Warning: spoilers ahead for the latest episode of Supergirl, entitled "Crossfire."
Supergirl has been filled with crazy superpowers and incredible aliens and impossible technology from the very beginning, but the real focus has almost always been on the characters and their developments. In "Crossfire," Alex Danvers came to a huge realization about herself thanks to some comments from Maggie Sawyer. It occurred to her that there may be a deeper reason why she never connected or enjoyed intimacy in a relationship with a man before, and she's showing signs that she is willing to explore her sexuality in a more open way than in the past.
I have to open by saying that Chyler Leigh deserves a ton of credit for her performance in "Crossfire" when Alex struggled to come out to Maggie. Alex was scared and embarrassed and on the verge of tears, but she needed somebody to listen as she talked it out. The reveal about Alex's sexuality might have felt inorganic and manufactured if the acting had fallen short; Chyler Leigh nailed the scene from start to finish. Floriana Lima was excellent as well, as Maggie tried to nudge Alex toward accepting her new reality without pushing her too quickly.
Alex's realization pays off on the promise from this past summer that an important character in The CW's DC universe was going to be coming out. There had been no confirmation of which character or which show, but we did know that one of the series would be exploring somebody's sexuality. The choice of Alex Danvers as the character is a big move on the part of the producers. Alex is one of the most important figures on Supergirl; her journey as she comes out in Season 2 will inevitably be a major plot in coming episodes.
According to Supergirl executive producer Andrew Kreisberg, they didn't have to think too hard about choosing Alex as The CW's DC character to come out. In fact, the team almost covered it last season while the show was on CBS. Kreisberg had this to say about why Alex was the perfect character to explore her sexuality:
We had discussed it a little bit last season. She just seemed like the character to do it with. We never really explored too much [of] her social life. In fact, it was nonexistent, because she had devoted so much of herself to the DEO and to her sister. So, the notion that rather than, 'Oh, she was just a workaholic,' but that there was actually something psychological behind it was fascinating to us. Once we made the decision, you look back at last season and go, 'Oh, it makes perfect sense.'
Andrew Kreisberg's explanation to EW about the decision to give Alex the sexuality exploration story in Season 2 does indeed make sense, all things considered. Although Supergirl did seem to fan the flames between Alex and Maxwell Lord in Season 1, nothing ever came of any sparks, and most of the other main characters had love interests of the opposite sex that could have ruled them out as a LGBTQ individual. If one of the main cast was going to go on this journey in Season 2, Alex was the most logical choice. Luckily for everybody, Chyler Leigh seems more than capable of tackling anything the show throws at her.
Tune in to The CW on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET to see what's next for the Danvers sisters on Supergirl. After the big Lillian Luthor cliffhanger at the end of "Crossfire," I'd say we're in for some exciting twists in the weeks to come.
