Supergirl 2×02 Review: The Last Children of Krypton

Supergirl and Superman have their work cut out for them in “The Last Children of Krypton” when a Kryptonite-fueled menace starts terrorizing National City and Metropolis.

In the season premiere, Kara’s uber-famous cousin Clark decided to stick around National City for a while, much to the dismay of Alex and Hank (but much to the delight of Cat). In “The Last Children of Krypton”, those feelings are coming closer and closer to the front. Clark’s presence sets Alex on edge because she believes he abandoned Kara, and things come to a head when Kara tells Alex that she is considering moving to Metropolis because she thinks it will be better for everybody.

This leads to some great scenes, not only between Melissa Benoist and Chyler Leigh, but also between Chyler and Jeremy Jordan. While Kara and Alex argue and reconcile in the span of about twenty minutes, Alex confides some of her insecurities to Winn, who reminds her that the important thing about family is that you just be there; it’s not a competition. And after the sisters make up, we get a pretty awesome tag-team fight sequence featuring Alex in her Kryptonite suit. Kara and Alex’s relationship is one of the keystones of Supergirl, but no relationship is without conflict, and I think it’s important to note that in this case, they were both coming from a place of love.

And now I would like to see many more team-ups between Alex and Winn, please and thank you. Their little side trip to find the mole in the DEO was just great. (Also, plenty of reminders that Cadmus still has Alex and Kara’s father.)

If anything, “The Last Children of Krypton” proves without a doubt that Supergirl will always be about Kara, regardless of whether or not Superman makes an appearance. Whatever Clark’s reasons for wanting to stick around, by midway through the episode he is missing Metropolis and ready to go back. Tyler Hoechlin and Melissa have amazing chemistry; their rapport is phenomenal, and their scenes together were fun. As much as I will miss Tyler as Superman, I really feel like this brief cameo served its purpose. (But I wouldn’t object to more. Or a spinoff. Just putting that out there.) Kara is still finding her footing in both parts of her life, and for the most part, she needs to do that on her own.

“The Last Children of Krypton” has some good lessons for both Kara and Supergirl. Last week, Kara made some big decisions regarding her future, and this week she learns that things are never that easy. Her new boss doesn’t like her and resents her appointment because he wasn’t the one to hire her; he explains that being a reporter isn’t as simple as waking up one morning and going, “I want to be a reporter.” When Kara ran to Cat for help, Cat basically told her to woman up and prove that she deserved to be there. And so Kara puts in the work herself and earns a spot on the team. It’s a good lesson for all of us, really, that if you want something, you have to work at it. You can’t expect it to just fall into your lap.

These first two episodes have done a really great job of keeping up the spirit and optimism of the first season, while fueling the changes necessary to keep Supergirl fresh for season two. Superman’s guest stint injected a boost into Kara’s story, which can now grow and evolve around her and the family and friends she has in National City. I’m quite looking forward to the rest of this season.

Author: Jamie Sugah

Jamie has a BA in English with a focus in creative writing from The Ohio State University. She self-published her first novel, The Perils of Long Hair on a Windy Day, which is available through Amazon. She is currently an archivist and lives in New York City with her demon ninja vampire cat. She covers television, books, movies, anime, and conventions in the NYC area.

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