Last week I realized we hadn't talked enough about Lena Luthor. As it turns out, we haven't talked enough about Alex Danvers either. The latest episode of Supergirl is titled "Alex," so it's the ideal time to discuss the eldest Danvers sister.
When I think about multi-faceted characters I admire, Alex is near the top of the list. We see her strengths and her weaknesses. She's had some incredible triumphs in the work place and personally, but she's also made some utterly terrible decisions. Remember the rules she broke in order to help her father? At first blush, Alex seems like the sort who would follow the black and white rules without fail. But no, she sees the gray in between, and when she deems it necessary, she gets flexible. I don't always agree with her, but I respect how she makes a choice and commits to it.
With those Alex Feels out of the way, let's discuss the episode. Alex got stuck in the middle between Kara and Maggie and then she got stuck in a kidnapping/blackmail situation. It's a dire place to be regardless of how you cut it, but Alex didn't lose herself in despair or frustration. She faced her problems. She even used her survival smarts to fashion her pants into an inflatable, life-saving device. Take that, MacGyver.
Alex's role in an episode named after her wasn't as prominent as you might think. However, when she had screen time, she owned it. And the way others feel about Alex determined every action in the episode. We wouldn't have had any of the back and forth between Kara and Maggie without their love for Alex. This is the place I should note Kara acted intolerably for much of the hour. She's become a touch nonchalant about her powers and saving the day. The level of arrogance on display when she argued with Maggie in the opening scenes was... something else. Is Mon-El's presence and influence fueling this behavior? Or has Kara set herself to be a rival of sorts for Maggie?
Because Kara did act like a rival. Rick framed Alex's kidnapping as a test to discover who loved her more, Kara or Maggie, and Kara seemingly proceeded with that mentality. She didn't stop to talk about the best course of action with Maggie. Kara took action instead, because it's what she does. She didn't take Maggie or her importance in Alex's life into account. Not cool, Kara. Not. Cool.
Since Maggie is Maggie, she called Kara out on her selfish mentality. It's one of many reasons I've come to like the character (I hold the tiniest bit of a grudge against Maggie because of how she treated Alex when Alex came out and admitted her feelings). I knew Maggie cared about Alex, but her decision to go to extremes convinced me—and I think her—of how deep her feelings go. I'll cop to crying when Maggie talked to Alex about the firsts she wants to have with her. "Do you want to get a dog?" How could I not lose it when she asked the dog question?
Anyway. Back to Alex. For someone who is almost always in control, she reacted to being captured exceptionally well. I know it's not the first time she's been put in such a position, but it's not any less impressive how she kept her cool. She shared whatever important information she could when she was able to communicate with her sister and Maggie. She tried to use every advantage she had. She fought for every breath when her cell filled up with water. She kicked butt across the spectrum. And that's who Alex Danvers is and that's what Alex Danvers does.
It's that time in the column—time to switch gears and discuss #DCTV Secrets. Kara referred to herself tonight as a “mild-mannered reporter.” That description was often used for Clark Kent. One example was a regular part of the The Adventures of Superman TV series from the '50s. In the opening of the show, Kent was described as "a mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper." Kara has followed in Clark's footsteps on Supergirl, as both a hero and a reporter, so the description fits her, too.
As I've mentioned, Rick Malverne appeared in the episode. We've seen him before in Supergirl when he appeared in the Swan Beach flashback. The character has a history in the comics, where he's known more commonly as Dick (short for Richard) Malverne. He first appeared in ACTION COMICS #256 and had a thing for Linda Danvers, a.k.a. Supergirl. He was convinced Linda was Supergirl, but she didn't impart her secret to him. Fitting since the Supergirl version of Rick didn't hesitate to share what he knew about Kara as far as her alter ego and all the personal details he found out about her.
Are you on Team Alex? Do you feel an urge to tell Kara to step off? Did you pick up on more #DCTV Secrets? Share it all in the comments.
Amy Ratcliffe covers Supergirl as a part of the #DCTV Couch Club. Look for Amy on Twitter at @amy_geek. Supergirl airs Mondays at 8 p.m. (7 p.m. CST) on The CW.
