After the recent events this past weekend, CBS made the decision to bump up a Thanksgiving themed episode of "Supergirl" instead of a bomb-related one. Personally, I feel this was a bad move (all they needed to do was place a disclaimer ahead of the episode), but I can understand why the channel felt the need to make this decision. So now we start with an episode that was originally slated to air next week, called, “Livewire”. Any chances this messed with continuity? I'm still not sure if I should call this episode 4 or 5. For everyone's sake, I'm gonna just call it 4.

The episode begins with an escaped convict/alien taking on the DEO. Supergirl shows up and takes on the alien. All in a day’s work for Supergirl. Now she has to deal with the home-front and a panicked Alex, who is preparing for their mother’s visit. If she is angry with Kara about coming out to the world, she doesn’t show it initially.

We are introduced to a radio show (yes…radio…) called LiveWire, where the host, named Leslie, trashes Supergirl in every possible way, whether it’s her personality or manner of dress. This comes back to bite her, as Cat makes it clear that her brand of negativity is bad for business. In other words, Supergirl is off the table. The two get into a heated exchange. Something tells me we’ll be seeing more of her later. Lucy Lane makes another appearance, as it appears both she and James have rekindled their relationship. (Although…it looks like James would rather be spending time with Kara…)

After having been transferred to traffic, Leslie finds herself in a dangerous situation as the helicopter begins losing power due to the bad weather. Supergirl to the rescue! While she was able to save the pilot, Leslie is not so lucky; she is struck by lightning. While in the hospital, Cat moans about wanting to leave and although she acts like she doesn’t care about Leslie’s condition, it’s evident, after Kara leaves, that she does. Leslie, it turns out, isn’t as comatose as we were lead to believe.

Back at home, Mama Danvers, is upset at Alex for letting Kara put on the cape. She blames her for not keeping her safe. We get a flashback to the Danvers clan, and a young Alex and Kara, where the latter takes her sister flying.

For some reason, Leslie left the hospital, with a new hairdo and attitude. She now has abilities and tests them out on a creep. I’m sure we know how this one ends.

The dinner at Kara’s is awkward and tense, to say the least. But James calls and though brief, his conversation with Kara was adorable. I’m telling you; they have amazing chemistry. Anyway, Alex finally comes clean to Eliza about what she really does for a living. It doesn’t go over well. At.all. Kara wants to know why Eliza is always so hard on Alex. Before she can answer, we’re treated to another flashback. The girls were discovered by their parents. They get a scolding, but not before a knock appears on the door. It’s none other than Henshaw on behalf of the DEO.

In the present, Kara is at CatCo, having to deal with a last minute crisis. The power is out and it’s pretty evident who the perpetrator is. Leslie, now calling herself Live Wire, is on a mission to take out Cat. Leslie and Supergirl duke it out, while Cat tries to escape. Live Wire effectively shut down all the power in National City, so now everyone is celebrating Thanksgiving without power. Henshaw, posing as an FBI agent, figures out how Leslie was able to gain abilities. It was due to Kara’s Kryptonian DNA.

What I love about this show is how it peels back the layers of characters that, on a lesser show, could be one-dimensional. I love what they’re doing with Cat Grant. In the pilot, you get a sense that the “Devil Wears Prada” stereotype was all there was to this character. But in this episode alone, we learn that Cat was married once, has a child, and has a very difficult relationship with her mother. She isn’t satisfied with herself and she blames it on her own upbringing. When Kara tells her that her own parents died, Cat is visibly shaken. Perhaps she’s finally learning that Kara is more than just a minion. Cat blames herself for Live Wire.

Alex returns to Kara’s, where she confronts Eliza. With Kara, Eliza felt she had no choice but to accept her. But she pushed Alex because she wanted her to be better. It echoes slightly what Cat was saying about her own mother. I live for these moments, if you haven’t realized by now.

Cat confronts Supergirl, wanting to deal with Live Wire, once and for all. It is a partnership she’s proposing. Henshaw and the DEO have found a tool that can contain her. As promised, Cat draws Leslie out. They meet back where it all began for the two of them, but Supergirl is now invited to the party and the two have a rematch, with Leslie adopting new techniques. But, water is no match for electricity and Supergirl gets the upper-hand.

Winn sort of tells Kara how he feels about her (I’m not entirely sold on his character being in love with her) and she immediately bolts to James and Lucy. James, by the way, is totally into Kara, even if he’s back with Lucy. I like Lucy. I’m hoping she and Kara get to do something together. Soon. Also, the walls between Cat and Kara are breaking. I think the events with Leslie, as well as Cat learning about Kara’s parents’ deaths really changed how she talks to Kara. I like how this relationship is blossoming. Cat is becoming like a mentor to Kara, as well as Supergirl. More of that please.

Eliza had been wanting to tell the girls something for a long time. She knew about the DEO and apparently, Jeremiah Danvers worked for them. The deal was, he would give them his work and knowledge about Superman while Kara remained off limits. Eliza doesn’t believe he died in a plane crash either. She reveals that he died for the DEO and he was working with Henshaw, which makes the girls nervous as he’s their boss. They’re determined now to find out what happened to their father. ASIDE: The DEO has a pipeline (a place where they house all the bad guys they catch), much similar to the one used on The Flash. END ASIDE.

While I hate that this episode was aired a week early and I have no idea if they’re ever going to show the one that was supposed to come before it, I will say that a lot of character relationships were strengthened. This was also the first episode that didn’t make liberal use of Superman, which I know for some viewers is a welcome change.

Supergirl airs Mondays at 8pm Eastern Standard Time on CBS.

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Lady Gaga made quite the impact with the release of her single, "Till It Happens To You", a raw and powerful ballad with a lyrical narrative that speaks on the epidemic of sexual assault and rape. The song was co-written with famed songwriter Dianne Warren for the 2015 documentary film, "The Hunting Ground" and made even greater waves online with the release of a music video also designed to raise awareness of the assault that runs rampant on university campuses.

While "Till It Happens To You" is now receiving Oscar-buzz, actress and musician Taryn Manning has teamed up with DJ and producer Ryan Skyy to release a remix worthy of such a gripping song. Taryn Manning is also known for her performance on Netflix's smash-hit series, "Orange Is The New Black" and her character Tiffany "Pennsatucky" Doggett recently experienced a character arc in season three highly relevant to this song. Now more than ever, women content creators are charging forward to put out content that raises awareness about important social issues such as rape culture and sexual assault.

Though dance music and dance remixes are often associated with clubbing and general merriment, this remix has deep house influences that allow the song to maintain its grit. When asked about their remix, Manning and Skyy shared the following statement:

"When Diane Warren's team asked us to remix this track for her and Gaga we jumped on it, because the message in the song is so powerful, and we wanted to give this sorrowful story more strength through our production but also keep it fresh and raw." 

They also answered a few of our questions regarding the song and their collaboration.

~

How did this collaboration come about? How did your creative processes work with each other?

"Taryn and I were friends before working together musically but always felt like we were creative kindred spirits, and just waited for the right project to come along that made sense to jump in together. When this Gaga track came along the powerful message behind the song really moved us. We wanted to get behind this movement and also give the world a more hopeful take through our production. We felt like their was a large, universal connection that people can have to this song and that it not only applies to the very serious issues of rape that are portrayed in the movie the song was written for, but also that it could apply to so many other situations where tolerance and understanding are needed." -Ryan

"The message in the song is powerful, for it leaves it up to the listeners imagination. Lady Gaga has inspired both of us and she sounds so amazing. We wanted to get this sorrowful story more strength in our production but also were aware to keep it feeling fresh." -Taryn

As dance music is often associated with clubbing, how did this influence your approach to remixing a song with such a heavy narrative?

"Taryn and I felt that if we let the vocals shine and developed music in our remix that expanded upon the story and brought in fresh unique elements, that it would naturally shy away from being a "clubbing" record and instead become something more meaningful. We chose to incorporate elements of future house and some gritty dubstep sounds to create something that was unique to us." -Ryan

"Ryan and I set to do something that was dark but also displayed Gaga's insane vocal talent and her theatrical approach and make it cool enough for a pool party but still sullen enough as to respect the victims of such an act and make sure we did it with care. It's pretty sick! We are super proud!" - Taryn

~

Stream the song here:



Download the song here: http://smarturl.it/4ud7id

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This is the third episode of Supergirl, called “Fight or Flight”. It takes off right where last week’s episode started, which I was worried about. I hate when an episode ends on something of a cliffhanger and then glosses over it. Anyway, Cat gets right into some questions, and Kara does her best to ensure that her boss can’t see her face. She lets slip that Superman is her cousin after Cat asks a slightly sexist question (the show appears far more comfortable actually calling him Superman now!).

Alex is concerned that Kara is telling too many people about her other identity. No sooner does Alex express her concerns that a breaking news story interrupts their conversation. Cat took it upon herself to use Kara’s slip about her relation to Superman in order to create headlines. We soon get our first glimpse at the big bad, Reactron, a Superman villain. He makes his presence known pretty quickly, after Kara saves the day after a pile-up.

The DEO is unable to act because whoever Reactron is, he’s human and out of their jurisdiction. While Cat is busy writing that Supergirl article, Winn takes it upon himself to find the trio (Kara, James, and Winn) a new office for all their heroic deeds. While all this is going on, James sort of lets it slip Superman’s identity to Winn. Kara and Winn want to take on Reactron, but James stresses caution, as even Superman couldn’t best him.

I think the theme of this episode is Kara trying to be her own woman without Superman and what kind of hero she wants to be. She doesn’t want to ask for help from Superman. In the meantime, we get to see more of Maxwell Lord, who you’ll remember made his first appearance last episode chastising Supergirl. Here, he’s in his building letting his workers know that he’s the superior mind in the room. Reactron, however, has other ideas and infiltrates Lord’s company (aptly titled Lord Technologies). His suit has failed (thanks to Supergirl) and he needs more nuclear power. Lord offers his assistance.

With Alex’s help, Team Supergirl (I don’t have a better name at the moment) manages to identify Reactron as well as his reasoning for hating Superman (his failure to save his wife, you know, typical comic book tropes). The dynamic between Cat and Kara is always fun to see and the scene where Kara is reading back Cat’s article (about her) is interesting. You see the generation gap in full display here. Everything the older generations say about “millennials”, a term I despise, is in full fashion. Some of it I agree with, I have to admit. I don’t know if Cat likes or hates Supergirl. Or maybe she’s just about generating money for her company.

Kara is determined to take on Reactron alone, without her cousin’s help. Kara’s attempts to talk to Reactron fall on deaf ears, but she does manage to free Maxwell Lord. The two duke it out for a while, but Reactron gets the upper hand. As she’s about to pass out, a familiar figure (Superman?!) comes to her aid and Reactron quickly flees. Kara wakes up in her apartment and we see a press conference with Maxwell Lord praising Superman and not Supergirl, the one who actually saved his life. The nerve!

Turns out, Superman knew about Reactron because James (still resisting the urge to call him Jimmy) told him. Kara is naturally upset about this, feeling as though this was her battle, her mistakes. If Superman didn’t have a get out of jail card, she shouldn’t either. It only further proves Cat’s point, that she would call her cousin any time the situation got too difficult. Kara and James get into something of an argument, as she believes he doesn’t have faith in her. He tries to tell her otherwise, but the damage is seemingly done.

So, we’re at the party event thing that Cat had planned earlier in the episode for her article on Supergirl. Maxwell Lord is there and I’m getting the sense that he and Cat have some kind of history. Or perhaps they just run in the same circles. Whatever it is, I like it and demand more of it!

Okay, so remember last episode when Henshaw’s eyes glowed red? Well, they did that again tonight and he muttered Alex’s name. She fessed up to helping Kara try and stop Reactron and he goes along with it, which only makes me wonder what he’s really up to.

James and Kara have amazing chemistry. If you don’t believe me, then please (re)watch the scene where they confront each other after their big blow up. I like how vulnerable James is here; he admits that Superman was a safety crutch for him and pushing that button has become like a reflex. While the two of them are having a good moment, Reactron decides that this is the time to come in and bust up the party, demanding Supergirl show herself.

But guess what? James (calling himself Jimmy, huzzah!) decides to distract Reactron in a surprising turn of events. Alex and Henshaw discover a way to stop Reactron by neutralizing his suit with lead. It works. Kara was able to do what Superman couldn’t because she has a team by her side.

After all is said and done, we get our first introduction to Lucy Lane (Jenna Dewan Tatum), younger sister to Lois and ex to James (heavily implied, never said). While Kara is busy being dejected, she talks to her cousin via chat message or whatever that’s supposed to be. Clark likes emoticons. And he still calls James, Jimmy. Kara started the episode wanting to be her own woman and she ends the episode having defeated a villain Superman couldn’t defeat. I like that Clark is proud of her.

Supergirl is really starting to find its groove. The characters are all jelling together and the stories are intertwined. I was afraid that it would be just a procedural without much mythology but I’m pleased to have been proven wrong. I sort of wish they’d cast someone to play Clark Kent/Superman, however. Maybe next season?

Supergirl airs Mondays at 8pm Eastern Standard Time on CBS.

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Pandora summons a new big-bad for our Witnesses to face off against. This latest foe is a woman comprised of mystical bees/wasps that has a sting that will induce madness in the victim to the point of death. Abbie and Crane must work together and use the intel from Betsy Ross and Grace Dixon's past encounters with these monsters. But the pressure gets turned up when Abbie's boss Daniel gets stung and starts badgering Abbie to reveal secrets about Jenny and Joe's involvement with his case as well as who Crane really is.

Joe has a sit-down with Atticus Nevins, who is every bit as insidious as what Headless should have been. But while Joe is handing over the shard, Abbie and Ichabod are finally able to track down Pandora's lair where they use the similar method of how to kill bees (destroy the hive) to take down the wasp big-bad. But it's too late; Pandora has all the fear she has been seeking. The tree opens up and closes once more after Pandora has entered into it.

Ichabod has a re-do date with Zoe after their first one didn't go over well. It's the least interesting bit of this episode so we'll spare you the details. He and Abbie later ponder where Pandora might have gone and Ichabod poses that perhaps it was the entrance to the underworld. They know that it's only a matter of time before she returns and have concerns over what she will bring with her. But Abbie is more than ready to take her on, and Ichabod is inspired by her passion.

Finally, Jenny is shown to be exhibiting strange glowing as she dreams of visions related to the shard, which Atticus Nevins had handed over to her personally.

Sleepy Hollow airs on Thursdays on FOX at 9PM.

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Unsurprisingly, Andrew Garner isn't dead. Hunter is reprimanded for his rash behaviour on the mission to apprehend Ward so Bobbi is assigned to take his place. After Garner relays what happened with Strucker, who fled the scene after attacking him, Bobbi and May work on tracking him down. They head to the Cayman Islands in order to track a Hydra account being used by Ward's rebuilt Hydra hive. They accidentally set off an alarm and after Bobbi's attempts to fake a cover-story are unsuccessful, she and May have to fight their way out.

Coulson goes to visit the ATCU facility that Daisy and Mack were never able to make it to. Daisy, Mack, and Hunter work on a theory that Price's right-hand man Banks may be the human alter-ego of Lash. After tracking Banks down, Hunter goes rouge, knocks him out, and the three of them steal some of his blood before sneaking a camera into the building that he was heading towards before being knocked out.

Daisy and her team determine from Banks' blood is not an Inhuman. They then see through a surveillance feed that Coulson is at the ATCU facility and he is observing a captured Inhuman arrive there in suspended animation. Daisy becomes even more determined that they will not work with the ATCU. But Price reveals to Coulson that the reason she wants to "cure" the Inhumans is because she was unable to save her husband from dying of cancer.

May and Bobbi are able to track Stucker down to the apartment of Gideon Malick, whom Strucker had sought refuge with. But Malick instead turned him over to Hydra on the condition of receiving a favour down the line. While Morse fights off other Hydra members, Strucker reveals with his dying words what really happened at the attack on Garner. In a flashback, we see Garner transform into Lash.

Finally, Daisy is revealed to be calling Lincoln to make sure that he's okay. He promises to call back soon and they end the call before it can be traced. Garner enquires after Lincoln's location but Daisy truthfully says that he refuses to tell her where he is.

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. airs on Tuesdays on ABC at 9PM.

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Can You Survive The Scorch?

The Blu-ray Ultimate Fan Edition, Full of Two Hours of Extras and a 24-Page Collectible Printed Prequel Comic Book,
Makes the Perfect Holiday Gift!
 
Also Available on DVD December 15

 
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (November 3, 2015) – The Maze was just the beginning. After the harrowing adventure of escaping the maze, the Gladers find themselves right in the center of an epic mystery in MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS, available on Blu-ray™ and DVD December 15. Mysteries deepen and stakes are raised as the Gladers must survive “The Scorch” in this bigger, even more suspenseful and action-packed chapter of the Maze Runner phenomenon. 
 
The critically acclaimed young-adult saga based on author James Dashner’s best-selling book series has taken the world by storm on the way to nearly $600M* at the global box office for the franchise, thanks to its remarkable young cast led by director Wes Ball, including Dylan O’Brien (“Teen Wolf”), Thomas Brodie-Sangster (“Game of Thrones”), Ki Hong Lee (“The Unbreakable Kimmie Shmidt”) and Kaya Scodelario (“Skins”).  Based on the second book in a trilogy by James Dashner, the series sold more than nine million copies in all formats. 
                                                   
There’s more action, more excitement and more spectacular effects in this thrilling new chapter of the epic Maze Runner saga that’s taken the world by storm! They may have escaped from the Maze, but Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) and his fellow Gladers now face a greater challenge: searching for clues about the secret organization known as WCKD. Their journey leads them to the Scorch, a desolate wasteland filled with unimaginable dangers.  The mystery deepens at every turn as the Gladers work together to discover their purpose and battle to survive in this must-see, electrifying adventure!
 
Real Gladers are in line for the greatest of presents this winter, as the MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS Ultimate Fan Edition on Blu-ray will hit shelves just in time for holiday shopping. The limited edition set includes an exclusive, 24-page printed comic-book with two new prequel stories from BOOM! Comics – one on the character of Teresa and the other a Crank backstory.  In addition, two hours of thrilling bonus content, including deleted and extended scenes will take fans further behind-the-scenes of the suspense and action-packed journey through the Scorch. Teens will be delighted to find a gag reel that reveals fun, silly moments on set with their favorite cast members including Dylan O’Brien.  They’ll also need to make sure to check out Janson’s Report, a perfect bridge from the film that’s full of debriefing videos with Janson, Thomas, Newt, Minho, Frypan and Aris after they arrive at the compound. This version is the must have for fans of the franchise and any members of the Dashner Army.  Both the Blu-ray and DVD will include an offer for the Maze Runner mobile game with a free “Brenda” runner plus in-game currency. 
 
MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS BLU-RAY^™ SPECIAL FEATURES

• All of the DVD Special Features
• Janson’s Report
• Secrets of the Scorch
  • The Second Chapter Begins…
  • Creating a Scorched Earth
  • New Friends and Enemies
  • Surviving the Scorch
  • Creating the Cranks
  • On the Edge: Constructing the Skyscraper Sequence
• Visual Effects
  • Visual Effects Breakdowns
    • Optional Commentary by Wes Ball
    • Bunker Entrance
    • Hiding from WCKD
    • Building Collapse
  • Visual Effects Reel
    • Bunker Entrance
    • Bunker Escape
    • Mall
    • Scorch Travel
    • Lightning Storm
    • Jorge's Lair
    • Tunnels / Leaning Building / Crankland
    • Right Arm Camp
       

MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS DVD SPECIAL FEATURES

• Deleted and Extended Scenes with Audio Commentary from Wes Ball, T.S. Nowlin, Joe Hartwick Jr. and Dan Zimmerman
  • Food Fight
  • Storage Depot Walk – Meet Janson
  • Bunker Escape – Minho Knows the Way
  • Mall Walk - Escalators
  • Mall Attack – Goodbye Jack
  • Scorch Travel – Teresa on Bridge
  • Scorch Travel – Helping Winston
  • Newt & Thomas at Campfire
  • Extended Jorge Lair Walk
  • Cranks Attack WCKD Soldiers
  • Extended Zipline
  • Jorge Lair – Brenda Fires Back
  • Extended Tunnel Walk
  • Extended Crankland WCKD Arrives
• Gag Reel
• Galleries
  • Concept Art
  • Storyboards
• Theatrical Trailers

 
ABOUT TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC (TCFHE) is the industry leading worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox produced, acquired and third party partner film and television programing. Each year TCFHE expands its award-winning global product portfolio with the introduction of new entertainment content through established and emerging formats including DVD, Blu-ray™, Digital HD and VOD. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is a subsidiary of 20th Century Fox, a 21st Century Fox Company.

 
Follow Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment on Twitter @FoxHomeEnt
 

 
MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS BLU-RAY™
Street Date:                 December 15, 2015
Prebook Date:             November 11, 2015
Screen Format:            2.40:1
Audio:                         English DTS-HD-MA 7.1, English AD DD 5.1, Spanish (Latin Spanish) DD 5.1, Quebecois (Canadian French) DD 5.1
Subtitles:                     English for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Spanish (Latin Spanish), Quebecois (Canadian French)
Total Run Time:         131 minutes
U.S. Rating:                 PG-13
Closed Captioned:      No
 
MAZE RUNNER: THE SCORCH TRIALS DVD
Street Date:                 December 15, 2015
Prebook Date:             November 11, 2015
Screen Format:            2.40:1
Audio:                         English Dolby Digital 5.1, English AD DD 5.1, Spanish Surround DD 2.0, French Surround Dolby Digital 2.0
Subtitles:                     English for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Spanish (Latin Spanish), Quebecois (Canadian French)
Total Run Time:         124 minutes
U.S. Rating:                 PG-13
Closed Captioned:      Yes

 

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*Box Office Mojo - http://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=mazerunner.htm

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Now that “Supergirl” has been designated something of a ratings hit, I guess it’s time for me to exhale (a little).

“Stronger Together”, the second episode of the series, premiered in its regular timeslot. The episode takes place a week after the pilot, and Kara is getting used to being a hero. She’s working fully with the DEO, performing rigorous tests to help her out in the field. If any of you have watched The CW series, The Flash, then you’ll remember the episode where Barry is a little bit overconfident about his abilities. I’m starting to get a sense that Kara will be going through something similar.

There’s a massive fire (something about oil and whatnot) and Kara, aka Supergirl, decides that she wants to try and help out any way she can. Of course, she hasn’t taken into account the 12 hours of testing she’s been dealing with, as well as her general inexperience in all things superhero. At first, she tries using her cold breath, but that doesn’t work. Then she decides to move the vessel with her laser eyes. But before she can save the day (which she almost does), she lets oil fall into the ocean. PR disaster! ASIDE: Superman/Clark should have totally taught her how to use her abilities. END ASIDE.

We get our first introduction to Maxwell Lord (Peter Facinelli) via convenient television interview. He seems none too pleased with Supergirl or Superman, as the latter has brought nothing but trouble to Metropolis. Adding to the list of those not too thrilled is Cat Grant. Supergirl’s latest fiasco, while headline news for the Daily Planet is not delivering anything for her newspapers so she comes up with a plan: an exclusive interview with Supergirl.

I have to say, the chemistry between Kara and James is just off the roof. I have no serious, reviewer insight here, but I am such a fan of real, genuine chemistry between actors. You can really feel it! I also have to say that James said something that I hadn’t really thought about. We all make fun of Clark and his glasses and how it would be so easy to recognize him as Superman. But what’s interesting is that when he puts on the glasses, he’s ignored. It’s very similar to the way Cat ignores Kara. So while Kara is sure that Cat would recognize her as Supergirl, James does mention that she’s already ignoring her now.

And with that, we have our bad of the week. Plastino Chemicals is the scene of the crime. Supergirl is there and we have a flashback of adolescent Kara back on Krypton with her mother. That flashback is actually important to the present as it helps Kara remember the species of the suspect: Hellgrammite. Alex and Kara, with some "light" encouragement from Henshaw, go into a room and train one-on-one. Kara, in full “I’m more powerful than you” mode, doesn’t really see the need for training, but Alex is more grounded and knows that they have no idea what they’re going up against (Kara especially). Kara isn’t ready, letting Alex best her. I like that Kara isn’t ready. She is extremely untested and the second episode has done some following up on a few of the things that happened in the pilot. We’ve learned that Kara really has no idea what’s she doing. She wants to help, but she’s also making a bigger mess at the same time.

Cat gives Kara some advice: work small. She seems to take that message to heart, as she informs both James and Winn (yay for trios!) about her plans. Cut to the baddies, Kara’s aunt is in town and commanding the Hellgrammite from earlier to go out as bait. She’s clearly in charge and the one that the rest of the (former) prisoners answer to. Or so it seems.

But back to fun montages! Kara, Winn, and James make a good team as they go out and do some good for National City. It’s pretty light stuff, but the damage from earlier seems to be mitigated. Kara's learning and she finally seems to understand that she doesn’t have all the answers. The scenes between Kara and Alex are some of my favorites for basically the same reasons I mentioned in the previous review. They’re allowed to argue and fight and just be sisters.

Cat wants that interview with Supergirl and she’s willing to fire James if he can’t deliver. It puts Kara in something of a bind. The DEO is on to the Hellgrammite; they know he has been eating chemicals in order to stay alive. So, they set a trap and he takes the bait. Unfortunately, as they tend to do, things get bad real quick. The baddie shoots everyone and takes Alex. Now Alex is in the “care” of Kara’s aunt.

Guess what? We get some James time! I have to resist the urge to say “Jimmy”. Anyway, he talks about his insecurities, how it’s really Superman who’s doing the real work, and how he wanted to sort of get away from all that. He’s never felt good enough on his own, without Superman and that was part of his reasoning behind moving to National City. And for more backstory, we learn about the famous S symbol through Kara. Unlike Clark, she wasn’t a baby when she left Krypton; she knows more about that world than her cousin. From that we get the title of the episode, which is a Kryptonian motto. Yay for synergy, or whatever!

Things are starting to come full circle now. Before, it was James giving Kara advice. Now it’s Kara’s turn. She wants help, even from Cat Grant. She doesn’t want to be like her cousin.

Henshaw, who initially came off as the “guy who doesn’t like aliens”, is starting to show different layers to him. Naturally, Kara is furious that she wasn’t included in the earlier mission. Henshaw lets it slip that he once has a family; I’m eager to see where that is going and if it plays into his initial reactions to Kara.

Kara has her first (re)introduction to Astra, her aunt. We learn that Astra’s sister put her away. Of course, we only know one side, but this is the second time Astra mentioned wanting to save Earth. Kara is, understandably, shaken at the prospect of another Kryptonian being alive, but that disbelief soon turns to anger and the two duke it out. It’s a nice array of lasers, leaps, and punches as they fight while power lights flicker around them. Oh and lest we forget, Alex can pack a punch too. While injured, she takes on the Hellgrammite and lives to tell the tale. Henshaw and his people come in, with a little help from some Kryptonite, and Astra leaves. She underestimated the humans and wants to know more about the shard that gravely injured her.

Using technology and advancements from her homeworld, Alex and the DEO were able to cull together pieces of artificial intelligence, much like what Superman uses to talk to other Kryptonians. Kara’s mother, though not really her, is there to try and help.

And there we have it! I was waiting for Henshaw to do something, and we get a small, brief flash with his eyes turning red! The plot thickens! It looks like Cat is getting that interview with Supergirl, after all!

The series is starting to get into a groove. I think the show is doing a good job of balancing the procedural elements with the serialized. I’m glad that CBS, while late to the party, came out of the gates swinging; the second episode is evidence of their commitment to the genre.

Supergirl airs Mondays at 8pm Eastern Standard Time on CBS.

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