"Supergirl" Recap: "Childish Things"

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

Supergirl has shown us some incredible range as a television show when it comes to its themes and storytelling and that's a wonderful aspect about the show because it's not afraid to take chances. But thus far the series has made a point to stay away from the grittier style of storytelling that has permeated the superhero genre...until last night.

I guess it was inevitable when you think about it. It's what we the audience have craved from these tales for some time now, but this is a show that keeps things fresh and original and despite the fact that it stepped into the shadows last night, it did so in impressive fashion because "Childish Things" went not only beyond my expectations, but also brought forth some incredible moments and development for Winn and even J'onn J'onzz.

The highlight of the night was truly Winn's story and I was thoroughly impressed with the modern day twist that Winn became for an age old villain of the DC/Superman/Supergirl Universe...the Toyman. Yes, this bloodthirsty psychotic escaped from prison on the show for one important reason...to be reunited with his son, Winn. That's right, they made a main character of this show the son of a mad man and it made for some stunning television last night as we delved deep into Winn's mind. We learned that Winn despised his father for his actions and that he lived in fear of the man, not only because of his crimes, but because there is always a chance that he could become a monster as well.

After all, genetics are genetics and such thoughts made Winn more vulnerable than we have ever seen him before on the show. To the point where Kara did her best to intervene and help and found out exactly how Winn felt about her by way of a stolen kiss and a full profession of his love at the end of the episode, but before that final moment where Winn told Kara exactly how he feels we were treated to a subtle moment in the midst of chaos that showed us exactly what kind of man he really is since his dad kidnapped him after the kiss and told him that he had to kill the man that put daddy away, or watch hundreds of innocent people die at the hands of explosives. It almost looked for a moment there like Winn might do it, but his choice to fire the gun into the air was one relieving sight, and showed that deep down...he is nothing like his father.  

In the end of course the Toyman is brought back to jail, but we do need to take a moment and talk about Maxwell Lord since J'onn and Alex did their best to find out what he was hiding in that secret room. It force J'onn to shape shift and since he was discovered...use his powers to wipe a man's memory. It's a move that is clearly haunting J'onn and while it may not be as prolific as Winn's journey, I'm sure this will come up again. To top it all off tonight, the quest to get into Room 52 has revealed Kara's secret to Lord since he planted a camera on Alex's purse during their night out and while I feel like that final moment should have had more weight...it didn't. It was horribly overshadowed by some top notch writing and one powerhouse story and if this kind of quality work continues...Supergirl is about to become one of the finest superhero television shows out there. Until next time.

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