Supergirl Review: Hope for Tomorrow (Season 6 Episode 15)
Supergirl Season 6 Episode 15, “Hope for Tomorrow,” returns the show to its roots just in time to embark on its final five episodes.
The unfortunate truth of that welcomed return to form is that it continues to prove how unbalanced the focus on the Super Friends is, and Supergirl is running out of time to correct it.
The opening scene of “Hope for Tomorrow” is one of the most touching, grounding moments this season. It puts many of the characters we love together in the same room without the threat of the universe forcing them to do so.
This scene drives home the surety of hope for tomorrow because of the way the Super Friends welcome Alex and Kelly’s daughter Esme (!!!) into their chosen family.
The very new dynamic between Alex, Kelly, and Esme allows the show to draw parallels to how the show started. Supergirl does this in a way that never feels too pointed and entirely organic.
Kara bringing the stuffed animals Eliza used to welcome her home is sweet and totally in character.
J’onn helping Alex with the Green Martian mural is equally endearing while also amplifying that chosen families can be as strong as biological families, if not stronger.
Because of this nostalgia, “Hope For Tomorrow” is the turning point that signals this show is gearing up for its superhero landing.
Alex and Kelly realize parenting means making mistakes and learning from them rather quickly, considering they have a lifetime of trials and tribulations ahead of them.
However, this works well for Alex and the sense of nostalgia at the core of this episode. Her overbearing teaching technique ties back to how Jeremiah taught her.
It’s also such a rewarding time for Alex Danvers fans because this character wanted to be a mother for so long, and now it’s happening.
Plus, it’s simply the best to see Dansen be a team in every sense of the word.
How all of this doesn’t work is that it shines a glaring light on the members of this chosen family that aren’t getting their due, and there are only a handful of episodes left.
Nia works to find the Dream Totem off-camera — a missed opportunity on at least two accounts.
It could have been a valued chance to show us how Dreamer’s powers are evolving. Not to mention, her journey to retrieve the totem could have shown how her perception of herself is changing.
Supergirl has an opportunity to give us flashbacks or a bottle episode to show us Nia’s journey. But is there time for that?
“Hope for Tomorrow” also brings attention to the lack of J’onn’s individual narrative in this final season. He is a core member of this chosen family, yet the show can’t follow through on any of the potential arcs it teases for him.
The same can be said about Brainy, especially coming out of this first half of this season. Brainy experienced an unimaginable amount of trauma from nearly dying at the hands of Lex Luthor’s evil scheme.
The first half of the season could be viewed as an average resolution to Brainy’s journey, but Lex’s return will surely bring some old, unresolved feelings to the surface.
Speaking of old, unresolved feelings, what about Andrea Rojas? Supergirl makes her sharp, intelligent, and unflinchingly confident even when she knows she’s wrong.
That’s all fine and well if the show wants to create parallels between Cat Grant, but it doesn’t fix how Supergirl avoids Andrea’s abilities and untapped potential as Acrata.
Nyxly’s arrival at CatCo doesn’t hold much weight considering the way it pokes holes the Andrea problem, and well, a few other things.
It’s easy to shake off Andrea pretending Nyxly can cause detrimental damage to her because Andrea acts like she doesn’t have any special abilities like the rest of the Super Friends. That doesn’t make it any less frustrating.
Similarly, it’s simple to brush away the general apprehension that comes from a camera pointed directly at Kara when she disappears and Supergirl appears.
Alternatively, it’s not easy to ignore the bizarre decision to make William Dey leverage a single episode after he’s embedded at the Tower. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been time dedicated to making William a necessary member of this team.
Luckily, Supergirl relies on the rule of thumb that the titular hero believes in hope, help, and compassion for all to make the mission to save Willaim a bit tenser.
Nonetheless, it’s a strange choice to have William be the one to disarm Nyxly when the Super Friends spent multiple episodes exhausting all of their options to do just that.
Evidently, Supergirl doesn’t believe the Super Friends can handle Nyxly (and the final five episodes) independently. That belief is solidified by Lex Luthor setting the stage for his return.
It’s hard to get excited about an epic showdown of the Super Friends vs. Lex and Nyxly when Supergirl may spend the final episodes building up to that instead of giving the core characters the stories and time they deserve.
To remain optimistic, maybe just maybe, the show will give Lena yet another chance to confirm she is better than Lex in every sense of the word.
Lena doesn’t need to compel anyone to use magic for her. The magic’s been inside of her all along.
Stray Thoughts
- Brainy asking Esme if she’s been trained in hand-to-hand combat is hilarious.
- Esme knowing that Kara is Supergirl in five seconds is iconic.
- Kelly wore the bracelet Esme gave her.
- Andrea wanting to keep the cameras rolling as her employees are attacked is very on-brand.
- Did anyone else catch Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the cover of CatCo magazine?
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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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.