Supergirl season 3 episode 3 review: Maggie’s father & powerful performances
We imagine that creatively, one of the biggest challenges that this story has is trying to sell its viewers on a Supergirl not situated in National City. She instead took off to Mars in order to help J’onn J’onzz with a personal mission after having been sent there by M’gann. While there, he was in for quite a shock: His father was actually still alive! He never realized that he was still around, but he now has a chance to make things right and finding a way to preserve his family’s future.
Where things got all the more complicated is when J’onn tried to speak to his father, who refused to actually believe it was him. Why? His son “would’ve never fled.” Almost the entirety of this storyline was spent watching J’onn and Supergirl trying to convince his father that he was really him — when it happened, that did make the moment all the more powerful.
We will say this, the part of the story that was both ridiculous and hilarious was Supergirl driving around in J’onn’s makeshift space-travel car blaring Britney Spears to throw some of the White Martians off. J’onn and his father then got involved, and the three were able to protect Mars for the time being. They secured the staff that they needed long enough to be able to get what they wanted.
With the mission completed and the staff secured, J’onn can now head home with Kara where the two can start up their life again. For the time being, the Martian Manhunter has brought his father along for the ride!
Maggie invites her father
After the subject of Maggie’s father came up in a conversation with Alex and her mother, she decided to do something that she hadn’t done in well over a decade — call him and invite him to her bridal shower. At first, things seemed to be going okay — at least until Maggie and Alex kissed in front of him.
We do have to say that the performance of the night came courtesy of one Carlos Bernard, who was exceptional in this role. He may not have been likable, but we do have a little more of an understanding now as to his point of view. He feels as though Maggie, by choosing to be lesbian, is opening herself up to hate and prejudice — the same sort of stuff that he worked his entire life in order to avoid. To make matters worse for him much of that hate and bigotry is still out there.
Luckily, Floriana Lima did match him with an excellent performance of her own in the closing minutes. Maggie told him in the closing monologue that she was now happy and she doesn’t need him or his approval anymore. For the first time, she realized that she didn’t need anything from him.
Ultimately it was great to see Maggie conquer this hurdle in her life, but we are still worried about her and Alex in one regard: Kids. Alex seems okay not having them if that’s what Maggie wants, but will that change?
CarterMatt Verdict
“Far from the Tree” was a good episode in terms of character building, but those of you who enjoy Supergirl more for the huge action sequences will probably be disappointed. It was also rather odd to have a full episode without CatCo and where you didn’t have very much of some of the supporting cast at all.
After this episode, though, we are officially even more sad that Lima is not a series regular anymore. She and Bernard stole the show with one emotional monologue after the next. In terms of acting alone this is a high point of season 3.
What is coming up on Supergirl season 3 episode 4?
Head over here, since this is going to be a chance to check a new preview on that subject out!
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