CW’s Supergirl has managed to avoid anything too obnoxious since last year’s crossover, but in this episode the show returns to its regular practice of using thinly veiled real world references to preach liberal bunk.
The January 29 episode “For Good” opens with an assassination attempt on Trump-stand-in villain Morgan Edge (Adrian Pasdar). Being the unlikeable jerk that he is, he blames Lena Luthor (Kaite McGrath), whom he previously tried to assassinate after framing her in a blatantly familiar manner. Lena’s life is once again endangered, and the situation quickly escalates into finger-pointing, more hurt feelings, and dangerous threats.
With Kara/Supergirl’s (Melissa Benoist) friend in mortal danger, the show doesn’t waste time…in tying it back to a half-hearted social commentary and moral message through her Martian friend J’onn (David Heywood).
J'onn: Right now your job is to protect the people of Earth and be there for your friends. This world is a crazy place right now. People are acting, reacting, escalating behaviors. Like what Morgan Edge did to Lena. What our lawmakers are doing, sniping at each other, going round and round in circles. It's not doing any good. It reminds me of Mars before the civil war. But, like my father said then, there is great power in being the calm at the center of the storm. A beacon to show the way. Supergirl is here to remind us on Earth about what's best in ourselves. That's what's most important. It's more important than if you ever were to catch another bullet.
I’ve been watching television for quite some time, and never once have I found pausing the plot to dole out lessons like we’re children to be interesting or insightful. Especially when those scenes have nothing to do with the story. What do lawmakers have to do with someone trying to kill Edge? Nothing, but whining about how the world is going to hell is practically a left-wing platform now.
Not to mention, Supergirl continues to make the mistake of trying to tie in real-life issues in a universe where Lynda Carter is the president and we believe a man (or woman) can fly. Each time this happens, the show feels less and less relevant which makes their lessons more and more insufferable. If Supergirl is truly supposed to “remind us on Earth about what's best in ourselves,” then we might as well resign ourselves to a civil war.
