Supergirl Round Table: Will Lena Be Swayed?

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Rhea returned at the tail end of Supergirl Season 2 Episode 18 and approached Lena at the moment when she was the most vulnerable. 

After losing Jack, will Rhea be able to sway her to the side of evil? 

Below, TV Fanatics Steven Ford, Christine Orlando, Yana Grebenyuk, Jim Garner, and Kathleen Wiedel discuss where Lena stands, Lyra joining forces with Guardian, and Kara earning back her job. 

React to Rhea approaching Lena. Will Lena be swayed to the dark side?

Steve: After Rhea stated that she wasn't finished with Earth yet, I thought she would be put on the back burner for an episode or two. I'm very glad that didn't happen and the writers are keeping the ball rolling.

As far as wooing Lena to the dark side, hopefully that's not the case. I love the idea of Lena breaking the evil Luthor mold and prefer seeing her remain an ally to Kara.

Christine: I wasn’t expecting her back so soon, and I kind of wish she’d disappear, but I knew that wasn’t going to happen. I really want to see the friendship between Lena and Kara continue but that will only occur with some bumps in the road and Rhea is definitely that bump.

Yana: I kind of forgot that Rhea existed for a quick second so that probably gives you some insight. I don't see Lena being swayed to the dark side, it seems like that is what we should be worried about every time she comes back,

That is exactly why I don't think she will be because she really is a genuinely nice person who is trying to do good in light of her reputation. She has never disappointed me so far so I trust her.

Jim: Well, as mentioned above, I'm glad they didn't shift her to far to the back burner. However, I'm not sure what she wants with Lena but I suspect it's going to increase the odds that Lena finds out who Kara really is.

Kathleen: I was a bit surprised they brought Rhea back so quickly, but it was probably a good choice. Yana admitted to forgetting about her for a moment, and doubtless wasn't the only viewer out there who did. It's generally a wise notion to keep significant villains alive in the viewers' heads.

That said, I hope that Lena continues staying on the side of light, as her struggle to overcome her family's villainous ways and reputation is much more interesting than seeing yet another iteration of an evil Luthor.

Do you think Lena suspects Kara is Supergirl?

Steve: There have been a handful small moments here and there throughout the season hinting at Lena's suspicion, including this episode. Lena is obviously highly intelligent, and if she hasn't already connected the dots, she could piece it all together by the finale.

Christine: I don’t know if she’s completely figured it out yet, but I won’t be surprised if we find out she knows Kara’s alter ego in the season finale.

Yana: How has Lena (and Snapper) not figured it out yet? I am under the assumption that everyone knows but doesn't say anything because it is that obvious. But realistically, I think someone will find out or say they know by the end of the season.

Jim: If Lena doesn't then phrases like "I will always protect you" should have sounded VERY strange coming from Kara. However, if she really doesn't know, I suspect she will by the end of the season given Rhea's return and complete lack of subtlety.

Kathleen: As the others pointed out, Lena isn't an idiot. And it's not like Kara's exactly been subtle about the whole thing, either. If Lena doesn't know already, I expect her to either deduce it or have it revealed to her by the end of the season.

Friends - Supergirl Season 2 Episode 18

Are you happy that Kara has her job back?

Steve: Heck, yeah! Kara recognizing her wrong doings to Snapper and telling him that she has learned a lot from him and her own mistakes was a huge step for both her character and as a reporter.

You can tell under that tough exterior that Snapper has a lot of respect for Kara and does, in fact, want to see her succeed. That shell is starting to crack a bit and it's fun to see.

Christine: Yes! She needs to be grounded in the real world and being a reporter does that, and it’s also her passion which is a serious plus.

Yana: Sure. It just isn't the same without Cat there, but I think this time around Kara needed to learn this lesson from Snapper. She was in the wrong and all he really wanted was for her to realize that because she can't be a reporter if she doesn't follow specific rules of the game.

Jim: As much as Snapper bugged me early on, I'm glad to see her back at work. Snapper's shell is starting to crack (he said "thank you" after all). And the improvements in his sarcastic sense of humor is a nice change of pace over "get off my lawn" grumpy-old-man he was doing when we first met him.

Kathleen: Kara has said on more than one occasion that her life at CatCo helps keep her grounded. Sure, she could work at the DEO full-time. Maybe she even will, one day. But I think it's a good thing to know who and what you're fighting for, and that for all Kara's super-human abilities, she's not perfect and still has a lot to learn.

Apologizing to Snapper and acknowledging her mistakes was an important moment. From a more meta perspective, the contrast between her time as a superhero and her time at CatCo makes Kara more relatable as a character, which is especially important because of her rather extensive list of superpowers.

Freezing the Technology - Supergirl Season 2 Episode 18

What are your thoughts on Lyra joining Team Guardian? Will they be able to work together?

Steve: This side story was my only quarrel with what was an otherwise solid episode. The whole idea on Lyra being part of the team and then her blowing up at Winn just felt like unnecessary filler. Her notorious short fuse and outbursts (which are actually quite annoying as of late) spelled trouble from the get-go.

I suppose it's good that James, Winn and Lyra are all on the same page again and we can all move on, but I just don't see this team-up lasting more than a few episodes.

Christine: I actually kind of liked it. Lyra has her faults. She’s an alien and all of this is new to her, but I’m happy to see James and Winn give her a chance. I think she and Winn make a cute and interesting couple and I liked seeing them and James navigate this new, oddball relationship.

Yana: It was a cute side story. I loved what it did to Winn and James, two guys who were meant to be two points in a love triangle but are now real friends and brothers. It's a nice little reminder that not everything is hectic and life threatening all the time over there.

Jim: I'm siding with Christine and Yana on this one. I think Lyra and Winn are adorable together and seeing the bond it brought out in Winn and James was great. I hope things go well and she's able to stick with team Guardian for a while.

Kathleen: I'm leaning more towards Steve's side on this. Lyra got Winn into some serious trouble not too long ago, and she's got a demonstrably short temper. Throw in the fact that Winn invited her onto Team Guardian without asking James first? Not cool.

While Winn had good intentions, those sorts of things often pave the way to someplace rather on the toasty side, if you know what I mean.

How did you feel about some characters (Alex, Mon-El, etc) taking a back seat this week?

Steve: It was a nice change, to be honest. Sometimes I feel this show has the tendency to try and focus on too many characters at once and can make me feel uninterested as a result. So it was good to see some of the other characters take a break from the action for a change.

Although, that little restaurant scene with Lara and Mon-El AKA Mike crashing Lena's date was fun. That awkward hug from Mon-El to Jack telling him that they should hang out was priceless.

Christine: This show has so many great characters that it’s difficult to give them all the attention they deserve. Sometimes the DEO angle gets a little too heavy, so I was okay with James, Winn, and Lyra getting a little more screen time. I just wish there was enough time to give to them all.

Yana: Mon-El not being around as much made it the show I thought it would be. He was there but he wasn't upstaging everything and it wasn't about him or how Kara related back to him. She had her own stuff and he was an assist, but for a second I forgot he existed and got weirdly excited.

I really love Kara and Lena teaming up so I am grateful that that usually doesn't factor in outsiders like Mon-El. I did miss Alex though so seeing next week's trailer got me freaking excited!

Jim: I'm with the gang on this one. It's nice when the show runners allow fewer characters to have the spotlight and not try to squeeze the entire cast into the show. Which reminds me. Am I the only one who laughs hysterically when Cat or Snapper shout "MISS TESCHMACHER!"? Maybe I'm showing my age, but I can't help but laugh every time.

Kathleen: Balance is an essential aspect of any ensemble show; it's, unfortunately, easy to place too much focus on one character at the expense of another. This is true in both individual episodes and seasons as a whole. And some viewers enjoy particular characters over others, naturally.

This episode brought a bit of a breather, especially since we've had a lot of focus on Mon-El lately (fair enough, given the storyline involved his parents). And with the growing importance of Lena Luthor as a supporting character, we got a nice bit of character background and friendship-building between her and Kara.

Stacy Glanzman was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in March, 2019.

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Supergirl Season 2 Episode 18 Quotes

Mon-El: She's having dinner with Jack.
Kara: How did you know that?
Mon-El: She called and she was hoping that you would talk her out of it.
Kara: We're going.
Mon-El: I just don't think she meant in person.
Kara: No, come on.
Mon-El: It just feels like stalking.
Kara: No, it's journalism.
Mon-El: Ok. It's very creepy journalism.

J'onn: There is literally nothing for you to do.
Kara: Nothing?
Winn: I challenge you to find an 8-year-old stealing candy.
Alex: It's like somebody slipped law-abiding serum into the reservoir.
Kara: Did somebody do that? Is that illegal? I could stop 'em.