“Blood Bonds” is episode nine of season one of Supergirl.
In the previous episode, “Hostile Takeover”, General Astra was captured by the DEO and Non launched an attack on Lord Technologies. The DEO and Supergirl arrived to help and the episode ended with Non and Supergirl flying at each other. This episode continues where that one left off, with the two battling in the skies, where they nearly get hit by a plane (not that it would have harmed either of them) before plummeting to the ground. Non has Kara by the throat and is telling her that Astra was wrong, she isn’t strong but as weak as any human. Then Hank steps outside and points a weapon at Non, who rushes over and grabs him. When Alex and the other DEO agents arrive, Non flies off with Hank.
Afterwards, the DEO is still at Lord Technologies and Maxwell Lord tells an agent to stay away from where he is heading. Alex tells Lord they have to secure the area as it is an active crime scene; Maxwell tells her it isn’t, it’s his property. Alex says that the events have been traumatic for everyone but Maxwell is no longer interested in talking. He suggests Alex speak to her pet alien (Supergirl; of course Alex now knows two). Lord says that he will protect himself in the future – he did have a weapon that was effective against one alien before he was knocked down.
At the DEO base Kara asks Alex who is in charge now. Alex doesn’t know, because Hank classified the line of succession. So Agent Vasquez shows them who is now the acting director. No surprise, it’s Alex. Kara says that Alex and Hank really did bury the hatchet. Alex tells Kara that Hank can hold his own and Kara replies saying that unless Hank has superpowers Alex is not telling her about, they have to help. Well… here’s the thing. Funny she should say that. Alex promised not to share Hank’s secret though. Kara says she will talk to Astra again and Alex asks if she’s sure she’s up to it.
Kara tells Astra that she will get her cousin to help make Astra talk. Astra says that Kal-El doesn’t have the stomach for it, as he’s too human. Kara is the true heir of the House of El. Kara tells Astra she isn’t frightened of her and Astra agrees; she replies that Kara is afraid of the truth that Astra will tell her about her mother. According to Astra, the only reason that Non didn’t kill Kara was because Astra ordered him not to. Because ‘Blood bonds us all.’ When Kara mentions freeing Hank, Astra says that blood doesn’t bond her to him. Kara’s comeback is that all life is bonded by blood.
Afterwards, Astra has a flashback to Krypton, one year before it is destroyed. She and Non are standing trial in front of Alura. Alura tells them that their methods would deprive people of their freedom; Astra tells Alura that Astra’s fault is that she believes people to be inherently good. Non yells at Alura that she will eventually realise she has killed them all. The trial is returned to later in the episode.
At CatCo, Kara, Winn and James are watching Maxwell Lord on the news. However, Lord says that the attack was simply industrial espionage. For some reason he is covering it up. James suggests that he goes down to Lord Technologies to have a look around but Kara doesn’t want him to, saying it is too dangerous. Then Kara hears Cat arriving and flies into complete panic. She tells the other two that they have to seem really normal today. Supernormal in fact. No, not super. Kara tells them that Cat had accused her of being Supergirl. And Cat still does. Kara tries to play it as a joke but Cat is having none of it.
Kara returns to the DEO, having made a side trip to Chicago to pick Alex up some of her favourite food. They get a message from Non saying that he will trade Hank for Astra, and that they have 48 hours or Hank dies. Then General Lane turns up. He says that he has been granted authority over the DEO by the president – boy, he likes getting presidential authority to do stuff – as the president felt it would be best if the current situation was handled by someone without personal ties to Hank. General Lane plans to invade the alien base – not that anyone knows where it is – and bring Hank back.
James has popped to Lord Technologies and is taking photos. Maxwell is not happy to see him, as he doesn’t like James’ friends. Maxwell is also not happy about what the media covers, instead of what he considers to be important, or that they have made Supergirl into a hero.
Cat speaks to Kara as she has been researching her past. She just wants to clarify some things about it. So Cat asks Kara a bunch of questions, which Kara answers correctly. Cat says she is convinced – Kara is Supergirl. Only a person who was lying about their past could have answered every question correctly (possibly true, or perhaps also someone with an eidetic memory).
Non is trying to get another alien to read Hank’s mind. Unsuccessfully. Non is not happy as he says that the alien’s race is famous for it. The alien suggests that the humans have come up with some means of blocking him (or perhaps Hank isn’t human; something that doesn’t occur to them). Hank is not impressed with Non’s threats; he doesn’t consider Non a threat at all. So Non kills the alien. Hank is still not impressed.
At the DEO General Lane goes to see Astra. He tells her about a film he watched as a child, The Day the Earth Stood Still, and how it gave him nightmares. And how, when he sees people like her, he is back again in that nightmare. Astra is taken aback, and says that on Krypton it is considered to be a show of great strength to admit ones fears to an enemy. Which the general knew. He did so deliberately so that Astra would know he was a man of honour and took no pleasure in what comes next. Which would appear to be kryptonite torture.
James is certain that Maxwell Lord is up to something and wants Winn’s help breaking in to Lord Technologies. He is keeping this secret from Kara though. Cat gives Kara a day to prove she is not Supergirl, or she is fired. For if Supergirl is working at CatCo, she isn’t out saving people. Kara has a personal crisis as she feels she is losing everything, and ends up knowing how Astra was feeling when she started hurting people to make her point. So Kara has to be convinced she is better than that – and better than General Lane.