Valentine’s Day held some high points for some relationships and some low points for others.
“I knew we were right for each other, Danvers.” Let’s start with what I liked. Sanvers was the high point of this episode. Alex’s excitement over spending her first Valentine’s Day with someone she loves, paired with Maggie’s tragic backstory about being outed while trying to celebrate the holiday in high school, made for a beautiful arc for them. Unfortunately, I don’t think it was given the time it deserved. While the scenes we got were great, the story itself felt rushed. Happy, mad, happy again. That was the gist of the three scenes we got. Three scenes for a supposedly “Sanvers-centric” episode. Either the CW or Entertainment Weekly has a serious issue translating the English language if they honestly believe that was the definition of “Sanvers-centric.” That said, I did very much enjoy the Sanvers scenes that we got. It always makes me happy to see domestic Sanvers just living their lives, so I was definitely a fan of the first scene with them eating breakfast together at Alex’s apartment. I kind of get the impression that Maggie is basically living there now. They have a routine together, with Alex knowing how Maggie likes her bagel, and them drinking coffee and reading morning mail. It’s a great way to show how far their relationship has come in just a short time. The early stage jitters seem to have gone, and they’re so comfortable together. While we don’t actually see Eliza Danvers in this episode, we do get another reference to what a great mom she is when Alex opens a Valentine’s Day card from her. Maggie finds it corny, a feeling attributed to her disdain of the holiday itself, but it’s not at all surprising to me that Eliza Danvers would be the type of mother to send a corny card. I love her. She’s precious.
“I don’t need a reservation, Kara. That’s precisely the problem.” Alex goes to Kara for advice when Maggie states that Valentine’s Day is a patsy holiday that “makes [her] want to puke.” Kara suggests trying to tailor the holiday to Maggie, making it less about the gooey romance, and more specific to things Maggie likes. Which apparently includes guns, scotch, tiramisu, and bonsai trees. I have to say that I also have a weird fascination with bonsai trees, ever since I learned that they were a thing in my third grade science class, so I respect Maggie’s appreciation of them. Kara’s suggestion is a good one, but things don’t end well when Maggie gets upset about Alex planning a celebration despite being told that Maggie didn’t like the holiday. “I have one pet peeve, Danvers, and that’s not being heard.” When Maggie tries to walk out, Alex calls her out and makes her talk about what’s really bothering her. Alex has grown enough, partially through Maggie’s guidance, to know that running away from your feelings is not a healthy option. If she can’t do it, neither can Maggie. Talk about heartbreaking though. Maggie tells a painfully tragic tale of being outed by a friend in high school after she put a card in the girl’s locker asking her to the dance. Unlike the love and support Alex received from her family, Maggie’s dad kicked her out of the house for being gay and she was forced to live with an aunt. Good grief, girl. So many feels from that. Being outed is not a fun time just from the standpoint of losing control over your own story. Add on top of that facing rejection and discrimination you may or may not have been prepared to deal with. This scenario is all the more upsetting when it ends the way Maggie’s story did, with the people who are supposed to love her most literally dropping her out of their lives. What’s unfortunate is how real that story still is for so many people. It may be 2017, but the LGBTQ community still faces so much hate. From a character standpoint, we begin to truly understand why Maggie has been so protective over Alex’s coming out. She tells Alex “I wanted it to be better for you.” Maggie wanted Alex to have control over her story and for her to come out on her own terms, in her own time. For the most part, she succeeded in helping her achieve that, minus a few bumps along the way. We also see why Maggie tends to try and take control where their relationship is concerned as well. She’s still nursing old wounds, and loss of control likely makes her feel like that 14-year-old kid who got rejected in such a devastating way. She doesn’t want to feel that again, so now she calls the shots. That’s understandable, however, in this case, Alex wasn’t trying to reject her. She didn’t know the tragic backstory, and she was just trying to do something nice for her girlfriend. So, I didn’t feel that bad for Maggie when Kara calls her out for being selfish. I do find it interesting that Kara seems to have a much better grasp on what’s happening in Alex and Maggie’s relationship than she does her own. She knows what Alex deserves, and isn’t afraid to call Maggie out when she doesn’t treat Alex well. However, Kara seems all too willing to take ego and insults she doesn’t deserve in her own relationship. Come on, Kara. One of these things is not like the other. More on that later though. After getting the lecture from Kara about considering what Alex might want, Maggie makes up for ruining Alex’s night by creating a belated Valentine’s Day prom. She finally gets to take the girl she likes to the dance, and she gets to shower Alex with all the gooey romance that she deserves for being such an amazing woman and girlfriend. How cute. I did note that they once again played a Broods song in that scene. Apparently Sanvers in formal wear requires that particular artist as a soundtrack. Not that I’m complaining. Heartlines is an awesome song.
“I knew we were right for each other, Danvers.” Let’s start with what I liked. Sanvers was the high point of this episode. Alex’s excitement over spending her first Valentine’s Day with someone she loves, paired with Maggie’s tragic backstory about being outed while trying to celebrate the holiday in high school, made for a beautiful arc for them. Unfortunately, I don’t think it was given the time it deserved. While the scenes we got were great, the story itself felt rushed. Happy, mad, happy again. That was the gist of the three scenes we got. Three scenes for a supposedly “Sanvers-centric” episode. Either the CW or Entertainment Weekly has a serious issue translating the English language if they honestly believe that was the definition of “Sanvers-centric.” That said, I did very much enjoy the Sanvers scenes that we got. It always makes me happy to see domestic Sanvers just living their lives, so I was definitely a fan of the first scene with them eating breakfast together at Alex’s apartment. I kind of get the impression that Maggie is basically living there now. They have a routine together, with Alex knowing how Maggie likes her bagel, and them drinking coffee and reading morning mail. It’s a great way to show how far their relationship has come in just a short time. The early stage jitters seem to have gone, and they’re so comfortable together. While we don’t actually see Eliza Danvers in this episode, we do get another reference to what a great mom she is when Alex opens a Valentine’s Day card from her. Maggie finds it corny, a feeling attributed to her disdain of the holiday itself, but it’s not at all surprising to me that Eliza Danvers would be the type of mother to send a corny card. I love her. She’s precious.
“I don’t need a reservation, Kara. That’s precisely the problem.” Alex goes to Kara for advice when Maggie states that Valentine’s Day is a patsy holiday that “makes [her] want to puke.” Kara suggests trying to tailor the holiday to Maggie, making it less about the gooey romance, and more specific to things Maggie likes. Which apparently includes guns, scotch, tiramisu, and bonsai trees. I have to say that I also have a weird fascination with bonsai trees, ever since I learned that they were a thing in my third grade science class, so I respect Maggie’s appreciation of them. Kara’s suggestion is a good one, but things don’t end well when Maggie gets upset about Alex planning a celebration despite being told that Maggie didn’t like the holiday. “I have one pet peeve, Danvers, and that’s not being heard.” When Maggie tries to walk out, Alex calls her out and makes her talk about what’s really bothering her. Alex has grown enough, partially through Maggie’s guidance, to know that running away from your feelings is not a healthy option. If she can’t do it, neither can Maggie. Talk about heartbreaking though. Maggie tells a painfully tragic tale of being outed by a friend in high school after she put a card in the girl’s locker asking her to the dance. Unlike the love and support Alex received from her family, Maggie’s dad kicked her out of the house for being gay and she was forced to live with an aunt. Good grief, girl. So many feels from that. Being outed is not a fun time just from the standpoint of losing control over your own story. Add on top of that facing rejection and discrimination you may or may not have been prepared to deal with. This scenario is all the more upsetting when it ends the way Maggie’s story did, with the people who are supposed to love her most literally dropping her out of their lives. What’s unfortunate is how real that story still is for so many people. It may be 2017, but the LGBTQ community still faces so much hate. From a character standpoint, we begin to truly understand why Maggie has been so protective over Alex’s coming out. She tells Alex “I wanted it to be better for you.” Maggie wanted Alex to have control over her story and for her to come out on her own terms, in her own time. For the most part, she succeeded in helping her achieve that, minus a few bumps along the way. We also see why Maggie tends to try and take control where their relationship is concerned as well. She’s still nursing old wounds, and loss of control likely makes her feel like that 14-year-old kid who got rejected in such a devastating way. She doesn’t want to feel that again, so now she calls the shots. That’s understandable, however, in this case, Alex wasn’t trying to reject her. She didn’t know the tragic backstory, and she was just trying to do something nice for her girlfriend. So, I didn’t feel that bad for Maggie when Kara calls her out for being selfish. I do find it interesting that Kara seems to have a much better grasp on what’s happening in Alex and Maggie’s relationship than she does her own. She knows what Alex deserves, and isn’t afraid to call Maggie out when she doesn’t treat Alex well. However, Kara seems all too willing to take ego and insults she doesn’t deserve in her own relationship. Come on, Kara. One of these things is not like the other. More on that later though. After getting the lecture from Kara about considering what Alex might want, Maggie makes up for ruining Alex’s night by creating a belated Valentine’s Day prom. She finally gets to take the girl she likes to the dance, and she gets to shower Alex with all the gooey romance that she deserves for being such an amazing woman and girlfriend. How cute. I did note that they once again played a Broods song in that scene. Apparently Sanvers in formal wear requires that particular artist as a soundtrack. Not that I’m complaining. Heartlines is an awesome song.
Something worth noting about the celebration Alex planned though. I have a feeling that the implication in this is that Maggie and Alex have already crossed the “next step” line in their relationship. If they haven’t, planning sexy Valentine’s Day seems like an incredibly bold move for Alex. Also, if this were supposed to be the first time, I would think that Alex would have been more embarrassed or traumatized by Maggie’s reaction. If this is something that’s a more normal occurrence, than one rejection isn’t as big of a deal. Given how carefully they laid out the initial stages of the Sanvers relationship, it’s mildly disappointing to think that now they’re just kind of skipping over the rest of the milestones. Next episode they’ll be married. By the end of the season they’ll have two kids and a house in the suburbs. I kid, but seriously, given the tedious amount of time being spent on Kara and Mon El, I do think Sanvers deserves more than what they’ve gotten the past few episodes. For those who say the show is called “Supergirl” and shouldn’t focus on Alex, if you honestly at this point don’t believe that Alex is a Supergirl in her own right, we haven’t been watching the same show. In fact, go back to the season one episode, Livewire. Eliza literally calls Alex “Supergirl.”
Winn is also getting some love this Valentine’s Day. He is rescued from a mean bar alien by a girl named Lyra, who also happens to be an alien. While talking to Lyra after she rescues him, Winn learns that he and the girl actually seem quite compatible. After all, Lyra is from Starhaven (like the astronomy professor Kara rescued last season), which is Winn’s number one bucket list planet to visit. Lyra also senses their connection and asks Winn out on a date. Unfortunately, Lyra is used to dealing with pigs when it comes to male humans and assumes that Winn is only interested in a one-time experience with an alien. However, Winn is above most of the males of our species and is actually looking for a genuine relationship. Regardless of what other people might think, Winn has no problems dating an alien. He’s capable of looking past their differences and wants to actually get to know Lyra, much to her surprise and happiness. I’m curious to see where this relationship goes in the coming episodes. It is so nice to see that Winn has finally evolved beyond being the guy who longingly pines after Kara. He seems like a grown up, knowing what he wants out of a relationship and putting his foot down, even when dealing with a rather intimidating woman. I guess Siobhan prepared him for that. Winn is a good guy and he deserves a love to call his own. I just hope this woman doesn’t end up in love with someone else or crazy like his last couple of love interests. Lyra seems nice enough though. A little intense, maybe, but nice.
The rest of the episode, and really, the bulk of the episode, was actually somewhat disappointing. I had high hopes for the Mxyzptlk story. The character is always a nuisance, but they typically manage to at the very least make him amusing. However, in the case of this episode, the only thing he served to do was highlight the fact that Kara’s role in her own show has become increasingly overshadowed by a non-compelling romance. In the end, this part of the episode boiled down to two men fighting a battle over a woman, without giving any concern whatsoever to her feelings, opinions, or desires. Mxyzptlk is the epitome of a man who cannot take no for an answer. Kara has absolutely no idea who this guy is, despite the fact that he seems to have been stalking her across dimensions for quite some time. Since he knows everything about her and wants her as his wife, the expectation is that she’ll have no issue agreeing to marry him on the spot, no questions asked. When she says no, he begins patronizing her with suggestions of “playing hard to get” and other clichés, making him just like any other dangerous, entitled man who believes himself to be god’s gift to women. It was tedious and not at all fun to watch. This show is supposed to be about female empowerment and not an hour-long reminder of the crappy things chauvinistic men do to women on a daily basis. Mxyzptlk becomes violent and begins staging chaos to force Kara’s hand, trying to kill bank robbers, and bringing Parasite back to life. Marry me or else. Like I said. Not fun to watch. I did have to laugh when the jewelry store robber thanks Supergirl for saving him from being killed by Mxyzptlk and she knocks him out. The poor girl has enough crazy men to deal with in her life right now. She doesn’t need more. Hero that she is though, Kara does come up with a plan to get rid of Mxyzptlk. After Mon El belatedly tells Kara that he has to say his name backwards in order to be stopped, Kara uses some J’onn insight to send Mxyzptlk back to the 5th dimension. In an earlier conversation, J’onn talks about sending a Valentine’s Day message to M’gann on Mars (which was a very sweet gesture and a good reminder that his relationship with her has not been forgotten). Anyway, J’onn says something along the lines of how writing something down is the most powerful way to actually say it. Kara takes that sentiment to heart and tricks Mxyzptlk into typing his name backwards in Kryptonian. Even though he doesn’t say it out loud, it’s enough to force him back to his world. That was quite clever. I give Kara props for that. Still, even though Kara solves this problem all by herself, and is her own hero, that idea gets totally lost in the unnecessary love triangle drama that makes up this story. If that’s all the better they can use him, I can’t say that I have any desire to see Mxyzptlk return any time soon.
“I didn’t see you there tall, dark and blandsome.” Quite frankly, Mon El isn’t much better than Mxyzptlk in this episode. Jealousy is not a color that looks good on him, especially when he too becomes a patronizing dudebro who refuses to listen to Kara when she tells him she has the situation under control. He goes so far as to suggest that she’s a damsel in distress who isn’t capable of recognizing when she’s in over her head. Have you met her, Mon El? She’s saved your butt on multiple occasions. Check yourself, bro. Of course, instead of trying to work with Kara, Mon El keeps Kara in the dark about the way to stop Mxyzptlk, and tries to take him on solo in a duel to the death. It’s as if everything Kara says to him just hits a wall before it ever makes it to Mon El’s brain. He has the audacity to tell Kara that she’s full of herself when he spends the whole episode nursing wounds from the ridiculous notion that Kara likes Myxzptlk better than him, and trying to make her feel guilty for having feelings for him that she doesn’t have. I honestly wish that their “break up” had been the real deal. After seeing this display, it’s clear that Mon El is not worthy of Kara. He has no respect for her whatsoever. As a result, it is enormously frustrating to watch Kara just take him back at the end of the episode. What is she seeing in him that I’m not? Patronizing, egotistical, and disrespectful are not qualities I personally look for in a romantic partner. This episode sank any interest I had in the Karamel relationship.
This episode was fairly easy to divide as it mostly centered on three specific relationship stories. There wasn’t a lot of sub plot. While I mostly enjoyed the episode, I still take serious issue with the portrayal of Kara and Mon El’s relationship. When the heroine is settling for a guy who does not treat her with the courtesy and respect that she deserves, I do not understand why she still remains interested in him. I feel like that sends a very negative message to young girls watching this show and saying “I want a relationship like Kara’s.” No, you don’t. Go find a Winn or a Maggie, whichever your preference may be. They might not be perfect, but at the end of the day they know how to treat you the way you deserve to be treated: with respect. Ultimately though, I think there were some memorable moments which came out of this episode, with Maggie getting backstory, Sanvers celebrating their first Valentine’s Day and Winn finding love. Aside from Mxyzptlk, there wasn’t really a villain story this week, and it’s kind of refreshing every once in a while to see our characters at peace and not dealing with some looming alien threat. The previews for next week look amazing, and it seems like the action is picking back up, so I’m definitely looking forward to that. Again I say, bring it Supergirl!!
Winn is also getting some love this Valentine’s Day. He is rescued from a mean bar alien by a girl named Lyra, who also happens to be an alien. While talking to Lyra after she rescues him, Winn learns that he and the girl actually seem quite compatible. After all, Lyra is from Starhaven (like the astronomy professor Kara rescued last season), which is Winn’s number one bucket list planet to visit. Lyra also senses their connection and asks Winn out on a date. Unfortunately, Lyra is used to dealing with pigs when it comes to male humans and assumes that Winn is only interested in a one-time experience with an alien. However, Winn is above most of the males of our species and is actually looking for a genuine relationship. Regardless of what other people might think, Winn has no problems dating an alien. He’s capable of looking past their differences and wants to actually get to know Lyra, much to her surprise and happiness. I’m curious to see where this relationship goes in the coming episodes. It is so nice to see that Winn has finally evolved beyond being the guy who longingly pines after Kara. He seems like a grown up, knowing what he wants out of a relationship and putting his foot down, even when dealing with a rather intimidating woman. I guess Siobhan prepared him for that. Winn is a good guy and he deserves a love to call his own. I just hope this woman doesn’t end up in love with someone else or crazy like his last couple of love interests. Lyra seems nice enough though. A little intense, maybe, but nice.
The rest of the episode, and really, the bulk of the episode, was actually somewhat disappointing. I had high hopes for the Mxyzptlk story. The character is always a nuisance, but they typically manage to at the very least make him amusing. However, in the case of this episode, the only thing he served to do was highlight the fact that Kara’s role in her own show has become increasingly overshadowed by a non-compelling romance. In the end, this part of the episode boiled down to two men fighting a battle over a woman, without giving any concern whatsoever to her feelings, opinions, or desires. Mxyzptlk is the epitome of a man who cannot take no for an answer. Kara has absolutely no idea who this guy is, despite the fact that he seems to have been stalking her across dimensions for quite some time. Since he knows everything about her and wants her as his wife, the expectation is that she’ll have no issue agreeing to marry him on the spot, no questions asked. When she says no, he begins patronizing her with suggestions of “playing hard to get” and other clichés, making him just like any other dangerous, entitled man who believes himself to be god’s gift to women. It was tedious and not at all fun to watch. This show is supposed to be about female empowerment and not an hour-long reminder of the crappy things chauvinistic men do to women on a daily basis. Mxyzptlk becomes violent and begins staging chaos to force Kara’s hand, trying to kill bank robbers, and bringing Parasite back to life. Marry me or else. Like I said. Not fun to watch. I did have to laugh when the jewelry store robber thanks Supergirl for saving him from being killed by Mxyzptlk and she knocks him out. The poor girl has enough crazy men to deal with in her life right now. She doesn’t need more. Hero that she is though, Kara does come up with a plan to get rid of Mxyzptlk. After Mon El belatedly tells Kara that he has to say his name backwards in order to be stopped, Kara uses some J’onn insight to send Mxyzptlk back to the 5th dimension. In an earlier conversation, J’onn talks about sending a Valentine’s Day message to M’gann on Mars (which was a very sweet gesture and a good reminder that his relationship with her has not been forgotten). Anyway, J’onn says something along the lines of how writing something down is the most powerful way to actually say it. Kara takes that sentiment to heart and tricks Mxyzptlk into typing his name backwards in Kryptonian. Even though he doesn’t say it out loud, it’s enough to force him back to his world. That was quite clever. I give Kara props for that. Still, even though Kara solves this problem all by herself, and is her own hero, that idea gets totally lost in the unnecessary love triangle drama that makes up this story. If that’s all the better they can use him, I can’t say that I have any desire to see Mxyzptlk return any time soon.
“I didn’t see you there tall, dark and blandsome.” Quite frankly, Mon El isn’t much better than Mxyzptlk in this episode. Jealousy is not a color that looks good on him, especially when he too becomes a patronizing dudebro who refuses to listen to Kara when she tells him she has the situation under control. He goes so far as to suggest that she’s a damsel in distress who isn’t capable of recognizing when she’s in over her head. Have you met her, Mon El? She’s saved your butt on multiple occasions. Check yourself, bro. Of course, instead of trying to work with Kara, Mon El keeps Kara in the dark about the way to stop Mxyzptlk, and tries to take him on solo in a duel to the death. It’s as if everything Kara says to him just hits a wall before it ever makes it to Mon El’s brain. He has the audacity to tell Kara that she’s full of herself when he spends the whole episode nursing wounds from the ridiculous notion that Kara likes Myxzptlk better than him, and trying to make her feel guilty for having feelings for him that she doesn’t have. I honestly wish that their “break up” had been the real deal. After seeing this display, it’s clear that Mon El is not worthy of Kara. He has no respect for her whatsoever. As a result, it is enormously frustrating to watch Kara just take him back at the end of the episode. What is she seeing in him that I’m not? Patronizing, egotistical, and disrespectful are not qualities I personally look for in a romantic partner. This episode sank any interest I had in the Karamel relationship.
This episode was fairly easy to divide as it mostly centered on three specific relationship stories. There wasn’t a lot of sub plot. While I mostly enjoyed the episode, I still take serious issue with the portrayal of Kara and Mon El’s relationship. When the heroine is settling for a guy who does not treat her with the courtesy and respect that she deserves, I do not understand why she still remains interested in him. I feel like that sends a very negative message to young girls watching this show and saying “I want a relationship like Kara’s.” No, you don’t. Go find a Winn or a Maggie, whichever your preference may be. They might not be perfect, but at the end of the day they know how to treat you the way you deserve to be treated: with respect. Ultimately though, I think there were some memorable moments which came out of this episode, with Maggie getting backstory, Sanvers celebrating their first Valentine’s Day and Winn finding love. Aside from Mxyzptlk, there wasn’t really a villain story this week, and it’s kind of refreshing every once in a while to see our characters at peace and not dealing with some looming alien threat. The previews for next week look amazing, and it seems like the action is picking back up, so I’m definitely looking forward to that. Again I say, bring it Supergirl!!