#and then i was just like well. i've just done kara and lena's whole big reconciliation arc. do i really want to do it again

[moistvonlipwig]

i am sorry to do this to you (i am not sorry to do this to you) but i am tossing cwsg into your inbox for the favourites ask 🥴

and yet you have yet to answer MY many cwsg asks.....curious! 🤨

my favorite female character: Lena Luthor we gotta get you out of there (your coffin) (< RGU reference)!!!!!

my favorite male character: Querl Dox the man that you are.....I wish you had more of a cohesive storyline king

my favorite book/season/etc: I don't knowwww Season 4 I guess???? The political allegory in that season is handled so badly but I like the cast line-up and I think the Red Daughter plotline in 4b is fun. Seasons 1-3's rom-com vibes are very off-putting to me and Seasons 5 (especially 5b) and 6 are just so No Thoughts Head Empty that Season 4 kind of wins by default even though I also have so many damn complaints about it lol.

my favorite episode (if its a tv show): Pretty easily "The House of L."

my favorite cast member: Probably Katie or Azie! They both seem like very sweet and lovely people who embrace their LGBT+ fans wholeheartedly, which, not to name names, not all actors do.

my favorite ship: Kara/Lena and Lena/James. Unsurprising. We knew this.

a character I’d die defending: Lena, James, Andrea, and Kelly get behind me!!!! I am not very big so you will have to crouch but that is OK!!!!!

a character I just can’t sympathize with: OK, I'm gonna play on hard mode and NOT say Mon-El. (His planet did Blow Up™, after all.) So my answer would be Winn or Cat. Winn (in S1 in particular) needs to get all the way the fuck over himself. Women do not owe you affection, dude. And, well, I've done a whole big Post on why Cat's speeches about how hard it is to be a woman do nothing for me, so, I shan't repeat it here. I normally would also answer William for a question like this but honestly S6 unintentionally paints an almost farcically sad picture of William's life, so, I guess I do feel a little bad for him, even if I don't actually like him.

a character I grew to love: I guess Brainy? I mostly got into the show for shippy reasons (I get into all Arrowverse shows for shippy reasons) so Brainy was a very pleasant surprise. His swag is unimpeachable. A true king. <3

my anti otp: I mean, of course it's Kara/Mon-El, but if I'm playing on hard mode and have to give another answer, then probably Kara/Cat (or Alex/being a mom 😬).

[searidings]

....🥺 can you please tell us more about that season 5 alternate ending where andrea ends up using the dagger pretty please, just like who does she end up hurting and the others reaction? if only you want to of course !

hooookay this ask got me to open that wip for the first time in a year and actually it's not that far from being complete! but idk how to finish it and i feel like i've done the s5 conflict resolution thing in multiple fics now like how many is too many? i fear i may have hit that limit. BUT since you asked, here is the beginning of it. please note:

1) this thing is angsty and also it's unfinished, so read at your own peril

2) because i wasn't ever expecting to finish/publish it, i've recycled bits of description from it into other fics. so if you see stuff i've repeated elsewhere no you don't <3

-

The last thing Lena sees is a flash like dark shadow pass over Andrea’s eyes, before a kryptonite dagger slides between her ribs.

The sound she emits is less of a scream and more of a surprised squeak as she sinks to the ground.

If you want to get to Supergirl, you’re gonna have to go through me.

It’s not that she hadn’t believed Andrea would do it. Lena was under no illusion of safety when she placed herself between Supergirl and the glowing green rock in Andrea’s hand. She’d come to terms with the possibility of dying for Kara long ago.

What she hadn’t been able to prepare for was the pain. The abstract of sacrifice was all well and good, but. Reality, this searing epicentre, a point of white hot agony turned molten, seeping through her body. No amount of her mother’s decorum training had prepared her for this.

Something is filling her mouth, thick and dark and oozing. She can’t scream. Kara sits, eyes silver, a world away. Kara. Lena has to move. She can’t. Andrea steps over her, and is that the pounding of receding footsteps or the dogged beat of Lena’s heart? Either way, it’s slowing. Every inhale cracks her body down the centre, each exhale buries shards of glass inside the gaping wound.

Her eyes are beginning to mist at the edges but she strains, listens. The sound that cuts through the haze is not the scream she dreads, Kara’s agony as her veins sear emerald. It’s not a scream, but a shout, and then a blur passes over her like light and shadow.

Concrete cracks, or perhaps it’s Lena’s ribs. Sounds are muffled now, the world dulled down like the inside of a snow globe. Underwater, time passes sluggishly to where she lies, drifting, encased in glass. But someone is fighting the current, resisting the pull. Hands grasp her shoulders, burning where they touch. Through the rolling fog comes Kara’s face, blurring out in red and blue and gold and sickly green. Lena wants to push her away, keep her separate from the venomous substance protruding from her chest, keep her untainted. But Kara’s hands are dancing there-away along her cheeks, her jaw, Lena’s own name sounding from her lips over and over, a siren song, calling her home. It’s raining now, wet spots peppering her brow, or maybe the sun is crying.

“Lena, Lena,” Kara is saying. It sounds like her heartbeat and she cannot bear for it to stop.

“Kara,” she manages, a whisper, a prayer.

Her face flashes within Lena’s line of sight for one perfect moment, and is she green-tinged or is it Lena’s failing vision? A shiver passes through the air between them, I’m sorry fluttering like a bloodstained white flag but whether it falls from her own lips or another’s, Lena cannot say. Then a sudden pressure at her ribs, a heavy push and release that feels like salvation and damnation all at once.

Lena hears a scream, two screams, billions. She is left gaping, open and exposed. Invaded by the air and exalted by the sticky-sweet blush of her own blood, her body purging itself. Through the slick of gathering crimson her head rolls to the side, darkness pressing in around her, eyes blazing with the final image of a limp hand on the ground beside her, veins shot through with glowing green.

-

For a long time, there is only darkness. The deepest blackness she has ever known, all-encompassing. Devouring light, thought, feeling. Lena floats, tethered to her own existence only by the pressing weight of the dark, closing in until the end of the world.

Slowly, sensations begin to blur in and out. Cold, a deadening flow, hooking into her very marrow and stripping her from the inside out. She drifts, and then there’s heat, scorching, radiating out from her ribs in scalding waves, and she wishes for numbness.

For a moment, Lena thinks she sees the star-burst of veins behind her eyelids, but then they are gone and all is black again. Sound fragments filter through her peripheral awareness. A great noise, banging and shouting and exploding. She slips back under.

Vibrations reach her, but they must be sounds because Lena no longer has a body with which to feel them. She floats, untethered, sinking beneath the surface of a dark ocean so vast it surely cannot know she’s there. In the deep, voices flicker.

“Haven’t you heard that you’re supposed to leave the knife in? She’s minutes from bleeding out.”

The blackness turns to blood around her, not vibrant red but sticky dark, the kind so loaded with the very force of someone’s life that it moves slowly, crawls under the weight of it, sucking light from all it touches.

“Her veins were green, Alex.”

An eternity passes.

She dreams of her mother, dark hair fanning behind her as she cuts through the still waters of the lake. The scene is calm, but the growing dread means Lena knows what’s coming and suddenly it’s not her mother but Kara before her, and the lake isn’t clear but radioactive, glowing green, and still Lena stands at the shore and watches her slip away, helpless.

Words float through the haze and Lena wishes she could reach out, grasp them, weigh them in her hands to know the truth behind them. Radiation and poisoned and flared and gone, the sounds making physical shapes in the darkness. She thinks of a child, two dark-haired children, of hours spent pouring over a dictionary. A cruel laugh when she got a definition wrong, grudging silence when she got it right. How she wishes now to be wrong, to mishear, a stay of judgment on the world these words conjure into being. But the focus is gone, and she slips away again.

“—whatever you have to do! Or so help me, I’ll—”

Though Lena is nothing now, just an exhale in the wind, she smiles. Warmth blooms, the blackness not crushing but caressing for a moment, and she drifts into memories of happier times.

A million years pass, a billion. Lena is upside down, and right way up, and no way up at all. If she still had a face, she might feel the pressure of a warm forehead against her own. If she still had hair, the imprint of lips pressed gently against it might still ache. If she hadn’t burned every meaningful bridge in her life in the year before her death, she might believe the trick of a whisper wrapping on the breeze, words of comfort, of promise.

But she had, so she doesn’t, and time collapses in on itself as Lena watches, motionless and alone.

-

Though she has always been nowhere, she can feel herself drifting further and further from the last thing that might just resemble a somewhere. The eons slow. If she were a doctor, Lena thinks, then this would be the time to make herself comfortable. To say her goodbyes.

She cannot look at blackness any longer, cannot bear the glowing green after-image that seems to stick to every corner and edge. She thinks of blue, of rain-washed skies and Kara’s eyes, conjures it into being with every fibre she has left. Wraps herself up in it, plunges headfirst, drowns.

“Like it matters!” Kara says, no, shouts, from somewhere far above and below her. Lena would flinch, if only she still had a body. The voice rings out through the void. “Like any of it matters now.”

Lena is privately inclined to agree. She tries to breathe, but the full weight of the universe, of every universe, presses in. As everything, even the blackness, dulls, there emerges a crushing, cracking suffocation, and Lena wonders why she can’t even die in peace. A high-pitched scream, maybe hers, maybe Kara’s, maybe her mother’s, maybe the world’s, stretching out before her like a pathway. Though there’s no doubt where it ends, Lena almost wants to follow it, if only to escape this sensation of being crumbled, submerged, denied life as its very essence is wrung from her being.

And then a hundred trillion bolts of lightning shoot through her at once, and Lena is gone.

-

When she wakes, she wakes secure in the knowledge that she must be alive. Sure that the pain that had burst through her, blighted every nerve with an agony so intense she feels its phantom grip even now, could only lead back to life. Sure that no departure could hurt that much.

When she wakes, it is through cracked, dry eyes to the sight of pipes and ceiling vents, the bland, industrial grey that can only denote underfunded government property.

When she wakes, Kara is standing at the foot of her bed, hands behind her back and looking every inch the righteous hero, and Lena’s unsteady heart sinks. She’s been on the receiving end of this authoritative pose more than enough for one lifetime. At least her hands aren’t on her hips.

But Kara’s eyes brighten as they meet Lena’s fluttering gaze. “Lena.” Quiet, reverential. “How are you feeling?”

Lena takes stock. Alive, to begin with. Every limb still intact. Aside from an unnerving constriction in her chest and the fact that her blood feels a little like it’s burning her cells as it courses through her veins, it could certainly be worse.

When she speaks her voice is hoarse, cracking. “What happened?”

The same darkness creeps into the edges of her vision as she listens to Kara list the extent of the damage. She presses her lips together, willing away the blackness, registering only snippets.

Stab wound. Kryptonite poisoning. Collapsed lung. Cardiac arrest. Resuscitation.

Leviathan, gone. Andrea, captured. Lex, escaped.

The words wash over her like a freezing tide, and Lena wonders if maybe the darkness had been easier after all.

It takes far longer than it should for her to realise that the room has fallen silent. Kara is watching her, concern etched into her features like tears carving through stone.

Lena swallows as best she can. “And you?”

A corner of Kara’s mouth quirks up. “I’m fine. Thanks to you.”

But she doesn’t look fine. She looks exhausted, her face drawn, blue eyes lacking their characteristic shine. Even her hero’s stance can’t mask the fatigue weighing heavy on her shoulders.

But Lena doesn’t have the strength to argue the point. She rolls her head to the side, joints popping and releasing, noticing for the first time the tangle of IV lines threading into her skin. She lifts her other hand to touch them, feels the warning tug of more needles even as Kara steps forward, arms raised as if to stop her.

Her hands reach toward Lena, or at least, the spaces where her hands should be. Huge white dressings swaddle Kara from the wrists down, so bulky they do not resemble hands at all. Lena’s breath catches in her lungs as she takes in the unwieldy bandages, third degree burns and possible nerve damage echoing through her mind and she understands now why Kara had hidden them behind her back.

The inhale she aims for seems to stick in her ribs and she can feel again the crushing, the cracking, the dizzying lack of oxygen as her head spins. Kara is by her side in an instant, radiating warmth and just breathe, Lena, it’s okay, a comforting weight settling against her hip. Lena thanks the thick blanket for blurring the press of rough bandages where there should be warm skin, softening it into something just nondescript enough to be calming.

When her pounding pulse has slowed, the heart monitor downgrading to a less frenetic beat, she sucks in a breath despite her lungs’ protestation, waits for her vision to clear. Kara is still there, and dread opens up in Lena’s chest.

“You— you touched it. The kryptonite. You pulled it out.”

Kara doesn’t move, doesn’t speak. Just nods, her gaze locked on Lena’s own. Lena lies catatonic, paralysed with the knowledge, unable to move even as Alex enters the room. Dimly aware of low words exchanged between the two sisters and then Alex at her bedside, gentler than Lena’s been worthy of seeing her in years. Just rest, Lena, the press of a button on the IV monitor, and she sinks back into oblivion.

[supergay-supergirl]

I fixed supergirl s6. here's how

ok! first of all disclaimer that I really enjoyed s6, but I've been thinking about this recently and I have some conclusions.

basically: I think supergirl s6b should have scrapped the power theme and instead been about reconciling different parts of one's identity.

all my thoughts under the cut.

overall for each character:

for kara, this means deciding to integrate her human and alien sides permanently. they do this at the end, but it's complicated and mostly overshadowed by the power stuff.

for lena, this means letting go of both sides of her family and becoming her own person. tbh this one was done the best individually in the season. but if the other characters were also going through something similar it wouldn't have felt so much like lena was being shoved off to the side.

for alex, this means learning how to be both a mom and a superhero and becoming more confident in her ability to have it all. remember in s3 and s4 when she was worried about that? yeah...

for kelly, this means realizing (and teaching the others) that superheroes have to focus on everyday systemic problems as well as big superhero stuff. once again, they did this in s4 then kinda abandoned it smh

j'onn can chill he's ok

and brainy and nia had their own arcs that worked really well, so I wouldn't change those.

how I would change the plot:

first of all, there are way too many totems. get rid of all of the totems except the courage totem, the hope totem, and the love totem. now we can proceed.

kara's courage gauntlet is 1x09 blood bonds, when cat becomes convinced she's supergirl. she initially (based on the stress she's been under this season) thinks she lacked courage by trying to go back and forth. she tries to abandon supergirl. she tries to abandon kara. she fails both times.

kara's hope gauntlet is to inspire a hope that burns brighter than the sun. this is an idea I had during the episode and I was sad it didn't happen so here it is now lol. alex is trying to teach esme how to control her powers, but the way she's doing it just reinforces that esme shouldn't use her powers and no one will ever accept her. kara shows her that her powers are nothing to be afraid of (thus bringing about a realization for herself as well). then something blocks out the sun. kara loses her powers. but since esme's powers aren't technically powered by the yellow sun, esme still retains kara's powers and is able to use them to help. hope that burns brighter than the sun. boom.

the love gauntlet goes to alex. pretty simple. partly based on the events of the hope gauntlet, alex is worried she won't be able to show esme the love she deserves. she realizes that she can. potentially with a conversation with lena where lena's like sure eliza had flaws but you grew up surrounded by love and that's the most important thing.

this whole time, nxyly becomes more and more evil and bent on revenge. she refuses to be that scared princess who was exiled by her father. all she cares about is power.

the super friends acquire all three totems (with the courage gauntlet still not passed), and nxyly kidnaps esme to ransom her for the totems. the super friends must assemble the allstone to fight her. at this point they are a cohesive unit, none of this backstabbing and arguing. in a last-ditch effort, kara tries the courage gauntlet again. this time, she just tells cat everything she's thinking (like nxyly did when she passed): she is supergirl, but she loves her job and she needs both in her life. cat understands. kara has performed admirably.

plot stuff, idk... the big battle was fun... but eventually, it's lena and nxyly facing off. and lena's like, I get it. I went down the same dark path as you for the same reasons. but you are not beholden to your family... the greatest triumph is being enough for yourself and letting them go. then nxyly is like damn u right and surrenders. the end.

might do a post about how supercorp could have happened, keep an eye out for that. but for now that's it! lmk what you think! but this is a tv show about superheroes so be chill abt it

[experiment-000]

My Top 10 Ships of 2020

It's been a weird year but I've seen other people doing this. Plus this year I've been way more into gen fics (love a bit of found family especially in clone wars and marvel) than anything shippy. So I genuinely don't know what imma put on here aside from two ships for sure. Sorry this post is super long idk how to do the below the cut thing and I've had this app for 5 years...

10) Viktor Nikiforov and Yuuri Katsuki - Yuri!!! On Ice

It was a real toss up between this, supercorp, kanera and wolfstar cos they're all very integral ships to my fan heart but this son because of the Yuri on Ice fandom's rebirth this year. I've never stopped shipping this, never stopped reading fanfic of them for any extended period of time, they're still my most bookmarked ship on ao3 (although I think now star wars - all media types may have overtaken them for fandom). They were one of the first things I watched where the queer ship I loved became canon and I can't wait for the film (and hopefully someday a season 2). Heck I even made my mum watch Yuri on Ice with me so I think that says it all.

9) Edelgard Von Hresvelg and female Byleth - Fire Emblem: Three Houses

My first fire emblem game was fates when I was like 14 (and finally gay awake lol). I was so disappointed that I had to be with a guy character because the only female option was kinda creepy and also I wouldn't get the character of kana. So when three houses came out I was so happy because finally there were beautiful incredible female characters my female byleth could romance (I'm so sorry mlm you deserved so much more than you got). I got the game as soon as it came out (had to search a lot of shops let me tell you) and started on black eagles. I was actually kinda disappointed back in 2019. I didn't like the explore the monastery bit (still find it kinda tedious) and the battle mechanics weren't quite the same as fates (no pairing up?! Aka my main battle technique for protecting the weaker units). So I got like 20 hours in and put it down. Came back to it in lockdown and finally finished it! I'm so proud of myself I virtually never finish games. And I fully fell in love with the useless lesbian edelgard in the process. When I started back playing in 2020 I was like eh I wish I'd picked a different character to romance (like shes an emperor that's morally very shady) but then the romance stuff started with edelgard and I fell the heck in love.

8) Cory Matthews and Shawn Hunter (and Topanga Lawrence) - Boy Meets World

Disney+ was released in the UK this year and I finally got the opportunity to watch boy meets world in its best quality (aka not on YouTube). I watched it back when I was like 12 or 13 and it's such a nostalgic show for me. Watching it again I still absolutely adore it (and my bi ass was low-key crushing on Shawn especially in chick like me - I'm 18 btw and I got so scared for a sec but rider strong was 18 when chick like me came out so it's fine woah). And of course now I see the possibilities of the beautiful Cory and Shawn relationship like they were so bromance it was basically romance and throw in topanga it's the perfect ot3 (but I'm also fine with just Cory and Shawn or just Cory and Topanga). Read some good fanfic for them this year. My favourite was one about Shawn stealing makeup and stuff and exploring gender (need more fics like this I'm biiii).

7) Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes - Marvel Cinematic Universe

I rewatched all the MCU films this year too. And got really into Peter parker whump and irondad. Plus my eternal obsession with identity and relationship reveals of course led me from Spiderman identity reveals (and found family cuteness) to stucky coming out. Especially when it involves the internet and social media. Not my favourite ship but it's been significant to my year due to the sheer amount of marvel stuff I've read.

6) Satine Kryze and Obi Wan Kenobi - Star Wars

I rewatched clone wars in prep for season 7 and wow Satine's death was sad and sudden. She first appeared in S2 E13 I think and just the sheer sexual tension of their bickering. "The sarcasm of a soldier. The delusion of a dreamer." Just ugnnhhh my bi ass can't take much more of this. And Anakin just sipping his wine in the background grinning. And I fully believe korkie is a Kenobi.

5) Commander Cody and Obi Wan Kenobi - Star Wars

I am very much an Obi wan multishipper. I don't really have a favourite but I fully believe he was with satine and Quinlan in his life. I don't think be would've actually done anything with Cody because of the whole superior officer thing. And this probably isn't even my favourite Obi wan ship - that honour probably goes to quinobi or obitine. However the most popular ships in the fandom are codywan, quiobi and obikin. No offence to anyone who ships these they're just personally not to my taste, but I can't stand quiobi, and obikin I find only slightly more tolerable and I think that's just because there's so much obikin content so if I like the concept of a fic that happens to be obikin I'll read it. I'm just not a fan of the mentor/student relationships. So I generally favoured the codywan fics when there was shipping involved meaning I read a lot of them this year. Needed that nice fix it content post season 7.

4) Zuko and Katara - Avatar: the Last Airbender

Again I am a multishipper I have nothing against zukka it's cute. But I'm a zutara shipper first and foremost because when I first watched avatar I was like 13 and denying my gayness and gayness in general so I shipped the straight things and the straight things only. Most of these ships I stopped shipping - dramione, spuffy, some my little pony ones which we don't talk about. Zutara stayed. (I have nothing against any of the things I used to ship I just stopped shipping them so much/shipped new things more). I've continuously shipped zutara since I first watched avatar even if I didn't necessarily spend that much time on it it has always been here as one of my favourite ships. It has such good fanfic I swear including my favourite ever fanfic from any fandom - love thy enemy. Plus like the black games (reread this for the millionth time this year), a delicate subterfuge (which I read for the first time this year and damn it's so good) and so many more. With the avatar resurgence this year I haven't actually rewatched avatar aside from my normal random episode every now and then when I feel like it. But there's been a lot of avatar on my dash from people I follow getting into it and people I followed for avatar returning so naturally I returned to the fandom and read quite a lot of fanfic. I also read just a lot of avatar gen fics which were great at the whole found family thing I've been so obsessed with this year.

3) Catra and Adora - She Ra and the Princesses of Power

Catradora is canon! They kissed! What more is there to say. Arguably they should've been top but I never shipped them that much since I was always very much a multishipper when it came to she ra so yes I was very happy it became canon because we actually won for once but also I've never read much fanfic for them etc. But they are very much a dynamic I love and watching she ra all again in prep for season 5 I really enjoyed the build up of their relationship. The other two only go above because Buffy is my favourite show ever and damn there's some good fuffy fanfic and Aphra and Tolvan is both fresh in my mind and star wars owns me. Would love some catradora fic recs btw if anyone has them tho.

2) Buffy Summers and Faith Lehane - Buffy the Vampire Slayer

I didn't realise it was last year that I got super into them but according to my ao3 bookmarks it was lol. 2020 I swear it's lasted an eternity. I got into them about a month before lockdown (which feels like another lifetime). I've loved Buffy since I first watched it when I was 13. It's arguably still my favourite TV show. I've been through a lot of ships for Buffy - bangel to spuffy and now fuffy. I still think angel and her were a beautiful ship back in season 2 and especially in the angel episode I will remember you. But faith and Buffy had so much chemistry in season 3 - she would've been a fresh start for Buffy and the amount of fix it fics I read I swear. My favourite has to be one where they met in LA during Anne and how that changed everything feat Buffy's internal homophobia.

1) Cheili Lona Aphra and Magna Tolvan - Star Wars

I read Darth Vader (2015) and Doctor Aphra (2016) for the first time at the end of 2020 (got a comic subscription which has served me very well already I've nearly finished the star wars canon comics). Just to see canon queer ladies in star wars was so magical for me as a queer lady. I didn't think star wars would be so overt yet as to have a queer kiss in canon (even if it's in the comics) and especially not with the main character of arguably their main comic series. Now we just gotta hope that we'll get it in live action someday soon. They weren't the ship I consumed the most content of in 2020 but they were the highlight of my 2020 because star wars did that and I finally found out about it

Honourable mentions: Vivian and Elle - Legally Blonde, Candace and Vanessa - Phineas and Ferb, Stevie and Alex - Wizards of Waverly Place, Xander and Spike - Buffy the Vampire Slayer (I actually don't ship this but damn some authors are good - this was the ship that made me realise I don't need to like a ship if the author is good enough to write it well), Eli Vanto and Mitth'raw'nuruodo - Star Wars (started reading the books last year but finished this year and only started with fanfic this year), Villanelle and Eve - Killing Eve, Kanan and Hera - Star Wars, Barriss and Ahsoka - Star Wars, Remus and Sirius - Harry Potter, Kara and Lena - Supergirl (let's hope this becomes canon next year!) (Those last four are ones I've shipped forever some of my og ships but nothing particularly big has happened for me this year with them so)

I got Disney+ this year so rewatched a fair few things from my youth and though hey my obsession with that character may have been a little gay.

[buddha-in-disguise]

Discourse, Supergirl and fans.

The Supergirl situation with William Dey, is far more than about William Dey per se.

I touched on this when I first posted about David Harewood.

What I have seen, and I am still seeing is while some SuperCorp fans were annoyed about the preview for episode 12, this was also coming from a diverse section of the fandom. That David (and others) have singled out the SuperCorp fandom is both unfair, and unhelpful. But that is a different discussion altogether.

So - I am going to repeat and expand on some of what I wrote at the time to try and explain why I, (and others) have found Supergirl to be really problematic at the moment.

First of all: There is no doubt Supergirl currently has a diverse cast, inc. LGBTQ representation. 

However, all the diversity in the world means absolutely nothing if a program is seemingly only playing lip service to the characters. 

Compare and contrast with Legends of tomorrow. They have 6 women. 2 Muslim superheroes (a TV first). 5 characters are LGBTQ, including Charlie; who is recognised as gender fluid. 4 people of colour. The lead is a woman, who is bisexual, in a canon relationship with a lesbian, and is a superhero. 

They do this without it being made a big deal of, enjoyed by LGBTQ and heterosexual audience alike. But it is a huge deal for many because of that diversity, and just as importantly they haven't overloaded the cast numbers, so they all get good solid storylines through a season. A season that is also shorter than Supergirl. 

Legends are an example of how you can put in a diverse minority cast, without it becoming forced or cumbersome. It isn't without fault sure, but no program is. 

So where is Supergirl going wrong at the moment? 

Let's use William, as the crux of the problems are best shown with his character, but it isn't limited to him. I will put first - this is absolutely *not* a criticism towards Staz Nair, who I respect (& like, as far as one can from limited SM interaction). All too often the accusations are made that if you don't like a character, you hate the actor. That is categorically not true for me, nor others I've seen posting about this. Of course if anyone does hate on the actor, that is not okay.

So, back to William. I get the reason he came along in regards to Russell and so the Andrea connection. That story made sense.  What hasn't made sense - William being used as a journalist, when Nia is right there! Nia has barely had any screen time, and virtually none as a journalist; you know - her actual job. I'm not sure what the minutes on screen ratio has been this season between the two, but it has felt completely slanted towards William as a viewer, at least until now. 

First instead of Kara and Nia investigating Leviathan after William was 'exposed' in the earlier episodes, now Nia is sidelined again, because they want Kara to team up with William to investigate Lex.

Why? Why do they need that journalistic pairing, when Nia - who as a Superhero, is better placed if danger from Lex occurs. But no, they're making it about Kara having to work with William because Lex threatened to kill him. Plus Nia was being mentored by Kara. Is she no longer being mentored by Kara? Are they a team? Even if the mentoring has ended, Nia is still not being utilised as a journalist.

I am utterly baffled as to why they feel this arc makes any sense. Moreso when an already established character gets sidelined. 

I'm also getting tired of seeing anyone who sees these valid opinions about current storyline as being trolls (or the comments all SuperCorp fans are just outright haters. No - SuperCorp fans are a large diverse group, that have incredible artists, fanfic writers, and social media users. Many also multi-ship. To place a blanket statement about a whole fandom as large as SC, is hateful. All fandoms have some who are problematic, but to single out an entire group is not right). 

So back to my thoughts. An episode can have some great aspects to it, but it can also be highly problematic to some fans, & receive valid criticism or valid opinions for it. For example, the latest episode of Batwoman. The Alice/Beth story was great. The acting superb. What I found worrying was the way they made Sophie feel guilty for legitimate reasons why she had led a closeted lifestyle. That lifestyle is valid, for Sophie and many LGBTQ people, and for good reason, including keeping some people safe from harm. I felt it was a clumsy attempt for Alice to get into Sophie's mind; it could've been tackled other ways, so it felt wrong they used her sexuality as a way to achieve that. Being closeted for many literally keeps them alive. So that was one hell of a poor choice in my opinion. Yet others have made perfectly credible counter arguments that it showed the difficulties faced by many LGBTQ people. So, great episode, valid criticism/opinion from both points of view. It also highlights you can have excellent episodes, but they can have legitimate issues.

Nor does differences of opinion, as long as it is respectful, makes those voicing them a bully, no matter how much you disagree. 

At the end of this, if you don’t agree, and your opinion makes you say something that is intentionally hurtful (directly or indirectly to a person or group of people), it's a bad thing. The key word being intentionally. We all make mistakes, and responses that could've been better, & we all need to be aware of that, but if it is an intended attack, don't be surprised if others call you out for your behaviour. 

So now what in regards Supergirl?  

I know ultimately that this show is about Supergirl, but it is also about those around her as family & friends. I understand there are only so many minutes in one episode. What I don't understand is why those precious minutes are going to a character, when they have one perfectly placed to do the same role. Why they have to potentially explore another relationship, when we have one canon relationship, one canon on/off again relationship & one relationship that while isn't canon in terms of romantic, it is a big story in terms of best friends, all seemingly sidelined. Which brings me to the Kara fighting for Lena's soul aspect. Again, I am not seeing a lot of fighting for anything, except more and more fans fighting themselves and cast. 

Then you just need to look at the dislikes that teaser was given on YouTube, and compare them to previous ones. I've attached screenshots to show this.

A serious misjudgment was made by someone on how that teaser would be received, and again I will stress, this dislike hasn't just been from one area of fandom, but multiple areas. For many it wasn't just about William, but the culmination of unease that has built for a few episodes. A prime example of the straw that broke the camel's back. If you are solely focused on one area of fandom for this discourse (as many blame SuperCorp fans), you need to step back and recognise you are not allowing yourself to see the whole picture. To focus solely on one thing, rather than acknowledging the wider audience are saying this, does not make you the better fan. To dismiss it as trolls, is being dismissive of good, regular fans with legitimate questions or concerns. It is insulting to many of us.

I will be honest, I had high hopes for this season. I also knew it was likely going to be pretty confusing at times since it was given as 'our Black mirror season' and 'nothing is as it seems.' I accepted that.

However, all it seems at the moment is a jumbled mess from pre and post Crisis. They just doesn't appear to be any cohesion at all, which is making it really difficult as a viewer. Add in the changes post Crisis and it feels even more of a mess.

Of course, they could bring in more cohesive elements soon, but considering that we know episode 13 is 'It's a wonderful life,' and Alex Danvers in a later episode is wearing a Super suit - I just sense this whole 'nothing is as it seems' side we appear to be getting isn't changing any time soon, & with episodes running out, with so many strings running through at the moment, it feels really discombomulated. If by seasons end, they pull it off and you can look back and see how it's played out as a whole, I will be the first to say well done for that part. 

I do though think right now Supergirl feels chaotic beyond expectation, and no end in sight. I feel there have been too many character additions this season (particularly Andrea & William) that is taking screen time away from Kara, Alex, Nia, Lena, Kelly et al.

It feels like a mess of unnecessary pairings and the crux of the story seems to have been lost in the midst.

That is causing confusion for fans, that is also beginning to become frustration. That frustration is spilling over. Add in the genuine and extremely legitimate concerns over the LGBTQ issues that have arisen (again from far more than just SuperCorp fans), and the frustration has built even more. 

I can only hope the next couple of episodes address some of this and not complicate the mess further. 

Whatever happens, Supergirl is not doing well in terms of a storyline that is gripping for fans, that is now top heavy with regulars, taking screen time from established characters, and a social media blunder that has so far only exacerbated the simmering uncertainty being felt by many.

It might improve, and I sincerely hope it does, but they are edging into the potential for the anger felt by fans to become an all out riot if they don't stop and see where valid criticism is being given. If this season continues on in this vein, then there is going to be huge swathes of fans drifting away. The concerns are legitimate. I wish it could be seen as that.

[karazor--el]

Melissa Benoist explains why directing Supergirl's Lex-centric hour was 'daunting'

Melissa Benoist explains why directing Supergirl's Lex-centric hour was 'daunting'

Supergirl

Supergirl definitely isn't complaining about her latest team-up with Lex Luthor.

This Sunday, The CW's Supergirl returns for the final run of season 5 with a Lex-centric episode that marks Melissa Benoist's long-awaited directorial debut. Benoist has been dying to get behind the camera since season 3, but wasn't able to until now because of scheduling conflicts. Luckily, it seems like it was well-worth the wait because she got to helm an episode that diverges from the show's usual structure and perspective, which she admits was initially quite daunting.

Cleverly titled "Deus Lex Machina," the flashback-heavy hour essentially starts on day one of the post-"Crisis on Infinite Earths" world and sheds light on all of Lex's (Jon Cryer) behind-the-scenes machinations we haven't been aware of — from manipulating Eve Teschmacher (Andrea Brooks) and his sister Lena Luthor (Katie McGrath), to pitting Supergirl against Leviathan. In other words, it's very similar to season 4's "O Brother, Where Art Thou," except this time around the criminal mastermind is trying his hardest to keep his Kryptonian hatred in check so that he can focus on defeating Leviathan.

Below, Benoist walks EW through her experience in the director's chair, working with Cryer, and the challenges of handling such an exposition-heavy episode.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What jumped out at you from a directing perspective when you read the script for the first time?

MELISSA BENOIST: Considering it was the first time in the director's chair for me, I think I'd be remiss if I didn't say how terrified I was. That just went without saying, that I was scared, but reading it also had this thrilling aspect to it because I was going to get to be the one to visualize it and make sure the tone was coming across. I guess only since season 4, we've had these episodes that were a departure from the story and took a step back and gave us Lex Luthor's point of view, and this is one of those episodes. So, I couldn't believe how lucky I was that I got to be the teller of that particular story for our season, where we recap the entire season from Lex Luthor, Jon Cryer's eyes. And I was very excited to get to work with him closely in an actor-director relationship. Aside from the initial terror, and wondering whether or not I was capable of doing it, I was so excited and immediately just imagining what I wanted to do and thinking of shots.

How would you describe the tone of the episode?

Tonally, it's difficult on these kinds of shows when an episode is from the perspective of our, for lack of a better term, villain, and he is one of the ultimate villains in the DC Universe. So I wanted to keep the tone light enough while still having that dark, macabre Luthor feeling to it. I wanted it to still feel like an adventure, like an episode of Supergirl, and he was the hero for our episode, whether you hate him or not. But it's hard to hate Lex Luthor, he's so delicious.

By nature, this episode is very expository because it’s explaining the season from his perspective. What challenges came with that?

I'm glad you pointed that out because that exact point was the most challenging aspect and the most daunting one because there are a lot of time jumps that let the audience follow Lex as he [learns about Earth-Prime]. It starts the day after Crisis. So in the way that we had Kara Danvers wake up after Crisis in her loft and it was this new world, Earth-Prime, this is Lex's telling of that. So, we time jump a lot, there's a lot of exposition, exactly, a lot of themes that we had to catch people up on. So that was a little daunting to make sure that yes, it was expository and informing the audience what they needed to know to understand, but also keeping it moving and entertaining and not just feeling like an encyclopedia, if you will.

One thing that stood out to me when I watched it was that it’s mainly built around scenes in which Lex is having one-on-one conversations with someone like Eve and Lena, often manipulating them. What was it like to work with Jon on those scenes?

I mean, that was the dream. Working with Jon Cryer, I felt so spoiled rotten that he was the primary actor I was getting to work with, and the cast surrounding him too, because we get to see Eve Teschmacher and Lillian Luthor [Brenda Strong] make [their returns]. All these characters that kind of surround his orbit, they're all so deft when it comes to those kinds of scenes where it's really wordy and talkative. He's an evil genius and manipulative, so I had to really keep track of who he was manipulating when and for what reason [Laughs] to make sure that each scene was really clear where it fit into his master plans and where it was taking us, and how it affected the super friends. But working with him, he's just so smart and far more experienced than I as an actor. Honestly, I felt bad. I didn't feel like I really needed to give him that much direction. It was more just playing, which I loved, and that's part of the reason I love being an actor — when you get to really just bite into the words and what's on the page and really play, and there's no wrong answer within the arc you're telling.

The photos from the episode revealed that Kara and Lena finally share a scene together, which they haven’t done since the 100th episode. What can we expect from their interaction?

I don't know how much I can say about how Lena and Kara interact, but they do and it's the first time we've seen them interact in a while. I think people will be excited to see the scenes between Kara and Lena, and that Lena does play a big part, obviously, because this episode revolves around her brother. There's quite a bit of Lena Luthor in there.

A lot of Arrowverse stars have directed episodes: David Harewood, Katie Cassidy, and Caity Lotz. Did you get any advice from them?

Of course. David Ramsey, as well has been really helpful. These shows are so specifically involved as actors already, the schedules are grueling, we’re there so much and we all get to know these so well. we spent a lot of time with each other on a crossover, so I did get quite a bit of advice from David of course. He gave me book recommendations and just every day we would kind of talk, especially when he was directing. I got to watch him and he has such a great fun, positive directing vibe about him. I didn't get to talk to Katie Cassidy much about it, but everyone was very supportive and excited and everyone has great ideas.

How did you feel your experience as an actor influenced your directing approach?

Well, I think, just innately, we approach the script a certain way just without even thinking about it. Thinking about tonally what emotions are there or what is driving a character, our objectives and our goals. But more than that, just for this show specifically, I feel like it's become a second skin and I've spent so much time with the characters, not just the ones I play. So it’s almost a little unfair because since day one, I've just seen how each character's arc has progressed and changed, and grown. So that really informed my approach to it all. And really we all just want to tell good stories, and that was my main focus the whole time.

Supergirl airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on The CW.

EW.

[superredcorp]

SUPERCORP FANFIC

"Oh Rao, oh Rao.", Kara mumbled repeatedly as she paced back and forth.

"Kara, slow down. There's no need to be nervous.", Alex chuckled. "Besides, you're gonna crease your dress."

"I'm getting married in less than an hour, Alex, how the hell am I supposed to slow down?", the blonde shrieked, about to run her hand through her hair when she remembered that this had just been freshly styled so instead she went to chew on her nail.

"Yes and it's gonna be great. All you have to do is look pretty, say your vows and don't forget to say "I do" at the end."

"But what if I don't remember my vows? What if I fall into a shocked trance or something? If-"

"Kara, this is too important for you to forget. Don't worry."

Kara looked at her doubtedly. "I forgot my speech when I proposed to her. I just started rambling. It's a miracle she even said yes."

"But she did, didn't she? Because apparently you found the right words to say after all. Even if you make them up on the spot... just speak from your heart, Kara, that's the best thing you can do.", Alex said.

Kara took a deep breath. "You're right."

"Of course I'm right. I'm the big sister and the maid of honor."

Kara laughed lightly. "Yeah. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Probably freak out completely."

"True.", she chuckled.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Seriously, what was I thinking? This doesn't make any sense! Kara should be the one walking down the aisle. She's the one with eyesight! I'm gonna make a fool out of myself! I'll trip or worse, I'll fall face first on the ground! This is insane!", Lena exclaimed panic-stricken, hands on her temples.

The woman in front of her raised her eyebrows in amusement. "Lena, you have to calm down. Everything's going to be just fine. You're going to do just fine."

"I don't know, Sam, I shouldn't-"

Sam stepped closer, placing her hands on her best friend's shoulders. "Hey, look, as your maid of honor who has the privilege of walking you down the aisle, I swear on Ruby's life that I won't let you fall, alright? And even if I should miraculously not be able to prevent you from tripping and falling... there's a whole crowd of superheroes out there, isn't there? I'm sure one of them will have mercy on you and catch you. If it's not Kara herself. Or your superdog here", Sam said with a chuckle and Krypto who had peaceful been laying a few feet away raised his head curtly to bark happily. Sam and Lena both laughed a little. Sam squeezed Lena's shoulders. "So just take a deep breath."

Lena complied and nodded. She smiled a little. "Thank you."

"Anytime.", Sam grinned. "Now come on, we still have to finish your hair."

Lena nodded again and let the other woman guide her away to style her hair.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Kara stood nervously at the front, eyes glued on the path which Lena would be walking down on any minute now. They were having their wedding outside as they both weren't connected to the church too much - Lena because she wasn't baptised and Kara because her god was Rao.

Kara's heart was beating rapidly against her chest as her eyes scanned the crowd - so many different kind of people.

There were the obvious ones - her friends and family, going from J'onn, Kelly, Nia and Brainy to Eliza, Clark, Lois and their boys. Ruby was seated next to Kelly, not really knowing anyone as Alex stood at the front next to Kara since she was maid of honor and Sam would be walking Lena down the aisle as well as staying there. Since she was her maid of honor.

Even Alura and a few close friends from Krypton had made their way to Earth for this.

There were the other heroes and their accompanies - Barry, Iris, Cisco and Co, Felicity and Mia, the Legends, even Kate.

And so many more. So many people in front of which she could possibly embarrass herself.

She closed her eyes, trying her hardest to control her breathing.

Her eyes quickly shot open when she heard the music starting to play.

She held her breath and only released it when she saw Lena appear at the end of the path. All the tension seemed to fall from her body just as it had when she had heard her agreeing to marry her.

She felt a soft smile spread across her lips as she watched Lena walk towards her, arm tightly secured around Sam's.

Krypto walked a few feet behind them, head held high and excitedly wagging his tail. He carried a small pillow between his teeth on which the rings were placed. Making him probably one of the most adorable ring bearer's of all time.

Lena seemed to relax as well when her hands finally glid into Kara's and she was gently pulled in front of her.

Sam took her place at the side.

Kara couldn't help but stare at Lena, a goofy but dreamy grin on her face - her beauty really was beyond compare.

She unconsciously rubbed over the back of Lena's hands with her thumbs, making the brunette smile.

Neither of them really took notice of what was being said. They were totally lost in each other.

Kara just barely recognized her cue for saying her vows.

She cleared her throat and giggled nervously. But one look into Lena's face calmed her again. She concentrated fully on her.

"There are a lot of things I love about you. One of the things I love most though is that you are inherently good. I knew that from the moment I met you. It wasn't a hunch, I just knew. You... you basically radiated light and optimism and you still do. Despite everything you went through and despite the world trying to bring you down so many times, you... you never give up. You always get back up again and you're ready to prove yourself once more, no matter if people will believe you or not. I admire that about you. I really do and... and you transfer that onto me. You give me hope and faith. I know... I know there's times where you doubt yourself. Seriously doubt yourself but I promise I will always be there by your side to remind you of what you already know deep down. To build you back up again and to give you strength. Just like you give me strength. You make me so strong, Lena, you... You're my yellow sunlight."

She could see the tears glistening in the Luthor's eyes. She wore sappy smile on her lips as well as blushed cheeks.

"Well, it's gonna be hard to compete with that.", Lena exclaimed with a chuckle.

Kara laughed quietly and she heard a few sympathetic laughs from the crowd as well.

She took a shaky breath.

"It's not a secret that... it's hard for me to trust people. I've been betrayed many times over the years and it... it stuck with me. It made me do things I'm not proud of and things I regret doing. But... the best thing I could have possibly done was let you in. It was impossible not to let you in - with your kindness, your warmth... your incredibly goofiness.", Lena smiled. Kara blushed and chuckled. "So when I thought you betrayed me, I lost it. I... I was so used to being betrayed for selfish reasons, that I didn't realise someone might lie to me to protect me. It wasn't something I deemed possible. But it is. You... you stood by me in times where no one else did. Saved me when I thought all was lost. The truth is I only get back up because I know you'll be there to have my back. To catch me in case I fall again. You always did. Especially now. I... I may have lost my eyesight but it feels like I can see more clearly than ever before. Because you're there to guide me through. You... You're my light in the dark."

[stennnn06]

Stennnn! So I've never really written anything like fanfic, but I really want to try and maybe give it a shot? But the problem I'm currently facing is trying to find a start point. I have this whole idea and plot in my mind and everything, but I just can't figure out how I can start it. Any tips and suggestions? Thanks again!!

hi darling!

well, to quote some harry potter, “i open at the close”.

i happen to be a big fan of working backwards, or even working from the middle, outwards. i very rarely START with my first scene....and most of my scenes get rearranged by the time the final draft is done, just based on the flow, and the order of how i want things revealed.

what i like to do (and, take this advice and adapt it for yourself, cuz everyone works differently!) is i like to outline my idea from start to finish at a high level. usually this means just going over the main plot and maybe the few scenes i already have conjured up in my brain and where i think they *might* fit.

for example, with my black mercy fic, it was literally like this: lena falls under black mercy, her fantasy is being with kara, supergirl has to convince her its not real in order to save her, theres chaos (thats literally what i wrote), and they end up together. lmao. vague outline, for the win! i also wrote down a ton of emotions/feelings that i wanted to convey with the story. so, in that example, lena feeling betrayed by her own mind and totally embarrassed was a major theme. kara feeling confused and bewildered by her own feelings was another. this helps develop the characters, and helps give you a gauge for WHY things are happening. i ended up needing to add more scenes to really dive into those emotions (like, for example, the scene where lena walks by kara’s apartment and sees her out on the balcony but turns around and walks away... not part of any initial plan, but more for the emotional value it might add). this is also where i decided i wanted to do a split POV and alternate between lena and kara, because i had so many feelings i needed to convey and only a small window to do it.

9 times out of 10 when i’m at this point, i still have zero idea how it truly starts. then, i start developing some of the scenes i already have a good handle on -- they might be filler scenes of fluff, they might be a major one with conflict, there might just be a chunk of dialogue i really like-- whatever the case may be. i always find when i start to create those scenes, the missing pieces begin to fill in around it. maybe there’s a piece of dialogue that happens that alludes to something you should develop in a previous scene. maybe a detail opens the door to a follow up scene or a flashback. this happens to me constantly...my flashbacks are hardly EVER planned, they just happen. i then go back to my outline and start adding the details that were lacking before-- extra scenes i forgot, tidbits about characters, headcanons i want to include. its usually in this process i get a GREAT idea for how this *might* start because i can start visualizing the details of the story better. so, i definitely have a non-linear approach to things and it works for me because otherwise i find myself getting stuck staring at the page. i try to write whatever is flowing, even if the scene is TOTALLY out of order. i can always find a place for it later, but personally i’d rather write something down than force something to happen when my brain isn’t ready to do it.

i also recommend starting with oneshots vs multi chap. try perfecting just getting yourself from A-B without a lot of other things going on, just for practice purposes. the best part about fanfic is you don’t need to spend TOO much time introducing the scene and characters, because we already know them! so you can just dive right in and it can still be a beautiful ficlet or oneshot. you can still outline and work the way i mentioned, but going in with the oneshot plan takes a lot of the pressure off when you’re working through your plot. 

hope this was somewhat helpful and i hope you have fun writing!

[buddha-in-disguise]

This is how it's done

Episode 5.15 at last.

While the emphasis has been on Nia's story in this episode, the synopsis made it clear Alex, Kelly and J'onn had a secondary storyline running as well. So again we were eager to watch knowing they were finally getting more than a token few minutes together.

Did it deliver?

Oh hell yes.

You just have to look on Twitter to see the praise being heaped on it by fans.

But first let's get the elephant in the room out of the way. William.

The opening sequence as Kara is fighting with Nia, and Nia has to be the one reminding Kara she has a date? Already covered by me and others, but to reiterate: that does not give a vibe of someone excited to be going on a first date. You can't even use the excuse of her mind was on the fight, because so was Nia's.

As to Kara at her apartment with Alex prior to the date?

Those words, "Cancel it for me."

Lets say (for arguments sake) it is nerves again speaking. Maybe it is, but that she is even having those thoughts? That she completely forgot about the 1st date, and needed reminding? If Kara can't get invested in the date, how are the audience expected to become invested?

As for the date itself. Kara arrives.... having been told by Alex to wear the blue top because .... well reasons .... and she is wearing the purple? So, not wanting to go with the best look then?

I didn't mind the date per se, although I did wonder if Kara was simply trying to not show pool skills, because I can't believe for a second, with Alex as a sister, and the control Kara now has on her powers (worry over lack of control would be the only other reason for her hesitation that I can think of), Kara hasn't been pulled into playing many times.

Did I get a date vibe? No. I felt more bonding yes (like why has it taken until now to even vaguely have that much), but date? Nope. Still not feeling it. If any of the above was a one off instance, you could shrug it off. But all of them? Sorry but as I say, if Kara isn't that invested in a first date, then we can't be expected to be as invested. However, that isn't to say that William annoyed me. In truth having him more on the sidelines was a relief as it finally allowed others to get some much needed screen time.

The Nia storyline.

This is obviously one extremely close to me, as my husband is transgender, and we have other family who are also transgender.

Nicole's input was definitely felt. Some of the lines she spoke were ones we have said ourselves almost word for word.

This is a topic that is one I've been extremely vocal about, and one in particular I have spoken about (in the William and Kara at CatCo scene) is the figures for transgender people killed in the last year alone in the USA, but more importantly that this number is likely not a true representation as many who die are misgendered after death.

It was so important to show just how bad for the transgender community it is. And no, it wouldn't necessarily be a fact Kara would know. Even those in the LGBTQ community aren't always aware of these figures. As for William being the one stating the figures back to Kara, again in the context I had no qualms about it. In fact having a CIS straight man write the piece and be a supportive ally is an important message in it's own right. I was worried that wouldn't come across, but I felt it did.

If ever there was a line that spoke volumes in this weeks Supergirl episode it was this:

"They want us to be invisible because of their own fears, they want to erase us so...... we need to shine even brighter." - Nia Nal

And shine Nicole Maines (and Roxy Wood, because the additional line about being a Black transgender woman - take my heart, stomp over it, then expect me to function), did. Both deserve so much praise on the way they delivered their performances.

I genuinely cried at some of this weeks episode, because the experiences have been ones we have faced as a transgender household. Being white does afford us a privilege that Black transgender people (especially the women) don't have. But as I say, it has been something I've been vocal about for a long time.

Lastly Kara and Nia on the balcony. Holy mother of god (or goddess), tears. Again. Nicole and Melissa once again were so good it felt like a punch to the gut. Kara wiping that tear off Nia's cheek. Big ugly sobbing from me. Gah! Just ....

Now Alex and Kelly. While I'm still craving a nice intimate atmosphere at home with them, having had so little of Dansen (and Kelly) it was a relief that for once Kelly wasn't given diminished screentime. Not only that, she was instrumental in helping Alex navigate through the VR world.

Alex having that PTSD flashback to being in the tank. Whoa, finally acknowledging it affected her and obviously still does. I loved how Kelly is so good at helping Alex maintain her equilibrium. You could tell it wasn't just because of her training or profession, but as a girlfriend who knows and understands how to communicate to Alex in that moment of stress, much like Alex was able to realise Malefic was manifesting as Kelly in the earlier part of the season, simply because she knew her girlfriend well enough.

Watching Alex train to get used to the Martian weapon, felt very reminiscent of S1 where Alex was training Kara early on. It was good to see her off balance for once in her training, as she has always shown a confidence in her ability until now. For those who complain she brought up wanting to be back at the DEO, as someone who has heavy military presence in our family (for at least 4 generations on my maternal side), I can safely say, going from military (and remember the DEO is recognised and spoken about in canon as being a military operation), and suddenly and unexpectedly thrown back into civilian life is one heck of an adjustment. It's an adjustment for most even when they know it's coming. To be so abrupt, so unexpected? Alex is going to want that structure back, and have that support around her. It is absolutely not unrealistic for her to feel this way or to talk about it. I would've been more surprised if she hadn't.

"And this is my gun."

Alex giving no crap. The whole rescue sequence was a joy to watch.

If I had a complaint, as I mentioned, I would've loved just a moment of real quiet intimacy between Kelly and Alex. We've barely seen anything of that sort. I hope we get something next episode (which also looks amazing from the trailer).

I could go through the episode and pick up so many times on how good it was. It was so much, I know I will have forgotten something I wanted to say. But I'm exhausted (almost no sleep will do that to you, damn being in the UK and these stupid o'clock viewing times), and it was so much to unpack.

Brainy, was barely in the episode but damn, so lovely (& heartbreaking) to see him give the information to the NCPD to help against transphobic attacks.

Onto a side plot, but finally we have more about Leviathan.

Leviathan have those bodies suspended.

What if William dies in 5.19 and becomes one of those suspended bodies for 5.20 or was supposed to, as Nicole mentioned on her Instagram story they still had scenes to film, and a couple were pretty amazing? With Staz back, would it have involved him, possibly as a sleeper agent? I've touted this idea before. While I would prefer that a MOC isn't cast into being a bad guy again, or killed off, I would more than happily see him simply go back to London and The Times. But I guess we wait to see what happens there.

But if, like Russell in 5a, he becomes an unwitting agent of Leviathan & a bad guy, cue fight scene, possibly in a VR setting? Maybe? Who knows.

Last but by no means least - they killed off Jeremiah. Since we're not entirely sure if Cadmus operated in the same way on Earth Prime as they did on Earth 38, we don't yet know the circumstances behind his death.

Will we get more explanation about it? Honestly I'm not overly bothered unless it helps serve a current storyline. Merely because episode numbers are running out, and it does at least bring us closure on his character one way or another. Something a lot of us have questioned for so long now.

As for complaints, the only ones expressing any real disappointment have been fans who have either regularly attacked other fans (especially those of in the SC or Dansen fandoms), or the outright transphobic users (I won't call them fans), who as the episode makes clear, are everywhere. The transphobes come out in force everytime with Nicole, so it isn't a surprise to see them again. As Nia says, it what transgender people face on a daily basis.

Plus with no Lena in the episode, it helps show that fans didn't need a Lena/Kara centric episode for this to garner such positive reactions, particularly from the LGBTQ fans. In some ways, as many have been saying (yes even SC fans), this Lena drama has long since gone by its sell by date and not having Lena once more stuck in her laboratory wasn't missed. And god, I say this as a huge Lena fan. I still want her on screen of course, but we need progression on what is happening with her. Both Lex and Lena have felt stale of late, and while I know it changes as we get into the last few episodes, I can truly say neither was missed this time. And before anyone jumps in, no this isn't bashing SC (I still ship both Dansen and SC, as well as Brainia), or saying SC shouldn't happen, or Lena is evil, or not needed. I don't think that at all. I merely am getting tired of a merry-go-round on Lena in her laboratory that we've had of late, & the only interaction has been with Lex. Time to break her out of that cell!

I don’t know what they were putting in the water in Vancouver when they did the Batwoman and Supergirl episodes this week, but they both had me simultaneously laughing & crying! It looked ugly for a minute there.

Both were outstanding episodes.

As much as I've had my criticism over some of this season, when Supergirl get it right like they did here, they soar! This was one of my top episodes for the entire series.

And despite all the news in the world right now, Supergirl trended on Twitter again.

Gif courtesy of @ Daily_danvers on Twitter.

[buddha-in-disguise]

Nothing is as it seems.

I've talked about this away from social media at length, but wanted to just put the thoughts down properly about the overall Supergirl Season 5 plot - not about cast or characters per se, since I have covered this a few times in numerous posts.

Supergirl was touted as being a Black Mirror season, where nothing is as it seems, and the dangers of technology and certain social media platforms.

I was excited for this. As my husband can attest, I love these kind of puzzles or plots in TV or film (hello, Interstellar anyone? Or 12 Monkeys. Or from books, the likes of Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder, or Shutter Island - I've not seen the film so, no idea if it follows the book closely. Or TV, Black Mirror).

So much to my husband's annoyance I often will catch onto clues long before he does when watching things (I do try to keep quiet when I watch things with him so as not to spoil it, but I slip up and suddenly say 'did you see that?' As he gives me a bemused look and the 'no.' falling from his lips with practiced ease). I might not always know the full relevance to certain things, but I see cohesion that I can then map towards a conclusion, or it helps me understand if an ending is more open to interpretation.

Supergirl this season has left me struggling to catch any clues or their relevance. Sure they're there. Hope offering to kill Kara even though her prime directive was to do no harm in episode one for goodness sake, as an immediate red flag went up for me, plus Lillian and the Earth they controlled comment to Lex suggesting she wasn't Earth 38 Lillian, particularly with Lex's reaction, Leviathan leader is female - not a surprise if they're following the comics, but it feels far more weighted as a clue than that. Lena decidedly working against Lex (including appearing to press the button on the cube as he walked away, facial expressions as he leaves or has left etc). These are the most immediate things just off the top of my head.

So I know if I'm struggling to bring things into any cohesive threads, then I can only imagine some are struggling to do even that and can't get anything of the whole season plot from the episodes thus far.

I think this would be fine over a short run, but the problem seems to have become 2 fold.

The first is, Black Mirror or most films of a similar ilk only last around 60 to 90 minutes on average. Perhaps a little longer, sometimes less.

That's all well and good, but to then try and bring that over to around 20 hours of television?

Think of this another way. Black mirror has had 5 seasons. The same as Supergirl. However, it has only had 22 episodes in all that time, so only one seasons worth of episodes compared to Supergirl. Each Black mirror episode was self contained. Plus any Easter eggs or themes they brought into later episodes were done in such a way, that knowing earlier episodes wasn't essential for understanding any new episode.

While the premise was sound for Supergirl, I think now the execution has suffered because it is over too many episodes.

Add in the Crisis episodes and then 2 hiatus' coming in almost on top of one another, and that has been compounded. It has made it far harder to remember nuances that might have been given in the early episodes, that would now make more sense. Because they haven't been outright smacks over our heads with a piece of 2x4 in terms of how clues have been given, or even which scenes might actually be relevant and others have no real meaning to the later plotline.

Behind the scenes, they know how this is going to play out (or at least, they have a broad arc outline), but the viewer doesn't have that. It is one thing to watch back once all pieces are in place, to understand it. It is entirely another when you expect an audience to understand what you are trying to achieve when there is so much that is confounding people.

This is leading to frustration. Add in other issues being raised, and it can only compound the situation.

Truly I want nothing more than to be able to get the full season screened, to look back and finally understand what it all entailed, and hopefully say: Shit okay, so that was how it was. Well done. It frustrated me all to hell, but damn you pulled it off. *applause*

But honestly, to have it over a full season feels excessive. I think it would've been far better served to have more of Crisis in the lead up into those episodes, and allow the 2nd half of the season deal with everything else. Just compact it up a bit more. It feels far too complicated for far too long.

Plus I'm also just not sure how they're going to be able to bring it together with the number of episodes left, especially if it is a shortened season number as being suggested.

Remember I am saying this is as someone who loves this kind of thing!

We are now at the stage of the season where we need more than subtly on how this is going, but good solid moments of momentum that we know are part of the ending somehow, even if we still don't have full context. Otherwise I sense the discomfort for viewers in not understanding what is trying to be shown to them will become even more discord.

Right now it feels messy. I've not felt this adrift on the overall plot in previous seasons of Supergirl as I have in this one. Sure we know, nothing is as it seems. We have some puzzle pieces outlining certain things. We know Leviathan are involved. We know Lex has a part to play. We even know Lena has a part to play (you can tell she is looking to take Lex and Lillian down, let alone the other problems with Kara that are nowhere being addressed either). We know Brainy has a part to play. We know the broader strokes. But the middle is still a jumbled mess of pieces that have nothing that looks even remotely like the picture on the box.

I want nothing more than the season to succeed. The earlier half of the season had overall solid views. Since Crisis it has suffered (and let me tell you, if you think SuperCorp can reach across a 200k to 300k drop in viewership *after* the last episode began airing, you are completely blinded by your desire to blame them for everything. It might be a big fandom, but it is nowhere that large. Step back and at least acknowledge that is not logical or feasible).

So. I think they had a great idea, I really do. I think though the length of time to try and make it come to fruition has been detrimental overall.

I truly hope the rest of the season pulls back what it did earlier, and it solidifies the whole season as it reaches its conclusion.

[superredcorp]

SUPERCORP FANFIC

I completely forgot to upload it on tumblr the entire week.

A week had passed quickly which meant Kara needed to go back to work, back to CatCo, since the week off, which she had thankfully been given to care for Lena, was over.

Neither one of them really liked that fact. They had both gotten used to being around each other all day.

Kara didn't like at all that she couldn't constantly watch over Lena anymore and therefore couldn't make sure that she was okay.

And Lena missed the presence of the blonde, the feeling of safety and warmth accompanying her everywhere she went.

However, Kara still came by as often as she could, making the whole thing a lot of easier to bear.

And if she was being honest with herself, a part of Lena actually didn't mind being alone all that much because it gave her time to learn how to be as independent as possible. She didn't want to be limited in any way and she wanted to prove to the world that she wasn't.

At one point, she decided to take a walk because she needed some fresh air.

Over the last days, she had practiced it some more and she was getting better. She didn't get panic attacks anymore and she hadn't gotten hit by a car yet so that was at least something.

And that day, it went well too.

However then someone bumped into her. The angle and the force with which it happened told Lena that this wasn't an accident but entirely on purpose by the person in question.

This time, Lena didn't want to back down. She was still capable of dealing with stuff like this. She had been doing it for two decades.

So she slightly turned into the direction where she guessed the person who bumped into her to be, at least roughly, and loudly exclaimed "Hey!"

The footsteps stopped and after a few seconds, a male voice angrily said: "What? "

"Excuse me, do you have a problem?", Lena said through gritted teeth, unconsciously twirling her cane in her hand, slowly out of repressed anger.

"You Luthors are my problem."

Lena opened her mouth to respond but before she could, a gush of wind and a hard landing of boots on the stone beneath them announced the arrival of a specific superheroine.

"If you had paid any attention to what's happening in the world, you'd know that Lena is nothing like her family. She's good and kind. And she doesn't deserve to be treated like this.", Kara, or well right now Supergirl, said - there was a certain kind of coldness in her voice, entirely foreign for her except for cases like this in which people she loved were being insulted.

The man scoffed. "Must be a cold day in hell... a Super siding with a Luthor. That's pathetic."

Kara furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't judge people by their names. I do judge them by their actions. Right now, I can only see one person who needs to be judged and that's not Lena."

The man shook his head, mumbling incoherently as he stomped away.

Kara narrowed her eyes, thinking for a second about following the man to talk to him further, maybe even somehow convince him but then she shook the feeling off. Some people just couldn't, and didn't want, to see reason.

Kara turned to Lena. "Are you-"

"I could have handled that. On my own. I don't need a babysitter.", Lena said harshly. "I'm not crippled. I can still do things myself, especially dealing with ignorant people. I've done that all my life and it wasn't my eyesight which enabled me to do that."

Kara's eyes widened. "I- I would never suggest anything like that. I- I didn't mean for it to come across like that, Lena, I-", Kara swallowed and frowned. She cleared her throat, trying to stop herself from falling into a stuttering ramble again. "I will always stand up for you. I would have done the same thing before the fire too if I noticed someone harrassing you."

Lena twiddled with her cane. Kara's voice sounded sincere. And of course, Lena knew that she was indeed truthful about what she just said. That there weren't any malicious intentions behind her actions. She had only her best interests at heart. She always had.

Lena sighed deeply. "I- I know. I... I shouldn't have gotten so defensive. I'm sorry. I just... I just want to feel normal."

Kara furrowed her eyebrows and stepped closer. "You are normal, Lena, don't ever think any differently. You're still the brilliant, kind hearted badass you have always been. You don't need your eyesight for that. You're amazing. You've always been and you always will be."

Lena couldn't help the small smile spreading over her lips and the blushing of her cheeks. "Thank you.", she said quietly. "I... I needed to hear that."

"Hey, it's just the truth.", Kara smiled softly. She looked down. "I'll touch your hand, okay?"

Lena thought for a second, then shrugged and said with a smirk: "Why do that when you could just give me one of your incredibly comforting, big bear hugs."

Kara beamed. "Totally agreeing with that. I'm really good at hugs. Come here."

Lena chuckled and let Kara embrace her tightly. She wrapped her arms around her as well, resting her head near the crook of Kara's neck.

She couldn't prevent herself from inhaling Kara's scent. It made her feel even safer, even warmer.

She had found that since she lost one of her sense, sight, her other ones such as hearing and smelling had improved a little. Of course not to superhero level but still noticeable. She hadn't been too surprised by this, she had heard of studies before which proved that the brain rewired itself to compensate for the loss.

And for some reason, Kara's scent had grown to be her favorite, calming her and reassuring her that she wasn't alone in this endless literal darkness.