Yet another event that we’ve all been waiting for – Mon El’s return. It doesn’t quite deliver the splash I was hoping for, but he’s back nonetheless. It’s largely overshadowed by another huge plot point – Sam finally transitioning into Reign, which, unfortunately, falls a little flat in comparison. We also check in with J’onn’s father, M’yrnn, and how he’s adjusting to life on Earth.
After the attack on the waterfront at the beginning of the season, submarines have been deployed to check out the damage. This time, a team is almost taken out when they find a spaceship underwater. J’onn, Winn and Supergirl all go to check it out themselves, finding pods with people in hypersleep inside. One of the pods is open, which causes concern, until a figure emerges from the shadows. It’s Mon El, but it’s pretty clear that he’s a very different person.
They take him back to the DEO to check him out, and he seems healthy, despite the fact the Earth’s high lead volume was the reason he had to leave to begin with. Mon El avoids everyone’s questions, and seems to be more interested in getting back to the ship. After a failed escape attempt (where he almost kills two DEO agents), he enlists Winn to help him back to the ship. Kara discovers them and Mon El finally reveals the truth – the wormhole Mon El went through at the end of last season was to the future. He’s been living in the 31st century, long after L-Corp developed a cure for his lead poisoning. However, instead of being seven months like it has been for Kara, it’s been seven years.
Their attention is diverted when the remaining pods start malfunctioning, and one woman is drowning in her pod. Kara smashes the glass to get to her, and they take her back to the DEO for observation. Mon El seems very worried about her, and it doesn’t take a genius to guess why. What we weren’t counting on, however, is for Mon El to introduce her as Imra, his wife. Kara is understandably upset, but don’t worry, you were way too good for him anyway. The show has been much better without him, so he has a tough act to follow with his return.
However, the main event of the night comes in the form of Sam. She’s finally embracing the idea that she might have powers, so she goes to visit her adoptive mother, Patricia. After a fight, Patricia reveals that she didn’t adopt Sam, but she found her in a pod. Sound familiar? While Sam is there, something activates and she takes it, hoping it will lead her to more answers. She tells Ruby she’s going on a trip to discover more about herself, and the conversation is more heartbreaking when you learn it’s the last one they’ll ever really have as mother and daughter.
The item leads Sam out to the desert, and once she gets close enough, a structure forms out of the sand. She goes inside, and basically it’s her own Fortress of Solitude. The woman she’s been having dreams and visions about appears, and tells her that, yes, she is an alien from Krypton. Sam is overwhelmed by the fact that she’s “like Supergirl”, but the woman goes on to tell her that she’ll be a Worldkiller and that Ruby was a mistake that delayed her powers coming to fruition. The transformation then begins, and when Sam rises again, she has glowing red eyes and is now Reign. Honestly, Mon El’s return is nothing compared to this.
Lastly, J’onn and his father bond a little more during the episode. J’onn introduces him to coffee and they even find an apartment to move in together. This is a pretty big deal, since J’onn has pretty much never left the DEO aside from when he’s kicking ass as Martian Manhunter. It’s nice to see that at least one family dynamic hasn’t been completely destroyed yet.
There were a lot of big plot points hit in this episode. Supergirl is known to have some timing issues, but it was great to finally see the Reign plot moving forward. Mon El’s return was slightly underwhelming, but that may change once he reveals more information about where he came from and what he’s doing back. Next week is the huge DCTV crossover event, with Kara and Alex jumping over to Earth 1 for Barry and Iris’ wedding.
THE REEL SCORE: 7/10
Next week, it’s a big one…
