Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (March 2, 2022)
All good things come to an end. In this case, Season Six of Supergirl acts as the series’ final hurrah.
This four-disc set includes all 20 episodes from Season Six. The plot synopses come from IMDB.
Rebirth: “Lex Luthor (Jon Cryer) attempts to take control of half the population of Earth, as the first step in his plan to ‘fix’ the universe.”
Season Five ended with a cliffhanger, so “Rebirth” starts S6 right where the prior year concluded. This creates a pretty good adventure, albeit one that makes Lex feel a little too much like Thanos.
A Few Good Women: “While Lex faces trial for his crimes, J'onn J’onzz (David Harewood) and Alex Danvers (Chyler Leigh) try to access the Phantom Zone to rescue Supergirl (Melissa Benoist).”
Supergirl’s time in the Phantom Zone proves fairly dull, but other aspects of the episode redeem it. In particular, Cryer continues to delight as Lex, and his scenes add pizzazz to a generally interesting show.
Phantom Menaces: “Supergirl makes a new ally. Lena Luthor (Katie McGrath) and Lex battle for control of Luthor Corp.”
I liked the Phantom Zone better when it was just a form of limbo, not a place with literal monsters. Too much of “Menaces” revolves around these critters and other elements that make the episode lackluster.
Lost Souls: “Supergirl finds an opportunity to escape from the Phantom Zone but it comes with some dangerous strings attached. Lena joins the Super Friends on a mission but finds she disagrees with their plan of action.”
When a contrived reference to Ghostbusters becomes an episode’s highlight, you’re in trouble. At least it brings us one show closer to the end of the tedious Phantom Zone run.
Prom Night!: “Brainiac-5 (Jesse Rath) and Nia Nal (Nicole Maines) time-travel to 2009 Midvale to get a sample of Kara's DNA.”
Well, that sounds like an excuse for a wacky Back to the Future-style romp, doesn’t it? Heck, “Prom” even makes an overt reference to the movies.
Transparent as this approach may seem, it adds some spark to S6, even if “Prom” doesn’t quite live up to its potential, mainly due to some dreary sentimental moments. Still, “Prom” offers a lively show than usual so it bounces back after a few blah programs in a row.
Prom Again!: “Young Kara (Izabela Vidovic) experiences Kryptonite for the first time, Nia and Brainy are trapped by invading aliens, and a young Cat Grant (Eliza Helm) may be the reason Supergirl never gets out of the Phantom Zone.”
One episode of Back to the Future-influenced antics seemed like plenty, so “Again” becomes overkill. On its own, it does okay for itself, but S6 should’ve condensed this narrative into a single program, as the time travel bit feels a little tedious here.
Fear Knot: “As the Super Friends brave the Phantom Zone to bring Supergirl home, each member of the team is confronted by visions of their worst fear.”
“Knot” revolves around overwrought melodrama and action/horror scenes stolen from better properties. At least this looks like our last visit to the Phantom Zone for a while, so I regard that as a win.
Welcome Back, Kara: “Kara copes with returning to Earth, with Zor-El (Jason Behr) posing as her uncle.”
While those elements offer some intriguing moments, “Back” comes with a heavy-handed environmental message. Although I support the episode’s viewpoint, the show executes these notes in a clumsy manner.
Dream Weaver: “Supergirl hunts down alien prisoners on a work-release program, while Kelly Olsen (Azie Tesfai) investigates one of their younger brothers.”
Another episode with a clunky social message – yay? Not so much, so this awkward trend turns “Weaver” into another iffy show, and the mopey thread with Nia doesn’t help.
Still I Rise: “Supergirl struggles to save affordable housing so Orlando (Jhaleil Swaby) and Joey (Aiden Stoxx) have a place to live. Meanwhile, Nxyly (Peta Sergeant) plots to regain her powers.”
S6 has invested heavily in Nia’s need to see her dead mother, and that thread just doesn’t work. Throw in more Important Social Commentary and “Rise” sputters, even with some fun moments of Kara at her job.
Mxy in the Middle: “Nxyly attempts to reunite the Allstone using Mxyzptlk (Thomas Lennon) as a power source. Meanwhile, Lena finds out the truth about her mother.”
S6 needs a shot in the arm, and Lennon’s take on Mxy adds a real boost. Even with a story that borrows liberally from Tolkien, “Middle” offers enough fun to make it above average.
Blind Spots: “The people of the Heights are affected by the building collapse, and a new hero emerges to protect them.”
Despite the show’s focus on the aftermath of the destruction, it uses this as a partial analogy for COVID – and also attempts more of the series’ patented clunky social commentary. Again, I appreciate material that attempts to say something, but Supergirl does it so clumsily that it becomes a distraction.
The Gauntlet: “Supergirl and Nxyly battle for the Totem of Courage, and each get part of it. The part that Supergirl acquires causes chaos.”
I’m too lazy to look back at various superhero series and see when they went from a season framework that offered Villain of the Week and went for unified/multiple-episode threads. I do know that I wish shows like Supergirl didn’t feel the need to provide two long narratives and offered at least the occasional “one and done” program.
The problem is that when we get stuck with a long thread that doesn’t really work, the series struggles, and that’s what I think happens here. The Nxyly narrative hasn’t really gone much of anywhere, and this leads “Gauntlet” to become another spotty show, though at least it lacks the forced social commentary that damaged “Spots”.
Magical Thinking: “Nxyly gets hold of the Humanity Totem, causing chaos throughout National City. Meanwhile, Esme (Mila Jones) meets her new foster family and Lena attempts to cast her first spell.”
The introduction of an “imbedded reporter” at the “Super Friends HQ” just seems silly and contrived. That aspect of “Thinking” exists just to create calculated drama and becomes a flawed aspect of an erratic episode.
Hope for Tomorrow: “Supergirl continues to fight Nyxly for the remaining totems but after Nyxly kidnaps William Dey (Staz Nair), Supergirl realizes she needs to take a more proactive stance to keep National City safe. Meanwhile, Alex faces the biggest challenge of her life.”
Whenever an established TV show adds a cute kid, it ventures into “jump the shark” territory. Given that Supergirl rapidly approaches its series finale, the addition of adorable urchin Esme can’t do too much damage, but she nonetheless becomes a notable drag in an episode that suffers from its own narrative drawbacks given the still-not-engaging Nxyly tale.
Nightmare in National City: “Nxyly goes after the Dream Totem, and Nia must join forces with her sister Maeve (Hannah James) to stop the imp. Meanwhile, Supergirl worries that she's being pulled in too many different directions.”
Would S6 work significantly better without Nia’s dreary family drama? Maybe not, but I’d feel happier, as these elements become less than engaging at best. Nothing else in “Nightmare” elevates the episode either.
I Believe In a Thing Called Love: “When Lex Luthor appears by Nyxly's side, Supergirl and team must deal with the emotional fallout of facing their two biggest foes at the same time. Alex makes plans for the perfect proposal to Kelly, but work keeps getting in the way.”
On the positive side, Lex’s return adds some potential spark to S6 in its late stages, and “Lex in love” provides a decent twist. Unfortunately, too much of “Believe” follows the usual sappy melodrama, so this negates the positives from the Lex segments.
Truth or Consequences: “Esme has a fight at school, and Alex and Kara have a fight over how to settle it. Meanwhile, Nxyly searches for the Truth Totem.”
Did I mention how much I dislike the addition of adorable little Esme? She becomes an emblem of the sappy tone S6 takes too much of the time. Other aspects of “Truth” fare better, but this remains a lackluster show.
The Last Gauntlet: “Supergirl and the Super Friends take drastic action after a loved one is kidnapped by Nyxly and Lex. An unlikely ally steps in to help the team.”
With little time left in S6 – and the series – I guess it makes sense that Supergirl favors a lot of the personal relationships. It seems logical that the producers want to wrap up those affairs before the end.
Still, this makes for less than stimulating material, and even the unholy romance between Lex and Nyxly doesn’t help much. Maybe the last two episodes will redeem matters, but “Truth” doesn’t do much for me.
Kara: “Supergirl is joined by familiar faces from the past to help her stop Lex and Nyxly for good. Meanwhile, Alex and Kelly prepare to walk down the aisle.”
Those “familiar faces” allow S6 a valedictory feel, as they mean we get a semi-grand finale. We get some decent action in the first act, but the rest exists to finish off personal stories.
Which is fine, I guess, though this all feels vaguely underwhelming. Perhaps major fans of the series will enjoy this more character-based, dramatic conclusion, but for me, it seems bland and not especially satisfying.
Nothing about Season Six of Supergirl devolves into truly problematic territory. Nonetheless, it becomes a less than compelling way to wrap up the series.
