So what made the Aunt tolerant enough to accept a homosexual, but mainstream enough to be allowed to communicate with her sibling?
The fact that the majority of the conversation about this episode is focused on Maggie's father (and the occasional whinging about having lesbians on this show) is exactly the proof why these kind of episodes are needed.
Frankly, it's concerning that there's very little sympathy for Maggie on one hand, and a lot of talk about her father as a sympathetic character. No amount of abuse endured excuses abusing others, especially one's own children. He is a dipshit who abandoned his daughter because she "shamed him" by being gay. Her parents removed all her pictures. They erased her.
Yeah, her father isn't presented as a moustache twirling villain, but the point of the episode was not for the viewer, and especially not Maggie to understand or sympathize with his reasoning, because his reasoning is bullshit. He's just doing what a lot of homophobic parents are doing, deflecting their bigotry onto others, blaming others for the horrifying way in which they treat their children. The point was for Maggie to realize she doesn't need that kind of toxicity in her life, and that family isn't blood, it's acceptance.
It's not about understanding prejudice, it's about understanding what it's like living with that prejudice coming from those who should be closest to you. I really wish we saw her supportive aunt to contrast just how wrong her father is because this seems to have been lost on some of you.
I does seem to me some of you picked the wrong character to empathize with here, and it might do you good to rewatch this episode from Maggie's perspective. But those who really should, just like her father, I doubt they will...
Not necessarily. For all we know, Maggie had to walk a mile or more to get to her aunt's from where she was dropped off.Maggie's father left her on the street in front of her aunt's house.
I also noticed for the first time, the description of Kara as a refugee in the opening monologue.
It would be nice if they James Olson'ed the Alex and Maggie relationship, I'm here to watch a Superhero show not 2 people in a relationship soap opera. This episode could have used James as Guardian to cover for Kara whilst she was away. Word got out Supergirl wasn't in town and small time crooks seized an opportunity to run wild.
The fact that the majority of the conversation about this episode is focused on Maggie's father (and the occasional whinging about having lesbians on this show) is exactly the proof why these kind of episodes are needed.
Frankly, it's concerning that there's very little sympathy for Maggie on one hand, and a lot of talk about her father as a sympathetic character. No amount of abuse endured excuses abusing others, especially one's own children. He is a dipshit who abandoned his daughter because she "shamed him" by being gay. Her parents removed all her pictures. They erased her.
Yeah, he was raised with that set of values and assumptions and it shapes his reactions, clearly. But my point is that it's not just that, that there are multiple layers of nuance going on there. He still loves his daughter, and he was willing to make an effort. Just coming to the shower and trying to be a good guest, rather than denouncing the whole thing, shows that he was at least willing to try accepting who Maggie was. But he just couldn't reconcile his desire for his daughter to be happy and accepted and safe with his deep-rooted belief that being gay means being an outsider or a second-class citizen. Certainly he has some wrong ideas that keep him from accepting who she is, and he's handled it badly and selfishly, but it's something more complex and interesting than just one-note stock bigotry.
That's a mark of good character writing -- that you can disagree entirely with a character's point of view but still understand that there's something relatable and sympathetic underlying it. His actions aren't motivated by hate, but by love filtered through some very wrong and disruptive assumptions.
In places like National City, yes. But he comes from a more rural part of the country where those older attitudes still hold sway. So that shapes how he sees things. He hasn't had enough experience with the world Maggie lives in now to believe she can be truly accepted or safe in it.
It's a superhero show, not a show "whine about Trump" show. Again, if they want to make a show about these issues, do a spinoff and see how it goes.
I'm pretty sure what they're actually going to do is see how this goes.It's a superhero show, not a show "whine about Trump" show. Again, if they want to make a show about these issues, do a spinoff and see how it goes.
Not necessarily. For all we know, Maggie had to walk a mile or more to get to her aunt's from where she was dropped off.
Yes, it could be that that's what happened, but there's no reason why it necessarily must have happened that way. Moreover, it's quite common for people not to share the whole truth of how they were abused, especially all at once and in situations where they've indicated reluctance to talk about it, which certainly means that what you're saying isn't the most logical way it might have happened. All we know for sure is that we have two different narratives of what happened. Pulling up to a place and leaving someone there is a distinct narrative from leaving that person on the side of the road; being left on the side of the road pretty much implies a lack of proximity to a noteworthy destination.Maggie has previously alternated between saying that she was abandoned on the street and that her parents sent her to her aunt's house after they kicked her out of theirs, so the most logical conclusion to be drawn is that both statements are true since she's repeatedly switched between them.
And again, it's bad writing to reduce everything to nothing but polemics and politics. Writing is about characters, and a story that lets characters and their relationships be complex is better than one that just makes them ideological sock puppets.
Maybe Papi has had too much experience with homophobia in his world to think his daughter could ever be safe in it.
Perhaps on this Earth, Mathew Shepard was murdered in Maggie's home state of Nebraska instead of Wyoming and Papi knew he could not possibly protect her from every potential sadist in the state.
I'm just saying that within this discussion which has dominated the thread the emotional context of what Maggie is going through has been lost, and as you can see by some of the other posters dismissive attitudes towards Maggie, I think that is the more important takeaway that needs to be brought to the front because it's completely lost on some.
If you're offended by the ideals of free speech, democracy, equality, tolerance, and diversity, most of which represent the themes, then you're definitely watching the wrong show.![]()
Yes, it could be that that's what happened, but there's no reason why it necessarily must have happened that way. Moreover, it's quite common for people not to share the whole truth of how they were abused, especially all at once and in situations where they've indicated reluctance to talk about it, which certainly means that what you're saying isn't the most logical way it might have happened. All we know for sure is that we have two different narratives of what happened. Pulling up to a place and leaving someone there is a distinct narrative from leaving that person on the side of the road; being left on the side of the road pretty much implies a lack of proximity to a noteworthy destination.
I don't recall Alex hearing the version of being left on the side of the road. That was what Maggie reminded her dad that he had done. And it was road, not street. When was it Maggie told Alex she had just been left on the side of the road?Maggie has told Alex that her parents kicked her out of the house and sent her to live with her aunt, and she's also told Alex that her parents abandoned her on the street, so the theory that she's 'sugarcoating' the story goes out the window.
The only time Maggie has lied to Alex about her own coming-out was at the beginning of their relationship when Alex was still figuring out her own sexuality.
That's a Reed Richards level stretch. Free speech is hardly represented in this show at all. In fact, it's quite the opposite. By force feeding left wing ideals down the throats of viewers, which have nothing to do with a superhero show I might add, that's hardly free speech--especially when the show bastardizes conservative values at every level, and portrays anyone who isn't a liberal as evil. The left is the exact opposite of tolerance. If they cared about free speech, equality and tolerance, they wouldn't be so obnoxious in how they shove their views down the throats of the viewers, while ignoring what the show is--a superhero show.
There is no tolerance on this show. None at all.
Again--the storyline involving the title character of the show was terrific. The storyline that whined about Trump policies was not. Like I said, if they want a show about Alex and her gay love life, do a spinoff.
That's a Reed Richards level stretch. Free speech is hardly represented in this show at all. In fact, it's quite the opposite. By force feeding left wing ideals down the throats of viewers, which have nothing to do with a superhero show I might add, that's hardly free speech--especially when the show bastardizes conservative values at every level, and portrays anyone who isn't a liberal as evil. The left is the exact opposite of tolerance. If they cared about free speech, equality and tolerance, they wouldn't be so obnoxious in how they shove their views down the throats of the viewers, while ignoring what the show is--a superhero show.
There is no tolerance on this show. None at all.
Again--the storyline involving the title character of the show was terrific. The storyline that whined about Trump policies was not. Like I said, if they want a show about Alex and her gay love life, do a spinoff.
We use essential cookies to make this site work, and optional cookies to enhance your experience.