Supergirl Review: Prom Night! (Season 6 Episode 5)

Supergirl Season 6 Episode 5, “Prom Night!,” is a trip back in time that gives this final season more energy. It does this by leaning into nostalgia, giving Cat Grant a Supergirl origin story, and reminding everyone that heroes are just like us. 

It is ingenious for this episode to take on all of this through Brainy and Nia’s trip to 2009. Brainy and Nia are two of the strongest characters on the show, and this episode gives them more time to shine. 

In a season leading up to a series finale, “Prom Night!” could have ended feeling like a misstep, leaving us wondering if the hour could have better served another character in the present. Instead, this episode makes a case for why a trip to the past is so necessary. 

This isn’t to say that Nia and Brainy’s real reason for going to Midvale makes much sense because it doesn’t. There’s plenty of Kara’s DNA in the present that needing for it to be a specific DNA sample from a Kryptonite-infused meteor comes across as a blatant excuse for this trip. 

But you know what? It doesn’t bother me all that much when the Legion ship lands on that baseball field and everyone, including Kenny (!!!), comes face to face. This is when Supergirl takes itself a little less seriously, even though the basis of this trip is as serious as it gets. 

Supergirl partially does this through fun nods to the Arrowverse, which never gets old. What’s the point of a shared universe and a shared planet if not to make those jokes and drop those names? Nia saying “Stay frosty,” and the mentions of Superman and Lois Lane all work for me. 

It’s fun and shows how interconnected these stories are — especially Kara and Clark’s. 

“Prom Night!” finds the perfect balance of high-stakes superhero missions and heartfelt character-driven moments that makes Supergirl such a treat to watch every week. It achieves this through the incredible cast that brings the younger version of our favorite characters to life. They’re all so spot on it’s almost eerie. 

To mash those performances up with Nia and Brainy, who are so out of time even though it’s only 2009, is simply wonderful. We get to see that some things never change, that Alex still tries to protect her sister’s secret at all costs, and Kara is willing to do whatever it takes to help someone. 

Though, it would have been nice to see more scenes with Kara and Alex. The end of the episode confirms that this trip to Midvale is a two-parter, so maybe there will be more of them next week. 

The Danvers sisters are one of the pillars of Supergirl. Without them, it all falls apart. Ideally, the second part will dig deeper into the tension between the sisters. 

Then, Supergirl adds Kenny to the mix because, in a post-Crisis world, Kenny gets to live and be in a happy and healthy relationship with Kara. There is plenty to debate about Kara’s romantic life on Supergirl and whether the show’s pairings have set up for her work. 

Her relationship with Kenny works. They’re supportive of each other, which is why it’s so sad to see Kara keep the truth about where she wants to go to college from Kenny. We’ve only known Earth-Prime Kenny for a short time, but he would undoubtedly be nothing but supportive of Kara’s decision. 

He made her a super bunker! Kenny knows how much Kara looks up to Superman (presumably not knowing he is her cousin) and makes her a safe place for her to go. That’s the kind of grand gesture Kara Danvers deserves. 

It makes me want to believe in a future where Kenny and Kara could meet up. Maybe they wouldn’t get back together because a lot of time has passed and people change, but their connection comes across as so genuine and pure that I want to see more of them. 

This storyline also gives us a glimpse of our titular hero at one of the most formative times of her life on Earth. Kara is making big moves that will determine her future. We’ve all been there, making decisions that could change everything. 

The show is doing a great job exploring Supergirl’s vulnerability this season by placing her in the Phantom Zone, where she has no super-human powers. This episode lets us see Kara as she’s stepping into her super-human powers but still has to deal with the vulnerability that comes with being a person. 

Plenty is happening in this episode with familiar superhero stakes, but it’s refreshing that one of the biggest questions is whether Kara will tell her boyfriend the truth. There is no superhero layer to that question, and there doesn’t need to be. 

This story allows Supergirl to peel back the layers and remind us that Kara is just like us, having to make difficult decisions that aren’t always life or death. 

This same sentiment arises with Brainy and Nia as well. They’re trying to save Kara from the Phantom Zone, but both characters deal with very relatable issues when you take away the supernatural elements. Yet another reminder that superheroes are just like us. 

It would be easier for Supergirl to go full steam ahead and leave these more human elements to fill the gaps between the Big Bads. That’s not how it translates on “Prom Night!” Instead, these characters are driven by their very identifiable emotions and problems that can easily connect to our everyday lives. 

This is why one of the standout moments of this episode is when Nia sings Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” to ease not only her mind but Brainy’s as well. They’re on a spaceship trying to preserve the timeline, but all of that falls away in this moment. 

It’s not about two superheroes trying to save everything; it’s about two people showing up for each other when they need it most. Then they can get back to saving Supergirl and the timeline. 

Not to mention, it’s an adorable moment for anyone who ships these two. Jesse Rath nails Brainy’s complete look of awe as Nia dances and sings in front of him. Supergirl is leading up to something for Brainy and Nia, and I’m buckled in for that ride. 

Meanwhile, Cat Grant trails all of this, trying to piece together whatever she can to become the hard-hitting news reporter we know and love her to be. There’s sure to be more of Cat uncovering the truth about Midvale’s luck next week.

Until then, I will take that Cat’s big shot to prove to Perry White that she’s as good as Lois Lane comes from a story about Kara Danvers. Cat and Kara have always been connected, it seems, and now we know that as the truth. 

There’s a whole lot to love about “Prom Night!” that all make waiting a week for the second part of this adventure frustrating. Although, one thing this episode doesn’t nail is the introduction of another villain. 

Professor Naxim Tork and his sidekick Mitch feel as though they’d be a better fit for Legends of Tomorrow. This could also be because their presence only seems fitting on Supergirl to add more issues to Brainy and Nia’s original goal. They’re just not necessary when Brainy and Nia are already facing enough problems. 

Presumably, everything with Tork will resolve itself by the end of next week’s episode because Supergirl already has enough going on with villains. It hasn’t even entirely resolved its Lex Luthor problem yet. Thankfully, we have one more episode in Midvale to enjoy before Brainy and Nia return to the present and all of its problems. 

Stray Thoughts

• Nicole Maines should sing every single week. 
• Alex threatening Brainy not to mess up her future just before he leaves is very in character. 
• Kenny and Kara going by the “Scooby-Duo” is too cute for words.
• Brainy’s reaction to 2009 technology is so good. 
• Everything about Nia and Kara’s sleepover is adorable. 
• The barn where Kenny builds the bunker looks a lot like the barn from Smallville. 

 

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

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Supergirl airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on The CW.

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