'Supergirl' Season 3: Lena Luthor's Devices and Desires
In 'Supergirl' season 3, Katie McGrath (Lena Luthor) has become a series regular, bringing a new dynamic to the team. Her increased profile raises a lot of questions. Will Lena finally learn Kara's secret? Will she keep trying to be the good Luthor, or will her family's Machiavellian ways come into play?
McGrath tells Variety that Lena Luthor comes into "Supergirl" season 3 carrying a lot of guilt. Last season, Lena struck a friendship with Kara Danvers (Melissa Benoist), but unknowingly betrayed her by helping her mother achieve her plan of making the Earth toxic to Daxamites. That had the bitter consequence of forcing Kara's Daxamite lover Mon-El to unwillingly leave Earth.
According to McGrath, Lena's purchase of the CatCo media company was an effort to make amends. It was also an act that made her the sworn enemy of Morgan Edge, which is sure to come into play somewhere down the line. "I don't think Morgan Edge is a man who takes kindly to being upstaged by a woman," McGrath said.
Additionally, Lena is now in a position of power over James Olsen (Mechad Brooks), who had been running things after Cat Grant's exit. While James is happy to have her in charge rather than Morgan Edge, he does feel put out at having to be a subordinate again. It's even more awkward since Lena, by her own admission, has no idea how to run a media company.
As for Lena and Kara, McGrath tells TV Line that their friendship is going to feel a bit strained now that she is the boss. The two of them will have to navigate the divide between their personal and professional relationship. McGrath says that one thing in Lena's favor is her ignorance of Kara's secret identity. That allows Lena to see her friend as Kara, not Supergirl.
While last season featured another Luthor, McGrath says in TV Insider that she hopes she'll be the only Luthor active on the show from now on. It's really the only way that Lena can distinguish herself outside the Luthor family name. The actress admits that when she first got the script, "You see the name Lena Luthor and think, okay, she's the bad guy." But while there may sometimes be friction between Lena and Kara, she seeks to live up to ideals opposed to the evil nature of the Luthor family.
As for whether the friction between Lena and James will lead to romance, McGrath tells TV Insider that she was simply reacting to Brooks' attractiveness. "You can't help yourself," McGrath said. "He's delicious. It's an extremely beautiful cast, right?"
