COMIC SCHOOL W/PROFESSOR MIKE - SESSION #3

COMIC SCHOOL W/PROFESSOR MIKE - SESSION #3


Welcome back to class, kids!  Today's lecture will involve a storyline that was one of my personal favorites during the 1980's, and what significance it had in the grand scheme of the changing landscape of comics at that juncture.  So, as always, sit up straight, eyes forward, and put those damn cell phones away!  

Now, before we get on with today's lesson, let's recap our quiz from last week, and see how you did.  I DO hope you used the honor system as always, and really used your noggins for this one:

1.  What are the names of the two women who share the identity of Black Canary?  That would be Dinah Laurel Lance and Dinah Drake Lance

2.  What was Supergirl's first appearance?  The Maid of Might made her first appearance in the pages of ACTION COMICS #252 (1959)

3.  Around the time of Crisis On Infinite Earths, how many Luthors were there in the DC Universe?  There were 4.  Alexi Luthor from Earth 2, our very own Lex Luthor, Alexander Luthor, who was a hero on Earth 3, and his son, Alex Luthor, who would become one of the central characters in the series.

4.  In volume XI (Issue #11) of Who's Who, under the Joker's entry, what was listed as his Alter Ego (real name)?  "Unkown"  Nobody new the Joker's real name---and despite several tellings of his origin, his real name, as far as WE know, has never been revealed.

5.  Who was DC Comics' FIRST masked superhero?  The Crimson Avenger, who made his debut in DETECTIVE COMICS #20 (1938)

Okay.  Now that we have gotten the answers from last week's quiz, I hope you have done well.  Naturally, another quiz awaits at the end of this class, so make sure you're ready!  

Now...moving on with today's lecture.  Throughout the 85 plus year history of the comic book...many a tale have been spun, often to reflect real life.  And in those pages, A LOT of what went on in the world ended up as tales to astonish, of suspense, and mystery..  Crime, corruption, weird wonders from space, war, and the general harm of the law abiding public, crazed individuals with very little to no moral compass whatsoever, romance, and tapping into the past like the Old West...somehow managed to find their way onto the pages of our so-called "funny books".  You look at the Great Depression of the 1930's, when Americans were at their lowest...poor, out of work, and low on food.  It was a terrible time in our country's history.  It was a social problem that led to crime, corruption, and the thumbing down of the common man.  Many of the bad guys depicted in those stories were fought by honest lawmen, private eyes, and---of course---the superhero.  In their early days, Superman and Batman took on the affluent and shady members of the underworld.  They didn't have super powers, but both heroes felt it their duty to stop those who would oppress the hard working man.  It was a reflection on life.

Then came World War II, and America's interest in said war after the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941, to get our country into the conflict overseas in Europe.  Well, our soldiers weren't alone---they had the help of our superheroes to aid them in the fight against the Axis Powers...and to encourage you to buy war bonds and collect the resources necessary for our soldiers to fight said war.  It was a real life conflict felt by all, and it was also inspiring for the soldiers serving---many of them read the comics to not only pass the time when they weren't in battle, but to know that there was SOMEONE looking out for their backs over there.

The 1950's saw us enter into the Atomic Age, and our heroes weren't as needed anymore.  We won the war, so it was time to get back to real life.  The Boom in this time saw America at its zenith, some say.  Jobs were in abundance, the economy was strong, and people were making families.  And despite the 3 year hardship of Korea, America was riding pretty high.  So the focus shifted to romance, and exploring the great beyond...space.  We also dealt with McCarthyism, that started blacklisting people they SUSPECTED of being Communists...because we had a new threat:  Russia.  The race for the stars was on, and an emphasis on science fiction became the norm.  The stories were outlandish, but this country was looking into its imagination for new stories.  

The 60's got off to a rousing start, but after the hearing held about how comic books were corrupting the innocent.  Horror magazines, some superhero comics (that were actually left over from the 50's), were seriously toned down.  Comedy, Westerns, and Romances were more popular at that time, and the Comics Code Authority held their ground on that.  In the mid to late 60's however, and into the 1970's...comics began to change.  the "Silver Age" was on...new heroes were introduced, old heroes made a comeback, and DC finally got a competitor on the scene---Marvel Comics.  Marvel went out of their way to depict THEIR stories and characters in a more grounded, realistic light.  That connected with the youngsters out there, and they became a hit.  Add in, the growing problems with illegal drug use (which was brilliantly depicted in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man AND Green Arrow/Green Lantern), and the Vietnam War, and you've got stories right at your fingertips.  Real life was invading the world of comics once again...and THIS time, it WASN'T pulling any punches.  

From about the late '60's, and all through the 1970's, we began to see a change in the culture of comics.  Gone were the "fun, campy, happy" days of Batman and Robin, Superman, and a host of others.  Instead, we had comics that dealt with drugs, death, homicide, prejudice, and even feminism.  The stories weren't just simple bad guy beat-em-ups...the writers really had a voice, and they wanted to be heard.

Which brings us to the 1980's.  With the '80's, we saw our economy boom again, the "Age of Excess" begin, newer technology, and an exploding pop culture.  But underneath the veneer of the good times of the '80's, we also had A LOT of bad:  Mass murderers, corruption, the threat of Thermonuclear War, conflicts in the Middle East, homelessness, and greed.  It was deeply reflected in our pop culture as well:  on TV, in the movies---and yes, in the comic books.  Frank Miller and Alan Moore were two of the most prominent writers of their day.  Moore was responsible for painting us an extremely bleak 1980's hero culture, and the world, with the spectacular miniseries, Watchmen.  He also gave us an even MORE bleak outcome of the world in 1997 facist England with his other tour de force...V For Vendetta.  Miller gave us his commentary of the world, circa 1980's with his dark depiction of a Gotham City in the pits of hell, to be rescued by an aging Batman in The Dark Knight Returns.  Their social commentary allowed writers the freedom to really start expressing themselves, and tell even more compelling stories that could be ripped from the day's headlines.  Realism in comics was back...but THIS time, it was even darker than before...and it hit you square in the face.  It also showed that comics weren't just silly little funny books for kids---adults could read them too.  

Why did I give you the history lesson, you ask?  Well, to show you that the above mentioned stories, along with a now direct market in which to get them to you...as in comic shops...allowed us to find these new books, and explore much different ground, and more compelling tales.  Which brings me to one of my favorite stories of all time, and one which had a profound effect on me not only as a kid, but even now as an adult.  The story stuck with me because it was so well written, so well told, that it made me believe that it could actually happen.  Now, we all know Marvel has based its rep on the fact that their heroes are more "real life"...as in, grounded, flawed, "normal" people who do extraordinary things.  Sometimes in settings that defy belief.  But there have been those times, where you read a story, and it's like reading the daily newspaper...you get an instant reaction about it.  That's how this story reasonated with me.  Mostly because not only did it practically tear itself from the headlines of the day...but it showed me that comics can be MATURE...that a situation like this hits home, and you can actually FEEL the threat and danger coming off the pages.  

And of all the heroes this story had to happen to...it was our favorite wall crawler.  

The Death of Jean DeWolff was a storyline that ran through the pages of Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #107-110 between October 1985-January 1986.  In this story, we find out that one of Spidey's closest allies...and NYPD Captain named Jean DeWolff, had been brutally murdered in her apartment.  Now, Jean DeWolff---to give a quick background, was a supporting character in the Spidey mythos that was portrayed as a hard-nosed, tough as nails,  no nonsense cop.  She often had a somewhat combative relationship with the wall crawler, but nonetheless, they helped each other out from time to time.  

She is found in her apartment, blown to smithereens, by her fellow officers who'd not heard from her in a couple of days:

Spidey is now hell bent on trying to find her killer, and ends up working with the detective assigned to the case, Sgt. Stan Carter.  Carter has a very morbid sense of humor, and feels  like working with Spidey isn't productive, and just recently lost a partner in the line of duty.  So ,working with Ol' Webhead isn't thrilling to him, but he relents.  In issue #108, we see Peter Parker out with his Aunt May and one of her boarders, a man named Ernie, when there's a big commotion in the crowd.  It turns out, there's a man dressed up in a purple shirt with pants, with a green ski mask on, with a loaded double-barreled shotgun on him, scaring the people.  Just before, this man, whom we come to know as the Sin-Eater, was at the courthouse, stalking his next victim, who'd happened to be a judge.  A judge who just happened to be a friend of one Matt Murdock, who is secretly Daredevil.  Sin Eater happens upon Murdock, and was looking for the judge.  Matt feigned fear so that he could get the drop on him, but just then, the judge returned to his chambers where they were located, and before Murdock could react, Sin-Eater blows away the judge.  Sin-Eater escapes, causing panic at the courthouse.  Matt...trying to find a place to quick change to Daredevil, misses out on him.

Back out on the streets, Sin-Eater is taunting the crowd when Spidey appears, ready to take him down and quick.  They get into a fight, and Sin-Eater manages to bust Spidey's lip open, and bend the butt of his rifle.  It's during this battle that Spidey notices that Sin-Eater has a badge and a judge's gavel on his person.  Spidey realizes THIS is the guy who killed Jean, and they tussle a bit more before Spidey's spider-sense goes off, sensing danger, where he sees Aunt May down and hurt, and another person shot because he jumped to avoid Sin-Eater's shot.  He tries to nail him with a spider-tracer, but Sin-Eater notices, and knocks it off before he escapes.  Daredevil arrives on the scene too little, too late, and wishes that he could actually SEE the perpetrator.

Spidey then heads back to the NYPD and chats with Stan, and informs him that the Sin-Eater is their guy.  He asks to check out Jean's apartment, see if they missed anything.  All he finds is pictures of him in a box in her closet.  Turns out, Jean was quite fond of Spidey.  Later on, we're at Jean's funeral, as well as the funeral where Matt's friend, Judge Horace Rosenthal, is also being laid to rest.  J. Jonah Jameson and Ned Leeds have to go down to Florida for a magazine meeting, and wants Peter to keep an eye on his wife Marla, and Ned's wife, Betty (Peter's ex girlfriend).  Peter is determined to nail the Sin-Eater at all costs, and bring him to justice for Jean.  As both funerals are about to break, Murdock hears the heartbeat of the Sin-Eater in the vicinity, but is too late to warn anyone about it.  In the end of the issue, we see Sin-Eater at the church, in the confessional, with a priest named Rev. Bernard Finn.  Sin-Eater then blows him away through the confessional.

Issue #109 picks up with the fallout of the priests' murder.  Stan and Spidey chat about it on the phone, one of Rev. Finn's fellow members of the cloth gave a scathing statement to the press about the fact that Rev. Finn, a black priest mind you, hopes he doesn't get a short changed version of justice at the hands of the cops, while Betty and Marla plan their "girls weekend" with each other.  We then see both Spider-Man AND Daredevil take different routes to try and track down the Sin-Eater.  Matt is more methodical, going around as a "nameless Joe" trying to get information.  He offers cash to anyone that would provide him with some, but at a diner, the clientele are a bit reluctant.  They get into a tussle with him, but he handles them quickly.  Having struck out, he leaves.  Just as he does, Spidey smashes through the window, looking for the same thing.  Only he's not subtle.  He wants info, wants it right NOW, and anyone that gets in his way will pay the price.  A few game customers try to go toe to toe with him, and THAT fails miserably.  Having gotten nowhere THERE, he's trapsing all around town, keeping Stan Carter in the loop about his activities.  Pummeling and roughing up ANYONE that doesn't cooperate.  

He then visits the Kingpin, and looks to pump HIM for information, but Fisk tells him that he has nothing for him.  Tells him he should try the same approach Daredevil did..simply knock on the front door.  He ends up kidnapping a guy who just got released from a drug charge, and starts pumping him for info, threatening to call him out as a stoolie if he doesn't get what he wants.  So, Spidey essentially blackmails the man into confessing for HIS crimes, while trying to get information about the Sin-Eater.  Later on at the Bugle, Peter's there talking with Robbie Robertson, while Marla and Betty are happy hanging out with each other this weekend.  When all of the sudden, Sin-Eater bursts into the Bugle's editorial room.  He starts threatening people, and Robbie tries to calm him down, while the villain is looking for Jameson.  Robbie says HE'S Jonah, and distracts him long enough for Peter to take out a typewriter roller, and nail Sin-Eater with it.  Spidey feels he got his man, and he's down at the police station when Daredevil shows up.  The detective in charge isn't happy that Spidey's there, but at least HE fought him.  The man, Emil Gregg, had heard voices in his head, and the voices told him to go and kill Jameson.  He keeps apologizing for his sins, and Spidey wonders where Stan is...he's missing out.  Dardevil asks Spidey outside the interrogation room, where he says they have a copycat, he's not the real killer.

Spidey doesn't buy it, but Daredevil convinces him to think otherwise.  They then travel to Gregg's apartment, where they see it in a state of slovliness.  They start arguing about how Spidey managed to get his info, and Daredevil doesn't like how he handled the situation.  Daredevil then finds a door that's been broken open to, and it leads into the next apartment.  They find out it's actually Stan Carter's apartment.  Spidey thinks Stan will trip out when he finds out he's been living next to Jean's killer.  However, Daredevil opens up a cabinet to find several shotguns, and Sin-Eater's gear.  Stan IS the Sin-Eater.  They figure out that Jameson is SUPPOSED to be his next victim, but he's in Florida with Ned Leeds.  But Marla and Betty are there.  Spidey gets Jonah's number from Robbie, and immediately calls the house. Betty answers only to find Sin-Eater in front of Jonah's desk with his shotgun pointed at her.  Spidey is frantic, telling Betty to get out of the house, but all we see at the end of the issue is Sin-Eater firing.

Issue #110 begins with Spidey and Daredevil frantically swinging across the city, with Peter going over his relationship with Betty.  He's putting distance on Matt, as he is racing like crazy to either save Betty, or avenge her.  We get to Jonah's apartment, where Betty managed to duck under Jonah's desk to save herself.  Sin-Eater then grabs her, and tells her why he came to Jameson's and why he killed the others.  Turns out, he killed the judge because he coddled criminals, killed the priest because he opposed capitol punishment, and killed Jean DeWolff because he FELT like it.  He was going to kill Jameson because he opposed costumed vigilantes.  He was about to kill Betty, when all of the sudden, Spidey bursts through the window.  

Sin-Eater pushes Betty away, and Spidey grabs her, shocked she's alive.  Sin-Eater prepares to remedy that as he loads his shotgun for another blast, but Spidey webs the shotgun, and takes it away from him, breaking it in half.  Sin-Eater then attacks, telling Spidey that they're alike, they deal justice in their own ways.  Spidey, visibly upset, screams at Carter that they are NOTHING alike.  And begins to pummel the living hell out of Carter.

Spidey doesn't give Cater a chance at ANY offense.  Carter sickenly tells him it's the "quiet, unobvious nuts you have to watch for".  Stan then apologizes, but Spidey is having NONE of it.  He's in full rage mode, and he beats the living crap out of Carter until he's unconscious.  Daredevil arrives to stop Spidey for killing him, but Spidey's too emotionally worked up.  Daredevil says that now that Sin-Eater is done, the system has to work now.  Spidey won't have it still, and they get into a fight.  Daredevil uses Spidey's emotional rage and sloppiness to beat him back with is billy club.  

Later on, while the public is finding out that Sin-Eater was really a cop, thus the public up in arms about it, the police and DA have a new problem:  SHIELD.  Turns out, Carter was part of an R&D project that involved PCP to enhance the body's abilities.  However, while the experiment worked to give their agents heightened physical strength, it also had side effects, like violent tendencies, depression, and a whole slew of setbacks that made them shelve the project.  That didn't sit well with Stan, and he quit.  The loss of his partner was probably a trigger effect for him to assume the Sin-Eater persona.  So, the DA is there thinking that Carter could get off on an insanity plea.  Riots are now beginning to happen outside the precinct.  The public wants blood.

At the Bugle Peter arrives, having calmed down from the night before, and bumps into Jonah and Ned, who have no idea what's going on, just having gotten back from Florida.  Peter fills them in on what happened, and that their wives nearly died.  But he reminds them that Spidey beat Sin-Eater to a pulp, so the threat is over.  Peter then gets assigned to do some photography for a "man-in-the-street" type interview segment for the Bugle.  

While all of this had been happening over the course of a few days, May's friend Ernie had been assaulted in an alleyway by young thugs, and Peter ended up roughing them up pretty good.  Ernie was an elderly man, and was upset at the youths who think they can just get away with it.  In the last issue, we see Ernie on the subway, as he's approached by a few new young thugs, looking to mug him, only THIS time, he has his gun on him, and shoots the boys, then leaves the subway in a hurry.  And...somewhere in one of the neighborhoods, there's a thief running around dressed like Santa Claus...

Peter gets pulled from the Man-on-the-Street segment, and asked to take pics of the rioting at the precinct.  He feels betrayed by Carter, sickened that he was taken for a ride by the psycho cop.  Daredevil finds him and tries to explain to him how the system has to work, but Spidey wants nothing of it.  Daredevil comments that the crowd is getting bad, and Spidey can care less.  As the cops lead Carter out by the back door, Jean's father appears with a group, and they attack the cops to get to Carter.  Daredevil goes down to calm the situation down, but with the crowd noise and the mob, he's useless.  In desperation, he calls out to Spidey, who looks like he's gonna walk away....until he hears Daredevil's voice call him out by his real name.  

Spidey then swings down, helps calm the situation, gets Carter and Daredevil out of the way, and then Carter is taken off to Ryker's.  It's then that Daredevil tells him that he can detect people by their heartbeats, hence how he knew Peter Parker and Spider-Man were one in the same.  Daredevil then tells Peter he's Matt Murdock.

Later on, they're at Peter's apartment, and Matt explains to Peter how, whether they like it or not...everybody gets their day in court.  Just then, Aunt May calls, telling Peter about Ernie's problem, and that he's in serious trouble.  Matt assures May that Ernie will get a proper defense and trial.  Peter agrees to keep an open mind.  

What made this story set out for me was the realism that I felt when I read it.  There ARE serial killers like this everyday in America.  It was VERY grounded.  And it was extreme subject matter for a boy of 12-13 at the time.  Also, I had NEVER seen Spider-Man so ticked off, that he'd EVER become THAT brutal.  I know he's been pushed to that edge, but I don't think I'd ever seen it like this.  Matt having to explain to Peter that, regardless of how the accused is portrayed in the public eye or otherwise, the system has to be allowed to work.  We also see what rioting and a mob mentality against authority figures does when one of their own is accused of killing or assaulting, or violating someone's rights.  It's a painful reflection on today's society, which is why I feel this story holds up, even 30 years later.  Peter David has been one of comics' best gifts...such a stellar writer who can pen an exceptional story...and this one was no different.  The late Rich Buckler's artwork was also amazing...portraying a very real aspect to it.  I also give him a nod in the series for the Charles Bronson easter egg he dropped into issue #108 while Peter, May, and Ernie were out for the afternoon.  But overall, I still enjoy this story to this day, and it shows you can tell a great superhero story from a perspective of reality.  I recommend picking this up either in the individual issues, or in the graphic novel version.  There are ways to find it, so check your local comic shops.  

Okay...since it's that time of the class where I hand out this week's pop quiz, just thought I'd keep it Spidey-centric this time around...so, here goes:

1.  What are Peter Parker's parents' names?

2.  When did Mary Jane Watson make her first FULL appearance?

3.  Jean DeWolff's brother, Brian, was also a costumed villain.  What was his name?

4.  One of Spidey's future enemies came out of this story...can you name them?

5.  Betty Brant Leeds' husband, Ned, also had a secret ID...what was it?

Okay, class, that does it for this week.  Subscribe and pass it along to your fellow classmates...and leave your answers for me...I'd LOVE to read them early!  Either way, I appreciate you taking this course!

Until next week...class dismissed!

THE FLASH - Season 5.12

REVIEW:  THE FLASH – SEASON 5, EP. 12: “Memorabilia”

Our Scarlet Speedster has a huge problem on his hands this week---entering Nora’s mind to help save her before she dies…but there are secrets she’s keeping from Mom and Dad…and what will be the consequence once Barry discovers what those secrets are?

We start with Nora confessing her secret about the closer she gets to her parents, she’s harming them.  She’s tried to keep a little distance, erase everything recorded up to this point.  She then has Gideon send the message to Eobard….reminding her it’s urgent.

We’re at the ice rink where Team Flash is enjoying of themselves, and teaching Nora how to skate. Ralph and Iris find out there’s a space next to his apartment where they might be able to open up a newspaper. They’re enjoying themselves until Sherloque gets a message saying that what he has been looking for has arrived.  Back at STAR Labs, Sherloque unveils this machine that can tap into people’s memories, and find a way to bring them out of a coma---in THIS case, Gracie.  There’s a big technical explanation about how it works, but they all decide the next day that they’ll get to work on getting Gracie out of her coma.  Barry volunteers to go in and get her. After everyone bails for the night, Nora goes back in and asks Gideon on how to hack the machine, and use it to get Gracie out of her coma before the team comes back, and that way, her memories won’t be exposed.  Sherloque activates the machine by putting one of the recievers on Gracie at the hospital.  Nora then goes in.

Nora finds herself in Gracie’s consciousness…and it’s set at the CCPD, where Captain Singh and some of the other officers discuss Gracie’s parents, who apparently died in their car due to a metahuman attack.  Gracie is sitting down where Nora finds her.  Nora asks her how they can get out.  They see the portal Nora came in, and try to get out, but it closes.  Nora is trapped. Somehow, she convinces Gracie to go to another memory.  They find another memory, and they’re at Orlen’s house.

Barry gets a call from Sherloque saying that Nora went into rescue Gracie by herself.  Caitlin realizes that Gracie’s brain is acting like a defense mechanism, thinking Nora is a pathogen.  Caitlin says that Nora should’ve come out, but hasn’t.  Barry and Iris agree they need to go in.

Ralph and Cisco follow up on one of Ralph’s informants about possibly knowing Cicada.  Ralph asks Cisco for his vibing ability.  Cisco tags along to a bar, where they meet a guy talking about how Cicada comes in and assaults people.  Cisco vibes the man’s broken mug, and finds out he’s thinking of a BAND called “Sickada”.  The lead is a waste, but Ralph offers to buy Cisco a drink…for once, Cisco wonders what hell frozen over is like since Ralph is buying.

Back at the lab, Barry and Iris go in to rescue Nora and Gracie…understanding the risks from when Barry took on Devoe.  They enter into the mindscape, and see the same CCPD setting that Nora did.  There on the bench is a young girl…but not Gracie.  Barry and Iris realize they’re not in Gracie’s mind…but Nora’s.  The portal closes, and they too, are trapped.

In reality, Caitlin and Sherloque realize that  Barry and Iris are in Nora’s memory.  In her mind, they both try to find the portal.  She goes into another memory, and they follow her.  They arrive at the Flash Museum.  Barry realizes the museum is the old STAR Labs.  They look around enamored.  Iris wonders if they could talk to her, but Barry advises her that these are fixed memories, and can’t interfere.  They end up following her into the “Hall of Villains”.  There, young Nora is watching the report about Cicada and having come back and made the Flash disappear.  He never stopped killing.  Just then, the older Iris shows up to scold Nora. 

Over in Gracie’s memory, Nora is trying to get Gracie to lead them to the portal.  She’s in the memory where she’s with her uncle, and he’s planning their day.  Turns out, it’s the day of the Enlightenment.  Nora has Gracie head to a new memory, and it’s in the hospital.  Nora sees Orlen confess to Gracie that he’ll kill all the metas, and that he found out that Nora is the Flash’s daughter.  Gracie says she’s been listnening the whole time.

Ralph and Cisco are still at the bar, and Cisco realizes that Ralph played him.  He’s about ready to take off, and Ralph tries to convince him to stay.

Back in Nora’s memory, the elder Iris chides Nora for being at the museum, and tells her they’re never coming back.  Iris also tells her to let go of the Flash toy she got.  It falls and breaks, and Iris ushers her off.  Current Iris is distraught, and feels that she will become that version of herself regardless, because this is a memory AFTER Nora came back in time.  Barry tries to tell her otherwise, and Iris confesses the reason she didn’t want to start the newspaper she was thinking about because the only name available was the Central City Citizen…the name of the same paper they’ve been staring at the Flash headline for 4 years.  She had hoped that if she DIDN’T start the paper, she’d change the timeline.  Just then, an alarm goes off, meaning Nora’s protection of her mind is coming, Barry and Iris hide, and realize her defense mechanism is Eobard Thawne.

In Gracie’s memory, she knows Nora is a metahuman, and believes that Nora is there to kill her uncle, and as much as Nora tries to convince her otherwise, Gracie’s defense mechanism kicks in, and Cicada comes after her.  In Gracie’s mind, she has no speed, so she’s on the run.

Nora is still on the run, and just gets away from Cicada in an elevator.  She hears a phone ring, and it’s Caitlin and Sherloque, who then connects her with Barry and Iris.  They find out that the portals are part of a figment of their memories…by using the false memories to get to the portal.  Barry tells Iris that they can change everything, that the memories are only what they make of them.  The costume of the Reverse Flash pops back up and battles Barry.  Just as he’s got the edge on Barry, Iris manages to stop him. They then see future Iris consoling young Nora…the dynamic of their relationship changed.  They then head off to save Nora.

Nora is fighting for her life against Cicada, and trying to plead to Gracie that they’re trying to save her AND her uncle.  Gracie doesn’t believe her, and just as Cicada is about to kill Nora, Barry and Iris come in and stop him.  The Allen Family manages to escape before Cicada attacks again.  They wake up in the lab, unsuccessful in their attempt to wake up Gracie.  They find out that there’s dark matter in Gracie’s head that they can’t remove because it’s too dangerous.  And they can’t go back into her mind to wake her.  As they try to figure out what to do, Nora speed draws a picture of Orlen’s house that she got from Gracie’s memory.  They now have another way to try and stop Cicada.

They talk about Nora’s memories, and Sherloque says that she was trying to protect her parents (he was covering up for her), as she didn’t give an immediate answer to everyone.  After most of the team heads out, Sherloque asks Barry what Nora’s defense mechanism was…he says it was the costume of the Reverse Flash.  Sherloque’s deduction was right.

We see Nora talking to Gideon again, saying that her parents can’t know she’s come back to take down Cicada, and that she will do what she has to in order to save her family…even lie. 

Iris walks down the hall of the building Ralph has his office in, and she opens it to see Barry and Nora have a surprise party for her, as she opens her paper.  Nora shows her that the paper was started in 2021 originally, but Iris changed that.  After Barry goes off to see Cisco, Nora and Iris bond.  Nora apologizes for deflecting her anger of losing her Dad onto her Mom…forgetting how hard it was for her Mom as well.  Iris assures her that she will love her now, tomorrow, and forever.  They start unpacking to set up the paper.

Ralph and Cisco talk back at the Lab, and Ralph just thought that if Cisco got out and relaxed, he’d enjoy his life more.  It paid off as Cisco managed to get the number of the bartender he talked to the night he figured out how to make the cure.  Barry comes in and asks Cisco the progress of the cure, and Cisco lets him know that it’s ready.  Barry says he wants to use it on Cicada.

We’re back in Gracie’s mind, and she says that Nora lied to her, and that Nora must die.  In her mind, Cicada will rise again.

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Whoa!  What an episode THIS was!  Lots of drama here, as well as A LOT more answers to some questions.

First off...no Joe (yet), and it seems Cecile gets a week off from the show.  But it's good they're keeping the cast rotating around, so that the supporting cast doesn't get overexposed and boring.

Let's discuss Gracie for a minute.  Wow!  This little girl knows more than we were led to believe.  She's been conscious the whole time...at least MENTALLY.  But that's because the dark matter in her head, is keeping her alive.  She shares the sentiment of her uncle, and she plans on saving him and keeping him alive at all costs...and now Nora has become her target.  A theory from my friend had suggested that maybe the KNIFE of Cicada is really HER power and under HER control.  It's a nice theory, considering both her AND Orlen were hit at once, and within proximity of each other to have some kind of metahuman thing happen to both of them that bonded them.  However...I wouldn't be surprised that while he's around her, she's feeding him HER powers that she's now gotten because of the dark matter (and let's face it...mind machine or not, that girl is a META).  Something else that's a possibility is that SHE is the future Cicada, and picking up where her Uncle Orlen left off, because he probably died.  We can draw quite a few conclusions from this all we want, but we know she's aware of what's happening, and she ISN'T a happy camper....especially now with Nora having been in her head.  We look at Orlen being the big threat...but it looks like the real threat is Gracie herself.

Nora....well, well, well.  We see that she's been doing more covering of her tracks, as to make sure not to leave a "footprint" on the past too much.  She talks to Gideon to send the message to Eobard quickly.  Maybe she feels time is starting to run out for her to stop Cicada---as we find out later what her MAIN mission is--before her father disappears.  We also get a glimpse of the memories she created in how Iris came off in them.  Turns out they were just her way of coping with the loss of her Dad....and since her Mom was there, she took out all her anger and frustration out on Iris...because she was there.  But it turns out Iris was nothing like Nora made her out to be.  Nora apologizing to her Mom went a long way to help solidify that relationship...and it shows Iris that she wasn't the horrible Mom she was made out to be.  Lots of healing here.

We FINALLY get the answer about the Central City Citizen---it's Iris' newspaper!  Back on the beat, but now with her OWN paper!  That's pretty sweet.  Was wondering where that paper came from.

Was awesome to see some Cisco/Ralph interaction this episode,  Cisco NEEDED a break from the research, and just get his mind right.  Ralph had to do his share of work to get Cisco out, but it paid off in the end.  And HEY...Cisco got a new girl in his life!  Gets HIS healing of the heart mended.  But that night out also allowed him to come up with a solution to the metahuman cure problem.  Just in time, because Barry's got another idea to stop Cicada.

Barry being in Nora's mind...seeing her memories of the Flash Museum (which, wow, is actually STAR Labs in the future), and looking around in wonderment at this shrine to him.  Iris joked about letting it go to his head, which was too late,  he was all into it...and even surprised that even his enemies get a wing.  But most of all...just looking at Nora as a child...something he feels he may never see.  As much as Iris wanted to comfort her earlier, Barry was smart in saying that these events are set, and they have to play out.

Barry revealing to Sherloque that Nora's defense mechanism was Reverse Flash confirms his suspicions of a "mastermind" at work in regards to Nora.  Barry and Iris are confused about it as well, but we never did get them to ask about it.  But I have a feeling that WILL come up again before the season is over.  Nora, Barry, and Iris will find out the truth is going to come out...and it WILL be painful.

This was a really good episode that gave us a lot of explanations for Nora's actions, as well as what's REALLY going on with Gracie.  Ralph and Cisco are a fun combo, and it was nice to see Cisco lighten up...even a little.  Sherloque is his usual inquisitive self, and was a BIG help this episode, with the mind machine to help the team out.  He's starting to earn his pay.  Things are picking up a little, and we get another classic DC villain next week!  

Okay guys, glad you stopped by to check this out!  If you like this and more, PLEASE subscribe and pass it around!  Also, I'd love to hear YOUR thoughts on tonight's show.

Until next week....keep on running!

ARROW - Season 7.11

REVIEW:  ARROW – SEASON 7, EP. 11:  “Past Sins”

Things get more interesting in the life of the Emerald Archer and those around him, as he now deals with the fact that his half-sister is the new Arrow, and she isn’t the real family type…considering she’s looking for revenge for her Mother, and feels that their Father AND Oliver have ruined so many things.  We also see what Curtis thinks as he finds out that Diggle and Lyla are starting up the Ghost Initiative (that’s “Suicide Squad” for all you newbies out there…CW, because of Warner Bros., and their stupidity, won’t let them be CALLED that), with Diaz. 

We start off this edition with a TV talk show that Ollie and Laurel are talking about their lives behind the mask.  Laurel says she wanted to honor her “father”.  The host of the show talks to Ollie about his father, and his father’s legacy.  We see his conversation with Emiko, as he tries to reach out to her, but she wants nothing to do with him.  She says she has no family.  Ollie promises the public to earn their trust through transparency, and that he’ll be hiding in the shadows no more.  Felicity tries to assure Ollie that Emiko will come around.  Ollie hopes so.

We switch to ARGUS, where Diggle and Lyla are recruiting for their Ghost Initiative.  They interview 3 villains:  China White, Kane Wolfman, and Carrie Cutter.  Just as Dig and Lyla are interviewing Cutter, Curtis walks in, clearly upset at what they’re doing.  They talk to him about needing them to stop Dante, which Curtis realizes that there WAS a hidden meaning behind the painting.  Curtis is NOT on board with this…especially when he finds out that Diaz is also a part of the team.  He asks if Ollie and Felicity know, and Dig says no, and it needs to stay that way.  He basically tells Curtis that this is happening, and it’s not a request for him to do his job…but an order.

Felicity and Laurel are in a bar having a drink, and talking about Laurel’s turn for the better.  A news segment comes on talking about her and her job thus far as DA.  She’s apparently popular with the public.  She seems pleased with the story, but there’s a guy in the bar who spots Laurel and says he knows who she REALLY is.  He tries to accost her in the bar, but he’s removed.  Laurel recognizes him as someone from Earth 2 whom she attacked.  She’s shaken up by his appearance.  The show host ends up getting kidnapped when a mysterious man knocks the lights out outside near his car.

Curtis is running the algorithim to ensure the bombs in the heads of the new “Ghost Initiative” don’t get blown off.  Curtis is really not happy about it.  Diggle explains that he doesn’t like it as well.

Laurel shows up at Ollie’s, and asks Felicity to look up the man who accosted her from Earth 2.  His name is Brett Collins.  Laurel wants this on the downlow and she doesn’t say anything else.

Ollie, Dinah, and one of the other officers are looking for the kidnapped show host.  They get a video from the kidnapper, where the show host has been forced to say things about Ollie from unredacted sessions from Dr. Parker that are unfavorable.  Ollie, Dinah, and one of the other cops managed to find the show host in a warehouse.  They get there, and the mystery kidnapper reveals that if they come any closer, the show host dies.  Ollie manages to rescue him, but not before the kidnapper gets away, saying that everyone NOT named Queen is human too.

Ollie and Felicity are talking about the events at the warehouse, and they talk about the redacted sessions from Dr. Parker.  Felicity and Ollie realize that the kidnapper has the original sessions.  So they do a search, and figure out that the man in the boat who was shot by Ollie’s dad way back in Season 1, man named Hackett, had a son, Sam, who’s wanted to know about his Dad.  He’s seeking revenge and closure.  They go to work trying to find him.  They come across his apartment, and find out all the info he got on Ollie.  But Dinah also finds a weapon Hackett has been working on.

Laurel meets up with Collins in an alleyway, and he says that she is no hero, and she needs to be taken down.  He goes to attack her, but Laurel fights back, and is about ready to kill him, but Felicity stops her.  They walk away before Laurel can do any damage to Collins.

While at ARGUS, Curtis is working with the new Suicide Squad (hell yeah, I’m calling them that!) team, and says he’s got to turn the bombs off to set everything right, and Diaz says that it’s a bad idea for Curtis to do that.  Curtis has drugged the other members, but drugging Diaz fails, and he takes down Curtis, frees the other other convicts, and they battle ARGUS agents to escape.  Diaz is about to make his escape in a vehicle, when Curtis catches him, they battle, and Diaz snaps his neck.  He takes off and gets ahold of Dante, letting him know that ARGUS will be after him.  Suddenly, everything goes digital, and Diaz wakes up back at ARGUS, wondering what happened.  Turns out, Curtis had him in a simulation while he made the bomb adjustments.  And Curtis reminds him that he gave them all the info they needed about Dante.  He thanks Diaz for his cooperation.

Laurel and Felicity talk about why Laurel wants Collins dead.  Laurel admits that Collins was the man who killed her father when she was 13.  She talks about how it was her birthday, he forgot her cake, and went back out for it.  He was killed by Collins, a drunk driver.  But Laurel carries the guilt that it was HER that killed him…because she threw a tantrum, and wanted him to go out to get her cake.  Felicity tells her that if she had admitted that, she wouldn’t have had to gone to such extremes.  Felicity reminds her that it’s NOT her fault.

Ollie sees a news story that says 75% of the public wants him to quit.  Ollie says that Dinah would be good to fire him, spare her reputation and the departments.  They also continue to work on locating Hackett, whom they find out is an electrician.  They end up locating him outside the station.  He’s hacked the electrical system, and turned the entire building into a weapon, and feeding the power to his vest, that he uses to shock people. He invades the station, shocking everyone in the station unless he gets Oliver Queen.  Ollie tells Dinah to find the fuse box and shut it down, while he distracts Hackett.  Hackett gets to a few more cops, and says that anyone who doesn’t give him Oliver Queen will die.  Ollie finally confronts him, and apologizes and admits that his father killed Sam Hackett’s father.  Sam is happy that he admitted it, but feels the only way things can be set right is if someone shoots and kills Ollie.  Meanwhile, Dinah manages to find the fuse box, and take it out, and the backup systems come back on.  Just before that, one of the cops aims at Ollie, and Ollie says that if he does it, he won’t blame him.  The cop decides against shooting him.  Hackett decides that everyone must die then, and Ollie says that no one is dying tonight.  The lights kick on, and the power in Hackett’s vest goes off, thus taking away his power.  Ollie ends up taking him down, and repeats that no one has to die…not even Hackett.

Curtis and Diggle talk, and Diggle is impressed with Curtis’ program, and they got a TON of information from Diaz about Dante.  Curtis hopes that now they can shut down the Suicide Squad program, but Dig says they still need it.  He says that once Dante is taken down, they’ll kill the program.  But Curtis says that there will ALWAYS be another Dante…and another.  He says that he isn’t going to be taking orders directly anymore, and that he’ll be keeping an eye on them.

At the station, Dinah informs Laurel that Collins from Earth 1 was taken into custody.  He had a history of stalking and drunken in public arrests…and a serious anti-vigilante agenda.  Also turns out that Cisco had did some digging for Felicity, and it also turns out the Collins from Earth 2 died on his porch a few years ago.  Laurel feels a great weight off her shoulders, thanks them.  Felicity reminds her that it helps to have friends whom you can trust.

Ollie is on TV, setting the record straight about what happened on the raft when his father killed both Hackett’s father and himself.  The host asks why he wanted to come clean now, and Ollie says transparency isn’t about him hiding behind a mask, but letting the public know that he and his family are not perfect.  After the interview, he meets up with Felicity at the station.  They talk about the interview and how it went…hoping that public opinion will be better in time.  They then see Emiko there, and Ollie goes to talk to her.  She said she saw the interview, and felt it took a little courage to come clean.  Ollie says it was necessary.  She says she’ll always harbor a grudge against their father for abandoning her.  Ollie asks her if that means she’s ready to talk.  She says she’s ready to think.  Ollie will take that, as she walks off.

The episode ends as Dinah leaves the station, and gets in her car, clutching a note that was left on her desk.  We see someone stalking her….is it Collins?  Or someone else?

_________________________________________________________________________

Okay...this episode carried a bit of emotional weight to it, shed some light on Laurel's background, and we see just how far ARGUS will go to catch the bad guys...even if it means crossing every single line possible to do it.

Ollie is still dealing with the fallout of finding out about Emiko as his sister, and more lies his father kept from him.  But also dealing with the guilt of the fact that his father also shot his bodyguard so that Ollie could survive.  A bodyguard who had a son.  A son who had NO closure, and something Ollie had kept out of the public eye...but secrets have a way of coming back to haunt you.  And Ollie's haunted him tonight in the form of Sam Hackett.  Ollie had to come clean in order to live up to his word of transparency---even if it means painting his father---and himself and the Queen name---in a negative light.  But Ollie is strong enough to shoulder the burden...and we'll see how well this goes with the public moving forward.  Ollie still has a ways to go to earn the public's good graces again.

Laurel's story finally gets some further background, as a man named Collins was stalking her, calling her an evil person.  Turns out, the same man on Earth 2 where she came from had been a drunk driver and killed her Quentin Lance when she was 13.  She felt that because she had an argument with him and told him she hated him, as any typical teenager would do when they don't get their way, she feels the weight of THAT burden, even though she had NO control over whether or not Quentin would die at the hands of a drunk driver.  Earth 1's version just happened to be a creepy, vigilante hating drunk...but nonetheless, it was a weight and guilt that Laurel had carried for so long, and we see that was part of the fuel for her anger later on in life.  But the relief that at least the ONE version of Collins...the one that killed her Quentin Lance...had passed away.  Whether or not Laurel can let go, and continue to work on redeeming herself, it's a step in the right direction.  

Kudos to Felicity once again for being the voice of reason through all the craziness of the last couple of episodes.  Her calm demeanor and unrelenting support of her friends as well as Ollie has gotten them through these brief rough patches.  There will be many more, but she has been the calm in the storm.  It's good to see, instead of her freaking out, or panicking, or even arguing with Ollie.  It looks like their marriage is back on track.  

Curtis also gets some props for being a moral center in a place that seems to lack it---ARGUS.  A government agency that deals in shadowy places, and does very under the radar things.  Much how it mirrors real life, ARGUS goes about justice in very questionable and amoral means.  The Suicide Squad (yeah, I'm calling it that---considering they practically name dropped it a couple times this episode), Initiative is one of those highly questionable tactics they're using to capture an even MORE evil person--Dante.  Last week, Lyla accused Dig of being more like her predecessor, Amanda Waller, but yet, she goes right along with the program anyway.  Curtis doesn't like this tactic, and he will question it every step of the way.  And what happens when Ollie and Felicity find out that they're using Diaz as a means to an end?  We KNOW it will come out eventually, and Ollie's new mantra of transparency will play heavily in that scenario if and when it happens.  

And just who in the hell is the person stalking Dinah?  Someone's keeping tabs on people, and I guess next episode, we will find out.

Some action tonight, but more about moving the plot forward, and seeing just who in the hell this Dante is, as well as the identity of whomever it is stalking Dinah---and probably everyone else.  And it was good to see Ollie and Emiko continue to talk...that relationship is going to have A LOT of rougher roads to travel before ANY understanding will be met.  All in all, not a bad episode.  What did you think?

As always, subscribe to the page, and leave a comment, I'd love to have more followers.  I do this not just for fun, but to share my hobbies with all of you!  

Until next week....keep your sights on the bullseye!

SUPERGIRL - Season 4.11

REVIEW:  SUPERGIRL – SEASON 4, EP. 11: “Blood Memory”

In this edition of the continuing adventures of the Girl of Steel, we deal with the fallout of the mindwipes J’Onn performed on some of the DEO agents—as well as Alex---to protect Kara’s ID as Supergirl.  We also get to dive more into Nia’s background, and the public are getting imbued with superpowers, and Alex has to deal with it. 

We kick things off with the Red Daughter stopping a missle, but she’s hurt by the blast.  They try to revive her, but when they do, it sends a shockwave of power across the globe, and it enhances some pills in a trailer that some guys are watching TV in.  They meet a friend outside, who takes the pill, and becomes empowered.  His buddies bail.

We head to Kara’s where it’s game night, and the group is having fun.  Nia talks about her upbringing in a small town up north.  However, during the game, Kara asks Alex what her favorite movie was, and Alex can’t remember.  Kara looks at J’Onn with deep concern.  They respond to a disturbance, the guy who took the pills and became a raging hulk (ha ha).  He’s about to cause trouble, but Supergirl stops his rampage.  Alex comes up and says they’ll take over.  Supergirl addresses her as Alex, but Alex chides her and tells her to call her Director Danvers.  Kara is hurt by this.

Kara is at CatCo talking to James about the incident, and she tells him how painful it was that Alex didn’t know her favorite movie, which is the Wizard Of Oz by the way, and James reminds her that she doesn’t know Kara is Supergirl.  Kara is just frustrated that Alex doesn’t remember parts of Kara.  The, one of the CatCo writers comes in, and pitches James a story about L Corp and hidden money that they might’ve used for secret experimentation.  James says give him what she has to look over it, and agrees to let her follow the money trail.  James is going to have to have a long talk with Lena.

Nia is on the phone with her sister about getting to the Harvest Festival.  She’s worried that she’d never get to the Harvest Festival.  Kara agrees to drive and go with her.

At the DEO, Alex and Brainy figure out that the guys on the rampage were frat boys.  And they also realize they’re humans, not aliens.

Kara and Nia are headed north, and Nia reveals that her town is very inclusionary, that her mother came to Earth at 18, fell in love with her Dad, and got married.  Had two girls.  Nia and her sister.  Nia also reveals that she is transgendered, and that it took awhile for people to accept her.  She also asks Kara NOT to reveal her dreaming powers to her family.  Kara agrees.

The frat boys talk about the effects of the pills, and there’s a demand for them, based on internet traffic.  They’re looking to sell.

Kara and Nia are still on the road, and Nia has another dream.  They then arrive at Nia’s family home, and they have dinner.  They talk about their dreaming powers, and how it’s passed on from generation to generation, but can skip a generation.  Nia’s sister hopes her powers will kick in soon, and her Mom assures her to give it time.  They have NO IDEA that Nia’s powers are in full effect. 

Back at the DEO, Brainy and Alex find out that they frat boys are now selling the powered pills.  These pills are empowered with radiation.  Alex feels that she’s off…and she should’ve seen this coming. 

J’Onn is at the DEO, as Alex is asking him for help…she feels like she’s not herself, and it’s driving her crazy.  She’s asking J’Onn to see what’s wrong.

Nia and Kara talk.  Nia knows that if she tells the truth that SHE has the power, and her sister will be heartbroken when she finds out she can’t have the power…since her mother dreamed that she’d pass the power onto her daughter.  But Nia wasn’t her daughter to begin with.  Nia wants to talk to her Mom, and asks Kara to interview her sister, to buy her time. 

At the DEO again, and J’Onn and Brainy talk about what to do with Alex.   J’Onn offers to lie to her to give her peace of mind, which she does.  Alex feels like she needs a partner to help get the info from the frat boys about what the other boys are doing with the drugs.  Brainy goes into the cell, and imitates a frat boy, and gets the info needed in just 2 minutes.  They then plan their attack on how to stop it.

Kara and Nia’s sister are talking about the town, and how Nia’s sister wants to be a hero…the Dreamer…when the powers kick in.  Some Agents of Liberty come into town to protest, but Nia’s sister says that the town will hold their own against them. 

Nia talks to her Mom, and asks if the powers can be transferred.  Her Mom says ‘no’, and then falls into a dream state.  Nia follows her into the dream, and her mother realizes that Nia is the one with the power, and said it’s her destiny.  That her strength was water, and Nia’s will be fire.  Her mother says that she is dying, and tells Nia that the world gave her many trials to get to where she’s at.  Her Mom gives her the final farewell, and Nia is woken up by Kara.  Kara and her sister try to revive her sister, but can’t.  Nia’s Mom dies.

Nia is asleep again, and is woken up by her sister.  They’re having a memorial service for their Mom.  Her sister is frustrated because she knows dream interpretation, and felt she could’ve saved her.  Nia says nothing.

Lena is at home with a board game as James walks in, looking to talk to her.  She’s looking to improve their trivia skills, and asks James to join her.  He agrees, and she then asks about what he wanted to talk about, but he says it can wait.

In the small town, the Agents of Liberty are ready to create problems.

The frat boys are on their way to a location to make a quick buck with the drugs, with one of the boys’ little sister in tow.

Alex, Brainy, and J’Onn find the location of the RV, and off they go, with Alex asking J’Onn if he’d like to tag along.

Nia and Kara have a chat about how Nia never wanted the power, and never studied to comprehend her dreams.  She says she had a dream about her Mom drinking a black liquid.  And spiders attacking her.  She feels she can’t tell her sister, because she’ll never forgive her.  Kara tells her that by NOT being honest with her sister, it will only make it worse.

Alex, Brainy, and J’Onn arrive at the location where the frat boys were looking to make their deal, and they look beat up.  They said that some guys looking to attack a festival with aliens  took the pills from them. They tell Alex that the sister, Roberta, took one of the pills and went off on a rampage, because she was bullied when she was little, and took the RV with her to exact revenge.

Nia and her family get ready for the funeral, and her father approaches her, tells her he had a dream where her mother came to him, and left her a gift.  They’re at the funeral service, where everyone dressed in white to honor the dead, as they do on her homeworld.  Nia has a dream that they’re going to be attacked, and she rescues her sister.  Kara goes off to change to Supergirl, as the Agents start attacking everyone.  Nia’s sister realizes that Nia has the power and not her, Nia tries to reach out, but her sister spurns her.  Supergirl arrives to stop the attack, and Roberta goes on the attack of the Agents of Liberty.  Supergirl sees Alex about to fire on a mourner and Roberta, and Supergirl stops her with heat vision.  They argue about how the situation was handled, and Alex basically tells Supergirl she’s the Girl of Steel on the inside as well as the outside, and that she can’t understand what Roberta was going through.  Alex warns her that if she doesn’t stand down, she’ll arrest her.  Kara is hurt as J’Onn looks on.

Nia and her sister Maeve argue about why she got the power and her sister didn’t.  Her sister feels crushed and humiliated.  She doesn’t understand how the powers went to Nia…she isn’t even a woman.  Nia is devastated.  As her and Kara are driving, she talks about how her sister wanted this for so long, and now she’ll hate her forever.  Kara pulls over, and shows Nia that she’s Supergirl.  So she understands how Nia feels.  She tells Nia she has a family…her.

At CatCo, the writer comes in as James requests, and tells her the money issue of L Corp is okay everything is in line with the FDA.  She’s bummed that her source didn’t pan out, he’s usually right.  James says this happens sometimes, and not to stress, she has good instincts.  She walks off, and James ponders the decision he just made.

Nia looks at the gift her mother left her…it’s the Dreamer costume . 

Meanwhile, at Kara’s, J’Onn and Kara discuss the issue with Alex, and how the mindwipe took away Alex’s connection with alien life, by missing the connection she had with Kara growing up.  Without that, Alex seems cold and aloof when it comes to Supergirl.  Alex arrives and wants to decompress after her weekend.  She asks Kara how her weekend was, and Kara said the story she was doing didn’t pan out.  They all are set to watch Terminator, and Kara notices Alex’s hand (the one where she shot her heat vision at), and Alex coldly tells her it’s a “gift” from Supergirl.  Kara winces, and J’Onn suggests that they forget work and just enjoy the downtime. 

The episode ends with the Red Daughter…still in a coma…and one of the military personnel making a call, saying that they have a problem, and the only solution is in America.

_________________________________________________________________________

Well, THIS episode was sure a punch in the emotional gut.  So much pain passed around, as well as the deepening of secrets for some.  I was left feeling sad and sorry for so many tonight.  And the Red Daughter story gets an interesting twist.

Nia and her family.  Living in such an open community like Parthis was good for her, and gave her a stable home, and free from fear and reprisal...for the most part.  But that can also be a bit isolating, knowing that outside forces do not share your sentiment.  Nia's family found this out the hard way.  Not even a peaceful town is safe from the darkness of the world...and the Agents of Liberty all doped up showed that.

Nia and her sister Maeve.  This is such a painful story to unfold, and I credit Nicole Maines for handling the hardship of this role of Nia Nal.  First, admitting that she's transgender to Kara was tough to open up to and say, and admitting that she had a rough go of it when she transitioned gave her a vulnerability, as well as her fear with the dreams she had of her mother, as well as the attack by the Agents of Liberty.  When we discover that in her family, the powers that her mother's race displays is passed down to the next generation, but not every child gets "the gift".  And in her mother's dream, she passed the power down to her daughter.....but not the daughter she expected.  But nonetheless, as she was dying, and in the dream, admitted to Nia that it was destiny she got the power, and she will use it well.  She just didn't know the face of the daughter.  Nia wanted to transfer them to her sister, who had been training for this role.  It was sad to see that when Maeve found out, she was cold to her sister, feeling betrayed.  It was hard to watch seenig her sister be so cold to her...and to call her transgender out as a bad thing.  For all the love she gave Nia, and how close they were growing up....to have a family member shut you out---that's a stab in the heart.  It's painful to watch family walk away from family---because you didn't get what you thought was yours by birthright, and instead goes to your sibling...who was DIFFERENT when born, but didn't become the person they ARE until later.  This is something to watch down the road.  Will Nia and her sister EVER reconcile?  OR will Maeve decide to take revenge on her by betraying the family?  

Kara and Alex are another story----Alex having gone under the mindwipe by J'Onn willingly, something went a tad awry and now Alex has missing pieces of her memory...and not just of Kara's secret ID as Supergirl.  But other little memories of them growing up.  And not having those memories has caused Alex to be emotionally disconnected from being compassionate about aliens.  She's still dedicated to her job, but now that Supergirl is a stranger to her, she's not exactly the Girl of Steel's best friend.  When Supergirl refers to her as "Alex", Alex is quick to squash that flat by INSISTING she be referred to as "Director Danvers".  Later on, we see Supergirl stop Alex from shooting a girl, and used her heat vision to knock the gun out of her hand.  Alex then proceeded to read Kara the riot act, and told her straight up that Supergirl is nothing short of an ice cold bitch that doesn't get the struggles these people go through.  For Kara, the double edged sword gets driver deeper when she has Alex all happy to see her at the end of the episode, though she still has the burn from Kara's heat vision.  As happy as she is to have her sister, the fact that so much has been lost as cost both Kara AND Alex greatly....all to protect her.  J'Onn is right in saying that they must be strong for HER.  But, with this mindwipe, my fear is that Alex may start coming around to Col. Haley's way of thinking, and wanting to take Supergirl down a peg, and get her on a leash.  It's something to keep an eye on.  

I DO like that DESPITE Kara's strained relationship with Alex because of her life as Supergirl, she now has a kindered spirit in Nia...who's own sister has spurned her because she didn't inherit the power that she felt was her birthright, while Nia...who's issue as a transgendered woman, becomes the dagger that Maeve drives into Nia's heart.  But I see this relationship growing into a strong friendship and partnership from the super hero aspect.  They can now lean on each other for support, and gives Nia a bigger purpose on the show...outside of being the Dreamer.  

Was good to have J'Onn hanging around and helping the DEO once again---seemed like old times there.  

Brainy is once again the lighthearted part of the show...though there wasn't MUCH room for humor in this episode.  But going in with the "college lingo"  to grab the info was funny.  He definitely is the lightheartedness of the show right now.  That little bit of sunshine in a show that, currently, runs a very hard storyline.  He is the lynchpin of the team, and he will have to work a little overtime to keep Alex from going after Supergirl....and juggle his time with Nia at some point.  I DO wanna see more of that.

Just when I thought we could be done with the Agents of Liberty...they come back.  This time, roided out by radiation.  And more of them to come...sadly.

The "Villain of the Week" was nothing more than an irradiated pill being passed around by retarded frat boys looking to make a buck.   Well....did create some issues, but thankfully, this was stomped out fast.

Speaking of the irradiated pills...what in the hell happened in Eastern Europe where the Red Daughter got taken down by a missle she tried to stop, fall into a coma, and the minute they try to revive her, this radition blows out and effects these stoner frat boys' happy pills.  Insane.  And the officer who was on the phone saying that the one thing they need to revive her is in America?  Could that be Kara?  That's an interesting story to keep an eye on.  

One last thing:  James covering up for Lena.  If that isn't the line to cross when you're a reporter----hiding the truth to save your woman.  I'll give his reporter credit---she's got a great curiosity, incredible instincts, AND a good source.  James had to work some magic to make sure the cover up of L Corp's finances and mysterious experiments remained hidden.  I don't like that James has to compromise himself for the sake of Lena...with whom he's trying to rehab their relationship.  He goes against every grain of journalism there is...not a good look on him.  At some point, I see this relationship falling apart.  Despite Lena's best intentions, her methods are questionable, and now it's dragging down an honorable guy like James with her.  Troubled waters are very much ahead for these two.  

I thought the episode was good, but it just left me sad and depressed at the end of it.  Mostly because I feel that family is the strongest bond you have, and when it's torn to shreds because of anger, mistrust, miscommunication, and jealousy---it has a ripple effec through your life.  Alex is upset she's missing bits of her memory, J'Onn and Briany hate lying to those they treat LIKE family, and both Kara and Nia feel the effects of their powers having an impact on THEIR family lives---which now seem ripped to shreds.  While Kara can still have Alex...it's Alex's lack of knowing she's Supergirl, she now has her dynamic changed...and she can't share her greatest secret to her sister anymore, and it's heartbreaking.  Add onto that Alex's now vehement dislike of Supergirl just creates new drama for Kara.  Nia's sister completely abandoned her, and is now in a state of anger, betrayal, and jealousy.  She felt SHE was "The One'....the one who did the work to prepare to have these powers, only to NOT get them at all....but her transgendered sister.  Whom she feels has no business having those powers...yet she does.  Overall, it was a well done episode, but it just left me depressed afterwards.  And I have a bad thought in my head that more of that is coming.

That does it for this week...and hey!  We're on a break until February 17th.  So, enjoy the time off, but DON'T FORGET to subscribe and leave comments...I'd love to hear from ya!

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