Supergirl returns with an episode all about Winn (Jeremy Jordan), who happens to be my favorite character in this series…other than Supergirl! In the Thanksgiving episode, “Livewire,” we learned that Winn’s father was in prison, but we did not know who he was or what crime he had committed.
Up until this episode, I had not listened to naysayers who gave Supergirl a hard time, but this episode was riddled with plot and writing issues. This episode reveals that Winn’s father is the Toyman (Henry Czerny), Winslow Schott. It is easy to assume that the Toyman’s case was high profile and that people who came in contact with Winn Schott, Jr. would make a connection between him and the Toyman, but no one, including Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart) seemed to bat an eye that he had the same name of a high profile local criminal. At the very least, someone should have recognized the names and asked if they were related. If Winn truly wanted to keep his father’s identity a secret, he should have changed his name or gone by an alias. Based on other episodes, Winn is a super hacker and could have changed his name or erased any ties between himself and the Toyman.
Early on in the episode, when we are first introduced to the Toyman, two prison guards are cautiously bringing a tray of food to his cell. One of the guards sets the tray down on a shelf attached to the door of the cell, when the Toyman does not respond, he enter the cell, seemingly without taking ANY safety precautions! The guard was almost asking to be taken out! They costumers should have just put a red Star Fleet shirt on him from the start of the episode because he was toast!
The Toyman still holds a grudge against his old boss, the target of his original bomb that killed six innocent people and landed him in jail. He is determined to partner up with his son to become an evil villain team. When Winn refuses and narcs his father out to the FBI, the Toyman kidnaps him and threatens to blow up a toy convention where his former boss is speaking if Winn does not shoot the former boss. The writing issues continue when Supergirl uses her freezing breath to create a wall of ice to protect convention goers from the explosion. When the bombs detonate, however, shards of ice are blown out that manage not to cut anyone even though they look like sharp daggers made of ice.
We have learned that Hank Henshaw (David Harewood), Alex’s boss and head of the DEO is actually J’onn J’onzz, a.k.a. Martian Manhunter. This episode answers the question, “Why doesn’t Henshaw use his powers to protect the people of earth?” Alex (Chyler Leigh) talks him in to using his shape shifting powers to snoop around in Maxwell Lord’s offices and laboratories while she is out on a date with Lord. Henshaw explains to Alex that the more time he spends as Martian Manhunter, the harder it is to switch back into his Henshaw persona. He further explains that although Supergirl is an alien, people are not threatened by her because she is blonde and pretty whereas Martian Manhunter is green and looks like a monster.
Henshaw’s surveillance reveals that Lord has a blonde girl hooked up to machines and kept captive. Her eyes are pitch black and she has limited brain functions. When Henshaw tries to get a security guard to order an ambulance transport for the girl, the security guard says that the girl is Code Phoenix and Henshaw’s cover as an imposter Maxwell Lord is blown! I am excited to find out what Code Phoenix really is? Could it be some sort of Supergirl clone?
Plot holes and writing issues be damned, two super exciting Supergirl moments occur in this episode. First, at the height of his vulnerability, Winn goes in for a kiss with Kara…and is Superfriends Zoned! Even though I love Winn, I am hoping that in true super hero franchise fashion, he will become an evil villain due to his unrequited love for Kara. It would not really be that shocking because of his connection with Toyman and the fact that we know Winn is not above breaking the rules. He has hacked government computer systems to help Supergirl and he was tempted not to tell the FBI that his father contacted him. This element would add an interesting dynamic to the show. It would further reinforce the belief that not everyone is 100% good or 100% evil that we saw being explored in episodes involving Kara’s aunt.
Of course, they saved the best for last. The very last seen shows Kara (Melissa Benoist) in full Supergirl regalia, flops down in Alex’s apartment to munch on pizza and watch TV and we see that Lord has bugged Alex’s purse with a video camera. As of this episode…Lord knows that Supergirl and Alex are sisters! I cannot wait to see what Lord will do with this information!