[7.0/10] I’ve never been a fan of Insta-Love. There’s plenty of good reasons why Kara might feel most comfortable in the future with the Legionnaires -- the show even hints at a need to be independent and judged separately from her legendary cousin -- but a nigh-instantaneous attraction to a “super cute” version of Brainiac isn’t one of them. I’m not saying the show could never get there, but it’s a hard thing to swallow in just a little more than twenty minutes.
Even setting that part aside, this episode doesn’t have that much going for it. There’s definitely something cool about Supergirl, Green Lantern, and Green Arrow being pulled into the far future, but we don't really get any shading on the characters there. What does the Fatal Fiev actually want? Who are the Legionnaires? Even for Brainiac 5 and Bouncing Boy, we don’t get much in the way of personality or motivation from them. It’s just sort of “throw the Leaguers into a conflict and get fightin’” without any character work or attempt to understand the situation. This is another episode that feels like it should have at least been a two-parter, so you could work some of those details in.
As it stands, it’s still perfectly fine. There’s some cool designs on the Fatal Five and on the Legionnaires (I think we have some repeats from the S:TAS episode featuring them), and the fights are cool enough. The mind control chips make for a decent enough wrinkle to the usual smash and bash routine, and the prospect of Supergirl dying in the skirmish thanks to what history records gives it enough of a twist. (Even though it’s a pretty obvious headfake.)
I just wish there was more to all of this. The episode hints at a really interesting story of Kara reconciling her place as both Superman’s cousin and has her own hero, and of SUperman himself wanting to support Kara without standing in her way or putting her in his shadow. The two of them working through that, SUperman regretting that he was never more vocal about his support, is a really interesting tack. Instead, we get “Kara has a crush on some boy that causes ehr to give up her entire life and friends and family after spending about an hour with this guy.” It strains credulity (or hell, maybe even hints that she’s being mind controlled).
Overall, this is a perfectly acceptable meat and potatoes episode full of superpowered fights. But the character works it tries and fails to do beyond that brings it down.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2020-10-29T15:25:08Z
[7.0/10] I’ve never been a fan of Insta-Love. There’s plenty of good reasons why Kara might feel most comfortable in the future with the Legionnaires -- the show even hints at a need to be independent and judged separately from her legendary cousin -- but a nigh-instantaneous attraction to a “super cute” version of Brainiac isn’t one of them. I’m not saying the show could never get there, but it’s a hard thing to swallow in just a little more than twenty minutes.
Even setting that part aside, this episode doesn’t have that much going for it. There’s definitely something cool about Supergirl, Green Lantern, and Green Arrow being pulled into the far future, but we don't really get any shading on the characters there. What does the Fatal Fiev actually want? Who are the Legionnaires? Even for Brainiac 5 and Bouncing Boy, we don’t get much in the way of personality or motivation from them. It’s just sort of “throw the Leaguers into a conflict and get fightin’” without any character work or attempt to understand the situation. This is another episode that feels like it should have at least been a two-parter, so you could work some of those details in.
As it stands, it’s still perfectly fine. There’s some cool designs on the Fatal Five and on the Legionnaires (I think we have some repeats from the S:TAS episode featuring them), and the fights are cool enough. The mind control chips make for a decent enough wrinkle to the usual smash and bash routine, and the prospect of Supergirl dying in the skirmish thanks to what history records gives it enough of a twist. (Even though it’s a pretty obvious headfake.)
I just wish there was more to all of this. The episode hints at a really interesting story of Kara reconciling her place as both Superman’s cousin and has her own hero, and of SUperman himself wanting to support Kara without standing in her way or putting her in his shadow. The two of them working through that, SUperman regretting that he was never more vocal about his support, is a really interesting tack. Instead, we get “Kara has a crush on some boy that causes ehr to give up her entire life and friends and family after spending about an hour with this guy.” It strains credulity (or hell, maybe even hints that she’s being mind controlled).
Overall, this is a perfectly acceptable meat and potatoes episode full of superpowered fights. But the character works it tries and fails to do beyond that brings it down.