Line #17 Recap/Supergirl2015S3E2Triggers


1	Supergirl faces a bank-robbing metahuman with the power to make people experience their worst fears.
2	----
3	!!Tropes in this episode:
4	* AllLesbiansWantKids: Subverted, as when Alex talks about her and Maggie having children one day, Maggie makes it clear she does ''not'' want kids.
5	* DeliberatelyDistressedDamsel: To force Samantha to use her powers, Ruby walks into the middle of chaos caused by Psi.
6	* DisappearedDad: Samantha only obliquely says that Ruby has no father when asked about him by the school principal, who doesn't push any further.
7	* FaceYourFears: Alex ultimately helps Kara through her fears, allowing her to power through Psi's psychic attacks.
8	* IdiotBall: Everyone who fights Psi refrains from attacking her long enough for her to use her powers and disable them.
9	* ILetGwenStacyDie: This is revealed as Kara's greatest fear, that Mon-El was killed in the space pod she sent him off of Earth in and that is why he hasn't reached out and contacted her, though Alex manages to assure her that he is most likely alive.
10	* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: In-Universe, Samantha and Ruby have this argument about Samantha lifting heavy metal scaffolding to save her daughter. Samantha attributes it to adrenaline, but Ruby is convinced it's superpowers. Ruby tries to test her theory by being a DeliberatelyDistressedDamsel, but Supergirl steps in before any confirmation. Later, at her home's work bench, Samantha tries to bend a crowbar with her bare hands as a test, but can't even budge it.
11	* MindOverMatter: In addition to her fear-inducing powers, Psi has enough telekinetic strength to launch Kara at least a city block.
12	* MySignificanceSenseIsTingling: Supergirl tries to attack Psi with EyeBeams in their second encounter, but Psi can sense Supergirl is near and takes cover.
13	* OnceMoreWithClarity: Kara's nightmare has her tumbling around in a Kryptonian pod, seemingly falling into a black hole, which she attributes to when she was launched away from Krypton as it was destroyed. When she admits that she's actually worried about Mon-El, we see a shot of him in the pod as it's bombarded by asteroids, showing that she's imagining how he might have died.
14	* OneDegreeOfSeparation: Samantha happens to have been hired by Lena to manage her company while Lena's running [=CatCo=].
15	* PerpSweating: Alex wordlessly does this to Winn, causing him to fold and reveal the truth behind what's bothering Kara.
16	* {{Plot Hole}}: This episode contains a number of plot holes:
17	** Lena mentioning to Kara that she is not used to having friends let alone working with them. The episode ends with Lena introducing Sam as the new CFO of [=LCorp=], who is her old friend who she used to work with.
18	** Lena also said in "Luthors" that she never had a friend or family like Kara before. Here we learn Sam is such a close friend, and that Ruby considers Lena an aunt.
19	** Lena announces that Sam is the new CFO of [=LCorp=] because she is standing down to run [=CatCo=]. However, Lena only bought [=CatCo=] at the end of the previous episode and Sam was already in National City to start at [=LCorp=].
20	** Infamously, Kara entering the [=CatCo=] elevator in front of most of the staff, having a panic attack, changing into Supergirl and leaving a massive hole in the roof as she flies through it (and presumably her clothes in the elevator). The consequences of this are never mentioned in the episode.
21	* PstandardPsychicPstance: J'onn provides Supergirl psychic protection from the DEO base while doing this.
22	* SupernaturalFearInducer: The nature of Psi's powers.
23	* TooDumbToLive: Ruby arguably qualifies by deliberately running into the chaos caused by Psi to try and force her mother to save her. Only Supergirl's involvement saves Ruby from getting herself and Samantha killed by her idiocy.
24	* VillainBall: In their final confrontation, Psi keeps hitting Supergirl with fear attacks even though it's obvious they're no longer working. It earns her a headbutt and some fancy psychic nullifiers as she's carted off to jail.
25	* WhamLine: M'Gann telepathically contacts J'onn in the final scene, telling him he needs to come to Mars.
26	* WhenYouComingHomeDad: Ruby's desire for Samantha to have powers was because she thought being a superhero would be less time consuming than Samantha's new job. Samantha assures her daughter that she will always make time for her, which seems to satisfy Ruby.
27	* TheWorfEffect: J'onn is unable to shield against Psi's psychic attacks, demonstrating just how strong she is.

Context Recap / Supergirl2015S3E2Triggers