Fly Like a Girl: ‘Supergirl’ – Episode 17 ‘Manhunter’

Supergirl is DC’s television adaptation of the comic book of the same name. It airs Monday nights at 8/7 Central on CBS. Our writer, Nicole Drum recaps the series each week updating you on the latest episode here in Fly Like a Girl.

Image Credit: CBS

Last week we saw Kara was not herself thanks to red Kryptonite, and next week we get a great crossover featuring The Flash and Supergirl. That could make for an off week for the show, but last night’s episode didn’t disappoint. As always there are spoilers from the episode beyond this point.

Last week, J’onn revealed himself as a Martian. That means this week we get to find out quite a bit more about him as Lucy Lane and Col. Jim Harper try to sort out if (and what) kind of threat our favorite Martian actually is.  (I maintain that J’onn is no threat at all and really hope they let him go.) In the meantime, we get a fantastic episode of flashbacks to give us origin stories. Who doesn’t love a good origin story?

Ten years ago we have the real Hank Henshaw rounding up his team to kill Martian Manhunter down in Peru. On the team is Jeremiah Danvers, who happens upon a pretty deadly snake while on said murder mission. J’onn saves him at the last moment and the two bond as J’onn tells Jeremiah his sad story about his family and planet. And it’s a sad story. It moves Jeremiah to decide to tell the DEO that this Martian is not a threat. Unfortunately, Hank rolls up just then and is about to take J’onn down. Jeremiah tackles Hank to save J’onn which leads to Hank rolling off a cliff and Jeremiah getting a fatal knife wound in the side. Jeremiah asks J’onn to take care of Kara and Alex and from that moment on J’onn is Hank.

Flashbacks aren’t just for Martians in this episode. We also get to see Alex three years ago. She is very different, has long hair, is party girl, and gets arrested for public drunkenness. Yep, you read that right—Alex was a drunk party girl. J’onn/Hank shows up to visit her in jail and offers her a place on the DEO, something he does without making any mention of the connection to the Danvers family.

Back in the present, Hank and Alex spend their day hooked up to a polygraph and do their level best to convince Lucy and Col. Harper that everything is fine. This does not work and the pair are sent off to Project Cadmus. Comics fans, you know that is not good. It’s a creepy science facility that does horrible things to aliens and humans. I’m scared for J’onn so much right now. However, before I cry for my favorite Martian, Kara reveals her Supergirl identity to Lucy. It’s a big gamble, considering how Lucy feels about capes generally, but it pays off. Lucy is going to help Kara save Alex (and J’onn.) However, before we get to that, we flashback to Kara’s first day of school. The young girl is overwhelmed by her senses and isn’t treated too well by her peers. Kara does save a mom and child from a car accident, but Jeremiah tells her not to show her powers. Jeremiah tells Kara she just needs to be Kara and then gives her glasses that help to keep her vision at bay. This is why Kara wears glasses.

There is also a flashback  that addresses Kara’s very first interview at CatCo and shows Kara using her X-ray eyes to get some information that makes her the perfect choice. It’s an interesting little scene that does quite a bit to show that Kara has always had some doubts about her ability to be a hero. (I really wish she would just find a little more confidence sometimes.)

And now for the best scene of the episode: Kara and Lucy get on dirt bikes and chase the vehicle transporting our friends to the creepy lab of pain. The pair run the truck off the road and get Alex and J’onn out. In order for things to work, J’onn tries to wipe Col. Harper’s memory for the day, but something interesting happens instead—J’onn sees inside Harper’s thoughts and discovers that Jeremiah Danvers is alive, though probably not well, at Project Cadmus. Yes, you read that correctly. Jeremiah Danvers is alive. Alex vows to Kara that they’ll rescue their dad.

Lucy ends up director of DEO and asks for Kara’s help, which is a nice touch. Oh, and Siobhan? In the midst of the drama at the DEO, she tries to get Kara fired by sending a nasty email from Kara’s account. That fails, so Siobhan ends up on a roof, drinking, and then falling off only to be saved by her own hyper sonic scream. We have our bad guy for next week!

Boom! Daddy Danvers is alive. Alex is a fugitive. Next week we get a crossover with The Flash. This show is getting better and better. What did you think? Let us know in the comments. See you next week!