Supergirl: “Childish Things”
(Episode 1.10)

We’re all guilty of hiding things. Facts about ourselves, skills we don’t want to own up to, feelings that make our lives complicated. But what’s the value in hiding? And how do we know what things hurt us when they’re hidden, and what things help us?
Supergirl doesn’t really have an answer for us, but it’s certainly an interesting question. Credit where credit is due: Supergirl excels at thematic writing. Posing a question or theme at the outset, and then working to pull A, B, C, and D plots, character development, and even dialogue together to address a specific idea is no easy task. This is particularly true because it does tend to muddy the waters. We often go to television for simple answers. Black & white guidance for a grey world can be comforting, encouraging, and even empowering. So what then, can we take from an episode that doesn’t just reinforce the popular opinion that we should be proud to be ourselves, to share who we really are with the world?
It really shouldn’t come as a surprise that “Childish Things” has less to do with the appearance of Toyman then it does with the concepts of hidden identities. The very first conversation between our leads features Hank shooting down Kara’s suggestion that he take up the mantle of J’onn J’onzz fulltime. What’s good for the pretty blond superhero isn’t necessarily good for the green, seven foot tall Martian. It’s not an unfair point, and one that tonight’s episode repeatedly returns too when Hank is pressed to use his powers.
Still we live in a world of show, don’t tell, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that Hank is ultimately put in a position where using his powers is absolutely necessary. What’s perhaps less expected is that instead of feeling liberated by the opportunity to “be yourself”, Hank ends up violating his own moral code. He’s put between risking exposure or ruining someone else’s life, and in the end uses the very powers that make him unique and special to harm another person. You could argue that he didn’t have a choice in this matter, but in the end that’s not where Supergirl is aiming. For Hank, the simple act of being J’onn puts him in an untenable situation. Being himself is not only hard, it’s dangerous. He’s a time bomb waiting to go off; all it takes is the right combination of bad luck and lack of choice.