Supergirl season 6, episode 5 review: Secret origins

Supergirl season 6 took a trip back in time to 2009 as Brainy and Nia tried to save Kara but could “Prom Night!” elevate the show’s static narrative? 

Supergirl season 6 has been an interesting ride thus far. It’s hard to sum up how you feel about it because, while infinitely better than most of what we got throughout season 5, its somewhat uneventful presentation (outside of the first two episodes) is holding it firmly in place – something that no season (especially not the final one) should be doing.

It is understandable given that the Arrowverse show is writing around Melissa Benoist’s filming schedule (as she understandably returned to filming much later than her co-stars) but the past two episodes have done little to drive the story forward and, only when they focus on the characters, do they feel like they carry the drama they’re supposed to.

Kara is in the Phantom Zone and everyone back on earth is trying to get her back. The show revolves around Supergirl as it should. However, the sole focus on this narrative and the pacing issues have resulted in the story dragging a great deal. And it’s certainly not aided by the fact that there is no more color left in the show that used to be among the most colorful on TV, as the bland aesthetic of J’onn’s new headquarters and the grim setting of the Phantom Zone make the whole thing, at times, a joyless experience.

The solution to the ongoing narrative? Return to a time when Supergirl was colorful and joyous. Well, before that time. And you know what? They just about went and pulled it off!

What happened in Supergirl season 6, episode 5?

Supergirl season 6’s latest installment, “Prom Night!” saw Brainy and Nia travel back in time to Midvale in 2009 so that they could procure Kara’s DNA after she is left without her powers when she solar flares. The problem is that they end up crash-landing a day early, run into Kara, Alex and Kenny (who is alive in this timeline after Crisis On Infinite Earths).

But it wouldn’t be Supergirl without threats from both space and Earth, so they have to worry about a race of aliens interested in caging a Kryptonian and the arrival of CJ Grant (a.k.a. Cat Grant) who is looking for the heroic scoop that will launch her career.

Super nostalgia

The greatest strength of “Prom Night!” was the way that it unwaveringly leaned into nostalgia. Even though it was set before the events of the show (and in a small town as opposed to National City), there was something so inherently nostalgic about it that you couldn’t help but feel like you were watching an episode from early into the show’s run. In other words, this episode felt like it belonged to Supergirl‘s prime.

Maybe it was the high school setting, the fact that young actresses Izabela Vidovic and Olivia Nikkanen bear an uncanny resemblance to the Kara and Alex we meet in the show’s first season or maybe it was the return of Cat Grant as Eliza Helm did a phenomenal job capturing all of Calista Flockhart’s mannerisms as the iconic character.

Whatever the specifics, nostalgia worked for Supergirl this week because the Midvale-centric episode, though very Legends of Tomorrow in its approach, felt like a refreshing break from the grim terrors of the modern day Supergirl that we see in season 6. It felt young, it felt vibrant, it felt colorful. It felt like Supergirl again.

Super Sentiments

• I believe this is the first episode ever without any kind of apperance from Melissa Benoist. I could be wrong, but man, that sounds weird.
• I’ve said it already but Eliza Helm did a phenomenal job as the younger Cat Grant. She nailed the mannerisms, paid tribute to Calista Flockhart and added her own little edge to highlight that youthful desperation that the veteran we saw in season 1 would have ironed out by 2015.
• If anything, this just highlights why Supergirl needs Cat Grant. The show has never been able to fill the hole that Calista Flockhart’s departure left and if it truly wants to pay tribute to the character in its final season, it must feature a cameo appearance from her… even if its via zoom or another press conference sequence (like her last official apperance in season 3).
• This did feel like something of a step back in time and offered a nice – and fun – change of pace for the show.
• Jesse Rath continues to amaze me with the amount of syllables he can speak at 50 miles an hour without taking a single breath. That man is talented!

What did you think of Supergirl season 6, episode 5? Are you looking forward to part 2 in next week’s installment? Let us know in the comments below!