Given the cliffhanger of the previous Supergirl episode, “Resist,” the easy assumption is that the season 2 finale, titled “Nevertheless, She Persisted,” would deal with a Supergirl and Superman fight. While Superman and Supergirl definitely face off in a pulse-pounding opening sequence, the show makes the smart decision to have Clark Kent fade quickly into the background. Supergirl is still Kara Danvers’ story, even with her cousin flying around.
The finale brings one chapter of that story to an incredibly satisfying close too. This second season seemed to suffer from a lack of cohesion in the middle, but everything comes together in this superb finale.
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Trial(s) By Combat
Though the Superman fight is dealt with quickly — he is being controlled by silver Kryptonite and Kara knocks him out — the finale still has a lot of fisticuffs to go. When Kara and Clark both recover from the injuries of their fight, they discover that there is a way to force Rhea to leave the planet. Kara invokes an ancient religious Daxam custom of a trial by combat. If Kara wins, Rhea and the rest of Daxam will leave. If Kara loses, well, the result should be obvious.
Since no fight is going to be able to top Superman and Kara trading blows, Supergirl doesn’t put all its chips on the Rhea and Kara fight. Kara and Rhea’s trial is one small part in a larger plan. Courtesy of Lillian Luthor (and an assist by Lena), a fail-safe is created. Using Lex’s old technology, the Luthors will infect the atmosphere with traces of lead.
This will be deadly for all Daxamites and force them to either leave Earth or be killed. This includes Mon-El. It is with this small twist that Supergirl justifies, at least to me, all the time spent on the Mon-El and Kara romance in the middle of this season. Certain fans just never grew to like Mon-El and always felt that the relationship was rushed. Yet all that build-up is necessary to care now that Kara is being forced to choose between her own happiness and saving the world.
The End of the Star-Crossed Lovers
Kara is determined to have it all, however. She is set on defeating Rhea in the trial by combat and never having to use the Luthors’ fail-safe. Rhea, though, has no such interest in honoring the deal she has made with Kara. When Kara begins her combat with Rhea, it is revealed that Rhea has Kryptonite in her bloodstream, which is super stupid but may explain why she is so very crazy. Rhea also goes forward with the invasion. The trial by combat is just a distraction.
As destruction rains all around Kara and Rhea, Team Supergirl tries to fight off the Daxamites (except for James because Supergirl really doesn’t like that guy), Everyone, but James, is given a moment in this big battle. Miss Martian even arrives to assist J’onn, who has awoken, with allied White Martians. It is a small thing, and the Daxam soliders still look like they came from the reject pile of Winn’s Guardian suit designs, but it gives the whole invasion a large-scale and epic feel.
It is because of this epic feel that Kara is faced with her hardest choice yet. Even if Kara defeats Rhea — and, in a completely crowd-pleasing moment, Kara does gain the upper hand in the fight — Daxam will keep invading. Kara decides that she has no choice but to set off the lead poisoning. All around, the Daxamites retreat. Satisfyingly, Rhea chokes and dies in front of Mon-El and Kara, but soon thereafter, Mon-El also begins to expire.
Kara is forced to take Mon-El back to the pod that brought him to Earth so that he can live on but without Kara. It’s a heartbreaking goodbye if you’re invested in the Mon-El and Kara relationship. Even if you’re not, Melissa Benoist and Chris Wood do a superb job playing the scene. People may not love Mon-El, but Chris Wood is an excellent crier.
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Back to the Start
From here, it is all basic season finale clean-up. Kara gets to watch all her family and friends be happy in relationships. (Alex even proposes to Maggie!) It is Cat Grant who sweeps in, though, to give Kara the pep talk to end all pep talks. She tells Kara that even though she has lost Mon-El — by the way, Supergirl finally confirms that Cat knows Kara’s secret identity — she has accomplished extraordinary things this season year. This isn’t the end of the Kara’s story but just a beginning and she will love again … probably with Mon-El too.
As Kara flies off from her conversation with Cat, Mon-El’s pod can be seen in space. As sad CW-esque music plays, Mon-El’s portal is being sucked into a portal. It’s eerily similar to what happened to Kara in the pilot, with her being knocked off course from Earth. This is obviously where Supergirl is going. Mon-El is far from gone from this show, but his pod going on an adventure isn’t the only connection to the pilot.
In an abrupt cliffhanger, the show flash backs back to Kara and Kal being sent away from Krypton on the day it was destroyed. They weren’t the only kids to escape Krypton, though. Across the planet, another baby is being sent to Earth. But unlike Kara and Clark, it was sent to rule the planet, not survive there. It’s a pretty lame cliffhanger and the weakest moment of the finale. Supergirl is stretching the limits of how many last children of Krypton there are, but a dark version of Kara or Clark isn’t the worst idea for a season 3 villain.
What did you think of the season finale? Were you sad or elated to see Mon-El leave Earth? How soon do you think he will be back? Do you have any theories on the third baby? Was that a cool or groan-inducing cliffhanger leading into season 3? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Supergirl will return for season 3 in fall 2017, airing Mondays at 8/7c on The CW. Want more news? Like our Facebook page.
(Image courtesy of The CW)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Derek is a Philadelphia based writer and unabashed TV and comic book junkie. The time he doesn’t spend over analyzing all things nerdy he is working on his resume to be the liaison to the Justice League.
