It took no less than the CW network President Mark Pedowitz to defend Supergirl supporting character Mon-El at the recent Television Critics Association (TCA) press events. When Mon-El’s return in Supergirl Season 3 came up, an unidentified TCA member said, “Nobody wants that.” TVoverMind previously reported on Mr Pedowitz’s statements. Today, I tell you why I think Mon-El deserves to return on Supergirl. It isn’t simply to facilitate Legion of Superheroes; although that is a cool storyline. Mon-El deserves to return and complete his redemption arc.
As Mon-El’s first conscious act, after emerging from his coma early in Supergirl Season 2, he punched Supergirl through a wall. From there, he went on to become a mob enforcer, collecting debts from National City aliens, and not to shy about threats and violence. Supergirl had tried to give him a civilian identity and get him a job at CatCo, but the erstwhile Prince of Daxam, returned to his womanizing ways with Eve Tessmacher on day one. After seeing Mon-El punch an alien who owed money, Supergirl was about ready to wash her hands of him.
When Supergirl faced the Parasite (a villian with an extremely well crafted backstory), Mon-El started to run. But he didn’t run, he turned to help. He didn’t attempt to fight Supergirl’s battle for her in a fit of machismo, but he didn’t turn tail and run, either. Nor did he stand on the sidelines, gelded. Insted, Mon-El grew some intestinal fortitude; he waded into the fight beside Supergirl. In a later episode, Mon-El followed Kara to the Salvers’ Moon to free the downtrodden. He had the courage to allow her to win her own victory, while struggling at her side.
Was Mon-El the best romantic interest for Supergirl? The internet says no. And I can’t disagree. Their chemistry seemed forced sometimes. But Mon-El’s desire to become a better person because of the woman he clearly loved shone through. Supergirl inspired him to humble himself and get a service industry job. Kara inspired Mon-El to fight the good fight defending all innocent citizens of National City — human or alien. As Season 2 drew to a close, Mon-El even stood up against his mother, Queen Rhea, supporting his father’s goal of a more virtuous Daxamite civilization. Mon-El and Supergirl’s tearful goodbye near the end of the finale, looked genuine, at least to this fan.
Judging from a recent trailer, Supergirl takes her decision to exile the Daxamites and Mon-El very hard. She apparently turns her back on her human identity. Whether Mon-El returns to a courtship with Supergirl doesn’t matter to his heroic journey. Mon-El stood against his treacherous mother, the Queen, in favor of a more virtuous and egalitarian Daxam. Doing so, Mon-El showed that he had grown in his understanding of selfless service as a character. So, regardless of who Kara dates in Supergirl Season 3, Mon-El deserves to return and complete his journey to becoming a superhero.
Who knows, maybe the Legion of Superheroes will timejump back a thousand years to save Mon-El from led poisoning. Then Mon-El can lead a spin-off show. Mon-El and the Legion could join iZOMBiE and Black Lightning in the CW spring and summer lineup. Regardless of what spin-offs the future may hold, Supergirl Season 3 arrives on the CW broadcast airwaves in October. TVoverMind will continue coverage, so bookmark us and return frequently.
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