Non and Indigo take over the minds of National City and Kara has to turn to a surprising pair of allies to save the day.
Tropes in this episode include:
- Antagonist Title: The title refers to Non and his crew's Evil Plan.
- Badass Boast:
- The very first words out of Maxima's mouth are a boast:Maxima: I know not your face, human... I am Maxima, queen of the planet Almerac. Open this door and you will find out exactly what that means!
- J'onn gets one as well, on the subject of his status as Sole Survivor of Mars.J'onn: It has nothing to do with luck.
- The very first words out of Maxima's mouth are a boast:
- Balance of Power: The reason why the High Council of Krypton wanted to keep the very concept of Myriad a secret was that the knowledge of its existence was enough to shatter the precarious balance of power in the galaxy.
- Berserk Button: J'onn kicks Indigo's ass after she brings up his people.
- Bond Villain Stupidity: Even though Indigo goes out of her way to convince Non that it would be best to kill Kara now, he decides to let her live to see her suffer.
- The Bus Came Back:
- General Lane returns after missing thirteen episodes.
- Maxwell Lord returns after missing three episodes.
- Eliza Danvers returns after missing fourteen episodes.
- Call-Back:
- Indigo's back, having been saved by Non in "Solitude".
- Max explains that the theft back in "Hostile Takeover" was preparation for this massive plot to beam a control signal over the city.
- Celebrity Paradox: Cat Grant mentions Harrison Ford and his wife. Thing is, Cat Grant is played by said wife.
- Chekhov's Gun: The earrings Max gave to Cat just happen to be lined with protection from mind control.
- Continuity Nod: As Lucy prepares to release the DEO prisoners, there are cuts to various cells containing past villains (and a dialogue reference to one other). However, the only one of these prisoners to actually be featured in action is Maxima, who has never appeared in any previous episode.
- Non mentions next going to "Opal City, then Central City." In the previous episode, Barry mentioned that on this Earth they have a Central City, but no Star Labs.
- Crazy-Prepared: Of course Maxwell Lord is able to protect himself from a massive mind control plot. He also sent Cat some earrings to protect her mind which she received (conveniently) just a day or so before Myriad was activated.
- Cruel Mercy: Non refuses to kill Kara, as he wants her to watch her loved ones suffer.
- Deus Exit Machina: Superman is initially offworld when Myriad starts, but it's subverted when he shows up later to help. However, that leads into a Diabolus ex Machina.
- Diabolus ex Machina: Superman falls victim to Myriad even though Supergirl is immune. Max blames this on him having been raised on Earth and the system being set for human thought patterns (Kara apparently is immune because she was older when she arrived).Max: The Man of Steel, brought to his knees all because he went to kindergarten and watched Sesame Street.
- This becomes remarkably frustrating as he is not used against Kara, with Alex being made to fight her instead.
- Dragon with an Agenda: Indigo acts as Non's de facto second in command, but she constantly tries to steer him away from his intended goals and towards her own.
- The Dreaded: Not even the Kryptonians will free the White Martian.
- Dude, Not Funny!: Kara calls Max out after his abovementioned dig at her cousinKara: You think this is funny?Max: Everything I have feared has come to pass. I couldn't be more serious.
- Enemy Mine: Supergirl is forced to work with General Lane to keep the effects of Myriad contained and with Maxwell Lord to save National City itself.
- Even Evil Has Standards:
- Non refuses to release the White Martian, deeming him something best left contained.
- General Lane and Maxwell Lord both work with Supergirl without a word of complaint, despite their previous difficulties, because Non is infinitely worse.
- The Faceless: Despite coming to National City in person this time, Superman's face is still not shown—we only see him from afar.
- Failed a Spot Check: Cat fails to notice that the entire city is under mind control or that Supergirl is standing ten feet away until Supergirl points it out.
- Fantastic Nuke: Lord originally plans to use a Kryptonite bomb designed to kill all of the Kryptonians (and a significant number of ordinary human citizens). His plan to save Kara and Superman (they can outrun it) doesn't seem to take into account Clark's mind control (although he probably doesn't care too much either way). Oh, and the fallout will keep Supergirl out of the city for 50 years. Cat and Kara talk him out of it.
- Freudian Excuse: The reason behind Max's "ends justify the means" approach to any problem? When he was a boy or teenager (he's — being Max, probably intentionally — vague on the exact timeline), his parents died after their hazmat suits proved ineffective to protect them from a virus. Max had examined the suits' specifications and warned them and their superiors at the CDC what would happen, but no one believed him due to his age. He tells Kara on that day he swore to protect people any way he could.
- Freudian Trio: Kara is The McCoy, Cat is The Kirk and Maxwell Lord is The Spock.
- Godzilla Threshold:
- Things are so bad that Max gets government approval to bomb National City to stop the Kryptonians.
- Kara finally calls her cousin for help, like she promised several episodes ago. Unfortunately, Myriad takes him off the board.
- Heel–Face Turn: Although his methods are extreme, Lord appears to be genuinely interested in saving the world, even at great cost. The turn continues when he agrees to Cat and Kara's idea of taking a third option.
- Hope Springs Eternal: Cat gives a Rousing Speech to Supergirl to this effect, which inspires her to broadcast a message of hope on Myriad's frequency in an attempt to break Non's hold on the people.
- Idiot Ball:
- Sure, Alex, waltzing into National City while evil Kryptonians are flying around freely and anyone who enters the city falls under Myriad's thrall, with only J'onn's telepathy to protect you, will go swimmingly.
- Non had Superman under his control and... he did not make use of this opportunity to have him as a minion.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Indigo stabs J'onn in the stomach and leaves him for dead.
- Ironic Echo: In the episode where she was under the influence of red Kryptonite, Kara threw Cat off the CatCo building, but caught her. Now, she has to try and catch three falling people, and is only able to catch two.
- Irony: Max Lord being immune to a mind control plot; the comic book version was capable of controlling minds (at one point, even making the entire world forget he ever existed).
- Kick the Dog: Non forcing Wynn, James and Kelly to jump out of the building.
- Lady Macbeth: As soon as Myriad is proven functional, Indigo starts trying to convince Non to use the technology to become a Galactic Conqueror and rule the universe.
- Mood Whiplash: To the previous episode featuring the Flash, when you consider the events of "Myriad" begin immediately after the previous light-hearted story.
- Mythology Gag:
- When Maxima makes her debut, she mentions having already made her proposal to Superman.
- Superman is off world when trouble starts. In the Supergirl (1984) movie, he was absent, attending an intergalactic peace conference.
- Cat is ecstatic to meet Superman and wants his number. Cat is originally a potential Love Interest to Clark in the comics.
- Cat mutters the "It's a bird, it's a plane..." catchphrase upon seeing Superman arriving.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Alex's insistence on coming with J'onn to National City results in him having to focus too much on shielding her from Myriad, leaving him vulnerable to Indigo. As soon as she knocks him out, Alex falls under Myriad's sway.
- Noodle Incident: Just what was Superman doing off the planet?
- No-Sell: Supergirl and all Kryptonians are immune to Myriad, as in the previous episode it was stated that this version of it was designed for humans. Superman, however, is not, which Max attributes to him having been raised on Earth longer than Supergirl.
- Out of the Inferno: J'onn tosses Indigo into a shed filled with combustible material, which goes up in an impressive fireball. After a few seconds, Indigo reforms just in front of the flames.
- Pet the Dog: For the first time ever, General Lane doesn't act antagonistic towards Kara. (This is the first time, however, that we've seen him since his daughter took over the DEO.)
- People Puppets: Myriad (sometimes) works this way, with Non remotely controlling people and speaking to Supergirl through them. Other times, as with Lucy and the other soldiers in the DEO, they act like they've been Brainwashed to be loyal to Non, ask him for verbal instructions, and communicate with other controlled subjects. It's unclear whether Myriad has multiple modes or its portrayal is just inconsistent.
- Properly Paranoid: The High Council of Krypton. They feared that the very knowledge of Myriad's existence would lead to the balance of power in the galaxy being broken. Sure enough, as soon as Indigo sees the technology in action she begins plotting to use it to do just that.
- Protagonist-Centered Morality: A milder example, but still in play. Kara can't save all three people jumping off the building, so she immediately goes for her two friends.
- Psychic-Assisted Suicide: Non uses Myriad to force James, Winn, and a third CatCo employee named Kelly to jump off the CatCo building as a demonstration of its power. Supergirl saves the first two, but the third dies.
- Put on a Bus: This is Max Lord's last appearance, for no real reason.
- Red Shirt: Non makes Wynn, James, and some CatCo employee who's never had any lines before jump off a building. Guess which one of those three Supergirl fails to save.
- Remember the New Guy?: Turns out Maxima has been imprisoned at the DEO since before the show started. Kelly is a better example, having been Kara's coworker for the whole season and yet never appeared at all.
- Sacrificial Lamb: Non uses Myriad to force three CatCo employees to walk to three different sides of the building and jump off. WINN! NO! JAMES NOOOOO!! KELLY! WHOOOOO... the fuck is Kelly?
- Sadistic Choice:
- Non forces James, Winn, and a third CatCo employee named Kelly to jump off the building. Supergirl only has time to save the first two, and Non warns that he can keep doing this unless she backs off.
- Max has a plan to save the city, but it requires detonating a Kryptonite bomb over it. The resulting radiation would kill the Kryptonians, but Supergirl would have to stay out of the city for fifty years and 8% of the population (roughly 300,000) would be killed by the blast.
- At the end, Non sticks Alex in a suit of Powered Armor with a Kryponite sword and pits her against Supergirl. Either Supergirl kills her sister or is herself killed.
- Shipping Torpedo: Kara does not approve of Maxima for her cousin.Kara: Ew, gross!
- Take a Third Option: Cat encourages Supergirl to do this when Max's bomb seems like the only option left to them.
- Tempting Fate: When they're setting up Cat's old TV station, Max assures Supergirl and Cat that the older equipment can't be tracked online by Indigo. Cue Alex, under Myriad's control, walking right up to the building.
- Villain Team-Up: Non has Lucy and the other DEO soldiers release their alien prisoners (except the White Martian, who creeps even him out), most prominently Maxima, with the promise they will be kings and queens on Earth if they pledge allegiance to Non.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: As soon as Kelly is introduced in this episode, she leaps off a building to her death thanks to Myriad.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist:
- Non qualifies as one, as he wants to rule the humans in order to bring peace and save the planet, albeit with a sadistic desire to take revenge on Supergirl through her loved ones thrown in. Indigo plays Lady Macbeth and tries to convince him to aim for grander goals.
- Maxwell Lord, also, who sees the deaths of a few hundred thousand people as far better than Non enslaving everyone on Earth.
- Wetware CPU: The purpose of Myriad. Astra hoped to use mind control to force the entire population of Krypton to work on saving the planet from destruction. Non seeks to honor her dream by setting National City's population to the task of solving Earth's problems, but Indigo sees Myriad as an insta-army generator.
- Worf Had the Flu: J'onn is too busy shielding Alex's mind from Myriad to give it his all in the fight with Indigo. He ends up stabbed through the gut and unconscious, whereupon Alex immediately succumbs.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Kara gives a speech to Maxwell Lord that he should make a better choice, one that would make his parents proud.
