Supergirl Season 2 Episode 22 Review: “Nevertheless, She Persisted”

Supergirl kicks off its Season 2 finale with one of the most epic superhero fights I’ve seen in recent memory, but by the end of “Nevertheless, She Persisted,” it’s much more about the emotional gut punches than the physical ones. As incredibly entertaining as Kara and Silver Kryptonite-infected Clark battling against each other across National City is (and oh man, that opening sequence truly is an action-packed blast from start to finish), it mainly serves as prelude to the real drama of the episode, which centers on the moral dilemma that Kara faces as she tries to find the best way possible to stop Rhea and save the world.

After Kara and Clark search through the Fortress of Solitude’s archives for solutions, she believes she’s found one: defeating Rhea in a trial by combat (she does take down Superman at the beginning of the episode, after all) that will determine which one of them remains on Earth and which one of them leaves forever. While Rhea does get in a couple good hits on Kara here and there, Supergirl makes it pretty clear that Kara would have beaten Rhea if the Queen of Daxam had actually followed the duel’s rules; instead, though, Rhea dishonors the gods by calling on her fellow Daxamites to destroy National City and uses the Kryptonite blood that’s coursing through her veins to fight back against Kara.

Ultimately, Kara is able to win the fight against Rhea, while Mon-El, Superman, and J’onn (with the help of M’gann and an army of White Martians she brings back to Earth with her) do their best to suppress the Daxamites in the streets. However, Rhea’s followers are too quick for them, as all of Daxam’s ships target schools, hospitals, and other public buildings across National City. The situation leaves Kara with an impossible choice to make, as she confronts the question that has been plaguing her all season: Can I truly have it all?

The answer to that question at the end of tonight’s Supergirl finale is no. Kara is forced to use the fail-safe plan, turning on the device created by Lena and Lillian that seals the planet’s atmosphere in lead, making it impossible for any and all Daxamites, including Mon-El, to stay and live upon Earth. Rhea dies almost immediately after the device starts up, but her demise is essentially treated like an afterthought; the fallout that Supergirl is most interested in is Kara and Mon-El’s relationship, as he’s forced to hop inside the same pod that Kara used to fly to Earth way back in the show’s pilot and escape from the planet that is now killing him, even if it means leaving the woman he loves behind.

As I mentioned above, this is an impossible choice for Kara to make, and Supergirl does a fantastic job at illustrating just how difficult this decision is for her. The dialogue here is strong, with Mon-El telling Kara that he promises to be the man she believes he can be and Kara presenting him with her mother’s necklace, saying that it will keep him safe, wherever he ends up going. However, what really sells these scenes is the acting, particularly the performance of Melissa Benoist, who has never been more raw and real than she is during Kara’s final exchange with Mon-El. Tears pour down Benoist’s face throughout the scene, showing just how much this is breaking Kara’s heart, but she also instills Kara with a quiet confidence throughout the conversation; even though you know sending Mon-El away is tearing Kara apart, you also firmly believe that she’s strong and assured in the tough decision she makes.

I could see some Supergirl viewers, who are not fans of the Kara/Mon-El relationship, being a little disappointed that so much of this final episode of Season 2 revolves around their relationship. But I would also argue that the action Kara takes her is so much bigger than her denying herself the chance at romance; as Clark tells her during their last conversation during the finale, it’s an action that proves just how strong Kara is, as she gives up the chance to have everything she wants in order to save everyone else’s lives. That right there is the mark of a true hero, the type of selfless and self-sacrificing behavior that make characters like Supergirl and Superman so inspirational to people of all ages.

Plus, it’s not just that Kara goes through with this difficult decision; it’s also that, as the title of the episode suggests, she makes this choice and then persists. That final image of Kara in the finale, a close-up on her tear-streaked face as she flies through the sky as National City’s protector, is extremely powerful, even more powerful than the amazing speech that Cat Grant delivers to Kara only moments before, which chronicles all of her wonderful accomplishments throughout the year. In the moment, Mon-El feels like everything to Kara, like her one true shot at happiness, but Cat’s words remind her that there are so many other parts of her life that make it worth living and that her pain and longing aren’t any form of weakness but are actually her greatest strength, more so than her intelligence and determination as a reporter or even her super-human abilities as Supergirl.

“The thing that makes women strong is that we have the guts to be vulnerable,” Cat tells Kara, and no other words could ever ring more true. Supergirl’s most important super power has always been her ability to feel and connect with others; it’s what makes her so human, despite the fact that she’s an alien from another planet. Kara’s able to leap into the air and fly into the sky after her talk with Cat because she’s reminded that these emotions she’s feeling aren’t getting in the way of her being a hero–they’re what are fueling her desire and capacity to be one. You really can’t find a more quintessential Supergirl moment to end the season on than that.

But seeing as this is a finale, Supergirl does provide us with some teases for Season 3. The first one is Mon-El’s pod traveling into what looks like some type of wormhole; if I was a betting man, I’d say we will see him again next season, in some type of capacity. And then there’s the final scene, which flashes back 35 years into the past to the destruction of Krypton and a mysterious group of women preparing an even more mysterious being for his travel to Earth. It’s unclear what or who is inside that pod that gets sent to the same destination as both Kara and Clark’s, but one thing is for sure: whatever is inside can’t be good, and if the women are right, it has been growing stronger during its time on Earth over the past few decades and has quietly been preparing to reign over the planet.

Whichever DC character this villain actually ends up being, he sounds like a suitable challenge for Kara next season, but no matter what type of power he possesses, I, like Cat Grant, would put my money on the Girl of Steel. And that’s because, when we find Kara next season, she might not have it all, but she’ll still be fighting so that she, her family, her friends, and everyone else on the planet has the hope and chance to get anything and everything they want in life. No matter what danger, fear, or pain await her in Season 3, Kara Danvers will keep on persisting. And that’s because she’s Supergirl. It’s what she does best.

Other thoughts:

• FINALLY we get official confirmation that Cat Grant knows Kara’s secret identity, and it’s revealed in such a perfect way. “Go get ’em, Supergirl.”
• Also, in case you forgot that Cat Grant is the best, she reminds us yet again in this episode how and why she remains one of this show’s most impressive characters. Calista Flockhart delivers lovely work during Cat and Kara’s final conversation, providing a sweetness and tenderness, even as Cat takes shot at Kara’s prose. Also, I will never tire of Cat’s attraction to Clark or of Kara’s complete and utter revulsion towards it.
• Right before the finale’s closing moments, Alex asks Maggie to marry her, and while it’s a beautiful scene, acted so well by both Chyler Leigh and Floriana Lima, I do have some hesitation about this development. Sure, Maggie never officially says “yes” but her smile seems to be her answer, and if that’s the case, I fear that the Supergirl writers might be rushing the pair’s relationship just a little bit. I mean, the two of them only just told each other that they loved one another a few episodes ago in “Alex.” I’m down for a potential Sanvers wedding, but I just hope the show takes its time with the couple during Season 3.
• Another minor complaint I have about this episode is that the arrival of M’gann and the White Martians also feels a little too rushed and forced. I’m very happy that Supergirl provides some type of closure to her and J’onn’s storyline from this season, but all of them beaming down to battle the Daxamites doesn’t flow with the rest of the episode as well as the writers probably hoped it would.
• Speaking of M’gann, before she and J’onn kiss, she tells him that she’ll be sticking around for a while. Does this mean that, in addition to more Katie McGrath, who has been promoted to a series regular for next year, we might get more Sharon Leal in Season 3? I certainly hope so.
• My final minor complaint: Whatever happened to Jeremiah? Did the writers break the final stretch of the season and not find enough space to fit a satisfying conclusion to his story this year? Or am I just forgetting something that happened earlier this season that tied things up? (I could totally be forgetting something seeing as I’m writing this review on about two hours of sleep, at the moment.)
• Tonight’s finale introduces Silver Kryptonite, and it makes me curious if we’ll see more different types of Kryptonite in Season 3. I hope we do.
• I can’t say enough about how much I love Tyler Hoechlin in the role of Clark Kent; as I’ve said before, he’s the perfect Superman, and he’s great again in “Nevertheless, She Persisted.” Here’s hoping Supergirl gives us a little more Superman in Season 3.
• But not enough Superman to distract from the true star of the show, Supergirl herself, Melissa Benoist, who, as I mentioned above in my review, is absolutely outstanding throughout tonight’s finale. Hoechlin might be my ideal Superman, but Benoist was truly born to play the role of Kara Danvers. I couldn’t imagine any other actress in this role.
• If you haven’t seen this Supergirl promo for Wonder Woman, it’s a must-watch. Seriously, I can’t stop watching it. It’s so much fun.
• “Once again, Kansas, you’re the only person who really gets me.” “I try.”
• “I promise you when he takes off those glasses he is a tiger in bed.”
• “Go. Be a hero.”
• “Go get ‘em, Supergirl.”
• And that’s a wrap on Supegirl Season 2! Thank you all so very much for joining Blaise, Clement, and myself for this fantastic season of television. I loved every minute I got to write about this terrific show, which I think became an even better series after its move to The CW this season, and I appreciated every single comment and tweet you readers sent me. Hopefully, we’ll see you back here in the fall for Supergirl Season 3!

What did everyone else think about tonight’s Supergirl finale, and what are your thoughts on Season 2 as a whole? Comment below and let me know.

[Photo credit: Katie Yu/The CW]