Supergirl Season 4: 4 Ups & 1 Down From 'Parasite Lost'
2. Considering All Angles
One thing that Supergirl has done a masterful job of this season is conveying that there is no black and white to this anti-alien issue. While the violence, hatred and personal attacks are all wrong, the writers have taken the time to humanise the people responsible for them in attempt to convey why they are partaking in such heinous activities.
James Olsen's altercation with Ben Lockwood a.k.a. Agent Liberty this week brought up an interesting discussion. Lockwood discussed how the anti-alien beliefs don't stem from hatred, they stem from fear and anyone's attempts to overlook or shoot down that fear will only breed hatred and violence.
While Lockwood's morals are misplaced, his words aren't exactly untrue. People fear what they don't understand and that is a totally natural reaction. What's important is that this fear isn't overlooked. Attempting to force people to accept what they don't understand can lead to violence and intolerance. Thus, as the show suggests through James, the way forward is to listen to their concerns and help them understand. Then, they could truly achieve peace and acceptance.
By showing the characters where the anti-alien issue stems from, Team Supergirl can figure out how to stop it once and for all - and that is a lesson that we could all learn from.
It also inspired some people in particular...