Episode no. Season 1
Episode 20 Production code 4X7620 | Directed by Larry Teng | |
Story by Andrew Kreisberg & Ali Adler Teleplay by Robert Rovner & Jessica Queller Original air date April 18, 2016 (2016-04-18) | ||
"Better Angels" is the twentieth episode and the season finale of the first season of the CBS television series Supergirl, which aired on April 18, 2016. It is also the last new episode of Supergirl that aired on CBS as the show will be moving to The CW for its second season. The episode's teleplay was written by Yahlin Chang and Caitlin Parrish, and directed by Larry Teng.
Contents
Plot
Under Non's mind control, Alex fights Kara armed with a Kryptonite sword, but Kara refuses to fight back. J'onn prevents Alex from killing Kara and Eliza pleads with Alex to fight Myriad. Alex's mind is freed and after apologizing, they return to the broadcast center. Supergirl addresses the city to explain the importance of strength and hope. The plan works as the citizens of National City are freed of Myriad and Non is furious. Indigo suggests they kill the humans before conquering other worlds.
At CatCo the next day, James and Winn both apologize to Kara and she hugs them. Over at the DEO, Sam hugs an upset Lucy. He can't figure out the status of Superman and orders for J'onn's arrest, over Lucy’s objections. In her lab, Alex tells Eliza that Jeremiah is alive and Cadmus' prisoner. Maxwell informs them that Myriad is now designed to kill everyone by amplifying their brain cells, resulting in severe headaches; they only have four hours before it becomes fatal. Maxwell tells Supergirl that another fight would be a suicide mission, given she has no backup. She makes Maxwell promise not to tell Alex. Kara gives Winn a pep talk and pours her heart out to Cat. She and James discuss their kiss, with Kara telling James that they missed their chance and that she wants him to find happiness with someone who appreciates him. J'onn encourages Kara to not give up. Kara promises to save the Earth, but doesn't know if she will make it out alive. She didn't get the opportunity to say what she needed before the end of Krypton; that is why she is doing it now.
Maxwell pinpoints Fort Rozz's location to Nevada. Over Sam's objections, J'onn decides to join her. Kara and J'onn arrive to Fort Rozz just as Non and Indigo are preparing to depart Earth, leaving the citizens of National City in a headache that would be fatal in six minutes. Indigo and J'onn battle as Kara takes on her uncle; Indigo is about to kill him, when J'onn lifts her over his head and rips her apart. Supergirl and Non match each other's heat visions, and Non collapses from the strain, now permanently blind. A damaged Indigo tells them they won't be able to get Fort Rozz airborne as the Myriad signal is on its own, before deactivating. With four minutes left, Kara informs the DEO that she will fly the ship into space herself, against Alex's wishes. Kara lifts the ship out of Earth's orbit before hurling it away, and then loses consciousness, only to be rescued by Alex in her space pod.
After Kara wakes up at the DEO, Alex tells her that she saved the Earth. J'onn is pardoned by the President and given control of the DEO again, and Sam gives Maxwell a supply of the Kryptonian power source Omegahedron behind closed doors. At CatCo, Kara receives a message from Clark and is surprised by Cat with a new job. At Kara's apartment, they leave a seat at the dinner table for Jeremiah. James presents Kara with a framed photo he took of her and they kiss. An object makes a surprise landing, which Kara and J'onn check out and discover is a Kryptonian pod. Kara is shocked when she opens it.
Reception
This episode received good reviews, despite criticism of a few weak spots in the storyline.
Cliff Wheatley of IGN gave the episode a 7.0/10, stating "Coming off the somewhat disappointing 'Myriad', it wasn't likely that Supergirl's Season 1 finale was going to knock it out of the park. In addition to a rushed conclusion for that storyline, 'Better Angels' had to bend over backwards to make the rest of the finale work -- e.g., coming up with an even bigger (but not necessarily better) plan for Non, and keeping Superman incapacitated for the rest of the episode. Nevertheless, this episode ended strong, thanks to an emotionally charged climax and an intriguing cliffhanger."
Caroline Siede of the AV Club gave the episode a B: "Given how uneven this first season of Supergirl has been, it only feels appropriate to end with a choppy finale. "Better Angels" has plenty of interesting ideas, strong character work, and genuinely emotional beats, but it weaves them together with an inelegance that has been a hallmark of this freshmen series. This episode—like most of season—isn’t greater than the sum of its parts. In fact, it feels more like a collection of fascinating, frustrating moments than it does one streamlined story."
Stacy Glanzman of TV Fanatic gave the episode a 5.0 out of 5 stars.