Brilliant way the past seasons are interweaved to make his story come to life.
20 Reviews
Amazing
suriachalbert30 October 2018
Normally I don't like supergirl that much, a lot of times I only watch it because I watch the other CW shows and find its story the weakest.
This season, I saw early what they wanted to do with aliens and thought it was a great idea, much needed conflict like we haven't seen on this show.
However, last episode was complete political pandering and very weak.
This episode was not.
Sam Witwer was amazing, the story was believable, the conflict from other seasons suddenly felt a hundred times more real and you really felt for the characters. Agent liberty has become my favorite villain in supergirl (wasn't very difficult) in an hour, and may become one of the greats of the CW if they keep it that way.
This is the direction you gotta keep, Supergirl! This was great!
Sam Witwer was amazing, the story was believable, the conflict from other seasons suddenly felt a hundred times more real and you really felt for the characters. Agent liberty has become my favorite villain in supergirl (wasn't very difficult) in an hour, and may become one of the greats of the CW if they keep it that way.
This is the direction you gotta keep, Supergirl! This was great!
Entertaining origin villain story.
cruise0115 June 2019
Supergirl
Episode 4.03 (3.5 out of 5 stars).
The episode spends most of its time of showing the origin story of the villain Agent Liberty. It was a fun and entertaining episode showing how the person became Agent Liberty. And why his hatred towards aliens is strong. What made him the way he is? A great little detail and development of the villain. Sure, the plot of the season was put to the side and slowed down a bit.
The episode spends most of its time of showing the origin story of the villain Agent Liberty. It was a fun and entertaining episode showing how the person became Agent Liberty. And why his hatred towards aliens is strong. What made him the way he is? A great little detail and development of the villain. Sure, the plot of the season was put to the side and slowed down a bit.
A step in the right direction for Supergirl.
Jpollard7430 October 2018
So I see a lot of people complaining that Supergirl is getting too political and too heavy for a superhero show. I don't think that's really a problem. This episode had a lot of ups. Sam Witwer is a tremendously good actor and this episode gave him a lot of time to shine. The way it brought together events from previous seasons was great to see, and Witwer brought a lot of persobality and feeling to the role that really helped you to feel for the issues he was going through.
Overall, I think this episode is a step in the right direction for Supergirl. Is it a little more political than I'd ideally like? Sure. Does it matter? Not really.
Overall, I think this episode is a step in the right direction for Supergirl. Is it a little more political than I'd ideally like? Sure. Does it matter? Not really.
Great origin story
paulstarr-143274 November 2018
I really enjoyed this episode. I will avoid any spoilers, but Sam Witwer is awesome, and the story is engaging and believable. The whole episode is devoted to the original of a key character and it really works. Even movies don't devote this much attention to the real reasons why superheroes or super villains end of up on their chosen path.
How did Supergirl become so dark and amazing?
Sammiboy944 November 2018
An Interesting Idea...
tomatdotcom5 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
There is, at the centre of this episode, a genuinely intriguing idea and a truly effective character study. It even manages them both, for a split second, when Lockwood delivers a speech about progress not necessarily being good for everybody. It's a little skin-deep, but an important moment for his character where he begins to turn slightly from the man we were first introduced to. That was effective. It felt like a natural evolution, a true first step to him becoming the Agent of Liberty.
And then it completely fell apart.
A problem I've always felt Supergirl (the show) has had is that it preaches incredibly thinly veiled metaphors to the choir. Everything in this show is quickly becoming an allegory for our world, complete with winks and nods to us, the knowing and agreeing audience. This isn't a rant about a show being political - hell, I probably agree with the show's writers on everything they're trying to say - but it is a rant about a show being lazy. Ben Lockwood raving in a classroom about immigrants who are literally superhuman and the effect that has on common workers is interesting - how should a society respond to a race of people who are truly, unquestionably superior to them? Ben Lockwood blaming his firing on "snowflake millennials" is lazy.
The immigrant/alien allegory Supergirl has long explored is a fraught one, for many reasons. As Ben highlights, aliens come to his society with a distinct advantage. Immigrants on our own, do not. They are hated for different reasons, but the rhetoric the show uses is all but identical. What I desperately wanted Supergirl to explore was the nuance of prejudice. That's what *fiction* can do. Show me the Agent of Liberty that can only exist in Supergirl's world and use him as a foil for Supergirl to spread her message of hope and peace with. Allow that message to seep through into our world, but for the love of storytelling don't shout it at us.
By making Ben Lockwood a caricature of a modern-day conservative (again, I really can't get over the snowflake comment), you rob him of the chance to be an interesting and actually affecting character. Everything he does now will be in service of condemning a nebulous faction of our own society, a pale reflection of the hatred we have to combat in our world dressed in the laziest of metaphors so that Supergirl can rain down justice and we can cheer her on.
I've been waiting for Supergirl to get a handle on this for a while now, but I'm pretty confident that it's never going to change. This writing is meant only to serve as a cathartic daydream for liberals, where the bad guys are uncompromisingly evil (wink) and the good guys always win. As a liberal with a penchant for daydreaming - I can't think of anything less interesting.
Also, the perfectly abandoned mask right at the end? I mean. Come on guys.
And then it completely fell apart.
A problem I've always felt Supergirl (the show) has had is that it preaches incredibly thinly veiled metaphors to the choir. Everything in this show is quickly becoming an allegory for our world, complete with winks and nods to us, the knowing and agreeing audience. This isn't a rant about a show being political - hell, I probably agree with the show's writers on everything they're trying to say - but it is a rant about a show being lazy. Ben Lockwood raving in a classroom about immigrants who are literally superhuman and the effect that has on common workers is interesting - how should a society respond to a race of people who are truly, unquestionably superior to them? Ben Lockwood blaming his firing on "snowflake millennials" is lazy.
The immigrant/alien allegory Supergirl has long explored is a fraught one, for many reasons. As Ben highlights, aliens come to his society with a distinct advantage. Immigrants on our own, do not. They are hated for different reasons, but the rhetoric the show uses is all but identical. What I desperately wanted Supergirl to explore was the nuance of prejudice. That's what *fiction* can do. Show me the Agent of Liberty that can only exist in Supergirl's world and use him as a foil for Supergirl to spread her message of hope and peace with. Allow that message to seep through into our world, but for the love of storytelling don't shout it at us.
By making Ben Lockwood a caricature of a modern-day conservative (again, I really can't get over the snowflake comment), you rob him of the chance to be an interesting and actually affecting character. Everything he does now will be in service of condemning a nebulous faction of our own society, a pale reflection of the hatred we have to combat in our world dressed in the laziest of metaphors so that Supergirl can rain down justice and we can cheer her on.
I've been waiting for Supergirl to get a handle on this for a while now, but I'm pretty confident that it's never going to change. This writing is meant only to serve as a cathartic daydream for liberals, where the bad guys are uncompromisingly evil (wink) and the good guys always win. As a liberal with a penchant for daydreaming - I can't think of anything less interesting.
Also, the perfectly abandoned mask right at the end? I mean. Come on guys.
impressed!
chloeemg30 October 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Honestly, i love this episode. this season of supergirl may be the most political yet, but they are doing it well. a lot of people who are complaining, are the ones who are uncomfortable with being called out in their hateful behaviour.
the background of what made ben lockwood become agent liberty makes you sympathize and understand how he became who he was without agreeing with him. the flashbacks that included storylines from previous seasons really tied everything together. best week yet.
Well thought out villain
richardguion31 October 2018
I thought this episode was one of the best of any CW superhero show. It's an hour long origin story about Agent Liberty, played very well by Sam Witmer. You really sympathize with his journey from college professor to villain. Also I found myself comparing this episode to an issue of Astro City which often shows the lives of everyday humans affected by superheroes fighting supervillains.
Amazing
sharwansix30 October 2018
I don't understand the negative reviews, they're saying its getting to political? Well it's doing it right and it's not something which we should even relate to honestly, I know we all can see the parallels to our society but then all this getting peachy about alien racism it's all leading up to a great villain, who I honestly really felt like supporting after this episode, it's like the show writers are asking us to pick a side, and that's just amazing, I loved the whole backstory, this was just an amazing experience and without spoiling anything one of the best episodes from the series! 10/10
guy in armor
glstrom-142606 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Man of Steel is Superman, guess that is what they were hoping you would think as you sat excitedly for him to appear. Sorry, just a stereo typical guy who has had every bad break handed to him in the most amazingly outlandish ways (yeah, the fire from aliens fighting only hits and destroys his house, father gets crushed in own steel plant, gets nailed with crazy alien horn...yeah right ). Alex is pretending to be in charge of DEO walking around in her own supersuit while Brainy tries to appear brainy and the star of the show SUPERGIRL is once again incapacitated and gets her a$$ kicked. Hello, the show is called Supergirl, kick butt and take names and stamp out injustice and protect the little guy etc etc. Everyone else is an extra, or should be. If you're going to go political and current events/trendy at least don't make it such an unbelievably simplistic cliche.
Let's get political...
samofnine6 December 2018
I'm curious about how the writers will solve the equivalent of our real world's political situation! It's a great episode on how a strong confident man can be persuaded/broken to root for the opposite of his beliefs. And to the many critics of this episode: It's exactly the same situation as Marvel does with The Gifted or the political situation in the movie Batman vs Superman! As long as the Trumps of this world get their way we shouldn't stop holding the mirror of our world into our faces. WYSIWYG! Next time vote better so your favorite TV show doesn't get political! hehe
Villians are getting better!!!
noblebrooks28 December 2018
Good to see DC taking a page from Marvel. I'm starting to notice a trend in villians getting more shine and better storylines. From the dragon in Arrow, The Thinker in the Flash, and now the new potential that's being shown in agent Liberty. I think these CW superhero shows I only getting better and learning from their past mistakes.
Need a better screen so I could see the MAGA hat
MiketheWhistle1 November 2018
I try to look past a lot of the fake news and now I have to look past agendas in so many shows. Yes, I know Trump and all who don't call him the devil are evil and should be destroyed (taken from a CatCo story).
I just laugh at how deranged so many people get. Just accept that there is such a thing as a 3 legged stool which should be how we view issues, that being two views and perhaps there's a third leg that people can come together about.
This is political propaganda done right (pun not intended)
isabellacheng10 April 2019
For too long this show has been shoving liberal propaganda down the viewers' throat, vilifying villains and their motivations into simple good versus evil. For the first time in this series, a villain is given the proper treatment of a believable backstory, of what it takes to turn a middle class center-left white male into the radical right. White and male, of course. The writers should take notes from this episode, that people who don't agree with your values are also real people, and respect what they must have gone through to arrive at their political leanings.
One excellent quote from the villain is that progress comes at a cost. The people who were left behind, are the cost. Even though Trump technically lost the popular vote, still, practically half of Americans voted for him. They are your cost, of progress. Instead of offering a helping hand and a listening ear, the liberals turn a blind eye to their sufferings and often outright disregard their struggles. If half the population of a country is being left behind by progress, one should rethink what progress means, and how it should be delivered. (Through violent acts of white males against helpless aliens with superpowers and ability to interstellar travel, obviously.)
A famous 2015 survey by PSRAI revealed that 63% Americans didn't have enough savings to deal with a tiny US$500 emergency. Fact. Who could imagine this possible in a developed first-world country? Thrown in the mix are immigrants (aliens) competing for jobs. Even though liberals will bring in other statistics to show immigrants aren't after the same jobs, or at least not in significant numbers, one can't help but wonder what if resources are directed towards uplifting the poor in a country where college education becomes a luxury that costs tens of thousands of dollars, instead of a basic right. It is easier to point fingers at aliens, harder to point fingers at policy makers, and hardest amongst all, to point at oneself for ones inability to adapt to change.
The liberals writers of this show think their values are all progressive and superior. I don't doubt those being good ideals, I am all for equality and gay rights, but frankly I couldn't care less about furthering those ideals when I am working extra shifts without extra pay just to keep my job and barely make ends meet. This is the hardship ordinary Americans have to face every day, not discrimination and inequality. Man I just want to watch a show and relax. If the writers still couldn't see how turning a blind eye on the people's sufferings, and label them simply categorically as the bad guys for fighting back, is the actual cause of a polarized country, despite having written this rare balanced episode, I have nothing to add but God bless America.
One excellent quote from the villain is that progress comes at a cost. The people who were left behind, are the cost. Even though Trump technically lost the popular vote, still, practically half of Americans voted for him. They are your cost, of progress. Instead of offering a helping hand and a listening ear, the liberals turn a blind eye to their sufferings and often outright disregard their struggles. If half the population of a country is being left behind by progress, one should rethink what progress means, and how it should be delivered. (Through violent acts of white males against helpless aliens with superpowers and ability to interstellar travel, obviously.)
A famous 2015 survey by PSRAI revealed that 63% Americans didn't have enough savings to deal with a tiny US$500 emergency. Fact. Who could imagine this possible in a developed first-world country? Thrown in the mix are immigrants (aliens) competing for jobs. Even though liberals will bring in other statistics to show immigrants aren't after the same jobs, or at least not in significant numbers, one can't help but wonder what if resources are directed towards uplifting the poor in a country where college education becomes a luxury that costs tens of thousands of dollars, instead of a basic right. It is easier to point fingers at aliens, harder to point fingers at policy makers, and hardest amongst all, to point at oneself for ones inability to adapt to change.
The liberals writers of this show think their values are all progressive and superior. I don't doubt those being good ideals, I am all for equality and gay rights, but frankly I couldn't care less about furthering those ideals when I am working extra shifts without extra pay just to keep my job and barely make ends meet. This is the hardship ordinary Americans have to face every day, not discrimination and inequality. Man I just want to watch a show and relax. If the writers still couldn't see how turning a blind eye on the people's sufferings, and label them simply categorically as the bad guys for fighting back, is the actual cause of a polarized country, despite having written this rare balanced episode, I have nothing to add but God bless America.
Can we chill out with the politics please
tiny-5601731 October 2018
First of all I watch shows such as this to escape reality, not to be reminded of it. The turmoil in this episode truly duplicates reality, but to an unnecessary extreme. I'll try not to give out spoilers. There are two upsides to this episode (which is why I scored this with a 5 and not a 1). First, I appreciate the even handedness of the story. Jimmy's speech about how CatCo reports all sides of an issue. I wish the ral world media could be journalists again. Lastly, the final scene was worth the watch.
Is it weird that this is my favorite
kath_902 November 2021
Don't want to sound prejudiced but it seems as if the first episode not starring supergirl or one of the good guys is the first one I think the acting is above average... This episode intrigues me because it shows a genuine initially non bias character, building up animosity through the years and you somehow get his motivation...
Finally stoped watching supergirl
confidential-6789729 October 2018
I love the arrow verse on CW, but supergirl has just become way to political, and it's getting worse in each new episode. Just can't watch this anymore. People tune in for a fun superhero tv show, and not a liberal party political broadcast
Fiction often comments on reality, but. . .
jp757030 October 2018
Using fiction to comment on reality and society at-large is an age-old device. It's been going on for centuries, and certainly comic books didn't invent this approach.
But sadly, the same week we see the rise of an anti-alien vigilante and what motivated him SG was the same week that a serial bomber was stopped in his tracks as well as the tragedy in Pittsburgh. Both perpetrators thought they were protecting what they felt was being invaded by outsiders. Sounds a lot like the story line in this episode.
Sadly, too, was the use of much of the same hateful language and rhetoric espoused by those two above individuals. The writers couldn't have known it at the tine, but the events that unfolded the very same week made it an unfortunate coincidence. DC (as well as Marvel and all of the comic book universe) can do much good by exposing hatred and racism for the evil that it is. But humanizing it in the form of the character "Agent Liberty" was poorly timed during this horrible week.
It is too late now to change the arc of the season, since many of these episodes are already in the can. But the producers are exhibiting insensitivity and poor taste following this plot line, given the current political climate. Politics can still be part of the story, but putting it front and center feel forced, wrong, and quite frankly, lazy on the part of the writers.
But sadly, the same week we see the rise of an anti-alien vigilante and what motivated him SG was the same week that a serial bomber was stopped in his tracks as well as the tragedy in Pittsburgh. Both perpetrators thought they were protecting what they felt was being invaded by outsiders. Sounds a lot like the story line in this episode.
Sadly, too, was the use of much of the same hateful language and rhetoric espoused by those two above individuals. The writers couldn't have known it at the tine, but the events that unfolded the very same week made it an unfortunate coincidence. DC (as well as Marvel and all of the comic book universe) can do much good by exposing hatred and racism for the evil that it is. But humanizing it in the form of the character "Agent Liberty" was poorly timed during this horrible week.
It is too late now to change the arc of the season, since many of these episodes are already in the can. But the producers are exhibiting insensitivity and poor taste following this plot line, given the current political climate. Politics can still be part of the story, but putting it front and center feel forced, wrong, and quite frankly, lazy on the part of the writers.
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