‘Supergirl’ S3E13 Recap: “Both Sides Now”

After last week’s faceoff between Lena Luthor (with some help of her deranged mother) Morgan Edge in Supergirl, it’s time to get back to Supergirl dealing with the oncoming Worldkiller threat.  While we know that Julia will be the next one discovered, Kara knows she is one, and it’s up to the DEO to intervene before she unites with Reign and then is one step closer to enacting their “justice.”

Kara knows that Julia is the next Worldkiller on their list and along with the DEO go to her house to confront her.  When they get there, she’s not Purity, this dangerous killer that she was led to believe.  Instead, Julia is just a scared woman, begging Supergirl for her help.  Alex on the other hand, is in full bad cop mode as she approaches the scared Julia.  This pretty much activated her fight or flight mode and activated Purity.  Julia’s eyes whiten and then Purity activated.  Her powers are a little different that Reign’s as she has Banshee-like sonic screaming powers.  We find out later that these screams affect Kryptonians, so Kara’s not completely invulnerable against her.  After easily dispatching the DEO cannon fodder, Kara uses her ice breath to create a barrier between them and Purity, and then J’onn phases through the barrier to subdue Purity.

Back in the DEO, Kara and Alex are having trouble with how to deal with Julia/Purity.  Kara, ever the hopeful person, sees the scared person that they first encountered and wants to try and reach her “human” side, and not the evil engineered monster they are facing.  In a nice Hannibal Lecter homage, Purity finds a way to get under both Kara and Alex’s skin.  She prays on Kara’s endless hope and optimism and Alex’s insecurity since her breakup with Maggie.

Purity wasn’t the only catch from the raid.  While searching Julia’s house, the DEO came across a Kryptonian crystal that could provide them with some insight to the Worldkillers, and even help them find out where their Fortress of “Sanditude” was if they could crack the code.   Winn tries to at first analyze the artifact so that they can learn more.  However, Mon-El needs some help repairing his spaceship.  The battery for it has died out and J’onn has the spare parts to help them from his Martian Bel-Air/spaceship.  So, the three of them spend some of the episode trying to basically “fix a car” and have some guy time.  When Imra comes in to help, she and Mon-El bicker amongst each other.  It’s clear that their loving marriage isn’t as great as one would expect it to be.  J’onn later shares a bottle of aged Martian rum with Mon-El to try and offer some advice.  Mon-El reveals that he and Irma married in a Game of Thrones type of alliance to ferment peace in the galaxy.  While they eventually fell in love, him being back on Earth with Kara has brought back all sorts of feelings he thought were buried.  While Kara and Alex are trying to interrogate Purity and the guys are working on spaceship repairs, the crystal activates, giving Purity a much-needed power boost to escape her cell.  She easily defeats the guards as well as Kara and manages to escape from the DEO.

Samantha, who is oblivious to her Reign persona, and is having trouble with all the lost time she’s been having, is ordered by her boss Lena to take some time off.  At first, she resists at the idea of being told that she has to stop working, but she then relents and sees it as an opportunity to spend some time with her daughter for a “free mental health day” at the skating rink.  At first, this seems like a great idea.  However, when the crystal is activated, she goes into a trance and then abandoned her daughter.

Kara and the DEO manage to catch up with Purity at a subway station.  Even though they have more numbers, they are still barely a match for her.  Kara suffers while fighting, as does J’onn and Mon-El (who didn’t ask Irma to join them).  Just as Purity is about to deliver a death blow to Kara, Alex appeals to Julia.  As she pleads with her human part, she finally reaches to Julia who stops fighting.  Just when all seems well, Reign comes in and starts attacking Alex.  Realizing that Alex is about to be killed, Julia pleads with Reign and tells her that she will go with her if she spares Alex.  Of course, this means that Purity will be back despite that Alex and Kara reached Julia.

In the aftermath, Mon-El and Irma finally have their heart to heart.  He apologizes for his distance and reveals that he’s not sure if he’s still in love with Kara or not.  Irma then reveals that she knew this was a risk when they went back in time.  She then tells him that she wasn’t 100% honest herself, and proceeds to tell him their true mission (we’ll have to wait for that).

Samantha’s daughter Ruby called Lena when her mother left her.  During their conversation, Lena tells Samantha that she told Ruby that her mother was having problems.  This angers Samantha and for a brief moment, Reign comes through and almost threatens Lena.  When she snaps back Lena asks her if she just blacked out, and Samantha is bewildered.  Lena says she knows what’s wrong with Samantha.

We’ll have to wait until April to see what Irma tells Mon-El as well as what Lena tells Samantha as Supergirl is about to go on hiatus.