Supergirl Review: Parasite Lost (Season 4 Episode 5)
Tensions continue to grow in National City on Supergirl Season 4 Episode 5, “Parasite Lost,” as the team scrambles to stop turncoat Agent Jensen after he’s given the ability to absorb any alien power by big bad Agent Liberty.
Much like Supergirl Season 4 Episode 4, “Ahimsa,” there are a number of different threads to follow on “Parasite Lost,” all woven together around Agent Liberty’s latest attempts to stoke fear and anti-Alien sentiment.
Over at the DEO Alex works with newly installed Col. Haley to stop Jensen. At the end of “Ahimsa” it seemed like Col Haley was going to be a familiar type of antagonist there to clash with Alex and undercut her leadership.
What we get instead, at first anyway, is what seems like mutual respect and a character that wants to collaborate with Alex more than she wants to contain her. That was the first sign that something was up.
Things went much too well, much too quickly for there not to be another shoe to drop.
By the end of the episode we learn that while Col. Haley may be reasonable when it comes to tactics and plans, she also holds anti-alien views, including a distrust of J’onn and his time as Director of the DEO, that put her in conflict with everything Alex holds dear.
When Haley reveals where she stands, Alex does what everyone who follows Supergirl, or knows anything about the character, knew she would. She stands up for J’onn and by extension aliens in general.
This was one of two standout moments for Chyler Leigh, the other being her big speech to Agent Jensen in the climax of the episode. There is nothing more satisfying than scenes of Alex demonstrating her integrity, loyalty, and leadership.
I don’t know if this will end up being the story of an adversary that has to be defeated or a potential ally that redeems herself when she is persuaded to see things differently, but I am interested to see how Alex handles the situation and power dynamics involved.
Elsewhere on the episode, James struggles with how to respond to people using Guardian to support their anti-alien beliefs.
James of course initially rejects any association with people who would use Guardian to espouse bigotry and hate. But after a conversation with Ben Lockwood, who says that shutting the door on people who are afraid will only make them dig in deeper, James becomes convinced he can be a bridge that changes hearts and minds.
This is the first time in a very long time that James has had a compelling story.
I’m not sure how I feel about how heavily this season is leaning on the idea of understanding the perspectives hateful people, but a theme of this season is hope vs. fear so some of that is to be expected. I’m just glad to see James play an important role in exploring that theme.
I like “Parasite Lost” quite a bit. The episode does an excellent job of pulling together various plots in a way that feels cohesive and moves the overarching story forward. More than that, almost every character is given something interesting to do that left me more invested in where they were headed than I was before the episode started.
Stray Thoughts
- Every episode this season I seem to fall more and more in love with Jesse Rath’s Brainy. He’s been the show’s main source of levity and light and, put simply, is a delight in every scene he’s in.
- Speaking of Brainy, I don’t know if he and Nia are actually headed for a romantic relationship but after their interactions at the beginning of “Parasite Lost,” I’m definitely on board for some kind of relationship between them.
- I was intrigued by J’onn’s final scene which implies he might become a sort of informal investigator for aliens that feel they can’t trust the authorities. It opens up so much potential for his character and gives the team an alternative outlet if the DEO starts to institute anti-alien policies under Col Haley.
- The Agent Liberty storyline seems to be moving really fast. I wonder if they’re planning to split the season into two parts and wrap his story before jumping completely into the Red Daughter plotline we’ve only seen hints of.
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.