'Supergirl' Season 5 Episode 5 review: Kara may have to deal with Leviathan and Lena Luthor before the 'Crisis on Infinite Earths' begins
This review contains spoilers for 'Supergirl' season 5 episode 5: 'Dangerous Liaisons'
Since the start of the new season, Lena Luthor (Katie McGrath) was one of the main characters in focus and 'Dangerous Liaisons' firmly cements that in her burning desire to teach Kara (Melissa Benoist) a lesson, the dark path she's heading on will have major ramifications. The previous episode saw her rescue Malefic and this chapter explains the reasons behind it. The bigger twist came in at the end of the episode where, in her own evil ways, the genius is trying to help humanity. She seemingly takes control of Malefic, but we still have no idea what she intends to do with the ability.
As far as the season goes, the episodes seem to just get denser and better. While 'Supergirl' may not really be focusing on the 'Crisis on Infinite Earths' like the 'The Flash' and 'Arrow", it makes up for it by channeling all the attention towards the little-known Leviathan and a mystery character in Andrea Rojas (Julie Gonzalo). It doesn't come as a surprise that Obsidian Tech and Leviathan are somehow connected.
William Dey (Staz Nair) has a bit of his past explained when an assassin Rip Roar ( He's got extra arms like Doc Ock, but just two of them) throws a spanner in the works. The villain, identified as Russell Rogers was William's best friend and was in a relationship with Andrea after which he went missing. While his identity is predictable, the episode manages to hold off on it until the final minute.
Coming back to Lena and the Leviathan, the two have their own intentions and have been built up as formidable foes throughout the season. By the looks of it, it may seem that Lena could be subdued first unless she joins forces with the Leviathan. Much of the focus in 'Dangerous Liaisons' shifts away from Supergirl and looks at Kara instead. She is seen more as an investigator than a superhero and that works well considering her team-up with William. Barring the one scene where she and J'onn (David Harewood) manage to quell a Tsunami, we see her in an investigative journo avatar.
Season 5 has chalked out a route for Lena where her character looks complex by the day. While her interactions with Kara may not be part of the plotline in every episode, her own twisted ways of going about "fixing" humanity have been highlighted in each of the episodes. While it was shown that she'd work with the Martian, she also makes it evident that she's not a killer and neither will she allow people around her to be the same.
As far as the verdict goes, 'Dangerous Liaisons' is that episode that possibly gives out more information on the Leviathan and we can only expect more of it in the episodes to come. It also comes across as an intense episode that deals with anger, anxiety and a fair dose of mystery. For now, 'Supergirl' is on the right track by dishing out absorbing storylines and some surprising twists. We hope the 'Crisis' plotline comes soon enough.
Sidenotes:
(i) Nia saves Star City from a giant tidal wave and its a refreshing change to see her in action.
(ii) The Old Lady linked to Leviathan is back and she just might be on top of the organization's food chain.
(iii) The Kelly (Azie Tesfai) and Alex (Chyler Leigh) relationship have been a good addition to the season's storyline.
(iv) Brainy's (Jesse Rath) performance when he was taken over by the alien parasite was creepy and captivating, proving Rath as yet another top talent for the CW series.
'Supergirl' airs Sundays 9 pm on The CW.