SUPERGIRL - SEASON 5.8

REVIEW:  SUPERGIRL - SEASON 5, EP.8:  "The Wrath of Rama Khan"


We're getting close to the midseason point of our Girl of Steel, and we have seen a new menace creep up in the form of the group Leviathan.  They are the new threat to the world, and no easy pushovers.  This Rama Khan has been around a couple of million years, and seeks to defend the planet from the human species.  While we have Lena Luthor on HER end, looking to use Myriad to control the human populace and make sure they all play nice and are honest with each other.  This leaves Team Supergirl in quite a sticky situation as CRISIS looms only a few days away.


Starting this off this episode, Brainy and Alex have reached the Arctic North to try and find Supergirl, whom they last remember was at the Fortress of Solitude with Lena.  Problem is, as we saw last episode, Lena stabbed Supergirl in the back, took Myriad, and reversed the security protocol in the Fortress to trap Supergirl.  Alex and Brainy managed to find her, release her, and Supergirl reverses the protocols at the Fortress, while trying to find Lena.  She discovers Lena's location as one of Lex's old hideouts at Mount Marquay.  Before Alex and Brainy can breath, the Maid of Might is off like a shot towards Lena, trying to stop her before she uses Myriad on the populace.  Lena, at this moment, is with Hope/Eve preparing Myriad for global use.  As they prepare the countdown, Supergirl has arrived, looking to reach Lena and stop her.  Lena sees her, however, and so does Lex's security measures, which activate their own protocol to attack.  Lena isn't looking to kill Supergirl, but they can't quite get Lex's defenses to deactivate quickly enough.  The base launches missles at Supergirl, and she takes the hit, but is unharmed.  However, Lex's more deadlier protocol goes into effect, as the lasers from the mountainside base's cannons prepare to fire Kryptonite.  Lena and Hope see this, and are looking to shut it down.  Meanwhile, Supergirl hovers...and merely throws up her hands in surrender.  Lena and Hope get the system to shut off, and the lasers stop arming.  However, Supergirl takes off...vowing to stop Lena, but save her at the same time.

Back in their little hidey hole, Rama Khan and his female companion (of which we STILL have no name for, because I sure as hell didn't hear one), lament over his failing at stopping Supergirl, and reaquiring of the medallion that Andrea gave up to Lena.  Leviathan isn't quite happy about the events, but Rama Khan says that he and his female companion have been there for 2 million years, and they CAN save the planet from the humans.  The blonde companion has stated that she thought her technological prowess would've helped, but it turns out they need much more drastic measures.  So they need Andrea yet again, and he gets this staff with some red crystal in it that wields some kind of power, called the Krada, and he goes to start another Pompeii-like eruption in National City.

Back at the DEO, Kara drops the bomb on both Brainy and Alex that Lena has played them.  That she know her secret ID, and that Lex had been the one who told her, after she had shot him.  She reiterates that Lena is hurt and angry for having been lied to.  When they put their heads together, they realize what exactly Lena plans to do with the Myriad....use it to  control the minds and thoughts of people so that they won't lie or hurt one another.  Alex goes into leader mode, and orders Claymore to be put into plan, but Kara is not happy with that plan,  She feels there has to be another way.  Just at that moment, J'Onn arrives with his brother Malefic, offering assistance.

Malefic recounts how when the Phantom Zone projector was used hon him, it zapped him into Lena's lab.  J'Onn DID remind them that Lena helped them fix it.  He then goes on to say that Lena was using his ability to incept people as part of her plan.  Added with Myriad, and the populace won't have a chance.  Kara tries to be the voice of reason here but Alex is having nothing of it, seeing the immediate threat Lena has become with her actions.  She puts the Claymore Program into effect at Mount Marquay, and preparing for the worst.  

We see Andrea atop her balcony in deep thought, when Rama Khan shows up.  She says she's done, and wants nothing more to do with them.  She has lost Russell to her actions, but Rama Khan tells her she has one final job to do, and she WILL do it.  She asks if her father will be spared, and Rama says disgustingly that he gets to keep his riches.

Supergirl is still pleading her case to Alex about trying to get through to Lena to reason with her, using their hologram projector.  Once she does make contact with Lena, she tries desperately to tell Lena that she's sorry, that she thought she was protecting her, and that doing this will not make things better.  Lena feels that Kara treated her like a villain, because she carries the Luthor name.  But, Lena says she thanks Kara for inspiring her to pursue this project.  To do what she feels needs to be done.  With that, Lena cuts her off, as she goes back to make final preparations for the launch of her plan.

Alex and Kara have a real heart to heart, telling her that what she did..keeping her secret from Lena...was not done out of malice or contempt, it was done out of love.  Alex also goes to point out a few instances where Lena wasn't completely honest with Kara, such as making Kryptonite, and the fact that she knew where Lex was, but didn't tell her.  Lena is NOT an innocent, either.  Alex then tells her that while she was using the hologram, they got access to the Mount's security systems, and will shut them down, making sure Lena can't launch Myriad.  Kara is displeased that Alex went behind her back, and Alex said that while Lena is her friend too, she has to think with her head, and not her heart.  She has to see what Lena is doing as an imminent threat.  

At this time, Hope/Eve and Lena have all the final preparations made, and are about ready to launch.  Lena has a slight moment of hesitation, but has Hope/Eve proceed as planned.  Just as they're about ready to fire, the DEO's virus kicks in, stopping the launch.  Lena and Hope/Eve now have to try and get around the virus before the DEO comes knocking.  

Supergirl again pleads her case to Alex to find a less lethal means in handling Lena.  Supergirl then talks to J'Onn, and asks him to talk to Alex.  While J'Onn doesn't want lethal means to be used, either, he can't argue with Alex's logic.  Supergirl then has an idea.  Using Malefic's Q-Waves to attack Myriad and stopping it.  Malefic says it's a good idea, and it might work.  She brings her idea to Alex, who is not happy about it, but Supergirl manages to get through to her sister.  

Rama Khan and Andrea arrive in the city near Leviathan's headquarters, close to the tar pits, and he wants her to set off the volcano.  Knowing what he has planned, and the innocents that will die, she refuses.  He tells her that humanity's time has come, and they must pay the price for their destruction of the planet.  For him, it's time for a fresh start.  He sets off a wave of aftershocks, and she disappears in the bedlam, as people scatter to get to safety.  She uses her powers to shift to the DEO, trying to warn Team Supergirl of Rama Khan's plans, only to be sucked back to him before she could say more. He takes her below ground, where he uses the staff to capture her, and use her powers to initiate the volcano's eruption, which begins.  Team Supergirl at the DEO feels it.  They then realize that Rama Khan is about to work his mojo yet again in the form of another disasterous volcanic eruption, using this staff, which they researched.  Alex then orders Supergirl and J'Onn to head into National City to deal with Rama Khan, while she and Brainy will handle Lena's plan.  Alex tells J'Onn that it's tough making the hard decisions, and that she needs Kara to see that.  He says that while he knows trusting Malefic is risky, he says that they ALL must do better, and be given the chance.

Lena and Hope/Eve have been frantically trying to override the DEO's virus, which has knocked their satellites out of synch.  They know that the Claymore Program will be fired in about 20 minutes, so Lena is looking to reverse engineer the virus.  Hope/Eve offers to go out and manually override the satellites and set them up, but Lena knows that she will die, and she refuses to let that happen.  They feel the jolt from the eruption of the volcano, and it throws everything out of whack.  Hope/Eve says that the best way to get their plan to work, and to override Lex's security systems AS well as the virus of the DEO, is to let her go outside and see if she can manually fix it.  Lena refuses, saying she's the only friend she has, to which Hope/Eve informs her that she is, in fact, NOT her friend---but a creation of hers with a purpose.  And the fact that Eve herself is willing to do this for her.  With that, Lena understands and lets her go.

Supergirl and J'Onn arrive at the tarpits to try and stop Rama Khan with the sonic gun that she had from the Fortress.  The gun is useless as he destorys it, and they do battle.  She manages to locate the staff AND Andrea with her x-ray vision, and J'Onn goes to rescue her, while she buys him time with Rama Khan.  

Brainy has Malefic prepared to beat back Myriad, and Alex has guns on him at the ready just in case.  Everyone there has inhibitors on, in case he goes rogue to attack.  At that moment, Hope/Eve has made it to the satellite control panel, and they manage to bypass Lex's codes.  Lena is able to launch Myriad, and the rays begin to penetrate the Earth.  Malefic begins using his powers to beat the beam back, but he doesn't have enough power.  Brainy says that the inhibitors are limiting him, and that if they don't turn them off, he won't be able to stop it.  Alex is hesitant, but orders the inhibitors off.  There, Malefic uses his powers to stop the beam from heading to Earth...thus saving them from Myriad.

Supergirl, however, is buried and trapped under rubble by Rama Khan, who says it's humanity's time to die.  But Supergirl refuses to give up on them.  At that moment, J'Onn is able to finally yank the staff from the ground, ending the threat and saving Andrea.  Rama sees that his plan has failed, and Supergirl strikes him into the pit, and freezing it to capture him.  Just as they begin to relax in victory, Rama resurfaces, and grabs Andrea with him, and they disappear.  

Back at Lex's hideout, Lena is despondent that her plan failed.  And she turns to Hope/Eve...saying that it's true:  the good guys don't always win.

Rama and Andrea arrive at the Leviathan HQ, where Andrea finds her way to escaping, as soon as she arrives.  Rama wants to kill her, but he's got the staff imbedded in him, and his blonde companion says that he had his chance, and that Leviathan is displeased with him.  He feels it's not over, but she says it is.  It's her time now.

We go back to Lena and Hope/Eve, where Lena pulls out a gun, knowing she is going to be arrested by the DEO.  Hope/Eve understands what must be done, and as soon as the DEO arrives, Hope/Eve plays the role of the criminal mastermind, saying she was responsible, while Lena acts the innocent victim.  They arrest Hope/Eve, who smiles as she's led away, knowing she fulfilled her purpose.  Lena, of course, acts the act.  

Alex and Kara talk about the day's events.  Alex revealing the fact that Hope/Eve took the fall for Lena, and Kara knowing that there's more going on, and that Lena isn't finished yet.  On the bright side, Malefic lived up to his end of the bargain, and Kara said she was right about him...that he changed.  Alex invites Kara over for dinner with her and Kelly, but she says she needs time alone.  

Andrea arrives back at her office.  Sits down at her desk, and puts on the VR lenses, reliving her romance with Russell.  She tells him goodbye, and that it's over, wishing she could have saved him.

We see Kara and Lena...both alone and staring at same picture each of them have of them in it in happier times.  Lena takes a swig of her drink, while Kara just looks out the window, very forlorn.  The loss of their friendship finally weighing in on them both.

J'Onn and Malefic are walking and talking about how he's changed, and how he wants to make up for what he's done.  J'Onn tells him of a friend of his back on Mars...a white martian named M'gann, who is leading the resistance there.  J'Onn says that he can fix what's broken there, by not being a pariah, but by being a savior of TWO races.  Malefic accepts, and J'Onn gives him his car/spaceship---telling him not to scratch it.  The brothers embrace, and Malefic departs to save Mars.  Just then, the Monitor shows up, congratulating J'Onn on passing his test, which J'Onn inquires about.  The Monitor says that J'Onn's capacity for compassion was sought as a weakness, but it is his strength, and that he is needed for the Crisis.  

We head into this space where Lex Luthor is sitting, playing a version of chess when the Monitor arrives.  Lex wonders what he wants from him, and the Monitor says that he needs his mind for what's coming up.  Lex is ready to do his part, but first wants to know about his sister.  

We go back to the scene in the tunnels in Central City, where Nash Wells opens the Monitor's door, and gets sucked in.

Team Supergirl is now going into CRISIS.




This episode had A LOT to do in about 40 plus minutes of time...and it felt VERY rushed.  Considering CRISIS is just about to kick off next week, they felt the need to tie up SOME of these plotlines quickly, and I feel they missed out on the execution.  

The Lena/Kara storyline here had to have SOME conclusion to it, by having Lena drop the bomb on Kara last week, they had to have Lena put her plan into action.  The way they went about the execution, and failure of it, seemed like they dropped the ball a little bit.  It felt hurried and a bit unsatisfactory.  Having Hope/Eve take the fall is a very typical Luthor thing.  As much as Lena is TRYING to fight the stigma of the Luthor name, she keeps taking steps that her brother AND mother would take to achieve her altruistic goal.  She fancies herself the hero...in much the same way Lex does---as he again brings up to the Monitor tonight---but is willing to sacrifice people in the process.  In HER case, it's controlling their minds.  While she thinks she'll do away with lying and violence, thus creating some form of Utopia, no one benefits except her.  She won't have to live under that control.  Therefore, HER independent thought and choice remain, thus making her more and more the villain.  She puts that blame on Kara, but it is Lena herself that cannot see that the choices she's making PUT her in that position.  She's doing it to herself.  

Kara, for as much as we love our Girl of Steel, and tries to live up to Clark's vision of everyone's life being sacred, and that giving someone a chance to prove themselves to be the best of themselves...can be utterly naive.  She is far too more trusting than Clark is.  At some point, Kara is going to have to learn that NO Luthor can be trusted.  As much as she hid her identity from Lena, she felt she was doing it out of love, and to protect her from the threats she faces daily as Supergirl.  To Kara, this is her true best friend that isn't her sister Alex.  It's not James.  Lena is that one friend she made on her own.  This is crushing to her.  But as Alex points out this episode---Lena is no saint, and has lied to Kara before.  Kara, at some point, will have to make that tough choice that she doesn't want to make---that Lena is her family name---a Luthor.  And one that will be a threat down the road if Lena continues down this path.  And we KNOW Lena is NOT done by a longshot.  

So, while this story had a very rush, rush finish...for NOW.  We will see whether or not it gets any time in CRISIS...because I'm not sure if Lena will be a part of it or not, and whether or not she will help our intrepid heroes in saving the universe.  

Leviathan.  Still so much we DON'T know about this shadowy little organization, but we DO know that Rama Khan and his blond lady companion (If ANYONE caught her name, PLEASE leave a comment below...because I NEVER heard it), are two aliens who've been here for over 2 million years supposedly "protecting" the planet from humanity.  So, in short, all we know is that Leviathan are eco-terrorists.  Outside of that, nothing.  And using Andrea to use her power to their means, only for her to refuse, shows us that there IS good in her, and not wanting to slaughter millions shows she has a heart...beneath that dark exterior.  But I feel she knows she's on borrowed time.  Her love for Russell was her driving point, but he wasn't so consequential to US as viewers---he was just a pawn to make Leviathan seem more dangerous.  I felt this round of their story was also rushed.  They had been doing this slow build for so long, that I guess with CRISIS on the way, they felt they needed to hurry this story along, which I feel was a mistake.  The build was nice, and I was hoping for a bigger payoff, but what we got fell kinda flat.  Although, we don't know the REAL faces behind Leviathan, we're left with a sense of "Ok....so...?"  It is somewhat of a letdown.

The one GOOD thing about tonight, was the redemption of Malefic.  It was great to show, in contrast to Lena, that someone CAN do good after having done bad things.  Showing that we DO all have good in us, if only you're willing to bring it to the light.  Now, Malefic gets to make amends and restore peace on Mars.  It was cool we got a M'gann name drop this episode...she's been missed dearly.  I wonder if we might see her in CRISIS or not.  Cross your fingers.  We knew Malefic had been placed on Earth 38 by the Monitor, but now we know it was J'Onn's test to prepare him for what's to come....so NOW we FINALLY have an actual CRISIS tie-in on this show...which as avoided it like the plague all season up to this point...which, again, another letdown.  We KNEW CRISIS would play a big hand in Ollie's final quest, and it's also the HUGE focal point in Barry Allen's life, but we have NOT seen the effects of it for Kara Zor-El.  It's J'Onn J'Onzz who gets tapped for that honor.  Not complaining TOO much, mind you---but I feel that, at this moment, the upcoming CRISIS has kept Kara completely OUT of the loop---and she is INTEGRAL to this story.  So, for her to not have anymore interaction with the Monitor leading up to this crossover is a HUGE disappointment.

It's going to be interesting to see how they handle the stories they have coming OUT of CRISIS, and what they can do to salvage the season a bit.  As much as I have liked the Leviathan slow build, they rushed the end of this portion.  Lena's story kind of fell flat for now.  And another thing....with Andrea's actions---what the hell is the future of CatCo?  Does her father lose his money and die because she betrayed Leviathan?  And why No Nia this week?  THAT is a HUGE bummer!  Especially her powers as Dreamer, you'd THINK she'd have sensed the Monitor somehow.  Leaving HER out of the loop was a mistake this week as well.  But I WILL credit Melissa Benoist and Katy McGrath for THEIR performances in their storyline---you can feel the pain and anguish from both women...a credit to their acting.

Oh...and final props to Alex this week....for being the leader that she truly is.  Making the tough calls, and being the voice of reason.  Chyler Leigh continues to dazzle me with her performances week after week.

Very much a rush with this show to get to the crossover, but we're here.  We have reached the midseason finale of the Maid of Might's story for now, with CRISIS taking over for the final episodes before the holiday break.  I'm crossing my fingers that this crossover will be as epic as they have built it up to for the last 5-6 seasons.  

That's it for this week---we're in CRISIS Mode now!  Subscribe, comment, tell a friend--that's the Christmas gift I want most!  

Oh...and just so we don't leave our Girl of Steel out:  #IStandWithMelissa ---We love you, Melissa...you truly embody the essence of the word "hero".  

Until next time:  Worlds will live.  Worlds will die.  And the Universe will NEVER be the same!

Up, Up, and Away!