Supergirl S3 E6 "Midvale": Discussion and Review

Question for you all:

Why did the sheriff try to kill Alex and Kara with the car? Sure, they were investigating, but at that point in the story he didn't know about the laptop, and Alex and Kara thought it was the teacher, so what was his motive? Surely more kids showing turning up dead would bring a lot more heat.

Because criminals are not always very bright? If he had succeeded, his evil deeds would have remained hidden. Was it actually his car? The damage to the side from hitting the bridge might have been significant,

Oh.. and just to add to what I said...it also explains why she lashes out at Alex when Kenny died (old life vs. new life moment) and why the only effective way to get her to stop using her powers was to have someone looking like her past (Alura) telling her that she would lose Alex (any semblance of her having a home now that she has lost everything else) if she continued to use them.

It was cruel of J'onn to use Alura's form but she was not listening to anyone else: not Eliza, (not to Jeremiah earlier) and not even most probably Clark (and it would have been hypocritical of him in her eyes if he did that). They were all using the wrong argument; threat to her life (because that is what they were worried about). J'onn used the most effective one. Threat to Alex. And had someone who looked like the person she loved the most in her earlier life to do it.

And it worked.

Kenny: well, I know why he did it--because he lacked the power and people bullied him--but voyeurism is not the best self-defense or even a decent thing to do. So, I am of two minds regarding him. He was accepting, but he also was well on the way to a life of crime. If this was a cop show, he would have ended up a serial killer some day.

I re-watched the episode and can't believe I forgot to mention how much I also loved the interaction between Kara and Alex toward the end of the episode.

"It's the first time I really understood what I had in you; what it could mean to have a sister."...
"...but, I feel at home with you."
"Always."


This is the heart of the show to me and I'm so glad that the writers are going back to this relationship.

Brierrose, did you get the Northern California vibe from Midvale's location?. How similar are those Vancouver Coastal Roads to Northern California?.

The roads were very similar, we have many winding two lane roads with trees on one side and a view of the ocean on the other. The forest was similar too that didn’t surprise me, Vancouver is colder but the climates are still quite similar. Midvale looked like Santa Cruze more than the other towns mentioned and would have had a university for Eliza and Jeremiah to work at. I’ll admit the pot smoking quarterback wouldn’t have been a scandal, he might not have even been suspended from the team in California or British Columbia.

Brierrose, did you get the Northern California vibe from Midvale's location?. How similar are those Vancouver Coastal Roads to Northern California?.

The roads were very similar, we have many winding two lane roads with trees on one side and a view of the ocean on the other. The forest was similar too that didn’t surprise me, Vancouver is colder but the climates are still quite similar. Midvale looked like Santa Cruze more than the other towns mentioned and would have had a university for Eliza and Jeremiah to work at. I’ll admit the pot smoking quarterback wouldn’t have been a scandal, he might not have even been suspended from the team in California or British Columbia.

Something that I caught? When they were coming from National City, the ocean was on their right. When they were leaving Midvale, the ocean was on their left. Ummm...that means they were BELOW National City. Bah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha sorry. Art teacher's attention to detail.

Brierrose, did you get the Northern California vibe from Midvale's location?. How similar are those Vancouver Coastal Roads to Northern California?.

The roads were very similar, we have many winding two lane roads with trees on one side and a view of the ocean on the other. The forest was similar too that didn’t surprise me, Vancouver is colder but the climates are still quite similar. Midvale looked like Santa Cruze more than the other towns mentioned and would have had a university for Eliza and Jeremiah to work at. I’ll admit the pot smoking quarterback wouldn’t have been a scandal, he might not have even been suspended from the team in California or British Columbia.

Something that I caught? When they were coming from National City, the ocean was on their right. When they were leaving Midvale, the ocean was on their left. Ummm...that means they were BELOW National City. Bah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha sorry. Art teacher's attention to detail.

When they were leaving Midvale, the ocean was on their left. That means they were driving south (been there, done that). Midvale is probably North of National City. Alternatively, they were driving south to reach a pass that gets them inland to a major interstate on which they drive North.

Something that I caught? When they were coming from National City, the ocean was on their right. When they were leaving Midvale, the ocean was on their left. Ummm...that means they were BELOW National City. Bah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha sorry. Art teacher's attention to detail.

When they were leaving Midvale, the ocean was on their left. That means they were driving south (been there, done that). Midvale is probably North of National City. Alternatively, they were driving south to reach a pass that gets them inland to a major interstate on which they drive North.

Lived there. How can the ocean be on their LEFT if they are driving south? Are you meaning their OTHER left?

Brierrose, did you get the Northern California vibe from Midvale's location?. How similar are those Vancouver Coastal Roads to Northern California?.

The roads were very similar, we have many winding two lane roads with trees on one side and a view of the ocean on the other. The forest was similar too that didn’t surprise me, Vancouver is colder but the climates are still quite similar. Midvale looked like Santa Cruze more than the other towns mentioned and would have had a university for Eliza and Jeremiah to work at. I’ll admit the pot smoking quarterback wouldn’t have been a scandal, he might not have even been suspended from the team in California or British Columbia.

Something that I caught? When they were coming from National City, the ocean was on their right. When they were leaving Midvale, the ocean was on their left. Ummm...that means they were BELOW National City. Bah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha sorry. Art teacher's attention to detail.

When they were leaving Midvale, the ocean was on their left. That means they were driving south (been there, done that). Midvale is probably North of National City. Alternatively, they were driving south to reach a pass that gets them inland to a major interstate on which they drive North.

Doing well this morning, wasn't I. I meant right, not left.

Doing well this morning, wasn't I. I meant right, not left.

Bah ha ha ha I seriously spent a solid 30 minutes trying to make sure I had my directions correct. lol *high fives the Captain*

I went back and looked. I was remembering the scene after the beach scene in which there is a rise to their right, which does not happen on the coast highway except in crossing canyons by diving to the bottom. You are correct; there is an earlier scene that I missed in which they are clearly driving South toward Midvale.

Doing well this morning, wasn't I. I meant right, not left.

Bah ha ha ha I seriously spent a solid 30 minutes trying to make sure I had my directions correct. lol *high fives the Captain*

Just for the record ... Alex's flight was going to Geneva.

After "Midvale", watching the Pilot episode gives me a whole great new feeling. It's nice to imagine the events of "Midvale" when Alex knocks on Kara's door before her fateful flight to Switzerland.

Alex: Why do you do this to me?

Kara: Because I'm your sister and you love me...

Awww.

The episode really gave us a lot of knowledge about why the sisters are that close.

Yes, Geneva is in Switzerland

Just for the record ... Alex's flight was going to Geneva.

After "Midvale", watching the Pilot episode gives me a whole great new feeling. It's nice to imagine the events of "Midvale" when Alex knocks on Kara's door before her fateful flight to Switzerland.

Alex: Why do you do this to me?

Kara: Because I'm your sister and you love me...

Awww.

The episode really gave us a lot of knowledge about why the sisters are that close.

I truly enjoyed it and though we did not see much of Mel and Chyler, it was a good background story to their relationship. I thought the younger Alex really caught her mannerisms and style. It was Alex. The actress playing Kara was good, but I thought her performance was overshadowed by Alex. What amazed me as well, they even found a young actress with the same body type: hippy, curvaceous like Chyler. I am not trying to be a Harvey W. It was that I could be she was a younger version of Alex. Now for plot holes:

1. I thought based on Season 1 she didn’t use her powers anymore. Obviously, she continued to use them.
2.Jeremiah had made a deal with the devil to save her and yet, she still attracts some outside attention from the FBI.
3.their stay was supposed to be three days and instead it came across as one.

In summary, I thought this was an excellent episode and ties in well with some issues of this season and past ones. Kara’s struggle with who she is, Kryptonian or Human is a major theme this year. It gives a greater understanding of the special bond that Alex and Kara share as sisters. The end especially, at least to me, is an expression of the joy of sisterhood. The writing keeps on improving and my hope they will continue so. Already the writers exceeded last season. In my opinions it is one of the best episodes of the series. Top 10 or 20? Hard to apply a numerical quantity. It was just great.

Argo

So after wanting Superspeed used in last week's Episode 5 I was happy to see it used here in Episode 6, cheeky Kara speeding past Alex to use the bathroom first, cool little scene .

When she was running in the forest to find out who was killed, I actually yelled at the screen, "use your superspeed!"

1. I thought based on Season 1 she didn’t use her powers anymore. Obviously, she continued to use them.

. Yes, from the flashbacks that we saw in Season 1, my impression was that she was pretty much shut down, powerless . Also, in Ep. 1, Alex was completely stressed out over Kara using her powers because Alex knew she would get reamed by Eliza over it. But, perhaps after this Midvale mystery, Kara stopped using them again until 10 years later when Alex was in danger.

So after wanting Superspeed used in last week's Episode 5 I was happy to see it used here in Episode 6, cheeky Kara speeding past Alex to use the bathroom first, cool little scene .

When she was running in the forest to find out who was killed, I actually yelled at the screen, "use your superspeed!"

1. I thought based on Season 1 she didn’t use her powers anymore. Obviously, she continued to use them.

. Yes, from the flashbacks that we saw in Season 1, my impression was that she was pretty much shut down, powerless . Also, in Ep. 1, Alex was completely stressed out over Kara using her powers because Alex knew she would get reamed by Eliza over it. But, perhaps after this Midvale mystery, Kara stopped using them again until 10 years later when Alex was in danger.

Yes, when she told Alex, she would rather not use her powers than risk losing her told me she stopped using them at that point.

2.Jeremiah had made a deal with the devil to save her and yet, she still attracts some outside attention from the FBI.

Not sure what you mean. The FBI badge was just one of the DEO ones that can change. J'onn promised to watch over Kara and Alex when Jeremiah 'died', and he was seemingly doing just that. He caught wind of what was going on and disguised himself as the agent so he could get in and talk to her. Eliza was probably used to federal agents showing up unannounced, like with Henshaw in season 1.

So after wanting Superspeed used in last week's Episode 5 I was happy to see it used here in Episode 6, cheeky Kara speeding past Alex to use the bathroom first, cool little scene .

When she was running in the forest to find out who was killed, I actually yelled at the screen, "use your superspeed!"

1. I thought based on Season 1 she didn’t use her powers anymore. Obviously, she continued to use them.

. Yes, from the flashbacks that we saw in Season 1, my impression was that she was pretty much shut down, powerless . Also, in Ep. 1, Alex was completely stressed out over Kara using her powers because Alex knew she would get reamed by Eliza over it. But, perhaps after this Midvale mystery, Kara stopped using them again until 10 years later when Alex was in danger.

She appears to have said she would not do things. What she did was different. Of course, her foster parents told her what to do, and, as we all know, all teenagers do exactly what they are told. In retrospect, matters did not turn out as well as Superman presumably hoped.