Supergirl Review: Man of Steel (Season 4 Episode 3)
“What kind of person is capable of doing this?” That’s the question Alex Danvers asks when she sees her sister near death as a result of Mercy Graves and Agent Liberty releasing Kryptonite into the atmosphere.
But it’s also the question Supergirl Season 4 Episode 3, “Man of Steel” attempts to answer.
The episode picks up immediately following the final scene of Supergirl Season 4 Episode 2, “Fallout” with Kara crashing to earth after being taken out by the Kryptonite attack.
Early on it seems like “Man of Steel” is going to be about the rush to save Supergirl. Instead, it’s a flashback episode that gives viewers Agent Liberty’s origin story in an attempt to answer Alex’s question.
“Man of Steel,” tells the story of how Ben Lockwood went from average National City citizen to the ruthless anti-alien villain we met in Supergirl Season 4 Episode 1, “American Alien”.
The episode itself is quite good. They do an excellent job showing Ben’s decent from mild-mannered university professor to radicalized domestic terrorist.
Much of what makes the episode compelling are a number of strong performances from guest and recurring actors and in particular from Sam Witwer, who plays Ben.
I am looking forward to seeing Witwer and Melissa Benoist play in scenes together as the season progresses and Agent Liberty clashes more directly with Supergirl as the personification of this season’s theme, hope vs. fear.
Flashback episodes like this are always interesting. They add layers to stories we already know as they weave in new characters’ experiences and create different ways for viewers think about past events.
As well made and well acted as “Man of Steel” is, the episode also highlights some the limitations that this season’s focus on anti-alien sentiment has as a metaphor for the real world issues the show is trying to speak to.
The problem any superhero story runs into as metaphors for hate or bigotry is that the fear that villains like Agent Liberty have aren’t completely unfounded. That can lend legitimacy to their perspectives that their real-life counterparts don’t deserve.
Within the context of the narrative, this can be seen as necessary storytelling. Supergirl needs a villain that isn’t just a one-note caricature.
However, it becomes problematic the more overtly the show tries to make a statement about the real world.
To be clear Ben Lockwood is a villain. He is filled with hate and crosses lines that mitigate any real sympathy his origin story might evoke. At the same time, aliens really did destroy his house and get his father killed. That gives his anger at least some validation and basis in reality that asks viewers to understand his point of view.
Giving Ben that sympathetic backstory implies a sort of monster of our own making trope that just doesn’t fit with the reality of xenophobia that the series is explicitly trying to represent.
I have to believe there are other ways to make Agent Liberty as strong villain that didn’t rationalize his resentment.
The writers may have a reason for giving Agent Liberty that sympathetic backstory that we don’t know about yet, but right now a story that tries to make viewers empathize with a hateful bigot isn’t exactly what the world needs.
“Man of Steel” is a very good episode for a lot of different reasons, but with less effort trying to make Ben someone the audience empathizes with and it could been exceptional.
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 The CW.
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Sarah Fields
Sarah is an obsessive geek who likes to get into the weeds and over think things. She is passionate about Sci-Fi and comics and is a giant classic film nerd. Sarah cares deeply about media representation and the power of telling diverse stories. When she's not writing or watching her favorite shows she spends her days working in the non-profit world trying to make life a little better for those that need some extra help.