This week Supergirl season 4 introduced their version of Lex Luthor, played by Jon Cryer. This was a great interpretation of Lex, who saved an otherwise weak episode.
James Olsen was in the hospital after the shooting at the end of last week’s episode. His sister Kelly Olsen arrived to make decisions about his care. Alex Danvers pulled her aside in the hospital. She told her there was an option besides either performing surgery or doing nothing: Lena Luthor’s experimental treatment.
Kelly didn’t want anything to do with an experimental treatment designed by a Luthor. But, Lex manipulated events so that she had almost no other choice. In fact, it turned out he was the one who had James shot, all so he could kick off this plan.
This was because he wanted to take the cure himself, but didn’t want to do so when it was untested. Lex revealed that Lena had played perfectly into his hands and that Lena’s employee Eve Teschmacher had been working for him all along. Lex’s big reveal of his plans, followed by his escape from the police, was one of the best sequences Supergirl has ever pulled off.
Unfortunately, aside from the Lex plot this was more of the same for Supergirl season 4. Manchester Black was now targeting J’onn J’onzz personally instead of racists and fascists. This seems hard to believe. Turning Manchester into an unambiguous villain is a lazy way for Supergirl to avoid the political conversation it started with the character. Why bother having an anti-fascist character if you’re so quickly going to back out?
This episode also contained Brainiac and Nia Nal’s first kiss. The writing of their relationship feels pretty rote, but they do have a lot of charm. Hopefully, they’ll become a real couple soon and not have such a bland drawn out will-they-won’t-they.