The following post contains minimal spoilers…until the end.
In the second season premiere, Martian Manhunter (David Harewood) and Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) recover a Kryptonian pod carrying…a Kryptonian. Or so it seems. From there, a failed space trip becomes the McGuffin to bring in the new Man of Steel (Tyler Hoechlin). From the outset, there is a clear beef between J’onn J’onzz and Superman. The sulking is a clear callout to the contentious relationship between Kal-El and Batman, with J’onzz holding a supply of kryptonite as a contingency against Kryptonian aggression. It begs the question: why not use it in season’s one’s Myriad storyline. Guess we’ll have to keep wondering.
Now for the Easter eggs: Supergirl mentions being bitten by a bat in the old DEO headquarters (the new digs being more Berlanti-esque, a la CCPD headquarters) a nod to the Caped Crusader. New baddie (or is she?) Lena Luthor (Merlin‘s Katie McGrath), along with mentions of a jailed Lex reveal past tangles with Supes. A younger Eve Teschmacher (Andrea Brooks in 2016) than fans of the 1978 Superman are used to (Valerie Perrine in 1978) pops up as Cat Grant’s newest abused assistant. Even a saved father mentions to his sons that they’ll move back to Gotham after becoming targets for an murderous Metallo [John Corben before his Cadmus intervention] (Frederick Schmidt).
The final Easter egg? None other than…
****MAJOR SPOILER****
It’s not you, Barry…not this time anyway.
Mon-El! The identity of the stranger in wasn’t revealed in tonight’s episode, but some sleuthing reveals him to be the lead-vulnerable super-being. How long his storyline will last on Supergirl has yet to be seen. But it does hint to a Legion of Super-Heroes subplot. No word on time traveling to the 30th century or flight rings, but don’t count it out just yet! Besides, there’s still Flashpoint to contend with over in the Flarrowverse.