LenaCap

Lena Luthor Designs Both Planes and Shoes

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Hello, friends! Have you missed my LenaCaps? What a ridiculous question. Of course you have. I know that they’ve missed you. The last few weeks have been jam-packed with Lena-rific goodness, and I thought about going back a few episodes and writing about those, but I just had to jump right into this episode. You could say that it was…a shoo(e)-in.

I’ll see myself out.

We open on a couple of besties about to hop on a plane to THE vacation destination of 2019, Kasnia. It has everything — purple lightning, self-destructing bunkers, paper. Kara tries to get Lena to stay home so she can fly alone…faster…if she flies commercial, but Lena designed this plane herself, Kara. It’s safe as can be, and also is filled with Kara’s favorite snack.

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Lena Luthor Believes in You

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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.

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Lena Luthor Is Smarter Than You’ll Ever Be

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Hello, friends and fellow Lenasexuals. It’s been a while. But I’m here now, and isn’t that all that matters?

I have a lot of thoughts on Lena from this season, from her suits to her boxes, but I’m just going to do a quick Lenacap of last week’s episode, 4×15, “O Brother Where Art Thou,” AKA the episode in which we met Lena’s dad father elder uncle grandpa extremely older brother, Lex. Man, it’s like Supergirl said, “Wow, we haven’t had a condescending white guy be a prick in a while, so what could we do?” Well done on that account, I guess, but to no one’s surprise, a lady is the one who bears the brunt of his assholery.

You can probably see where this is going, but let’s go there anyway, shall we?

We open on the four-years-ago Luthor siblings as Lex gloats about — you know what? Who cares. Lex is being a dick by somehow introducing the world to a red sun and killing random people, and Lena just wants him to fucking chill out, because Lena Luthor Is A Good Person. Step aside, straight white guy. No one cares. Especially Lena. At least she looks good.

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You can tell it’s a flashback because her eye makeup isn’t as sharp.

Just have you and Superman pull them out and measure, Lex. Isn’t that what this is really about?

So now Lex is being eaten alive by kryptonite cancer or something and was granted a mercy furlough to see his sister. That…seems unlikely, but whatever. What we do find out is that Lena has been talking to him for at least six weeks, and Lex apparently pulled some strings to get her in with the DEO. Whatever, dude. She could have done it herself. Anyway, he wants her Harun-El, but Lena isn’t ready to save him yet. Plus, it isn’t ready and could maybe kill him. I mean, we all have to take risks. That’s just one of them.

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Me when I’m expected to believe Jon Cryer

is an appropriate age to play Lex Luthor in this universe.

We get a condescending interaction with Lex and Eve, designed just to throw us off the fact that she’s been in his skull cap for years, and Eve tells Lena James has been shot. So of course Lena rushes to the hospital and gratefully embraces…Kara, who she was so worried about.

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Um, why are we all here again? Oh, right. James.

Lena starts to spiral as she starts a “don’t they know who I am” huff, and Brainy reminds her of her boxes. Er, so to speak.

Alex finds Lena waiting outside of James’ hospital room and encourages her to summon a scientific breakthrough through “sheer force of will,” which of course she does. But let’s focus on the important things about this scene.

 

Gay.

Alex believes in Lena. Period. Full stop. The woman who used to spend holidays alone, working, has the director of the DEO telling her that she is extraordinary.

Alex encourages Lena to try and find “another resource,” and for some reason, we’re supposed to believe that Lex is the key to her figuring out the Harun-El. Okay, sure. Whatever. I’ll give you a pass on this one because Lena is about to put on The Suit and I just want to get there. Lena tells Lex she doesn’t trust him, but she needs him, and I managed not to throw up in my mouth, so let’s cut our losses and move on, shall we?

Ever since they were kids, Lex has told Lena she was an idiot, and that has driven her to be a better person, so that’s what he’s doing here. Oh, Lena. Lena, Lena, Lena. You are so much better than this. You’ve never stood behind a man, so why are you letting one pull your strings and lead you where he wants you to go? The show is really showing us one of Lena’s few weaknesses as a human. She knows she’s the smartest person in the room, and she’s right every single time. But she has a blind spot when it comes to her biological family in that she’s always seeking their approval while simultaneously feeling like she never deserves it, all the while feeling like she can never be truly good because she’s a Luthor.

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Seriously, did prison age you like 40 years?

And Lex is smart enough to capitalize on it, then takes credit for all of her successes, like most mediocre men. I’m getting angry. Let’s see her again, shall we?

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Oh, and then he compliments her and says he’s proud of her, which is just another attempt to manipulate her, really. Kara’s Kryptonite may be, well, Kryptonite, but Lena’s is her never-ending search for familial approval…and the lack of realization that she doesn’t need it.

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Big Harun-El Energy.

Oh, and then we have another misleading scene where Eve tries to “convince” Lena that it’s a bad idea to work with Lex. Eve, you are communism, and this is a red herring.

Lena, with Lex’s help, figures out the Harun-El, and I have no problem believing that Lena can bioengineer a cure for everything out of mysterious alien black rock. What I have an issue with is that she needed Lex to do it.

Lena’s sad because James is in surgery and she can’t help him, and then Lex tells her some story about a douchily named dog named Ignatious how he met her mother once and she was nice, and while all of the Luthors are a trash fire, Lena comes from a good person. And because apparently Lena has turned into a human who can’t do anything without her brother’s influence, she races off to the hospital to be with her ex, an ex who she says she broke up with because she didn’t want him to find out she’d been working with Lex, but in my mind, she just realized she could do better. Potato, pot-tah-to.

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If I go to the hospital, does that mean I have to see James again,

or can I just hang out with the Danvers sisters?

Sweet lesbian Jesus, look at that eye makeup.

At Lex’s prompting (barf), Lena busts into James’ operating room, ignoring all scientific and medical protocols, tells everyone to leave or they’re fired, and injects James with the Harun-El as Alex and Kelly (Ally? Kelex? AgentOlson?) look on. I mean, I guess she’s saving him anyway with her magic serum, but could she have stopped for 30 seconds and washed her hands and put on a mask?

Anyway, whatever. She saves him. I just hope that one of the side effects of Harun-El is that you don’t attempt to date people who are better than you.

And then we find out that Lex has been playing his sister like a fiddle all along. He had James shot so she would finish the serum AND test it out on him, all so Lex could have it injected into himself and he could escape his creepy mansion compound. Oh, and Secret Double Agent Eve Tessmacher has been working with him all along, which I guess includes when she worked for Cat Grant at Catco? Uh, okay. I guess that’s one way to play the long game. Maybe Lex is the one who told Lena to buy Catco in the first place? Except LENA LUTHOR HAS NEVER STOOD BEHIND A MAN.

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Me at their attempts to make Lena appear weak.

So Lex Luthor, who hates at least Kryptonians, if not all aliens, with every fiber of his being, is relying on alien tech to keep him alive? Alien tech that’s been morphed into a serum that only his sister could figure out? You’re not the man of tomorrow, Lex. You’re the boy of yesterday. Sit down.

So this show has taken the “healthiest” familial relationship that Lena has, which is with her sociopathic brother who has tried to kill her multiple times, and made it so he not only double-crossed her but he took one of her friends/most trusted coworkers with him. And this is after introducing us to this human piece of garbage and then gifting him a lighthearted romp at the end of the episode where he gleefully uses his supervillain toys to kill a bunch of people…all while Lena lay unconscious, chained to a wheelchair, with Eve standing guard. Careful, Supergirl. You’re walking a fine line (again) in a show that’s supposed to support women, not beat them down and use their misfortune to further the storyline of a guy.

Random Thoughts of Randomness:

  • Whose strings is Lex pulling? The president’s?
  • I am amused that Lena doesn’t go for “he’s my ex” and instead chooses “I own this hospital” as the reason she should be able to see James. But I guess that tracks. Also, is there a business in town Lena Luthor doesn’t fucking own? I suspect she came up with the recipe for the sticky buns at Noonan’s and probably also owns the gym she and Kara were spinning in. And I’ve also heard she owns the National City Lakehawks.
  • Lena totally knows Kara is Supergirl, what with her “Supergirl is the one who saved you; you should be thanking her.” I see you, Lena. I see you.
  • The Eve reveal was equal parts completely expected and so fucking shocking that I clutched my gay pearls. It had been in my mind all along that she could be evil, but honestly, Andrea Brooks’ portrayal was so honest and sincere and lovely, I just decided I was being paranoid. How could Eve be anything but good, like Lena?

The Danvers Sisters, Kelly Olson, and Nia Nall Corner:

  • What if Alex “finds out” that Kara is Supergirl because Kelly tells her? You know, because James is Kara’s “best friend.”
  • Also, James is not Kara’s best friend. It’s Lena. Get it together, Alex.
  • Kara not being at the hospital probably just feels like the last thing in a long line of her not being there for her sister. Because Alex doesn’t remember Kara rushing out on mashing the potatoes in her Supergirl uniform; she just knows she wasn’t there. This storyline has been really interesting and heartbreaking and shows us all just how important these sisters are to the fabric of this show, and I’m ready to Tara Maclay it all and skip to the end now and have them be happy.
  • I’m so happy to meet an Olson that I don’t automatically hate.
  • Is it weird that I expected Kelly to call James “Jimmy”?
  • The second best thing about this episode was the Nikazie Instagram live after it ended.

And, because I love you all, have some Bonus Suit.

Lena Luthor Is the Hero You’ve Been Holding Out For

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Hello, friends, and welcome to this week’s LenaCap! We had such amazing, wonderful, perfect Lena content this week, and I was happy to see that the episode overall wasn’t a giant disappointment! I don’t think Supergirl is where it could be, in terms of strong female characters, maybe just because of the bad taste seasons 2 and 3 left in my mouth. But I believe with my whole Lena-loving heart that it could very well be on its way. And that makes me happy.

We open on Businesswoman!Lena, who is one of my favorite Lenas (spoiler alert — they’re all my favorite), multitasking AF, of course, when Kara brings Big Belly Burger to her BFF.

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Lena’s been working nonstop and skipping meals to work on the image inducer, because sales have skyrocketed ever since the world found out President Wonder Woman was President Wonder Alien. But our biggest takeaway here from the beginning part of this scene is, while Lena may look great in just regular heels, she looks motherfucking amazing in a knee-high boot. “Cathy,” you say, “you aren’t a fashion blogger.” But you see, Lena Luthor makes anything possible.

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Kara tries to engage Lena about the revelation about the president, but Lena’s not having it. She just says she never has had any faith in politicians (I feel you, Lena), and Kara is surprised that she’s so cynical. Um, Kara, you’re her best friend. If I’m not surprised that’s how she feels, why are you?

Lena, always the level-headed thinker with an eye on the bottom line, is happy the president stepped down, because it would have caused chaos. Kara’s worried about the fall of democracy, though, and not the loss of some zeroes in her bank account. She’s sad that everyone is fighting, and Lena gets it, even if she doesn’t feel it.

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(That eye makeup, though. Like her jawline, it could cut glass.)

And now to the second part of the reason Kara is here — she needs info on Mercy Graves, and what Lena shares with us is…not what I was expecting. When she said “Mercy’s complicated,” I was hoping for a bit more of a “naked friends with benefits” reveal, but it’s even sadder than that. With how critical Lillian always was of her, when Lex brought Mercy into their lives, it was like she had someone else on her side; someone to help her navigate life and tell her how to act, how to be. How to live. How to wear a pair of knee-high boots. Someone who was proud of her but also willing to help steer her where she wanted to go. And someone who taught her how to win. And maybe someone who taught her that “loving the taste of scotch” is a valid reason to have a noontime drink.

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Mercy left Lex because he became obsessed with Superman, and she felt that humans should be able to develop powers and abilities, like aliens, and not just develop their intelligence…something that Lena agrees with, much to her alien bestie’s chagrin. But how could anyone be surprised by this? Lena Luthor has always strove to be the best. Just because she wants humans to be as powerful as aliens doesn’t mean she wants to be more powerful. She just wants to be the best. And, you know, she is.

Our gal pals are interrupted by Eve, who tells Lena that her head of programming for the image inducer is dead, his laptop is missing, and they’re being hacked. So Cyber!Lena steps in and blocks the intruder, but not before the image inducers stop working for long enough for aliens to be exposed, albeit briefly. Including Brainy, who almost gets the snot kicked out of him by a bunch of mouth-breathing (presumably straight) white dudes. Too real.

But through it all, Cyber!Lena.

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Lena vows Mercy Graves will never get in L Corp…and then of course the building is put on lockdown because Mercy Graves is there.

And now we see Protective!Lena, who’s determined to make sure her friends don’t get hurt in the attack. And in the next couple of scenes, we see some of the most enjoyable background comedic acting from Melissa Benoist that I’ve ever seen. It legit made me chuckle…and also had me include multiple Kara gifs in a LenaCap. So that’s how you know I mean it.

Lena gives her…something (science!) to help protect against a sonic attack or whatever, so Kara just shoves them in her (apparently 14-inch deep) pocket when Lee isn’t looking.

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Kara tries to leave, or even find a closet to hide in to “lay low,” but Lena refuses, and Kara’s face is perfect.

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After Mercy appears onscreen to taunt Lena a little bit, Kara once again tries to get them to split up, but Lena’s not having it. Safety in numbers!

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And who could forget when Alex called Supergirl on her comm called her sister on the phone?

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Lena sends Eve off to do some magic, but insists that Kara stay with her. You know, for safety.

And all of this, I think, is a calculated move on Lena’s part to finally get Kara to admit she’s Supergirl. She pushes and pushes and pushes, because she knows there’s no real danger when the Girl of Steel is around. So why not press her advantage to nudge Kara out of her Kryptonite closet? She’d never force her to admit something before she’s ready, of course, but there’s no harm in trying to up the timeline, you know?

Lena and Kara track Mercy to the hidden Luthor dungeon where Lena keeps her “experimental prototypes,” and I’m sure Kara would love to nose around there a bit, but now is not the time, Kara! They find Lillian’s Lexosuit, minus one big-gunned arm. Mercy stalks out, trying to be the girl with the big-ass gun, and Lena keeps Kara behind her, trying to Protect. Mercy accuses Lena of only caring about being superior, but Lena disagrees — it’s about doing good in the world. Because Lena Luthor IS A GOOD PERSON…as you’ll see by this amazing-but-completely-unnecessary protection, special-friend style.

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Mercy somehow simultaneously taunts AND compliments Lena at the same time? You know, the way that only a former gal pal quasi-sister can do. Lex used to mock her because he was afraid she would surpass his skills, Mercy reminds Lena. They’re alike, you see — they’re both the best…which Lena disagrees with, because while Lena is top-shelf, Mercy is like middle shelf on a good day.

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Mercy accuses Lena of being motivated by only money, but we all know that isn’t true. And when Kara points out that Lena isn’t a murderer and Mercy says that’s because she hasn’t had the opportunity — well, we know that isn’t true, either.

And then LENA AND MERCY HAVE A LASER-ARM BATTLE. Here’s where Lena finally realizes she’s in trouble and sends Kara out into the hallway “for safety.” Lena’s handling it, sure, but better safe than sorry, I guess, because very shortly after, Supergirl shows up to help save the day.

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I could watch these scene on repeat for a very long time. Not even ashamed.

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Mercy tells Lena she doesn’t deserve the Luthor name, and Supergirl chooses that moment to bust in and correct our supervillain gal pal. It’s the Luthor name who doesn’t deserve Lena. They joke about how Lena could ask how Supergirl got past the lockdown but she won’t because she’s grateful for the assist. It seems like maybe Supergirl and Lena are starting to build up a friendship again, at the same time Kara seems to be losing faith in her bestie because of her stance on aliens.

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Mercy had to be where so much of her confidence came from, because Lena Luthor is nothing if not confident…at least outwardly. God knows it couldn’t have come from Lillian, who never treated Lena as though she were good enough. And then to have to fight one of the people who helped make you, especially one with ties to the brother she loved? Heartbreaking.

The writers this season I think are setting us up for a Lena with more shades of grey than we’re used to seeing, and many of those shades are going to be darker than I want them to be. But — BUT — the difference is, it really feels like the groundwork is being laid for them to make sense, storytelling-wise. We know Lena’s complicated relationship with Lillian and how that completely would fuck you up. Now we get the added info that another maternal (sisternal?) figure, Mercy, who helped shape the person Lena is today, wants Lena to choose a side. I think she’ll always choose science and knowledge with an eye on the greater good, but I imagine this choice won’t look as “good” to everyone in the room.

Oh, but also, maybe I just have my gay goggles on here, but…what’s behind this “almost” in “she was almost like a big sister,” hmm?

The difference between Lena and Mercy? Well, there are a lot of them, and a lot of similarities, too. But the main difference? They may both think that humans should strive for superpowers and strength to rival aliens, but Lena would never strike down aliens to accomplish that. She’ll work to make sure they can hide themselves, if that’s what they want. She’d never out an alien who wasn’t willing to come clean yet. Just maybe a nudge.

I do want to take a moment to say that Nia Nall gave me chills in this episode in the best way possible. She’s rapidly become a reason to watch for me, along with Alex and Lena. I feel like we’re seeing her come into her own and realize that it’s worth it to stand up for what she believes in, and it’s a journey I’m here for. I have a lot of feelings on her character and her journey, but as a cisgender woman, my voice isn’t an important one here. I look forward to reading and hearing the transgender community’s thoughts on this character and her importance, and I hope that Supergirl gives her the storyline she deserves.

The Alex Danvers/Nia Nall/Eve Tessmacher corner of randomness:
  • Brainy ordered and paid for 12 pizzas but only walked out with six. Those men were truly monsters.
  • I like that Eve had her moment of heroism. You know, with the hairpin.
  • Alex, your haircut and general badassery and compassion for Brainy? I love it all. You’re perfect.

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  • Oh, but Alex? I question your choice to put a clearly anti-alien dude in charge of the Graves siblings.
  • I wish I had Kara/Supergirl’s optimism about the state of our country.
  • Alex and Mercy’s scenes together shouldn’t have more chemistry than James and Lena’s.

As always, thanks for joining my flailing, my friends. I’ll see you next time. I Lena you all.

Lena Luthor is Holding Out for a Hero

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Hello, friends.

I…did not like this week’s Supergirl. The whole thing oozed poor storytelling, bad leaps, and lazy writing, and it filled me with disbelief, annoyance, and anger.

One time, huddled on her work couch, Lena told Kara that while Supergirl may have saved her, Kara Danvers was her hero, and I have to say, Lena, that you deserve better heroes. Because that bitch just up and left you, her family, and the world with am “oh, I never felt like I fit in, so byeee. Oh, and I’m taking Imra’s husband with me.”  Continue reading →

Lena Luthor Would Never Write This Storyline

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Because Lena Luthor is a smart, intelligent, thoughtful woman who probably wouldn’t underestimate the audience of a show about a female superhero.

And I’m not mad, Supergirl. I’m just disappointed, because I know you can do better. And this isn’t some delusional “Kara Danvers was her best in season one” rant. It’s “hey, remember two episodes ago when my girls traipsed around in the Reignforest and saved the day? Me too.” Let’s do that again.  Continue reading →