Supergirl Season 4: 5 Ups & 4 Downs From ‘Crime And Punishment’

2. James' Emotional Trauma

When 'Crime and Punishment' wasn't busy focusing on Kara's attempts to deal with the new wave of hatred coming her way, it thrived on emotional dilemmas.

One of said dilemmas was carried over from the previous episode when James Olsen, still shaken by the fact that he had been shot in his own office by former assistant Miss Teschmacher, agreed with his sister that he would attend an appointment with a trauma therapist so that he could deal with his PTSD.

During the appointment, James became emotional as he spoke about how he was unable to comprehend his feelings of fear, claiming that his role as Guardian should have made him immune to such feelings. Yet, for some reason, he wasn't able to overcome the dread, or the attacks that followed.

What made this so special was the rawness of it. It highlighted how a man like James Olsen, one of the world's most well-respected reporters and a freakin' superhero, can in fact struggle with feeling powerless. It highlighted the importance of talking about our feelings and how it can ultimately help us figure out what's going on in our heads. Finally, it highlighted how rich a character James actually is and, thanks to a movingly powerful performance from Mehcad Brooks, proved that he really does deserve more attention.