Supergirl Review: Call To Action (Season 4 Episode 6)
Tempers flare on Supergirl Season 4 Episode 6, “Call To Action,” and the result is a mostly good episode dragged down by one of the main plot lines.
“Call To Action” is this season’s Thanksgiving episode which has become a tradition on Supergirl. As in past seasons, emotions run high and the holiday dinner is interrupted by a crisis.
This year the crisis is a plot by the Children of Liberty to attack the homes of Aliens they secretly marked with infrared technology. I like the way this plot point is rolled out. There is just enough foreshadowing to know something’s coming but it’s still genuinely surprising when the group’s plot is revealed.
I even like the big climax with Kara subduing an Alien family’s pet dragon. That level of absurdity is normally the territory of Legends of Tomorrow, but they make it work and it’s an exciting conclusion to the episodes main action sequence.
While the episode certainly isn’t short on action, the focus is more on character and plot progression, some of which works and some of which falls flat.
A high point in this episode is Alex’s continued conflict with Col. Haley. What works about this is less the specific story of an authority figure clashing with a story’s hero, we’ve seen often, and more the rapport Chyler Leigh and April Parker Jones have together.
The tension between these two characters is palpable and even if the story is familiar, the way they choose to play it keep it from feeling trite or cliched. Parker Jones does an excellent job keeping the viewer interested in Col Haley even if there is very little depth to her at this point.
The best part of this story though is the platform it gives Leigh and the writers to showcase some of Alex’s core characteristics.
At her very core, Alex is a character of integrity that will always do what she thinks is right and just. Rather than ignoring that for the sake of giving Alex an internal conflict to grapple with, the writers utilize those traits to drive the direction of the story.
From the very moment Col. Haley reveals her anti-alien views Alex never flinches. She takes Haley on directly and tells her exactly where she stands. It’s been one of my favorite dynamics to watch this season.
Unfortunately, as strong as that part of the episode is and as intriguing as some of the smaller developments in the episode are, much of “Call To Action” is dragged down by the conflict between Lena and James.
I’ve never been a fan of the relationship between Lena and James. On paper, it’s a relationship that could have worked but was rushed and ultimately felt forced, so any time that relationship is the focus of an episode it’s a tough sell.
It seems like the writers want viewers to be sympathetic to James’ position but for most of the episode he just comes off as insensitive and arrogant. The way he talks to Lena in her office when he seems to forget she’s his boss, the complete lack of sympathy for her fears about his safety, and dismissiveness of her perspective is incredibly off-putting.
A perfect example is when Lena reveals that she made a deal with the prosecutor to get the vigilante charges against James dropped and he responds by basically telling her she doesn’t know what love is and at least threatening to break up with her over it.
It’s reasonable for James to be upset that she got involved after he asked her not to and lied to him about it. Lena was wrong. But the harshness of James’ reaction, which borders on cruel given Lena’s very specific family history and insecurities, make it hard to sympathize with him.
Worse than that, the writers rely on the stereotype of powerful women being overbearing and controlling to make James’ position more sympathetic and it’s a disservice to Lena’s character. There are so many more interesting places to take Lena and so many more compelling ways to exploit the talents of Katie McGrath than that trope.
It’s still early in the season so there’s time for the writers to do something different with this storyline. I hope they do because in this episode at least it was just frustrating.
Stray Thoughts
- One thing became clear in this episode, Nia is aware of her powers so her story is not going to be one of discovery as much as it is one of revelation.
- Manchester Black was back in this episode and as expected took a dark turn in the wake of his fiance’s death. He seems to have lost a little of that swagger and pop that made him such a fun character when he was introduced. I’m still intrigued by him but I hope he gets some of that fun back because I’m not really interested in another constantly brooding vigilante.
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.