Supergirl 2×12 Review: “Luthors”

On Supergirl, things are not always as they appear. Then there’s “Luthors”, which will make you think twice about thinking twice.

The Luthor ladies are back in the aptly-titled “Luthors”. Lillian is on trial and Lena testifies against her, but Kara convinces Lena to visit Lillian in prison to speak her mind and try and get some closure. That’s when Lillian reveals that Lena is actually a Luthor – the result of an affair Lionel had not long after Lex was born. The next day at Lillian’s trial, Corbyn reveals that he is once again Metallo when he attacks the court room and frees Lillian. Supergirl has to let Lillian and Metallo go in order to save some bystanders, and she isn’t happy about it.

Later, security footage shows Lena taking Kryptonite out of a storage area, and as she was the only registered visitor to the prison during the time frame that Metallo received his Kryptonite, she is arrested as a conspirator. Kara is the only one who refuses to believe in Lena’s guilt, but things look dicey when Metallo shows up to bust Lena out of prison. Lillian claims that she has always loved Lena, and that the two of them can have the relationship they always wanted but Lionel forbade. Lillian and Metallo take Lena to one of Lex’s hidden fortresses, where Lena discovers that the real reason they broke her out of jail was because only she can open Lex’s DNA-encoded vault.

Winn, meanwhile, finally is able to determine how the security feed was altered – which shows Cyborg Superman, not Lena, taking the Kryptonite. Winn also discovers that the Kryptonite in Metallo’s chest is unstable and soon to explode. Despite the very serious risk to her life, Supergirl rushes off to save Lena. She offers to help Metallo as well, but he refuses, and the Kryptonite explodes in his chest.

“Luthors” ends with Lillian and Cyborg Superman on the run and a very suspicious-acting Lena remembering an old chess match with Lex.

I’m glad to see Katie McGrath back, and I see we’re back at the whole “is she evil or not” plotline with Lena. Every episode which features Lena goes back and forth as to whether or not we can trust her. Winn is able to prove that she was framed, and Lena certainly seemed to be fully against Lillian…if not for that scene at the end. James points out the parallels between Kara and Lena and Clark and Lex, and while he has a point that Kara could be blinded by her personal feelings, Kara also is right that Lena is not Lex. I’m constantly changing my mind about Lena. At times I think she’s good, but then Katie is able to nail the nuances in her expression. Even without the flashback, there was something eerie about the way she was acting, and that would be enough to make me suspicious. The question is, when will Supergirl finally come out with it?

It’s also nice to see more of James this week; his and Kara’s relationship has fallen by the wayside this season (along with Mehcad Brooks’s screentime), and I like seeing them together and taking tentative steps towards being friends again. I’m sure his continued role as Guardian will still cause some tension, as well as where they fall on certain other subjects – namely Lena. They are trying to protect each other and not going about it the right way. Kara becomes controlling and tries to talk James out of being Guardian, and James was a little judgmental with regards to Lena. I think it’s important that Kara maintain her friendships, and I feel like she and James are good at balancing each other out and being each other’s rational side.

Look, I’ll be honest, I’m not entirely against Kara and Mon-El as a pairing. You could tell from a mile away that Supergirl was headed in that direction, and their awkwardness at the bar in the beginning was actually kind of endearing. What I don’t understand is Kara’s sudden attraction to him. She didn’t have any romantic feelings for Mon-El until he admitted that he liked her, and then there were a few moments where she seemed to be considering it despite nothing really changing. I suppose she’s entitled to be unsure, but while his feelings were telegraphed clearly and naturally, hers seem to have just suddenly appeared, and that bothers me.

Other Thoughts:

• Kudos to Supergirl for showing that LGBTQ+ people never stop coming out. Alex and Maggie are so adorable and couple-y and have been together for a few episodes now, and it hadn’t even occurred to me that only a few people knew that they were dating or that Alex likes women.
• Just once – just once – I’d like to see an episode that focuses on Kara being a reporter. It’s all well and good for her to wear sweaters that say “power to the girls”, but the show should really focus on her own storyline for a while. Drop the romantic subplots and show Kara really going after her dream job.
• Do tell, Lillian. What was the object she took from Lex’s vault?

What did you guys think of “Luthors”?

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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