1x06 Fearful Symmetry

[8.1/10[ Holy continuity, Batman! I enjoy a good conspiracy thriller, and this was a superb one. Not only was the answer to the mystery satisfying, but it built on a lot of DCAU continuity, which is a real boon for yours truly. There’s some fun character work with the introductions for both Question and Power Girl, and an interesting twist rooted in what we’ve seen before.

The episode would work even if it was just Supergirl, Green Arrow, and Question working on a whodunnit. The dynamic of Question as a conspiracy nut who nevertheless has some legit detective skills, Green Arrow as the skeptic who’s more interested in getting down to brass tacks, and Supergirl as the more balanced hero between them really works. The fact that Supergirl herself is at the center of the mystery gives this one extra force, but honestly, if they did a spinoff show about this trio solving mysteries on a weekly basis, I’d be on board.

That said, I really like the mystery here. The sense of Kara having recurring dreams where she does awful things, provoking a reaction out of her, is a good visceral way ot set the stakes. The question of whether or not these are dreams or visions or repressed memories gives it a hook. And there’s obviously something personal here, with Supergirl not just wanting to solve this one for truth, justice, and the American way, but because she’s haunted by the possibilities here.

I like the breadcrumbs our heroes get along the way. The return of General Hardcastle is a nice sop for continuity hounds like myself, if only because he’s been inherently skeptical of metahumans from the beginning. We also get confirmation that Volcana and Joker’s version of the Royal Flush gang were results of the same government experiments and organizations, meant to protect humanity against superpowered champions like Superman turning rogue again. Hell, we even see some random goons siccing a proto-version of a Zeta robot on Supergirl for good measure! This one is filled with those little details that continuity-lovers like me just drink up.

That conspiracy makes for a good intro for The Question. I’ll confess that as someone who enjoys the character Rorschach from the Watchmen graphic novel (something Justice League seems to be paying tribute to, alongside William Blake, with the title), in addition to liking Jeffrey Combs’s various turns in the Star Trek franchise, I’m predisposed to like this incarnation of Question.

But he’s a lot of fun on his own! His grand conspiracy theories, touching on real issues climate change and but also encompassing things like boy bands, gives him a fun mix of insight and lunacy as a character. Combs’s low key delivery is great, and small character touches like his taxi cab abduction of a local reporter, or him still humming the “Oops I Did It Again” parody as he breaks into a secret lab with a trash can are great.

I also like the fact that he zeroes in on a key breakthrough in the case, not just that Powergirl is a clone of Supergirl, but that their psychic link goes both ways. The notion that Galatea’s connection to Kara gives her a conscience she’d rather not have, which motivated a lot of the machinations here, is a good one that, again, adds something personal to the overarching mystery.

Powergirl herself is apporpiratley frightening, using her laser blasts to murder people and seeming more intimidating than the kinder and gentler Supergirl. Their clash is a solid one, even if the holographic projection conceit neuters things a bit. There’s a few gratuitous rips and comments here and there, but the stand-off between the two carries some impact, literally and figuratively.

I particularly like the twist with Professor Hamilton, and how it plays off the final arc of Superman: The Animated Series. For one thing, the simple fact that Superman seemed to turn on humanity in the first place helps give whichever shady government operatives who made Galatea and tried to blow up Novagen an interesting motivation/justification for their actions. But more to the point, Dr. Hamilton linking up with them has force, both because he was a good guy and one of Superman’s most trusted allies for so long, but also because he has genuine reason to fear the metahumans and what could go wrong with them after Superman threatened him in an agitated state. Once more, there’s a personal element here apart from the various conspiracy tangles which makes everything extra potent.

Overall, a very cool outing that connects nicely to some of the larger arcs Justice League Unlimited and the DCAU writ large, has been developing for some time.