For an episode chock full of exposition, Supergirl somehow pulled it off.

The truth behind Lex's motives after Crisis and how he came to be involved with Leviathan came to light on Supergirl Season 5 Episode 17.

And while Lex's reasons behind all of his actions post-Crisis were predictable, it was amazing watching Lex work and manipulate so many people. He is one of the best villains Supergirl has ever had.

However, it feels like Leviathan never got the chance to be great.

Lex Luthor has only ever wanted two things in his life -- world domination and eradicating all the Kryptonians.

Before Crisis, these two wants drove his every move, and his obsession with them got in the way of his success. For a brilliant man, Lex was reckless, hot-headed, and ultimately a hubristic Luthor.

I didn't just save the world, I made a new world.

• Permalink: I didn't just save the world, I made a new world.

But after Crisis, the Luthors are a very different family. While still maintaining a sense of hubris, they are no longer the villains, but people to be looked up to by unknowing civilians.

Like Lillian said, the Luthors are focused and make a plan before diving into the deep end. Lex seemed to take this philosophy to heart and made a plan for just about everything.

Lex almost seemed like a new person, until the cold-hearted and treacherous side of him jumped out.

If this hour made anything obvious, it is that Lex has not changed and is still the same old villain that he was on Supergirl Season 4, not like anybody had a doubt, though.

However, he is now more dangerous than ever because of his new philosophy.

Lex is a genius, and what made him slip up on earlier episodes was his obsessive qualities. Now that he has taken a step back and has gained an ounce of patience, he is seemingly unstoppable.

We ultimately learned how much Lex is capable of on this Lex-centric episode. And it looks like even Kara might just be a tad bit fooled by his antics.

Lex was behind almost every single event that has occurred in the second half of Supergirl Season 5, even the death of Jeremiah. It was all leading up to turning Supergirl and Leviathan against one another.

And while Kara should focus on stopping Leviathan, who we learned has been the cause of terrible disasters throughout history -- Pompeii and the Black Plague, for example.

She should also still be very worried about Lex, especially now that he has access to the Fortress of Solitude.

The only permanent thing about life is that things change.

Kelly

• Permalink: The only permanent thing about life is that things change.

Leviathan and Lex are two huge threats that should not exist together in one season. They both have the qualities of a Big Bad, and it is too much for the Super Friends to handle.

When you take into account that Kara also has Lena to deal with, all of the storylines can get a bit confusing. If there is one saving grace, though, it is that this episode made things a bit clearer because of the reveal of Lex's actions.

But Lex's complete control is also very frustrating.

It depends on how Supergirl takes the story from here, but it looks like Kara and the Super Friends will be going after Leviathan while Lex continues to sit pretty.

Lex is winning while Kara and Leviathan are getting set up to lose.

Leviathan should be taken down, and we should all be excited to see how the fight between them and Supergirl plays out, but instead, we are just worried about what Lex will do next.

What it all comes down to is wanting to see more Leviathan and less Lex. Lex is a fantastic villain, and as I mentioned before, one of the best Supergirl opponents we have ever seen, but he has already had his turn.

We saw the return of Eve, and she truly shined while, unfortunately, being manipulated by Lex.

This new version of Eve is a bit similar to pre-Crisis Eve, but Supergirl did a great job of developing her character throughout one episode to garner a whole lot of sympathy for her.

Eve: You are worse than Leviathan.
Lex: Not worse, better.

• Permalink: Not worse, better.

Similar to how Andrea's character was redeemed through the telling of her backstory with Leviathan on Supergirl Season 5 Episode 6, you could not help but feel bad for Eve.

There were so many moments when Eve recoiled at the mention of Leviathan and hurting people in the name of them. She is a good person who has been used by a lot of bad people.

And now that she has been duped by Lex, one could only wonder if being betrayed will turn her into a real villain, and this is just her origin story.

After the death of Jeremiah, it looked as if Lena wanted to make amends with Kara.

It did not make quite a lot of sense why Lena would have a change of heart because Kara's father died, given how much they have gone through throughout this season.

It definitely would not have felt earned had they made up so easily and became BFF's again. But thanks to Lex, they are still on opposing sides.

Lena: Kara? I heard about Jeremiah. I came to offer up sympathies. Offer up my sympathies, god I sound like an android.
Kara: No. No, you sound like someone who's afraid to confront the woman who called you a villain.
Lena: My mother died when I was very young. And I, I know that pales in comparison to the loses that you've suffered, but I know it doesn't get any easier. I'm sorry.
Kara: Thank you for saying that. That means a lot coming from you.

• Permalink: Thank you for saying that. That means a lot coming from you.

Was it hypocritical of Kara to use Myriad? Yes, but she saw no other way at that moment, plus they are all manipulated by Lex. They need to direct their feelings toward Lex and not towards one another.

Kara and Lena will hopefully be able to forgive one another once they uncover what Lex has been up to, but it will not be easy as Supergirl has put their friendship through the wringer this season.

M'gann also returned for reasons unknown, but we would never pass on a chance to see her and J'onn work together again even if it is only for a moment.

I hope that she returns for more episodes as her scenes felt way too sparse and unnecessary if she was not going to be more involved in the story.

J'onn: M'gann!
M'gann: J'onn, your brother felt the Q waves on Mars and sent me. My ship is armed with hydrogen weapons we can use to stop the Sun-Eater.
J'onn: Han Solo never looked so good.
Brainy: It's a Star Wars reference.
Alex: I know it. I know, yeah.

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Overall though, it was an action-packed hour that explained Lex's inclusion in this post-Crisis world.

While all this backstory made for a great episode and connected a lot of dots, I can't help but wish that we had known about some of Lex's plans earlier.

It would have made the previous episodes a lot more enjoyable, and it would have avoided some confusion.

What did you think Supergirl Fanatics?

Were you surprised that Lex had a hand in all of the events of the previous episodes? Did they fool you into thinking Kara and Lena would make up?

And did you catch that Jason Mewes cameo?

Let me know in the comments, and do not forget that you can watch Supergirl online right here via TV Fanatic!

Supergirl airs on Sundays at 9/8c on The CW.

Sarah Little was a staff writer for TV Fanatic.She retired in September 2021.