This season was really odd – it started with a mishmash of really boring stories and didactic themes that really didn’t seem to be going anywhere, until the absolutely fantastic last 8 episodes that showed that everything was actually a plan by a deadly nemesis. For that reason, I’m not quite sure how to rate it. I love this season very much and how it expands on the mythology of Supergirl, and also that we don’t have yet another villain who’s more powerful than Supergirl (seriously, there are too many beings that are stronger than Kryptonians in the show)! Supergirl has always been a show about inclusiveness and tolerance, and the introduction of Nia Nal was such a wonderful way of giving us a trans character on a television show.

Synopsis of Supergirl S4

Supergirl is a superhero drama that focuses on Superman’s cousin, Supergirl – a Kryptonian with the same powers that he has. It follows her adventures as she fights against evil with her friends, most of who have superpowers too, who are from the DEO (Department of Extra-normal Operations) Season 4 sees the rise of two villains, Manchester Black and Agent Liberty, even as a series of seemingly unconnected events plague Supergirl and her friends… except that it has secretly been the plot of one of Supergirl and Superman’s greatest enemies.

Directors: Jesse Warn, Harry Jierjian, Rob Wright, Armen Kevorkian, David McWhirter, Antonio Negret, Chad Lowe, Kevin Smith, Rachel Talalay, Shannon Kohli, Stefan Pleszczynski, Carl Seaton, Ben Bray, Alexis Ostrander.

Writers: Robert Rovner, Jessica Queller, Marc Guggenheim, Rob Wright, Eric Carrasco, Gabriel Llanas, Dana Horgan, Maria Maggenti, Daniel Beaty, Jess Kardos, Katie Rose Rogers, Aadrita Mukerji, Derek Simon

Cast:

• Melissa Benoist (Supergirl/Kara Danvers)

• Mehcad Brooks (Guardian/James Olsen)

• Chyler Leigh (Alex Danvers) 

• Katie McGrath (Lena Luthor) 

• Jesse Rath (Brainiac 5/Querl Dox) 

• Sam Witwer (Agent Liberty/Ben Lockwood) 

• Nicole Maines (Dreamer/Nia Nal) 

• David Harewood (Martian Manhunter/J’onn J’onzz) 

• Lynda Carter (President Olivia Marsdin) 

• Jon Cryer (Lex Luthor) 

• Brenda Strong (Lillian Luthor) 

• Rhona Mitra (Mercy Graves) 

• Robert Baker (Otis Graves/Metallo) 

• Tiya Sircar (Fiona Byrne) 

• Anthony Konechny (Parasite/Raymond Jensen) 

• Jaymee Mak (Mackenzie) 

• Bruce Boxleitner (Vice President/President Phil Baker) 

• Andrea Brooks (Eve Teschmacher) 

• Sarah Smyth (Lydia Lockwood)

• Graham Verchere (George Lockwood) 

• David Ajala (Manchester Black)

• Azie Tesfai (Kelly Olsen)

The Luthors are really messed up

I love that the Luthors are such a big part of this season. Lena Luthor (Katie McGrath) is, of course, a main character, and her struggle to not succumb to her darker instincts is always enjoyable to watch. But it’s her interaction with her really messed up family that makes it all the more exciting – like her mother, Lillian Luthor (Brenda Strong). At this point in the review, it’s probably safe to reveal that Lex Luthor (Jon Cryer) turns out to be the big bad of the season, and he’s the one who has been manipulating events all season for a scheme that’s both suitably epic (for Lex) but unbelievably petty (a grudge). Then there are all their supporting characters, like Mercy (Rhona Mitra), Otis (Robert Baker), and Eve Teschmacher (Andrea Brooks). Also, we get to see Lex in his green and purple costume.

The arrival of Lex Luthor

It was only in episode 15 that we saw Lex Luthor – but he stole the show from then onwards. The rest of the season felt like a mini-series or a six hour long movie, since it sort of abandoned the episodic format and became one long continuous story. It was wonderful storytelling that was so incredibly riveting that I didn’t stop watching from episode 15 onwards – I was hooked. I don’t think there has been any show recently that’s managed to hold my attention for eight episodes non-stop (24 is probably the best comparison I have), and I was incredibly impressed with it.

Nia Nal – queer inclusivity

Everybody’s said this, but I was really impressed with how they had a trans character, Nia Nal (Nicole Maines), gave her explicitly trans storylines, but didn’t bludgeon us over the head with a hammer. The most important thing is that they actually dealt with the discrimination they faced, when a particularly memorable episode saw Nia’s family shouting at her “You’re not even a real woman!” Oof. That hit right in the gut, and to have the courage to deal with that on a show is impressive. I just hope they showcase an ace character at some point!

Aliens-as-immigrants analogy doesn’t work

But the whole analogy of aliens as immigrants was… quite on-the-nose. I think it’s a good idea, and it’s a great theme to have, and it fits very well in Supergirl. Unfortunately, the execution this season was so dreary. It felt like sitting through a lecture about tolerance. I guess if there weren’t so many talking heads and we didn’t have to hear every single character’s opinion on it, it would have been easier to watch. Good intentions, but so-so implementation.

Jimmy Olsen is redundant

Also, they look like they are really struggling to give Jimmy Olsen (Mehcad Brooks) something to do. And it’s already Season 4 and he’s what, a chief editor, a masked vigilante, boyfriend of Lena Luthor… and then they gave him super powers. And he’s still not interesting! It’s such a horrible piece of miscasting. If the character weren’t named Jimmy Olsen, but had some other name, it could have worked. But the fact is, the actor who plays Jimmy Olsen is so huge and imposing but the storylines are written for someone who’s small and scrawny (ie, the Jimmy Olsen that’s normally portrayed) that it all comes off as horribly unbelievable. I turned off whenever the episode went to him.

Should you watch Supergirl Season 4?

If you’re watching Supergirl Season 4, be sure to give yourself some time for episodes 15 to 22. The last one third of the seasons is incredibly riveting and I haven’t been this entertained for a while. It might be a little bit of a struggle to get to episode 15, but it’s all worth it, I assure you. The dysfunctional Luthor family is probably the best thing that’s happened to the series, and I can’t wait to see more of how messed up they are.

Score: 8.8/10