Tuesday 26 July 2022

Supergirl, Season 4 (2018)

 


Anti-Alien sentiment sweeps the United States, leading to the rise of a domestic terrorist group known as the "Children of Liberty".  Their leader, "Agent Liberty" wears a gold mask; this is not (he claims) to conceal his identity, but because the movement is about the message, not the man.

As the US government veers ever more toward repression of aliens and tacit support for the Children of Liberty, Supergirl finds her standing as a popular hero, and her working relationship with the Department of Extranormal Operations, becoming ever more untenable.

Fortunately, she has the loyal support of friends old and new, but will they be enough against this new threat, and in particular against the true mastermind behind it all: Lex Luthor?

Well, yes, of course ultimately it will be enough, because that is how superhero TV shows do and should work.  The real question is, "is the journey to Supergirl's inevitable triumph a satisfying one?".

And the answer to that is: "Oh, how I wish I could say 'yes'."  First, because Supergirl has many charismatic cast members who are clearly working hard to engage the audience with the story.  

Second, because the show ticks a lot of good boxes on the representation side.  The cast is definitely a bit lily-white, it is true, but (excepting the queer-baiting of the near-romantic closeness between Kara Danvers and Lena Luthor) they do well on the LGBTQ+ front.  They have both a lesbian character and a transgender one (the latter actually played by a transgender actor, which is appreciated).

Alas, the solid cast and the show's generally progressive credentials are undermined over and over again by the show's shoddily structured, shoddily paced plotlines, and awkwardly scripted dialogue.  For me, aatching each season of Supergirl has been an exercise in the frustration of wanting to like it even as it constantly irritated me with the clumsy, contrived plots and stilted character interactions.

Alas, with this season, that frustration has finally triumphed.  I will not be watching season five.

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