Supergirl season 3 episode 6 review and analysis: Midvale

Kara brings a heartbroken Alex on a getaway that dredges up old memories. Here are our thoughts on the latest Supergirl episode.

Last week, the moment Supergirl fans had been dreading arrived: Alex and Maggie parted ways. Although it was mutual and, in the long run, probably for the best, the break-up was still painful — not least because the relationship felt like a bit of a missed opportunity. Personally, I never saw “Sanvers” as a viable endgame scenario; from the beginning, it was clear that Alex and Maggie had divergent expectations and desires. But I was disappointed to see them sidelined as season 2 progressed and Kara’s romance with Mon-El blossom.

Regardless, we, like Alex, have to move on. So, “Midvale” took the Danvers sisters on a detour, visiting their childhood home. By the end, they’re refreshed, if not entirely healed.

Stranger in a strange land

The bulk of “Midvale” consists of an extended flashback to Kara and Alex’s teenage years. It’s shortly after Kara first crash-landed on Earth, and she’s struggling to assimilate into her new environment. She can’t muster interest in human history; her classmates express disdain for her when they aren’t ignoring her; Alex resents her for interrupting her once-stable life. And as if that’s not enough, she can’t use her powers.

Ironically, it requires the loss of her one real human relationship for the displaced Kryptonian to embrace humanity. At school, Kara has befriended a similarly alienated student named Kenny Li. That Kenny is Asian (L.A.-born actor Ivan Mok has Vietnamese ancestry) seems intentional. Supergirl doesn’t explicitly attribute the bullying he endures to racism, but he confides in Kara that he feels invisible, which struck me. Not to get melodramatic (it’s just one line), but as someone who is Asian and didn’t exactly flourish in high school social circles, I felt “seen” in a way that I rarely do when watching Hollywood teen dramas.

Anyway, the point is that, like Kara, Kenny is an outcast. One night, they meet to stargaze, using his telescope. Like all fictional characters who gaze at the stars, Kenny wonders what’s out there, in the darkness. “It’s just people,” Kara says, thinking about Krypton. “And they’re staring at the stars above them, wondering about us.” For both of them, outer space offers the possibility of a different world — one in which they can belong. Somehow, these hypothetical (or, in Kara’s case, remembered) beings seem more welcoming than the people around them, even each other.

Later, Kara discovers that Kenny knew her secret. The night in the forest, he understood that she was speaking from experience, not just imagination. Even if it was fleeting, and she was unaware of it, they shared a moment of honest connection. As Kara tells Alex, “He liked me — all of me.” (The dissonance this statement triggers for the closeted Alex is lost on Kara — and, perhaps, Alex herself.)

Supergirl goes Riverdale

By the next morning, Kenny is dead — murdered. Suddenly, “Midvale” veers into dark territory, complete with student/teacher sexual relations and police corruption. It’s a jarring tonal shift for the show, which normally maintains a family-friendly vibe, even at its most moody.

On one hand, I like the idea of Supergirl trying its hand at teen noir, a la Veronica Mars or the rebooted Riverdale. In practice, however, it doesn’t quite click. Part of the problem no doubt lies in the episode’s unfortunate timing (more on that later). But more importantly, if you’re going to have a scene involving a man pointing a gun at a teenager, you need to either give it life-or-death weight or have some wit. Supergirl is capable of both, but they’re lacking here. “Midvale” is nearly devoid of humor, and with a few exceptions (see above), the emotional beats ring hollow. Ultimately, the sensationalism does little to enrich Kara and Alex’s conflict.

That said, having Kara avoid confronting her grief by solving a mystery is nifty character work.

Elephant in the room

I’ll be honest: it was hard to concentrate on the episode. On Friday night, Variety critic Maureen Ryan broke a story detailing numerous sexual harassment allegations against Andrew Kreisberg, a producer on The CW’s superhero shows. Just as disquieting as the allegations themselves is the picture they paint of an inhospitable behind-the-scenes environment at odds with the message of female empowerment that Supergirl espouses.

There isn’t much to say that others haven’t already said, probably more eloquently. But the news hovered at the back of my mind throughout “Midvale”. What might have otherwise been a sweet hour of sisterly bonding and crime-solving acquired a queasy undertone. I couldn’t enjoy it.

It’s unclear how this affects the Arrowverse going forward. Warner Bros. TV Group suspended Kreisberg for the foreseeable future and is currently conducting an investigation. My hope is that a change in leadership results in a show that is not only more inclusive (more female directors!) but also more creatively fertile. I can’t help but wonder how much the unprofessional conditions of the writer’s room contributed to the show’s disjointed plotting and muddled characterization.

In short, as upsetting as it may be, this is only a good thing.

Bullet points:

• Kara and Alex listen to Haim’s “Night So Long” and Gwen Stefani’s “Sweet Escape” while driving. We also hear “Fake Do-Gooders” by The Eames Era and “You Love Me” by Holcombe Waller.
• I can never complain about a Helen Slater appearance. She manages to make a line like “This is the ‘Mom’ fine print: when your child’s in agony, you show up regardless of the hour” sound profound instead of cheesy.
• Kenny is the exact opposite of Tuan, Ivan Mok’s character on The Americans.
• I can’t get over the weirdness of the Mr. Bernard plotline. Just … yikes.
• Kara speaking in Kryptonian to the FBI agent/J’onn is a nice touch in an episode that’s filled with things lost in translation.
• Loved the framing of Kara and Alex’s conversation on the balcony, especially the shot through the window at the end.
• “I’d rather be human than risk losing you.”

Related Story: Laurie Metcalf has joined the cast of Supergirl

Supergirl airs Mondays at 8 p.m. EST on The CW.