Where have we seen this before? Hmmm...
Cadmus sends Metallo after Supergirl and Superman.
Tropes in this episode:
- Adaptational Villainy: While Cadmus was never portrayed as nice, they were always part of the government in the source material. Here, they were a government program, but have become an outright terrorist group, filled with nothing but utter hatred for any aliens along with cult-like tendencies.
- And Show It to You: J'onn uses his phasing to grab the second Metallo's kryptonite core through his back, allowing him to see it before pulling it back through him.
- Attack Its Weak Point: Both Metallos are defeated by attacking/removing their power source.
- Bald of Authority: James is put in charge of CatCo.
- Bash Brothers: Alex and Kara against Corben, Clark and J'onn against the second Metallo.
- Berserk Button:
- J'onn nearly loses it when Clark accuses him of not caring for Kara, as J'onn has made it clear in the past he regards the two Danvers sisters as surrogate daughters, and don't anyone dare say he doesn't care for them as if they were. Unless you're Superman.
- Touching on this when J'onn warns Superman to watch it. This only fuels Clark's anger, which is only cooled by Alex and Kara.
- Big Damn Heroes: When the Metallos seem to have Kara and Clark on the ropes, Alex and J'onn show up.
- Blood from the Mouth: The Metallos start bleeding some kind of techno-organic goop when defeated.
- Bond Villain Stupidity: Alex attempts to exploit this trope towards the head of Cadmus, saying that she might as well tell her where her dad is if she is about to kill her. It doesn't work.
- But Now I Must Go:
- Superman returns to Metropolis, noting that he does need to get back to the Daily Planet, Lois, and being a superhero for them as well.
- Cat has suddenly decided to take a leave of absence.
- Call-Back: The powered exo-skeleton Non made Alex wear to combat Supergirl makes a heroic re-appearance.
- Car Fu: Supergirl throws a car at Metallo during their second fight.
- Chekhov's Boomerang: Alex uses her armor again, to fight John Corben.
- Chekhov's Gunman: Some little girls are seen playing in Metropolis, including one in a Supergirl costume. Later, during Superman's fight with the second Metallo, the little girl in the Supergirl costume shows up again. This time it's actually a shape-shifted Martian Manhunter.
- Chest Blaster: The Metallos can fire a Kryptonite beam from their chest core.
- Comically Missing the Point: When Cat tells Kara she won't be along much longer, Kara mistakes this as her being about to die.
- Divide and Conquer: Cadmus creates a second Metallo to attack Metropolis, hoping that Supergirl and Superman will protect their respective cities and individually be no match for the Metallos. Supergirl sees this strategy coming and both bring backup.
- Due to the Dead: When J'onn sees the statues of Jor-El and Lara in the Fortress, he gives a short Kryptonian prayer, much to Superman's surprise.
- "Eureka!" Moment: Winn's offhand comment about it being difficult to calibrate the anti-kryptonite shielding he's making for Supergirl and Superman due to the trace amounts of it around the DEO inspires Alex to come up with a way of identifying the mole who handled large quantities of it during the theft that delivered it to Cadmus.
- Fantastic Racism: Cadmus views all aliens as threats to human control of Earth.
- Feed the Mole: Alex gives the suspected Cadmus mole an assignment to move kryptonite, hoping he'll expose himself. Unfortunately for her, Cadmus sees this coming and has an ambush prepared.
- Female Gaze: Cat is of the opinion that gazing into Clark Kent's butt as he walks away is better than transcendental meditation.
- Freeze-Frame Bonus:
- When Winn has identified the location of promethium, the strongest material on Earth, the screen on his computer shows its apparent atomic composition: C12H22O11. Promethium would be better known on our world as "sugar".
- On the other hand, he also gives its atomic number as 61. Real-world promethium does have atomic number 61, but it's spectacularly unsuitable for manufacturing anything due to its radioactivity.
- Fridge Logic: In-Universe. After being punched by a human robber, Clark is just confused as to why people try punching him when shooting him clearly didn't work.
- Funny Background Event: As Cat is gushing over Clark walking away, Kara is trying not to throw up in her mouth.
- Handshake Refusal: New boss Snapper doesn't shake hands with Kara and instead makes a mean expression.
- Heroic Vow: J'onn justifies keeping kryptonite in reserve despite Superman's complaints because he'd watched his family and species be destroyed by powerful aliens who landed on his world, and he swears that won't happen to this world on his watch.
- His Name Is...: A weirdly subverted version in which the victim knows he's going to be offed, and creepily, is perfectly fine with it. Basically, the bullet version of a Cyanide Pill.
- I Know Your True Name: J'onn is the only one to call Superman "Kal." Everyone else calls him "Clark," except Kara in her final goodbye.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: How the Metallos are defeated. Alex impales the original with a pole, while J'onn phases his hand through the second one's chest.
- Innocently Insensitive: Kara unconsciously takes Alex for granted due to her excitement over spending time with Clark.
- Irony:
- Cat explains she's leaving CatCo to explore new opportunities, to dive into new waters. Behind the scenes, the actual reason is that Calista Flockhart actually doesn't want to leave her home (Los Angeles, where the first season was filmed) and is thus resistant to moving to Vancouver.
- The head of Cadmus gives a speech to the Metallos about how the two Supers have split up and returned to their respective cities, leaving them open to Divide and Conquer. Naturally, the Metallos split up and confront each of them alone. Guess which side has backup.
- Jerkass Has a Point: While Snapper Carr does come off as a huge Jerkass, he's not wrong in thinking that Kara has no place as a reporter when she has no experience and no education in the field of journalism.
- Just Between You and Me: Alex tries to invoke this with the Cadmus director in regards to her father, but she refuses to take the bait.
- Kryptonite-Proof Suit: Or chest plates, anyway, reverse-engineered from the suit the DEO confiscated from Astra.Superman: I'm liking this.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Superman departs with a Kryptonian word he claims is best translated as "To Be Continued."
- Mean Boss: Kara's new boss Snapper Carr is not exactly a gentleman in terms of attitude.
- Mythology Gag:
- As Alex is preparing for "sister night," she asks Kara what type of drink that Clark likes. He still doesn't drink and fly.
- The shot of Superman cradling Supergirl in his arms mirrors the cover of Crisis on Infinite Earths #7.
- Metallo luring Superman by pretending to be a jumper also happened in Justice League: Doom.
- Neck Lift: Clark neck-lifts the second Metallo long enough for J'onn to yank out his Kryptonite core.
- Nice Guy: Clark is such a nice guy, he even turns his head when a bank robber tries hitting him, just to soften the damage to the guy's hand.
- Not So Above It All: Team Krypton is having "#TooMuchFun" to follow DEO instructions, something J'onn isn't too happy about.
- Pet the Dog: At the ending, Snapper shows willingness to mentor Kara.
- Pietà Plagiarism: Superman carries Supergirl in his arms after the first fight with the first Metallo, in a shot reminiscent of the iconic Crisis on Infinite Earths #7.
- Put on a Bus: Superman and, ultimately, Cat Grant herself.
- Renegade Splinter Faction: Before, Cadmus was a part of the US government, albeit a deep dark black ops division. Now, however, they've gone rogue in their determination to wipe out all aliens on Earth.
- Second Episode Introduction: Snapper Carr makes his debut.
- Shooting Superman: Naturally. Punching too. It gets Lampshaded:Superman: See, now, if the bullets don't work, right,
why the punching? [throws the thug to the ground] I never understood that. - Shout-Out: Winn makes one to Yoda early in the episode. Bonus points in that J'onn and Yoda are both green aliens.Alex: You promised Kara that you'd be nicer when her cousin was around.
J'onn: I said I'd try.
Winn: [imitating Yoda's voice] Do or do not, there is no try.
J'onn: Exactly how badly do you want this job, Mr. Schott? - Traveling at the Speed of Plot: Before Kara and Clark head off to face Metallo the first time, they are with Alex in her apartment, who's dressed in her civilian wear. Next time we see her, she's at the D.E.O. HQ dressed in her uniform. Possibly justified by her comments in the previous episode that the new HQ is near her apartment.
- Unfinished, Untested, Used Anyway: The Cadmus technician doesn't think Metallo is ready to go in the field, but the director overrules him. Then she turns him into another Metallo and sends him out. As far as consequences go, Metallo works out pretty well, though that obvious chest vulnerability could use some fine tuning.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Two examples.
- Alex tears into Kara over how she is not only ignoring her while focusing on Clark, but she wants to go to live in Metropolis to be with him. She points that she's given up her entire life for Kara, including dating and her medical career.
- When Winn hears of this, he gives his own example to Alex. Citing his time in a foster home and how he was repeatedly told how lucky he was to have someone to take care of him, he says that family is not about "keeping score," but about loving one another, implying that Alex is also rather entitled in thinking she has the right to act that way.
- Superman scolds J'onn yet another time for keeping the theft of a large amount of Kryptonite a secret.
- You Are in Command Now: Cat leaves the company to James in her absence.
