SUPERGIRL - Season 4.15

SUPERGIRL – Season 4, EP. 15: “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”

The Girl of Steel and her friends get the surprise of their lives, as Lena’s brother…the one and only Lex Luthor…returns.  Lex has been furloughed from prison because of failing health, and seeks his sister’s help.  With life and death on the line---how much does Lena love her brother to save him?

We open this episode of the Maid of Might 4 years ago in Metropolis.  As Lex is putting forth some plan, with Lena hostage.  Apparently, he’s got the Earth under a red sun, rendering Superman powerless.  There’s a helicopter looking to capture Lex, but he blows it up.  Lex gives this speech about how HE was the Man of Tomorrow, and wants to make Superman bleed.  Lena says it’s all ego, and Lex says that it’s science.  He feels that he will prove he is right, and the people will thank him.  Back to present day, we see a caravan that has Lex in it, he’s stuck in a gurney, as he greets his sister.

We switch to CatCo, where James has been shot from last episode.  The one who shot him hits the signal watch, contacting Supergirl.  Supergirl arrives and gets him to the hospital.  Back at her lab, Lena and Lex talk, and they discuss her research, in regards to helping him get better.  He says it’s weak of him to need help and that he’s dying.  Lena says he’s not going to die…not when he still has his debt to society to pay.  And besides, she states, he IS her brother.  Just then Miss Tessmacher shows up, and informs Lena that James is in the hospital.

At the hospital, Kara informs everyone that James was shot with a hollow point bullet, and that his spine is hurt.  Alex and Lena talk, and she says that her research can save James.  Lena says she can’t rush a cure, but Alex says when the pressure’s on, that’s when Lena shines.  She says to Alex to keep her posted about James’ condition.  Kara, Alex, and J’Onn talk, and feel that it’s Manchester Black who’s responsible.  He plans on going after him, and Kara agress to go with him, and makes up an excuse to Alex that she has to go to CatCo.  They head to J’Onn’s father’s grave, and it’s on fire, thanks to Manchester Black.  He’s got one of the Martian weapons, and says that when J’Onn digs in his mind, he can dig into J’Onn’s.  He says that they’re going to finish it.

Lena goes to Lex, and asks him to help him cure both James and himself.  Lex taunts her about the irony of the situation.  He thought they broke up, but she says she pushed him away, because if he found out they were working together, it would only make matters worse.  Lex agrees to help.

At the hospital, both Nia and Brainy take blame for not being able to see this situation happen.  The doctor comes out and says that they’ve done what they could to remove the bullet fragments, but he’s in a medically induced coma to try and lessen the swelling.  They can’t make any decisions regarding his future until his sister comes in.  She says that they are family, and she goes to see him.

Kara and J’Onn try to find Manchester, and J’Onn realizes that Black has been trying to induce him into violence.  Kara reasons with J’Onn and tells him not to give into it, or Black’s games.  Just to find him and stop him.

Back at Lena’s, Miss Tessmacher comes out and asks Lena if she thinks it’s wise that she’s sharing everything with Lex after all the hard work she’s done.  Lena assures her that she understands her brother, and knows that his survival is key to himself.  After all, Lena says, Lex can’t imagine a world without him in it.  They head into the house, where the guard has knocked down Lex in his wheelchair.  Lena is upset with the guard, and asks for the keys.  He says it’s her funeral, and she helps Lex up.

Alex and Kelly, James’ sister, chat about James, and how he likes to have an “extended” family.  Kelly asks where Kara is, but just before Alex could answer, James starts coding, and the doctors rush in to help him. 

The doctor comes out and says that James is bleeding internally, and if they don’t operate, he could die.  His sister agrees to the surgery.  Alex says to Kelly that there is a way that James can be saved, and talks about Lena’s serum, but Kelly is against it because Lena and him broke up, and that her family did awful things to James. 

Alex gets ahold of Kara, and tells her that she is needed at the hospital.  Kara says that she’s helping J’Onn with a lead towards Manchester Black.  Alex is upset with her, because James needs her, and she may miss out on saying goodbye to him.  Alex then tells her good luck on her lead, dripping with content.  Kara is upset.

Lena and Lex continue to work on the serum, and they manage to break through and make it non-lethal.  She then finds out about James, and feels that she can’t help him.  Lex then tells her about the time his dog was dying when he was 7, and his mother sent him away on a trip with his father.  It was on that trip that he met this woman his father was seeing.  When he found out about the dog being put to sleep, he was upset, but this woman comforted him.  This woman turned out to be Lena’s mother.  He tells her that while his family will always be in the dark, Lena will always fall into the light…and for her to go to James.

J’Onn has a nightmare about losing Kara, Alex, and everyone he loves, because he sat idly on the sidelines.  Kara wakes him out of his state, and tells him that everything is okay.  She assures him that she understands what he’s going through, and has supported him no matter what.  So, they decide to let Manchester Black come to them. 

Alex and Kelly talk, and Alex apologizes for what she said, but Kelly understands.  This is not the first time she’s been with James in the hospital.  He always ran off to face danger as a way of coping when things got rough at home.  Turns out, Kelly is a psychologist, and has dealt with this situation many times.  Kara shows up, and Kelly is happy to see her, and understands why Kara couldn’t be there at the time.  After she goes to check on James’ status, she meets J’Onn, and Alex and Kara make up.  Kara says she hates feeling helpless, and Alex understands.  Meanwhile, Brainy is having only what could be described as a breakdown because he feels helpless.  He says that everyone in his family is evil, and he can’t do anything, not even get something out of the vending machine.  Nia kisses him to calm him down.  As they kiss, the lights in the hospital flicker, as the power is being manipulated. Back at Lena’s, Lex is reading as he notices the power flickering. Kelly and Alex go back to check on James, as the power continues to wane.  J’Onn does a mental scan, and finds out that it’s Black at the power plant, and him and Kara go to stop him.  They meet up with him at the power plant.  Black plans to destroy the dam and flood the city.  They’re at the dam, and J’Onn goes after black, while Supergirl tries to stop the dam from flooding.

At the hospital, the power is not back on yet, and James is losing time.  Just then, Miss Tessmacher shows up with the drug, and Alex asks Kelly to not trust Lena, but trust her.  Kelly agrees, and they go to find Lena to administer the drug.  At the same time, J’Onn and Black are battling, and Black wants him to join him, and J’Onn says never.  Back at the hospital, Lena is in the operating room, telling one to get out, as what she’s going to do is illegal.  She administers the drug, and they all wait.  Back at the dam, Supergirl manages to freeze the concrete, to prevent any flooding.  Black and J’Onn continue to fight, and Black makes J’Onn relive his nightmare from home, and it upsets him.  He grabs the staff, and disintegrates Black.  Supergirl arrives, wondering where Black is, and all J’Onn says is that they need to go see James.  At this point, the healing process takes place, and James awakens, with everyone there by his side…with Kara and J’Onn on the way.

In the hospital recovery room, everyone is happy to see James recovered.  Kelly says that he’s got great friends.  Kelly says that she called their mom, and everyone leaves so that James can have his one on one.  Kara and J’Onn have another heart to heart, and she understands what he did.  But he has no idea who he is anymore.

Lena heads home, and confronts Lex.  She found out that Lex was the one who caused the power outage, because the Luthor name is over everything in the city.  And while James will live, she refuses to give Lex the serum.  Turns out, though, Lex played her, and was the one responsible for having James shot...in order for her to use the serum, since he certainly wasn't going to test it on himself.  He needed to goad her, and already got the serum.  Turns out the prison guard was really Otis Graves in disguise.  They capture Lena, and it also turns out Miss Tessmacher has been working with Lex the whole time as well.  Lex then leaves, Otis having chloroformed Lena. With Otis, and in tow, and not killing Lena, Lex takes his leave, and has Miss Tessmacher keep a watch over her.  As he leaves the Luthor home, the prison guards confront him, but they get cut down by lasers and grenades planted on the property.  Otis and Lex make their exit in a helicopter, but as they fly off, they’re confronted by Supergirl.

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WOW!  What a GREAT episode!  THIS is the kind of episode you beg for in a superhero show, and boy did we get it!  This had all the elements you wanted.  A bad guy, some super action, lots of drama, and some twists.

First of all...let's air it out upfront:  Jon Cryer NAILED it as Lex Luthor.  For a guy who essentially played a goofy Duckie-type character in Superman IV as the nephew of Lex (Gene Hackman), to bring him back as THE bad guy---well...I had my reservations.  But man did he prove me wrong!  He was sadistic, witty, dramatic, and owned this role well.  I for SURE feel he WELL outperformed Jesse Eisenberg as Lex from the DCEU movies.  The illness from the Kryptonite poisoning was right from the comic books, and his deceit is now laced throughout the season (as we will see in the next episode and the rest of the season, no doubt).  Lex is NOTHING if not prepared, and two steps ahead of EVERYBODY...including the heroes.  And I KNEW Miss Tessmacher was working with him...for her to go from ditz, to Lena's assistant---nah...I knew there was more there.  She showed her true colors tonight.  But my ONLY miss with this episode in regards to Lex...his use of Otis Graves...not a fan.  But I guess he needed a goofball stooge to be his right hand man.  I would've MUCH preferred his sister Mercy...since she'd been with Lex for so long.  But hey...may still happen.  And for the reveal that HE had James shot in order to get Lena to use the serum on him....I saw that coming from last episode.  There WERE some things that were now finally falling into place, and I have a feeling HE is the one responsible for the Red Daughter.  Remember the call the General made a few episodes back?  WHO do you think he was calling?  It's totally logical and makes sense.  And for Lex to FINALLY go toe to toe with Supergirl...I love it!  I can't wait!  Thumbs up for me on Cryer's casting.  He totally shocked me, and I couldn't be happier.

Poor Lena---taken for a ride.  To have her brother swerve her---she should've seen it coming a little quicker, but it also goes to show how much more shrewed and cunning Lex is, as compared to Lena.  She has a good heart---she got that from her mother.  But she didn't get Lex's homicidal tendencies.  So, not only did she get played by Lex, but Miss Tessmacher as well.  I wonder how far off the deep end she'll go once she finds out Kara is Supergirl?

James...glad he was healed, but I wonder what the longterm effects of the serum will be.  Will he have super powers?  Will he suit up as Guardian again?  And I should have known he had a sister.  She's pretty cool, and will be a nice addition to the Supergirl mythos for this show (I read somewhere she's going to be a series regular next year).  

Alex and Kara had a bad moment there when Kara was helping J'Onn, instead of being there for James.  But she couldn't just leave J'Onn to his own machinations.  J'Onn, despite what he tried to avoid, became a victim of his own nightmares.  He became the very thing he tried to avoid.  As much as he tried to be a man of peace...he is a superhero first...and hopefully, he'll find his redemption soon.  And while it APPEARS that Manchester Black is dead....I seriously have a feeling that he is not, and he may be captured in that stone in J'Onn's staff.  As for Kara, it was tough on her, because she tried to help J'Onn, but hoped that things would work out well for James.  And since James and her know each other well enough, he would've totally understood.  But Alex...what with her memory wipe...didn't.  Kara feeling helpless was a way to help further the re-bonding between the sisters.  And hey...let's give props to Alex for keeping the level head throughout this episode.  When everyone needed a rock to lean on....there was Alex.  For Kelly, Kara, James...Alex stepped up.  

We finally got the tease ended between Brainy and Nia....but it was bittersweet, as it was in the middle of a crisis.  And with Brainy seemingly having an emotional meltdown (which was new...and learned some things about him...such as his family's past, and some past with Mon-El), Nia did what she could to comfort him, while also trying to deal with the fact that James' shooting wasn't something she foresaw.  Both feel helpless in this episode, so it brought a bit of emotional trauma to the proceedings.  While everyone else was being strong for James...THEY couldn't.  And while Brainy turned her down, I feel their bond won't be broken quite yet.  

Overall....VERY solid episode!  NOW things are picking up, and we're streaking towards the season finale.  I'm looking more forward to the ride now with Lex aboard (and I keep thinking he's also got his hands in the President and Lockwood's respective cookie jars), making the rest of this season must-see.  Very well done, DC & CW.  

Okay kids, that wraps up this blog, but hey---subscribe, pass the good word, and drop a comment....it'll give you good karma.

Until next week:  Up, up, and away!!