SUPERGIRL - Season 4.3

REVIEW:  SUPERGIRL - SEASON 4, EP. 3:  "Man Of Steel"

The political theme coursing through the veins of this show are deeply running a risk of creating a dark cloud over it.  While a good storyteller will make sure all sides are accounted for and given equal space to define their narrative, it can often times spark controversy that can alienate an audience and create further dissention from the program.

This week's installment of The Girl of Steel tells the story of Agent Liberty, who's identity is Ben Lockwood, a teacher at a university who's father Peter runs a steel mill in National City, that has aliens among its employees.  Peter isn't thrilled that aliens are roaming the Earth, calling them "roaches", and feeling that they're taking everything away from average Americans.  Ben, trying to reassure his father that this isn't bad, cannot reach his father.  It's at the steel mill, where Peter's employees are attacking two alien co-workers, where things begin to fall apart for the Lockwood family.  In the throes of the attack, one of the aliens dragged out of a delivery truck has spikes that come out of his body, and one hits Ben.  Things get out of hand until Supergirl and the DEO show up.  Ben is saved and taken to the hospital, though he wonders WHY Supergirl is working with the FBI (as Alex had told him for her cover).  

The following had taken place two years ago, when President Marsdin had pushed her bill through on equality between aliens and humans.  Lockwood starts teaching about "progress" in his class, but his words become more harsh, and begin to take on an anti-alien slant, especially in the wake of L-Corp cancelling their contract with Peter's company, and him having to close the plant due to not being able to secure a loan to keep it open.  It also doesn't help that at this time, it was when Queen Rhea of the Daxamites had appeared on their TV, talking about reshaping Earth into a new Daxam.  The seeds of Ben's turn also get further sown when he witnesses a battle between J'Onn and an alien that accidently causes his home to catch fire.  Ben goes to CatCo to talk to James Olsen about the issues not being front page news, and James tells him that they cover the story as honestly as possible, and appreicates Lockwood's concern, but seems to give him the brush.  James then takes a call from Lena Luthor, whom Ben finds out bought CatCo.  His lectures become more anti-alien, causing one of the students who is alien, to leave his class.  He finds out later from the Dean that the school as given him an indefinite leave after several warnings about his lectures taking a personal, anti-alien stance.  Upset, he manages to find said alien student, and accosts her in a karoke bar, and is interrupted by Kara, who was trying to figure out what song to sing.

Lockwood then starts handing out anti-alien leaflets, and gets Otis Graves' attention.  Then he's caught up in another battle between Supergirl and the World Dominators (Reign), and escapes, only to get a call from his wife about his father Peter.  He finds Peter at the plant, with a beam collapsed on him.  Peter dies, and it sends Ben over the edge.  He later meets up with some of his father's co-workers, and they start firebombing the plant, causing a fire, and seeing the same alien that had injured him earlier, escape the fire.  And in an act of senseless violence, Ben kills the alien.  Ben is then approached by Mercy Graves, who wants to encite the people into rebelling against President Marsdin's new bill, and expose her as an alien.  She tells Ben he's got a gift to rally people around him through public speaking.  She supplies him with body armor, and while getting the suit out, finds an iron mask.  

The episode began with J'Onn saving Supergirl from crashing to Earth after Mercy, Otis, and Agent Jensen activated the K-Bomb that is now infected the entire atmosphere, making Supergirl unable to survive unless they find a way to remove the Kryptonite from the atmosphere.  Alex calls upon Lena for help, and despite their differences, Lena agrees.  She'll have to wear a suit to survive, until the Kryptonite is out of her system, and out of the atmosphere.

The episode ends with Mercy looking to tie up loose ends by killing Agent Jensen.  But Ben stops her, getting the idea that Jensen can get them into the DEO.

This episode was good in that it gave the backstory into Agent Liberty, and watching his descent into evil.  It shows how easily one can take circumstances often beyond their control and twist the narrative negatively.  Ben losing his father was the final straw that bent his back, and allowed him to actively harm and kill an innocent---alien or human otherwise---in order to feel justified about his new way of thinking.  A lot of his situation, however, was of his own doing----bringing his personal politics into his teaching, when instead of allowing students to come up with their own ideas and solutions, but driving home a specific narrative in order to manipulate the minds of those to his own way of thinking.  It's a fairly dangerous route to take, and here, the writers have to be careful NOT to drive or hammer a specific narrative down the viewers' throats---whether or not they're trying to tell a story looking to entertain.  Often times, some stories taking on such serious subject matter can come off as preachy, and that's not a good thing.  It can turn off a viewer who can see it as one sided, and can hurt the show in the long run.  It's good we have seen how he got to where he's at, and we know the full story of what his and Mercy's plans are.  Again, however, it has to walk a very fine line.  If they're looking to tell the story about how radicalism and violence isn't the answer to solve a problem, that's good.  It's good to show that there are examples of people taking things too far, to the point of debasing into a violent nature.  But they also need to handle those that, while they don't like the alien presence on Earth, are not lowering themselves into violence in order to get across their narrative.  Going back over this episode again, one person I follow on YouTube pointed out that Lockwood DID make valid points in that the people who are collateral damage in these battles suffer the most---and THEIR stories aren't being told.  That is truly unfair.  So this is what I wanted to have happen, to make sure ALL sides have their voices heard---equally.  So that everyone gets an overall perspective of how these changes to the world effect EVERYONE.

Supergirl's appearances in this episode are brief, with really no hero action to make real note of, outside of the flashback scenes.  How long she'll have to wear the body suit remains to be seen.  As for this episode, it wasn't a great episode, more of a filler show, that at least gives us the skinny on our villain, and with that out of the way, they can now kick the plot into high gear.  No Kaznia Kara again, and I'm thinking she's being saved for the 2nd half of the season.  I think this Agent Liberty arc should not last the full season.  I have a feeling that if it does, it will drag the show down severly, and turn people off who want to get AWAY from politics and political rhetoric after the midterm elections.  Fans want a good superhero story with these shows, while having SOME tie to reality.  But again, as I've stated before, the show runs the risk of turning viewers off with the political backdrop.  It would behoove the showrunners to get this arc into high gear, and come to a conclusion by midsesaon.  It also allows a buildup with the Kaznian Kara storyline to kick in the rest of the way.  I feel that's how the show SHOULD go, but I'm not the writers or show creators, so we'll have to sit back and see what happens.

Anyone else here happy for the Cat Grant sighting this week?  I was!

As per the usual, please leave a comment down below---I'm always grateful for interaction and an intelligent, healthy, and non-aggresive debate.  We work on the honor system here, boys and girls!

Until next week...Up, up, and away!