The DEO continues the search for the other Worldkillers, an assassin targets Edge and Lena, and Samantha tries to find the source of her blackouts.
Tropes:
- Actor Allusion: Alex mentions that while working as a doctor she spent some time in Seattle.
- Afraid of Needles: Sam reveals that she is this to Alex during the examination.
- Ambiguous Situation: Although Edge confesses to trying to kill Lena (in addition to things he unambiguously did, like the lead poisoning), it's not clear if he's telling the truth or just saying what she wants to hear since she's convinced it was him, and someone else was the one who actually arranged the attempted hit.
- Back from the Dead: Evidently, General Zod is somehow revived in the 31st century and fights the Legion. They beat him using Kryptonite.
- Bad Guys Do the Dirty Work: Or try to, at least, in Lillian's case.
- The Bus Came Back: Lillian Luthor comes out of hiding to kill Edge.
- Cardboard Prison: Lampshaded when Lillian suggests to Lena that she may break out of prison before Lena even gets a chance to visit.
- Coincidental Broadcast: While Lena is trying to figure out her mother's plan to kill Edge, she notices Edge on TV receiving a badge identical to the ones Lillian had in her lair. A minute later, and she would've missed it.
- Continuity Cavalcade: You very much get the impression that this episode is the result of the writing crew hashing out various dangling plot threads from the last couple seasons. Even Maxwell Lord, of all people, gets a short direct mention for the first time since the Season One finale.
- Crazy-Prepared: Lillian came prepared with a full set of Powered Armor just in case her daughter tried to ruin her assassination attempt.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Lillian relates a story about how Lena ruined the life of a 5th grade classmate that stole her boyfriend by exposing the classmate's diary to the entire school. Lena defensively notes her young age at the time and obviously isn't proud of herself in hindsight.
- Every Car Is a Pinto: Edge's car explodes in mid-air, after hitting a curb and jumping off the edge.
- Evil Versus Evil: Lillian tries to kill Morgan Edge, and as the audience knows by now, both are really horrible people.
- He Knows Too Much: First thought to be the case with Lena's would-be assassin, but it was not Edge, but actually Lillian Luthor who disposed of him.
- High-Altitude Interrogation: Guardian does this to Morgan Edge after the assassination attempt on Lena. Guardian even tells him that it's not a good idea to ask him to "let him go", and Edge agrees.
- Hoist by Her Own Petard: On Mon-El's advice, Winn hacks Lillian's drones and turns them against her.
- Hollywood Law: Edge is arrested shortly after confessing on tape. Thing is, there's no other evidence against him, so his lawyer will be able to easily get him off by claiming that the confession was forced. Based on his reactions, Edge knows he won't stay in jail for long.
- Internal Reveal:
- Sam reveals her blackouts to her friends, though they still don't know the cause.
- Lena tells Kara about the time she tried to kill Edge.
- The DEO learns that the woman who survived the car crash in the previous episode is one of the Worldkillers.
- Both Lena and Lillian learn that Mon-El has returned and is somehow able to once again thrive in the Earth's atmosphere, despite it still being polluted with the remnants of the lead bomb. They haven't learned the specifics yet.
- Karma Houdini Warranty:
- Edge is finally arrested thanks to Lena's manipulations. However, it's an open question if that confession is admissible in court, given the circumstances under which it was attained.
- After getting away scot-free following the war with the Daxamites, Lillian becomes injured after losing a fight to the heroes, and is presumably taken into custody following her recuperation.
- Knight Templar Parent: Lillian acts as one throughout the episode, this time directing her well-known murderous streak at the man who's been trying to kill her daughter for the last few months.
- The Knights Who Say "Squee!": Winn fanboys over Lillian's Lex-o Suit for a moment, before adding that it'll look better when Supergirl trashes it.
- Mama Bear: Lillian comes out of hiding just to kill Edge for targeting Lena. Lena lampshades that most mothers wouldn't literally kill for their daughters.
- Meaningful Echo: Guardian warns Edge that he won't be walking away if he tries to kill Lena again. At the gala, when Edge tries to walk out with the recorder containing his confession, Guardian lays him out with his shield and repeats the line.
- Moral Myopia: Morgan Edge is fine with handing out assassination contracts, but acts like it's the greatest crime on Earth when he is targeted.
- Ms. Fanservice: Lena comes dangerously close in that off-the-shoulder evening gown, but when she bends over to pick up the voice recorder, it's ultimately averted, as the camera somehow manages to avoid looking down the front of her top despite following her action. It's very well done.
- Mythology Gag:
- Lillian's Lex-o Suit is based on Lex Luthor's warsuit, namely the one seen in Superman/Batman: Public Enemies. This version has a T-shaped visor, but is otherwise identical.
- We also learn that Earth-38's Superman killed General Zod, just like Superman did in Man of Steel. However, unlike that world, this version of Zod came back to life in the future, leaving the Legion to deal with him.
- Not So Similar: Despite having embraced her ruthless side while dealing with Edge, Lena still points out to Lillian that she stopped short of killing him.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Edge is so rattled from the attempt on his life that he walks straight to CatCo and threatens Lena with reprisal, not even bothering to clean himself up. Lena, Kara, and James all lampshade how angry he must be to do such a thing so publicly.
- Powered Armor: Lillian has a Lex-o Suit, which she uses in an assassination attempt on Edge.
- Put on a Bus: Morgan Edge departs the series as he is arrested in this episode
- Revealing Cover-Up: Invoked by Lillian, who kills Lena's would-be assassin with a dissolving bullet developed by a Lexcorp subsidiary, knowing Lena would figure out its origin and investigate.
- Sadistic Choice: Lena deduces how her mother intends to assassinate Edge, then offers him a chance to avoid it if he'll confess to his crimes. It takes dodging a few shots from the drone, but he complies.
- Save the Villain: Lena and Kara (with a little help from Mon-El) save Edge from getting killed by Lillian, getting a confession out of him while doing so.
- Smart People Play Chess: Kara brings up Lena's achievements in chess as argument for her smartness.
- Suddenly Always Knew That: Alex used to be a doctor before her FBI career, and suddenly finds two different chances to apply her medical expertise over the course of this episode, even though it's never been mentioned before, despite many circumstances where having such skills available would have come in handy.
- There Is No Kill Like Overkill: Lillian's first attempt on Edge's life involves making his car drive into the ocean and having it explode before it even hits the water. He manages to get into the trunk through the back seat and leap to safety.
- Unhand Them, Villain!: As Guardian is dangling him over the railing of a parking garage, Edge demands Guardian release him. Guardian points out that Edge wouldn't want him doing that, given the situation, then yanks him back up.
- Villain Has a Point: Both Edge and Lillian bring up the fact that Lena is trying to impersonate Cat Grant instead of being her own woman.
- Villain with Good Publicity: Morgan Edge, as usual, holding a gala during the end. Though after his crimes have now been outed, this might finally stop.
- What Measure Is a Mook?: Neither Lena nor Kara seem terribly bummed about the security guard getting gunned down by the drone they callously let near the crowd to intimidate Morgan Edge into confessing.
- Where the Hell Is Springfield?: A very minor example. Alex says she spent some time "up" in Seattle, possibly implying National City would be roughly somewhere south of there.note
- You Are Not Alone: Alex, Kara and Lena stress to Sam that she is not alone and that her friends are ready to give her all the support she needs.
