Supergirl Review: American Alien (Season 4 Episode 1)

Welcome back to National City. Supergirl kicks off its new season with Supergirl Season 4 Episode 1, “American Alien,” and comes out of the gates strong.

“American Alien” establishes a few new dynamics while also orienting viewers to where each character is three months after the events of the Supergirl Season 3 Episode 23, “Battles Lost and Won,”. There is a lot of potential set up on this episode, and much to be excited for.

One of the main story elements “American Alien” sets up is the growing anti-alien sentiment in National City and how each character is responding to it.

What’s particularly interesting is the way the show seems to be approaching this topic. The anti-alien sentiment being fanned by the new big bad is also something that has been simmering over time among regular people leading normal lives.

Kara even points out, after finding anti-alien chat rooms on the dark web, that the people in them are just like the people she saves. This is going to complicate things for Kara moving forward. There is a big bad that she can fight, but that’s not going to solve the real problem.

Unlike World Killers and other evil Kryptonians, fear and hate aren’t tangible threats that can be defeated in battle or problem solved like a puzzle. It’s going to challenge Kara in new ways and force her to think differently about how she fights what’s coming.

Supergirl made another interesting choice for this storyline by making Kara oblivious to this hate and resentment that had been growing around her.

Kara is an alien, but she also lives in a relatively privileged space as a famous, mostly-beloved, superhero.

She has the luxury to see what she wants and chooses to see the world at its best. She is almost willfully resistant at the start of the episode to the idea that there is an ugliness pushing back against all the progress she stands for.

On the other hand, many other aliens living in National City don’t have that luxury. The aliens that J’onn has been talking to in his support group, for instance, see more clearly what’s happening.

It’s only when something shocking happens that Kara finally sees and really acknowledges what those more vulnerable aliens have always known.

I’m looking forward to seeing how that disillusionment pushes Kara emotionally and how she adjusts as she continues to strive to be a symbol of hope.

Supergirl Season 4 Episode 1, “American Alien” also introduced Nia Nal (who we learned at San Diego Comic-Con is the Superhero, Dreamer) and sets up her relationship with Kara.

The episode immediately and explicitly sets up that Nia’s relationship with Kara will mirror that of Kara and Cat Gant, with Kara playing the role as the mentor this time.

Nia is poised to have an interesting storyline of her own, but will also hold up a mirror to Kara so viewers, and Kara herself, can reflect on how she’s changed and grown over the last three seasons.

After two seasons without a clear character arc for Kara, it’s really important for season 4 to have a firm grasp of who Kara is and how far she’s come. Having Nia play a significant role in that is a strong choice.

All three season of Supergirl have started out strong but only one of those seasons lived up to the potential it began with.

It remains to be seen if the rest of season 4 will be as strong as its first episode. But, the elements are there and based Supergirl Season 4’s first offering there is every reason to be hopeful and excited for what’s to come.

Stray Thoughts

• I’m still not sold on Lena and James as a couple. It feels a bit forced and unearned.
• It was wonderful to see Brenda Strong make an appearance as Lillian Luthor. Any scene she’s in is better because she’s in it.
• One new development mentioned briefly in the premiere is that Alex has been dating since the events of season 3. I’d love to see some of that before a new long-term love interested is introduced.
• The tension between Brainy and Alex was really fun and I hope Alex’s irritation with Brainy stays as part of their dynamic even as she starts to trust him more and they eventually form a stronger friendship.
• The very end of the episode offered a brief glimpse of the Russian Kara we saw at the end of season 3. It was not enough to form any opinions on but it was still intriguing to get that short tease.

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

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Supergirl airs Sundays at 8/7c on CW.

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