Supergirl 2.3 "Welcome to Earth"

So, have I mentioned yet that Season 2 has introduced a pod person? Well, it has. A pod like the one Kara arrived in has landed in National City, and a hostile alien has escaped from it and is on the lam in National City.

Also, the President is coming to town for a visit to talk about her alien amnesty plan. And, the President is a woman. Fun Fact: this episode originally aired before Election 2016, back when we were all hopeful and shitting our pants at the same time. BUT WHO'S EVEN KEEPING TRACK?

In happier news, the President is played by Lynda Carter, which is amazing:

You ought to see her other jet.

When she exits Air Force One, however, she's attacked. By what, you might ask? Obsessive reporting about an email server? Ridiculous "both sides are just as bad" moral equations between herself and a deplorable political opponent? Smears that she's unqualified and corrupt? Russian hackers?

None of the above. Here, it's just a fireball. A simple fireball. Luckily, Supergirl is there to intervene. She and Alex then speculate that the attack came from the escaped pod man.

In CatCo news, Cat is on her leave of absence, which I hate. But, James is filling in for her at CatCo. While he's leading a meeting, Snapper is being super obnoxious, "Well, actually-ing" everything James says and generally undermining his authority. I don't like this Snapper guy. For whatever reason, the name Snapper reminds me of that singing fish plaque ("As Seen On TV!" please tell me other people remember this) and I have the urge to refer to him as Trapper Keeper. I can't explain it.

Also, in addition to Lena Luthor, there's another new sheriff in town. Sawyer. Maggie Sawyer. Detective. NCPD.

She immediately flusters Alex with a local/federal jurisdictional dispute over the presidential attack crime scene. Well well.

Kara then goes to interview Lena, who reveals that her company is developing an actual gaydar device except that it detects aliens instead of sisters who don't know they're gay yet. Kara expresses concern that such a device will force aliens into the closet, which goes against the President's amnesty plan. Also, I just want to point out that Kara seems giggly and anxious in general around Lena. Now, it's true that could be due to Lena having asked Kara to test out the alien detection device, but I like to think it's due to other, gayer reasons.

"Look at us, acting 100% straight around each other!"

Anyway, Kara writes a story about the device and, as Trapper Keeper belts out, it's horribly slanted to her own pro-alien viewpoint, so she has to revise it to be more objective. After she revises it, Lena is super impressed by Kara's writing skills. Because they have a date or something to discuss such matters.

Important Update: Maggie takes Alex to "an alien bar." It even has a password you have to say to get in like at an old-timey gay bar. Maggie also reveals that she's gay, as in she's actually gay in maintext and not my over-zealous subtextual readings. Alex acts too-cool-to-make-a-big-deal-about-the-gay-thing which sometimes means one is freaking out for either a bad reason (homophobe) or a good reason (she thinks Maggie is hot). Let's hope for the latter.

In pod man news, Supergirl tracks him down and captures him. It turns out he's from Daxam, a rival planet of Krypton's, and his name is Mon-El. While he's in the DEO jail, a different alien attacks the President, so everyone realizes he's innocent. Also, his home planet is a wasteland so he, like Supergirl, is a refugee.

Finally, J'onn goes to the alien bar. When there, he learns that another Martian is alive: M'gann, "the last daughter of Mars."

Deep Thought of the Week: So, the Kryptonian language exists, but why are all the Kryptonians always speaking in English in flashbacks? Why doesn't Kara have an accent if she lived most of her childhood on Krypton? How does Mon-El know English if he's never been to Earth before?  There's a moment where Supergirl says the word "President" and Mon-El says something like, "What's a presibem?" Like, he understands all the other English words, but somehow doesn't know what a President is or how to say it?


[Note: In November 2017, CW/Supergirl Executive Producer Andrew Kreisberg was suspended after allegations of sexual harassment.]