SUPERGIRL 6.3

 

RECAP - SUPERGIRL  6.3:  "Phantom Menaces"  

The Superfriends continue to be frustrated at what happened previously in regards to their failed attempt to rescue Supergirl from the Phantom Zone.  It's hurt morale a bit...especially for J'onn and Alex, who have taken it hard in their own way.  Brainy's mental state is two-pronged:  upset that he's not been able to help rescue Supergirl, and for having himself manipulated by Lex.  With Lex cleared of his crimes, and now a free man, it's nagging him to no end.  Meanwhile, Kara herself is working with her newly discovered alive father, Zor-El, in finding a way to escape the dimension, and return to Earth.  And Lex....well....he's continuing to make his own moves, and thus he begins sparring with his sister Lena again.  

The team had to face another problem this week, as one of the Phantoms they fought last week managed to escape, and infected Silas.  It's explained to us that when the Phantoms strike you and infect a person, their soul gets sucked out of them, and they end up becoming like a minion to the Phantom, and begin to start infecting others like a virus.  Silas unfortunately suffers that fate, as his soul leaves, and he becomes one of the minions they have to contain while they try to figure out HOW to stop the Phantom before it infects the city.  They have to race against time, and M'gann suggests trying to take them head on before they spread, but J'onn is focusing more on his logic and training as a soldier, trying to eliminate the emotions he's going through, and it's causing him to completely take everything from a military standpoint, without feeling.  Alex is also suffering, because she feels helpless ad lost without Kara, and doesn't have the urge to go on....but Kelly, having been a voice of reason for her AND for Andrea as of late, gives Alex the motivation to keep going.  J'onn also tries to push her as well.  

Things go from bad to worse when the team discovers that the progeny of the Phantom are striking in the city, and they notice M'gann went out on her own to face them, and got struck for her troubles.  They get her back to the Tower, but she's infected, and her lifeforce will leave her body, and she'll become another progeny unless they can find a way to save her.  Alex figures out that if the essence of M'gann is still within J'onn...he can use that to save her.  The team has to fight off the Phantom and its progeny as J'onn works to save M'gann.  His memory transfer works, and the threat is ended, as the Phantom is returned to the Zone, and the progeny are taken down.  With M'gann saved, J'onn finally starts opening up to her, and we can see that Alex's words paid off about not giving up...even when all hope is lost.  Having learned and taken Kelly's words to heart, Alex later on asks Kelly to move in with her, which she happily agrees.  

Brainy's frustrations all episode reach their peak, as he not only is still trying to map the fractured Phantom Zone, but also having to hear news reports about Lex Luthor being a free man to do what he wants.  This is the first time we honestly see Brainiac lose control emotionally.  He's not the only one who has to deal with Lex, as Lena has to fight with him as well.  Lena had locked Lex out of the Luthorcorp system, but handed her an injunction that forced her to have to give him access, otherwise, the investigation into her will only get worse.  Lena strikes back by emptying the account and donating money to the children's wing of the hospital in National City.  As Lena was helping Brainy with the progeny and the Phantom situation, they find out that Lex had caused a fire in the children's wing, and to make sure he blames Lena for the "faulty wiring" in the building as the cause, since she was in charge of such things.  This brings both to a boil, and Lena wishes she could kill her brother, but she knows better.  Brainy actually wants to go through with it, because he hates him so much.  Lena manages to talk him down, and later on, she plays one more card:  she makes a deal with the DA that he'll drop the charges against her, and the investigation will stop, if she gives up the company to Lex...which she does.  She's done fighting with him, and playing his game.  He tells her that she'll not see a dime from the company, but she doesn't care. He says that she'll miss battling with him, because she hates him.  She admits that she does indeed hate him, but she's not willing to put the effort into playing his game anymore.  

As for our intrepid Girl of Steel...as she and her father Zor-El try to find a way to escape the Zone, they hitch a ride with a Phantom, only to get transported elsewhere in the Zone, and Kara gets hurt for her troubles with an injured leg.  To make things even MORE difficult for the Maid of Might, her father gets kidnapped by some other prisoners, and taken away.  Unable to follow, Kara is saved by a woman named Nixly who is an imp just like Myxzptlk.  She says she was a princess in her realm, but was banished by her horrible father because he didn't think she was good enough to lead their people, and was embarrassed by her.  He powers had been dampened by a wrist bracelet, but she has this crystal ball that she tries to use to free herself.  She tells her story to Kara, and she says that the other prisoners plan on sacrificing her father in order to satisfy the monsters here.  Kara tries to convince Nixy that she can be more, and that she doesn't deserve to be here anymore than she does.  Nixy somehow manages to get herself free of the power-dampening bracelet, and has her powers return.  She then heals Kara, and they go and find Zor-El, managing to rescue him from certain death.  With Nixy's powers working, Kara realizes that they can use her powers to find a way OUT of the Zone...without having to hitch a ride with the Phantoms.  

Not a bad episode, got a little more story movement, but it also feels like this show is just waiting for the return of Supergirl to Earth, and finally finding a way to take Lex down once and for all.  We do get a chance to see more character development for our cast, but it also desperately needs the Girl of Steel to interact with them.  I do believe that we will get her return here shortly, and what happens then is anyone's guess.

I WILL say, though...this new Imp...Nixy...is someone to keep an eye on.  I would like to think that she's a tad like Mixy...but you have to be careful with Imps...they're troublemakers.  And with Nixy...it's easy to believe her sob story, but Kara is ALWAYS trusting of people....even when she's gotten burned by it.  She needs to keep a wary eye.  And as far as WHEN they escape...what becomes of her father?  Will HE get delusions of grandeur knowing the powers he'll have under Earth's yellow sun?  Or will he return to Argo and reunite with Alura?  I don't want to think the worst, but since he's been cooped up in the Zone for so long, I wonder how it's effected his mind.

This episode saw two sets of people lean on each other when they needed each other the most:  Alex and J'onn, and Lena and Brainy.  Alex and J'onn have suffered greatly on an emotional level with Kara in the Zone, and the inability to just simply rescue her.  Both feel like they've lost a major battle, and without Kara in their lives, they feel lost and that life isn't worth it---even though they DO have others in their circle to lean on and love them.  Namely, M'gann and Kelly.  And honestly...let's hear it for Kelly for being the absolute voice of reason these first few episodes.  She has been a super trooper, and the rock to EVERYONE when needed.  That is her strength, because she's been where J'onn and Alex have been.  And for Alex to use Kelly's words on J'onn shows that Kelly has become an essential to the team.  As for Lena and Brainy---they have been behind the plot to destroy Lex, and they have found that---despite their best efforts---he manages to find a way around their best laid plans.  This finally allows them to vent their anger---especially Brainy.  And as much as I know Brainy would LOVE to kill Lex...and Lena does, too...Lena convinces him that it's a path they can't go down.  So, Lena plays her one other card in her hand:  she bows out.  She gives Lex everything---the company, any other business holdings...all of it.  By taking herself off the board, she takes away one of the things Lex loves to have:  someone to spar with.  And with his sister deciding to walk away, it takes away a bit of the fun for Lex, and a family member who shuns him at every turn.  Now, she refuses to play the game, and I feel that, deep down, he'll miss that, and crave that.  But with her not engaging, it will frustrate him a little.  But, as his butler asked him at the end of the episode...now that he's WON and has it all---what's next?  For Lex, having it all is NEVER enough.  A megalomaniac like Lex can NEVER have enough...so, as he opened a portal to travel elsewhere, he's out to get MORE.  Lex Luthor can NEVER have enough power.  This is part of his obsession with Superman and Supergirl:  their Kryptonian DNA makes them GODS on Earth...near unlimited power (aside from the effects of Kryptonite), and they don't USE that power to their potential...or for their personal benefit.  Instead, they had family that gave them a sense of right and wrong, who raised them to be honest, caring, loving people who see their powers as a gift for the benefit of all---not to rule with an iron fist.  Lex hates that---because that power SHOULD belong to HIM.  And he will stop at NOTHING to get it.  

So, how did all of YOU like this episode?  What did YOU get out of it?  Subscribe below and let me know what YOUR opinions and theories are.  

Until next time....Up. up, and away!