Supergirl season 3 episode 3 review: One dad is not like the other

Supergirl’s Far from the Tree aired last night and it appeared to be an episode of family reunions, both good and bad.

The thing I love most about Supergirl is that it draws both action and emotional aspects of the plot. While they’re fighting and taking down bad guys, the hints of each character’s past creates an important sign for where the story is headed. Although we’ve seen this season already heavy with Kara’s obvious setback of breaking up with Mon-El, it was interesting to be introduced to two unexpected characters backstories. Two dads came into the picture this week, but both reunions didn’t go as planned.

M’gann/J’onn/ M’yrann:

I was never too intrigued by the J’onn/ M’gann romance last season. It was peppered throughout each episode and while I had hopes of it going somewhere, it never really took on a life of its own. So when M’gann was mentioned to be coming back, I wasn’t exactly thrilled to see what was in store. But I was proven wrong as the storyline between the two aliens provided the good family dynamic we all needed.

J’onn and Supergirl headed to Mars for the majority of “Far from the Tree.” J’onn found out that the White Martians were keeping his father hostage on the planet. In an attempt to help M’gann and her “resistance,” they managed to escape and J’onn brings his father back to their home on Mars to prove to him that he’s actually his son. M’yrann has been kept hostage for so long that he doesn’t believe him, and it becomes a heart wrenching thing to watch. Supergirl somehow persuades him to open his heart and mind and to try and see that J’onn is actually who he says he is. Once he does, it’s a family reunion we desperately needed in this episode.

M’gann’s resistance and what’s left of the Green Martian population, and Supergirl of course, team up to defeat the White Martians who are preparing to destroy the rest of Mars. This story played a huge part in the episode this week and I loved the glimpses of politics we got within it. J’onn brought his dad back to National City at the end of the epsiode and that just made his season 3 arc get a whole lot more interesting!

Maggie’s Dad

Speaking of family reunions, the one between Maggie and her father definitely wasn’t as heartwarming as J’onn’s. It was gut-churning to watch Maggie and her dad reunite after years and years of not speaking and for him to still not exactly accept her for who she is.

Throughout last season, I’ve been itching to hear more of Maggie’s backstory. I always wanted to know what made her the way she is and why she had that relationships with her parents. I do find it hard to believe that her dad would travel out all that way to see her again just to be repulsed by that one kiss her and Alex share at their bridal party. I guess you could say I was somewhat disappointed with how that plot played out and I would’ve liked to see more of him trying to accept the fact that his daughter is a lesbian.

Trust me, I know that’s not always the case. Not every parent is open and accepting and loving, but Maggie is right that this is a different time than when he was young. I am loving how the writers play a lot of our current political state into the plot, and I think people watching can learn a lot from it.

As we all know the end is somewhat near for Alex and Maggie, it’s sad to watch how they’re going to make it all end. They’ve been focusing a lot of the “having kids” discussion and I’m betting that’s what it comes down to. As much as I love Sanvers and what Maggie has done to bring Alex out of her closeted shell, my favorite character on the show has always been Alex and I’m just happy that she’s sticking around for the long haul.

Kara and Lena

Although Lena didn’t appear in this episode, I’m looking forward to watching their friendship grow over the season. Kara clearly needs a friend right now, and I’m hoping Lena can be that person for her. It was sad to not see Kara at Alex and Maggie’s bridal shower but nice that she didn’t let J’onn go to Mars alone. I’m not sure how long it’s exactly been since Mon-El leftl but seeing her the way she is makes me want the old Kara back. She’s more ruthless when she’s fighting now and the guilt she once felt (even for bad guys) has disappeared, and I can’t tell if that’ll be a good or bad thing.

All in all

“Far From the Tree” is an easy episode with two distinct stories to follow. Although I wish for more between Maggie and her father, she’ll unfortunately be leaving the show at some point, so I guess it’s good that we don’t get more attached to her character. I’ve constantly applauded this show for being political and I hope they continue with that throughout the season.

Next: Supergirl: 3 reasons why M’gann/Miss Martian is the best

The next episode of Supergirl will appear on Monday, Oct. 30 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.