REVIEW: SUPERGIRL - SEASON 5, EP. 10: "The Bottle Episode"
Things are most certainly different Post-CRISIS. We just experienced that on Batwoman, and now we dive into the Girl of Steel's side of things, to see what's going on in National City since the creation of Earth Prime. We DO know that Lex is now running Luthorcorp once again, and just won the Nobel Peace Prize. But, let's face it, when is a villain NOT a villain? He's also now in control of the DEO. Kara is now trying to fit back into her life since the Crisis---knowing everything that happened. She has serious adjustments to make, and how will she make them. It's a strange new world, so let's see how the Maid of Might fares out...
We open up with a voiceover of Lex, talking about the threats to the world, and how the DEO battles it. We see Supergirl standing with Lex in a commercial spot, promoting the organization. Then we see Kara and Alex strolling through National City, and Kara is openly disgusted with the ad, as is Alex, since J'Onn restored her memories of everything Pre-Crisis. Most all of the heroes have had their memories restored, and know Lex is not playing on the level. The conversation then turns to Lena, whom Kara still needs to tell the truth about her double life to. Alex feels that in this Earth-Prime, her and Supergirl are friends, so she thinks Kara shouldn't rock the boat.
Speaking of Lena, we see her wake up in her office at Luthorcorp. She remembers everything that had happened in the Crisis, and Lex says that they have a fresh start to work together. Since Lex is now the "good guy", no one cant touch them, and they can work together. She is still working off the shock that he is alive, and he says that he could have killed her, but didn't. Lena isn't buying into it, though. He then mentions Miryad and her failure of a plan. He says no matter what she does, she'll meet resistance from Kara. She isn't your friend. Lena responds to his failures, and that Leviathan had him on a string. Lex then says he has no idea who or what Leviathan is.
We head back into town, where Nia and Brainy are out for a couple's stroll, and they are chatting when Brainy goes to get yogurt for Nia. He hears the vendor call out his name, But the man in front of him takes it, and Brainy goes to stop him, and as he turns theman around...it's a nother version of him! Brainy then wrestles with this doppleganger, until Nia stops them.
Supergirl takes a trip to Luthorcorp to try to appeal to Lena, but Lena is quick to inform her that she remembers everything that happened pre-Crisis, and she STILL hasn't forgiven Kara for betraying her. Kara says that she knows Lena is a good person, and trying to do right by the world, and if they worked together, they could do some real good. Lena snidely responds that Lex sold her the same bill of goods. Kara warns Lena to be careful when it comes to Lex, and she flies off.
Both Brainys arrive at the DEO, and Alex is trying to figure out what's going on. Then, out of nowhere, MORE Brainiacs show up, including a female. It appears that they came from a wormhole in space. One of them, strangely enough, starts looking like he's fading out, in pain, and telling them to NOT open the bottle. Once things get settled, they're all in the lab, and one of them has fallen dead to something called the Anti-Life Equation, for which one of the Brainys explain is a techno-organic virus. As they continue to figure out HOW they arrived on Earth-Prime, Lex calls Alex and Supergirl into his office. He says that he wants a "peaceful" co-existence. He sells them on the idea that they all can have what they want. But Supergirl is wise to Lex, as is Alex. Lex, however, says that they can essentially work with him and co-exist in a peaceful manner, or things are gonna get ugly. He asks about the whereabouts of the Anti-Monitor, to which Alex says that there has been no trace of him. They also have no idea of the whereabouts of Leviathan, either--as he asked.
Andrea Rojas is at CatCo, talking to her Obsidian employees about the new VR Lenses, and how they can better increase sales, when the woman from Leviathan shows up. Andrea introduces her as Jemma Cooper, her mentor. After the employees, including Kelly, are dismissed, Andrea and Jemma have a talk about how they can increase the lenses by offering complete virtual reality. Being able to travel the world, and do things without leaving your home. Andrea is excited about the idea.
Back at the DEO, another Brainy has become afflicted with the Anti-Life Equation, and the one Brainy manages to ease his pain. Brainy-Prime, however, can't seem to do much about it, because he's limited by what he can do. One of the other Brainys manages to figure out where they came out of the wormhole to. A bar named Al's. Supergirl, Brainy-Prime, and another Brainy head over there to get some answers. They know the multiverse is gone, but someone is apparently out there trying to kill them. Once there, Supergirl bumps into the 3 witches that had created Reign, but they're from a different Earth. They ask to read the palms of Brainy and of Supergirl, but she's defensive about it. The witches go on elsewhere in the bar, and Supergirl and the Brainys split up to find the clues as to how they got there.
Lena visits her mom at the Luthor Foundation. She drops the deal about what Lex said, and actually wants to enlist her mother for help. Her mother says she's got a good thing here, why change it up. She goes on to tell Lena that with Supergirl, she allows herself to get emotional, and she gets hurt. She says with Lex, however, you know you can't trust him, but she doesn't have to have an emotional attatchment to it.
While all of this is going down, Alex has taken the time to have a sit down with J'Onn about her status with the DEO. She knows that Lex is pulling something, and she feels it's a huge conflict of interest. She doesn't know what to do. J'Onn simply tells her that while things change, she can still folllow her heart and do what SHE feels is right.
At the DEO, Lex's leaves his office for something, and the Female Brainy sneaks in, and starts looking over his laptop. She discovers he's looking into Leviathan. She then locates Brainy-Prime, and asks him about why he wears the inhibtors. He talks of when he was younger, and he loved the snow, so his mother shrunk a whole world of snow for him. His father was terrified at what she had done, so, he took the world away from Brainy, and he was upset. Fearing the worst, his father put inhibitors on him to prevent him from committing an evil act. She responds that it disconnects him from the Big Brain, and that it's limiting his potential. He says he wears it to protect the ones he loves. She says that she had someone she loved once, but she died. However, she's a part of the Big Brain, and this Brainy feels like she's never gone from her.
Nia discovers the emotional Brainy in the lab looking for something, when he finds a world in a bottle. She then realizes that everything was a ruse, and that this was HIS ultimate goal. He said he bottled his world before the antimatter wave hit it, and it wound up here. He wants the key to open it, but Nia isn't about to let him get away. They end up fighting, and Dreamer goes down. She manages to contact Supergirl and Brainy-Prime, and they head back to the DEO just in time to rescue her, but the Evil Brainy escapes through a portal. They know he was looking for the key to open it, but Supergirl had destroyed it some time ago.
Nia is getting looked over, when the Female Brainy says that Evil Brainy piggybacked off Brainy-Prime in order to hide his true inentions from everyone. He wanted to get the key to open it, but without it, he's looking for alternate means. They all realize that he's going to use the witches to open up the bottle, and they race back to Al's Bar.
Jemma continues to discuss her plans with Andrea about creating a complete VR world for everyone, where literally, they live in the VR environment. Bringing the homes into Obsidianm, as to the other way around, according to Jemma. She says it will increase the stock of the company, to which Andrea is quite pleased at the notion. They feel they can change the world.
Supergirl has a 1 on 1 with Brainy, and he recounts his life to her in regards to his mother shrinking a world for him, and his father terrified that he might turn out like her. Supergirl says that even if the took the inhibitors off, they would still love him, and fight for him regardless. He's about to go to Al's Bar alone, but Supergirl insists on coming with him.
At the bar, the witches are working their magic to try and open the seal on the bottle, thus releasing the world inside. Supergirl, Brainy Prime, and Dreamer arrive so spoil the party. As the ladies battle the witches, Brainy Prime goes after Evil Brainy. Evil Brainy feels that his world should survive but if he opens the bottle, his world and Earth would be destroyed. He wants to know why this world lives, and his world dies. Brainy Prime gets knocked away into a wall, and one of his inhibitors breaks. Dreamer goes to see him, and lets him know that it's okay. Just be himself. He removes the inhibitors, while Supergirl is busy trying to crack the magical shield they put up, while they continue to try and open the bottle. Brainy is now back to his green self, and he breaks through the magic wall, and takes them down. He looks upon his doppleganger, and says that he doesn't have to lose his world. They will find someplace where it can be relocated, then expanded. The witches, realzing that a possibility exists for then to get back to THEIR home world, agree to go with this not so evil Brainy into the bottle where his world is, until they can bring it back to the world.
The remaining two Brainys converse with Brainy Prime. They said that their devices on them keep them in contact with the Big Brain, as he too will now be able to live up to his potential. The female Brainy says that they will be in the devices, and always be with him. But the only reason she stayed behind was to warn him about Lex finding out about Leviathan. She says that in order for this world to be saved, Brainy MUST work WITH Lex. She also advises him that he has to break it off with Nia. She then wishes him well, and dissolves into the devices that now make up Brainy's new outfit.
Lex returns to Luthorcorp in a last ditch effort to get Lena to his side. To show he's being sincere in his plan, he takes the alien that makes you tell the truth, and confesses that he wants Lena to be on his team, and she says only until he has no use for her, and he answers truthfully, "yes". But he says that he doesn't want to be alone, and he wants to share her plans, and his, together. She shakes his hand and agrees.
Brainy shows up at Nia's, and he says he feels whole now, more like himself. But he says things need to change. He informs her that he cannot see her anymore. She wonders just who he is, and he replies that he is himself.
At a press conference announcing Lena's partnership with Lex, Kara sees William, and they have a chat. Turns out, William is NOT on board the Lex Train. He says Lex made an offer to his best friend for his comnpany, and his friend refused. Next thing he found out, was that his friend was killed. Kara wonders if he has proof, and he doesn't. He said that's why he is undercover at CatCo, to get the truth. He says the Luthors MUST be stopped, but Kara tells him that Lena is the good one...and that she has no idea what she's getting into. Over on the other side of the gathering, Lex and his mother are conversing, saying how good it was to get Lena on their side. Lex said it was easy. She remarks that it was so easy to take over the last world, why should they have a problem taking over this one.
At the DEO, Brainiac 5 visits Lex, and lets him know that Supergirl, Alex, and the others will betray him. But he will work WITH him. Lex wants to know all about Leviathan, but it seems the information is with somebody from the future. He holds up a picture, and it's Winn.
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Welcome back yet again to our Post-Crisis installment of Supergirl. I will admit, this episode had some interesting twists in it, and a fascinating plot moving forward. Guggenheim said that there was going to be some serious fallout from Crisis. He wasn't kidding. It was one thing to have the Beth from (supposedly, maybe?), and alternate world, show up at Kate's office in Gotham, but having Brainiac 5 fulfill his full potential, become the more familiar green skinned Brianiac 5 we all know is cool, but I also fear that he can become THE Brainiac...the evil version that has battled Superman many, many times. I wonder if this is where we're going with him. It's certainly something to thing about as the season pushes forward. His teaming up WITH Lex is going to create QUITE a stir with Team Supergirl. I have a feeling that Kara, Alex, and Nia are now on an island against Lex. At some point, I expect Kelly to be involved as well, because she's with Alex.
Speaking of Alex, she only had a non speaking part in this episode, but did anyone notice how they specifically focused on HER, as Andrea was talking to Jemma Cooper? I think Kelly smells something fishy in the water. I look forward to HER putting the clues together. And FINALLY---after all this time, we get Leviathan's lady friend's name: Jemma Cooper. Took them long enough. Her idea for bringing the world into VR plays right into Leviathan's plans on eliminating the human element from the planet---sort of. If humanity is stuck in a perpetual VR reality, they can't harm the planet---I think that's where this plan is going.
Brainy was the focus this episode, as it dives into his past, what and why he got the inhibitors on his head, and his eventual growth as a character---with this shocking new twist. As I said---what if he becomes the true Brainiac that will go on to plague Superman time and again? Him working with Lex feels that way. Especially a good nod to their team up in the comics. Our Kryptonians will have to tread carefully (yes, I'm going to include Superman here, because I have a STRONG feeling he's going to get involved before it's all said and done. Plus...good way to backdoor pilot HIS show, like their doing on Arrow with Green Arrow & The Canaries. But Brainiac 5 looked cool in his new duds and look. I dig it.
One thing that HASN'T changed: Kara's relationship with Lena. Still ice cold, and no chance of reconciliation. But yet---despite Lena pushing her away, and expressing her literal disgust with her, Kara refuses to give up on her. Again, it goes back to what they said about this season: it's a battle for Lena's soul. Lena felt lured into a false sense of trust by Team Supergirl, before that Andrea. She feels she can trust no one other than herself. But she still has family - Lex and their mother. And both of THEM are doing a good job of pulling HER strings. Or is it the other way around? There is ZERO trust among the Luthor clan, and I feel that it will be their eventual undoing. I see a huge chess game being played between them subtlely. I know Lex is always two steps ahead of everyone else, but I won't count out Lena yet. At the end, as Lena accepted her brother's agreement, and had the press conference, it was interesting to see that William wasn't too keen on Lex. That got Kara's attention, and I feel we're going to see them two team up in order to take Lex down. So, don't be surprised to see more Kara Danvers, ace reporter segments on the show with William.
I felt so bad for Nia this episode. My heart breaks for her, and should the time come at the end of the season where she must fight Brainiac 5, she's going to have a difficult road doing it. But I'm hoping she'll bounce back and pull through. She's tougher than she looks.
Who here found it NO surprise when Lex was discussing info about Leviathan, he shows a picture of Finn as the one who has all the answers? I was a tiny bit. But what version of Finn IS this? Is this our same Finn, or is he radically different. Either way, Lex wants to tap his brain of his big time. But happy for ANY time we get with Finn.
Finally...Alex's quiery about her status with the DEO, working for Lex, and so on. Her going to J'Onn is like watching Barry go to Joe with advice. J'Onn has been that father figure to Alex that she has needed since Jeremiah had disappeared. He IS the wizened sage of the team. But I don't know if Alex will continue to work on the inside and help Kara out, or she'll quit altogether. Will be curious to see what her decision is.
It was a good episode to get us jumpstarted into the 2nd half of the season. Business looks to be picking up, and I don't think Earth Prime will be the same. Also...don't be surprised if we get more quasi-crossover goodness with a Justice League appearance. I'm on board for that!
Oh, and your "Easter Egg" this week: This episode name is from a story from the Superman books, where Brainiac has shrunk the Kryptonian city of Kandor, when he was going around collecting things for his knowledge. Whether or not Kandor will ever appear or be mentioned, I am not sure.
Okay, gang, that's all for this week. Just remember to subscribe, pass the word along, leave a comment or two, and don't forget to check back next week for my thoughts on the upcoming episode.
Until next week...Up, up, and away!
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