Top 5 Moments on “Supergirl” Episode 1×16 “Falling”
This week’s Supergirl had to be one of my favorite episodes of the season so far. It asked the question that I’m sure every fan of a superhero has and that is, “What would happen if a hero went bad?” When becoming exposed to Red Kryptonite in an experiment gone wrong by none other than Maxwell Lord, Supergirl/Kara let out her inner bad girl and the results were not exactly pleasant.
WARNING: Spoilers from this week’s episode of Supergirl will be shared in this article. Do not read further if you have not watched.
It’s Good To Be Bad: Melissa Benoist got to stretch her acting muscles by pulling off an amazing performance as Bad Girl Kara/Supergirl. First, she lets one of the prisoners of Fort Rozz get away and then tells Hank and Alex that she feels underappreciated for all the work she does. This goes hand-in-hand with her job at Cat Co. and soon Kara becomes this slick, sexy, “don’t mess with me” woman both as Kara Danvers and as Supergirl. She got Siobhan fired, made an insult to James and his (recently ended) relationship with Lucy, and flung Cat off a building. To say that Kara has been holding back on her feelings is an understatement.
Truth Hurts: One of the most powerful scenes in this episode was between Kara and Alex. The conversation no one wanted to hear (because it would be heartbreaking), but we all knew was coming happened. Kara tells Alex that because of her powers Alex has always felt the need to control her and that jealousy has been a factor in their relationship this whole time. Kara believes that Alex’s jealousy is the reason she killed Astra. Alex later admitted that there was some truth in what Kara had said.
The Fallout: The results of Kara/Supergirl’s actions were of course, not received well. When Kara came back to her normal self, she had an emotional (well earned) breakdown. She admits that she knew what she was saying while influenced by the kryptonite, but she felt unable to stop its effects. She also admits there truths to every horrible thing she said, so it’s no shock that the relationships around her will be altered in a personal way. Cat denounced Supergirl as a villain and James is too hurt to speak to Kara, effectively putting any romantic feelings they may have for each other on hold while James processes Kara’s revelation. Probably the most significant result of Kara’s influence was Hank revealing to the world that he was in fact an alien and putting himself at risk with the D.E.O. and anyone else who may be a threat.
Martian Exposed: Hank’s reveal as J’onn J’onzz was shocking but completely necessary. He promised Alex and Kara’s father that he wouldn’t let anything happen to them. By saving Alex from Kara and distracting her so Alex could make her move, he proved his loyalty to the Danvers. He proved that his biggest fear is losing these girls that he considers family. If he can’t protect them he can’t keep his promise. What J’onn did was sacrifice his own safety to remain close to Alex and Kara. Hopefully, his sacrifice won’t be in vain.
Supergirl’s Redemption: Kara now must “face the music” and gain the trust of not only her loved ones, but the people of National City. She has become a fallen hero. However, the great thing about fallen heroes is that they have the potential to rise again and be better than they were before. Cat and Supergirl have a conversation where Cat tells her that even though gaining back the love and trust of the people won’t be easy it will not be impossible. Cat and Supergirl (Kara) have always had an interesting relationship where Cat is the cheerleader for both Supergirl and Kara. Cat inspires Kara. Hopefully Kara will start to forgive herself and rebuild what she has broken. Even though this may have been her most personal fight yet, it doesn’t mean she needs to face it alone and I think Kara is finally starting to realize that.
Supergirl airs Monday nights at 8/7c on CBS.