Title: Supergirl: “The Faithful” Review
Release Date: October 30th, 2017
Network: The CW
Genre: Superhero, Drama, Action
Religion is a difficult subject to explore objectively in most superhero shows, as most characters are literally gods among men. Supergirl’s portrayal of faith gone wrong in “The Faithful” is an interesting perspective on what happens when those men and women actually praise these heroes as gods.
The Superfamily (Superman, Supergirl, Superboy) in general have always been seen as the most powerful among superheroes, given how powerful and unique their powers are. Yet, aside from a few side plots and tidbits in movies or shows surrounding them, this is the first time I’ve seen an in-depth exploration of what a religion surrounding them may look like.
Since its start, Supergirl has had a problem with its Villains of the Week, as each one feels like that, providing no menace or interesting dilemmas whatsoever, simply existing to provide a hurdle for Kara to beat. Thomas Crane overcomes that pretty quickly through a combination of a quick backstory from season one to merit his reasoning and a skewed perspective on that event as well.
One of the most interesting things about the entire situation is that it didn’t revolve around direct violence as much as other villains do in Supergirl. Instead, like any cult, Crane’s teachings perpetuate a violent situation, all so Kara is able to save and free them. Add into the equation that Crane actually has his hands on the teachings of Krypton’s God, Rao, and it adds an interpersonal layer of depth for Kara, alongside the fact that she is already being worshiped.
While I enjoyed all of the inner conflict in the episode, I wasn’t a big fan of how it was executed. Sure Crane’s distorted reasoning leads to an interesting scene which Supergirl has to cut herself while under the effects of Kryptonite to show she bleeds, but “The Faithful” failed to implement important character to help guide her with her struggles being worshiped, M’yrnn J’onzz.
Introduced in “Far From the Tree,” M’yrnn J’onzz is not only J’onn’s father, he is a martian priest. So what better person for Kara to go to for advice and wisdom about being worshipped than M’yrnn? Not only could it have provided a unique perspective for her, as well as any reason to see more Carly Lumbly on screen, it helps validate bringing M’yrnn to earth, developing his character almost immediately. Instead, we only get a glimpse of M’yrnn and J’onn praying at the end, while Kara is left with a less than progressive phone conversation with Crane.
“The Faithful” side stories of the episode were good too, but were more of a continuation of the previous side stories we’ve seen so far in season three. While that’s not a bad thing, there is only so much I can take of the Alex and Maggie “I don’t want to have kids” drama. With that being said, Chyler Leigh did an excellent job portraying her confused emotions regarding the situation, especially reacting to seeing Ruby perform after the play.
I’ve been down on Ruby since her introduction, but her character has certainly played a pivotal role in developing Samantha, as well as the main antagonist for this season, which was fleshed out considerably at the end of “The Faithful.” While its activation was a bit cliche, as the pod activates after the shockwaves from the bomb Kara pushed into the earth, the fact that we are finally seeing signs of Reign is exciting.
As I said before, antagonist in Supergirl have been less than compelling in its three seasons. But Samantha’s introduction and the way they have been developing her character is going to make for an excellent sympathetic villain when the time comes.
Overal this was a very important episode when it came to developing things for the future at the very least. My only hope is that while they continue to develop Samantha and Reign, characters like M’yrnn J’onzz aren’t left to obscurity.
Verdict: “The Faithful” explores an interesting concept with “The Cult of Supergirl” and introduces a unique villain of the week in Thomas Crane. The build-up to the end could have been dealt with a lot better though and could have simultaneously validated M’yrnn J’onzz place in the show and provided a unique perspective. Nonetheless, it was an important episode development wise and introduction wise, as we saw our first sign of the main antagonist of the season in a familiar face.
What did you think of the most recent episode of Supergirl? What scene or scenes did you like the most? What are your predictions for the rest Season three as things begin to unravel? Be sure to let us know in the comments below. Also be sure to check back next week for the next episode of the season,” Damage,” immediately after it airs on The CW next Monday 8 PM ET.
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