Supergirl (TV Series)
Welcome Back, Kara (2021)
Jason Behr: Zor-El
Photos
Quotes
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Alex Danvers : I'm sure that Alura would be overjoyed to know that you're still alive.
Lena Luthor : Yes, you must be anxious to get back to Argo City.
Zor-El : I am, of course. But before I go, I'd like to see what my daughter's been up to here on Earth.
Supergirl : I think that can be arranged.
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Zor-El : This is Oscar.
Brainiac-5 : Looks like Kelex, just with some ugly '80's style shoulder pads.
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Zor-El : [in the Fortress of Solitude] I remember when your aunt and uncle made the plan for this place. I just didn't think it was possible.
Supergirl : Yeah, Kal-El tried to get me to come here for years. I thought it would make me homesick. That it would be too painful to face all those memories.
Zor-El : I... can understand that.
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Supergirl : J'onn, I've got eyes on the satellite.
J'onn J'onnz : Do you need backup?
Supergirl : [with Zor-El] Nah, we've got this.
[as they reach the satellite, a piece breaks off and lands in the ocean, setting a pile of trash on fire]
Zor-El : I'll go get it.
Supergirl : Try your freeze breath.
[as he takes care of the fire, she pushes the satellite back into space]
Supergirl : Nice job.
Zor-El : Thanks for the suggestion. I also x-rayed the garbage patch. It was covered in toxic chemicals.
Supergirl : [spotting a large piece of marble with a familiar logo on it] Well, looks like we have LuthorCorp and the former DEO to thank for that.
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Zor-El : [visiting Kara's workplace] There was a moment in there when I could hear the other side of ten different phone conversations. These powers are... intense.
Nia Nal : It takes time. Especially when your powers come to you all at once. And without a manual.
Zor-El : [enjoying a moment of serenity] What a difference a sun makes.
[seeing something in the sky]
Zor-El : What is that?
[using his powers to get a better look]
Zor-El : Something has broken through the Earth's atmosphere. Looks like a large piece of machinery. It's speeding towards us.
Nia Nal : Well, you really wanna see what Kara's life is like? Suit up and get ready to fly.
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Zor-El : After you told me of Earth's environmental crisis, I couldn't shake the feeling that Earth was headed down the same path as Krypton. So I analyzed your oceans, and I'm afraid the prognosis is grim. Your oceans are dying, just like ours did.
Supergirl : I know, Father. And I understand your fears, but it's not just our oceans. We've been trying to manage Earth's environmental crises for years, but it's... it's complicated.
J'onn J'onnz : [entering] Supergirl, I'm glad you're here. I'm afraid the fire from this morning has reignited.
Zor-El : We had it contained.
J'onn J'onnz : The fuel leak is coming from a Dominator warp drive. Brainy and I can break it down on the molecular level, rendering it inert. That should put the fire out.
Supergirl : But that should have been done during the cleanup after the DEO imploded.
J'onn J'onnz : Yeah, I'm not surprised it wasn't. Men like Lex all ascribe to the same motto: cheaper, faster, easier, no matter the damage.
Zor-El : Neglect like this is what destroyed Krypton. The death of the oceans, that was the tipping point. And you're already there. We have to stop it.
J'onn J'onnz : This doesn't have an easy fix; it's a complicated problem.
Zor-El : Of course. But if I could access Krypton's records, I could really compare the data and analysis. Maybe there's something I missed on Krypton.
[getting an idea]
Zor-El : Kara, the pod we used to send you to Earth. Do you still have it? It should have retained data from your launch date.
Supergirl : Well, actually, I... I have something a lot better.
[cut to her leading him into the Fortress of Solitude]
Supergirl : Welcome to Krypton on Earth.
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J'onn J'onnz : Is Oscar an acronym?
Zor-El : Oh, no. He's named after that irritable green creature who lives with the garbage.
Supergirl : Yes, he binge-watched "Sesame Street" while I was recovering under the sun lamps.
Zor-El : Crash course in Earth customs.
Brainiac-5 : Did you upgrade him with Coluan technology?
Kelex : I would hardly call it an upgrade.
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Zor-El : I am so sorry, Kara. I should have done more to save our planet.
Supergirl : You did everything you could. You sacrificed yourself to save us. You were a hero, Father.
Zor-El : I ripped you from your home.
Supergirl : And I found a new one. Here.
Zor-El : And I promise you, this time I will save it. I will not let what happened to Krypton happen here. If Kal-El is anything like his father, all of Krypton's records should be stored in here.
[as he activates a crystal, she flashes back to Lex sending her to the Phantom Zone]
Zor-El : Kara, are you okay?
Supergirl : [shaking it off] Yes. I'm just surprised that everything's still in order after...
Kelex : Of course it is. That's what I'm here for.
Zor-El : You have a Kelex!
Supergirl : Kelex, my father is looking for scientific data about Krypton. Specifically, from the time right before the planet exploded.
Kelex : I will pull up everything I have.
Zor-El : [watching him work, something in his mind clicks] Kara... I think I know how to save your oceans.
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Zor-El : [about the upgrades he made to Kelex] I attached a Coluan energy core, so Oscar can shrink trash and convert it into energy in seconds. Oscar will then absorb that energy, rendering it harmless.
Alex Danvers : [he demonstrates with an empty to-go coffee cup] Okay. I will admit that that is very impressive. But the Earth is covered in 70% water. I mean, do you really think that Oscar can handle that?
Zor-El : Yes. And this is something I could never have achieved on Krypton. Your planet has an amazing melting pot of alien technology that we never had access to on Krypton.
J'onn J'onnz : That's what concerns me. Some alien technology interacts poorly with others. Plus, I saw kryptonite out there.
Supergirl : Kryptonite?
J'onn J'onnz : Yes, but you must have been too far away from the garbage to feel its effect. But that's my point. We don't know the full scope of the garbage on those islands. We should run some tests before we release Zor-El's invention.
Zor-El : I understand your concern. I wish I could give you an exact timeline of when Earth will reach Krypton's tipping point. But that's the thing; once you can see the tipping point, it's too late. That's why we need to act now.
J'onn J'onnz : [seeing the logic of his argument] Okay. But I want him recalled at the first sign of distress.
Zor-El : Of course.
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Lena Luthor : You lost a radioactive Kelex?
Alex Danvers : Oscar. Supergirl and J'onn are out scanning for him right now. We're looking for anything that he might have absorbed that would corrupt his programming and make him disappear.
Zor-El : [his tablet beeps] The DEO had Daxamite tech?
Alex Danvers : Yeah.
Zor-El : That might explain his new cloaking abilities.
Lena Luthor : Well, I have some experience with that. I should be able to de-cloak him by sending out a signal wave blast.
[Brainy yields his chair to her]
Lena Luthor : Zor-El, you used Coluan shrinking tech. Smart. I did something similar with a high-pressure energy compactor at L-Corp. It's an attractive idea, but a delicate process. Shrinking energy doesn't get rid of it. It still has to go somewhere.
Zor-El : That energy is what powers Oscar. He's self-sufficient.
Lena Luthor : Unless he's been compromised by one of my brother's unholy experiments.
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Supergirl : [watching Oscar work] It's working.
J'onn J'onnz : So it would seem. Brainy?
Brainiac-5 : Uh... Oscar is converting the garbage even more efficiently than Zor-El's model suggested. I apologize for my skepticism.
Zor-El : That's not necessary. I'm just happy I'm able to help.
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Brainiac-5 : That's Oscar's Coluan energy core. Why is it red?
Lena Luthor : All that energy has overloaded him. If he gets any higher, it's gonna detonate with the force of an atomic bomb.
Zor-El : We have to find him.
Alex Danvers : Well, his trail's gone cold.
Brainiac-5 : [getting an idea] A cold. That's it. That's how we can reset him. We'll give him a virus. A computer virus.
Alex Danvers : Brainy, that's genius.
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J'onn J'onnz : [an alert on Brainy's computer beeps] What is it?
Brainiac-5 : Getting some odd fluctuations in Oscar's energy core.
J'onn J'onnz : His mass is increasing, too. He seems to be adding garbage to his body, not converting it to energy.
Supergirl : We need to bring him back.
Zor-El : I'll recall him.
[the computer beeps again]
Zor-El : I've issued the return command, but he's not responding.
Supergirl : I'll go get him. Brainy, the coordinates?
Brainiac-5 : I've lost him. Visuals are gone, and he's disappeared off the radar.
Supergirl : There are major shipping lanes in that area. If Oscar malfunctions, he could endanger cargo ships.
J'onn J'onnz : Try satellite imaging.
Brainiac-5 : [trying] There's no trace of him. He's gone.
Supergirl : J'onn and I will find him. Brainy, you stay here with my father, figure out what went wrong and how to fix it.
J'onn J'onnz : Don't forget, there's kryptonite.
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Brainiac-5 : [retrieving Kelex from the trash monster] I got him.
Zor-El : You did it.
Lena Luthor : No, we did it. Brainy never would have been able to make that virus without your help.
Kelex : [referring to Brainy's earlier insults] You didn't mean all those things you said, did you?
Brainiac-5 : I meant every word.
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Brainiac-5 : Lena, I lost the drone with the virus in it. Can you recall it?
Lena Luthor : Stand by.
[trying as more trash bonds with Oscar]
Lena Luthor : Brainy, I'm trying, but I can't control it.
Supergirl : I think we can grab the drone.
J'onn J'onnz : Wait. I did a psychic scan. Oscar is protected by a force field. He must have acquired it from the DEO tech. Trying to breach it could cause a backlash.
Lena Luthor : Brainy, that force field is keeping me from accessing the drone.
Zor-El : You have to find a way to get close enough to the drone to release the virus manually.
Brainiac-5 : On it.
Supergirl : How will you get close enough?
Brainiac-5 : I need to get him to think I'm trash.
[turning to the monster]
Brainiac-5 : Kelex! Kelex, you stupid idiot! Can you hear me? Wow! Look how big and dumb you are!
[a metal chain rattles nearby]
Brainiac-5 : A junkyard? Come on! You sorry excuse for a Roomba! I know you know the truth. Without that Coluan power core, you're nothing!
[grabbing hold of the chain as it flies toward Oscar]
Brainiac-5 : I regret nothing!
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Supergirl : I took Kelex back to the Fortress. He'll be all right. We can go see him tomorrow if you want.
Zor-El : No. I need to return to Argo City and finally face your mother.
Supergirl : Face her?
Zor-El : When I found out you and your mother were alive... it was the happiest moment of my life. And I miss her so much, Kara. In the Phantom Zone, the memory of her and you were what kept me alive. But now seeing her again isn't just some far-off dream. It's... an inevitability. And the thought of looking her in the eye and seeing all of my mistakes reflected back on me... I didn't think I could handle the weight of that guilt.
Supergirl : You did everything you could to save Krypton.
Zor-El : I did. And that made me part of the problem. I made rash decisions out of hubris and made everything worse. Then when I saw your planet heading in the same direction, I thought if I could just fix Earth, I could earn my way back to her. I was so focused on avoiding the past, I ran headfirst into all my old mistakes.
Supergirl : I definitely understand that.
Zor-El : I may have made a lot of mistakes in my life. But the one thing that went right was you. You are strong and caring and have built a beautiful life. But, Kara... you don't need to carry the weight of this world or any world on your shoulders every moment of every day. Sometimes, even though you're Kryptonian... it's okay to be human.
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Brainiac-5 : If we can't restore Oscar's programming, we can give him a virus and shut him down completely. I know Kelex's operating frequencies, so we just need to get the virus within a few centimeters of his hard drive for it to take effect. I can deliver it with a drone.
Zor-El : But a virus will destroy Oscar.
Brainiac-5 : If we don't destroy him, he will destroy us.
Zor-El : No! I can still fix him! He can still save Krypton!
[realizing he misspoke]
Zor-El : Earth. He can still save Earth.
Lena Luthor : My signal wave blast is nearly complete. Oscar should be de-cloaking any second.
Alex Danvers : Brainy, get that virus ready.
Zor-El : Wait.
Alex Danvers : No, we don't have time to wait. Y-You heard Lena. This thing could explode at any minute, killing hundreds of thousands of people. Now, look, I-I know that you wanted to help. I-I-I get that. But we have to shut this robot down now before he does any more damage. So... all due respect, but you either help Brainy with the virus or you step aside.
Zor-El : [reluctant] I altered Kelex's programming frequency when I made the upgrades. Let me show you. When Oscar re-appears, we need to be ready.
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Kara Danvers : [returning to work at CatCo] Okay, so remember, you are my Uncle Archie, visiting from Midvale. Okay.
Zor-El : Don't worry. I promise no one will even know I'm there. I'm starting to understand my strength. I-I'm sorry about your door.
Kara Danvers : No, no. It's not that, I'm just... I'm just nervous, you know? I disappeared without a trace, I'm surprised I still even have a job. And William, I left him hanging without so much as a goodbye.
Nia Nal : Oh. Don't worry about him, it's not like you chose to get...
[realizing Kara's ordeal is still a touchy subject]
Nia Nal : He'll understand. And don't worry about Andrea, okay? I covered for you, remember?
Kara Danvers : Right. Uh, what did you tell her, exactly?
Nia Nal : That Cat Grant reached out to you personally to do a profile on Darien resistance leader Miguel de Miranda.
Kara Danvers : Okay.
Nia Nal : And that you've been off-grid, embedded with him.
Kara Danvers : Wait, what?
Nia Nal : It was the best I could do.
