Review: Supergirl 5×11-“Back From the Future Part One“
[Editor’s note: This review may contain spoilers.]
Director: David Harewood
Writers: Dana Horgan & Katie Rose Rogers
Starring: Melissa Benoist, Chyler Leigh, Katie McGrath, Jesse Rath, Nicole Maines, Azie Tesfai, Julie Gonzalo, Staz Nair & David Harewood
Reviewed by: Sean Blumenshine
Summary
Winn Schott returns from the future just as Supergirl is pursuing a Toyman copycat.
Positives
I did not realize how much I missed Winn until he came back. I loved seeing him again. Jeremy Jordan delivers a great performance as both Winn and his evil doppelganger. As the former, Jordan plays the character with a new maturity. I can tell just from line deliveries and facial expressions that Winn has grown a lot in the future. He has wonderful one on one scenes with Kara, Nia and Brainy each, all of which were great. The highlight was the scene between Kara and Winn. Their friendship defined so much of this show; he was the first person she revealed her secret to. It just felt good to see them together again.
The Tower is so cool. I have wanted the characters to get away from the D.E.O. for a long time and this is a nice step in that direction. It looks great and will allow J’onn a greater presence considering the super friends will be meeting at his office more than the D.E.O.
Jesse Rath stands out again for the scene in which he confesses his secrets to Winn. I love Brainy and this is a great story for him. He’s desperately trying to act logically but it’s hurting his friends. And that kills Brainy.
Jon Cryer is still a scene stealer as Lex. His machinations and their consequences are a fun story motif to play with. His goal lines up with the heroes; Leviathan needs to be stopped. But, as seen in Crisis, Lex is self motivated. He will doom everything to help himself. Brainy and Lena think they can control or stop him before he goes too far but this episode proves that both characters are in way over their heads.
Negatives
There are some missed opportunities. Considering Winn made the Supergirl suit, it is weird that he has no comment on the new one. What is especially strange is that there’s no mention of Mon-El. He was never my favorite character but he was a major part of the show for two years. And Winn left with Mon-El. These are nitpicks but the thoughts crossed my mind.
The end of the episode directly confirms the suspected romance between Kara and William. For the last season and a half, I have enjoyed Kara being single. I enjoyed seeing that Kara could be happy and whole without needing to be romantically linked to anyone. And, more importantly, shipper culture has gotten unbearably intense whether it’s about Star Wars, Arrow or Beetlejuice. I have already seen overreactions and people screaming to boycott the show. And accusing the show of queer baiting even though it’s never done that. For the sake of my sanity and especially the sanity of the cast members and writers, I kind of wish Kara would just stay single for the rest of the show’s run. It’s also important to state that people need to leave Staz Nair alone; he is an actual person playing a fictional character.
Verdict
This episode is great. It’s fun as hell; David Harewood brings a lot of energy as a director. The acting is top notch across the board. Obviously, as an actor, Harewood is able to get a lot out of his co-stars. I loved seeing Winn again and I think the writers nailed the continuation of his story. I had a blast with the episode.
