Supergirl 2×22 Review: Nevertheless, She Persisted

Season 2 of Supergirl comes to an end with “Nevertheless, She Persisted”, a fitting — albeit slightly underwhelming — conclusion to a season-long arc about doing the right thing, even when it means going against your nature.

“Nevertheless, She Persisted” picks up where last week’s episode left off; Rhea has used silver Kryptonite on Superman to make him think that Kara is Zod. The two engage in a knock-down drag-out fight, but Kara is ultimately the victor, knocking Clark unconscious with a nice uppercut. When Clark comes to, he comments that silver Kryptonite is a new one, which begs the question how Rhea knew what it would do, how exactly it works (I mean, was Kara specifically who Clark saw as Zod, or was it just the first person he saw?), and why if Rhea had it did she not just use it on Kara.

Mostly this feels like a cheap trick to get Superman back on the show — not that I’m complaining, mind you — but then it’s the fight between the cousins that inevitably sets up the Dakam Ore. Kara being able to take down Clark is what convinces the two of them that she has a chance of being successful fighting against Rhea. Now, as hyped as his return was, Superman felt underutilized in this episode. Aside from the drama at the beginning and a few drops of sage wisdom, he didn’t really do much. Perhaps it’s appropriate for an episode titled “Nevertheless, She Persisted” that the majority of the action fell to Kara. It was, in the end, her fight; National City is her city, and Rhea was so focused on it because she blamed Kara for tearing apart her family.

This season of Supergirl, and “Nevertheless, She Persisted” in particular, proves that it’s not just Kara — ordinary people want to help, too. Because of course, Rhea can’t be trusted to follow the rules of Dakam Ore, and the Daxamite ships start attacking the city. Mon-El, J’onn, and Clark fight to stop the soldiers in the city and are joined by a surprising ally — M’gann, who responded to J’onn’s unconscious call and brought a slew of like-minded White Martians with her. I don’t think it’s fair to call any of them “ordinary”, which is why it would have been fantastic to see Alex, Maggie, or James fighting in the streets as well. (I guess none of them are really “ordinary” either, but really, not having James fight — especially considering they specifically had Cat mention his crime-fighting ways — felt like a wasted opportunity.)

Lillian brings Lena one of Lex’s devices, intended to stop Superman, so that Lena can rework it to fight against the Daxamites. Winn helps her rewire it, though it’s only intended to be a last resort. Luckily Lena gave the remote to Supergirl. (Yet another tick in the “Lena Luthor Isn’t Evil” column, although I’m disappointed that she didn’t learn the truth in this episode.) Unfortunately, because Rhea doesn’t seem to have any honor, Kara is forced to use the device, which makes the air toxic to all Daxamites — including Mon-El. The Daxamites leave quickly, abandoning Rhea to die on a rooftop, and Kara puts Mon-El back in his pod/ship thing to get him off the planet.

“Nevertheless, She Persisted” has a dual meaning. On the surface, it refers to Kara’s ongoing fight against Rhea, and indeed everyone’s battle against the Daxamites. Cat sensationalizes the Dakam Ore because it got people to finally fight back against their oppressors. But the title also means that Kara keeps going despite being despondent over Mon-El leaving. Cat reminds her that she accomplished a lot of good, and that her life is more than just a relationship. Kara has a great deal to look forward to and be proud of, and she’s allowed to be upset and vulnerable, but she shouldn’t let it consume her.

I don’t know if I’d call this episode mediocre, but I was kind of underwhelmed by this finale. It had its moments, of course: Alex proposing to Maggie, the sisters bonding, Winn mouthing “I love you” to Superman, pretty much every scene with Cat, M’gann’s return. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy it, but on the whole, it just felt very lackluster.

Now then, let’s talk about that ending scene, obviously setting up the story arc for season 3. Who do we think was in that third pod?

What did you think of “Nevertheless, She Persisted”? What are your theories for season 3? Will Mon-El find a way to return? Will Superman make another appearance? Will we get to see Alex and Maggie get married? Will the show finally remember that James exists?

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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