Supergirl Season 5 Episode 13 Review: It's a Super Life
Sarah Little
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Man, it feels good to get even the tiniest bit of closure.
Kara finally dealt with the guilt she felt over lying to Lena about her secret identity on Supergirl Season 5 Episode 13, and it now feels as if the story can finally move forward.
Yes, it was a cliche for Kara to reflect on her journey these past five years on Supergirl's milestone 100th episode, but the execution was very well done and was a standout hour for Supergirl Season 5, which has been lacking in terms of story development.
Kara is done apologizing to Lena, and rightfully so.
The journey that she took with Mxyzptlk -- who Thomas Lennon played phenomenally -- was ultimately not about changing Lena's mind, it was about changing Kara's.
After seeing many terrible outcomes of telling Lena that she was Supergirl before Lex got the chance to, Kara realized that there will always be consequences for her actions and there is no right answer.
If Kara told Lena before they ever became close, she risked putting her in danger because Kara has many vengeful enemies. And if Kara told Lena after they had formed a strong bond, the betrayal would be too strong for Lena ever to forgive.
Plus, pretty much every Supergirl character died at some point during Kara's trip down memory lane with Mxyzptlk, and Kara wanted to avoid that.
Kara has suffered through enough blame and hurt this entire season when she has done more than enough to earn forgiveness from Lena.
She did make a mistake in not telling Lena that she was Supergirl sooner, or before Lex had the chance to, but it was an unavoidable betrayal that Kara had no intention of making.
Kara never wanted to hurt Lena, she is not malicious, and Lena is one of the most important people in the world to her. And she had to choose to between protecting Lena from the world or protecting their friendship; it was a lose-lose situation.
Kara: I recognize I made a mistake in hiding my identity from you for so long, but the past is the past and I can't change it. Forgive me or not, that's your choice. Just like it's your choice to work with Lex. I'm done blaming myself for your bad decisions.
Lena: Then why are you here?
Kara: To tell you that from now on, you're accountable for your own actions. If you decide to forgive me, I will be there for you. But if you continue to work with Lex, if you go through with whatever it is the two of you are planning, I will do everything in my power to stop you. Just like I would any other villain.
Kara, thanks to Mxyzptlk and a talk from Mon-El, has realized that she deserves much more than being treated like she is the worst person in the world.
And when she finally told Lena that she was done taking the blame for her actions, a line was drawn in the sand that Lena can either choose to cross Kara by continuing to work with Lex, or she can forgive Kara and re-establish their trust.
Either way, the ball is in Lena's court and Kara will act appropriately and do whatever it takes to save the world.
Anyone has the capability of letting darkness consume their souls, especially those who have been exposed to too many of the harshest aspects of life.
Unfortunately, that is why Lena is currently on opposite sides of Supergirl.
Lena's storyline this entire season has centered around the possibility of her becoming a villain and the complexity of what it means to be a villain.
And if Mxyzptlk's rewind in time taught us anything, it's that Lena's turn to the dark side is not because she is a Luthor, it's because she was raised by a family who always treated her like crap.
Lena's awful experiences have made her cynical and wary of trusting anyone, but, like anyone, she will be held responsible for her actions.
Lena is not inherently bad, nor is she inherently good; no one is. Life is not black or white, and neither is Lena's character.
But Lena is heading down a dark path right now, and one can only hope that she turns around before it is too late and she ends up being the person that we saw in the alternate reality where Kara and Lena had never met.
Lena: It's you. Kara Danvers is Supergirl.
Kara: Yeah.
Lena: Can't believe I was fooled by a pair of glasses.
Kara: Don't worry, a lot of people are.
Lena: Oh god, I'll have to recall all those alien detection devices because they clearly don't work.
Kara: You're not angry?
Lena: No, it's incredible! I mean, you're incredible! But why are you trusting me with such a big secret? You barely know me.
Kara: Because I know that what you want more than anything is to do good. And I know it's hard for you to trust people, but I need you to know now, without a doubt, I trust you. My cousin, your brother, they got it wrong. Imagine what we could do together, a Luthor and a super working together as a team!
Lena: If we were partners, we could change the world.
We all know she has good inside of her, she just needs to listen to Kara and trust her, no matter how difficult that may be.
Redemption is still possible for Lena; Kara made that very clear. And I would place my bets on Lena working with Kara instead of against her by the season finale.
Many familiar faces returned that filled us with such glee, but some we only got a glimpse at, unfortunately.
There was only a mere mention of Cat Grant, one of the first times we've seen her in ages, and it reminds you that she once had a big presence on the show.
Maybe one day she'll grace our screens again, if even for one episode. Cat Grant would make a positive impact on Supergirl by throwing it back to the glory days.
Winn, Reign/Sam, Ben Lockwood, and Thomas Coville all returned as well (but where was James?) in Kara's alternate realities, which was great because seeing old characters is always a treat for longtime fans.
But there was one returned character that stood out from all the rest.
Even though he was a controversial character among fans during his time spent on Supergirl, I really missed Mon-El.
Mon-El has grown a lot from when we first met him as an egotistical Daxamite on Supergirl Season 2 Episode 1, if the advice he gave Kara at Sam's mother's house was any indicator.
Characters should be allowed to make mistakes and grow from them. Otherwise, they would be perfect and, as a result, quite boring.
Mon-El: You know, Lena and I have a lot in common. We both have been betrayed by our own families. And when the people who are supposed to love you the most let you down, it just makes you feel so, so vulnerable, you know? But my mother and the Luthor's, they betrayed Lena for their own selfish reasons, they, they wanted to take advantage of her. You lied to protect her. Because she's your friend. And I know Lena's hurting right now, but once she understands that, she'll forgive you.
Kara: I hope you're right. But I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive myself.
Mon-El: You know that it's okay to mess up, right? No matter how many mistakes I've made, you have always forgiven me. You should know that you deserve the same compassion that you show others.
It's probably because the actors are married in real life, but there's a chemistry between Kara and Mon-El like no other.
Mon-El has been the best match for Kara out of all of her love interests, certainly more so than William is. And they never got real closure on their relationship because they did not actively choose to be separated, life got in the way instead.
There was a tiny hint of tension and words unspoken between them during their talk that leaves their relationship open to the possibility of one day returning to it. Hopefully, Mon-El will return from the future and they'll get their happily ever after.
The ending scene was perfect because it encapsulated what Supergirl is truly about -- unbreakable familial and friendship bonds.
And no greater trio represents that than Kara, Alex, and J'onn. They have been through thick and thin together, and they are always there for one another no matter what.
It doesn't matter when I tell Lena the truth. There will always be consequences, huge ones. If I can't go back and snap my mistakes away, I'm just gonna have to live with them.
Kara
There is no such thing as never doing any harm to the people you love; it 's an impossible task to accomplish. Kara, Alex, and J'onn have all hurt one another in some way, but it was never out of malice.
Hurt is inevitable, but forgiveness is a choice. If you truly love someone, you will forgive them, and Supergirl proved that with its 100th episode.
Now, let's hope that every episode after is just as great!
What did you think Supergirl Fanatics?
Do you sympathize more with Kara or Lena?
How much do you think Mxyzptlk charges for MYXFLYX?
Wasn't it finally nice to see Dreamer again? And with those amazing powers, the Super Friends should utilize her more often.
Let me know in the comments and do not forget that you can watch Supergirl online right here on TV Fanatic!
Supergirl airs on Sundays at 9/8c on The CW.
Sarah Little was a staff writer for TV Fanatic.She retired in September 2021.
