Supergirl Season 4 Episode 18 Recap

The weeks away from the airwaves haven’t been kind to Earth-38. The United States was left at a cultural crossroads thanks to a clever frame job by Lex Luthor. That same act made National City the main battleground and Supergirl public enemy number one. J’onn picked a poor time to make red planet pilgrimage. Good thing Alex and Lena reunited with Kara, forming a triple-team against Lex’s efforts. The U.S. government and Agent Liberty stand in their way, but they have far more up their sleeve than expected. Seeking justice tends to bring out one’s resourcefulness.

Visiting Hours

Snow Bird’s attack on the White House empowers President Baker to impose martial law and elevate Ben to a cabinet-level position. The ruling doesn’t sway Kara from saving those in peril, but her efforts are met with violence and disillusion from the public. This leads Kara, Alex, and Lena to combat Ben and Lex separately. Alex delays Ben’s attempt to apprehend Supergirl while Kara and Lena coerce Lex’s warden to allow them in his cell. Lena finds evidence of Lex’s meddling in her experiments and copious diaries that reopen some emotional scars. Kara asks Lex’s neighbor, Steve, for information but he instead ridicules Supergirl for believing she is above the law.

Their search is interrupted when Otis returns to the jail. He frees the inmates, promising a “get out jail free card” to whoever takes out Supergirl. None of them are successful. Kara finds the warden dead and faces off with Otis. He evens the fight with a chest-mounted kryptonite beam and the two fight through the jail as the Army arrives. Kara outsmarts Otis by changing into her CatCo clothing and, after a quick compliment from Steve, rushes back to Lex’s cell as the Army enters. She finds the cell empty with a secret passage revealed. The tunnel leads to Lex’s secret lab and a shocked Lena. The two escape as Lex remotely detonates Otis as a defacto kryptonite bomb.

Elsewhere, James’s first therapy session triggers memories of his shooting along with some dormant black kryptonite powers. The effect intensifies during another traumatic recall, heightening his sense of hearing and sight. These reactions worry James, leading him to seek out Lena to better understand them.

Destiny & Deletion

Ben’s actions throw the DEO’s loyalties out of whack. Haley forces Alex to surrender her Supergirl signal watch despite delaying Ben’s orders. Alex lies about how the watch works, but more measures might need to be taken to protect Kara and the nation’s other alien inhabitants. Brainy suggests that they wipe the DEO’s alien registry and infiltrates the sub-basement server room with Alex’s approval. The weight of the act dawns on him just as he is about to complete it, leading him to consult Nia on the dilemma. She leads Brainy to realize the right move is to delete the registry without diving into her dreams.

That is called into question later when Nia dreams of Brainy being taken away by Agent Liberty. She informs Brainy of the vision, but he has already done the deed. He isn’t worried about it, though. Making himself a target by doing what is right is what a hero does. It also helps that Brainy downloaded a copy into his own mind. That hard exterior still houses some concern though as Ben returns to the DEO with presidential approval for his plan to ambush Supergirl.

A New Approach

Alex’s continued appeals to Haley’s convictions in the face of Ben’s actions fail one after another. Her loyalties remain with her nation. The repeated failure leaves Alex at a loss, leading her to seek advice from James’ sister. She suggests that she appeal to that what matters most to Haley in order to sway her allegiance. Alex puts that idea into action by framing the issue as one of morality and referring to Haley’s daughter. Haley sees Alex’s words as manipulation and lashes back, revealing that she knows Alex lied about how to use the signal watch. Ben returns and sets up his ambush, but Haley averts his plan by purposefully using the signal watch incorrectly. He leaves with a haul of DEO weaponry and Haley begins to question her loyalty to her country.

The DEO’s actions lead Baker to deputize the Children of Liberty as Lex pieces Otis back together. Kara begins to believe that Supergirl is making things worse despite her intentions. She decides to hang up her cape temporarily and fight back as CatCo’s premiere journalist. Her first step is to meet with Steve back at the prison. He might not trust Supergirl, but he is a huge Kara Danvers fanboy. Steve turns over Lex’s hard drive in the hopes that it will help tear down whatever Lex has planned.

What do you think about Supergirl season 4 episode 18? Let us know in the comment section below!