Man, this season has been annoying. Season 4 was up there with season 1 as by far the best the show has ever been (though actually for very different reasons) but season 5 has wasted so much of that goodwill. The best stuff by far is the Lena/ Kara tension but even that has gotten by mostly through very committed performances by the two actresses - never more so than this last episode - because however much I see what's it's trying to, it just isn't very convincing. The Martian stuff isn't overly interesting and though it's hardly without its heart-wrenching moments, it feels incredibly rushed.
As for the relationships, the Alex/ Kelly relationship is horribly boring thanks to Kelly being almost laughably under-written and there being very little chemistry between the two actresses. And I say this as someone who was a real fan of Alex's coming out AND budding relationship with Maggie in season 2 - it was arguably the best thing about that season and the only romantic relationship that has actually convinced on this show. Don't even get me started on how much I hate the idea of Kara and that annoying reporter dude being a thing because even after the "big reveal" he was still fairly obnoxious, if even blander than before.
And then there's the bloody Leviathan reveal. Seriously, after all that, they're just another bunch of alien refugees - just, ya know, much older than most. A human conspiracy would work but this is just the most boring path they could have taken. And to waste Mitch Pileggi on this nonsense (I was thrilled when I saw his name in the credits and then...oof) is just criminal.
At this point, I would have preferred if they just delayed the show until after Crisis because this first half of the season has been over-crammed, rushed and haphazardly thought out, despite starting off with so much potential.
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It's hard for me to see it as rushed when it's been such a thoroughline for the show since the premier. I mean, maybe Malefic's forgiveness might seem a little too quick, but we still have yet to see how they'll explore it.
I don't know if a human conspiracy would inherently be a better alternative. I mean, there not just alien refugees but an alien Illuminati with godlike and biblical powers who we still don't know very much about.And then there's the bloody Leviathan reveal. Seriously, after all that, they're just another bunch of alien refugees - just, ya know, much older than most. A human conspiracy would work but this is just the most boring path they could have taken. And to waste Mitch Pileggi on this nonsense (I was thrilled when I saw his name in the credits and then...oof) is just criminal.
I don't have the fondness for Pileggi that others do but I thought he did a good job here. And I appreciate that he was willing to put on a relatively more comic-accurate costume .
1 - Malefic's turnabout might seem quick to some, but this was J'onn's story. It was about his journey of guilt, shame and finally empathy for Malefic that by the time he offered himself up to his brother, he quickly experienced what we've seen with J'onn all season in ten seconds. Sometimes you gotta move a story along, so if you bought J'onn's story thus far, then that moment with Malefic should work.
2 - Maybe they thought they had already done the human conspiracy type stuff with the Sons of Liberty. I'm still intrigued enough by the Leviathan revelation and we don't really know that much yet.
3 - What comics-accurate costume? He's in the comics?
I agree with everything you just said.
As much as I'm looking forward to Crisis, I think this has been to the detriment of the shows that aren't directly involved in the build-up, but most especially to Supergirl. Leviathan is something that you could have built up over several seasons, going through multiple levels of the organization until you get to the people (or aliens) at the top. Instead, because they have to rush through this due to the crossover, we have Kara learning their name one week, and the very next week we get the exposition that reveals EVERYTHING. At this point, I'm honestly hoping that they take a page out of the comics and have Lillian come back and take control of Leviathan after Kara beats Shaka Khan, and have Lillian turn it into Cadmus 2.0 or something.
As for Alex and Kelly- dear god. I love the character of Alex Danvers, and I've enjoyed her journey up until now. But I can't stand Kelly, AT ALL. She is such a Mary Sue character, who can magically do what needs to be done for the plot that week- she's TERRIBLE! And while I'm sure the actress is a very lovely person, I get NOTHING from her, at all. And you're right- she has ZERO chemistry with Chyler. With Alex and Maggie, it was believable, and because there was great chemistry between the two actresses, Maggie went from a special guest star to almost a regular. But Kelly is a waxwork with the personality of one, her writing is overly contrived, and she's just a poorly developed character. Personally, I think she should have just left with James.
I keep seeing that people are worried about Kara and the reporter getting together. Maybe I'm just not paying close enough attention, but I just don't see that happening. Honestly, I'd like it if they just kept Kara single and have her be a single, successful, powerful woman. I think that's much more interesting than more romantic drama, especially since almost every other character on the show is in some kind of relationship.
As for Lena- well, we know she's in the Crisis, so at this point I'm wondering if Kara (or even Lex) will be able to talk some sense into her, or if her help comes because she's a prisoner at the DEO, but they need her brain.
Well I guess Yin did such a good job for Gotham PD that she got promoted to SHIELD agent.
He's a handsome man, that's the logical conclusion. Unfortunately, I think there's a double standard with having to keep Kara single to make her successful and powerful. Oliver and Barry both had longtime love interests whom they eventually married. You could argue that Felicity and Iris do take away some agency from the main hero and talk down to them while taking the moral high road, but I don't think the producers ever thought they were making those characters less heroic by settling them down and marrying them off. When it comes to Supergirl, a female hero, though? It may look like that for her, which in itself is a problem because why can't a woman be happily married and have a job and be a superhero too?
I wonder if part of it is that Supergirl doesn't have a longstanding, epic, romance like most "A-list" characters have. She doesn't really have a Steve Trevor (even if there was a period of time where Steve was severely downplayed). The closest is Dick Malverne (who the show made into a bad guy) and Brainiac 5.
Granted, that didn't stop the Arrowverse writers from making Felicity Smoak a thing over Black Canary (for good or ill depending on who you ask) but I think it's a relevant issue.
I don't think it has anything to do with Kara being a woman. There are almost no happily married superheroes in the comics in general. And of the CW shows, Black Lightning and Barry both had their female "destined" love interests in place when the show started (obviously same for Superman - he and Lois have been destined forever) Ollie and Felicity eventually got together, but it was a very very long and bumpy road and by the time they really settled into family Felicity left and the show's ending. Kara's never had a "destined" love interest like Lois Lane so anyone would be a tougher sell and as they've stated, this season is all about Kara and Lena. I did like her with M'onel, so maybe they'll refocus on her romance next season.
Frankly, I hope Mon-El is never even mentioned again. I don't think any Supergirl writer understands how to write real romantic relationships.
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It really seemed that Mon-El was going to be Kara's true love like Iris is to Barry. They even had the musical episode showing only a true love kiss could bring them back. But it seems the ultra feminists and Supercorp shippers bashed Mon-El and Chris Wood so hard that the actor wanted to get out of the show because he got tired of the abuse. Even the writers said before Season 3 started that Mon-El was Kara's true love.
I liked him too, but the show ruined his and Kara's romantic relationship in S3. I'd like him to return for the final season and get back together with Kara with both realizing they are really in love just to screw with the Supercorp shippers...