“Nevertheless, She Persisted” is episode twenty-two of season two of Supergirl and the season finale.
In the previous episode, “Resist”, Kara had got Mon-El and Lena off Rhea’s ship, despite Lillian’s attempt to maroon Kara and Mon-El on it. However, she remained behind to try and talk Rhea into surrendering. This caused Alex to wait too long before firing the positron cannon, which was then destroyed. Kara herself was then smashed across the room – by Superman.
Superman is now telling Kara that this is his planet and his people, and he will not let Kara harm them. Which is odd. Rhea explains that she once told Kara that Daxam is riddled with Krypton’s corpse. Not only green Kryptonite; there are so many ways to harm, others to simply weaken. Rhea is using silver Kryptonite. Superman doesn’t see Kara; he sees his worst enemy. Zod. Who, in Superman’s mind, is saying that everyone will kneel before him. Of course. Kneel before Zod! Superman tells ‘Zod’ that he will stop him forever.
The fight leaves Rhea’s ship and enters National City. Maggie and Alex are at the DEO, which has now been retaken. Maggie asks if the new problems are caused by the cannon’s destruction; no, there is a major Kryptonite signature downtown. Kara and Superman are still fighting, and she’s still attempting to make him see her, not Zod. Kara seems to be coming off second best until she finally knocks Superman out.
She seemingly awakes, in bed next to Mon-El, but she’s not actually there he tells her, but in the Fortress. This time she awakens, next to Superman. Alex is also there and she says Kara passed out, woke up, flew them to the Fortress, then passed out again. Kara feels… as if she’s been punched by Superman, Alex suggests. Yes. Repeatedly. Clark wakes to, fortunately no longer affected.
Lena is in her office, not happy, when her mother enters. Lillian asks how Lena could have let Rhea deceive her after what Lillian taught her about being a scientist and questioning everything. Lena states that Lillian taught her to doubt herself and to seek validation elsewhere, so of course she was willing to take the first mentor offered. Lillian apologises and says that whenever there was a choice between Lena and something else, she chose something else. Lillian does think that Lena’s construction of the transmat portal was brilliant, and thinks Lena may be able to do something with this, bringing out the device that Lillian retrieved from Lex’s vault in “Luthors”. Lena asks if it works and Lillian says it could be adapted to help. Lena could be the Luthor who saved the world.
At the Fortress, Clark is saying that silver Kryptonite is new. When asked if it weakened him, Kara suggests that it might have. Clark tells her no; he was at full strength and she beat him. They need a plan to defeat Rhea and the destroyed positron cannon was the only weapon strong enough to penetrate the shields on Rhea’s ship. Alex asks if there’s anything in the Fortress they can use. No weapons, but information. Something in the archives from the wars with Daxam. Clark says this would be easier with Kal Ex, who Kara had to destroy in “Medusa”. Kara apologises. It’s fine, though. She just owes Clark a new robot.
On returning to the DEO, they explain they might have found a way. Mon-El is not happy about it. Then there’s a warning, as Rhea’s ship’s weapons are charging. So, Kara contacts her and uses what she found. A challenge to single combat. Rhea accepts. Mon-El tells Kara she has invoked a trial by combat created by barbarians. If Rhea wins, Kara has to stand by and watch Rhea trample the planet. Mon-El asks why Superman doesn’t do it, as it’s surely his fight too. It is, Clark agrees, but Kara just defeated him, which makes her the champion of Earth. Alex is telling J’onn he has to wake up, then J’onn sees M’gann, who left for Mars at the end of “The Martian Chronicles”, and does wake up. The news is promoting the fight between Rhea and Kara as the intergalactic fight of the century. J’onn wants that toned down, so innocent civilians aren’t on the side-lines when the fight happens.
So, Clark and Kara head to see Cat; CatCo is still being repaired from the damage caused in “City of Lost Children”. Cat immediately starts primping on seeing Clark. She also wants Clark to talk sense into James Olsen, as she figured out he was Guardian. He’s striding around the town like Darth Vader punching out villains and she doesn’t want to see the space invaders slay him with his lifesaver. On correcting Cat’s mistakes, she says she’s never seen Star Wars. Cat does agree to tone things down.
Kara gets a message and she and Clark head to see Lena and Lillian. The device from Lex’s vault was intended to keep humans safe by irradiating the upper atmosphere with Kryptonite. It can be changed to do the same with lead, which is toxic to Daxamites. All of them. Including Mon-El. Mon-El, at the DEO, tells Kara to use it if needed.
Kara is worried about losing everything, now that she is finally happy with Mon-El. During the fight, Rhea cheats of course. Just as should be expected. The main plot is resolved early on, and there’s no cliff-hanger ending to the season. There is a new thread leading into season three though.