Blood Bonds
| "Blood Bonds" | |
|---|---|
| Supergirl episode | |
| Episode no. |
Season 1 Episode 9 |
| Directed by | Steve Shill |
| Written by |
Ted Sullivan Derek Simon |
| Production code | 4X7609 |
| Original air date | January 4, 2016 |
| Guest actors | |
| |
"Blood Bonds" is the ninth episode in the first season of the CBS television series Supergirl, which aired on January 4, 2016. It was written by Ted Sullivan and Derek Simon, and directed by Steve Shill. The episode centers on Kara's attempt to rescue Hank from Non after she captures Aunt Astra that leads to a tradeoff and a question of who they can trust, while Cat Grant attempts to refute Kara's claim that she is not Supergirl.
Plot
At Lord Technologies, Non fights Kara for the first time, after a few swift blows they fall to the ground, then Non grabs Kara by the neck lifting her so easily. As Kara is helpless Hank tries to intervene in the fight but is abducted by Non. Maxwell orders the DEO to leave and refuses to reveal what the Kryptonians might have been looking for; he later makes a public statement blaming the attack on corporate esponage. At DEO headquarters, Hank's secret emergency protocols reveal that Alex is his designated successor. Kara asks Astra where Non took Hank, but she refuses to divulge anything. Astra emphasizes that Kara has chosen sides against her.
Kara tells James and Winn that Cat believes her to be Supergirl, a premise Cat continues to explore through various challenges to Kara's identity. Non contacts the DEO while Kara is present, offering to trade Hank for Astra. Alex agrees, but is countermanded by General Lane, who has been put in charge of the DEO by a presidential order. James tries to investigate at Lord Technologies; his suspicions are raised by his observations of the damage to the facility, but Maxwell orders him off the premises.
At Astra's headquarters, Non kills a mind reading alien who finds Hank impervious to his abilities. At the DEO, Sam interrogates Astra by torturing her with a kryptonite injection, to Kara's horror and over her strenuous objections. James tells Kara that he has no leads on what Maxwell was hiding, but Winn later confronts James, who admits that he does have a line of investigation. Winn agrees to help bypass Maxwell's security systems; James successfully infiltrates the building, but is stopped by a biometric lock and then caught by Maxwell and his security force, who beat up James and throw him out. Astra reveals Hank's supposed location, but it's a trap; Kara saves Alex and a soldier from an explosion.
Cat decides that Supergirl's energies are wasted on the pretense of being an errand girl; if Kara can't prove that she isn't Supergirl, Cat will fire her. Later, Kara thanks Cat for the opportunity to work with her and resigns, explaining that Cat's suspicions make it impossible for her to do her job. Kara then discovers James' injuries and declares she will go after Maxwell. Winn notes that she is talking like Astra, and instead needs to let him and James investigate and find another way to expose Maxwell. Kara visits Astra and asks to hear the truth; Astra reveals that Alura believed Astra's claims about the planetary crisis, and sentenced Astra on the basis of her crimes, without losing faith in her. Astra favorably likens Kara to Alura, and tells her that going through with the exchange is the only way to rescue Hank. Kara decides to do so, but General Lane threatens to stop her by force. However, he is unable to follow through when the soldiers follow the lead of their fellow whom Supergirl rescued, who refuses to act against her. The trade is made, but then Non springs an ambush; however, Astra calls off the attack, demanding that a reluctant Non honor the agreement, though it is not a truce.
At CatCo, Hank uses his shapeshifting ability to impersonate Supergirl so that Cat can see her and Kara at the same time. Cat accepts that she must have been wrong, and offers Kara her job back on the condition that she not reveal Cat's embarrassing mistake. Hank offers Kara a full-time job at the DEO, but she tells him that her relationships at CatCo are what humanizes her. She has an online chat with Superman, who offers her emotional support, and assistance if she ever needs it. He reiterates a Kryptonian proverb that has been a motif throughout the episode: "Blood bonds us all," referring to all Kryptonians but by extension all sapient life. James, Winn, and Kara commit to stopping Maxwell.
At Room 52 of the secret facility inside Lord Technologies, Maxwell checks on a test subject, a young blonde woman who apparently died from brain trauma. She opens her eyes, revealing them to be entirely black.
Reception
Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly noted: "What separates us from them? Who’s the us, and who is the them? Are we more alike than it seems at first? These are some of the questions that Supergirl touches on in tonight’s episode, which finds Kara incredibly stressed out in the face of all of these mounting odds. All of this pressure tests Kara’s resolve to continue embodying “the best of us.” "[1]
Cliff Wheatley of IGN gave the episode a 5.2, saying “Blood Bonds” tackles some of the more interesting subject matter of the series thus far, forcing Kara to confront her ties to her only remaining family with her sense of justice, but ultimately it’s a scattershot episode that peters out pretty quickly. The villains lack dimension and reversing the decision on Cat’s discovery feels like a step backward rather than an interesting story choice. While there was still some charm to be had from the CatCo crew, this episode was a definite dud.[2]
Stacy Glanzman of TV Fanatic gave the episode a 4.0 out of 5 stars.[3]
References
- ↑ "Supergirl: Blood Bonds" from Entertainment Weekly (January 4, 2016)
- ↑ Wheatley, Cliff (January 4, 2016). "SUPERGIRL: "Blood Bonds" REVIEW". IGN. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
- ↑ "Supergirl Season 1 Episode 9 Review: Blood Bonds" from TV Fanatic (January 4, 2016)