On Supergirl season 5, episode 3, after learning his mind was wiped of all traces of his brother, J’onn continues to search for answers. Meanwhile, Kelly’s life gets a little more complicated, despite her relationship going strong.

Supergirl season 5, episode 3 is much stronger than the previous episode, but it almost feels like “part 2” because several of the stories first explored in the last episode are delved into and, in some cases, resolved.

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(Update – October 19, 2019: The end of this article has been updated with interview answers from Azie Tesfai, Supergirl‘s Kelly Olsen.)

I have to say, this season of Supergirl is starting off very good. The stories are cohesive, each character seems to be getting their time to shine without taking away from Kara’s arc, and the story is moving forward at a pace that’s not too slow or too fast. It seems like the writers are setting up a season of two Big Bad villains per half season, just like The Flash season 6 is.

‘Supergirl’ season 5, episode 3 screener secrets

J’onn, Nia, and Malefic

J’onn continues to search for a way to uncover what’s missing from his memory, though he heeds Kelly’s warning about resetting his mind. Instead, J’onn reaches out to Nia, to use her powers to tap into his subconscious and release what’s been taken from him, and it leads to something unsettling.

The ‘Supergirl’ 5×03 villain of the week

Despite Malefic being an enormous part of the episode, Kara and company discover there’s a new alien out in National City killing people. For the first villain of the week — if we’re not counting Midnight (because, I mean, that came and went pretty fast) — it was just so-so. Not the most interesting villain, but it shook things up a bit and gave Kara, James, and Alex quite a bit to do together.

Hiding her feelings

The new normal is setting in, and while the last episode isolated Lena to her lab, she’s very much a part of a sub-plot with Kara on Supergirl season 5, episode 3. It’s so interesting to see the new dynamic between them, which carries on from the premiere with only a few minor changes.

Lena is still hiding how she truly feels after Kara’s Supergirl reveal, and begins to follow through on her promise from the end of the season premiere: using Supergirl to help her achieve her goals. Meanwhile, Kara is still trying to repair their still-rocky friendship, and is trying to become more comfortable being Supergirl around Lena.

Meanwhile, Lena and Heve’s (Hope inside of Eve) new dynamic is interesting, and Hope’s human vessel gives a bit more insight into the program and how exactly it’s meant to help Lena. If you had your suspicions about Hope before, I can’t say this episode does anything to counter those. If anything, it’s the opposite.

Kelly Olsen

For those wondering, yes, there are scenes between Kelly and Alex in the episode. Don’t expect nearly as many as the previous episodes, but they have a decent amount of content and the episode leaves off on a very strong, yet sad moment for them.

However, Kelly proves herself a vital part of Supergirl‘s current story, and it’s so refreshing to see that she’s going to be written as so much more than Alex’s love interest. In the coming episodes, it should be very interesting to see how Kelly’s story unfolds, and it all begins here.

Supergirl season 5, episode 3 is a strong hour filled with many things that fans love about the series. For instance, there’s two couch scenes (yes, a Danvers sisters couch scene!), Kara’s love of donuts returns, and the relationships between the characters are so beautifully explored. I really can’t wait for more.

(Added October 19) Interview with Azie Tesfai

Hypable: First of all, at this point in time, does Kelly know that Kara is Supergirl?

Azie Tesfai: No. She doesn’t know, from what I’ve gathered, she doesn’t know. She hasn’t been told.

What initially drew you to the character of Kelly? What do you enjoy the most about playing her?

She’s so kind and so compassionate. I always say that Kelly is who I aspire to be as a woman one day. So initially I was drawn to how smart, and capable, and kind she was. Then really when I wanted to play her was after I did my chemistry with Chyler, I wanted to work with her. Chyler is such a sweetheart, but she’s also incredibly talented. It was both a combination of how smart Kelly is and kind and also knowing that she’s a professional black gay woman and because luckily that on television for me felt like a very exciting honor. Then also to get to work with Chyler. Yeah, that’s the draw.

What has it been like to be embraced by this big, supportive fan base?

It’s been great. It feels like a family in a weird way. The fans are so incredible and so kind. I’ve never been on a show where people send the loveliest gifts for me and for my dog. They are so supportive and we’re lucky because when we shoot on location we get to meet a lot of the fans. Getting to hear, in real time, how much [for me, playing Kelly, but] all [of] the characters mean to a lot of people is what makes me love playing this character and doing this job. It’s a lot of positive feedback from some fans.

It seems like so far Kelly and Alex are off to a strong start in their new relationship. What can you tease about that going forward?

Kelly and Alex have this aspirational way of dealing with one another. They communicate really well, and it’s something that both Chyler and I both value and appreciate. They have a deep appreciation for one another. They’re both highly empathetic and understanding. Both have a lot of stuff going on in their lives and a lot of trauma that they’re dealing with from their past, [but] the way that they lean on each other and help each other is really incredible. This season you see that [on] a deeper level and how they really support and help one another, and how that can be scary and also help you grow. I think that the way that the relationship unfolds is very adult.

Who, now after [Supergirl season 5, episode 2] would you like Kelly to interact with the most, that you haven’t had the chance to work with [much] yet?

I’m lucky because I think I’ve worked a little bit with everyone. There’s Lena — I mean Katie and I had a scene together in the last episode and it was so quick. I saw online where some of the fans were joking [it was a scene] between Katie and I. We really did try to milk it; we were touching each other, winking and it just was like just the level that they were like, okay, calm down you two. She is my best friend on the show. So we are trying to drop in little pieces and help Kelly and Lena have more things together just based on our friendship and how much we love each other. So definitely Lena.

Who is your favorite Supergirl character?

Probably Supergirl. Supergirl is so iconic and to be a female superhero that stands for so much good and hope. Melissa does such a beautiful job with the character, and is such a kind person in herself. We’re in a world where there’s a ton of superheroes, but there are not very many female ones. On television, Melissa was one of the first. So I would have to say Supergirl.

What has it been like to step into this giant superhero universe in general with these six, seven shows now?

It’s been intense. It’s a big deal. I’m lucky. We film in Vancouver, so there’s very much a support here of actors on other shows. I was really close with Anna Diop, she was on Titans before I started this. She kind of prepared me and I’ve gotten really close with Candice, who is on The Flash. So I have a really strong support system, which is really nice. That kind of prepares me and lets me know what’s happening. Our cast is really awesome.

It is overwhelming, and it is exciting. It’s exciting to be a part of something that people really care about. Getting to go to Comic Con this year was so incredible. I got to meet firsthand fans, to see how much this show and all of his shows mean to them. It’s exactly what I dreamed of doing. I think we’re in a really strange scary time in the world politically and socially. To have a show and a group of shows represent hope and the idea that anyone could be a superhero and anything’s possible, is exactly the kind of work that I feel lucky to be able to do.

Supergirl season 5, episode 3 airs Sunday, October 19 at 9 p.m. ET on The CW!