Review: SUPERGIRL 4×21 – “RED DAWN”
[Editor’s note: This review may contain spoilers]
Director: Alexis Ostrander
Writers: Gabriel Llanas, Eric Carrasco & Lindsay Sturman
Starring: Melissa Benoist, Mehcad Brooks, Chyler Leigh, Katie McGrath, Jesse Rath, Sam Witwer, Nicole Maines, April Parker Jones & David Harewood
Reviewed by: Sean Blumenshine
Summary
Kara comes face to face with Red Daughter and the two engage in an epic battle.
Positives
I realized while watching this episode that the season is taking major inspiration from Superman IV. There’s a clone of the hero working for Lex Luthor. The Cold War themes are present in both. The writers took the core concepts of the worst Superman movie and turned it into a story that works well.
I enjoyed Brainy’s story this episode. His emotions are taken away which makes him more in line with his ancestors. He’s not quite evil; he seems to have the same goals but he is using morally ambiguous means to accomplish them. It’s an interesting dilemna and Jesse Rath plays it well.
I like the dynamic between Lena and her mother. Now that Lilian can’t lie, we get to see new sides of her. And I always enjoy when Lena uses the tools she learned from the Luthors to her own advantage.
Negatives
I was disappointed by the fight between Supergirl and Red Daughter. I understand that it is probably cheaper and easier to shoot Red Daughter with a mask on but it takes a little bit of the fun out of Supergirl fighting a clone of herself. Also, I do feel like after Reign, Supergirl would be smarter than to try and out punch someone who’s stronger than her. What happened to the cape fighting?
Supergirl absorbing sunlight from the grass is not the most ridiculous thing to happen on this show. But the scene is already fairly over dramatic with a boring fake out death for Supergirl and the grass didn’t really help.
Verdict
This is a solid episode. Red Daughter is interesting in ways that make her both sympathetic and creepy. Her copy of Kara’s apartment is terrifying and very sad. Brainy’s story went in an interesting and unexpected direction. I found certain moments a little disappointing but the episode still works well.
