TV Review: SUPERGIRL: Season 2, Episode 8: Medusa [The CW]

Supergirl: Medusa Review

The CW’s Supergirl Season 2, Episode 8: ‘Medusa’ had so much going as this week’s installment wasn’t just the mid-season finale, but also the first part of the epic crossover between The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow. The episode didn’t spend too much time on Kara’s (Melissa Benoist) team-up with the superheroes, but it did close out the arc with Cadmus in the first half of the second season.

Before we get into what happened during the main storyline with ‘Medusa’, let’s address the issue with the ‘Invasion’ crossover. The network has heavily advertised that this event would be in just three nights with some involvement from Supergirl. This is what the episode pretty much set up and it was done so seamlessly. It was great that the episode didn’t jump into the conflict with the alien invasion on The Flash immediately and instead just had that happen towards the end of the episode. It’s understandable that some viewers may have felt betrayed by some of the marketing done by The CW, particularly since this is Supergirl’s first season on the network. At least they don’t have to wait too long for much of the action to start.

The rest of the hour pretty much tied some loose ends on the season’s big plotlines. Kara faced the possibility of having feelings for Mon-El (Chris Wood) after it was teased in the past few episodes. Cadmus pulled off their biggest plan to wipe the alien population in National City with a Kryptonian virus. Both Kara and Lena Luthor (Katie McGrath) discovered some disturbing information about their parents’ legacies. Even J’onn (David Harewood) faced a terrifying transformation as he was quickly changing into a White Martian. There was so much going on this week. Not to mention some of the little subplots like Alex (Chyler Leigh) and Maggie’s (Floriana Lima) relationship. It was also good seeing Helen Slater again reprising her role as Eliza Danvers, even if it’s just for a special family occasion.

One of the highlights of the episode was the interaction Kara and Mon-El. Kara’s lov life has been the big struggle on this show but she shows some amazing chemisty with Mon-El. It is such a delight watching Melissa Benoist and Chris Wood sharing scenes as we watch their dynamic grow into something more with their characters. Seeing Mon-El finally admit his feelings to Kara was one of the heartwarming moments this season and worth building up. Hopefully nothing else stands in the way of their romance when the show returns for the season’s second half.

The Cadmus storyline really paid off, despite some misgivings in the Luthors’ family reunion between mother and daughter. Brenda Strong continues to make her character Lillian less compelling with every episode. She’s really calculated and manipulative that sometimes she doesn’t come off as a genuine human being. Even her scenes with Lena didn’t do much to make her an interesting character to invest in. However, Lena did materialize into a strong character in her storyline this season. She appears to be more conflicted between becoming her own person and turning into her mother at points. It’s a little hard following her in this arc she’s taking, but Katie has really become a great addition to the cast.

It was fun to see Lena turning the tables on everyone when she used her knowledge of being a Luthor to outwit her mother and reveal her criminal activities to the world. This really made sure that Lena was really trying to do the right thing and remove herself from the Luthor’s infamous reputation. Seeing both her and Kara trying to form their own legacy outside their family really helped their friendship grow. It’s still a mystery as to whether Lena can still become a good person or if something tragic happens may force her into the path of villainy. Once that happens, hopefully the show manages to build that up when her downfall.

The action sequences during ‘Medusa’ nothing but spectacular, especially in the fight between Kara and Hank Henshaw/Cyborg Superman. Despite what Hank is using as a supervillain name, he still comes out to be an awesome foe for Kara. He’s threatening in a sense, but viewers can at least understand where all his hate is coming from. Watching both Hank and J’onn duke it out was another spectacle that was worth seeing. It was fun getting to witness Hank facing the alien who stole his life and try to destroy him. Even J’onn had his moments when he fully embraced his White Martian transformation when going against Hank.

Supergirl managed to finish up the first half of its second season rather nicely. The mid-season finale got to focus more on the main plot with Cadmus and wrapped it up, although this probably won’t be the last time we see them. Even if some people wanted to see the crossover event, there was still plenty to enjoy when it came to the characters getting caught in all the drama.

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