Hello, friends. What an episode. It’s always nice to be reminded why you started watching a TV show in the first place, isn’t it? Because this episode was everything I knew Supergirl could be, and it didn’t disappoint. It relied on the power of its women to carry the storyline (and each other), and that’s when this show is at its strongest.
I’m sure the fact that Lex was nowhere to be seen didn’t hurt.
This episode opens up right where the last one left off — Lena is zip-tied to her chair (I can forgive you for a lot, Eve, but I may not be able to let this one go), unconscious (really, this is unforgivable), and Alex bursts in with the DEO, alien gun blazing. “Lena!” she cries, voice full of love. Or whatever. Maybe I’m projecting.
Alex’s worker shows her a letter “from Lex Luthor,” because apparently there’s a DEO training manual for recognizing supervillains’ wax seals. Like, the monogram is “LL” — I can literally think of four members just of the Luthor family this could apply to. But she’s right, it’s a letter from Lex, who tells Lena that she may feel betrayed, but she betrayed him first…by testifying against him for killing a buttload of people. You can tell from Alex’s reaction that she’s shaken, not from the fact that Lex is on the loose but because he set up Lena with Eve’s betrayal. And that’s some shit.
Oh, I can’t fight this feeling any longer
And yet I’m still afraid to let it flow
Lena tries to confess all of her Lex-related sins to her gal pal, but Alex isn’t having it. No, Lena needs to take care of herself right now. She’s been through a trauma. Lena tries to apologize for all of her wrongdoing, and Alex tells her in a strong, clear voice that she “has nothing to apologize for.” And she doesn’t.
What started out as friendship has grown stronger
I only wish I had the strength to let it show
Lena relaxes in her hospital room, the only concession to being in any way injured or sick the fact that she’s pulled a blanket over her power suit and let her hair down from its high ponytail. And had Jess order her a small, tasteful bouquet of flowers and a house plant. Or maybe Alex brought them. I guess we’ll never know.
I tell myself that I can’t hold out forever
She listens to newscasters talk about how Lex has escaped and is considered dangerous, and, well, that’s enough convalescing. She’s tired of Lex ruining her life, and she’s going to put a stop to it.
I said there is no reason for my fear
And who does she go to to figure out Lex? The second-smartest Luthor, Lillian. Who I am just in awe of every time I see her. I love me some Brenda Strong. 
‘Cause I feel so secure when we’re together
Lena just wants to know where Lex is, but Lillian isn’t having it. She lays into Lena for being “so emotional” (and, yeah, I guess in this family, Lena and her boxes are pretty emotional, what with her not being a sociopath and all and having actual feelings) and says she’s just upset because Lex outsmarted her. Lillian compares Lena and her feelings to Eve’s “love” for Lex, pathetically following him around.
You give my life direction
Lena tells her appropriately-aged mother that she’ll never side with her and Lex, and Lillian positively sneers that Lena will only ever side with her friends — the Danvers sisters and Jimmy Olsen. (Wait till she meets Nia Nall and Brainy!) She says Lena is scrambling to hide the fact that she was working with Lex and ended up saving him, because when they find out, they’ll drop her like she’s, well, a Luthor, leaving her all alone. Again. 
You make everything so clear
But Lena’s not having any of Lillian’s foolishness this time. Whether it’s because she truly knows that her friends wouldn’t desert her, or because she just wants to fucking get on with it and shoves that fear into its box, she tells Lillian to cut the crap. You want to talk about being deserted? Lex deserted Lillian. But Lillian tells Lena she’s delusional — she may be locked up, but Lena’s the one who will be left behind.
Lena goes back to her office, because of course she does, and finds Alex waiting for her there. She tried to find Lena at the hospital, but Lena had already left. “I got better,” Lena explains with more than a hint of her Irish brogue showing through and also causing me to collapse on the ground. Lilian’s talk fresh in her mind, Lena accuses Alex of thinking she’s one of those evil Luthors, and Alex explains that, no, she needs Lena’s help.
And even as I wander
I’m keeping you in sight
She has been tasked with tracking down Lex, and she wants to attack through his weak link, Eve. And Lena wants in — she may not be military or a cop or have any kind of training in any kind of — you know what? Let’s not overthink this. Lena wants to help, even if it means that the two of them will be teaming up with Supergirl, and Alex says yes.
You’re a candle in the window
On a cold, dark winter’s night
Lena, in her power-suit separates, and Alex, in…full tactical gear, because subtlety is for losers, call Kara on the Super!Watch from the burbs. They explain that they’re trying to get Eve through a beloved aunt Mary (I also have an aunt Mary, but…less beloved, both ways).
And I’m getting closer than I ever thought I might
So they ring her doorbell, and let me tell you, whatever these three are selling, I am fucking buying.
And I can’t fight this feeling anymore
And I don’t think I’m the only one.
I’ve forgotten what I started fighting for
Turns out this isn’t Beloved Aunt!Mary, but rather a cousin Bitsie (thanks for spelling it for us), who absolutely loves Eve and can’t believe she is in league with that terrible Lex Luthor. Except our supertrio isn’t convinced, even when Bitsie offers them cake. Lena susses out that Bitsie is Eve’s cousin who had cancer, and then she gives herself away by taking said cake out of the oven without mitts. Classic new superpower mistake.
And throw away the oars, forever
Bitsie tells them that while everyone may think Eve is Eve…il, she’s not. She’s good. Supergirl listens and wants to help — and to get Eve away from Lex — so she begs Bitsie to help them. And she does, pointing them towards a secret lab, because who doesn’t have a secret lab in National City?
Also, during this whole interrogation? Lena and Alex were looking at each other A Lot. Like, if Kara had had more free time, I think she would have been jealous. And does Alex draw her gun for just anyone to protect them? Okay, yes, she probably does. But whatever. Let me have this.
My favorite trio since the one Dolly Parton was in makes their way to Eve’s secret lab at National City University, where I’m assuming Lena stopped to grab a sweatshirt from the gift shop. The whole room is lined with lead, and Lena channels my mother and makes a crack about Eve’s messiness. But it’s okay, because Kara just strong-arms the safe door…
I’ve forgotten what I started fighting for
But it’s not a new car behind door number one. It’s some of Lena’s manufactured Harun-el. Kara can’t fucking believe it. She thinks it’s from the original stash from Argo, and Lena explains that, no, she manufactured it, because she has 189 degrees and is a fucking genius, REMEMBER?!
And Lena is tired. Tired of people manipulating her. Tired of people underestimating her. Tired of her best friend not telling her she’s a Kryptonian superhero, probably. So she unloads with both suited-separates barrels. For Supergirl to claim distrust of Lena’s motivations is a slap in the face. How many times does she have to prove herself? And by saying that the tech is dangerous because someone evil could get their hands on it, well, that discounts all of the good that Lena’s science — like cure Bitsie, rescue Sam, and save James.
And if I have to crawl upon the floor
Come crashing through your door
Oh, and Alex sticks up for her bestie, Lena, too. Because Alex! Danvers! Loves! Lena! Luthor! In a friend way.
Lena happens upon blueprints to her mother’s prison while Alex is trying to hack into Eve’s account, and Lena solves that problem, too, with a quick (but disgusting) “ILoveLex,” and the code is cracked. And her account is a treasure trove of info — they see that Eve tried to extract the Harun-el from someone post-treatment and that they brought Otis back to life with their Metallo technology…along with five other people before him. “What happened to the others?” they ask, and then, of course, they’re attacked by one of those failures (who reminded me quite a bit of post-death Forrest from Buffy), and introducing me to one of my new favorite OTPs, the Super!Trio + upended tables.
I’ve been running around in circles in my mind
Kara gets hit with a burst of Kryptonite and Alex is disarmed, so of course both of them want to stay and fight. Lena says she can make a grenade with the help of Alex’s gun, and so Kara distracts Metallo Number Five as Lena sciences the fuck out of Eve’s lab.
And it always seems that I’m following you, girl
With the help of some cape tricks (gross), Supergirl distracts the villain enough so that Lena can MacGyver a grenade for Alex to shoot out of the air. Much to all of their surprise, it works.
‘Cause you take me to the places
That alone I’d never find
The ladies bring a Kryptonite heart to Brainy, and they all realize that Lex could be connected to Ben Lockwood (spoiler alert — he is). Lena agrees to visit Lillian to pump her for info about Otis Graves, but not before Brainy tells them that Eve shot James.
And even as I wander
I’m keeping you in sight
At Lillian’s prison (which is decidedly less posh than Lex’s), Lena, who is sporting a PIN! STRIPED! VEST!, shows her mother the blueprints and points out that the “Lillian” in red ink means he wanted her dead. Honestly, whatever. That seems flimsy, but did I mention the pinstriped vest?
You’re a candle in the window
On a cold, dark winter’s night
Lena turns the tables on her mother, offering her non-sociopathic protection. And it works. Looks like Lena has taken the queen.
Kara and Lena summon Supergirl to Lena’s apartment. Kasnian Kara has attacked a group of innocent people at the White House, and Supergirl worries that they’ve called her there to arrest her. But not so much. Remember those bygones? Alex and Lena do…or don’t. Whatever. They’ve left their baggage in the past, and they know Supergirl couldn’t have done this. They promise they’ll be by her side as they figure out what really happened. Three women who all at one time have felt like they were alone, lost, left behind, abandoned — they are standing by each other, fighting together. “El mayarah” means “stronger together,” after all.
And I can’t fight this feeling anymore
I’ve forgotten what I started fighting for
I wonder if Alex just got to Lena’s, or did…she stay the night?
It’s time to bring this ship into the shore
And throw away the oars, forever
Monica’s Random Thoughts of Randomness:
- Crazy! Lex! Girlfriend!
- I do not believe that Lena Luthor knows what Frankenberry is.
- I’ll always be grateful to Lex for getting Lena access to the DEO.
This is probably one of my favorite episodes of the entire series. The writing, the characterization, the humor, the feelings, the plot — just everything. I truly loved it. Oh, and also the wardrobe was pretty great. But most of all, I loved the interplay between this episodes three main characters, probably because I love them the most out of anyone (plus Nia Nall, of course).
I honestly don’t even know which of the Danvers sisters I ship Lena with at this point. Both, maybe? I do know one thing. I love this friendship between Supergirl, Lena, and Alex, and it’s what makes this show so damn powerful. When it respects its chemistry, follows its heart, and leans on its best players, much like the superhero herself, Supergirl is unstoppable.
And if I have to crawl upon the floor
lesbiyinzer 