2. Supergirl Season 4, Episode 3: Man of Steel
Supergirl shined in its fourth season with a unique spin on the series. In the episode Man of Steel, the focus shifted to Ben Lockwood’s transformation into the big bad, Agent Liberty. Initially, Ben gave aliens a chance but blamed them for his misfortunes as his family’s steel business faced bankruptcy due to alien metal and workforce. Losing his job, Ben channels his frustrations into hateful comments, resulting in his termination.
Things change when Ben loses his father, igniting a fire within him to fight against aliens. With funding and support from Mercy Graves, he fully embraces his villainous persona as Agent Liberty. The episode ends with a cliffhanger, revealing Liberty’s plans to infiltrate the DEO through Agent Jenson.
There was a filler life vibe to the episode, but the focus on the villain gave the series depth. Oh, and there was that “Batman v Superman,” vibe through flashbacks from Ben Lockwood’s perspective. And then there was Lena Luthor, who once again proved her heroism by saving Supergirl from kryptonite poisoning, despite being unaware of Kara’s secret identity.
However, Lena’s potential antagonism added intrigue, especially as she plays by her own rules and refuses to choose sides. The episode has us hoping she wouldn’t turn evil solely because of her Luthor lineage. It’s a fantastic episode that was a standalone and deserves a spot as one of the greatest Supergirl episodes.