This week Supergirl faced her greatest – and almost last – battle ever as she saved family, city and the world! Some might say the Season Finale wasn’t as action packed as it should have been; but that wasn’t the point. Sure we had a lot of epic fight scenes and face offs; but the true focus of this two part Season Finale – as we discussed last week – was to bring together an entire Season’s worth of plot exploration and remind us of just how far everyone’s come. And it’s by looking at these ‘memorable cues’ that we can best see how far the series has come and where it’s going next. But enough intro!

Let’s take a Closer Look at the Season Finale of Supergirl “Better Angels” and see just how wonderfully everything resolved.

Coming Full Circle – Kara’s Life, Mission & Purpose:

When we first met Kara back in the series Pilot, we learned of her mission and problem of identity. Unlike Clark, she was sent to Earth already having grown up on Krypton. She didn’t discover who she was; but rather came to Earth with a mission – to protect her cousin – but due to unforeseen circumstances, she was trapped in the Phantom Zone and awoke in a world where her services were no longer needed. She didn’t have to protect Clark or save anyone because Clark had already become Superman and her life was up in the air. We’ve been reminded of this at the start of each episode and all season, we’ve seen Kara try to find herself. And this Season Finale – above all else – was designed to be the fulfillment of THAT struggle. Think of how this episode played out in regards to previous scenarios.

For example, remember how a couple of episodes ago in “Falling”, we saw Cat Grant broadcast on every station about how Supergirl, their symbol of hope, had gone rogue and should be feared. Supergirl of course overcame this backlash; but in this episode it was Supergirl herself who was not only acting as a symbol of hope but also the one delivering the broadcast. Additionally, this episode served as what Kara wanted from the start: a chance to finish her mother’s mission. Her mom failed saving Krypton and keeping Non and the others locked away. Kara not only stopped Non but also saved her new home. Even the final moments as Kara is ‘saved’ thanks to her pod was a bookend moment of sorts. Though rather than her pod “saving” her and bringing her AWAY from home, this time the pod “saved” her and brought her back TOWARDS her new home.

There’s plenty of other ‘Full Circle’ moments – and I’ll go into detail about a few more in the next section – but the main focus of this episode is Kara’s Life and Kara’s Mission. So it makes the most sense that the biggest ‘Full Circle’ moment comes during her final online chat with Clark. This of course isn’t just a throwback to earlier in the season when we first saw Kara and Clark text; but rather a throwback to ALL the way preseason one to Kara’s original mission: Protect Kal-El. So for all of you thinking “Superman being ‘unconscious’ was such a plot ploy to not show him”…. YOU MISSED THE POINT!!!!!!!!!!! This wasn’t to tease you with Superman or to skirt around the issue of not having cast him yet because this show is SUPERGIRL!

If this show only got one season, it’s story wouldn’t have been to portray Supergirl as the appetizer for Superman; but rather to show Supergirl finally realize her mission of being the one to protect her cousin. She just saved the day on a global stage; but hearing Clark refer to her as “My hero” is what truly brings this season to a close. If there was only one Season, Supergirl’s story has been told. If we get a Season 2 (and hopefully we will) that’ll be a different story with different focus and problems – which I’ll discuss later in this article – and that will be when meeting the Man of Steel will be appropriate. Because after this finale, the world sees Supergirl as just as big of a hero as Superman himself. They aren’t confined to being seen as ‘related Supers’ or the male/female version of each other; but rather two mighty heroes that stand on par with each other. Equals!

Tying It all Together (Part 2) – Manhunter, Livewire & More:

Picking up from last week, the Season finale continued to harken back to various points within this Season of Supergirl that we may have forgotten or overlooked at the time. Whether these references were made directly or in absence, they were all used to remind us of how far everyone has come and how the ground work had been laid for a while. The following are some primary examples of these.

• Back during the “Worlds Finest” episode, we heard the DEO agents accuse Livewire of messing with the electrical signals in people’s heads and almost killing them. We of course learned by the end of the episode – or at least should have inferred – that these signals were actually the result of Myriad and not Livewire. So hearing that the Myriad signal being amplified would make everyone’s head explode is well founded and foreshadowed.
• We’ve seen Alex and Kara spar before, and Alex is exponentially more skilled in combat – even when she’s holding back. So with a Kryptonite suit, not holding back and Kara being the one to hold back, there is no doubt who would have won this match if Mrs Danvers didn’t step in.
• It’s not Kara nor her Mom that really gets through to Alex; but rather the mention of her dad. Mrs Danver’s words about Alex’s dad being proud of her and smiling down on her from heaven did bring her back but not because they alluded to sentiment, but rather because Alex knows her dad may still be alive, which we learned in “Manhunter”
• During Mrs Danvers speech we are also reminded of “Stronger Together”, which we learned back in the episode “Stronger Together” is the motto of the house of El
• When Winn flashed back to his time with Kara and when Kara said goodbye, we see and remember on our own how far these two have come. We literally see how Kara first trusts Winn with her secret and how he helps her design the costume. As for where we ‘fill in the blank’, this occurs when Kara calls him a good friend. We remember that there was a time when Winn wanted to be more than friends; and even though it was awkward for a while they are still together because they honestly care about each other – and that’s what’s most important.
• Kara and J’Onn were the prime duo to take on Non and Indigo in the final battle as both saw their plants destroyed and refuse to loose another.
• In “Manhunter” J’Onn was stripped of his title as head of the DEO and threw the government into a panic. Here we find him not only returned to his former role but also honored as an alien friend.
• Additionally in Manhunter – and other moments during the season – we saw how Alex’s life was held back because of Kara. All of this is called to mind in Kara’s goodbye to Alex where she tells her to find her dad, find love and everything else that was taken from her because of Supergirl.
• Unlike the recent ‘Man of Steel’ universe that rewrites the Superman S-symbol to literally mean “hope”, this show has kept the original Superman movie continuity of the S being the coat of arms of the house of El. BUT, this episode literally made the S-logo a symbol of Hope but not as how it applies to krpytonians but rather to how people see it. Making it both a reference to this show’s heritage and to give a shout out to modern fans.
• After an entire season of calling Kara Kira, Cat finally calls her Kara after promoting her!
• Within the episode, there is a tie in between General Lane and Non as Lucy refers to both of them as people who try to control others. We the audience see this goes even deeper as Non originally wanted to control people to protect them – much like General Lane. We saw how Non went overboard, so this leaves us to speculate if General Lane may indeed continue down this path in the future and support something worse – ie: Cadmus.
• Cat needs a new assistant… that awkward moment when you realize if Siobhan would have stayed leveled headed and not sabotage-y, she’d have been THE assistant she wanted to be since Kara’s moving up.
• We saw a brief shot of Maxwell and Alex holding hands, reminding us of their flirty moments this season. Between this and Maxwell’s concern for Supergirl, could this be the start of a good guy Max. I believe so, but we’ll discuss this more in the final section.

Up, Up & Away – Easter Eggs, Quotes & Other Notables:

• After everything has been said and done, I’m not so sure of the Kara and James relationship anymore. I know it’s been building to this all season and I love but characters; but not quite sure if I’m sold with them being together. Then again, maybe I’m just worried about “olicity-esque” drama.
• Seeing Superman or not, I loved Clark’s “so this is what a hangover feels like” comment.
• Despite them being aliens, Superman and Supergirl do indeed need air to breath, which is why in the animated series whenever Superman went into space he had a special suit designed by Star Labs.
• As we discussed last week, during the Myriad mind control, you are still aware of your actions so you do feel responsible for everything you do – even if you do feel like “a complete stranger to yourself”.

Where To Next? – Season 2, Cadmus, Cyborg Superman & Who/What Is In That Kryptonian Pod?

So where to next? Well as I expressed earlier, the beauty of this Season finale is that IF it was to be a series finale, it would tie off almost everything pressing. The revelation of Jeremiah being and the mysterious Pod are of course two points of continuation; but could there be more? And if there is, would it be completely separate or add to one of those two previously mentioned areas? Well in terms of this episode on its own merit, we get an odd foreshadowing cut during J’Onn’s speech at the end. We hear about villains and we immediately get a cut of Lord and General Lane musing over the Kryptonian power source. So which of them will become a villain – if either?

Well this episode saw Lord actually show concern and worry over Supergirl. He seems genuinely apologetic forever doubting her and this episode could be seen as his change to make amends for everything. HOWEVER, we must remember what General Lane said about j’Onn and how a good deed during these times doesn’t erase all prior crimes. Sure J’Onn was always good, but will these words ring true for Lord? I’m willing to bet no. Lord isn’t best served as a villain but rather as the cocky hero, and his motivations have always been pure as well. I believe he does care about Supergirl, and more so her sister Alex. They are actually the couple I’m more interested in seeing than Kara and James – because they actually CAN be together and not risk hurting the other with superhuman strength. I think Lord will continue to work with the DEO and possibly one day become a hero himself? Lord knows (pun intended) there’s plenty of billionaire geniuses crime fighters in the DC Universe! So what could this scene have been hinting at?

Well we know Lane works for the military which has ties to Cadmus. Could this Kryptonian power source find its way to Cadmus and be used to fuel a future villain. Could this be the start of famous superman villain Metallo OR does this just confirm our Cyborg Superman Theory #2. Will this device be used on Jeremiah Danvers who will be experimented on by Cadmus in order to become Cyborg Superman – thus rewriting, but also taking inspiration from The New 52 origin story of Cyborg Superman aka Kara’s father? Well I would side with this completely if it weren’t for that final moment of the episode where the mysterious Kryptonian pod crashes. Kara seems to be shocked by who’s in the pod, which most likely means it’s not a random kid or someone (aka Superboy, etc). After all, would you be surprised if you found a person inside an escape pod?

Instead, I believe this person is someone Kara knows and it could very well be her Kryptonian father. If this is indeed the case, it could provide a wonderful dualism to Season 2 as Kara gets reacquainted with her father and Alex tries to find hers. But if Kara’s dad is around, would that make him Cyborg Superman – having been rebuilt by Brainiac (or Indigo in this continuity). If these dual dad plot line did go into effect, then there could be a fair amount of suspense built into the season as far as WHICH was Cyborg Superman (or which was rebuilt good and which bad). Then again, maybe it’s Kara’s long lost dog and this is how the introduce Krypto. . . . I hope not, but stranger things have happened. The most pressing issue is will the show be renewed. Considering it’s one of the few female led hero shows on TV – if not the only, I say it’d be a crime to not renew it. It might not be official yet, but there’s a lot of hints that CBS is thinking about it. And if they don’t, hopefully the CW will pick it up and add it to the rest of the Extended Arrow-verse. We’ll know soon enough; but if this is goodbye, then I must thank everyone involved with this show for giving us such a wonderful and complete season – just skip the last 12 seconds lol