Another week, another collection of superhero battles worth bingeing over the weekend. The Pop Break staff is here to let you know what you can expect from The CW’s DC series… take a look!
Supergirl — 4×04, “Ahimsa”
There was a lot going on in episode four to help move the season along. Supergirl is still trapped in her regenerating armor suit that is keeping her alive. Alex (my fave) is dealing with the pressures of her new duties as Director of the DEO for the new President of the US, who seems to have something going on with him. With this stress, and the added pressure of having a few DEO agents that have gone rogue, Alex pulls rank on Kara in a big blowout fight and lays down the law.
Comic anti-hero Machester Black checks in and works with Martian Manhunter to track down Black’s alien fiance, Fiona Byrne. Meanwhile, James cannot help but get back into action as Guardian (after I specifically told him not to!) and, naturally, the media (Ben Lockwood) spins it, making Guardian seem anti-alien. Nia had already warned James that something bad could happen to him, but James says, “Heroes go out there, even when they know something bad is going to happen. That’s what makes them heroes.” A great line.
The best line of the night, however, goes to Brainiac when he says, “These are tears of logic!” This is during a nice scene where we see Brainey, in rare form, crying over frustration about saving Supergirl. He’s been through a lot already this season, and again, he reminds me of Data from Star Trek TNG. Speaking of Star Trek, our bad guys are using earworms to control Fiona’s psychic abilities to control aliens. Our villains, Mercy and Otis Graves finally meet their demise, but unfortunately they’ve done to much to Fiona for her to survive.
This episode also has a phenomenal performance from David Ajala (Manchester Black); you can feel his agony and see his transformation when he watches his fiance die. Immediately, we see another villain origin story unfold (one would assume). Elsewhere, Kara finally heals up, but so does our villainous evil twin-Kara back in Kasnia. I think we just found out who our season four main villain is. A very plot driven episode this time around, but a nice setup for future episodes and possibly a stellar season. Right now, Supergirl is the A show.
—Rob Crowther IV, Staff Writer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72w7N36ptas
Arrow — 7×04, “Level Two”
“Level Two” was a sobering reminder of how far Oliver Queen and Arrow have come. This episode was full of flashbacks and callbacks as to and absences of important plot points of the show’s inaugural season. Oliver’s non-consensual therapy sessions with Jason E. Kelley were the standout moments of the episode as the series descends into deconstructing the Green Arrow’s entire MO. Season 7 is already shaping up to be a more comprehensive examination of the show’s existence than even Season 5 was.
I won’t lie, I completely forgot that Robert Queen totally murdered a guy on the raft before killing himself to save Oliver’s life. It’s hard to argue with Dr. Jarrett Parker’s conclusion that his mission was a poisonous condemnation from the beginning. The conclusion of that arc in which Oliver puts himself in Robert’s place and William in his may be a top 5 moment for all of Arrow. I just hope the show isn’t as obvious as it appears and makes Parker the mysterious Demon.
Meanwhile, Felicity has to be convinced by Renee and Laurel that torture is not a road she wants to go down as she becomes desperate to get the information she needs out of the Silencer. The ruse at the end was obvious, but it’s great to see a glimpse of the lovable Felicity Smoak again.
Black Syren is fast becoming the most dynamic character on the series and I find myself liking her more than I ever thought I would. We also saw the awaited return of the copycat Green Arrow in place of more Diaz dullness. Little was learned about the new archer’s MO, but ground was made in Dinah working outside the law and accepting the good he has managed to do for the city and for her.
Finally, the flash forwards offered a glimpse of a haunting future of Star City in which the formerly poverty-stricken Glades rise up, cut themselves off from the rest of the city and rule with an iron fist. I’m going to hope the bit about how the Glades “built a wall and closed their borders” is not as overtly political as it sounds, but I’m not holding my breath.
Still, we know Dinah is alive in the future and Zoe (Renee’s daughter) takes after her dad to become another crimefighting badass. But is Felicity Smoak really dead? I doubt it, but I suppose we’ll have to wait and see.
—Matt Gilbert, Staff Writer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R0e-vgEkgQ
Legends of Tomorrow— 4×03, “Dancing Queen”
Ray Palmer / The Atom (Brandon Routh) has undergone quite the transformation in the Arrowverse. Ray has gone from being a male version of Felicity Smoak to a cross between Iron Man and Ant-Man to a boy scout meant to provide comic relief. As a Ray-centric episode, “Dancing Queen” makes it abundantly clear just how one-dimensional the character has gradually become.
While the idea of goody-two-shoes Ray infiltrating an anarchic punk band is amusing, the plot provides further evidence that Ray has gone from being a hero to a punchline. Unfortunately, he is not the only character to share that fate. Gary (Adam Tsekhman) has never been a particularly compelling character, but the constant jokes about his unicorn-induced injury are beyond grating.
Constantine (Matt Ryan), alternatively, is becoming one of this season’s highlights. His mix of Batman-level brooding and cheeky humor make him an excellent foil to Sara (Caity Lotz) and Mick (Dominic Purcell).
Likewise, his discussion with Zari (Tala Ashe) was vintage Legends, even though they are the newest members of the team. Yet outside of being the Legends’ secret weapon against magical Fugitives and providing a contrived way of bringing actress Maisie Richardson-Sellers back to the show, Constantine has yet to make his narrative mark. If and when that time comes, though, it will undoubtedly be a major turning point for this season. Hopefully that turn will be for the better.
—Josh Sarnecky, Staff Writer
Next week: All our heroes will be back on TV, and in our weekly recap!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJtm1skC0ac
