The CW's Supergirl - Episode 4.08 "Bunker Hill"
Nia has a powerful dream about Agent Liberty but refuses to look at it as a prophetic dream and pushes it aside. After noticing something is bothering Nia, Kara enlists Brainy's help, and the two try to persuade Nia to embrace her destiny. Manchester Black pays Ben Lockwood a menacing visit.
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.
"Bunker Hill" was written by Rob Wright & Eric Carrasco and directed by Kevin Smith
Supergirl bounces back after last week's minor misstep to deliver an episode that includes all of the powerful themes of the season so far while also throwing in a couple of unexpected twists. Ben Lockwood was revealed to be Agent Liberty to the audience early on this season. An entire episode was devoted about how he came to carry that persona. And now, Ben Lockwood is revealed to be Agent Liberty to the entire world within the show. That's a huge event to occur in the eighth episode of the season. Sure, it should make everyone question why he was given a news show in the first place - and one that apparently only aired once a week in a non-primetime time slot. But that also swells around the idea that Ben may not be in prison for long. This hour is fundamentally about exposing him for who he truly is. The world needs to associate a man with this terrorist organization and the attacks they have committed. Supergirl has a victory in that regard. Agent Liberty is arrested. He has been exposed to the world. She succeeded in that endeavor without losing her moral compass. That was a path that Manchester Black struggled with significantly. Here, he is holding Ben and his wife, Lydia, hostage in order to make them suffer like he has suffered following Fiona's murder. He wants to kill the man who took the love of his life away from him. He sees himself as beyond redemption. There is no more code to follow in the hopes of living a pure and devout life. That's still the path that J'onn wants for him. It's because of J'onn's psychic interventions that things escalate as much as they do between Manchester and Ben. It means the brit doesn't always have the upper hand in this fight. It means that they eventually escape and engage in a fight in the Nth metal factory. That was the business that destroyed the Lockwood family company. The competition was just too extreme for them to survive. And now, it seems destined to be the place where all of this ends for the remaining members of the family. However, both Ben and Lydia survive. The heroes of this story see the importance of saving lives with the hopes that redemption can be found. J'onn is the only person who potentially still sees that in Manchester. Supergirl struggles with that because Manchester pulls out a couple of new tools that significantly damage her during this fight. However, that's what makes it so rewarding when Nia comes into her own as a hero as well. She reveals herself to be an alien to Kara and Brainy here. More importantly, she is the once in a generation woman who has been gifted with the ability to see into the future. As such, she has the power to change the outcomes. It's because of her that Lydia survives this encounter with Manchester. Of course, Lydia doesn't know that. She learns what her husband has been doing and stands proudly beside him when he's sent away to prison. Even though Supergirl rescues her, she still has a perspective of putting humans first. That's the sentiment that is growing throughout the country. Even the President believes that actions need to be taken to ensure that the government is trustworthy even when teaming with aliens. It leads to the shocking decision of Supergirl quitting the DEO because she can't reveal her true identity as Kara Danvers. That's a huge action that could disrupt the effectiveness of both Kara and Alex to do their jobs. It may result in an even more divided population. Transparency can often be a good thing. This show is depicting the complexities of it though and the cost that it can have for the heroes. They are now following orders from people who don't understand the world in the same way. That can be very scary and uncertain.
