Nevertheless, She Persisted (Supergirl)

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"Nevertheless, She Persisted"
Supergirl episode
Episode no.Season 2
Episode 22
Directed by Glen Winter
Story by
  • Andrew Kreisberg
  • Jessica Queller
Teleplay by
  • Robert Rovner
  • Caitlin Parrish
Production codeT13.20172
Original air dateMay 22, 2017 (2017-05-22)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
 Previous
"Resist"
Next 
"Girl of Steel"
Supergirl (season 2)
List of episodes

"Nevertheless, She Persisted" is the twenty-second episode and season finale of the second season from The CW television series Supergirl , which aired on May 22, 2017.

Contents

Plot

Supergirl fights Superman, who hallucinates that she is General Zod due to Rhea's silver Kryptonite. Supergirl knocks Superman unconscious and carries him to the Fortress of Solitude. She and a recovered Superman research the Daxamites. They return to National City and Supergirl challenges Rhea to single combat, a sacred Daxamite tradition. Superman affirms that Supergirl defeated him and is Earth's champion. M'gann telepathically wakens J'onn.

Lillian acknowledges Lena is a better ally than Lex. They meet with Supergirl and Superman. Lena will adapt Lex's failed anti-Superman weapon to use against Daxamites; designed to seed the atmosphere with Kryptonite, it will instead spread lead. Lena regrets that Mon-El would have to leave Earth, but Supergirl authorizes the plan as a failsafe. Winn assists Lena, and Mon-El supports Supergirl's decision. Supergirl trains with Superman. She reflects that Rhea could ruin her happiness; Superman reveals that his love for Lois Lane motivates him in every fight.

Supergirl and Rhea duel. Rhea dishonorably resumes the full-scale invasion; Mon-El, Superman, and J'onn fight the invaders, joined by M'Gann and sympathetic White Martians. Lillian tries to activate the perfected lead device, but Lena reveals Supergirl controls it remotely. Supergirl bloodies Rhea, who reveals she laced her blood with Kryptonite. Supergirl still overcomes Rhea, who orders the city's destruction. She explains that even if she dies, the invasion will never stop. Mon-El arrives; with his support, Supergirl activates Lena's device. Rhea dies and her forces flee Earth. Mon-El, strengthened by yellow sun exposure, has time for Supergirl to give him her mother's necklace before he leaves in a Kryptonian ship. They declare their love. He thanks her for her influence and vows to live up to her example. Alone in space, Mon-El's pod enters an anomaly.

Supergirl's allies celebrate. Superman praises Supergirl's strength as superior to his and returns to Metropolis. M'gann has started a social movement on Mars, but can temporarily stay on Earth; she and J'onn kiss. Supergirl tells Alex that she is truly happy for her loved ones' romantic relationships. Alex proposes to Maggie, who smiles but doesn't answer. Kara confides in Cat about her relationship ending. Cat advises her that a woman's vulnerability is her greatest strength, and notes Kara's professional successes. An emergency prompts Kara's departure; Cat knows that Kara is Supergirl.

A flashback from 35 years earlier reveals that as Krypton died, a sinister group of Kryptonians sent a baby ("it") to Earth to become its conqueror.

Production

The episode's title mirrors a statement from Republican U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell to characterize the actions of Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, which has since become a rallying cry for supporters of women's rights. [1]

Reception

Ratings

The episode attracted 452,000 viewers upon its British premiere, making it the 6th most watched programme on Sky One for the week. [2]

Critical response

This episode received mixed reviews. Jesse Schedeen of IGN gave the episode a 5.9/10: "It's a real shame that two of the worst episodes of Supergirl's second season had to arrive at the very end. "Nevertheless, She Persisted" only managed to make use of a handful of its massive cast, and it left way too many plot threads and crucial character arcs dangling. Only the return of Superman and a fittingly tragic end to the Kara/Mon-El romance managed to salvage an otherwise poorly executed finale." [3]

Caroline Siede of The A.V. Club gave the episode a B: "Unlike last week’s episode, “Resist”, which wove together a whole bunch of the season’s ongoing storylines while maintaining a palpable sense of forward momentum, “Nevertheless, She Persisted” is a tad clunkier. After resolving last week’s cliffhanger and defeating a mind-controlled Clark, Kara decides to take on Rhea in an ancient Daxamite single combat duel. But when Rhea goes back on her word, Kara has to activate a device that will fill the Earth’s atmosphere with lead, making it inhospitable to Daxamites, including Mon-El. The episode’s heart turns out to be the Kara/Mon-El relationship, although it takes about 2/3 of the episode to get there. But if the plot is a little thin, at least the action isn’t." [4]

Related Research Articles

Kryptonite Fictional material in Superman stories

Kryptonite is a fictional material that appears primarily in Superman stories. In its best-known form, it is a green, crystalline material originating from Superman's home world of Krypton that emits a unique radiation that weakens Superman. It is generally harmless to humans in the short term, but deadly in the long term. There are other varieties of kryptonite, such as red and gold kryptonite, which have different but still generally negative effects on Superman. Due to Superman's popularity, kryptonite has become a byword for an extraordinary exploitable weakness, synonymous with "Achilles' heel". Batman and Lex Luthor are two notable individuals who have pieces of kryptonite with them—the former being trusted by Superman to stop him if he goes rogue, and the latter using the mineral to ward off Superman, sometimes incorporating it into weapons to try to kill him.

Supergirl Fictional superheroines in DC Comics

Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original and most well known Supergirl is Kara Zor-El, also known as the cousin of the superhero Superman. The character made her first appearance in Action Comics #252 and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino.

Phantom Zone Fictional place in the DC Universe

The Phantom Zone is a fictional prison-like parallel dimension appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with stories featuring Superman. It first appeared in Adventure Comics #283, and was created by Robert Bernstein and George Papp. It was frequently used in the Superman comics before the continuity was rebooted in the 1980s, after Crisis on Infinite Earths, and has appeared occasionally since.

Lar Gand Fictional DC comics universe character

Lar Gand, known mainly as Mon-El, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the Legion of Super-Heroes, Superboy, and Superman. The character has been reinterpreted over the years, but in all versions, he serves as a hero with abilities similar to those of Superman, sometimes serving as a substitute for him.

Kryptonian Fictional race native to the planet Krypton

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Fortress of Solitude Location featured in Superman comics

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Project Cadmus

Project Cadmus is a fictional genetic engineering project in the DC Comics Universe. Its notable creations included the Golden Guardian, Auron, Superboy (Kon-El), and Dubbilex. Its 31st-century descendants run the Justice League 3000 clone project.

Daxam is a fictional planet within the DC Universe. It is home to a race called the Daxamites, who are descended from Kryptonian colonists.

Lena Luthor Fictional character in DC Comics

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References

  1. "'Supergirl' Boss Reveals Timely Finale Title". EW.com. May 1, 2017. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
  2. "Weekly top 10 programmes". www.barb.co.uk. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  3. Nicholson, Max (May 23, 2017). "SUPERGIRL: "Nevertheless She Persisted" REVIEW". IGN . Retrieved May 23, 2017.
  4. Siede, Caroline (May 23, 2017). "Supergirl's finale shoots for the moon, doesn't quite land among the stars". The A.V. Club . Retrieved May 23, 2017.