TV Review: Supergirl 2×11 “The Martian Chronicles”

Thanks for reading my weekly recaps of Supergirl. To read about past episodes, click here. 

 A few things are on my mind about this weeks Supergirl.

• Alex and Kara’s relationship will always be the beating heart of the show, no matter what relationships they have outside of one another and for good reason. Chyler Leigh and Melissa Benoist are at their most natural when they’re paired in scenes together, bouncing off of one another with a well laid buoyancy that implies the ease of two sisters and the bonds that they share. Their disagreements are made just that much more tense when they have them because of their connection and this week is no different as Kara’s feelings are (realistically) hurt when Alex tells her she’s going to go to a concert with Maggie instead of celebrate her sisters 13th earth birthday. Kara can admit that her feelings are curving towards petty and that really she’s just worried about loosing the relationship, the one she’s relied on since arriving on earth, and is looking to find reasons to spend time together. Her admitting that she’s not angry but that her feelings were hurt is an honest and human moment for the character. Alex being able to still go out with Maggie and then arrive to Kara’s loft with a cupcake and romantic advice in tow is just an indicator to how much these two characters have grown since we first met them.
• Here is why I am not on board with the Mon-El character and it’s not because I don’t like how he’s written. He’s written fine, the actor is fine and he and Benoist have a real chemistry between the two of them that, for conversation sake, she and Mechad Brooks lacked. However, the inclusion of his character doesn’t just feel pandering to the male audience, it’s also managing to make James and Winn’s characters obsolete as they continue to disappear into the periphery of the frame. We should have gotten more discussion between Winn and Kara about him helping out the Guardian and instead we get two overlong scenes of her awkwardly fumbling on how to interact with Mon-El. Hell, James didn’t even show up once during the episode, even more upsetting when we remember how prominent of a character he was in season one. If there’s anything that the remarkable season two has gotten grievously wrong it’s how they completely re-wrote Kara and James’s arc and they still haven’t made up for what ultimately was a sloppy narrative choice.
• I’m super bummed that we’re getting so little of Martian Manhunter and Ms. Martian together, even if their romantic ties were off putting considering their familial relationship in Young Justice. J’onn is a character who the show always will benefit from using more of and getting more of his character insights through Ms. Martians character was a treat, and her line at the end saying “this skin is beautiful” was a touching note considering all he went through in season one to accept who he was and his fear of people looking at him as a monster.
• The thriller/action dynamic worked wonders and the show should trot out that style more often. I don’t in any way shape or form want Supergirl to ever go down the dark route but if they want to go for more thriller scares every so often it might be a benefit. The tone of Supergirl is so sun soaked and vibrant, matching the disposition of it’s leading lady, that to see everything submerged in shadows and reds is a nice reminder of the threats that exist on this world too. It also allowed for actors-such as Jeremy Jordan-who don’t normally end up in action sequences the chance to shine. It’s a superhero show and Supergirl continues to find it’s path in how best to showcase the powers of it’s title character and while “The Martian Chronicles” is more about how the team comes together to save the day, it’s a showcase on how the stunt team continues to gain their footing.