James falls in deeper with the Children of Liberty in his efforts to meet Agent Liberty. Supergirl and Manchester Black follow a lead on Agent Liberty's location, but things take a dark turn. Lena kicks off her first set of trials.
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.
"Rather the Fallen Angel" was written by Dana Horgan & Katie Rose Rogers and directed by Chad Lowe
This season has asked the audience to see Manchester Black as an anti-hero. He has done plenty of heroic things. He has allied himself with Supergirl and J'onn. However, he fully condones torturing and murder in order to get justice against the man who killed Fiona. It's a new type of character that the show hasn't really depicted before. There was never any reason to question his status in relation to everything else happening on the show. However, this episode spends most of its running time with its main characters agonizing over what type of hero Manchester Black is. That's not a good use of time for anyone. And so, it features Supergirl acting foolishly on a number of instances. She is convinced that she should trust Manchester completely because J'onn believes there is no way he could have killed humans. He is wrong to believe that and offer that advice to Kara with no caveats whatsoever. And then, Manchester convinces Supergirl that it's better to launch a sneak attack against Agent Liberty on Shelley Island than inform the DEO about the information they have just uncovered. That's ridiculous because this season has made a point in saying that Supergirl is an agent for this government agency. She takes orders from Alex and Haley. They need to be updated about her actions. Instead, Supergirl just flies into a trap because it's convenient and intense for the story that this particular hour is telling. It's important for her to be in danger so that everyone can be aware of the type of man Manchester is. But again, it's a waste of time because it's confirming information the audience already knows. Moreover, James doesn't add a whole lot to this story even though he is also on Shelley Island and forced to show his devotion to the Children of Liberty. Now, it's been easy to question James' decisions as of late. He sees the value in trying to infiltrate this organization and change minds. He did succeed in that endeavor after all. But now, he doesn't see the harm that could be done through Guardian destroying this monument that welcomes aliens to Earth. That's absolutely foolish and proves that he is not the most insightful person in National City. He doesn't fully understand the optics of any situation. As such, he is forced to admit that Lena may actually know best when it comes to protecting his identity and reputation as Guardian. Of course, Lena is facing her own moral crisis this week. Her story is actually much more engaging and entertaining than anything else that's happening. She is faced with a real dilemma when it comes time for human trials for her potential cure to all diseases. She believes she has manipulated the Harun-El in order to help the human body. She sees the potential perils of her creation. She knows that this substance could become dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands. She still moves forward with the trials even though it will almost certainly end in death. That's the exact outcome that befalls Adam here. Lena believed she could remove personal attachments from this research. But she can't do that. This is personal. It could change the world. She just doesn't know if it's worth the risk. Adam dies even though he seemed like the perfect candidate for the injection. She wanted to give it to someone who wouldn't want to be a hero or villain. But the situation is far more complicated than that. This testing will probably continue. But it's bound to have a significant impact on the various stories this season as well.
