Episodes like this make me now wonder if the show really needs a Big Bad. Granted, General Astra's absence does heighten both her mystery and my own curiosity about what she might bring to the table, but for right now, the show has wisely pivoted away from building the long-term narrative in favor of fleshing its characters out a little more.  

Shows in their first year don't understand this. Most are so concentrated on being so plot-driven that the characters get lost along the way. The surprise here is that this isn't done on the lead character. Supergirl is both the name of the show and its lead character, and as such, the first three episodes of the show have served to flesh her out as much as it could. This episode recognizes that it's now time to focus on the supporting ones around her.  


I was not prepared for how intensely focused the show is on its female characters. The episode didn't really need the primary male characters in Winn and James Olsen. It explored the varying nature of the mother-daughter relationship, not just in blood (Alex and Eliza), but in being adopted (Kara and Eliza), and in professional terms (Cat and Leslie Willis). They don't need to be tied down by their obsession with men (it seemed like the episode wanted to pass the Bechdel test with flying colors in every frame and scene). They have other concerns to deal with in their lives. There is added resonance in the fact that mothers do literally give birth to not only their daughters but to every other child in their lives. The show can continue to mine this for all that it's worth.

It also helps that the show introduces the first female villain aside from General Astra. Willis is interesting foil for Kara to combat. She's a local radio DJ with a rather outspoken demeanor, who proceeds to trash everything she can come up with in regards to Supergirl. Admonished by a subtly upset Cat Grant, who is Willis' work superior and primary employer, she is relegated to minor media duty that leads to Supergirl saving her from certain death. They both get struck by lightning and the ensuing surge leads to Willis garnering electrical powers as Livewire.


While I don't really care for the odd name, she becomes a credible threat to National City, Supergirl, and especially Cat Grant. To Supergirl, Livewire is the first of the show's minor villains to not only be female but be able to hurt Kara without using super strength. The Superman and Supergirl comics have long struggled with pitting its heroes against villains who aren't Kryptonian or have Kryptonian powers. Supergirl has to use her brains and tactical strategy, not simply brawn and overpowering strength, in order to defeat Livewire.





That's where Cat Grant comes into play. The writers couldn't really get a handle on what they could get out of the "interview" that was conducted between Grant and Supergirl. They more than make up for that error here. An emergency at CatCo has Kara serving at the whims of her boss. Instead of the usual sassy put-downs and insults hurled on Kara's position as a lowly assistant, Cat is given a previously-unseen humanity. She is more than just the boss from hell. Even her mother sees her as a failure. They bond over shared fractured relationships with their biological parents. Yes, Kara has to use the guise of her parents dying in a "fire" in order to relate to her boss, but it gets the cold and seemingly unfeeling Cat to open up.


They are on the same level for the first time ever. She realizes that she failed in nurturing the professional relationship between her and Willis. Cat unwittingly created the monster that is endangering everyone and seeks to rectify that wrong. This thought process is the impetus for Cat's decision to team up with Supergirl in order to stop Livewire. She demonstrates her strength by facing Livewire's threats and not flinching in the process. Cat is crucial to Supergirl ultimately disabling Livewire and leaving her in the hands of the DEO.





The DEO has a larger role to play in the history of the show than was previously expected. It's a real shock to see Hank Henshaw show up in the flashbacks, thus implying that Alex's "recruitment" of Kara/Supergirl was something planned long ago. It also suggests that the DEO has long known about Kara's powers and was just waiting for Supergirl to go public. This kind of foreknowledge does also inform on how protective both Alex and mother Eliza is of Kara. It is all sensible since the world has demonstrated a rather hostile reaction to people with alien powers.


I like that the show acknowledges Kara's bright, optimistic, and at times, naive view of Earth (and her purported destiny to protect everyone on it) is a product of her limited time on the planet. It can blind her to certain dangers. She wants to see the good in people, which is right in line with the philosophy of her more famous cousin. So it's up to Eliza and Alex to throw some pragmatism into that naivete. That pragmatism may have swallowed up father Jeremiah in the process, and this new mission to find out more about the DEO's history gives new purpose to the show. Along with finding out more about Astra's motives, this new subplot can fuel more storylines for future episodes. Embracing the feminine side of the show has so many unexpected benefits. This show continues to be very solid.