MOS 103 - S5E11 - Back From The Future Part One

"Back From The Future Part One" brings us up to speed on the last two years of Winn Schott's life in the future and reveals the hero that he has become amongst the Legion. We also get further insight into how things are shaping up in this post-Crisis Earth Prime and how Lex Luthor is bent on finding out all he can about Leviathan. And we turn the heat up on Kara and William. Sigh.

Picking up from last week's photo of Winn being in Lex's hands, Brainy calculates the details of derailing a prison bus transport and frees "Winn?" from the authorities. Lex sits down with the new fugitive, who we learn is a doppelganger for our beloved Winn from another Earth. (Me smelleth plot contrivance) Lex exposits to us viewers that (I'm going to refer to him as...) ToyWinn is trying to get revenge for his father getting his patent stolen and therefore his suicide. Lex also coaches him that he's being amateur about it and that whatever he does he needs to think bigger and he points him to National City's Toy Fair where ToyWinn's nemesis will be unveiling something new. ToyWinn starts his planning saying to his dead father (who on Earth Prime is not "his" father, but, anywho…) that he will be living forever. At the Toy Fair ToyWinn tries to take out the nemesis but is thwarted by our beloved Winn who shows up in a Legion ship and saves the day; but, ToyWinn is not caught and foiled. Winn is crazy upset that this is not done because, as he explains to Supergirl and Alex, his future self is being threatened because he is being framed for this murder and will lose his wife and daughter. This is news to the SupeSisters and they are thrilled for him. It looks like ToyWinn had an accomplice and Brainy is quick to step in and says he'll investigate. Winn also believes that Lex Luthor is a hero so the SupeSisters take him to see J'onn who has built his own Superfriends hideout which he christens "The Tower" and they get Winn all Crisis'ed up. Winn barfs in the bag. Repeatedly. (This is by far the best reaction to anyone getting woken up to the real truth, 'jus sayin.') ToyWinn hacks the public frequencies and says he's angry that someone would try to take down his family and as soon as he gets 1,000,000 likes there's going to be fireworks like you've never seen. He can't be location tracked so they call in Nia to get a clue to his whereabouts. All she sees in her dreamscape is Brainy who turns into a tiger. Nia is upset because...see Brainy's 12th level jerkitude from last week. Winn says he can handle it. It seems Nia's descendant is Nura Nal (a very nice comic nod) and one of his best Legion buddies. Winn assures Nia that no one needs to let her fell devalued in any way. It is really a nice moment between them and you can tell the connection that Winn has to Nia's family. Winn deduces that ToyWinn would go back to his dad's old hangout but the heroes see that he was there but is long gone. They also deduce from the photos that the Rojas family has something to do with the Schott betrayal and therefore ToyWinn will be attacking at Andrea's address at National City University, home of the Tigers. Ahhhhhhhhhhh. Andrea blabs Obsidian and having both your life and your dream, and not having to choose between them, and puppies, and wine, and naked babies. (Wait, what?!) Anywho, ToyWinn gets discovered in the mascot tiger suit and unleashes three big mechanical tigers to attack our assembled Care Bear staring heroes. The music cranks up "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor. (Yes, that one. Yeeeeeeeesssssssss, I'm being cereal!) Supergirl's heat vision is not doing much but Winn's Legion ring has concentrated Nia Nal's powers and takes the kittens down. Winn sees his opportunity to confront ToyWinn and there's a bomb but ToyWinn doesn't care. He drops the dead man switch and Winn teleports himself out of there. Supergirl superspeeds everyone to safety and everything blows up. Winn's wanted poster and bounty of $12,000,000 is now gone replaced by the picture of his wife and daughter. Winn finds Brainy in the Tower and confronts him about what he's doing. Brainy confesses that he's lying to everyone and also working with Lex. He brought ToyWinn into play knowing everything that would happen and that no one would get hurt but the problem is Lex is a variable that he cannot control. Winn is SuperAngry but then decides that since everything worked out that he can forgive his friend Brainy. He also agrees to keep Brainy's secret even as Brainy admits he never wanted to break things off with Nia. It's game night! Cheers to new friends (William) and old friends that find their way home. The DEO is locking up the ToyWinn evidence when the case with the computer that he was talking to about living forever...comes back to life. Not him. The case. Comes back to life. The case...

Remember that whole Leviathan thing? Lex does and he's got Brainy on his side. Lena wants Lex working on her "Do no Harm" project but she's lost her q-waves. Lex assures her to stick to the plan and Brainy agrees that Leviathan has to be the major focus and that he won't rat them out to the Superfriends. Lex needs Lena to go ask Andrea about her Leviathan knowledge. Lena's not happy but agrees. The two old friends sit while Lena forgives Andrea for taking the medallion. Andrea questions why now and Lena explains that she knows about Leviathan. Andrea is visibly moved and is glad that someone else knows. Lena wants Andrea to know that she will help her get out of anything Leviathan asks of her. Andrea says that they never have asked anything, just that one day they would come calling. (So I guess we're Acrata-less in Earth-Prime.) Lena has her information and leaves Catco. Lex uses Brainy to get on board Winn's Legion ship and finds the cube of all-ness. All knowledge (it connects to sub-conscious), all genie-like(it produces whatever you want), all what-do-they-have-this-kind-of-thing-in-the-future-<em>for</em>-anyway?! The cube of all-ness shows Lex the major Leviathan players and he targets in on Gemamnae. Later he takes the cube to Lena who finds her missing q-waves. They were out there they just needed to be brought into the right time. (uhhhhhhhhhh) Lex muses to Lena that Mum would be thrilled seeing them playing so well together. Lena does not co-muse.

Pulitzer winner Kara and William go to the Toy Fair to cover the "Valient" Lex Luthor on the debut of his action figure. (If anyone wants to get me something for my birthday, 'jus sayin.') William gets down to business about how Lex took out Russell Rogers' company and how Russell subsequently disappeared and you wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would ya? Lex poo-poos him down off of the ledge and pulls Kara aside to let her know that if William continues his "L-expose" that it will not go well for him. Later at Catco Kara agrees with William that Lex is not the hero he seems to be but he should probably still drop it. Instead he spies on Lex even getting photographic evidence of him gaining access to Winn's ship. Kara, seeing he's not going to give up, suggests that they partner up to investigate Lex. Then comes the nasty sandwich he's going to eat at the office all by his lonesome. Then he comes to game night. Then comes Part Two of this story. And then comes The CW. And then comes much smooching. Oh Lawd!

Winn's back! Let's face it, Jeremy Jordan is sorely missed and no one said it better than Papa Bear with the hug. What I adored about this episode was Winn's realization that as much as he was always trying to run away from his father that he kept running to the hero that he wanted to be. But instead of settling on being The Guardian's "overwatch" he has grown into a true man of the galaxy and a real hero to the world(s), and more importantly, to his family. I love the true-to-life story of Winn's character that matches Jeremy's real-life journey over the last couple of years. I know we only get him back for three episodes, but I think that is going to be the absolute best way to remember why he belongs in our Supergirl world and hopefully continue to bring him back in doses.
I'm not sure why we need The Tower, except that the DEO is Lex-ified, but even still this is a lot of effort to create StarLabs or the Arrow Bunker, or Uncle Gambi's underground lair in National City. Is the new Hall of Justice in Central City and therefore unaccessible? Maybe.
Relationship drama - it's what's on The CW. I get it. Usually I enjoy it but given in such high doses this week, and likely even more when we return in Part Two, it gets to be a bit much. Will Brainy be able to win Nia back once Lex is shown to be his true self? Not if she's smart! Twice burned, third time? Don't be an idiot, Nia. Will William and Kara figure out the balance of two lives just as sweet as she and Mon-El? Ehhhhhhhhhhhh.
I noted in the Facebook group that the writers are having a swell time pulling a rabbit out of their hat and chalking it up to "Post-Crisis Reset." Like the ToyWinn doppelganger from another Earth...how? They're going to need to Reign (ha!) that in quick.
It was a well crafted story that I enjoyed quite a bit for no other reason than Winn being back. And that's reason enough.
Rating? 8 out of 10 vacation weeks to mask evil.