Supergirl Round Table: Long Live the King?

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We nearly lost Mon-El to his evil parents on Supergirl Season 2 Episode 17, but luckily Team Supergirl managed to keep him on Earth. 

Queen Rhea is not about to accept defeat and return home though. She has other plans for her son. 

Below, TV Fanatics Steven Ford, Christine Orlando, Jim Garner, Yana Grebenyuk, and Kathleen Wiedel discuss her ulterior motives, Lynda Carter's return, and potential consequences for J'onn.

Why does Rhea want Mon-El to come back to Daxam so badly? Do you think she really loves him, or does she have ulterior motives?

Steve: Well, considering the fact that she just murdered her husband, I think it's safe to say she has ulterior motives. Is it strange that the first thing that comes to mind is Rhea having some weird Oedipus complex by killing her husband in order for Mon-El to be the new king?

Maybe I'm just reading too far into it because of my shock over Lar Gand's death. C'mon, Lois Lane just killed Hercules for crying out loud!

Christine: She’s obviously a very controlling mother! I’m sure she has plans for him, but I also think she’s a mother who won’t let go and won’t tolerate any type of perceived betrayal…hence, the dead husband.

Jim: Wow, you are right Christine, she has serious trust/betrayal issues. She seems to have lost her ability to see what makes Mon-El happy along with her ability to show a facial expression (seriously, Hatcher needs to ease up on the botox and plastic surgery).

Also, if they were still in the solar system, wouldn't the yellow sun have made Lar Gand, you know, uh... stab proof?

Yana: I'm not sure if she actually cares about him or if she has a bigger plan in place. But I agree that she has serious betrayal issues that will make things worse since Mon-El isn't doing what she wants.

Kathleen: It might simply be a matter of power and control for Rhea. She's the queen, so as far as she's concerned, everyone must obey her and do as she demands.

Refusal to accept this is unacceptable, and those who dare defy her must be subverted or destroyed.

What are your thoughts on Lynda Carter's return as President Marsdin?

Steve: President Marsdin's return was a nice surprise. It feels like it has been forever since we last checked in with her. In fact, I almost forgot about her being an alien until her transformation after the video chat with J'onn.

Christine: Me too, Steve. It’s been so long that I’d all but forgotten her storyline, although it looks like she’ll probably be playing a bigger role as we head towards the season finale.

Jim: I thought she was a White Martian, but clearly she is some other type of alien. The question for me is, "Has Marsdin been an alien the whole time, or was she replaced at some point?"

As someone who met Lynda Carter, it is ALWAYS great to see her on TV. (ps. she is just as amazing in person).

Yana: I also forgot the alien storyline until her transformation! Since we are seeing it, there will probably be more where that comes from and I'm excited to see where that may go.

Kathleen: It's nice to have her back, but like the others, it was altogether too easy to forget that she existed in the first place.

What consequences, if any, do you think J'onn will face for ignoring President Marsdin's order?

Steve: I'm not sure, and I don't believe we will find out this season. It will likely come up at a later point in Supergirl Season 3, and the president will reveal what the repercussions are.

I'm thinking this will end up to be more of a "favor" to the POTUS rather than a punishment directly against J'onn.

Christine: Given that the president is really an alien with a secret agenda, you bet there will be consequences!

She’s got a chip to be played with J’onn, but when and how is the question. My guess is that it may come up during the season finale.

Jim: Oh I know there will be a consequence, the question is will be to hurt the DEO, J'onn, or just be to further Marsdin's secret alien agenda. As Steve said, it could end up being "you owe me" rather than a punishment.

Yana: I have no clue. The owing a favor though makes more sense than an actual punishment so I'm voting that it goes there.

Kathleen: I like the "owing a favor" idea, too, especially in combination with J'onn's sense of honor and personal debt. Look how far he went for Jeremiah to protect his daughters!

Surprised? - Supergirl Season 2 Episode 17

Do you like the steps the show is taking in regards to Alex and Maggie's relationship? Are you hoping to delve deeper into Maggie's past?

Steve: It's been great to watch these two open up to each other over the last few episodes. At the beginning of their relationship this season, they were so guarded and had so many walls up.

They've been slowly chipping away at each other and it's been intriguing to watch them grow as a couple.

Christine: I love these two. They make a great romantic couple and are facing just enough obstacles to be realistic. I hope we continue to see more.

Jim: They are officially my favorite TV Couple, just for the record. I hope we continue to see more of them together, it is nice to see more of the social side of Alex and Maggie.

Ironically while watching Lethal Weapon, I actually yelled at the TV, "hey, shouldn't you be with Alex" (Floriana Lima plays Rigg's deceased wife, we see her in flashbacks).

Yana: I wish we saw more of them. I'm not sure what I thought about the setup for their plot this week but it ended on a good note, if only there was more to them.

But that might be me being bitter that we get so much Mon-El and Kara, while Alex and Maggie are more in the background.

Kathleen: Romance plotlines aren't my cup of tea for the most part, but they've been handling this relationship fairly well so far. And, like Yana, I think it was good that they ended the episode on good note.

Kara Versus Rhea - Supergirl Season 2 Episode 17

How do you think Supergirl Season 2 will end?

Steve: It appears Cadmus has been put on the back burner to focus on the Daxam story arc recently. Cadmus isn't going anywhere anytime soon and will most likely carry over into Supergirl Season 3, and possibly beyond.

With only 5 episodes left in Supergirl Season 2, it seems Rhea's quest for revenge is being set up to be the main focus.

Theory: I could see Rhea teaming up with Cadmus, given both share contempt for Kara. However, Lillian's not fond of aliens in general, which would include Rhea, but a temporary alliance could happen. It might be a stretch, but it's a way to merge both of these arcs going into the finale.

Christine: There are so many ways this can play out, but I’m guessing Rhea and President Marsdin will play a big role in the finale. But I have one request! I want to see more Supergirl quotes like this one between Mon El and Winn because I could stop smiling at both the bromance and the Star Wars reference…

Winn: I'm here to rescue you.
Mon-El: Aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper?
Winn: You finally saw Star Wars.

Jim: I have no idea which way they are going to go for the end of the season. Will Lena Luthor go evil? Will her mom die and Lena take her place? Will Rhea end up trapped on Earth?

There is really no telling. I have the same request as Christine. More nerdy, pop culture, quotes between the boys. Oh, and finally get Mon-El a real "hero" costume.

Yana: Lena is coming back and that's all I'm really thinking about going forward. The bigger plots aren't that interesting to me as new characters seem to be. I can't wait to see that iZombie/Supergirl crossover type episode.

Kathleen: Christine actually mentioned my favorite moment in the whole episode. I loved that exchange between Mon-El and Winn! I doubt Lena Luthor will turn evil (at least for now), and I agree with Steve that Cadmus seems to be back-burnered.

That said, I still think the finale might end up being connected to Cadmus while setting up Rhea as a big bad for the next season.

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

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Supergirl Season 2 Episode 17 Quotes

Kara: No, don't cancel your plans just to search databases. That's ridiculous.
J'onn: Uh these databases won't search themselves.
Winn: Actually they will, I just got to write a program for it. And I just signed up for more work, didn't I?

Kara: Any word from your parents?
Mon-El: No, they're just hovering around in orbit. Is that what they mean by helicopter parenting?