SUPERGIRL S1E20 - "BETTER ANGELS" REVIEW

                                              

The season finale of Supergirl is finally upon us. “Better Angels” kicks off right where last week’s penultimate episode left off, with the Danvers sisters fighting one another. It’s a fairly lengthy fight, with Alex finally obtaining the better hand. However, right before she is to deliver the fatal blow, J’onn and Eliza show up to try and talk her out of it. It works, although I admit I was a little afraid for Eliza there. Alex snaps out of it, leaving Non and Indigo looking confused.

Cat and Maxwell Lord are still at the radio station, and after the fight earlier, everyone else joins them there. The plan is for Kara to give out a single of hope, because Myriad prays on fear. It’s a stirring speech, as she gives the people of National City hope. Wynn, James, Lucy, and the rest of National City seemingly snaps out of it. Non laments that his plan has failed, but Indigo wants to continue on, killing the people of Earth and then moving on to another planet.

While things seem to be back to normal at Catco, the same can’t be said for the DEO. Lucy is still reeling from the damage when her father arrives. Initially, it’s a happy reunion, but once he demands J’onn’s arrest, it becomes tense all over again. Lucy is pulling further away from her father. (We got a mention of Lois, and saw the boots of Superman, who is apparently still suffering from the effects of Myriad) Alex finally tells her mother the truth about her father, that he is still alive and that both she and J’onn are determined to rescue him from Cadmus. Maxwell Lord returns to tell Alex and Kara that the Kryptonians aren’t finished with Earth just yet: instead of mind control, they intend on pure annihilation.

In a rare show of solidarity, Lord offers Kara some cold, hard truths: she can’t do it alone, but she has no one to back her up. Unfortunately, humanity only has a couple of hours. Kara knows this, so she goes around letting everyone know how she feels, thanking them, just in case she’s unable to do so later. After James wonders about her strange behavior to Lucy, it gets back to J’onn who also questions her. Kara says she’s not giving up, that she’s honoring her mother’s last wishes by protecting Earth.  

They find out that Non and Indigo have been at Fort Razz the entire time (leave it to the US Military to keep things like that hidden for their own benefit). Although injured, J’onn wastes no time in helping Kara. Together, they had to Fort Razz to take on Non and Indigo. The two meet them and a battle begins. Indigo and J’onn have unfinished business, as do Non and Supergirl. After a lengthy fight, J’onn, quite literally, destroys Indigo. Kara subdues Non long enough for what’s left of Indigo to tell her that they’re too late and that Earth will be destroyed.

Kara and Alex finally have their heart-to-heart, where Kara tells Alex to have a good life. It’s very emotional stuff! Kara lifts Fort Razz out of Earth and into space, where she drifts…until Alex comes to rescue her in the same pod that Kara had come to Earth in. J’onn is reinstated as director of the DEO (poor Lucy…). And over a montage of J’onn talking about more transparency, we see General Lane and Maxwell Lord exchanging Kryptonian technology.

At Catco, Kara gets a promotion because she’s really the best thing Cat ever had. And they bond, as always. This relationship has been the highlight of the series for me, personally. Okay, so the whole family (HANK! WINN!) is around eating food and being all domestic. Their next mission is to find Jeremiah and Project Cadmus. James and Kara have a moment. They’re interrupted when a spaceship lands. Both Supergirl and J’onn head to the scene, only to realize that it might be Kryptonian and Kara might know who (or what) it is. End scene.

All in all, this was a wonderful start to the series. The first season was full of optimism and some growing pains for our leading lady. The reveal of Hank as J’onn J’onzz was especially memorable, as were the relationships between Kara and Alex, and Kara and Cat Grant. The show did the best it could with regards to the “Superman Problem”, although it was a little wonky at times. Also memorable was the mini crossover with The Flash; I would like to see that incorporated some more, but I’m also not holding my breath. Let us not forget about how the show went out of its way to add former members of the DCTV family to the show as a nice little nod to the fans.

The show did a great job of establishing Kara as a bona fide heroine and I’m eager to see what else is in store for her in the future!