Supergirl Review: I Believe In A Thing Called Love (Season 6 Episode 17)
With Dansen as the exception, Cupid’s arrows hit the wrong people on Supergirl Season 6 Episode 17, “I Believe In A Thing Called Love.”
This episode goes out of its way to prove Lex’s love for Nyxly is pure enough to change a man as diabolical as him.
However, that mission falls short when Cupid’s proper focus should have been the other Luthor sibling.
Supergirl‘s refusal to let Kara and Lena even try to be a romantic pairing is astonishing. It’s downright frustrating during an episode that draws so many parallels between Nyxly/Lex and Kara/Lena.
Countless moments in this episode (and ones before it) would have been pursued romantically had they been between a man and a woman.
Instead of giving Kara and Lena a chance, Supergirl pursues that avenue with Lex and Nyxly.
Lex gives Nyxly a suit that saves her life as a gift from a secret admirer. Lena did this in the past for Kara, without the secret admirer note.
Lex makes a speech about how everything changed when he met Nyxly. Lena made a very similar declaration to Kara before.
Nyxly suggests a romantic future is possible between her and Lex because he saved her life. Kara thanks Lena for always protecting her from losing a part of herself.
This episode centers on the Love Totem and genuine expressions of love, but this show refuses to budge on the belief that Kara and Lena’s interactions are strictly platonic.
If the excuse is that it would threaten their friendship or partnership, that argument doesn’t work. Dansen and Brainia hit their ruts but ultimately thrive together on and off the superhero field.
Kara and Lena would be no different. They prove that time and time again, especially during this final season.
It writes itself, and honestly, it’s mindboggling that SuperCorp isn’t canon yet.
The frustration regarding this unexplored relationship becomes overwhelming due to Supergirl‘s distinct dedication to Lex’s complicated romantic feelings for Nyxly.
There is no reason to bring back this character so late in Supergirl‘s run to give him a fun and thrilling romantic story that Lena deserves.
Now that the show is settled into this arc, it’s hard to imagine that it’ll ever deliver SuperCorp by the end of the series finale. But, if the Paragon of Hope has taught us anything, it’s not to give up.
No matter, Lena deserves to be the one to banish Lex back to the future. There’s no use in understanding the time travel rules because that is a waste of time with only three episodes left.
Thankfully, Dansen and Brainia get real moments to shine amidst Lex and Nyxly’s twisted tale. Unfortunately, Brainy and Nia’s moments are shorter and often conveyed through knowing glances.
However, all of those details add up when Supergirl hasn’t checked in with just the two of them in a while. That’s why Brainia’s scene on the Tower’s balcony holds so much weight.
Nicole Maines and Jesse Rath work so well together that they can fill in the gaps by allowing Nia and Brainy to be present with each other.
Their innate trust radiates between them and encourages a vulnerability that is beautiful to watch. If only there were more time for introspective moments like that for these two.
As for Dansen, everything about them in “I Believe In A Thing Called Love” is delightfully perfect. Every detail contains the kind of care they deserve.
Their proposals, even the foiled ones, are charming and emotional. Azie Tesfai’s delivery of “You’re not just my love. You’re my perfect match” is enough to make any Supergirl fan burst into tears.
Alex and Kelly’s relationship moves quite fast in the grand scheme of things, but it’s easier to process that rate considering the countless life-or-death scenarios they keep facing.
Regardless of those conditions, those two are utterly adorable and deserve this joy and this love. Dansen’s happy ending is well beyond earned.
We need to stock up on tissues now, assuming the show will fast-track things so we Dansen’s wedding before the end of the series. There’s no way James Olsen is missing his little sister’s big day, right?
The Super Friends keep finding moments of celebration and calm with each other, and Dansen’s wedding would be the peak of that. It wouldn’t be right not to have the whole family back for that.
Brainy keeps teasing a call to the Legion in the future. Maybe Winn can pick James up on the Legion ship so they can make it in time.
Let’s hope Supergirl can get Lex and Nyxly out of the way in enough time, so a reunion of this magnitude doesn’t have to fit around the next big fight.
Stray Thoughts
- Was that gauntlet all J’onn’s going to get this season?
- Why does this show play so fast and loose about when Andrea chooses to be Acrata?
- Kara and J’onn freaking out about Alex’s engagement ring for Kelly is the best.
- Esme calling out for help from her Aunt Supergirl makes my heart so happy.
- It was nice to go back to Al’s Bar for a little while.
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.
3 comments
Loved this article. Thank you for writing this. And yes, Supercorp should be endgame
Can’t say I’d seen a love connection between Kara and Lena. I don’t dislike the idea, but certainly isn’t something I’d picked up on.
Saying that, it took me a few moments to work out all those shipping names so I guess we watch for totally different reasons and as such project our own wishes into the writing. Perhaps that’s not the best idea with a show that’s finite, as if it doesn’t happen you’re setting yourself up for a disappointment of your own making.
For me, it’s a superhero show. It’s not a soap opera so the love lives of the characters are simply a way to drive the aspects of the plot and not the focus of it.
Certainly, the show’s primary plot has been poor for seasons now, so it’s understandable for us all to see and want different things. None of us are wrong, per sé, but we’re not right either.
No matter what happens, the end of the show is upon us, and however Kara flies off into the sunset (or walks, if my own expectations of “the end of Supergirl” are correct in that it’s literal and she gives it up) I’m sure there’ll be plenty of both satisfaction AND disappointment, as these things tend to go in the Berlantiverse.
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(Apologies if the shipping is the sole focus of this site, you were a Google suggested article so I know little of your site/blog/whatever. This was a response to the article in isolation.)
Aquellos que dicen que “no es una telenovela” ¿dicen lo mismo con otros series del arrowverse cuando les ponen parejas románticas? Posiblemente no, ese argumento es solo para Supergirl.
Y probablemente esconde un prejuicio velado.
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