Supergirl - Myriad

"Myriad" is a messy episode, especially given it's the culmination of Non's (Chris Vance) big plans for the planet and Supergirl (Melissa Benoist). With all of National City under Kryptonian mind-control, Supergirl offers not one but two reasons for Superman not to be around to help. The first, that the Man of Steel is off-world dealing with a crisis may be cheap but it at least makes sense. The second, that he shows up and falls under the mind-control because he was raised on Earth, is just goofy. The only ones not effected are Kara (who was a Kryptonian the machine was designed to effect, let's not forget), Non's soldiers (also Kryptonians), the prisoners from Fort Roz, J'onn Jonzz's (David Harewood), and the unlikely duo of Maxwell Lord (Peter Facinelli) and Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart).

The fact that Non is usurping the free will of the people of National City for rather altruistic ends, along with Maxwell Lord working alongside our hero in this episode, continues to leave the show without a signature villain. "Myriad" suggests that might be Indigo (Laura Vandervoort) who has larger plans for the mind-controlling technology. Opening with Non's plan to release the prisoners of Fort Roz (for reasons that seem directly opposed to his intentions to help the planet), "Myriad" introduces another Superman foe in Maxima (former WWE Superstar Eve Torres) who is wasted in a cameo largely disconnected from the rest of the story.

And then there's Alex (Chyler Leigh). For reasons beyond understanding, J'onn allows Alex to return with him to National City while fully realizing he's putting her in danger of the Kryptonian mind-control. And, to absolutely no one's surprise, she quickly becomes another of Non's slaves leading to the cliffhanger of Non pitting sister against sister in next week's episode. Although several pieces of the episode work, including Benoist dealing with Kara's range of emotions of the episode, it's hard not to be disappointed in "Myriad" given both the weeks of set-up and remembering just how good the show was only one week ago.