History Recap / Supergirl2015S2E18AceReporter

* {{Nanotechnology}}: The VillainOfTheWeek controls a swarm of nanobots made by Spheerical Industries.

* ManOnFire: Kara surviving the car explosion has this effect. Obviously, she's {{no sell}}ing it.

* MaleGaze: Kara and Lena's final scene in the episode opens with a slow shot of the latter's [[ShesGotLegs legs]].

* FakeGuestStar: This was the first episode to be produced after it was announced Katie McGrath would be upgraded to a regular in Season 3. She is in every episode from now until the end of the season and plays a major role in this and most of the other episodes. Although still officially a guest star, she is effectively a regular from this point onwards.

* TheBusCameBack: Lena returns after missing the last two episodes.

* FakeGuestStar: This was the first episode to be produced after it was announced Katie McGrath would be upgraded to a regular in Season 3.she is in every episode from now until the end of the season and plays a major role in this and most of the other episodes. Although still officially a guest star, she is effectively a regular from this point onwards.

* JerkassHasAPoint: This time acknowledged {{in-universe}} by Kara, when she apologizes to Snapper.

!!Tropes in this episode:

* BrickJoke: Snapper tells Kara a story about how awkward it was the last time he ever thanked someone. At the end of the episode, he thanks her, and it is just as awkward he said it would be.
* TheBusCameBack: Lyra returns after seemingly being PutOnABus [[Recap/Supergirl2015S2E16StarCrossed two episodes prior]].

* CorruptCorporateExecutive: First it seems like jack is this, but then it is revealed that Breen is behind the murders.

* DarkerAndEdgier: Two people die in this episode, one by exploding car and the other eaten by the nanobots.
* DisproportionateRetribution: Lyra gets very brutal in her attempt to subdue the teenage shoplifter to the point that James has to stop her.

* GoodOldFisticuffs: When Breen tells Lena that she is a Blackbelt, Lena only responds that [[BadassBoast she is a Luthor]] and smacks her down.
* HairTriggerTemper: Lyra angrily breaks a glass, shouts at Winn and threatens him when he tells her James wants her off the team.

* HeKnowsTooMuch: A Biomax lab technician and a human trial volunteer are murdered by the swarm of nano-machines before they can expose that Biomax's human trials were faked.

-->'''Snapper''': There's a lot you don't know about me, Danvers.

* InstantExpert: Rhea seems to learn a lot about Earth already despite her short stay, though it's possible that a TimeSkip occurred offscreen.
* ItOnlyWorksOnce: The first time Kara faces the nanobots swarm, she can temporarily stop them with her freezing breath; the second time, the nanobots get past this attack and capture her.

* LethalChef: Downplayed, as Kara's cooking skills are nowhere dangerous, but still leave something to be desired. The one danish that she successfully didn't burn? Snapper took a bite and advised her not to start a food truck business. (Then again, this is [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Snapper we're talking about]]).

* {{Nanotechnology}}: The VillainOfTheWeek controls a swarm of nanobots made by Biomax.

* NoTrueScotsman: Snapper has a very low opinion of Bloggers, not considering them true reporters.
* OffScreenBreakUp: Inverted by Winn and Lyra. Last time they were together, they decided to split up. Here, they're together again without any proper explanation.

** Both Alex and J'onn only appeared in the opening scene while Maggie is completely absent.

* ShoutOut: Lyra (possibly) jokes about eating cats, which may be a reference to [[Series/{{Alf}} another alien with the same culinary preferences]].
* SpoilerOpening: Kara getting her job back was never really in much doubt, as she never stopped calling herself a [=CatCo=] reporter in the show's opening narration.

* TakeThat: Snapper is again used to take a not-veiled-in-the-slightest swipe at the Trump administration, as he blasts Kara for "alternative facts", the term Kellyanne Conway infamously used as a euphemism for BlatantLies.