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Supergirl #4.01 “American Alien” Review

Review of the Supergirl Season 4 premiere episode “American Alien”

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With hate crimes on the rise in National City, Supergirl faces off against a sibling duo intent on eradicating aliens. Meanwhile, Lena utilizes her smarts and resources to stop the Guardian investigation, Alex struggles to click with Brainy, and Kara welcomes a new cub reporter to CatCo. Here is a review of the Supergirl episode “American Alien.”

REVIEW:

Supergirl returned for a fourth season with an attitude practically opposite of last season’s opener, and all for the best. In stark contrast to “Kara Danvers sucks right now,” this Kara Danvers has mastered the superskill of multitasking and feels rejuvenated and unburdened. While certain missteps with a couple of the supporting ladies kept “American Alien” from being stellar, it was a giant leap in the right direction and re-established Supergirl as the beacon of light that she should be. By placing a peppy, hopeful Kara back in the bullpen and in the center of a politically fueled storyline, Supergirl remembered some of the key elements that made the series stand out and shine.

Last season was rough. The characters and the series lost their way and clung to ideas in direct opposition to the values the series once exalted, but with a new season comes a new chance to try again. There are still certain elements of this season that I have reservations about (i.e. Agent Liberty’s origin), but I move forward cautiously optimistic because so much of this episode reminded me of why I fell in love with the series in the first place. It was a relief and a joy to see this Kara, this Supergirl be proud, positive, and in charge of her life, fighting to protect the city while taking the time to return a balloon to a young fan and to make sure her family, friends, and coworkers are all doing all right. This is my Supergirl, and I’m so glad she found her way back. Please stay.

The re-integration of CatCo to the series once again allows Kara to be a hero without superpowers and an inspiration not only to the audience, but also to a character eerily similar to herself three years ago. I’m excited to see Kara channel her inner Cat Grant, whose absence has left a hole for feminist lessons in the workplace, and grow into the kind of person she so strongly admires. Kara now has the chance to be a mentor to someone who looks up to her, respects her, and wants to learn.

With only a couple of scenes under her belt, Nia Nal has quickly established herself as a welcome addition. Her awkwardness, her earnestness, her passion, and most of all, her hope perfectly connect with the quintessential Supergirl vibe and add a warmth and new life to this established series. I’m excited to watch Nia learn to use her voice and be a bright light, and I am so very excited to watch Nicole Maines give a voice to and shine a light on a community extremely misrepresented and misunderstood.

Many people claim to watch television for the escapism, to get away from the horrors of the world, but if television doesn’t in some way reflect what’s real, it can’t be believable. With the plethora of television that exists in this day and age and with the current split state of the country, I’m on board with some shows getting political because it opens up a conversation and exposes people to the real-world results of their beliefs.

What’s most frightening about Supergirl’s anti-alien antagonists is that they’re not fictional; they’re a direct reflection of our own society. Agent Liberty and the Graves siblings ignore the very foundation of the land they claim to love. Like Kara said in “Welcome to Earth,” and I will quote it every single time it becomes relevant, American was founded on “freedom against persecution, oppression. America has always been a country full of immigrants.” A country purposely founded by immigrants, metaphorically or literally alien, has now been swept by an elitist movement founded on nothing more than unsubstantiated, antiquated beliefs. Agent Liberty’s public momentum is just beginning, but the swiftness and efficiency at which his operatives conduct their missions indicate that this sentiment, planning, and training have been in the works for a while. It makes me wonder what new and terrible things could be brewing beneath the surface nowadays.

I was a tad annoyed that Kara so easily dismissed J’onn’s claim of the attack on Dr. Vose being a hate crime because it seemed like she didn’t care, but it brings up an important point. Kara was living in blissful ignorance because the problem didn’t directly affect her, and many of us have been there at one point or another. It’s necessary to remind ourselves and others that everyone’s life experience is different and just because something doesn’t affect you, that doesn’t mean it isn’t real. The country has made incredible progress legally, but it also doesn’t mean that social acceptance and public safety are on par with the laws.

Juxtaposing Supergirl’s physical fights, J’onn’s stance on the issue of anti-alien sentiment takes a nonviolent approach. Some battles are not won with fists or guns or armies, but with a peaceful sit-in or a well-spoken court case or a collection of votes. J’onn, whose family was murdered, whose race was eliminated, whose planet was decimated, has every right to be angry and fight the same bigotry that turned his world upside down, but this time he doesn’t. He takes a knee. I’m interested to see how strong or how long they’ll run with this idea, so here’s hoping they allow J’onn, a wise, empathetic, level-headed hero, to succeed in influencing change in this manner.

For the director of a secret government organization and for a 12thlevel intellect, the conflict between Alex and Brainy was noticeably immature. While it added a lighter storyline amidst violent crimes, it failed to utilize Alex’s authority and Brainy’s intellect – his ability to analyze possible outcomes. It instead focused on a sibling spat rooted in little more than general annoyance after their actions caused no problems or dangers. The storyline could have included Alex’s justification for needed Brainy to do as she said and Brainy’s justification for going rogue as well as any consequences when one of them messed up. The resolution would have been impactful and realistic if they came to a place of understanding each other’s perspective and finding a solution that works for the both of them instead of just admitting they both screwed up. In addition, I wish we saw more of Alex in charge of making decisions, navigating her new relationship with her super sister, and teaching Brainy how to consider an unpredictable human element in his calculations.

Last season made a big deal about the importance of James unmasking (so I’m assuming this storyline isn’t actually over) but the current resolution didn’t land. Not only was it hasty and simple (and I’m sure Lena will eventually be disparagingly called a Luthor for just trying to help), but James barely had anything to do with his own storyline and clearing his name. I love watching Lena use her smarts to solve a problem and am always on board for an appearance by Lillian, but if the writers insist on making Lena’s storyline about James, they could have taken the opportunity for commentary. Is there no rival media company’s coverage that James and Lena could have scrutinized or redirected? Could they have built their own CatCo coverage around Lena’s image inducer or other inventions to take eyes off James and dealt with public scrutiny from a pro-alien stance?

Even with Lena’s image inducer being used and mentioned more than once throughout the episode, the story barely touched upon the idea of being pressured into adapting one’s own physical appearance for the comfort of others – to shed the language, clothing, and customs of one’s homeland to become more “American,” whatever that means. Perhaps they’re saving it for a future storyline because it would be worth exploring.

ODDS AND ENDS:

– LOVE the new title card.

– Kara having a Russian doppelganger was a rather large cliffhanger to almost ignore this episode.

– Speaking of ignoring… are we just going to pretend that Snapper Carr no longer exists?

– It seems Mercy is another genius with an impractical wardrobe.

– The Danvers sisters eating on the couch… oh how I’ve missed that!

– Brainy is fitting nicely into Winn’s tech whiz role while bringing his own uniquely endearing element. I love Winn, but I barely noticed he was gone.

– Fiona: We all must have the courage to be seen.

– Kara (to Nia): So, you’re afraid to make waves. Okay. Make them anyway.
What is it with Cat, Kara, and water related metaphors? Kara told her to dive… like into a lake.

Come discuss the Supergirl season premiere on our forum for the show!

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2 Comments

2 Comments

  1. Sara

    October 21, 2018 at 10:46 am

    I would be more enthusiastic about this season if I thought that Supergirl would even attempt to show both sides of the argument – but they will make it that anyone with any doubts on aliens is evil. Anyone that is angry about the President lying to the country is evil. Anyone that does not whole heartedly welcome the aliens is evil. Let’s face it, the writers for Supergirl are not subtle and neither are they open-minded.

    Considering that the opener for the first two seasons was all about protecting the earth from aliens and that every season aliens have attempted to enslave and / or destroy the planet, to act like there is no cause for fear and anger against aliens is hypercritical and unfair.

    So far, the best part is Nia (I liked her scenes – she made a really good impression in a very short period of time) and Brainy.

    • Cynthia Parker

      October 24, 2018 at 9:36 pm

      I think your observation is valid. They, the writers, did spend a great deal of time spinning a narrative that showed how evil all these aliens coming to earth were. How they were coming to destroy, invade, or enslave the human population. I realize they are drawing a direct correlation between the story they are trying to tell and what is happening in the real world. I think that might be an incredible feat. The xenophobia and hatred that is prevalent and growing in our world and country is a hatred of people that are at the very least the same species. Human beings are finding no real difficulty despising one another based on the smallest of things.
      I understand their point. I believe yours is valid. Honestly it all sucks.
      I, like you, did enjoy the character of Nia. I like her and Kara’s interactions. Charming.

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Smallville

Supergirl & Smallville Writers Have A New Comic Book-Inspired Series

Eric Carrasco, Alfredo Septien, and Turi Meyer will be showrunners for El Gato starring Diego Boneta.

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Prime Video, which recently has been the home of some of the best comic book-inspired series with shows like Invincible and The Boys, is currently casting a live-action adaptation of the comic book series El Gato Negro by Richard Dominguez. (El Gato Negro translates to “The Black Cat,” so we wouldn’t be surprised if there is a title change to avoid Marvel’s Black Cat.) With the working title El Gato, the showrunners include veterans from Supergirl and Smallville.

Eric Carrasco wrote several memorable episodes of Supergirl between Seasons 2 and 4 and eventually served as a story editor on the series. He wrote the Justice League vs. the Fatal Five animated feature and is a producer for Zack Snyder’s upcoming Twilight of the Gods. He’s also been an Uber — err Ride Me Now driver for two stoners from New Jersey in their reboot movie. What’s also very cool about Eric is that one of his earliest industry jobs was working on a TV series called Smallville. Perhaps you’ve heard of it.

The other two showrunners need no introduction when it comes to SmallvilleAlfredo Septien & Turi Meyer were among the most prolific writers for the show, on the team for six seasons with episodes including “Vengeance,” “Labyrinth,” “Bride,” “Salvation,” and “Finale Part 1.” Turi Meyer also directed two episodes of Smallville, and the two of them returned to the DC Universe with DC’s Stargirl on The CW in recent years.

The series will star Diego Boneta as the main character, Frank Guerrero, who returns home to Mexico after the death of his father and finds himself neck-deep in a nest of vipers – his estranged family – who are vying for control of his father’s business empire. But Frank’s grief is interrupted when he learns his only inheritance, a seemingly worthless parcel of land on the border, sits atop the lair of a famous costumed vigilante — his father, “El Gato.” Now, Frank is in the crosshairs. To survive, he’ll have to solve mysteries decades in the making and unravel the truth about his father’s connections to a modern-day terror plot.

“This is a pulp thriller,” Eric Carrasco said in a quote posted by Variety earlier this year. “It’s a family drama, it’s everything I love about spies and masks and secret identities. A lot of us on this team – Diego, and Andrew Mittman, and Steve Stark, and Carla Gonzalez Vargas, and I – have been at this for a long time now, and it’s a genuine thrill to finally make the show with MGM Television and Prime Video.”

El Gato will be produced by MGM Television which is part of Amazon MGM Studios. Hopefully we’ll learn more about this project as development progresses! For now, though, congratulations to Eric, Al, and Turi!

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Supergirl

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow Release Date Announced

The Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow film is currently scheduled for a 2026 release.

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The Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow film has had a release date announced — and it’s less than a year after James Gunn’s Superman.

Warner Bros. announced Tuesday that the new film for the Maid of Might — based on the comic by Tom King and Bilquis Evely — is on the schedule for June 26, 2026. Of course, plans can and often do change, but that’s where it’s set for now. The film is said to “depart from the earnest take on the character” that was seen on The CW’s Supergirl TV series.

Milly Alcock will play Supergirl, and it is expected that we will see her before this movie — in Superman, perhaps? Craig Gillespie (Cruella) is the director.

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Smallville

New Supergirl Featurette Includes Laura Vandervoort, Melissa Benoist & More

Supergirl actresses Laura Vandervoort, Melissa Benoist, Sasha Calle, and Helen Slater are included in a retrospective featurette on The Flash Blu-ray.

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One of the rare good elements from the recent Flash movie was the inclusion of Sasha Calle as Supergirl, and now, we can revisit her and a few old Supergirl favorites, as Laura Vandervoort (Smallville), Melissa Benoist (Supergirl TV series from The CW & CBS), and Helen Slater (movies’ original Supergirl) are all included on a featurette on The Flash movie home release. These are all new interviews with the actresses, and in some cases, these are their first interviews about the character in years. The title of the featurette is “Supergirl: The Last Daughter of Krypton.”

Although a Twitter/X report from “Sennaverse” on Twitter notes that the documentary can be found on the MAX streaming service, we have had no luck finding it there so far. The featurette is included, however, with purchase of The Flash movie on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD. The set is due for release on Tuesday, August 29. You can purchase that here and support KryptonSite if you wish! 

We’re looking forward to seeing these new interviews and spotlight on the Woman of Tomorrow!

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