YMMV / Supergirl (2015) S3E6 "Midvale"

• Alternate Character Interpretation: The FBI agent tells Kara that she doesn't understand Kryptonese. However, we know that J'onn at some point learned the language as a Due to the Dead. Has J'onn not yet learned the language? Or did he understand exactly what she said?
• Fridge Brilliance:
  • Combined with Mythology Gag. Kara and her friend Kenny Li had feelings for each other in the episode. Had Kenny not gotten killed, and he and Kara later married, Kara could have potentially changed her last name to "Li", which sounds just like "Lee". Linda Lee was Supergirl's Pre-Crisis secret identity in the comics and in the Supergirl (1984) film.
  • Kara being a crazy driver really makes sense when you think about it: First off, she probably doesn't drive that much, considering that she can basically go anywhere with her Flight and Super-Speed powers. Second, it's not like she needs to be concerned for her safety behind the wheel (although you'd think she'd show a little more concern for the safety of other people).
• Harsher in Hindsight:
  • This episode contains a major subplot about Alex's best friend in an illicit relationship with her history teacher. A few days before this episode aired, Andrew Kreisberg was suspended from his role as producer and showrunner in the Arrowverse following multiple accusations about sexual harassment and creating a toxic work environment.
  • This episode also gives a shout-out to Smallville by mentioning Clark's friend on that show, Chloe Sullivan. Her actor on that show, Allison Mack, was accused just a few days prior of recruiting victims into a sex cult.
• They Copied It, So It Sucks!: More than one reviewer pointed out how the flashback was essentially a condensed version of Season One of Riverdale.
• Older Than They Think: Some viewers assumed the episode references Smallville, but while it does have nods to that show, the entire setup — Supergirl adopted by the Danvers, living in Midvale and hiding her powers while wishing she could live with her cousin and be a hero — is taken from the Silver Age Supergirl comic books.
• Unintentionally Unsympathetic: J'onn transforming into a female FBI agent with the appearance of Kara's mother was probably done by him with the intention to help her get over her issues and appeal to her not to recklessly use her powers again, but many viewers thought it was totally unacceptable for him to outright emotionally manipulate her in such a way.
• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot: As mentioned above, J'onn transforming into a female FBI agent with an uncanny resemblance to Alura, when the plot could have allowed Astra to appear instead of him impersonating her because she was still alive at the time and implied to have been keeping a eye on Kara before she became Supergirl. Plus, fans wanted to see her again and Erica Durance playing her would have been a nice bonus.

---