Supergirl Round Table: Their Better Angels
Kathleen Wiedel
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Supergirl battled both the Master Jailer, a new nemesis at CatCo, and her own hatred of Max Lord in Supergirl Season 1 Episode 14, "Truth, Justice, and the American Way."
Join Supergirl Round Table panelists Jim Garner, Stacy Glanzman, Christine Orlando, and Kathleen Wiedel as they discuss Kara's rivalry with Siobhan, her battle with the Master Jailer, Max Lord, and more. Join in the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments section below!
What do you think of Siobhan Smythe, Kara's new rival at CatCo?
Jim: I don't trust her. I suspect when Cat Grant finds out that she's wanting to usurp her in the future as a media powerhouse, Cat will be teaching her some humility.
Stacy: I don't trust her either. She definitely seemed like she was snooping around James and Lucy's conversation. James was right to warn Kara about her.
Christine: She’s trouble and definitely has her own agenda… maybe a couple of them. I’m hoping she doesn’t last long.
Kathleen: Siobhan is a sneaky one, isn't she? Creeping around, eavesdropping, and being an all-around snoop. I rather suspect she's going to get into trouble that way, and that trouble is going to cause a whole lot of grief for our heroes.
Discuss the Master Jailer and how he works as a villain in this story.
Jim: I was a bit surprised at the conversation he had with his human partner. He used the word "alien" pretty freely with no reaction from the partner. Beyond that, he was a bit of a zealot when it came to justice and his view of absolute black or white, but clearly as he sees it applied since he was going to execute Kara without her being convicted of a crime.
Stacy: I thought he was okay as a one-off villain. I was more interested in the professor and wouldn't mind seeing him pop up again.
Christine: I agree, Stacy. Now that the professor knows Supergirl, I found myself wondering if we’re going to see him again in the near future.
Kathleen: As Jim pointed out, the Master Jailer is a guy who sees in absolutes: either guilty or not guilty, with no space for mercy. All the guilty must die. This actually plays into the B-story with Max Lord in a way; Supergirl and Alex were reacting similarly single-mindedly to the threat of Max Lord.
Do you agree with James about the detention of Max Lord without due process? Was it the right call to let Lord go?
Jim: I do agree with James that Kara has to be better than Lord if she wants to call herself a hero, that includes keeping him without due process. That being said, I'm not sure I would have let him walk out without a stronger guarantee that he wasn't going to expose them.
Stacy: I agree with James as well and I do think Kara made the right call, but it is hard to let someone go knowing there's a chance he could really screw you. It'll be interesting to see what happens.
Christine: I agreed with James but was happy that Alex took measures to keep Lord quiet because I don’t think he has any “better angels” and mutually assured destruction may be the only way to keep him in line.
Kathleen: James made a good point about due process and all, though the situation was emotionally fraught. If they want to be heroes, though, they have to go about things the right way. That's what makes them heroes, after all. That said, it's easy to take the moral high ground when you're the ones sitting on the sofa watching TV. Letting Lord go was morally the right call, though it may come back to bite them from a strategic point of view.
What will Max Lord do with his newly-restored freedom? Will he continue to be a thorn in their sides?
Jim: He will certainly continue to be a thorn in their side. That being said, I could see him being useful in the coming fight against Non and his soldiers. Lord has as much reason as anyone to hate him.
Stacy: I am actually wondering if Lord will end up joining the good guys eventually. The way James was explaining Lord's fear and where it comes from made me think that Kara continuing to rise above will get through to him. I prefer Lord as a villain, but it would not surprise me at all if he eventually joins the team.
Christine: I think Max Lord will turn into the old adage of “the enemy of my enemy.” I think he’ll continue to rattle Kara and the DEO whenever he can, but he will also be useful in fighting off Non and what’s to come.
Kathleen: Max Lord may come to the determination that Non is the bigger threat (for now, at least), and he can always, ah, take care of Supergirl after the threat of Non is eliminated. When that happens... all bets are off.
Should Alex tell Kara the truth about who killed Astra, or continue to let Hank take the blame?
Jim: I'm really torn on this one. I understand why Alex wants to tell Kara. But, at the same time Hank is right, she would lose Alex and Astra all at once, and that would be even more horrible.
Stacy: I don't think they should have lied in the first place. I really think if Alex had told her that she killed Astra to save Hank's life, she would have understood. She would be upset that it had to happen, but I think she would have forgiven Alex. The longer they keep it from her though the worse it is going to be when she does find out.
Christine: I understand why Hank took the blame, but there’s no way this doesn’t turn out to be a huge mess. Telling the truth from the start would have been best. Now they’ve coupled the tragedy of Astra’s death with a huge lie, and it’s going to hurt Kara even more.
Kathleen: You said it, Christine. This lie is just going to continue to eat away at everyone. I can understand why Hank told it, but this lie is like acid. The person Kara should hold responsible for Astra's death is Astra herself, but it's so much easier to lash out at the people who are still here.
*Bonus! Share a notable scene or quote from the episode.
Jim: I really liked Jimmy and Kara discussion how he needs to tell Lucy everything if they are ever going to have a chance to make it as a couple. I'm curious how this is going to turn out, as it seems pretty clear it will either be Jimmy and Lucy together and her on Team Supergirl, or Jimmy broken up.
Stacy: There were a lot of great ones, but I'll go with the scene between Cat and James. We've seen her as a mentor for Kara, but we haven't really seen her get that personal with anyone else except her son. It was a nice moment and I liked James' comment about it meaning they've gone off the deep end.
Christine: Stacy! You totally stole mine. The story that Cat told really hit home on so many levels. Sometimes there’s a lot of pressure to cover things up and telling the truth can be difficult. It’s the role of good journalist to find the truth and turn a light on it. I appreciated that Cat truly believed that and how she learned the lesson the hard way.
Kathleen: I really enjoyed the scene at the beginning where Non asked Kara to say the funeral prayer for Astra. He may hate Kara, but he clearly loved Astra, enough to make a truce with Kara to observe proper rites for his wife. Of course, then he warned Kara that the next coffin would be hers...
Supergirl returns on Monday, February 29, 2016 at 8/7c on CBS with Supergirl Season 1 Episode 15, "Solitude." Be sure to check out our review after it airs!
