was not really the point of this episode. It was all about Lena.
- Kate McGrath has brought to live a Lena Luthor that’s both intriguing and inspirational. She’s always cool and in control… Up until now. Lena’s defenses are tested to the brink. Someone else is writing her narrative for her, over her. It’s seeing Lena weak that makes us really feel empathy for her. You don’t expect her to suddenly go Luthor on Morgan, but when she does she’s in a dark place.
- In a Sith-like matter Lena basically gives in to the dark side because she refuses the victim card. She thinks she’s going to take the fall of it all anyway and rather than running away she runs towards it. In other words, she’d rather become the villain on her own terms than be framed by somebody else. I have to say, that makes her the strongest and most interesting character in the show. Of course Kara comes to the rescue and Lena redeems herself.
- But in the back of my mind, Morgan should fear Lena’s reprisal far more than Supergirl’s. He’s right, Supergirl can inconvenience him greatly. Lena can make his life a living hell on earth.
Unbeknownst to anybody but the people watching, back on STAR Labs…
Highs, Lows, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde:
- Yes, Iris was the leader this week. Barry and the guys end up at a strip joint because of Ralph Dibny because we don’t even want to suggest the other guys would ever suggest a strip club.
- Cecille’s daughter Joanie is revealed as a stripper, a role she’s taken to write a book from a feminist perspective.
- Barry makes for a funny drunk.
- But nevermind all that, the real focus is on Frost’s past coming back to haunt her. That should have given us a clear shot at exploring their dynamic. The show is clearly trying to keep Frost from embracing her Killer persona to prevent a moral conflict, something that I kinda wish they’d make up their minds about.
- Yes, it would be extremely dark to have Killer Frost actually kill someone since at that point the moralistic high ground is lost and the team would have to imprison Caitlin. However, I feel that angle could be explored. I’m getting too much vibes from Buffy The Vampire Slayer’s Faith here.
- I almost feel this one was one that could’ve been left to both Iris and Caitlin alone, but Felicity comes along for the ride and… so does Cecille, which we really have had little time knowing at all. It’s a bit clunky and awkward how the episode is pulled through. The episode feels too busy with so many people moving from one location to another.
- Amonet Black (Katee Sackhoff)… I really had a bit of a cringe moment taking her seriously as a villainess. Yes, the part with the cops and her reaction to “ma’am” was funny. She doesn’t scream “returning character role” for me, although I’m already hearing she might return in that role.
- Danielle Panabaker’s Killer Frost had some good and bad moments this week, including some really great badass moments as well. I know we’re making her hold back because we want to keep her on the “good” side, but I wanted more snark from the Ice Queen. You’ve done it before, showrunners. I’m really tempted to think she was also held back to make sure she didn’t outshine Iris.
- That being said, the entire plot was an excuse for bachelor / bachelorette shenanigans. I wasn’t even intrigued with the Thinker’s floating chair pursuing this Weeper guy. Overall, it felt a bit of a throwaway, and it would’ve been a waste without Frost to bring in some edge to it. I still feel like I we could use a full-on dark Killer Frost episode instead of this watered-down Shirley Temple drink version.
That will do for now.
Never Think Impossible 