‘Supergirl’ Season 3, Episode 5 RECAP & REVIEW: ‘Damage’

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Image credit: Jeff Weddell / The CW

The episode we’ve all been dreading is finally here – Alex and Maggie finally call it quits on their relationship, after a slew of problems regarding children, to account for Floriana Lima leaving the show. Overall, it’s very messy, and the writing isn’t great, but Chyler and Floriana’s acting manages to salvage it. There’s an authenticity to their portrayal that can’t be replicated, and I sincerely hope the rumours of Floriana wanting to return are true. I will be severely disappointed if this is the last we see of Maggie Sawyer.

The other main plot focuses on Lena, who gets into a little trouble after some kids display signs of lead poisoning. As we know from last season, Lena created the lead bomb that got rid of the Daxamites (including Mon El), and it seems we are finally seeing repercussions of that– or are we? Morgan Edge is also involved, and nothing is ever as it seems with him.

We don’t see the initial conversation between Alex and Maggie on screen, but when we pick up with them, they’ve apparently been discussing it for days and can’t get past it. Maggie wants Alex, but Alex wants kids. Honestly, Alex is quite cold to Maggie in this scene, and it just doesn’t match what we’ve come to know and love about them. Maggie makes Alex say it out loud – that they can’t be together – and then Maggie walks away. The incredibly healthy side of them seems to be thrown out the window for this mismatched plot about children.

Lena chooses to address an audience at a press conference about the lead poisoning. Considering there’s been an attack at every event she’s ever been to, she really should’ve known better. And wouldn’t you know it, a shooter appears and tries to kill her. James jumps in front of Lena, getting shot in the shoulder. Everyone ends up okay, but Lena is visibly shaken and goes home with Sam. Seeing drunk Lena is one of the more positive parts of the episode. Let’s be honest, some actors just can’t do intoxicated. Katie McGrath, on the other hand, is not only convincing, but heartbreaking. Kara and Sam team up to try to clear Lena’s name, but Lena wants nothing to do with it, going on another one of her ‘I’m a Luthor’ speeches.

Image credit: Jeff Weddell / The CW

Sam and Kara come up with a lead that takes them to a swimming pool. Kara uses her extra handy x-ray vision to discover that there are lead particles in the pool. Upon testing, they realise that they’ve been putting a dangerous chemical compound instead of chlorine into the water, and that’s why kids are getting sick. Once they call Lena and tell her it wasn’t her fault, Lena immediately goes to find Edge, knowing he once owned the company that makes the chlorine. Lena pulls a gun on him, and it really seems like she’s about to kill him, before she’s hit over the head from behind and knocked out. While it’s a controversial opinion, I kind of enjoy seeing the ‘Luthor’ parts of Lena.

Returning back to Alex and Maggie, Alex is helping Maggie pack with a sad song playing in the background. Maggie changes the song to something more upbeat, and they drink tequila, dance, and end up sleeping together. If we take away the context, it’s actually a really great scene between the two of them. Later on, Maggie asks Alex again if she really believes they’re doing the right thing. Alex tells her that she’s wanted to be a mother ever since she was a child (so, why have you never mentioned it to Maggie before?) and that she can’t deny that part of herself. It’s fair enough, really, but still really, really out of the blue.

When Lena wakes up, she’s in a plane. It has no pilot, it’s carrying the same chemicals that were put into the pool, and it’s planning to crash into the water. She sends out a partial distress call that is caught by the DEO, and Supergirl is on the job. This is one of the cooler rescues that she’s ever done – the plane ends up splitting in two, the chemicals in one side, and Lena in the other. Lena tells her to let her go, but instead, Kara tells her to climb and grab hold of her hand. She manages to do that, and her half of the plane falls away.

Alex and Maggie finally say goodbye for the last time, and it hurts. They’ve built Maggie up to be a character who has never been enough for anyone, but found herself and her family with Alex. Now Alex is just another name on a long list of people who don’t think Maggie is enough for them. However, the two of them do thank each other for the huge roles they played in each other’s lives, so it’s nice to know the writers didn’t forget that. Maggie ends with a ‘See you around, Danvers’ and a ‘You’ll be a great mom’ as she’s heading out the door.

Image credit: Jeff Weddell / The CW

Supergirl confronts Edge, and he taunts her about not being able to kill anyone. It’s true, really, but I do see some foreshadowing in it. We learn that he made someone else take the fall for the whole lead incident, which is unsurprising. We also get a Lena/James scene, and all signs point to Lena being James’ new love interest this season. Also, we find Alex getting drunk at a bar, and Kara showing up and telling her to pack a bag. They’re returning home to Midvale, which we know the next episode is centred on.

Finally, Sam is tucking Ruby into bed, and Ruby notices there’s a hole in Sam’s shirt. Going to investigate, Sam finds a bullet in her jacket pocket, but no marks on her skin. That, along with Sam and Kara learning they both share adoption and bad dreams, only further pushes the Reign story forward.

I’ll be honest; Supergirl loses points this episode for the way the break up was handled. It leaves a bitter taste, especially since these women clearly still love each other and wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. I have no doubt there were much better ways to do it. The Lena plot and Chyler and Floriana’s acting make up the majority of the good parts. Also, Supergirl has shown it does well when it only has two major storylines an episode, instead of three or four mini ones.

THE REEL SCORE: 6/10

Next week…

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