We’re six episodes into Supergirl Season 4, and the hints at Nia Nal’s superhero destiny keep coming. We know Nia is going to become Dreamer, TV’s first transgender superhero, but right now, we’re seeing her origin story. And while it previously seemed like she didn’t understand her powers, the latest episode, “Call to Action,” suggests she may already know the reason for her narcolepsy.
Spoilers for Supergirl Season 4 Episode 6 below.
In Episode 4, Nia cautioned James against going into the field as Guardian. “I have a feeling something bad will happen,” she told him, but he ignored the warning, and his actions put him on the Children of Liberty’s radar. The anti-alien movement saw him as a hero, and now, he’s tangled up in their xenophobic movement while also trying to figure out the true identity of Agent Liberty.
In Episode 6, Kara and James find Nia asleep at her desk at work, she’s startled awake and explains that she has “that sleep thing, the one that causes you to fall asleep at random times.” She had a doctor in DC to treat her narcolepsy, but she hasn’t found anyone in National City yet.
James (Mehcad Brooks) and Kara (Melissa Benoist) check on Nia (Nicole Maines) in 'Supergirl' Season 4 Episode 6 "Call to Action"
However, when Kara and Alex’s mother, Eliza, refer her to a doctor, Nia says she already has one, a Dr. Minsky Smith. Since Nia babbles her way through that conversation, it’s safe to say she’s lying, but why? And is she lying to Kara and James or to Eliza?
Here’s a few key questions to keep in mind as Supergirl Season 4 continues, and out best guess at the answers.
Who Is Dreamer?
Nia is destined to become Dreamer, an ancestor of the Legion of Super-Heroes’ Nura Nal/Dream Girl.
In the comics, Dream Girl’s visions of the future come to her in her dreams, and she suffers from narcolepsy. Supergirl appears to be doing that with Nia.
Does Nia Know About Her Powers?
Though it appeared she didn’t know exactly what was going on when she warned James in episode 4, “Call to Action” suggests the complete opposite.
There’s the fact that she stumbled over her “sleep disorder.” If she had been seeing a doctor in DC, wouldn’t she know the term “narcolepsy”? Maybe she was seeing someone, but not a doctor. Or maybe she was just a bit dazed after waking up and that doesn’t mean anything.
She also tells Kara and James she doesn’t have a doctor in National City yet, but when she speaks to Eliza not long after, she suddenly does. She’s lying to one of them, likely Eliza. Is it because she knows a doctor can’t help her?
It’s possible that Nia knows, or at least suspects, something about her abilities, but she could be trying to hide them because of the growing hate in National City. Its citizens don’t like those who are different, especially if they have powers, and while Nia may know Kara and James aren’t like that, you can’t blame her for being cautious.
About Those “Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans” …
That’s what Nia says when she’s startled awake in Episode 6, and Kara and James hear her. Will those espresso beans come up in a future episode? If they do, could this be the beginning of Kara or James realizing there’s more to Nia’s narcolepsy than meets the eye?
Supergirl airs Sundays at 8 p.m. on The CW.
