4 Moments of Frustration from Supergirl‘s “Luthors”

(Episode 2.12)

TV Lists Supergirl
4 Moments of Frustration from Supergirl‘s “Luthors”

With Valentine’s Day hot on its heels, last night’s Supergirl is a veritable feels fest. From Alex to J’onn to Lena, everyone seems to have caught a case of the emotional heebie jeebies. And it’s not just romance that’s problematic.

Complicated feelings about friendship and family have a way of making even the most badass of characters feel, well, vulnerable. It’s not pleasant to watch. Maybe it even had you yelling at your TV a few times last night. Let’s take a look at this week’s top four feels-induced moments of frustration.

1. Wait, wait… you’re telling me they didn’t know?

Discovering yourself is hard. Revealing those newly discovered parts of yourself to friends is even harder. Still, if you expect me to believe that D.E.O. rock star Alex Danvers is just now getting around to introducing the equally awesome Maggie Sawyer as her girlfriend, I’m so not on board.

Being vulnerable is all well and good, but Alex and Maggie got together back in November. They’ve had relationship arguments in the middle of the D.E.O. Maggie took—well, tried to take—Alex to a Barenaked Ladies concert! That’s true love.

If nerves about how her friends would react caused Alex to hesitate, I guess I can understand. It’s a big change. But come on! Of course they’re going to be happy for you, Alex. Your friends are awesome and Maggie is awesome. And awesome squared can never go wrong. They accept Alex and Maggie instantly, as friends should. And if they hadn’t, I would’ve punched them in the nose myself.

2. Thanks, J’onn, for reopening that very painful wound.

M’gann is gone. At least for the foreseeable future. If you’ve started to heal from last week’s Casablanca-style, “We’ll always have Earth” ending, watch normally stoic J’onn J’onzz mope into his beer. That week’s worth of healing? Yep, completely undone. No cheeky comments about being psychic or last minute Supergirl rescues are going to make up for having to restart the M’gann healing process. You think about that, J’onn J’onzz. You think about what you’ve done.

3. Mon-El and Kara need to get on the same page.

Ugh, love. After last week, we all know Kara shares Mon-El’s more-than-friends feelings. Having spent the entirety of last season watching an epic game of “will they, won’t they” between her and James, I’m not emotionally ready to do this again. The longing stares. The nervous lip biting. The irrational anger and awkwardness around your love interest’s love interest. Come on, Kara! You know he still likes you. People who offer up halting declarations of love don’t just get over it in two weeks. And even if you weren’t sure, Eve told you.

Not that Mon-El is helping at all. I like you, dude. You’re adorable and funny and helpful in a super-powered battle. I just need you to connect the dots a little bit faster. Hopefully before Mr. Mxyzptlk—a.k.a. the Great Gazoo—accidently transports us all into some rape culture-fueled, forced marriage alternate dimension.

4. Lena, take a deep breath. We need to talk.

Lena Luthor’s love for her off-screen brother, Lex, may very well be justified. His adorable younger self certainly seems to have earned it. Scared four-year-old Lena seeks an anchor in the face of meeting the terrifying Lillian? “I’m your new brother.” Smooth brotherly move, little Lex. Your adorableness is approaching Stranger Things levels.

Mama Luthor, though? No, you don’t need her. Lillian’s bombshell drop that Lena is actually a Luthor, and not just a poor little orphan they took in, definitely knocked the least evil Luthor for a loop. Wanting to connect to your family is normal. Still, when your mom’s modus operandi is emotional manipulation and intergalactic genocide, things need to change. You need to start being a little more cynical about her motives.

I don’t want to tell you how to deal with your family, Lena. I’ve never had to testify against my mother for trying to murder a beloved superhero. Not even during my moody teenage years. I’m just saying that maybe taking advice from happy-go-lucky Kara isn’t the best course of action. Trust your gut when it comes to Lillian. And whatever you do, make it overly clear that you’re not in on any schemes she’s involved in. Even if the world wants you to be just one more evil Luthor, don’t make it easy on them. Saying nothing in the face of jailbreaks and evil-looking chess games can only bring trouble.


Katherine Siegel is a Chicago-based writer and director, and a regular contributor to Paste. You can find out more by checking out her website or follow her on Twitter.

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