Supergirl Episode Guide: Season 5, Episode 12 - Back from the Future - Part Two

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.




Plot

The alternate universe Toyman returns, in the form of a sentient computer virus who takes control of the DEO. With every piece of smart electronics in the building a new toy to play with, Alex has her hands full even before Lex Luthor limits her ability to do her job. Meanwhile, Kara must help Winn confront his greatest fear when they discover the original Toyman has been resurrected as an AI as well and Brainiac-5 must decide where his loyalties lie, as he is forced to make a choice regarding Lex's latest secret order.


Influences

The Back To The Future films (the title, the Doc Brown quote at the end), 1990s hacker sci-fi in general (all the technobabble) and Ghost In The Machine.


Goofs

One major plot-point of the episode is that Alex doesn't recall what's in the DEO's arsenal post-Crisis, as they are items Lex Luthor put in there she doesn't know about (such as Lexo-Suits) and items that aren't there, such as the Kryptonite Protective vest Supergirl wore in Season 1. Ignoring that Alex is the sort of meticulous person who would keep track of this sort of thing, this contradicts what we understood regarding the memories of everyone on the Super Friends and how they are supposed to remember their lives Pre-Crisis and Post-Crisis.

How did Toyman get flying monkey drone toys into the DEO before he became an AI?

The CGI for the flying monkey drones is terrible.


Performances

A year ago, Arrowverse fans were protesting the idea that Jon Cryer, best known for his work as a comedic actor, could ever play Lex Luthor. Now he's easily the best thing about this episode, despite being forced to deliver some clunky exposition to justify the contrived story.


Super Trivia

Winn says that he was given the call-sign Computer Lad by his brother-in-law, who is also a Legion of Super-Heroes member. This is probably Garth Ranzz aka Lightning Lad or Live Wire, based on the fact that Winn's wife is named Ayla - a likely nod to Lightning Lass Ayla Ranzz.

Winn makes reference to Lightning Lass being a Legion member, along with a hero called Chemical King. In the comics, Chemical King is the call-sign of Condo Arlik; a native of the planet Phlon or Valdow. He possessed the metahuman ability to speed up or slowdown chemical reactions. Plagued with self-doubt due to the situational nature of his powers, he appeared in few stories after his first appearance and later died a hero's death averting World War VII.

When distracting the Lexo-Suits, Brainiac-5 shouts the words "Leeroy Jenkins!" This is a reference to a video featuring a now infamous World of Warcraft player, who ruined an meticulous plan by charging into battle while shouting his name. This turned Leeroy into a meme and a gaming legend, though it is now claimed the video was meant to be a satire of idiot MMORPG players rather than an honest video of one player's recklessness.

In the scene before Winn returns to the fiuture, he quotes Doc Brown from Back to the Future and dons a pair of sunglasses like those Doc Brown wore when he returned from the future at the end of Back To The Future 2.


Technobabble

Winslow Schott Sr. attempted to develop an artificial intelligence based on his own mind. His goal was to achieve hyper consciousness - a form of virtual immortality brought about by putting his mind onto the World Wide Web.

Item 906016 in the DEO vault is the Obsidian Tech Platinum lenses worn by Toyman II before his death. These are later determined to be what he used to download his mind into a laptop.

Winn says that he can reverse engineer his father's original AI code into a kill-code for the Toyman II AI.

Brainiac-5 is able to use a virtual lid to push Toyman down to the server level from the DEO Command Center.

The servers for the DEO's computers are located on top of their headquarters' power core. If something happens to the servers, it will destroy the core and all life within a three-mile radius.

The command console in the DEO headquarters has an old-fashioned rotary phone. Lex Luthor has the number to it.

In the post-Crisis reality, the internal defenses of the DEO have Kryptonite safeguards, designed by Lex Luthor himself, which cannot be deactivated. These were installed after two separate attempts by hostile Kryptonians to take over the world. This prevents Supergirl from disabling all the weapons inside the DEO at super speed and gathering up all the electronics that could be used by Toyman as potential weapons.

Lex confirms that the anti-Kryptonite technology utilized by the DEO to protect Supergirl pre-Crisis does not exist in the post-Crisis Earth-Prime.

According to Kelly Olsen, the Bio-Link on the Obsidian North Platinum lenses still isn't working perfectly. While eating virtually still provides the body with nutrients, the interface is hyper-stimulating the body's sensory reaction into a kind of toxic shock. This causes Andrea Rojas to have an allergic reaction to the virtual lobster she is eating, despite not normally being allergic to lobster.

Luthor Corp's been working with the Pentagon on a new neural interface and just developed a special processor that regulates Bio-Linking across a wide spectrum. Lena claims it has completely eliminated the feedback loop and eliminated most of the side effects.

Brainiac-5 prepares a Van Eck radiation scanner that has been delinked from the DEO network. He claims that it can distinguish between normal server radiation and abnormal radiation, which will enable them to locate the server holding Toyman's digital form.

Project Non Nocere is complete, save for field testing on the algorithm. To do that, Lena says she needs a distribution device capable of connecting with several minds at once.

Winn says the Toyman AI is based on Premack's theory of the mind.

Winn has 31st Century technology that lets him enter computers through a VR interface.

J'onn has Martian eavesdropping technology which he offers to Alex to spy on Lex Luthor.


Dialogue Triumphs

(Evil laughter comes from the big screens of the DEO Command Center. Toyman appears in the middle of the screen.)
Toyman II: Don't you guys know it's rude to talk about someone behind their back?
Supergirl: Toyman?
Alex: Okay, tell me this is a video, guys.
Toyman II:  Oh, no, I am everything I used to be, but electronic and immortal. Now, lower the DEO's firewall to the World Wide Web, or I will use all of your toys to kill you!

(Lex offers Lena a coffee cup.)
Lex: Doppio espresso. To cheer you up?
Lena: What makes you think I need cheering up?
Lex: Well, you're trying to advance your grand project. The Q-waves from the archive cube had helped, but the next step remains... elusive.
Lena: (dryly) A Lex who cares about the emotional state of others? This really is a whole new world.
Lex: I care because your goals are my goals.
Lena: Ah, it does always come back to you, doesn't it?
(Lex shrugs his head, conceding the point.) 

Lex: Perhaps there's something I can do?
Lena: I don't need anyone murdered, Lex.
Lex: (protesting) I have other skill sets!

(Winn explains his decision to take up the Toyman codename as a Legion member.)
Winn:  You know, that name has always haunted me. But now after having faced my father... He told me that I was better than him. And he was right. So I'm gonna reclaim that name. And make it stand for good. Hey, it's like the Doctor said, "The future is whatever you want" (Christopher Lloyd impression) "So make it a good one. "


Dialogue Disasters

(Alex explains her plan to have Supergirl fly all the weapons and technology out of the DEO.)
Alex: I know it's a risk, but if anyone can do the job, it's her.
Lex: But she can't. In case you've forgotten, rogue Kryptonians have attacked our planet before. The DEO has Kryptonite safeguards in place, and, no, they cannot be disabled.
Alex: Well, we have anti-Kryptonite technology to protect her.
Lex: I think you're remembering that from another time. Another Earth, perhaps?


Continuity

Winn is remaining in the past while the Legion ship recharges.

According to Brainiac-5, every Legion of Super-Heroes member is given a unique call-sign before they don their first uniform. Winn seems to have been an exception to this policy, however, as everyone began calling him Computer Lad as a joke, despite him being a uniform-wearing Legion member.

William Dey loves karaoke and claims to be famous for his rendition of "Africa" by Toto.

Despite knowing Lex Luthor snuck aboard the Legion ship, Winn could find no sign of what he was after.

Alex is spying on Lex through her computer.

Brainiac-5 gives Lex a file on Gemma Cooper.

Lex knows that Alex is spying on him, but is letting her think he doesn't know for now.

Lex seems to suspect that Toyman will resurrect himself as an AI and asks Brainiac-5 if they've had any technical problems just before the AI attacks him with the DEO's drones.

William asks Kara out on a date. However, before she can answer, Winn interrupts and tells Kara that she and Alex need to go check on her grandmother.

Winn recognizes the music that Toyman plays through the DEO comms as a song his father listened to all the time while in his workshop.

Brainiac-5 figures out that Luthor suspected Toyman had become an AI.

Lex asks Brainiac-5 to copy the Toyman AI code for him. He freely admits he might consider using it to make himself into an immortal AI, but says it is only to negate the one advantage Leviathan has over him.

Andrea Rojas is not normally allergic to lobster.

Lena offers LuthorCorp's neural interface to Obsidian North, but Andrea rejects the offer.

Brainiac-5 tells Winn he didn't know that Lex was going to allow the Toyman AI to infect the DEO computers. Winn believes him and chooses to trust him when he says he has things under control.

The idea for the Toyman AI originally came from Winn, who had thought of finding a way to play video games from the inside.

Alex divides the DEO swing-shift into three groups; one to pop the chips out of every smart gun, one to do the same with all the communication tech and one to delink everything else.

The AI based on the original Toyman is only 80% complete.

Lex approaches Gemma Cooper and offers his resources to Obsidian North.

Lex describes Gemma Cooper as a renowned computer scientist with excellent taste in wine, horses, and business opportunities.

Kara refers to J'onn and Malefics feud in the early part of Season 5.

Alex catches Brainiac-5 logged into her account. He lies and says he was trying to save her from being caught by Lex.

Alex suspects that Brainiac-5 has some kind of secret plan he's hiding from the rest of the team.

Gemma Cooper tells Andrea Rojas to accept Lena's offer, despite her misgivings over working with her.

The DEO now has Lexo-Suits. For some reason, Alex was unaware of this.

Winn frees the Toyman AI to help him fight his doppelganger. To Winn's surprise, he is true to his word, and doesn't try to escape the computer himself.

The Toyman AI says he is proud of Winn, having read about what he's done as a hero in the DEO files.

Winn deletes both Toyman AIs.

Lex is able to hack the security measures on Lena's private lab.

Lena admits that she's responsible for hacking Obsidian Tech Platinum and introducing the glitch to the Bio-Link.

Lex tells Lena about how he manipulated Andrea by making contact with Gemma Cooper.

Gemma knows Lex manipulated her but she is also manipulating the Luthors to be right where she wants them.

Gemma tells Margot (the old lady agent last seen in 508) to report to The Ancient One leading Leviathan that the Luthors are right where they want them.

Alex quits the DEO,saying that she can't fake being nice to Lex Luthor with his micromanaging her every move any more.

It is unclear how Alex is going to make ends meet, but J'onn offers to let her help him run The Tower in the meantime.

On her way out of the DEO, Alex takes as much Kryptonite as she can, including the Lexosuits. J'onn says he can dispose of it by shooting it into the sun.

Alex suggests Brainiac-5 quit the DEO, but he says that the same logic that dictates she leave before blowing their cover also says he must stay so they have eyes and ears on Les's scheming.

Winn decides to adopt the Toyman name, intending to build his own legacy around it in the 31st Century.

Winn tells Kara things will get better with Lena, while not giving her the details of how things go in the future.

Winn also suggests that Kara give a date with William Dey a chance, saying that she doesn't need to start the relationship by basing it on a lie.

William gives Kara a puzzle for her sick grandmother.

Kara turns William down for the date, saying she doesn't feel that way about him. In truth, she couldn't bear to start off with a lie involving her grandmother coloring their first date after everything that went wrong because of her lying to Lena.

Brainiac-5 gives the Toyman AI code to Lex.

Lex makes Brainiac-5 Director of the DEO.

Mr. Mxyzptlk, last seen in 213, makes an appearance at the end of the episode.


The Fridge Factor

Alex really doesn't come off well in this episode. Even if she did have her memories messed up by Crisis, it seems really out of character for her not to have made herself aware of what DEO policies changed as a result of Lex taking over.


The Bottom Line

A definite step-down from Part One, made tolerable only because of Jeremy Jordan's charm and Jon Cryer's smarm. You can tell from the CGI that the budget for this season definitely went toward Crisis and Alex's spotty memory indicates there was no discussion between the various show-runners as to what the rules regarding various aspects of the Arrowverse should be. It would be a decent filler episode, but all the major world-changing elements that get unveiled (i.e. Alex quitting the DEO, there being Kryptonite on Earth again) seem like an afterthought relative to the rest of the episode.

Supergirl Episode Guide: Season 3, Episode 14 - Schott Through The Heart

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here. 



Plot

In the wake of his father's death, Winn Schott must work with his estranged mother to thwart the plans of a copycat Toyman. Meanwhile, Alex accidentally discovered a stunning secret about J'onn's father.


Influences

The 1939 film The Wizard of Oz (The "Surrender Mary" sky-writing and robot flying monkeys), The Flash comics of The Silver Age (mention of Wiggins Toys) and multiple classic Superman comics involving The Legion of Superheroes and Toyman.


Goofs

How does James not break his hand punching the metal flying monkey?

Granting that an army of flying robot monkeys is not the sort of thing one can easily prepare for, one would think The DEO would have some kind of defenses to stop something from just flying in through their front door.  Or, at least, that once something had flown in through the front door, that they might have trained agents with weapons at the ready to deal with said thing that had flown in through the window.

The conversation about why J'onn continues to live the life of a black man in America when he could shapeshift into anyone, while well-written, is incredibly awkward in its placement and grinds the pace of the episode to a halt.

While The DEO may not have armed guards ready to spring into action at a moment's notice, they do have extensive armories that are not locked and do not require a passkey, retinal scan or any sort of technology that would prevent someone from just walking in and picking up a gun, as Mary Schott does.


Performances

Mehcad Brooks and Jeremy Jordan don't always get a chance to shine in this series, much less get a chance to play an understated scene. Yet the scene in which James refuses to leave Winn alone after he leaves the bar after seeing the news report about his father's death as well as the scene in which James opens up about his own mommy issues shows that both actors can play a quiet scene just as well as they can play the action hero and the comic relief respectively.

While Carl Lumbly does not get much time to play the increasingly demented M'yrnn, he does so convincingly and his sudden mood swing when Alex approaches him about seeking help is true to life, as is M'yrnn's denial of his condition because he does not wish to burden his family.


Artistry

Though the CGI for the robot dinosaur is hardly fantastic, the fight sequence between it and Mon-El is amazing.


Super Trivia

The title of this episode is a pun on the title of a 1986 Bon Jovi song - "Shot Through The Heart".

The song Kara sings at Karaoke is Beastie Boys' song "Intergalactic Planetary" - appropriate enough for an alien with a goofy personality.

The song James sings is "Tears Away" - the debut single of James Olsen actor Mehcad Brooks. You can listen to it here.

The song Alex sings is "I Drove All Night" by Celine Dion. An appropriate choice given Alex's recent heartache, given that the song is about wanting to be with someone despite the distance - physical and emotional - between you and them.

The song J'onn sings is "So Emotional" by Whitney Houston. Given J'onn's recent attempts to open up more in the wake of his father's arrival on Earth, this too seems fitting.

The song M'yrnn sings is "Suspicion Minds" by Elvis Presley - a fitting choice given that it's about love and paranoia, which describes M'yrnn's state of mind after centuries of torture at the hands of White Martians only to be saved by the son he thought was dead. It also neatly foreshadows his paranoia at having his dementia discovered.

Mon-El confirms that the DCTVU version of Saturn Girl is only telekinetic, not telepathic. In the original comics, Imra was primarily a telepath who later gained the ability to move things with her mind.

The song Winn is planning to sing is a-ha's "Take On Me". A bouncy, happy song about wanting to be hugged before someone leaves you.Definitely fits Winn's personality and, fittingly, he sings it with his mom at the episode's end.

It is revealed that Mary and Winslow Schott were both students in Ivy Town. This is a nod to Ivy Town - a fictional college town in the DC Comics Universe, where Ray Palmer was a professor at Ivy University.

The parts used to make the flying monkeys that attack Mary and Winn are eventually traced to the Willard Walter Wiggins Game Company. In the original DC Comics, Wiggins Toys was the name of a toy and game company, run by Willard Walter Wiggins, which employed George "Digger" Harkness as a mascot for their line of boomerang toys. They billed Harkness as Captain Boomerang before Harkness turned to a life of crime and began fighting The Flash.

Mary refers to her captor as Buffalo Bill - a reference to the serial killer from The Silence of The Lambs. This is a double reference as the actress playing Toyman's apprentice - Brooke Smith - was one of Buffalo Bill's kidnapping victims in the movie.

The RC cars carrying explosives seem to be a nod to the "Beware The Grey Ghost" episode of Batman: The Animated Series which was based around a villain, similar to The Toyman, who used toys as a delivery system for explosives.

Though not identified by name in the episode, the episode credits name Toyman's apprentice as Jacqueline Nimball. This is a nod to Jack Nimball - the second Toyman in the classic Superman comics - who took up Winslow Schott's name and gimmicks when the original Toyman had reformed. Kimball would eventually be brought to justice when Schott and Superman joined forces, only to be murdered by Winslow Schott when he returned to a life of crime.

Mon-El sings "Carry On My Wayward Son" by Kansas - a song about a man searching for meaning in his life after realizing how little he knows and how much time he wasted pretending to be something he isn't. Again, a fitting choice for Mon-El.

A passing reference is made to the planet Rimbor, when Mon-El says his regular Legion costume was damaged there. In the original comics, Rimbor was part of the United Planets in the Legion of Super Heroes books. Rimbor had a reputation as a lawless world where crime and corruption were commonplace. It was the homeworld of LoSH member Ultra Boy and was populated by several different species, including humans.


Technobabble

J'onn suggests running a full mass-spectrometry on the explosive residue from Toyman's exploding coffin.

Za-alet is a Martian condition similar to dementia in humans. It translates literally into English as "decay of memory." It causes a person to slowly forget words, why they walked into a room and eventually people.


Dialogue Triumphs

(Kara stares down a line of people including James, Alex, J'onn, M'yrnn and Winn. She walks down them like a drill sergeant, her tone serious.)
Kara: I know some of you are scared. I know some of you have never done this before. I know some of you are ready to get out there and prove yourselves. But just remember why we do this. We do this for the people!
(Winn smiles and holds up a microphone, which Kara takes as she returns the smile.)
(Cut to: A Karaoke Bar. Kara is on stage singing Beastie Boys' "Intergalactic Planetary.")

M'yrnn: Karaoke is not for the weak. It requires either great courage or a complete lack of shame! But I like it!

Winn: Let me set the scene for you. It's the night Dad finally snapped and I'm sitting in the police station, freezing cold, because I'm in my pajamas. When the police came to pick me up from home, I was asleep. Remember? In bed. Alone. And the nice officer, he drapes the coat over my shoulders. I feel a little better. So I'm sitting there, in the cold, little feet are dangling in the air and I'm waiting. I'm waiting for my mom to pick me up. 'Cause they said that they called you. Yeah. Yeah, they said that it was just going to be like, an hour. And then they'd explain everything. And then it was two hours. And then it was the next morning. (grits his teeth) When I lie in bed at night at night, staring up at the ceiling unable to sleep? I'm not wondering why Dad finally, suddenly snapped. No, that doesn't haunt me. What haunts me is you. You, who left me. When I needed you the most, with no explanation. No goodbye.
Mary: I'm so sorry!
Winn:  I don't care anymore
Mary: Winn...
Winn: I don't need your excuses. You want to keep me safe? Great.
(Winn walks to the door and holds it open.)
Winn: You know what you should do? Leave. Again.

Mary: I always knew he was brilliant and capable but I worried when I left that he'd go the same way his dad did.
Supergirl: He worried about that too.
Mary: I should have been here to tell him that he and his father were worlds apart. (pauses) Did his friends tell him?
Supergirl: We did.
Mary: Thank you for that.
Supergirl: Well, it was easy. He doesn't always get the credit, but he keeps us going around here. He's always the one with some crazy idea that no one else would possibly dream of.
Mary: (chuckling, shaking her head) My son works with Supergirl. It's just such a relief. He saves lives. I just wish he'd let me tell me how proud I am of him.
Supergirl: I think he will. Eventually.


Continuity

James tells Mon-El that he is interested in someone (Lena Luthor) but they haven't figured out where their relationship stands yet.

Alex has not seen J'onn and M'yrnn's new apartment yet.

It has been three months since J'on and M'yrnn moved in together.

Winn has not seen his mother, Mary Schott, in 20 years.

Mon-El apologies to Kara for every time he ever lied to her while they were dating.

Mon-El then confesses to Kara that Saturn Girl and Brainiac 5 lied to him about some big Legion business and that he wants to discuss it with Kara later, over drinks, once everything with Winn and his father is settled.

Mon-El says that Brainiac 5 is his best friend.

Mary Schott claims that she left her husband because he threatened to kill Winn if she ever made contact with him or came near him.

Winn claims that he was far more traumatized by his mother failing to come for him following his father's arrest than by his father's crimes.

James has a sister.

James says that he had a falling out with his mother after his father's death, but he eventually reconciled with her.

Alex's grandmother was a music lover who suffered from dementia.

M'yrnn is starting to show signs of dementia. Over the course of the episode, he forgets that he had two granddaughters on Mars, orders a pizza on the night Alex and J'onn are having a dinner party and forgets the word "wine" while in the middle of dinner.

M'yrnn refuses to burden J'onn with the knowledge that he is starting to go senile, despite Alex saying J'onn should know.

Mary Schott helped her husband with building his toys early on, acting as his apprentice.

Mary and Winslow Schott were both students in Ivy Town but they met at a toy store. Mary was the bookeeper and Winslow a stocker.

Mary Schott recalls an incident where she planned to take a nine-year-old Winn to Disneyland. In truth, she was trying to make a break for a women's shelter. She was run off the road by Winslow Schott, who stole a car, ran her off the road (resulting in Winn getting a concussion) and that was when he threatened to kill Winn if she didn't leave.

Lena is not answering James' phone calls or messages and hasn't shown up to work in several days according to her assistant. This suggests that Lena has gone into hiding to help Sam in the wake of Lena discovering that Sam is Reign in 313.

The culprit behind the flying monkeys and exploding casket is revealed to be a maintenance woman at the prison where Winslow Schott was held. He taught her everything he knew and charged her with getting revenge on Schott's wife and son after his death.

This episode confirms that Kara needs to breath like an ordinary human, as she begins to suffocate after being sealed inside a giant plastic toy box.

Mon-El has trained in the art of cape-fighting. His Legion costume in the future has a cape. He offers to teach the art to Kara.

Mon-El cannot sing.

Winn reconciles with his mother.

Kara says that she can't talk about Mon-El's feelings of betrayal being lied to by Saturn Girl given their history.  Mon-El understands, but explains that was not why he wanted to talk to her privately about his being lied to.

Mon-El reveals to Kara that The Legion's real mission was to go back in time and kill the third Worldkiller - Pestilence - before she evolves into The Blight (first mentioned in 310) in 1000 years time.

Mon-El says his old costume was damaged om Rimbor.

M'yrnn's favorite food on Earth is ghost pepper macaroni and cheese with a side of jalapeno peppers.

M'yrnn reveals the truth about his dementia to J'onn.

Lena calls James from a lab, saying that she and Sam have been busy working. The episode ends as we see Sam in a hospital bed in Lena's lab.


The Kryptonite Factor

Security at the DEO is made to look really lax, with the flying monkey robots able to get into the building no problem and Mary Schott having no trouble in stealing a gun from the armory so she can go confront Jacqueline Nimball alone.


The Bottom Line

An odd episode to come back to after the show was on hiatus for the better part of two months. Still, the performances manage to sell some dopey dialogue, though it's odd that Laurie Metcalf has the least amount of chemistry with Jeremy Jordan out of all the cast she interacts with. The plot with the new Toywoman is the weakest link in the story.

Thankfully, the writers seem to be aware of this and use all the other subplots to distract away from that, even though there's a lot of logic problems involving the lax security at the DEO and why J'onn throws a dinner party with only Alex being invited. Still, it's an enjoyable bit of filler... probably because this episode is almost entirely free of the nonsense involving The Worldkillers.

Supergirl Episode Guide: Season 1, Episode 10 - Childish Things

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.



Plot

Winn's father - the mad killer known as The Toyman - breaks out of prison, determined to win back his son's love. Kara must work double duty to protect Winn from his father and from an FBI agent who seems determined to prove that Winn is somehow involved with his father's escape. At the same time Cat offers Lucy Lane a job as her lawyer and Alex tries to persuade a reluctant J'onn to use his powers to infiltrate Lord Technologies.


Influences

Superman: The Animated Series (The existence of a Winslow Schott Jr. and Sr.), The Sterling Gates run of Supergirl (Toyman having a son who uphold his father's legacy), Chase (the presence of Cameron Chase as a character), various Martian Manhunter comics and various Superman comics involving The Toyman.


Goofs

It seems like Lucy Lane resigning her position as a JAG to take on a job working for CatCo is far easier than it should be. Doesn't she have to complete her current enlistment?  And that's ignoring that Lucy - who has been portrayed as a total Daddy's Girl thus far - doesn't seem to consider how her father the General is going to react to losing his legal attache!

When Kara saves the crowd at the Toy Convention, there only seems to be one big explosion rather than 10 small ones and the explosions don't seem to do much damage to the hall apart from knocking down the ice wall Kara builds to protect the crowd.


Performances

Henry Czerny turns in a remarkable performance as The Toyman. Given how manic the character is usually portrayed in other media, Czerny's understated performance is surprisingly effective. He really seems like he could be nice, grandfatherly sort of man... right up he casually starts talking about how easy it is to kidnap a small child by offering them a toy and killing hundreds of people like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Jeremy Jordan has not been given much to do on the show as Winn, beyond being the comic relief. What few efforts have been made to give him a personality beyond hopelessly crushing on Kara have only served to make him look like a creepy stalker. With this episode however, some level of pathos kicks in and suddenly Winn becomes a much more sympathetic figure as he talks about how he sees the same cowardice and anger that drove his father to murder in himself and how he is trying very hard not to give into those same feelings. And his declaration of love for Kara near the episode's end comes off as truly sincere rather than the confused ramblings of a fanboy who doesn't understand boundaries.


Artistry

The opening scene of Kara and J'onn flying together and Kara laughing is everything this show should be.

The cinematography and set design as Winn enters the abandoned arcade are top-notch.

Everything about the scene where Supergirl confronts Toyman. The acting and direction are brilliant but the best aspect of all is the writing. It shows The Toyman to be a clever and dangerous enemy who was able to contrive a surprisingly effective and logical trap for killing Supergirl sans Kryptonite with little time and resources to work with.  It also shows Kara's own intelligence and compassion, as she uses her brains to escape the trap but also works to save an endangered child before acting to save herself.


Super Trivia

The Toyman is one of Superman's oldest and most infamous enemies, first appearing in Action Comics #64. Originally Winslow Schott was one of many villainous madmen at DC Comics who used toys and games in his crimes, comparable to The Joker in the Batman comics and The Trickster in The Flash.  As time went by, he became more unstable and more violent, even during the pre-Crisis age.

Following Crisis on Infinite Earths, The Toyman was revamped into a much darker character, being a kidnapper and possible pedophile. He went on to murder Cat Grant's son.

The Sterling Gates run on Supergirl introduced a new villain - The Dollmaker - who revealed himself to be Anton Schott, The Toyman's long-abandoned son. Abandoned by his mother after she left his infamous father, Anton became obsessed with Cat Grant and wanted her to be his new mommy, allowing him to replace the son his father had taken away from her.

In Superman: The Animated Series, the Toyman was a man named Winslow Schott Jr. His father, Winslow Schott Sr., had been a toy maker who was framed for a crime by Intergang leader Bruno Mannheim. Blaming Mannheim for his lost childhood, as Junior cycled through a series of abusive foster homes, The Toyman set about using toy-based weaponry to seek revenge on Manheim and Superman, after the later stopped his earliest attempts at assassination.

The DCTVU version of Toyman combines little elements of all of these versions, primarily the animated series version. Indeed, he references seeking revenge for causing his son to lose his childhood and plots to make Winn into a killer, just like him - one way or another.

Toyman is held in the Van Kell Maximum Security Facility. In the DC Comics universe, the Van Kell Maxium Security Facility is a prison for meta-humans outside of Metropolis.

The FBI Special Agent in charge of bringing Toyman back into custody is named Cameron Chase. In the DC Comics Universe, Cameron Chase was a former private investigator turned DEO Agent.

The DCTVU version of Cameron Chase has little in common with her comics counterpart thus far, apart from being judgmental and quick to assume the worst of people. The comics version was the daughter of a superhero and had an ill-explored power that allowed her to negate the powers of other metahumans. It is worth noting, however, that the comics version of Cameron Chase did have an odd relationship with the Martian Manhunter, having apparently been saved by him as a child. This may be built upon in future episodes.

In the pre-Crisis Superman comics, Chester Dunholtz was the childhood bully who stole a young Winslow Schott's favorite toy - a red and blue balsawood plane that he designed from scratch. This taught a young Schott the advantages of theft coupled with the pain of being bullied - two things that would fuel him to become the Toyman.

In the DCTVU, Chester Dunholtz was Winslow Schott Sr.'s corrupt boss, who stole Schott's toy designs to make a fortune. Schott attempted to kill Dunholtz with a bomb inside a teddy bear that he mailed to Dunholtz's office. Unfortunately, Dunholtz's assistant opened the package instead, dying along with five other people. It was this crime that sent Schott to prison when his son was eleven.

The doll which Toyman sends to Winn is modeled on the jester-style costume worn by the 1970s Toyman. This Toyman, oddly enough, was a man named Jack Nimball who did not last long in the comics and was killed by Winslow Schott during the pre-Crisis age of Superman. Today, the Jack Nimball Toyman is primarily remembered as the incarnation depicted in the Superfriends cartoon.

The doll with the big forced grin that Winn finds in the abandoned arcade somewhat resembles the costume worn by the Superman: The Animated Series version of Toyman.

Maxwell Lord lists Alex Danvers as MATA HARI on his phone. Mata Hari was a French courtesan and exotic dancer who was employed as a spy during the first World War. She was later convicted on charges of being a double agent working for the German government and executed. Since that time, her name has become synonymous with female spies who seduce targets for information.

A Superman toy rocket ride is seen outside the arcade where Toyman asks to meet Winn.

Supergirl inhales the poison gas to save the FBI agents from Toyman's trap at the arcade - a feat frequently accomplished in the comics.

J'onn phases through the wall to enter Room 52 when his shape-shifting does not allow him to use the bio-metric scanner locking the doors. Phasing through solid objects is another power Martians have in the comics.


Technobabble

Toyman makes use of a bladed yo-yo which he throws like a shuriken on a string to escape from prison.

Slingschott Brand Quicksand contains thermite, making it explosive if heated.

The Jane Doe in Room 52 was being fed an IV of sodium sulfite (Na2-S-O3) and sodium iodate (Na-I-O3. According to Alex, the end product of this mixture (combined with the salt water in a standard IV - Na-Cl and H2-O) is hydrochloric acid (H-Cl), which is lethal to humans.

Toyman makes a special plastic gun that won't set off the metal detectors for Winn to use to kill Chester Dunholtz at the National City Toy Convention.


Dialogue Triumphs

Alex: You saw what Max Lord did to James! You know he's after my sister!
J'onn: I have been J'onn J'onzz on Earth! I have tried it! I was hunted for fifty years! People I've loved tried to kill me once they discovered who I really was!
Alex: I'm sorry. But times have changed. Looked at Supergirl.  The world loves her!
J'onn: Your sister looks like a pretty blonde cheerleader. J'onn J'onzz looks like a monster. I'll never be tolerated here on Earth. The more time I spend as Hank Henshaw, the less I have to face what I've lost. (pauses) When I change my state - shapeshift into someone new? Call upon new powers? I get one step closer to becoming the Martian Manhunter forever. And he creates panic and hysteria.  I know. I've seen it. It's not only that I'm better off as human. Everyone is.
Alex: Except Kara. She needs your help.

(Alex enters the room wearing a little black dress. Max Lord takes a long look at her.)
Alex: You're staring.
Max: Just wondering where you're hiding your gun under that dress.
Alex: Behave and you won't have to find out.

(J'onn is exploring the Lord Technologies building, disguised as Max Lord)
Paulina: Mr. Lord? Aren't you supposed to be out with Agent Danvers?
"Max": I ended the evening early. To be honest, it was a little disappointing.
Paulina: As long as we're being honest, she did strike me as a little humorless for you.
"Max": She's actually a lovely woman.
(Paulina's jaw drops in astonishment)
"Max": If anything, it was my narcissism and ill-kept facial hair that ruined any chance I had with her.
Paulina: I'm sure you weren't at fault, sir.
"Max": Getting so soundly rejected has caused me to question many of my life choices. I need to be alone, if you don't mind.
(Paulina leaves and "Max" walks off, smirking slightly as his eyes flash red)

(Supergirl is stuck in quicksand and hears a child inside a box that his heading towards a large industrial shredder on a conveyor belt) 
Toyman: It's so easy to lure a child if you offer them a toy. Oh, you're drowning in quicksand, by the way. The more you struggle, the deeper you sink.
Child: I'm scared!
Toyman: I understand even you need oxygen. Soon you won't be able to breathe.
Child: It's dark in here and I can't get out!
(Supergirl's eyes begin to glow red as she looks down at the quicksand)
Toyman: Oh, I wouldn't do that. Slingschott Quicksand is laced with thermite. Add heat... this whole place will blow.
Child: Help me! Please!  Help me!
Toyman: (walking to the door, playing with a yo-yo) Game over.
Child: Help me!
Supergirl: I'm going to save you!
Child: Help me! Please!  Help me! I'm trapped in here!
(Desperately, Supergirl looks around. She spies a large truck and tries to blow it toward the shredder with her super-breath but it goes off course and she begins sinking. With one last breath, she freezes the sand around her and flies up, just barely catching the box before it goes into the shredder. Supergirl opens the box to find... a talking Supergirl doll.)

Winn: You know, my father and I were inseparable. Like, we looked the same. We talked the same. We were good at the same things. And now he says we're linked. Like, what if he's right?
Kara: He isn't.
Winn: His genes are like... ticking time-bombs. Just waiting to go off inside of me. Turn me into him.
Kara: That's not going to happen!  You're a good person...
Winn: That's what people said about him.  And then he cracked. And now every time I start to get angry, I think "Could this be it? Could this be the day I lose everything?"
Kara: The day your father killed those six people was like, for me, the day my planet exploded. The course of our lives changed in that single moment. You... are not going to turn into your father. Because the day your world was destroyed, you didn't give into rage and hate like your father. Like my aunt.We both lost our worlds and now we're trying to give back because of it. And you and your father aren't the only ones that are linked. We are too. And I'm not going to let anyone mess with that.

Winn: That's why you broke out of jail? So you could get revenge for him, what? Stealing your dumb toy designs?
Toyman: No. No, this isn't about him stealing a toy. This is about him stealing your childhood. Stealing my chance to watch you grow up. I went to prison because of him. Winn, I almost lost you because of him.  But I have a plan on how we can make it right.
Winn: You're going to kill him.
Toyman: No, I'm not going to kill him. You're going to kill him. For me.

Winn: How did this happen to you?
Toyman: Do you know... that even with all the amazing toys I built, you're the best thing I ever made? You're just like me.
Winn: I am nothing like you!
Toyman: Don't underestimate yourself.

Winn: I shouldn't have kissed you. Kara... I'm really sorry.
Kara: It's fine. It doesn't matter.
Winn: Of course it matters. My dad kept his feelings bottled up for years, and then he exploded. Because he was a coward... like me. Look, I know I dropped this huge bomb on our friendship when I kissed you. And I should have told you how I felt a long time ago. But I was too scared to say anything. I was too scared to stand up for myself.  Kara, let me tell you the truth now. I love you.  I have been in love with you for a long time, since before you were Supergirl.
Kara: ... I don't want things to change.
Winn: Before this thing with my dad, I probably would have gone along with that. God, I just would have pretended that kiss never happened. But I don't know if I can sit and smile and eat pot stickers and pretend likr it is not killing me. Kara, I cannot keep bottling things up. I am too afraid of what could happen.
Kara: So... what does that mean for us?
Winn: ... I don't know.


Continuity

Alex and Kara both refer to the events of 109, where Maxwell Lord beat up James and James discovered Lord was hiding something in Room 52 of his building in National City.

Lois Lane's biography is called 'A Time To Soar'.

Lucy Lane is not close to her sister.

Lucy Lane graduated from the United States Military Academy At West Point. She later earned a JD-MBA from Harvard.

Winslow Schott Sr. was convicted of six counts of murder.

90% of CatCo companies are run by women.

Max Lord has Alex Danvers' phone number listed as MATA-HARI on his phone.

Winn was 11 when his father was arrested for murder.

Max claims that the Kryptonian criminals who invaded his lab in 108 didn't steal anything.

J'onn has the ability to walk through solid objects - i.e. phasing.

J'onn discovers the Jane Done in Room 52 and takes pictures of her and the room.

The security guard tells J'onn that she's classified as Code Phoenix when J'onn asks (as Max) for her to be moved to a hospital.  The guard then asks J'onn to tell him what Code Phoenix means. It is not explained if this means that the patient is not meant to be moved or if the guard was testing to see if Max really was Max by quoting a phony code.

J'onn can use his telepathy to erase memories, though he cannot do this with precision and can cause permanent brain damage in the process. Indeed, the process even causes physical scarring to the frontal and temporal lobes.

Apparently J'onn promised he would never use his telepathy in this manner ever again after some incident in his past.

Winslow Schott's toy company was SlingSchott toys. He marked his toys' circuitry with a Y-shaped etching, meant to resemble a slingshot.

Kryptonians breathe oxygen and can apparently drown.

Maxwell Lord set up secret back-up security cameras for all top-priority areas of his laboratory. This is how he has footage of a man who looks like him walking through the door to Room 52, despite J'onn deactivating the known security systems earlier.

Winn kisses Kara and immediately apologizes for it. The status of their friendship at the end of the episode is unclear, though Winn has said he's done being a coward who hides his feelings and bottles everything up like his father did. He confesses that he's loved Kara since before she became Supergirl.

Lucy takes the job as Cat Grant's lawyer as James considers quitting his art director job to become a photographer again.

It is revealed that Max Lord planted a camera on Alex's purse and now knows that Kara Danvers is Supergirl.


The Kryptonite Factor

It's hard to say who is more foolish - Kara and Winn talking about Kara's secret identity within ear-shot of a group of police officers and FBI agents who area already suspicious of Winn being a terrorist or Alex and "Hank" discussing J'onn's secret identity in the middle of the DEO HQ.

One wonders what kind of organization the DEO is that they don't check their agents and their belongings for bugs following a secret meeting with a technical genius they know to be extremely paranoid about the government.


The Bottom Line

Probably the best episode of the series to date and not just because Cat is only in two scenes. Winn is finally given some sorely needed definition and Toyman is easily the best villain yet, being presented as an intelligent and credible threat despite his silly gimmick. All the subplots play out well, despite the Lucy/James scenes feeling rushed and tacked-on. That being said, is it too much to hope for a Martian Manhunter spin-off after "Hank" inevitably has his cover blown and is forced out of his job as head of the DEO?