When you think about a character like Supergirl, you imagine someone who is a paragon of virtue. Kara's not immoral and is often a representative of all things good, but "Exodus" proved she can slip a little. Maybe. Let's talk about how Kara and Alex broke the rules and whether either of them were wrong to do so.

Alex's break from protocol was fueled by emotion for her father. It carried over from last week's episode, and as I said then, I can see where she's coming from. A lot of baggage and expectations amplify everything that happened with Jeremiah, and Alex still wants to see the best in him. She's letting her feelings blind her to the cold, hard facts and letting them take her out of the constraints of her job. She goes extreme to get answers.

On paper, what Alex did wasn't right. J'onn was correct to suspend her. However, J'onn was in the wrong by tricking Alex. His shapeshifting powers are handy, but they shouldn't be used to test his employees. I know the stakes are high, and I know he ended up busting Alex. But, dude. It's not right. Especially when you consider how they blur the boss-employee line with their almost familial relationship. That act probably helped push Alex into the wrongdoing arena.

I liked seeing Alex get differing feedback on the situation from two important women in her life. Kara sided with J'onn, never mind she was doing her own bending of the rules at her job, while Maggie supported Alex. Ultimately, Alex did whatever it took to find CADMUS and she succeeded. She didn't go by the book, but she did score a win for the DEO by saving the aliens CADMUS kidnapped. I don't disagree with her actions, but I'm a little surprised J'onn didn't keep the suspension in place.

Kara's actions had harsher consequences. I'm going to talk about her day job and skip the Supergirl aspects of the episode. She's been working at becoming a reporter throughout the season. She's made some smart moves and scored some scoops, but Kara doesn't seem to listen to Snapper. Her emotions and passion get in the way. Emotions aren't negative or weak, and I don't want anyone to take that away from my mentions of them, but they don't have a place when you're reporting the facts.

Snapper dropped lesson after lesson on Kara about journalism. He managed to get some jabs in about fake news, the current state of media in relation to U.S. politics, and some commentary about reporting vs. blogging while he was at it. I admire Snapper for remaining objective about his job and for teaching me while he's teaching Kara. This line in particular is something I'm going to remember: "We believe everyone is lying until we can prove they're not."

Fantastic as Snapper is, his investigative skills didn't help him recognize Kara's voice when Supergirl popped by CatCo for an exclusive interview.

But back to Kara. Since Snapper wouldn't accept her alien registry story, she self-published it on her blog, which she started for the occasion. She knew she would get in trouble, but she also strongly believed it was the right course of action. She wanted people to know the information. The idea of being a "citizen journalist" and taking the story into her own hands came from Lena.

Was it right or wrong for Kara to post the article? I can see both sides of the coin. Snapper definitely thought she misstepped and expressed his opinion by firing Kara. Given what she did, I can't blame him. I'm sure CatCo has specific rules about these matters. I hope Kara keeps up with her blog or eventually gets back to CatCo—on fair terms and not just because James is doing her a solid. I think she'll get bored without an alter ego.

One last note before switching gears: Snapper wins quote of the episode with this gem directed at Kara, "You're at DEFCON 3 with the moxie."

Rule-breaking out of the way, it's time to turn our attention to some #DCTV Secrets. We'll start with my favorite one. Lillian tells Jeremiah, "This time you're the only Superman we need." It's fitting since Dean Cain has played the Man of Steel before. He took on the role of Clark Kent/Superman in the '90s series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.

And though it's not at all related to DC Comics, this Dune fan found Winn and Lyra's excitement about the Frank Herbert novel to be endearing as heck. If you can find someone who will appreciate a discussion about the merits of riding sandworms, then you're pretty much set.

Finally, how about the arrival of Teri Hatcher (who also starred in Lois & Clark) and Kevin Sorbo? They're clearly... just kidding. That would be a spoiler. I'm sure we'll discuss them next week.

What did you think of Kara's and Alex's decisions in "Exodus?" Did you spot more #DCTV Secrets? Tell me all the things in the comments.
 

Amy Ratcliffe covers Supergirl as a part of the #DCTV Couch Club. Look for Amy on Twitter at @amy_geek. Supergirl airs Mondays at 8 p.m. (7 p.m. CST) on The CW.