Supergirl S5 Ep13: They’re Back For The What If Ride!

The best way of describing how Supergirl handled this 100th episode special would be melodramatic. From the first scene on we’re gonna get the cheesy soundtrack, ridiculous It’s a Wonderful Life tribute pacing, exaggerated Henry Travers-like acting of Thomas Lennon’s Mr Myxlplyx, and winks and references to an absurd (“Thanks Zook!”, Myxflix, BetaMyx…). It also gets rounded up by an stellar acting of both main and invited cast, which helps us feel like in a good old movie: even if we know everything’s gonna turn out fine at the end, we still feel the losses, and we cry and laugh and smile with it.

There’s some high emotional points in the first Myx-retcons: We see Alex mourning Kara’s dead in one of best Chyler scenes. We’re gonna go throughout the last Reign arc with a different perspective, and with Kara reaching Monel to talk about Lena (more on that later). We get, with an stellar acting by  Sam Witwer, the arc of the resented fascist finally achieving to force Supergirl to reveal her identity. In itself worth a comic book or an episode, this arc still thrills as a subplot of this operetta.

Then my favourite part of the episode arrives: the apocalyptic setting. Every actor here nails another worth-of-a-season storyline in a few minutes. But it is Nicole Maine’s Dreamer who shines more like the badass superhero we have been teased and showed (American Woman, Dangerous Liaisons, etc), this time grown, as an experienced survivor. The acting of Nicole and her chemistry with Jesse Rath, turned into an stellar tragic enemies plot, completely steals these scenes, with her powers looking incredible (yes we need more Dreamer screen time, CW!). Plus all fight scenes, but specially Nia, Alex and Kelly (as guardian!) versus Brainy, are some of the best and more choreographed fights we’ve seen in all Supergirl.

And yes, of course we gotta talk about the elephant in the room: the queerbaiting this series presents in this episode is more absurd than the what if timelines. The constant reference to Kara and Lena being “partners”, the undoubt quemistry of both actresses and the nods to them having romantic gestures with each other (the tone on the “you’re incredible” and that trial scene!) aligns with a show that knows a lot of its fanbase wants that relationship to be romantic cause of a narrative they placed, but it’s determined to make them as gal-palish as possible. Even if Kara would sacrifice time itself for that friendship to flourish and not for any of her romantic relationships till now.

Besides that point, the story really nails why Lena doesn’t trust people and her childhood trauma. It dives deep into fear of abandonment and betrayal, and it really humanizes her, even in her villain-est forms. It shows various characters take on the conflict, and it really humanizes all of them. Of course we missed John Cryer’s Lex as a rough point on this episode, but Katie McGrath doesn’t really need him to show how trauma has shaped Lena’s view of the world, and how, from now on, she has to face it. The episode ends with her being explicitly held accountable for her decision to join Lex, and with the Supergirl main cast in their home, with Kara relieved. While not personally satisfied with this ending, I do like the emotional journey that drove to it this whole season, and I’m intrigued by what’s to come.