Non has all of National City under the control of Myriad, including Lucy and the other DEO agents. Non wants all prisoners released except the White Martian. Lucy goes to personally release Maxima, who will pledge allegiance to Non only because Superman refused the “honor” of marrying her. Supergirl greets them in the main area of the DEO and fights Maxima. It’s a fun fight, but then Lucy and the other agents start firing Kryptonite bullets at Supergirl. She takes one in the arm before she can hide. While the agents are reloading, she turns on her pod, blasting them into unconsciousness. Supergirl breaks the computer, which is apparently the override code to prevent the release of the cells. She digs out the bullet and checks on Lucy.
Supergirl heads to the Fortress of Solitude, and Kal-X tells her that Kal-El is attending to a matter “off world.” Kal-X is also not authorized to speak of Myriad. Sensing her frustration, Alura appears and finally tells Kara about Myriad. Astra developed it on Krypton in the hopes of saving the planet. It was designed to force everyone into Astra’s way of thinking, in the hopes that she could get everyone to work together to save the world. When she and Non were caught using it, they were sent to Fort Rozz. Supergirl remembers Astra trying to explain the good that Myriad can do and realize she was trying to save Earth, not enslave it. The reason that no one talked about it was that it could be used to control entire worlds, and Alura didn’t want word to get out. Once activated, Myriad cannot be stopped.
At CatCo, Supergirl finds all her co-workers mindlessly typing away at their computers. They are typing in Kryptonian. Both Winn and James are like that, too. On TV, General Lane reports on the situation and says that National City has been effectively quarantined. She calls him, promising that Lucy is safe and promising to work together. Cat strolls in, totally oblivious to what is going on around her and not brainwashed. Instead she commands Kara to tell Harrison Ford that she doesn’t date older men, especially married ones (hardy-har-har). When she finally notices that her drones are slightly quieter than normal, and she sees Supergirl standing there, she realizes something is wrong. Supergirl gets a text from Superman, promising he is on his way to help. Unfortunately, he flies into the city, then suddenly lands and joins the brainwashed masses.
Someone joins Cat and Supergirl, and he isn’t brainwashed: Max. Max has an earwig that prevents his brain from being affected by Myriad’s signals. Cat isn’t affected because she is wearing similar tech in the form of earrings that Max sent her the night before. According to Max, Superman was affected by the signals because he grew up on Earth, which made his brain soft and squishy and susceptible to Myriad’s programming. Myriad is piggybacking on Max’s satellites, and he tried to reprogram them, but couldn’t. Now Max’s plan is to kill them all. According to Max, this is war, and they must approach it as such.
Non has a partner in all this: Indigo. Non is just happy watching the humans of National City bend to his will, but Indigo wants more. She wants Non to kill Kara. So Non makes an appearance at CatCo and gives Supergirl the chance to give up. Supergirl promises him that Astra didn’t want this, but Non insists he is just playing out Astra’s design, a world without racial division or political division, which means that humanity can join together and focus on saving the world. Winn and James speak up, mouthpieces for Non. Supergirl begs him to let her friends go, and he does, making James, Winn, and a girl named Kelly swan dive off the balcony. Unsurprisingly, Supergirl saves James and Winn, but she is still depressed when she sees Kelly crumpled on the sidewalk. Non, through James, warns Supergirl, “Do not stand against us, or everyone you know and love will die.”
Alex and Hank are still on the run, Alex as a blonde and Hank shapeshifted into a child. They show up at her mom’s house, scaring the hell out of her. Mom freaks out when she sees the little boy shift into Hank, but Alex assures her he didn’t kill Dad, and he can be trusted. Mom fills them in on what is going on in National City. So while Eliza peppers Hank with science questions, Alex checks in on her sister. She admits she has no choice but to trust Max and work with him on this. Supergirl hangs up abruptly, and Hank decides he is going back to National City to help. Myriad can’t hurt him. Alex insists on going with him, but both Hank and Eliza think it is way too dangerous. Alex points out that Hank can use his telepathy to guard her mind, and he concedes. Alex is about to tell her mom that Dad is still alive, but decides to tell her “when I come back.” Hank shifts into J’onn and flies the two of them to National City.
Max finally reveals his plan to Supergirl and Cat. He has been working on a Kryptonite bomb. As long as Supergirl and Superman fly up above the blast when it detonates over the city center, they shouldn’t be affected by it, but they won’t be able to return to the city for about 50 years. Also, the concussive blast from the bomb would probably kill 8% of National City’s humans – somewhere around 300,000 casualties. Cat is dead-set against this plan, and Supergirl hates that she is considering it – but she is. Lane has spoken to the president, and she gave the OK for Max to bomb the city. He goes back to his lab to prepare.
Back in the heart of the operation, Non promises Indigo that Kara will not be a problem. He didn’t kill her, but that would only “spare her the agony of watching her loved ones die.” He thought that would make Indigo happy, but it doesn’t. Instead, she tries to talk him into taking over all of the universe, and rule them all.
Cat and Supergirl are on the balcony, and Supergirl admits she doesn’t know what to do. Her mom was faced with the same decision and made the wrong one, destroying her planet. Cat admits she is scared, and tells Supergirl that her own fear is guiding her. She also admits that Supergirl taught her that goodness could prevail, and because of her, she opened herself up to her assistant. “If you have taught me anything, it is that hope is stronger than fear.” Supergirl hugs her. She has an idea. The ladies go to Max’s lab and tell him they have a new plan, a plan of hope. No bombs, no one dies. Max agrees to listen to their idea.
J’onn lands in National City with Alex and shifts back into Hank. He is surprised by how strong Myriad is, and it takes a lot of mental power to block. Indigo, having sensed J’onn was back, shows up, knocking over Alex. Hank shoots at her, pointlessly. She laughs, and Hank zips behind her and throws her into a shack that blows up. This doesn’t slow Indigo down. She stabs Hank, drags Alex over, and threatens to carve open her skull. Alex begs Hank to find Supergirl and save the city. Hank shifts back to J’onn and collapses. “I love wiping out a species,” Indigo gloats. “You’re next, human.” She brings Alex back to Myriad’s hub, and Alex insists that this isn’t what Astra wanted. Indigo knows how to hurt both Alex and Kara.
Cat brings Supergirl and Max to her very first TV station. The idea is that they will piggyback off of Myriad’s signal, presumably with a signal of hope. Luckily this place was so old, all the equipment is broadcast, not digital. A boom draws Supergirl outside and she finds Alex there in a huge glowing mech suit. Non speaks through her. “I found your ultimate opponent, one who knows your every weakness.” Supergirl refuses to fight her sister; she wants to fight Non. Non refuses and Alex reveals she has the sword that killed Astra. “I want you to join her.” They charge one another, and the episode ends.
To be continued in next week’s season finale…. for which you can watch a preview in the player below!
