“Fight or Flight” is episode three of season one of Supergirl.
In the previous episode, “Stronger Together”, Cat Grant had demanded that James arrange an interview with Supergirl by the end of the week. When it seemed he hadn’t managed to accomplish this, Cat called him up to fire him. Only to be told that the interview had already started – as Cat’s car took to the air. When it landed, Supergirl was there, flying.
This episode starts where that one ended. Cat asks Supergirl who she is and Kara replies that, according to Cat, Supergirl. Cat wants to know where Supergirl is from and she says she’s from Krypton and she was sent to Earth by her parents to keep her safe before it was destroyed. Cat says she’s heard that story before. She asks if Supergirl therefore has all the same powers as Superman. Cat also wants to know why the world is only now hearing about Supergirl, why she has waited this long to start giving back. Kara says that she wanted to wait until she was ready. Cat then asks Supergirl if she has any plans to start a family and she says that no-one ever asks her cousin these questions. Oops. She let that one slip. Kara decides that the interview is over and flies off as Cat shouts after her if she has a day job. The answer is, of course, yes, as she’s Cat’s assistant.
The next morning Kara is eating breakfast out and the waitress asks how she can eat sticky buns for breakfast every day and stay thin. Kara tells her it’s because she’s an alien. True of course, but it doesn’t sound like it is. Alex joins Kara and then James arrives as well. When Kara asks why he is there, he says it’s the only place that makes a really hard to find drink he likes – tea. Which Kara laughs at, rather more than it merits. James asks Alex how the covert alien hunting business is going and she tells him not as covert as she’d like. Kara says that she didn’t tell him; James has other sources of course.
When James leaves Alex states the obvious – that she likes Jimmy Olsen. Kara says that he prefers James. Alex tells her she was looking at James like he was one of her sticky buns. And that she should stop telling people who she is. As Kara is denying that sort of thing an article comes on the news regarding her interview with Cat.
At work, Kara tells Winn that Cat is like a super interviewing villain. Which he considers to be the world’s most boring superpower. Cat herself says that she is going to write a kick-ass expose on Supergirl. Herself. Cat tells Kara that writing is like riding a bike or severe childhood trauma; you never really lose it. An odd combination. Cat also says she must be pretty decent at it because, well, CatCo. Cat is planning a special issue of their monthly magazine with a big part and 1,000 guests. To be held at a museum.
In a junkyard, a rather badly scarred, some sort of burns it looks like, man is watching the news story about Supergirl being Superman’s cousin. He puts on a suit of some type then blasts the television with an energy bolt.
At the DEO, Henshaw isn’t happy about Kara giving an interview. She says it wasn’t an interview, more of a private conversation. That got published. Kara asks her sister if Henshaw is mad; Alex says she doesn’t know, as it’s hard to tell with him. Kara tells Alex she did the interview for James, and for her. One of the agents at the DEO reports a Code Grey – now there’s a boring colour designation – for a multiple car collision, but no sign of alien activity. When Henshaw turns to talk to Kara, she’s already gone to deal with it.
Kara rescues the driver of a school bus involved in the crash, who thanks her. Then Kara gets hit with an energy bolt from the man from the junkyard. He says, when Kara asks, that he’s just a ghost. Who wants the Man of Steel to suffer, to know what it feels like to lose everything. During the battle, Supergirl manages to cause the man’s suit to malfunction, and he flies off.
At the DEO, Kara is informed that he was dubbed Reactron by the Daily Planet. Which Kara thinks is a stupid name, until she discovers James came up with it. Reactron had a number of public fights with Superman in Metropolis a few years ago. Kara asks how the deal with Reactron but Director Henshaw says that they don’t. Reactron is human, not alien, so outside the DEO’s jurisdiction. Alex says Reactron is using advanced biomedical tech, but manmade tech. Henshaw says they can’t expose the organisation and suggests that Kara call her cousin to deal with him.
At the office, Cat is struggling with her writing and asks Kara if she can hear the high pitched noise coming from the ventilation. Kara can’t – and, given her superhearing, that probably means it doesn’t exist. After Kara leaves Cat’s office, Winn calls her and James over. He has acquired Kara a new office, not for her current job but for Supergirl (the previous owner died of a heart attack on his desk and no-one wants it now). When James suggests calling Superman, Kara says she can’t, or she, and National City, are done. Every villain will think National City is an easy target if she does. James tells her that Reactron nearly killed Clark once. Way to go Jimmy; Winn did not know that Superman was Clark Kent.
At Lord Technologies, Maxwell Lord is examining a new train that they are developing. He says that it will be his gift for National City, to provide clean transportation. Then Reactron arrives and asks for someone with a background in nuclear fission. When no-one volunteers, Reactron grabs one of the scientists but Lord says he will need a mechanical genius, so Reactron should take him. Genuine concern for someone’s safety? Unless billionaires moonlight as vigilantes, they are rarely depicted well in fiction.
Winn has discovered Reactron’s true identity and background, which has revealed why he has a grudge against Superman. So Kara plans to talk to him. If he doesn’t want to talk, she says she will punch him real hard until he falls down. That always seems to work. Unfortunately, Lord has repaired Reactron’s damaged suit and the fight does not go well.