Supergirl Review: The Faithful (Season 3 Episode 4)

Supergirl Season 3 Episode 4, “The Faithful,” fails at showing us positive female relationships and starts on the slow and painful breakup of Alex and Maggie.

Surprisingly enough, the latter doesn’t bother me as much as the former does. Let’s face it, relationships are messy and sometimes they fall apart if you don’t have conversations like, “Do you want kids?”

Quite frankly, the whole cult focus of this episode sinks away, never to be seen again, by the glaring issues Supergirl has when it comes to its female characters interacting.

This girl’s night marks a moment where these unique and badass women that we have been falling for come together to just hang out. So it’s very disturbing to see them talking about boys as if they fit into a little box of stereotypes.

Supergirl has power and visibility to make change. And instead of taking advantage of the opportunity, they have with these women coming together, they talk about their sexual exploits, and they end up squandering this opportunity.

It’s true that women talk about our sexual exploits. We like to share. But we don’t talk about that all the time, and a show like Supergirl, which sets an example and is watched by impressionable young women, should go the road less taken and talk about their jobs, their day, or even what they’re hoping to win whatever league or cup there is around.

Believe it or not, women do like sports and other things besides men. Shocker, I know.

I understand the purpose of this scene and how it opens up conversation about children and Ruby’s father. But I can sit down right now and list multiple ways to get to that point that doesn’t make it seem like all we talk about are the boys/men in our lives.

It’s a letdown that the story isn’t taking advantage of the reporter, detective, government agent, CFO, and CEO of a company and instead creates a sort of dialogue that is weathered, old, and something we don’t need to see on TV anymore.

Now, onto Sanvers and the upcoming breakup. It makes sense… to a certain extent. Hold your pitchforks til the end, people.

Alex is finally understanding the reality of her commitment and what she is giving up by being with Maggie. Her contemplating ending the engagement isn’t a weakness. It’s a strength.

It takes a lot to speak up and tell your truth, especially to someone who you care so much for. Sometimes you have to make a stand and not let things go on when they’re not working for you or the relationship you’re in.

If we take a step back and look at Sanvers we can see two things. One, the relationship snowballs into marriage way too fast. Both women needed more moments together and dates to get to know the other.

And two, the break-up makes sense and is sadly realistic. Couples sometimes fall into relationships like this because it’s so beautiful and all-consuming that you want to drown in it.

By the time marriage and wedding arrangements are in the works you pause to take a deep breath and realize that maybe you don’t know this person as well as you thought or maybe that your values don’t match up all the way. It doesn’t make their love or your love any less real. It just means that it’s not going to work out in the long run.

Do I wish Maggie would stay? Yes. I would like to see these two develop their relationship more and grow as individual characters and as a couple.

But things happen like this to anyone in a relationship, including lesbians.

Not all women who fall in love with other women spiral into fairy tale lives with the first person that catches their eye or that they fall into a relationship with. Hell, heterosexual and gay relationships also don’t work like that.

There’s heartbreak, arguments, and things that you can’t compromise on. For that, I have to give the show props. Things like this do break up couples. Maybe there should have been a few more hints about Alex wanting to be a mother, but it’s too late to fix that.

We’re at the end of the line where Alex and Maggie are going to decide to end it because they love each other but want different things from life. And that’s real and heartbreaking for them and for us as people who love them.

To all Sanvers fans, their love is still real and matters. It’s representation and you should never forget that or let go, despite the differences that are going to tear them apart. Why? Because love is love is love is love.

What did you think of this episode of Supergirl? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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Supergirl airs Mondays at 8/7c on The CW.

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