It should be all puppies and rainbows for Team Supergirl. After numerous attempts to breach the Phantom Zone and save a trapped Kara, the gang finally succeeded. But Supergirl and company will feel the repercussions of that rescue mission for episodes to come. In the meantime, this week’s “Dream Weaver” episode finds Kara Danvers teaming up with Kelly, which once again allows a spotlight to shine on the beloved Alex/Kelly romance. And, in the end, a gesture from Alex will shake up Kelly’s status quo with the team and their relationship.
Supergirl‘s Chyler Leigh, who portrays Alex on The CW series, sat with CBR ahead of tonight’s episode to share some insight into the show’s final season. Leigh unpacked the Phantom Zone trauma, the beauty of Alex and Kelly’s love, and what’s in store for fans in the series finale.
CBR: How does the trip to the Phantom Zone continue to impact the Superfriends?
Chyler Leigh: It carries all the way through to the very end. Trauma is trauma. And it just rears its ugly little head, literally and figuratively throughout the rest of the season. When you go through something heavy and that intense, there’s bound to be some kickback.
That’s the beauty of this group, is that they will always, no matter what, be there for Kara and vice versa. It really gives a chance for everybody to be able to help her, for a change, where it’s not just Kara feeling like she has to do everything alone. That’s sort of a Kara thing to do, too. She takes the weight of the world on her shoulders. So, it is everybody trying to do their best, to be their best, and make sure they are all in this together and kicking ass together.
Alex shares some heartfelt moments with Kelly. What have you enjoyed about the evolution of that relationship?
Everything. Honestly, everything.
I love that Azie Tesfai and I had an opportunity to represent a lesbian couple that is healthy. They communicate. They love each other fiercely and passionately. They care about the same things and are on the same page. We were grateful for every single moment that we got to be part of that and really pushed for more of that, especially towards the end of the season, just to continue to watch that relationship develop. They are meant for each other. That being the case, they go through Hell and back, literally. They are with each other until the end.
Alex tells Kelly that her superpower is empathy. So, what is Alex’s superpower then?
Her superpower is the passion for the people that she loves and that she cares for, and for justice to be done. That’s her superpower, making sure those she loves flourish. She will go to the ends of the Earth to do that. That’s pretty motivational.
She has always come across as the den mother of the group…
I think so, too. But, with a super-cool gun. And suit. She has pretty cool makeup and hair going on.
Alex gives Kelly an object of great importance, one that could ultimately put her in the line of fire. How will that complicate things between them?
There are some parallels, from the beginning of the show, where Alex was with Kara and trying to show her the ropes, kind of embrace that super-side. A lot of that comes into it. There is training. You have to know what you are doing. Some of it is just straight instincts. You definitely watch that journey of Alex also having to say, “Hey, she’s badass. Maybe Kelly doesn’t have all the technical training, but she doesn’t need to be doing backflips and all sorts of crazy stuff all the time. She knows where to be, when to be there, and what to do when she is there. And she kicks some serious ass.” There are also those moments when they look at each other like, “Heyyyyy,” with a little wink-wink like, “Call me later, baby.” It’s fun.
What else are you excited for viewers to see in the last block of episodes?
To see these characters obviously coming under fire, which we are used to in a sense. These are the ultimate stakes. You just watch everything basically crumbling to the ground as you are getting towards the end. But in true Supergirl fashion, it’s about hope and what light we can find in the darkest moments. You definitely see that peppered throughout the rest of the season.
I am really proud of the ending. The fans should be proud of it. To end a series like this, it’s very bittersweet. I think it was handled very well. There’s a lot of chaos in between, so some scripts we’re reading are like, “What is happening?” But I think they did an excellent job of buttoning and tying everything up. And, also setting it up so you can see where the future takes them.
What was your reaction to the script for the series finale and where Alex ends up?
It’s definitely a cryer, and I don’t mean Jon Cryer. It’s emotional and it’s beautiful. Again, you have to tie up a lot in a short amount of time. The initial reaction was you read it, you get to the end where it says, “The End,” and you are like, “Awww…”
I still have it in my mind that I am on hiatus. But it was a beautiful script. I’m really really very happy with how it ended, especially for Alex and all of her relationships… Her relationship with Kelly, her relationship with Kara, and her relationship with J’onn. It’s really powerful.
Mon-El, James, and Winn will pop up in the finale. How did it feel to not only have those characters back in the fold but the actors as well?
It was wonderful to have the characters, but it was so much more fun having the actors back. It was hilarious.
There are certain moments where you have the epic, “Everybody is in leather and standing next to each other” moments. It’s so cool to see, but also so hard to keep a straight face. You will see we are looking at each other, but a lot of the time, we are looking slightly off because you can’t make eye contact in some of the moments. Otherwise, you will bust up laughing. It was wonderful having everyone in the same place, and you pick up where you left off. We had a great time being able to rekindle those relationships and strong bonds.