Note: there will be spoilers below!
Recap
Cat Grant gets her interview with Supergirl. Kara lets it slip that Superman is her cousin.
Kara meets with her sister and James shows up. Seems Kara has a crush on him. Cat is happy she scooped the Daily Planet. Cat is going to write an expose on Supergirl. They’re doing a special for their monthly magazine. Kara needs to plan a big party for the launch of the issue.
Reactron sees the news at his home in a junkyard. When he hears they’re cousins, he suits up.
When responding to a car pile up on the freeway, Reactron blasts her. He wants the Man of Steel to suffer by losing everything. She does a decent job fighting him. She damages his suit so he flies away. Kara tries getting information on Reactron from the D.E.O. There isn’t much info and they’re not planning on doing anything about him. He’s human, not alien. They can’t risk exposing themselves. Henshaw tells her to call her cousin since “Superman” fights for truth, justice and the American way.
Cat is extremely tense about writing the article. Winn sets up a private office so they can talk Supergirl missions. James suggests Kara calls her cousin. James mentions Reactron almost killed “Clark.” James knows his secret too. He let it slip in front of Winn.
Maxwell Lord is working on a train for National City. Reactron smashes into the place, looking for someone that is an expert on nuclear fission. Lord allows himself to be taken rather than one of his scientist. When Kara is feeling bad about not having stopped Reactron before, Alex shows up offering to help. They find out why Reactron is so motivated to fight Superman.
Kara tries getting Cat to change the tone of her article since it sounds a little ‘nasty.’ Cat thinks Supergirl is just a Millenial who will simply call her cousin when things get too tough. James tells Kara they figured out where Reactron is at. She plans on talking to him since no one has really tried to talk before. When she goes to set Maxwell Lord free, Reactron jumps out at her with his suit repaired. As Reactron continues to blast her, Supergirl is about to pass out. Before, she sees her cousin come in and Reactron flies away. She wakes up in her apartment. Lord is on the news and says he owes his life to Superman. James called him with a Signal Watch Superman gave him. Kara’s not happy and asks him to leave for not believing in her.
The party is underway. Winn is dancing with Kara and James cuts in. He says pushing the button didn’t have anything to do with her. It’s him. He pushes the button when he gets scared. That’s why he left Metropolis. He was scared he would lose her. Reactron arrives looking for Supergirl. As Supergirl saves Winn, James tells Reactron who he is and that he’s practically Superman’s best friend.
Henshaw’s eyes glow read (again) and knew Alex was in the base. She tells him she was helping her sister fight Reactron. She tries telling him that when she joined, he said they’d save the world. Eventually they figure out a way to stop Reactron. Alex suggests she find James to celebrate her victory.
At Catco, Kara runs in looking for James and finds him in his office with Lucy Lane. She’s awkward and when she leaves, she listens in on James and Lucy’s conversation. He says he can’t “do this right now.” Lucy didn’t like the way they left things and she suggests dinner. Feeling bad, at her desk she gets a text from Clark. She thanks him for saving her life. Clark said he talked to Jimmy and it won’t happen again. He tells her she’s doing great. She did something he never could—stop Reactron.
Kara is eating take out with Alex. Alex picked up the magazine and says that beneath the well crafted insults, he respects her.
Thoughts
We get another jam-packed episode that manages to keep the balance and action flowing nicely. It's always nice when an episode picks up exactly where the previous left off. Cat's interview with Supergirl is interesting. It's hard to gauge what she really thinks of her. Previously she wanted Supergirl to belong to them but she ends up writing the 'nasty' article. Alex did not she respects her so we'll have to see how this plays out.
Reactron's appearance was well handled. Why would a Superman villain happen to come after Supergirl? It was a matter of convenience and revenge. It's possible he also figured Supergirl wouldn't be as much of challenge for him. He was proven wrong there. The fights between the two was nicely done. It seemed like Supergirl was holding her own against him but in their next encounter, he really gets the upper hand.
Superman's super-brief appearance was a little cheesy because it felt so CG. We were wondering why he wouldn't appear if there were big threats in National City. Not because Supergirl would need his help but more so because she can't be everywhere at once. Jimmy calling him made sense. But now it seems he won't be coming again. Is this their way to avoid dealing with having him on in a bigger role?
The effects are a mixed bag. They work for the most part. We're seeing a lot of Kara flying and hovering. Sometimes it looks good but other times it's so clear they're using wires and such. Still, you have to love the fact that she can actually fly unlike the entirety (except the last episode) of Smallville. Clark IM'ing her at the end was a little cheap but, again, works and makes sense. I'd rather have this type of communication over not having any. It was just so odd when Kara had to ask James what her cousin was like.
Kara having such a crush on James felt like a bit much. It does add the romantic tension that some viewers may want. I could do without it and the dancing between Kara and Winn and Cat and Max Lord. It's understandable why this element is there so I can deal with it. Barely. Let's hope there isn't another dance scene again anytime soon.
James knows Superman's secret identity? That's a nice new twist since it was just recently in the comics Superman told Jimmy. It also makes the fact that Superman asked James to check on her. The fact that they pretty much blurted it out in front Winn was just wrong. Kara may trust him with her secret but she shouldn't presume it's okay to tell him Superman's secret too.
Supergirl is definitely finding its footing. We get some new characters introduced with Reactron, Maxwell Lord (who just had a cameo last episode), and Lucy Lane. Having Reactron as a villain is great in that it gives Supergirl a threat other than the Kryptonians from Fort Rozz to deal with. We even get a tiny cameo from Superman and hear his name actually mentioned at least five times. We have action, character development, and even some bits of romance. There's practically something for everyone. Supergirl is on a roll. I'm ready for more.