Verdict: This jam-packed instalment succeeds by breaking Supergirl’s traditional formula and bringing the show’s frequently disparate two halves together, even if Kara’s character development is somewhat lacking.

Review

I began last week’s review by mentioning Supergirl’s formula involving a strict segregation of generally fantastical DEO stories and more personal stories at CatCo, and the fact that there’s usually very little cross-pollination between the two halves. For The Girl Who Has Everything is one of the rare stories that doesn’t follow that formula, instead blending the personal and fantastical sides of Supergirl to create an episode that’s, if not the most focused the show has ever been, very satisfying viewing.

At the heart of the pre-publicity for this episode was Kara’s dream state set on an idyllic version of Krypton that never exploded – an idea adapted from the famous Superman storyline For The Man Who Has Everything – so it’s interesting to note that at least the first part of the Kryptonian flashbacks mark this episode’s weakest spot. Melissa Benoist sells Kara’s panicked bafflement at waking up on Krypton extremely well, but these early Krypton scenes suffer from a lack of substance. For a storyline that’s bursting with potential for a fascinating character study, these early scenes fail to provide any new insights into Kara’s character due to the fact that they are more concerned with underlining her doubts that what she’s seeing is real than genuinely substantial character development. Early on, these scenes seem to flounder, fitting awkwardly into the episode as a whole and seemingly under-delivering on the central premise by failing to sell the crucial idea that Krypton should be genuinely tempting for Kara, which necessitates a slightly abrupt shift to Kara having completely assimilated into Krypton by the time Alex arrived.

Thankfully, For The Girl Who Has Everything quickly finds its feet by shifting the focus to Alex, a character who has generally lacked her own individual storylines to this point. It’s the choice to put Alex into the dream state in the episode’s second half that really gives the Krypton scenes the drive and focus they need by framing them as a battle between two families that mean a great deal to Kara – one related to her by blood, and the other related to her through experiences. From its early confusion, the episode settles into an exploration of the importance of family, even if that family isn’t related by blood, and in doing so it reaches the thematic depth only a few episodes of Supergirl thus far have achieved.

Chyler Leigh is given her most substantial material of the season to work with, and she rises to the challenge with a performance that stands tall in an episode packed with talented actresses. The trial scene on Krypton, in particular, conveys Alex’s love for her adopted sister with impressively raw emotion, cementing Alex’s place as a vital part of this show by underlining her considerable importance to Kara as a character. Alex is an intriguing character because she represents a blend between the determined pragmatism of the DEO (see: her liberal usage of Maxwell Lord as a conscripted ally) and the more emotional idealism of her sister, so I certainly hope that Supergirl builds on the good work being done by Leigh by giving Alex her own substantial storylines in the future.

As well as the considerable screen-time for Alex, For The Girl Who Has Everything also successfully manages to break down the barriers between the superhero/personal sides of the show by putting the large majority of its regular cast into unusual situations for considerable comedic effect. Moments like Winn geeking out over the computers in the DEO or a disguised J’onn J’onzz awkwardly impersonating Kara in Cat’s office (Melissa Benoist does an impeccable impersonation of David Harewood, so that’s something) are rare for Supergirl, giving them an enjoyable novelty that’s slightly reminiscent of the Arrow/Flash crossovers. Supergirl’s formula of splitting off certain groups of characters and rarely letting them inter-mingle has worked well enough, but it was really enjoyable here to see characters in environments and situations that they would never usually be seen in under the usual weekly formula.

Surprisingly, this episode also turned out to be a crucial one for the season arc involving the Kryptonians, who are appearing far more frequently than I expected. Their appearance leads to some very entertaining fight scenes with impressive special effects (particularly the Martian Manhunter vs Astra fight), but the most important development here was the surprise death of Astra, who seemed all set to be the final boss of season one as the last direct blood relative of Kara on Earth. Her death is a well-executed moment that allows her the redemption she deserved alongside the striking visual of Astra impaled by a glowing green Kryptonite sword, and the fact that it was Alex who delivered the killing blow provides substantial potential for a compelling conflict between sisters later on down the line, meaning that Astra’s death has a genuine purpose beyond simply shock value. Laura Benanti, too, delivers season-best work as a villain whose heart isn’t quite in the fight anymore, and eventually turns her back on her previous extremist beliefs in death – thankfully, Benanti will almost certainly remain a regular presence on the show as Kara’s mother in any future Kryptonian flashbacks. Despite this, there’s drawbacks in removing Astra from the picture.

Primarily, there’s the issue of Non. Astra was never that exciting as a villain due to her slightly vague motivations and her intermittent appearances, but her link to Kara by blood at least tied in thematically with season one’s focus on family, meaning that she made sense as an adversary at this stage in Kara’s character development. Non lacks that compelling blood link and equally suffers from generic writing that fails to distinguish him from the dozens of similar characters in the comics pantheon, so it’s hard to see how he’ll be a particularly inspiring Big Bad if Supergirl chooses to keep the rogue Kryptonians as its central threat for season one. There’s still Maxwell Lord in the picture, who remains a charismatic villain who links neatly into Supergirl’s equal focus on feminism and patriarchal rule, but the fact that Astra’s death leaves such a bland villain in a pivotal position perhaps indicates that it wasn’t a wholly successful storytelling choice.

Perhaps this wasn’t the adaptation of a famous storyline that comics fans wanted, considering that Kara’s Kryptonian dream was only part (rather than the main focus) of the episode and that the Krypton scenes only really clicked into position about halfway through once Alex entered the scene. Nonetheless, as an episode of television taken purely on its own merits, For The Girl Who Has Everything works very well indeed. It’s fast-paced, entertaining, utilises the show’s ensemble in creative and unusual ways and makes a few storytelling decisions that shake up what appeared to be a predictable path to a confrontation with Astra in the finale, as well as successfully shining the spotlight on Alex for some much-needed development. Is it the strongest episode to date? Probably not, considering that Human for a Day and Strange Visitor From Another Planet, arguably the two strongest hours of Supergirl thus far, feel more focused and complete. This was certainly one of the best episodes yet, however, and a strong indicator that Supergirl is willing to break away from the formula every now and then.

Odds & Ends

• This episode’s final scene reinforces Supergirl’s strange adeptness for really likeable scenes of its heroes eating food in Kara’s apartment.
• Winn and James’ farcical lying to Cat about Kara having tics was one of the best usages of the two friends to date, proving that they really can be purely likeable characters with no drawbacks.
• Cat is still angry at Kara for dumping Adam, but I give it one episode before she changes her mind on the matter.
• Is Astra 100% dead? The fact that she was brought back into Krypton Towers muddies the waters a little.
• Astra and Non’s plan, Myriad, is left completely unexplained – it had something to do with satellites and solar storms, but that’s pretty it. A wild guess: it’s bringing more Kryptonians from the Phantom Zone to Earth.
• It’s actually somewhat fitting that Supergirl is taking next week off, given how conclusive this episode felt. It’s back on the 22^nd with Truth, Justice and the American Way directed by Lexi Alexander – if it’s half as good as Alexander’s episode of Arrow earlier this season, we’re in for a treat.