Supergirl Season 4: 4 Ups & 1 Down From What's So Funny About Truth, Justice & The American Way?

3. The Duality Of Liberty

Given Sam Witwer's incredible performance so far, Ben Lockwood's release from prison in last week's episode was undoubtedly the right story move for the show. Not only did this mean that the Big Bad was free to return to his villainous ways, it also posed some interesting questions about the state of the U.S. Government, thanks in no small part to President Baker's incredibly ambiguous actions.

Lockwood's release was heavily sewn into the fabric of this week's installment as it was this that forced Manchester Black to form The Elite. However, it also took some interesting turns itself, with Lockwood struggling to reconcile his new role as a hero to some with the violent actions that Agent Liberty once oversaw.

Initially seeking deputization for all of his Children of Liberty from President Baker, he began questioning his own motivations and, in the end, realised that, by becoming a corporate face for his own movement, he had lost sight of what that movement was all about in the first place. After an apology from the president for overlooking his potential, he accepted a new role as Director of Alien Affairs before returning to the streets and violently killing one of his own followers for accusing him of turning his back on the people.

In the end, Lockwood realised that he could be both. In the public eye, he could be a non-threatening seemingly relatable family man that brainwashes his followers into seeing things his way while, behind the mask, he could continue his violent crusade against alien life.

Agent Liberty is no longer a single entity, he is the multi-faceted sum of Ben Lockwood's parts.

Now that's a damn good villain.