#sg 6x03

[supergay-supergirl]

AUTISTIC LENA LUTHOR MOODBOARD: UNMASKING EDITION (6x03 // 6x04 // 6x07)

(AUTISTIC LENA LUTHOR MOODBOARD)

[superherocapturedbydemons]

Goodbye, Lex.

Part 1: here

[jasmine1590]

Finally caught up on Supergirl. And lemme tell you

During that scene in 6x03 when Brainy and Lena were talking about missing Supergirl. If Lena had replied “I miss her too” instead of just “Me too”. The sheer WEIGHT of that statement alone just by adding a few words would have floored me. Missed oppo there SG writers 🤦🏻‍♀️

[superherocapturedbydemons]

[supergay-supergirl]

KARA DANVERS APPRECIATION WEEK: DAY 3: FAVORITE EMOTIONAL MOMENT(S) (IN GENERAL)

Sam + Patricia in 3x07 "Wake Up" Kara + Lena in 5x07 "Tremors" Brainy + Lena in 6x03 "Phantom Menaces"

[supergay-supergirl]

I think one of the reasons why Brainy and Lena’s relationship works so well is that the two of them have very similar backgrounds and thus very similar journeys. Both of them grew up in cold households, under the thumbs of people obsessed with power, where they learned to repress their emotions in order to prove that they were strong enough, ruthless enough, worthy of not being ridiculed and trampled on. Later on, they both had to learn how to treat their ruthlessness as a tool without letting it overcome them: Brainy started using personality inhibitors, and Lena had a whole arc in season 3. But ultimately, that kind of compartmentalization—the “little boxes” technique—fails them. Brainy is overcome by his feelings of love and loyalty, and Lena is overcome by her feelings of hatred and betrayal. Then in season 5, they both lose their safeguard: Brainy, his personality inhibitors; Lena, her... mental stability, maybe? The fight becomes even more personal, and she’s no longer able to separate her childhood from her adulthood. They both betray their friends for what they think is the greater good, and they end up having to seek forgiveness.

That’s why I love their scene in 6x03 so much. Brainy says that he feels so deeply now and doesn’t know how to handle it, and we can tell that Lena feels the same way, but for once they’re not trying to pack it up and push it down. This scene is Brainy and Lena giving each other permission to *feel*, to hurt, to be weak. To “let it out and let go.” (Paraphrased, I don’t have the actual quote.) When Lena says, “I wish he would just die. I wish we could kill him,” it’s not a hope for the future, it’s an emotion from the past. It’s her finally being able to voice how hurt she feels about all this stuff she was never able to let go of. All that, plus the fact that neither of their brains work like most people’s. Brainy and Lena understand each other in a unique and extremely deep way, and it’s a joy to watch their emotional journeys evolve side by side.

[supergay-supergirl]

supergirl season 6 + sharpener (cavetown)

I'm in love with the way trauma is such a determining factor in all these characters' lives. also, I'm procrastinating homework by making edits.

[supergay-supergirl]

6x03 Recap: Phantom Menaces

Setup

Kara has found her father, Zor-El, in the Phantom Zone, and they're working together to try to escape.

At the end of last episode, a Phantom entered Silas's body and escaped the Phantom Zone.

Lex and Lena share the helm at Luthor Corp.

Everyone is grieving Kara's loss, but Alex is taking it harder than most.

Plot

Earth:

J'onn and M'gann find Silas, who tells them that a Phantom burst out of him and attacked him. They bring him back to the Tower.

The Super Friends figure out that unconstrained by the Phantom Zone, Phantoms can "infect" their hosts and turn them into Phantoms. Silas turns into a Phantom.

M'gann sneaks away and confronts the Phantoms on her own, and is predictably infected.

J'onn uses a Sacred U'ra'er'run (urn) to bind M'gann's soul somehow(?) and keep her from turning into a Phantom.

Alex and Brainy draw the Phantoms to them with their misery, and Lena traps the people-turned-Phantoms. However, the Prime Phantom portals away.

The Phantom Zone:

Kara and Zor-El catch a ride with a Phantom through a portal. Zor-El is captured by a hostile group of Phantom Zone prisoners, and Kara is injured.

A fifth-dimensional imp named Nyxlygsptlnz rescues Kara. She reveals that she was once a princess, but was imprisoned and had her magic taken away.

Inspired by Kara, Nyxly breaks her power-dampening cuff. She heals Kara, and she and Kara rescue Zor-El.

Fallout

Including some character stuff here.

Alex:

Beginning: Alex is listening to Kara's legacy tape, hopeless. Kelly advises her to return to work.

Middle: J'onn advises Alex to set her emotions aside. Alex is unconvinced.

End: J'onn realizes that shielding his emotions was harmful. Alex tells him that no matter how much he wants to give up, he has to keep fighting. With her mind now clear, she gets an idea.

Lena + Brainy:

Beginning: Pursuing Operation Vengeance, Lena and Brainy donate all of the Lex Foundation's funds to the Children's Hospital (among other things).

Middle: Back at the Tower, Lena and Brainy are fortifying the containment units when they learn that Lex has blown up the Children's Hospital. They both express their rage. Lena tells Brainy that they have to keep doing the right thing in order to preserve themselves.

End: Lena makes a deal with the DA to drop the investigation if she leaves Luthor Corp. She cuts ties with Lex.

General:

Both Brainy and Lena are making strides towards healthily processing their emotions.

Alex asks Kelly to move in with her, and she says yes!

Nyxly can teleport between places within the Phantom Zone, although not directly out of the Phantom Zone. Kara, Zor-El, and Nyxly seem well on their way to escaping.

Due to Crisis, the people in the Phantom Zone have been getting flashes of memories from alternate timelines.

J'onn and M'gann's relationship is still going strong.

Fun stuff, predictions, and opinions under the cut.

Fun Stuff

Nyxly says that she knows Mxyzptlk.

Lex is running some secret business in Kaznia. Remember them?

This episode was originally called "Phantoms of the Opera," but it was changed by the airing date.

Predictions

From the 6x04 promo, it seems like Kara is going to get back to Earth next episode. I thought she wouldn't get back until 6x07, but this makes sense because 6x05 and 6x06 are flashback episodes.

I don't think Nyxly will join the team, but I do think she'll leave on good terms to go help people / get closure, like Malefic.

I'm not sure if Lex will remain a main villain or if this is the end of his front-and-center run on Supergirl. I hope it's the latter, because I feel like Lena got really good closure this episode and keeping Lex in focus might undermine that.

Opinions

I really liked this episode! (Do I say that every time?) I was kind of confused by the Phantom plot stuff, but Lena and Brainy's storyline brought the quality of the episode way up. I also loved all the Alex/Dansen scenes, and I'm really excited for Alex and Kelly to start living together!

Alex is dealing with a lot of heavy stuff, and I appreciated how seriously it was affecting her. However, her conversation with J'onn (where she regains some of her spirit) fell a little flat to me. I wish they acknowledged that punching through grief, although applicable in this scenario, isn't always the best solution. I thought everything else with Alex worked well, though. Personally, I wish J'onn wasn't as conflicted in this season, because it complicates everyone's character arcs, but it's reasonable given his background and relationship to each of the characters, so I don't mind.

Finally, I'm still happy with Kara's character. She doesn't trust Nyxly at first, but she immediately sees the good in her, and she inspires her to believe in herself. Everything Kara does is a reminder of why she's such a strong protagonist, not to mention the thesis of the show.

Rating: 7.5/10 Purple Line: "I do hate you. I just love myself more." Final Word: Confusing plot, solid characterization.

You can find all my recaps here.