Everyone gathers for Thanksgiving but Kara is feeling down after her televised debate with Ben Lockwood about the anti-alien sentiment coursing through National City. James and Lena argue about the best way to handle the Children of Liberty.
In 2018, it has become very difficult to keep up with every television show out there. It's even more difficult to provide adequate coverage on this site about the episodes that air every week. Not every show can get full coverage because of my busy and hectic viewing schedule. As such, some reviews will now be condensed to give only some summary thoughts. But it also affords a space for me to jot down my thoughts on the various episodes. And so, here are my thoughts on this week's episode of The CW's Supergirl.
"Call to Action" was written by Gabriel Llanas & Daniel Beaty and directed by Antonio Negret
Supergirl fights a dragon at one point during this episode. That's absolutely insane and potentially crosses into some new fantasy story element all together. Moreover, it highlights how this hour is a little scattered. There are lots of meaningful plot movements. However, the focus isn't as tight as this strong season has been up to this point. There is an important conversation about whether or not it's worth the effort to talk down the people who have been radicalized with hatred. That fuels the tension between James and Lena at the moment. Lena doesn't see the point in infiltrating the Children of Liberty hoping to expose who they truly are. Their hateful rhetoric is already plain to see. It highlights just how easy it is to fear the unknown especially in a world where so much destruction has occurred. Meanwhile, James believes that he can use his words instead of his fists in order to convince the people in the movement that violence isn't the proper response against aliens. Sure, it requires him to be ignorant when it comes to the dogs being able to detect aliens and the houses then being marked. That turns up the intensity during the last portion of this episode. But he still succeeds with his endeavor as well because he saves the life of someone who believes in this movement. As such, he is willing to introduce him to the people who can lead him to Agent Liberty. It sends James further into the danger with him believing he's making a difference even though it has caused tension with his friends. Elsewhere, Kara and Alex also believe that they are standing up for what's right. It just comes at the awkward time where they are defying orders at the DEO because Haley doesn't see things the same way. She believes in following protocol. The chain of command means so much to her. Alex and Kara trust their guts though. Their instincts are more or less right. That threatens to make Haley a pretty one-note character though whose convictions always contradict the more familiar characters only for her to be apologizing to them by the conclusion of the episode. That's a pattern that will become very familiar and formulaic sooner rather than later. Kara hopes that her words can be just as inspiring as her actions as Supergirl. However, her appearance on a talk show debating with Ben Lockwood mostly shows how she doesn't know how to fight this battle. It's a story that ends with Ben getting his own show and Kara feeling out of her depth. She is still doing so much good in the world. She protects the city as Supergirl while spotlighting alien stories as a reporter. However, that may not be enough. Of course, that is just a tease throughout this episode. There are many of those happening here too. Manchester Black has officially become an anti-hero because he has no problem torturing the Children of Liberty for answers. He seeks revenge for Fiona's death which is a really lame plot point. Meanwhile, Lena believes her experiments could allow humans to become just as powerful as aliens. She is just going to have to be really careful with her testing on live subjects because it will be very dangerous. And finally, Nia mentions that she has narcolepsy with everyone showing concern but her being very reluctant to see a doctor about it. That has to be important. However, it seems like a random plot point to include right now in an overall busy episode.
