Supergirl Season 4 Episode 2 Review: Fallout
Lizzy Buczak
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People fear what they do not understand.
Does that sound familiar? Does it sound like our current society?
Planet Earth was a nation divided on Supergirl Season 4 Episode 2 as the fear of aliens began spreading like wildfire following the revelation that President Marsdin was a Durlan and not from Iowa like previously assumed.
The divide between humans and aliens hit a little too close too home this season as the allegories continued in abundance.
The propaganda being spread by the Agent of Liberty, along with his minions the Graves siblings, read like a bad rap sheet: aliens are a threat because they are the stronger breed, they are taking jobs, and they will eventually attack.
Kara had to take off her rose-colored glasses and open her eyes to the hate.
Related: Supergirl Season 4 Episode 1 Review: American Alien
She witnessed it firsthand not only while she was serving the White House as Supergirl, but also when she was plain old Kara at Luthor Corp.
Mercy Graves is a more menacing opponent now that she's been revealed as a former friend of Lena's.
How did Lena turn out to be so level-headed when all of her heroes and idols were people like Luthor and Mercy?
Lena has always fought against the stigma of the Luthor name. However, there is a slight concern that she might be a potential threat in this battle of aliens vs. humans.
Fear can create monsters where none existed before.
President Marsdin
Her statement questioning why humans cannot be just as powerful as aliens was slightly telling.
She may be Supergirl's ally, but she also believes that humans should be armed against aliens.
Lena's "Luthor" is starting to show.
I can imagine her beliefs would be heightened if she were to find out the truth about Kara being Supergirl. The realization would be the ultimate betrayal.
And she came close on Supergirl Season 4 Episode 2.
Kara was backed into a corner when Mercy infiltrated Luthor Corp while she was eating burgers with Lena.
Mercy Graves: You don't deserve the Luthor name, Earth traitor.
Supergirl: You got that backwards. The Luthor name doesn't deserve Lena.
However, piecing everything together would require Lena to be at least a little observant.
There were so many moments where Kara's actions were questionable. If Lena just gave it some thought, she would have arrived at the realization that Supergirl is Kara's alter-ego.
Here are a few dead giveaways she missed: Kara kept trying to separate from the group, Supergirl didn't arrive until after Kara left the room, Supergirl came out of the same place into which Kara just escaped. Oh, and Luthor Corp was on lockdown!
But I don't disagree with her main point. Why can't humans be as powerful as aliens?
Lena
Not to mention, Kara fended off bullets with her bare hands.
I guess keeping Lena in the dark makes for better television, but that doesn't make it less infuriating.
Lena being a good friend and taking care of Kara during a crisis is the only thing keeping her from landing entirely in the doghouse.
Immediately after the initial fight broke out between two agents at the D.E.O, it was obvious that one of them was going to betray his team.
You can't have someone fighting for human and alien rights who is purely anti-alien.
I understand this is Alex's first run as Director. However, she shouldn't have underestimated the Graves siblings.
Why didn't she add additional detail?
Seeing how persuasive the siblings have been in spreading fear and anti-alien sentiment, it was only a matter of time before Mercy was able to convince someone to let her out.
Poor Brainy was almost the victim of a hate-crime when his Image Inducer was hacked.
It was upsetting to see such an intelligent and innocent being question why someone he considered a friend suddenly turned on him.
All he wanted to do was get pizza with apples and olives, dammit.
See, I can understand someone judging him for his weird pizza order.
Brainy: I thought he was my friend.
Nia: A true friend will accept you for who you truly are.
Thankfully, Nia came to his defense as she knew what it was like to be attacked and bullied for being different.
She later opened up about being a transgender woman to James in a moving moment of truth.
And her honesty is something people of color, different races, and different genders can find relatable.
Related: 14 TV Characters Who Would Make Great Ghosts
I'm assuming Brainy thought Nia looked familiar because they know each other in the future, though, she looked a lot younger in the present.
It's also possible that he didn't recognize her name because in the future she goes by her superhero alter-ego, Dreamer.
James Olsen may not be able to make a change and protect people as Guardian anymore, but he can still do a lot of good at CatCo.
I agree that the media should remain unbiased, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
I'm sure CatCo readers can gauge where the publication stands based on Olsen's alliances with Supergirl.
Calling for justice and inclusivity was the least he could do during these trying times.
Sometimes, it's necessary for an episode to take on the burden of being a transitional episode. And Supergirl Season 4 Episode 2 handled the burden well.
And I as your Agent of Liberty, will stand with you as we dare to put Earth first!
Agent of Liberty
The stage has been set for what might be the most crucial battle yet.
We've established the Agent of Liberty as the big bad, J'onn is aware of the bigger threat, and the Graves siblings have set their attack on Supergirl into motion.
Do you think President Baker is Team Supergirl? Or will he reveal himself as a Graves supporter?
Remember to watch Supergirl online at TV Fanatic and let us know what you think about Supergirl Season 4 in the comments below.
Lizzy Buczak was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in June 2021..
