SUPERGIRL 6.11

 

RECAP - SUPERGIRL  6.11:  "Mxy in the Middle"  

We continue on the Girl of Steel's final flight this week with the dangerous and evil Imp, Nyxly, having trapped Supergirl in ice, and making sure her magic (for which ALL Kryptonians are susceptible to), to keep her powerless, as she destroys a building Supergirl was trying to save, all the while making sure the Maid of Might had to watch it's destruction, before Nyxly went and destroyed our heroine of National City.  But as we saw at the end of last episode, Supergirl made a desperate cry for help....by calling out her own Imp-ish friend:  Mxyzptlk.  Mxy does appear, and we get to see this week what HIS involvement in the Superfriends' issue with Mxyly entails.  Also...Lena finally returns home to solve the mystery of her mother's past in order to move forward....and finds something interesting as a result.

Supergirl has, more often than not, been screwed over by appealing to the good nature in those who've been cast in a dark light, or are just flat out evil.  Nyxly was wronged by her own family, mounted an insurrection against her family, was found out, captured, and sent to the Phantom Zone as punishment.  All those years trapped in that prison has given Nyxly A LOT of anger to build upon...and her lust for revenge is her ultimate craving.  Supergirl was misled by the sinister Imp in the Phantom Zone...and Supergirl defeated her attempts to escape by breaking the mirror that would've led them all back...because our heroine cared more about the safety of Earth than she did her own desire to get back home.  Nyxly took that as betrayal.  So, she used Nia Nall...who's been struggling with her own personal demons, as she's constantly been driven to want to see her mother again---if only to train and understand her powers---as a pawn to escape Nia's dream realm that she managed to get trapped in, by making a devil's deal with her:  Nia got to spend one day with her mother, and Nyxly got to leave the dream realm...so she could go home.  Now that she's loose, she's got a much more grandiose plan in mind than just getting revenge on her father for banishing her....she wants to control the universe.  But for that....she needs these different totems, which have been scattered about the galaxy, in order to put them together, and control the universe as we know it.

But getting back to Kara Zor-El here, she's tried a plenty to appeal to Nyxly's good nature, only to find out that the Imp is, indeed, truly and evil bitch.  And, had it not been for Supergirl calling upon Mxy for help, Supergirl would've been destroyed.  But here's where things get interesting:  turns out that AFTER Mxy saves the Girl of Steel, and they head back to the Tower, Mxy tells the long, sad tale of Nyxly, and her plot to take over the 5th Dimension....which he does in song.  He speaks of these totems for which she needs to obtain universal power, and she's going to go after them one by one, as they're scattered about everywhere.  Supergirl says there's one in South America, and she's off to find it before Nyxly does, and we also discover that if Mxy uses his magic, Nyxly will be able to find him, and capture him.  So, he's TRYING to be helpful, but without being able to use his magic...he proves kind of useless the entire episode for the most part....usually getting in the way of everyone else trying to build a device to stop Nyxly.  As they go to stop a threat in town, which is caused by Nyxly, who uses a giant cat to stir up trouble and get the attention of the Superfriends.  The part of Supergirl using her heat vision like a laser pointer to distract the giant furball was cute....they take care of the cat, and Nyxly says she wants Mxy...she needs his power in order to further power her orb, and to find the other totems.  They have two hours to deliver him.  She also tells them that he was actually part of her little plan to overthrow her father, until it failed, and he backed the King once again---proving that Mxy was only out for himself...so he's not an innocent here.

And while the team is trying to save Mxy AND stop Nyxly, Nia has been tortured the entire episode about admitting to Kara that she screwed up, and was responsible for letting Nyxly out.  Brainy tries to reason with her to fess up, and it doesn't take until into the show's final act that she tells Kara the truth.  Worried that she'll hate her, Kara instead tells her that she gets it...she was fooled by Nyxly too.  And while Nia screwed up, it's what they learn FROM their mistakes that will ultimately save the day.  Mxy had come up with the idea of creating a duplicate version of himself to get absorbed into the orb to fool Nyxly, but it fails.  However, Nia feels that if SHE disguises herself as Mxy, and gets close enough to Nyxly, they can put the power dampening cuffs on her in order to stop her.  Sadly, once she and Supergirl arrive in the park where Nyxly had them meet her in that 2 hour deadline, the orb messed up the image inducer, the the ruse was rooted out.  While Nyxly sent monsters from the 5th dimension to destroy the Superfriends, it was Mxy himself that decided to sacrifice himself to save the team.  So, he gets absorbed into the orb, and Nyxly takes off to who knows where.  Nyxly returns to Rich's ship....as he had to escape prison again, and wanted her help in gaining power himself, but she wanted nothing to do with him.  At the end of the episode, however, she sees some use in him, and he's going to help her with her plans for universal conquest.  Nia has another dream about Mxy being inside the crystal orb, but she knows they're looking for another totem, and they need to get to her fast.  Supergirl says they will...and THIS time...no holding back.

While the Superfriends were busy battling Nyxly, Lena returned to Newfoundland to gain more insight on the history of her mother, Elizabeth Walsh.  She gets to town, and all seems pleasant at first, until she mentions Elizabeth being her mother to the innkeeper.  Then, things seem to go from bad to worse for Lena, as the more she learns about her mother, it isn't pretty.  The barkeep, a woman named Peggy, tells Lena that both their mothers were part of a coven with a third woman, and that they were responsible for the murder of her father.  Her mother stayed behind to clean up the mess that Lena's mother and this other woman had escaped from.  Lena is content to just leave the past in the past upon hearing all this bad stuff about her mother, but Andrea, being a good friend, and had uncovered the picture of her mother and her two friends, urges her to find out more about what happened with the death of Peggy's father in order to put this story to bed.  So, Lena manages to find the woman, Florence, in a secluded place, where she still practices magic.  She tells the story of how her, Lena's mother, Florence, and Peggy's mother, Margaret, had formed a coven.  And it turned out that Margaret's husband had been physically abusing her, and they all decided to cast a spell to stop him, but it went awry, and he was killed in a fire.  Florence and Elizabeth ran away, while Margaret stayed behind to shoulder the blame.  Now Lena finds out about the truth of what happened because Florence uses her witchcraft to help Lena see story as it transpired.  Now Lena is a woman of science, and hasn't believed in magic (though, as Peggy had mocked her about earlier on...she hangs around an alien with super powers, but doesn't believe in magic), but Florence drops a bombshell on Lena:  she has her mother's gift for magic.  Lena doesn't want to believe it, but Florence says it's true.  This will give something new for Lena to ponder on as she returns home.  

This episode helped set up the final battle looming ahead between Nxyly and the Superfriends, as she tries for her universal power-grab.  And while I can see Nxyly as a major pain-in-the-ass for Supergirl...if SHE is the ultimate "final villain" for the Girl of Steel...I'm gonna be sad.  Kara Zor-El deserves a bit more of a better send off than an evil Imp from the 5th Dimension with delusions of universal power.  For a final season, Supergirl deserves to go out on an epic note...something that will give us a smile at the end of it.  This season has been OKAY...but for a final season....it's just still NOT quite hitting those highs we need to be able to feel GOOD about Supergirl's send off.  

It was great to see Thomas Lennon return as Mxy.  He's SO phenomenal in that role, and plays it to perfection.  A lot of that has to do with Lennon's pure comic genius, but he also plays that character with heart---and you can't help but feel sympathetic to Mxy.  So, the recast of this character for this show was the right move.  Lennon is charming, funny, and quirky, and grasps the character quite well.  And his chemistry with the cast is superb.  So, glad we're getting some of him before the show goes off the air.

Nia's issues seem to be sorting themselves out---but they're dragging it along.  Look, I get the guilt of the mistake of letting Nyxly out---and she DID come up with a good idea to try and stop the evil Imp, though it DID backfire, but she's GOT to stop having all this guilt on her shoulders.  Knowing the mistakes Supergirl has made in HER time, Nia needed to see that even HER hero is not perfect, and Kara tells her so.  Also, now that we got the mommy issues out of the way, she needs to resolve the issues with her sister as well, and I hope they put THAT to bed before the show disappears.  Need to tie up loose ends...and that is one of them.  For Dreamer to be a better hero, gotta jettison the unwanted guilt that's not needed, and has held this character BACK the last year or so.  I want her to move FORWARD...and NOW is the time!  

We definitely got more into the history of one Lena Luthor this week...and it's a doozy:  her mom was a witch, and had magical powers.  So much so, that she's managed to pass it along to her daughter.  Now, it's quite interesting to see the dichotomy of Lena at work here:  A woman of science who can believe in things when she sees them first hand, and can PROVE their existence.....but NOT believe in magic.  For a woman that has seen Supergirl interact with Mxy himself...who IS a magical being...it's kind of funny how she can NOT believe in something like magic.  She can believe in aliens, is best friends with an alien, and has seen many people with superhuman powers....but can't explain or believe in magic.  But to know she's CAPABLE of wielding magic....THAT creates an interesting dynamic for her now.  She will now have that ability to harness it, and be MORE of a team player for the Superfriends, AND it might come in handy here against a magical being LIKE Nyxly.  There's a prospect there to be mined...the writers just have to USE it.  

So, how did YOU all rate this episode?  What do you think of Lena's revelation?  Subscribe to the blog, and leave your comments below.

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

STARGIRL 2.6

 

RECAP - STARGIRL  2.6:  "Summer School - Chapter Six"

Things have been kicked into high gear in Blue Valley, and NOW things start getting real dangerous.  Eclipso is getting stronger, and Cindy doesn't seem to have as much control of him as she seems to think she does?  She's out recruiting her team of baddies to exact revenge on the JSA, and you have The Shade lurking about, wondering where he'll be able to find the black diamond that everyone's been in search for, that Cindy possesses.  The JSA themselves are trying to learn more about Eclipso, as well as figuring out their own issues.  But this week certainly kicks things into high gear...

This episode focused entirely on the revenge angle.  As Cindy has already gotten Isaac Bowen by her side, and just recently recruiting Artemis Crock to her team, she's not quite done with her master plan---but it looks like she puts it to work this week. As Yolanda is still learning the ropes of being a waitress at the diner, she heads to a table where she sees Isaac...who mysteriously keeps reminding her about the pictures she posted on her phone, that everyone has access too.  He eerily lets her know what happened to his parents....in his own way letting her know that he blames her.  She's a little unnerved by it, but is also curious as to his behavior. 

As for Beth, she's at her father's office, trying to do whatever damage control she can to save her parents' marriage.  She offers ideas as to what they can do, but her dad shuts her down, and says that he and her mother are busy...which always seems to be the case...as they seem to care more for their jobs than they do Beth.  She is tired of stalling.  Leaving her father's office, she is attacked by Artemis, who is insulted by her perfect family (if she only knew), while hers are in prison doing hard time.  She looks forward to having the jock beat the geek.  She knows it was the JSA's fault for her parents' incarceration.  She then takes off. 

Pat and Courtney are searching through Mr. Diesinger's art room for clues about Eclipso, while talking about his power...which Pat says that he made the kids see things they wanted to see---like Diablo Island for example.  Pat finds a pic of Cindy with the diamond, and they now have their big lead in regards to Eclipso.  They don't discuss much more, as Cameron comes in, wondering what they're doing there.  After lying and saying that they're there to clean up, they discuss Diesinger's admittance to a Lincoln psychiatric hospital.  Cameron comments that not only was he a great teacher, but also a friend.  He sees the picture of Cindy, and informs them that she's in town, and weirder than ever.  This prompts Pat and Courtney to take their leave, as Courtney tells Conner this is the last time she bails on him, but she has a "thing" with her mother, and she's off.  Pat is heading back towards the Pit Stop, and Courtney goes to wrangle up the team.

Pat arrives at the Pit Stop, but he's in for a rude awakening, as Fiddler and Artemis have arrived.  Fiddler uses his fiddle to knock Pat around, while Artemis gets in her shots as well.  Fiddler wants to finish the job, but Artemis tells him that he is a friend of her father's, and he's not the target.  She gets on top of S.T.R.I.P.E., and goes to knock the robot's head off.  While two of the villains take out their one target, Mike is at Zeke's junkyard, looking for a project that both he and his dad can work on.  Mike wants to do more, and Zeke tells him to find something he can do, but know that every little thing he does is helpful.  He sends the boy off to find something of his own, while Zeke himself is building chainsaws for the giant robot.  Mike finds a drillbit and is searching for other parts, when he barely catches notice of Cindy.  He thinks she's gone, but then appears in front of him.  He wants nothing to do with her, but she says he's perfect bait for his sister.  She uses the diamond to capture the young lad.

When then find out that Pat is in the hospital after his assault by the Fiddler and Artemis.  He's got some bruising and a concussion.  They also find out Mike is missing.  Courtney blames herself for not being there for Pat.  Barbara doesn't let Courtney go that route.  As they talk, Courtney gets a call from Cindy.  Cindy says she has Mike, but she just wants to hurt Courtney for what she did to her.  Courtney says that Cindy brought that on herself.  Cindy says she's going to hurt her friends, then her family, then her.  She tells her to meet her at the cafeteria at school.  Barbara tells Courtney to go be Stargirl, save her friends, save Mike, and kick Cindy's ass.  After Court leaves....Barb then calls The Shade, who appears, and Barb tells him that Cindy has the black diamond.  

The team assess the damage done to S.T.R.I.P.E., as the robot has been dismantled and taken apart, thus taking an important piece of the JSA off the board.  The team then meets up at the cafeteria, and they are met by Isaac playing the fiddle, as Shiv and Artemis ready for a fight.  The battle ensues, and immediately, Shiv and Stargirl go at it tooth and nail.  Artemis tries to attack and take down Dr. Mid-Nite, while Wildcat gets the honor of taking down the Fiddler.  Hourman is locked in battle with Artemis.  It's a back and forth affair, and it looks like the JSA get the upper hand a little bit, but then we get a stalemate.  As both sides prepare for another round, The Shade shows up to break up the festivities.  Shiv refuses to back down, with Eclipso talking in her ear, telling her that he's afraid of her.  Eclipso then feels it's time to come out an play, and takes over Shiv.  As he starts to use his power against The Shade, Shade shields himself with his own power, but he's getting weaker.  Stargirl takes the initiative and rides on the Cosmic Staff to bring Shiv/Eclipso down.  As the Staff touches the diamond, the diamond shatters.  We then see Eclipso fully come into being.  Shiv isn't happy about being used, and he says that he used her to get out, and starts to choke her.  She has her knives come out, but he takes one, and throws it at the now-helpless Fiddler, who's fiddle was broken by Wildcat.  He's wounded as he's impaled with her knife.  Eclipso tosses Shiv aside, and says that Isaac's soul is ripe....and promptly steals it by killing him.  Artemis witnesses what's happening, and takes off, not wanting to stick around.  Shiv says he wouldn't be here if it weren't for her, and he says he owes her nothing, opens up a portal on the ground, and has Shiv sucked into it.  Stargirl tries to save her, but the pull is too strong, and Shiv is gone.  Shade tries to attack Eclipso once again, and he's easily dispatched, disappearing in a cloud of black smoke.  Eclipso then takes off, with Stargirl trying to find him, but he's disappeared.  Unfortunately for Stargirl...the Cosmic Staff was affected by the black diamond and Eclipso, and is now unresponsive.  

During the battle, everyone in town looked up, as the sky grew darker, and everyone witnessed an eclipse---a sure sign that Eclipso is in power, and ready to claim more souls.  Pat knows that he'll get stronger, and Courtney realizes that he used Cindy...and them...to escape the diamond into the real world.  He will continue to feed....and corrupt.  Mike is scared, and says that it's time for him to get serious, and that he wants his own S.T.R.I.P.E., because this is a huge threat, and they need all the help they can get. Beth has checked on Rick ,and says he might have a broken rib.  They do know that they have to find Eclipso, and are curious as to how he got to Isaac and Cindy.  Meanwhile, Eclipso is skulking about town...and now in the disguise of little Bruce Gordon...who's giggling as he sees a town ripe for the picking for himself.  

This show has been the best so far!  This week, we FINALLY got that long-awaited showdown between the new JSA, and Shiv's Injustice, Unlimited group.  The action was great, and the story continues to build.  Cindy's plot---while sadistic and very calculated---fell apart in a snap because Eclipso decided he'd had enough fun and games, and with the Shade appearing to join the festivities, it forced his hand.  And Stargirl did EXACTLY what he wanted her to do:  break the diamond to truly release him.  Everyone played right into his hands.  And now he's loose on the town of Blue Valley, and there's no telling what evil he's going to inflict.  And he can hide as little Bruce Gordon, with no one the wiser.  We also realized WHY Cindy wanted Mike----he was bait for Stargirl.  The hatred she has for Courtney runs deep...even if it's misguided because it wasn't Stargirl that destroyed Cindy's life---it was her own father.  But Cindy had been so twisted and manipulated into a killing machine by her own father, that she was dreaming of being a part of the Injustice Society.  So, her mind was far gone down the evil path even BEFORE she met Courtney Whitmore.  But because Stargirl beat her in battle...she's got a HUGE grudge.  But that cost her, because she allowed Eclipso to have his fun.  And while SHE thought she was in charge...she couldn't have been more mistaken.  And now she's been swallowed up by the blackness...having begged Courtney to save her...which she couldn't.  I don't think Cindy is dead by a long shot...but she'll be gone until the JSA can find a way to beat Eclipso and return her to Earth.  

As for Isaac Bowen....I think he's gone.  I'm not sure how you can return him to the earthly plane after getting stabbed, and having his soul consumed by Eclipso.  Isaac was the ultimate emo kid---and blamed the JSA for the death of his parents...whereas it was actually ARTEMIS' parents that killed his mother.  Speaking of Artemis....for as much of the tough her act she threw out tonight at Beth....and did a bang up job holding her own against Hourman, once she saw Eclipso in the flesh...she didn't hesitate to take off before she became the next victim.  What happens next to her is unknown.  She might come to the JSA to protect her, but it's hard to say.  I found it VERY ironic that when she first bullied Beth at the beginning of the episode, that she mocked Beth for her "perfect family", while her parents were in prison.  If she only knew that Beth's family is FAR from perfect...and is falling apart, and it's causing Beth great turmoil.  Artemis' parents still love each other...they're just criminals.  But it was interesting how some of the characters paired off.  

I credit Mike for holding his own and keeping as much composure as possible during this whole ordeal.  He was scared, and openly admitted it....but he was brave enough to not totally freak out.  But with Pat on the shelf with HIS injuries, and S.T.R.I.P.E. dismantled, he wants to build his own to help the team.  Whether or not he gets to is up to Pat...but you KNOW Zeke will be helping.  Yolanda held her own, despite my misgivings about her mental state as of late, but she sucked it up for the fight.  Rick took a beating from Artemis tonight, and I didn't expect that fight to be quite as close as it was, but it also goes to show how good Artemis is in a scrap.  Either way, the team as a whole took it on the chin this week, but they're alive.  And while the new ISA is done just as it started, the big threat is Eclipso and what HE has planned for Blue Valley.  

The Shade tried to be civil to Cindy about the diamond, but even HE could not stop Eclipso.  And he took his own beating at the hands of the mystical villain.  Whether this means he'll take on Eclipso on his own, or will enlist the aid of the kids is unknown...but even HE has to acknowledge that Eclipso is getting more powerful.  

A very high quality episode, and this season just keeps getting better as it goes along.  I'm looking forward to whatever MORE surprises Geoff Johns and company have in store for us.  But you can tell A LOT of love and care goes into this show.  And they're just getting warmed up.  Halfway through, and things are looking bleak.  But that's when some of the best stuff happens.  They're hitting it out of the park, and I'm loving every minute of it.  How about all of YOU?!  What did YOU like about this week?  Subscribe and leave your thoughts and theories below.

Until next time.....keep your eyes on the stars. 

COMIC BOOK PROFILE: WHAT IF...?! VOL. 1 #1

 

COMIC BOOK PROFILE

Welcome back!  It's been a spell since I last dove into the classic comic bins (and as you can tell by the plethora of shows I watch and recap, plus a couple of movie reviews, you can understand why), but with the current Disney Plus Marvel show going on, I thought I'd pull THIS gem from the library.  In one of the more unusual series that Marvel published during the 70's, What If...?!  Was a new format, where it gave creators a chance to tell new and interesting stories featuring the growing cavalcade of Marvel characters that had been growing over the course of the (then), 16 years of the company's re-branded existence.  This book gave us a NEW take on these classic characters, and put them in new and interesting situations where it's one choice, or incident, that would alter the course of their lives. The popularity of this series spawned a few new volumes, and has now culminated in the television show, which is a part of the MCU, and comes about at a time where the MCU movies will be exploring the Multiverse with the likes of the new Spider-Man:  No Way Home, Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, and the Disney Plus show that's already aired, Loki.  So, let's see how this all got started...as we explore....What If...?!

WHAT IF...?!  Vol. 1 #1 

COVER: Jim Craig, Joe Sinnott, John Romita, & Gasper Saladino

WRITER: Roy Thomas

ARTIST: Jim Craig

INKS: Pablo Marcos

LETTERS: John Costanza

COLORS: Janice Cohen

EDITOR: Roy Thomas

COVER DATE: February 1977

PUBLISHER: Marvel Comics

TAGLINE:  All new!  Cover to cover!

QUOTE:  "If Dr. Doom and company thought the OLD F.F. was tough---wait'll they meet the FANTASTIC FIVE!" - Spider-Man 

STORY TITLE:  "What If Spider-Man Had Joined the Fantastic Four?"

What If...?! Vol. 1 #1 was a fascinating brand new series Marvel started publishing in 1977, giving us a chance to see alternate versions of our favorite Marvel characters in different scenarios based on something that may or has happened in regular Marvel continuity.  The series would debut the character of Uatu the Watcher, who would introduce each new story (and was replaced by different characters in later volumes of the series), but he was just the being who would observe all these alternate realities, and we'd get to see just how things would play out.  Sometimes it would completely alter the course of a characters history, and sometimes, the characters' path towards a new reality of who and what they are, or what happened in their history, is still a set point, but it takes a different path to reach that decision. This series didn't have one set writer or artist, but rather a bevy of creators that would put their own spin on a hero's story, or a point in a hero's history, that would break it off from the tanget of their "mainstream" (which we now understand as "Earth 616" as the "main" Marvel Universe), counterparts. There have been 13 volumes of this series published between 1977-2018.  It's gone from a regular series, to a mini-series, to one-shots over the course of that time.  And now, a six-episode mini-series on Disney Plus.

THE STORY:  In order to find a way to make a few bucks, Spider-Man tries to apply for the Fantastic Four.  At first, he's turned down, but then the team changes their mind, and is allowed to join, thus creating the Fantastic Five.  As Spidey, Mr. Fantastic, The Thing, and the Human Torch go on new missions, battling various villains like the Red Ghost, the Vulture, and many more, Susan Storm, the Invisible Girl, is often left behind to monitor things from the Baxter Building.  This causes her to feel left out and unwanted.  She then eventually meets Namor, the Sub-Mariner, who is under control of the Puppet Master.  The team frees both Namor and Sue from the control of the Puppet Master, but Sue decides that she's had enough of the team, and she decides to leave with Namor to go and live in Atlantis.  This causes Spider-Man to regret having asked to join the group, as they leave in defeat. 

***********************************************************************************

This comic proved to be a GREAT platform for writers and artist to get really creative with ideas, and gave Marvel a series to show different avenues for their denizens in new situations that we're not familiar with, often spawned from an incident that could've happened in the regular Marvel continuity.  It lives up to the name, and allows the reader to see things from the perspective of the Watcher, who does nothing but observe during the story.  Despite various stops and starts in the series, it's still a viable avenue for Marvel to explore stories we've often asked when it comes to our favorite Marvel characters.  It's a series worth picking up in all volumes, and very fascinating reads.  The TV series only explores just six episodes, but you have a plethora of stories to draw from in the form of these comics.

NEXT TIME:  another gem from our historical bin

SUPERGIRL 6.10

 

RECAP - SUPERGIRL  6.10:  "Still, I Rise"  

Well, this week, we definitely got to see the Girl of Steel enter an arena of combat that she's had very little success in:  Politics.  Supergirl tackles a city council set on turning over a building that could house low-cost income families...especially those that were part of the prisoner work program like Orlando...to a corporate entity that---while creating new jobs---would price people like Orlando out.  And all Orlando wants to do is get a place for him and his little brother, who's been stuck in the home for super powered alien kids for some time.  And while Kelly will be there to keep tabs on him, it's not enough.  So, Supergirl tries to make good on HER promise to Orlando by trying to have his back like she said she would, and go to bat for him.  Speaking of Kelly, we see her begin her training as Guardian with Alex, and the other big issue is with Nia freeing Nyxly from her dreams, making a deal with the devil, if you will, in order to talk to her mother again.  But knowing Imps like we do....this is bad news.  So...let's recap and see what went down this week...

To focus on our Maid of Might, Supergirl had to FIRST endure a HORRIBLE and cheesy PSA with Brainy about....eating your greens.  However, as bad as it is, it seems to be hitting the mark, as it's getting a ton of views online...despite the fact Brainy posted it WITHOUT Kara's permission.  Kelly, who had been training with Alex, gets a call from Joey, saying that the apartment he and Orlando are supposed to have gotten fell through, and Supergirl takes this time to go live up to HER word about helping Orlando.  He tells her that losing this apartment is just another hardship for him AND Joey, and that everyone that was on the work release program is getting put behind the 8-ball because they're not able to find work, and he's not able to get a job without a place to live.  Supergirl said she will work on it, and she takes off.

Now, while the Last Daughter of Krypton is busy trying to help out Orlando, Nia Nall has gone and done something VERY stupid:  she let Nyxly out of her dreams and into the real world.  Now...Nyxly DOES keep her promise and brings Nia's mother back---but only for 24 hours.  Meanwhile, Nyxly has her own ideas...but doesn't have her magic, since it took all of it to cast her little spell for Nia.  And Nyxly ends up getting captured by Mitch, who worked with Magnus to have their own Menagerie aboard the ship---they were the ones who tried to capture Kara Danvers when she was a teenager back in Midvale.  Mitch wanted to start it again, and knows he captured an Imp, but the problem is, she says she has no powers.  But she plots with him to see if they can capture Supergirl. In order to do that, they have to grab and engineer that can design a bomb capable of freezing a Kryptonian in place.  

Kara continues to work the story about the city council vote about turning over the building to a corporate entity.  She tells her story to William, who says that Supergirl's word may not be enough to sway the council to delay the vote.  Kara thinks that if Supergirl speaks there, she can possibly reach them.  Andrea, however, says that Supergirl would be better served to use social media to reach the masses and get her voice heard.  So, WIlliam helps her do so, but the plan goes awry, as many citizens following the broadcast, come down on Supergirl, even one person calling her a hypocrite.  Before she can respond, however, she hears someone in trouble, and has to take off.  She finds out that it's at a lab, and she goes to save the person in distress, only to see Mitch make off with the engineer that Nyxly ordered him to get. This has now gotten the Superfriends on their radar.

And while all of this is going down, Nia is still locked in her apartment, learning to better interpret and control her powers.  Her mother tries to get her to focus, knowing that Nia needs to understand her dreams in order to stop Nyxly after unleashing her upon the world.  Nia sees a dollhouse, and then a room, where she finds her sister Maeve.  She tries to share this power with Maeve, but it hurts Maeve.  Nia can't handle it, and she starts to cry.  Nia realizes that when Maeve was upset that she wasn't the chosen one in the family to get these powers, and it was Nia, that Nia ran away.  Ran away from Maeve, and ran away from her fears.  The only way she will conquer them...and stop Myxly...is to be honest with herself, accept her responsibility, and face her fears.  And to stop running away with her problems, no matter how painful they get.  The 24 hours is almost up, and her mother leaves...and Nia now has a renewed purpose for stopping Nyxly.  

While the rest of the Superfriends are trying to track Mitch and his ship, Nyxly's got it cloaked while the engineer completes the bomb.  Kara and Kelly talk, and Kelly feels like she can't get the right moves down to improve her training, and Kara is frustrated by not being able to reach the city councilwoman on stopping the vote on the apartment building.  Both Kelly and Kara realize that they have to shift their perspectives on their situation.  This leads Supergirl...with Kelly in tow, to the city council meeting, where she brings Orlando to speak his peace.  This plan actually makes an impact, because they get to hear HIS story.  Before the vote can happen, however, Nyxly decloaks the ship, and activates the bomb.  The building shakes, and the team begins to start evacuating the people before they freeze to death.  Brainy, J'onn, and Alex board the ship, and rescue the engineer, and J'onn gets Myxly out of her cell (which we know she put herself in), and they take off.  J'onn and Supergirl are with the bomb, and she zaps it with her heat vision to stop it, and prevent it from exploding, thus freezing everything. 

With everyone rescued the head City Councilwoman says that they'll delay the vote, but she only feels that Supergirl won the battle, not the war.  She is convinced that everyone like Orlando is just criminal scum, and deserve nothing.  Orlando is grateful to Supergirl for her efforts.  Later on, she laments on what the City Councilwoman said, and Brainy said that while the battles will be tough, and seem endless, he'll stand by her side through all of it.  They then get an alert about an energy signature at the Ormfell building where they once were.  Supergirl goes to investigate, but runs into Nyxly...who had used the bomb to regenerate her magic powers.  She ends up capturing Supergirl in ice, and prevents her from being able to save the building from being destroyed.  Nyxly says that there's nothing Supergirl can do, because she's bound by magic, and only magic can break it.  She plans on making Supergirl suffer for her betrayal.  And before Nyxly can do anything else, Supergirl, out of desperation, calls out Myxy's name, and he appears.  

Things have certainly picked up in National City, and it's now time to see just what kind of damage Nyxly can REALLY do.  And Imps are dangerous.  So, I'm REAL curious to see what happens now that Myxy is here.  Will he have the courage and ability to help Supergirl with taking Nyxly down before she really sinks her teeth into terrorizing the Earth?  And what of Nia?  Now that it looks like she's got her act together, will we finally see her utilize her powers to their fullest?  And I'm glad we got back to her sister and THAT torn relationship.  I'm also looking forward to seeing Kelly finally suit up as Guardian at some point.  

This was a good episode, it got Nyxly out of Nia's dreams, where she can finally be the threat they've built her up to be.  It also gave us Nia dealing with her Mommy issues, and we'll see what she does with this newfound confidence, and will we see the full extent of her powers? It's good to see Supergirl interact more with the public, and seeing the difference she can make in people's lives.  I am not sure what they're building towards as far as a swan song goes for this show, but I'm just trying to enjoy this cast....especially Melissa Benoist, for a long as she's around.  She truly has embraced this character for everything she represents.  Make no mistake, we are going to miss Supergirl when she's gone.  So...continue enjoying the ride as I am...as we see the final flight of Supergirl.  

How did YOU all like this episode?  Subscribe, comment, leave a theory, and idea, an  opinion...anything!  Love to hear from ya!

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

STARGIRL 2.5

 

RECAP - STARGIRL  2.5:  "Summer School - Chapter Five" 

To quote the band Creedence Clearwater Revival:  "Looks like we're in for nasty weather."  As the darkness falls upon Blue Valley, Nebraska, Eclipso's presence is most definitely being felt in all corners.  From irregular weather, to people acting out of sorts, this town is about to face an unspeakable evil, and one that the JSA is going to find VERY hard to stop.  And it doesn't help that the most cold-hearted person in this town....Cindy Burman....is toying with the black diamond of Eclipso, trying to recruit her new Injustice team so that she can kill the JSA---and her most hated enemy---Courtney Whitmore AKA Stargirl.  Meanwhile, Eclipso is having his own fun...and then there's The Shade...who's in search of the diamond himself...whom as warned not only Pat and the JSA, but to Courtney herself once again, to NOT meddle in his affairs.  So, aside from whatever personal issues they have...this is going to require them to get their heads in the game.  Of course, Pat AND Barbara are STILL not forthcoming with things regarding Eclipso, that they're trying to protect the kids from, but you can't shield them forever....whether they like it or not...they'll have to face the darkness.  And they will....much sooner than expected. 

We got more insights into the mind of Cindy Burman...so we believe, as she has another dream about her biological mother protecting her from her father.  Telling her that her father can't hurt her, and that Cindy doesn't want to become like him.  But when the lights go out, and Cindy tries to sleep...little Cindy is taken by her father regardless.  Eclipso is doing a good enough job to play on her insecurities and emotions regarding her family.  She is usually very guarded, but we are seeing insights into Cindy that may prove important down the road.  But for now, we just chalk them up to painful memories, as she continues hatching her little evil plan.  She's gotten to Isaac Bowen and Artemis Crock....she now sets her sights on Cameron Mahkent, as he's been busy trying to paint a mural on the wall of one of the buildings in town featuring his father.  But before Cindy can make her move, Cameron's grandmother warns her to stay away from him.  Cindy gets in her face to threaten her, but the old lady shows she's no shrinking violet by having her cold powers activate.   Cindy then takes off.  

Stargirl returns home to find Pat waiting in her room, and she is trying to get more information about Eclipso from The Shade, maybe even offer a team-up to take him down, but Pat shoots that theory down, and says that they need to be paying attention to the weather patterns.  All of Nebraska is supposed to experience nice Summer weather...except Blue Valley, which has the onset of a storm coming.  She wants to know more, and pries Pat a little further about Eclipso...but he just stonewalls her and says nothing more.  She does promise to adhere to his curfew.  

We see Cameron continue to work on the mural, but he senses the storm in the air....thinks it might be his father.  He then takes his work inside, thinking it's going to rain.  He bumps into Mr. Deisinger, the Art/Summer School teacher, who chats up Cam a bit.  Cam had dropped his sketch book, and when Mr, Deisinger sees it, he sees sketches of Courtney.  He says it looks like Cameron found his muse.  He reminds Cameron to not waste time on letting her know how he feels.  Cam takes the teacher's advice and heads to the art room to work.  There, he bumps into Cindy, who tries to work him by apologizing and playing the sympathy card in regards to his dad.  However, Cameron knows better.  He's known Cindy since the 4th grade, and when her own mother died, Cindy, for which Cindy herself said she didn't like her anyway.  He says that her words are empty, and that she doesn't care about anyone or anything.  She is looking to shiv him, but Mr. Deisinger shows up to give Cameron his sketchbook back, and Cam leaves, warning Cindy to stay away from him.  Cindy then turns the diamond onto Mr. Deisinger, and tells him he has a new muse...which is Eclipso.  

Barbara runs into The Shade again, and he once again reiterates to her to ensure that the kids stay out of his way, and he will deal with Eclipso.  She stands her ground, and wants more information, and he says that she reminds her of someone from his past.  But aside from that, should Stargirl continue to snoop, he wants Barb to call him when she finds out anything.   Barbara says she has no way to contact him with the card she got, he said look again, and the card has a phone number emblazened on there...and when she looks up, he's gone. 

Rick sees Cam working on the mural, and sees that it's of Jordan Mahkent.  He's on his way to deliver more food to the beast in the woods (we KNOW it's Grundy, but we want a reveal).  Cam wonders what Rick wants as Rick stares at him.  Rick says "nothing", and drives off.  Cam thinks he's a jerk as he continues to paint. 

The team meets at the shop, and Pat says that they need to keep their eyes on the weather....that's the key for finding the diamond, and for stopping Eclipso.  Beth chimes in that she actually heard the real Dr. McNider, because he didn't know her when she responded to his call.  Pat wants to believe, but he tells her he's dead.  She wonders if maybe he's trapped in some shadow world somewhere.  Pat also says it could be Eclipso---because Eclipso can make you feel what you want, see what you want, and get what you want.  Beth wants to rescue him, but Pat preaches patience...and to continue focusing on the weather. 

Courtney and Yolanda are in class as Mr. Diesinger is trying to teach, but he's constantly coughing, and having trouble breathing.   He calls off class for the day, and after everyone leaves...he goes into the art room, and he ends up throwing up paint.  

Barb and Pat arrie at the junkyard, where Mike is at with Zeke, who is trying to sell them a station wagon that doesn't run well.  Mike figured that if the JSA got a getaway car, that would be cool.  Barb had reminded Pat that Mike is lonely, and wants to be included, but Pat has been hesitant. Pat likes Mike's enthusiasm, and says that they'll work on a JSA project together...and that seems to put Mike in a better mood. 

Court and Yolanda are out walking after school, and it seems that Yolanda's headaches have subsided...especially since the Eclipso case has her distracted enough.  They see Cam painting, and Courtney ushers Yolanda off, and tells her that if they find out anything about Eclipso, to text her.  Courtney goes to talk to Cam, and they discuss the mural on the wall, and he ends up showing her the sketches of her that he did---and she's very flattered.  

Mr. Diesinger is now possessed by Eclipso, who makes him "see" his muse, and he begins painting while possessed.  Meanwhile, Courtney and Cam have made it to his house, where he shows Courtney the garden that his mother used to maintain and that he bought the house away from the main quarters.  As they're about to get close, Courtney is interrupted by massive texts from Yolanda about her being needed.  Cam isn't happy that Courtney is always leaving, but she promises that it's the last time, and she takes off.

The team meets at the football field, and they have figured out the epicenter of the storm is somewhere on the school grounds, and that's where Eclipso might be.  Eclipso has used Diesinger as his puppet to paint.  Stargirl notices Diesinger's car, and they go into the school to investigate.  They find the art room plastered wall to wall with spattered paint.  They look at the paintings, and then Eclipso slams the classroom door shut, and locks the team in.  And each picture they look at, they're reminded of their worst fear.  Courtney sees a face come out of one painting, Yolanda sees Brainwave, Rick sees Grundy, and Beth sees a picture of her parents.  As Eclipso is playing with them, Rick manages to blow the door off.  They look into lockers, and see the same pictures again, causing fear and panic in the various team members.  Beth is on the ground with a torn picture of her parents, You hear whispers from Eclipso asking them questions to their fears.  For Beth, can she fix the divorce?  For RIck...who's the bigger monster:  Him or Grundy?  For Yolanda...just being reminded of her killing Brainwave.  While they're dealing with their fear, Stargirl chases after Diesinger, who is now formed into some creature.  She uses the Cosmic Staff to try and break the spell of Eclipso on the teacher...and he manages to touch it...and Stargirl manages to get whatever it was off of Diesinger, and he's laying in a pool of paint as the threat subsides.  

Later at the Pit, they team relays what they experienced to Pat, and they mention that Diesinger is now in a psych ward for evaluation.  They made up a story about him working late, and Courtney discovering him.  Pat's now fearful that Eclipso is getting stronger, and is now able to expand his powers.  

Beth finally has the courage to confront her parents about the divorce papers.  They are sullen, and saying that it's a mutual agreement, but they truly haven't decided on going through with it yet.  Her parents agree that they need to sit down as a family to talk about it...but they have to work.  Once again, her parents avoiding the talk because or work, and Beth is there alone to deal with it.  

And we then take a gander at the ISA lair, where Artemis and Isaac are wondering why they haven't made a move yet, and Cindy says they will...but they have one more recruit to get:  Mike Dugan.  Cindy has given up on trying to recruit Cameron, so Mike is her new interest...especially since it's a way to get back at Stargirl.  As they plan, Cameron is busy once again painting the mural...when his suddenly feels a sharp pain, and he drops his paintbrush.  We see the paintbrush, we see that it's partially iced over.  Cameron's freezing powers have manifested. 

We had A LOT happen in a short show...and this show moved QUICK.  The plot is advancing, and we see that Eclipso is becoming more and more a major threat.  This time, he worked the summer school teacher to create paintings that would cause fear in the JSA....and that teach is now in a psych ward because he got used.  The Shade continues to show up unexpectedly, but we see some semi-humaness when he mentions that Barbara reminds him of someone he used to know.  Cindy continues to have her nightmares, as well as using Eclipso to manipulate everyone.  We see that she's got Issac and Artemis on her side, but Cameron completely blows her off.  

Picking up from last year, we see Courtney and Cameron getting closer, though she keeps blowing him off to be Stargirl.  I wonder how long before he figures out she's Stargirl, and with his powers now manifesting, will be decide to do anything with them?  Will he join the JSA, or will Cindy manage to lure him her way?  

The Shade continues to want information, and has issued several threats to both Barbara AND Stargirl about interfering in his business.  But I wonder how long it will be before he and the JSA HAVE to work together for a common cause?  And I'm still convinced he put Dr. Mid-Nite somewhere to keep him safe from Eclipso...but those are answers we HOPE to get down the road.  

Pat and Barb are STILL keeping things from the kids about the dangers of Eclipso, and it's going to bite them in the backside.  The team NEEDS to know, and if they don't reveal the truth, it's going to force the kids to find out, and put them at a disadvantage later on.  Pat wanted honesty, yet he's not totally forthcoming.  As for the team themselves, we got to see them have to face their fears, and make them think about what's happened, or who they are.  For Rick...he needs to find out if he's really as much of a monster as Grundy.  For Yolanda, she's still got to get over the PTSD she's been suffering from the whole battle with the JSA, and killing Brainwave.  Beth...well, she seems to be the only one facing HER fear head on....her parents' eventual split.  Courtney was the only one who jumped into the fray to stop the threat the teacher had become.  But we'll see what her fear is coming up...no doubt about that, I'm sure.  

Overall, I'm enjoying the storyline, and it's well written, and has a nice pace.  We are getting some character development, some backstory, and we see the eminent threat Eclipso has become.  Looking forward to the next chapter, and this show is just very well run, very well written, and engaging.  This is what The Flash needs to aspire to in order to have a good season.  So...how about YOU guys?  What did YOU all think of this week's installment?  Leme know by subscribing and commenting below.

Until next time...keep your eyes on the stars.