Supergirl: Truth, Justice and the American Way

"Truth, Justice and the American Way" is the fourteenth episode of season one of the superhero action series Supergirl. It was directed by Lexi Alexander with a script written by Yahlin Chang and Caitlin Parrish. It first aired on CBS on Monday, February 22nd, 2016 at 8:00 pm. In this episode, Cat Grant hires a new personal assistant named Siobhan Smythe, whose placement, Kara takes exception to. Supergirl and Non hold a funeral service for Astra. Alex Danvers arrests Maxwell Lord and brings him to the D.E.O. headquarters. A new menace plagues National City as the Master Jailer begins tracking down and executive Fort Rozz refugees.

Crew

 * Joanie L. Woehler - Co-producer
 * Jennifer Lence - Co-producer
 * Carl Ogawa - Co-producer
 * Michael Grassi - Producer
 * Ted Sullivan - Producer
 * Michael Cedar - Producer
 * Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa - Consulting producer


 * Yahlin Chang - Co-executive producer
 * Sarah Schechter - Executive producer
 * Ali Adler - Executive producer
 * Andrew Kreisberg - Executive producer
 * Greg Berlanti - Executive producer
 * Curtis Krick - Associate producer
 * Blake Neely - Composer

Production notes

 * Supergirl was created by Greg Berlanti, Ali Adler, and Andrew Kreisberg based on the comic book superhero featured in titles published by DC Comics.


 * This episode is rated TV-14.


 * This episode is production code number 4X7614 / T1319614.


 * This episode had a viewership of 7.248 million people, which is down by .671 from the previous episode. It ranked at 1.5% in the 18-49 age demographic.


 * This episode aired in the United Kingdom on Sky1 on May 6th, 2016.


 * This is the first episode of Supergirl directed by Lexi Alexander.


 * This is the fourth episode of Supergirl written by Yahlin Chang. She previously wrote "Childish Things". Her next episode is "Myriad".


 * This is the fourth episode of Supergirl written by Caitlin Parrish. She previously wrote "Strange Visitor from Another Planet". Her next episode is "Myriad".

Story notes

 * This is the first appearance of Siobhan Smythe. She begins working at CatCo WorldWide Media as Cat Grant's personal assistant. Cat elects to substitute Kara due to her indisosal as a result of events from "For the Girl Who Has Everything". She appears next in "Solitude".


 * Alex Danvers killed Astra in order to save Hank Henshaw at the end of "For the Girl Who Has Everything". As of this point, Kara still believes that it was Hank who killed her aunt. Kara will learn the truth about this after Alex confesses the truth to her in "Solitude".


 * This is the first and only appearance of Gabriel Phillips, also known as Prisoner #2444. Dies in this episode.


 * This is the first and only appearance of Alphonse Luzano, also known as Prisoner #2445.


 * This is the first and only appearance of Detective Jim Warren; dies in this episode.

Comic connections

 * The Master Jailer is a human character whose real name is Carl Draper. He was originally a foe of Superboy and was introduced in Superman, Volume 1 #339 in January, 1979. He has since been revised as a foe of Superman.


 * Siobhan Smythe is a character introduced in DC's "New 52" continuity. She is a re-imagined version of Siobhan McDougal, who was a foe of Superman named Silver Banshee. The Smythe character, who also became Silver Banshee, was featured as a supporting character in Supergirl, Volume 6, beginning with issue #6 in April, 2012 in a story titled "The End of the Beginning".


 * Rao is referenced in this episode. Rao is the main Kryptonian deity and is also the name of the planet's sun. Rao's name is often invoked in rituals, or as an exclamation.

Allusions

 * The title of this episode is taken from the narrative of the original Adventures of Superman radio serial, which originally aired on the WOR home station in New York City from 1940 to 1951. This phrase was accompanied by the more popularly known, "Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound".


 * Adam Foster is mentioned in this episode. Adam is Cat Grant's first son. He first appeared in "Strange Visitor from Another Planet.
 * Jeremiah Danvers is referenced in this episode. He is the father of Alex Danvers, and the adoptive father of Kara Danvers. He was believed to have been killed by Hank Henshaw on a mission in South America ten years earlier.

Quotes

 * Maxwell Lord: When the gods walk the Earth, it's us tiny mortals who end up suffering.

....
 * Non: She would have wanted you here. It is our custom for a surviving female to lead the rites. Do you remember the Prayer for the Dead?
 * Supergirl: You have been the sun of our lives. Our prayers will be the sun that lights your way on the journey home. We will remember you in every dawn. And await the night we join you in the sky. Rao's will be done.

....
 * Maxwell Lord: So nothing for my largesse then?
 * Supergirl: I'm told you asked for, and received, Netflix.

....
 * Maxwell Lord: I'm just trying to protect the planet.
 * Supergirl: From what? From me?
 * Maxwell Lord: When the gods walk the Earth, it's us tiny mortals who end up suffering.

....
 * James Olsen: What I mean is, he's terrified by you. Because of your ability to do exactly what you're doing to him right now. I mean, you could go in there and swat him dead like a fly if you wanted to.

....
 * Maxwell Lord: Without me, you'd be dead!
 * Supergirl: Without you the world is a better place!

....
 * Alex Danvers: If you don't have better angels, and I suspect you don't. You should know, we have a mass the size of this room documenting your crimes. Ready for immediate release to law enforcement. You tell on us. We tell on you.
 * Maxwell Lord: Mutually assured destruction. You make me nostalgic for the Cold War Alex.
 * Alex Danvers: Das vedanya.
 * Maxwell Lord: Brrr.