Supergirl Review: Blurred Lines (Season 5 Episode 3)
After the filler episode that was Supergirl Season 5 Episode 2, “Stranger Beside Me,” Supergirl Season 5 Episode 3, “Blurred Lines,” feels like a deep dive into the season’s themes and major arcs.
This episode is rich with honest and at times heartbreaking stories, whether it be Brainy and Nia’s relationship troubles or J’onn discovering the truth about his brother.
“Blurred Lines” also lives up to its title and blurs the lines between good and bad for a few characters, especially J’onn J’onzz and Lena Luthor.
Initially, both J’onn and Lena believe what they are doing or did is for the greater good. Their methods, however, aren’t the best way to achieve that.
J’onn thinks erasing Malefic from the Green Martians’ hive mind will protect his father, and ultimately himself, from the pain his brother caused. Lena thinks that reprogramming humans so they aren’t driven by emotions is the only way to save them from themselves, even though the project was born because of her emotions.
Both J’onn and Lena try to control the emotions of others through their actions. However, they both cross the lines of all humans deserving agency.
J’onn takes away his father’s agency by taking away his memories of his son without his permission. J’onn takes away his brother’s agency by erasing his existence from the minds of his people.
J’onn is interesting case because time has passed, and he is able to see the repercussions of his actions. Malefic returns and demands J’onn reckon with what he did. This causes J’onn to show remorse for what he did, knowing that he took things too far.
This revelation doesn’t waver the belief that J’onn is good. In fact, J’onn’s emotional reaction to his mistake is what saves his actions from appearing cold and calculated.
It’s also promising that J’onn doesn’t remove himself from the situation. He doesn’t shift the blame but shoulders it.
J’onn’s remorse might very well be the thing to save his relationship with his brother, which is ironic considering Lena’s work wishes to strip J’onn of that advantage.
Now that J’onn’s memory is restored, Supergirl can tell a story about brotherhood and Martian culture, which they haven’t been able to tell before.
As for Lena, she is still in the midst of her master plan. She is not to the reflective point where she can notice her mistakes and grow from them. Lena sees no wrong in putting an A.I. system in Eve’s body, turning her into a host rather than a human.
Lena has every right to be angry at Kara for withholding her identity from Lena for as long as she did. However, Lena has no right to manipulate the emotional state and broader minds of humans who have no say in the matter.
The issue of consent and Lena’s plan may become clearer as the season progresses. As of right now, it isn’t looking so great for Lena.
If she does continue to blur the lines and fully commits to her plan, it will be a lot to come back from, but Lena has a group of people around her who won’t give up on her.
Hopefully, no matter how far this goes, Lena will be able to get to the same reflective place that J’onn reaches and be able to learn from the experience.
Lena is a fan-favorite character, and her decisions may test their loyalty. Lena is pulling the puppet strings on both Eve and Kara. She may even control all humankind by the end of Season 5.
That is a terrifying prospect, and one that could chalk Lena up to be the villain of the season. If this is the route Supergirl wishes to take, the fight to save Lena from the darkest parts of herself won’t be easy.
Lena’s desire for humans to be driven by anything other than emotion will affect her, especially if she becomes a subject of her own study. In that case, Supergirl won’t be able to explain away Lena’s transformation with a heartfelt apology, like Kara’s regarding her hidden identity.
Supergirl will need to show the aftermath of someone whose psyche has been manipulated to believe that emotion is a weakness rather than a strength. The show could portray a moving story of Lena rediscovering herself and realizing that trust, hope, and love are anything but weaknesses.
The show doesn’t need another irredeemable villain. Supergirl already has that in Lex Luthor. It’s no secret that Lena is a much better person than her brother, so here’s to hoping the show doesn’t forget that.
On another note, it may seem like Supergirl isn’t preparing for “Crisis on Infinite Earths” as much as The Flash and Arrow, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. It may be more subtle than The Monitor telling both Oliver and Barry respectively that they must die to save the universe, but Malefic’s presence must hold some relevance for the crossover.
Malefic’s abilities allow him to manipulate people against their will, and that can be useful for whoever is working to bring down the multiverse. The Monitor brings Malefic to National City for some reason.
Obviously Malefic has issues to resolve with J’onn, but his presence has to mean something for the looming crisis.
Stray Observations
- It is so refreshing to see that Kelly is an integral part of the team and overall story thus making her more than Alex’s love interest, as she should be.
- Kara blurs some lines of her own when she breaks the law to score Lex’s journals for Lena; hypocrisy and double standards run deep on Supergirl this season.
- James’ life changes happening off-screen isn’t the most effective choice since James won’t be on the show much longer.
What did you think of this episode of Supergirl? Do you think Malefic has something to do with the crisis? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Supergirl airs Sunday at 9/8c on The CW.
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Shelby Elpers
Shelby is a TV enthusiast and pop culture writer. She's an avid podcast listener, green tea drinker, and soccer fan. Her brand can be summarized in rom-coms, superheroes, teen dramas, and workplace comedies.