SUPERGIRL 6.13

 

RECAP - SUPERGIRL  6.13:  "The Gauntlet"

With Nyxly finally ready to track down the next totem...the Totem of Courage...to help fuel her desire to conquer the universe, it's put the Superfriends in a bind, and they cannot track her anymore, due to having used their last device to help the citizens of The Heights to stop Councilwoman Rankin from reshaping it in her own image with her newfound powers.  Undaunted though, they continue to try and search for the totems themselves to try and cut Nyxly off at the pass.  Lena finally returns, and she is still trying to process the fact that she's got magic powers.  This week, the race is on for the Courage Totem. 

The team had quite a task this week, as they had to battle Nyxly over control of the Courage Totem, which she had found using Mitch's help (I keep getting that guy's name mixed up...mostly because I feel he' such a USELESS character), and it's located at the National City Science Museum.  They end up meeting her there, and have a battle over it, but as Nyxly tries to use it, Supergirl zaps it with her heat vision, thus splitting it in half.  Problem is, with it split in half, the Totem has 5th Dimensional energy flowing from it, and it's affected most everyone in the building that was in the radius of it when the Girl of Steel split it in half.  Nyxly makes her escape thanks to Mitch with half the totem, and the Superfriends get the other half.  They need to get more information about how to stop the totem from spewing out more energy, and since it's magical in nature, Supergirl and Lena head to the Fortress to consult Veda, one of the Kryptonian Witches who fills them in on the power of the totem.  Veda says that the only way to stop it is from passing the Gauntlet---a test that the totem expects the wielder to pass.  And since Supergirl is the one who broke the damn thing, SHE gets to run this Gauntlet--meaning, she'll have to face her biggest fears in order to pass.  Lena, however, doesn't tell Kara about her magic powers....yet.

William is chastised by Andrea about his Superfriends story, and he tries to say that he's not able to get access, but she wants him to get back to his old reporting ways, or he's going to be fired.  He's going back to when he was shot by Eve Tessmacher the last time he was anywhere near Supergirl, and he's going through a bit of PTSD.  We then meet a Dr. Beatrice Larr, who is trying to create a project that will allow her to harness lightning for energy, but her former partner stole the research, saying that it was too dangerous.  During the scrum between Nyxly and the Superfriends, she managed to get the suitcase with the research, and was also affected by the 5th Dimensional energy.  So, she begins work on her project with her assistant.

One of the drawbacks of that battle, was the fact that Alex got affected by the energy, and she became reckless, running into battle without thinking, facing down one of Nyxly's dragons, and J'onn was affected as well...complimenting everyone on their performances.  We find out later that Brainy was also infected, as his calculations had been mere guesses, and not based on mathematical accuracy.  Even William...who'd been there to cover the battle at the museum...thanks to a tip by Nia...got affected. Both Nyxly and Kara at this time begin the Gauntlet, but both fail a few times...as they totem wants them to face their greatest moment of fear.  For Nyxly, it's the moment she was found out as a traitor to her father for her coup she was planning.  For Supergirl, it was the night of Alex's plane being struck, and it was when she first became Supergirl.  Kara also fails, because she can't seem to figure out where the fear would be.  Nyxly gets help from Mitch, who explains to her the situation, and that it wasn't the fear of being caught by her father....it was the betrayal by her brother---and that he willing just turned on her when she needed him most, despite her love for him, and willingness to do anything for him.  She ends up passing the test.  Supergirl...despite her best efforts...cannot.  Even Lena tries to help her, conversing with Veda for another way, and Veda comments that a human with magical powers could possibly contain the totem.  

Things get interrupted by the lightning storm thanks to Dr. Larr's lightning machine.  Supergirl keeps trying to pass the Gauntlet as the team tries to go and stop Dr. Larr's machine.  Naturally, Alex, J'onn, and Brainy are still affected by the totem, and things aren't getting better.  When Nyxly passes her part of the Gauntlet, part of the totem Supergirl has changes, and it starts to leave but she holds onto it, and her and Lena capture it in a container.  

The team arrives on the scene, and Dr. Larr isn't happy they're there to stop it.  But the team isn't functioning as a cohesive unit, and it's only making matters worse.  Supergirl then tells Lena to release the totem---despite the fact it will go to Nyxly, saving the people, and getting her team back is more important.  So, they release the totem, and it flies to Nyxly, who now has one totem to her collection.  Meanwhile, Supergirl arrives on the scene, and---with the team now back to normal---manages to shut down the machine.  

One of the interesting aspects of the totem having been split in half, and both Nyxly and Supergirl having run the Gauntlet, is the fact that they now share a psychic connection.  Lena, who finally tells Kara about her mother's past, and her possible magic powers, offers to help Kara break the link between her and Nyxly---but Kara says it's actually a good thing---it'll help them track Nyxly to the next totem.  Nyxly, on the other hand, wonders why Supergirl didn't suffer, and didn't experience her greatest fear, and Mitch says that while Nyxly passed the test...Supergirl did not. Armed with that knowledge, Nyxly is confident she'll obtain the other totems with ease.  

Kelly had joined the fray for the final fight after having taken care of business in The Heights for her job, and while Alex offered help, Kelly said she had it....but she DID show up as Guardian to lend a hand against Dr. Larr's lightning machine.  They're happy that they can be there for each other not just as a couple, but as teammates.  

William and Nia talk again, and he eventually faced down his fears about when he was shot by Eve Tessmacher, and has a plan to get his Superfriends story---by trying to get in with them on a closer basis---which causes concern for Nia.  

A pretty straightforward episode, with a misguided scientist as a "bad guy" aside.  The story focused more on Nyxly and Supergirl trying to face their greatest fears in order to pass the Gauntlet.  We KNEW Nyxly's....the fear of her brother's betrayal, the very thing that set her on her current path.  While Mitch helped her recognize that, the problem with Supergirl, it was the night of her debut, as she saved Alex's plane from crashing.  We never got to know what fear she was supposed to face----which, I thought, was Alex's disapproval...but she faced that already in the show's pilot episode.  So, we NEVER got any resolution to that...because she never had any fear that night---she dove right in.  So, I was a bit disappointed, to say the least, at the lack of resolution at that part.  But, as the story dictated, Supergirl was SUPPOSED to fail.  

Was interesting to see how the core members of the team (outside of Dreamer), get affected by the energy spilled from the totem.  J'onn was rather comical giving such pats on the back to everyone for their various aspects of their work.  Brainy was also comical...especially when possessed by Veda...and the fact that when he realized he was guessing the entire time, it's an insult to his race.  As for Alex....she had no fear....she just dove in, consequences be damned, into battle....even if it put herself in danger.  Kara wasn't affected because she had possession of the totem, and didn't do anything to her.  But we also see it affect William, who managed to go through his little bout of PTSD, and face his fears about being shot.  He now has a renewed sense of confidence in being able to get the big story---which is going to be trouble for the Superfriends, as it means he will eventually discover WHO they are behind the masks.  Nia knows how badly THIS can turn out, and it'll be something she'll have to tell the team. As for Lena...I think she's starting to come around to the idea that her magic powers can be useful....especially when Veda commented that a magical human CAN handle 5th Dimensional energy.  She's still skeptical, because she's always been a hard science gal...but I think we're going to see her experiment with them before this show closes out.  She'll be needed.  

Looks like Nyxly is going to be Supergirl's final big fore before she finishes her final flight.  Wasn't what I was hoping for, but it's where we're at.  I just hope we have a finish that will be satisfactory for all of us.  7 episodes to go, as the countdown TRULY begins.  How did YOU all feel about this episode?  Subscribe and leave a  comment below.  

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