Supergirl (TV Series)

The Fanatical (2018)

Mehcad Brooks: James Olsen, Guardian

Photos 

Quotes 

• James Olsen : You know how old I was the first time cops put cuffs on me? Seven. I was seven years old. My family and I were taking a vacation. And we were staying at this nice hotel, and, uh, my cousins and I, we decided to go out on the grounds and play hide and go seek. One minute, I'm-I'm trying my damndest not to be found, and in the next, I'm shielding my eyes from police lights. And these four huge cops, they came and they pulled us out of our hiding places. And-and the whole time we're saying "Wait, what are you doing? We're-we're-we're... we're staying here." But none of them believed that we were supposed to be there. None of them believed that we belonged. So my oldest cousin must have been about eleven, and I was... I was the smallest. But they slapped cuffs on all of us anyway, and my arms were so little they had to put 'em around my forearms. And then they marched us into the hotel lobby like a bunch of criminals. And my mom was there. And then they believed us. She kept yelling "Get those cuffs off my boys."

  [choking up] 

  James Olsen : "Those cuffs."

  Lena Luthor : James, that's horrible.

  James Olsen : Yeah. Racism is the oldest form of bullying.

  Lena Luthor : I'm so sorry that happened to you.

  James Olsen : But when I became Guardian, I put that mask on... it-it was strangely liberating. But it was the first time in my life that I had the opportunity to be judged on my actions and my heart, not how I look.

  Lena Luthor : You shouldn't have to wear a mask to be seen as how you really are, James. Just... it shouldn't be that way.

  James Olsen : But it is. And it's like that for every seven year old boy who looks like me, but it's not gonna be like that if I have something to do with it.

  Lena Luthor : You will effect change. You already are. Are you sure you wanna come out in the open?

  James Olsen : I don't think anybody likes to be backed into a corner, especially not me. And I don't know how people are gonna react when they realize that their neighborhood vigilante is black. But there's just too much at stake for me not to.

• James Olsen : I've decided to hold a press conference to reveal that I'm Guardian.

  Supergirl : No, you can't do that.

  James Olsen : I have to do that. It's my only choice. It's already 4:00. In an hour, they're gonna out me anyway. This is the only leverage they have on me, so if I can get out ahead of this, I don't know, maybe I can cause them to shake up their plan or-or make a mistake.

  Winn Schott : Dude, that is just like that movie "Ransom", right? With the... the guy, his son gets kidnapped, and instead of paying the ransom, he, like, flips the tables.

  [noticing Mon-El's look] 

  Winn Schott : It's... I'm... spoilers. I just... I'm gonna...

  Mon-El : They're just...

  Winn Schott : I'm gonna stop.

  Mon-El : Thank you.

• James Olsen : Something happened with Reign?

  Kara Danvers : No, actually, it's... it's Lena. Why did you tell her that Supergirl asked Guardian to go into her lab to find kryptonite? Now she has a problem with me.

  James Olsen : She does not have a problem with you. She... she couldn't wait to see you this morning. She was talking about it.

  Kara Danvers : She couldn't wait to see Kara, not Supergirl. She has a problem with... with Supergirl. Supergirl can't tell her that she can actually trust me because I'm her best friend Kara, but Kara can't tell her why Supergirl took it so personally that she was using kryponite behind her back because Lena doesn't actually know that I'm Supergirl.

  James Olsen : You know what you said is really confusing, right?

• Kara Danvers : You should've had my back.

  James Olsen : Look, I'm sorry I told her, but I felt like it was important to be honest.

  Kara Danvers : At my expense?

  James Olsen : I really like her. And-and for this to move forward, I have to be honest about my life, about everything, about Guardian. And because I was, she opened up to me.

  Kara Danvers : I'm really happy for you, James. I really am. But I can't be honest with Lena, and you know it.

  James Olsen : You were straight with me.

  Kara Danvers : My secret identity is there to protect people, and if Lena knew I was Supergirl, people might use it against her. For the past two years, I... I've had to be dishonest with her while she's been opening up to me. Lillian Luthor said it, and she was right. If Lena ever found out that I was Supergirl, she would be devastated, and she would lump me in with every other person in her life that's betrayed her.

• Tanya : You know Supergirl? I need you to get this to her.

  James Olsen : What is this?

  Tanya : It's Thomas Coville's journal.

  Kara Danvers : How did you get this?

  Tanya : I stole it from his cult. Can you get it to her or not? I thought you two were close. I think his followers are using it to make a bomb.

• Tanya : I was a teacher. Linguistics and semiotics.

  Kara Danvers : You helped Coville learn Kryptonian.

  Tanya : He found me. I-I'd been saved by her. I... I just wanted the miracle to mean something. But when Reign came, the followers started making me translate his journal. It had everything he had ever learned about Krypton, and I was the only one left who knew how to read it. But what I read, it was like a recipe. Explosives.

  James Olsen : Where's Coville now?

  Tanya : He just vanished. The others were saying that he died serving Reign, that-that he's a martyr. They'd become fanatics.

  James Olsen : And where are his... disciples now?

  Tanya : [scribbling an address on a Post-It]  This is where I ran away from.

• Olivia : I need to know if Tanya is here. We got separated, and I need to know that she's okay.

  James Olsen : She's fine. Just calm down. Everything's good.

  Olivia : It is not safe here!

  James Olsen : Were you followed?

  Security Guard : [offscreen]  Let her go!

  Eve Teschmacher : James, help! They're taking Tanya!

  James Olsen : [hurrying over]  Hey!

  Olivia : [cocking a pistol]  You could say that.

• Tanya : Wait, hold up. You're Guardian?

  James Olsen : Yep, just try not to put that on your social media. I'm trying it keep it on the low.

  Tanya : Okay. Sorry. I just... that is so awesome. I-I had no idea. I thought you were just friends withn Supergirl, but you're super... well, not "man", uh, because that's already taken. But you're super.

  James Olsen : They're super. I'm just Guardian.

• Tanya : Oh, no, come on. Don't downplay it. You're Guardian! You're a superhero. And they still would've shot you.

  James Olsen : You forget they did shoot me. In the face, with armor-piercing bullets.

  Tanya : No, not the acolytes, the police. I've seen it happen to my father, my brothers. I just... never thought it would happen to Guardian.

• Supergirl : What happened? Are you okay?

  James Olsen : Yeah, yeah, yeah.

  Tanya : They came for me.

  James Olsen : You'll never believe who the heavy was. Olivia.

  Supergirl : Olivia? But... but she was the first one to turn on Coville at the stadium.

  Tanya : Yeah, you're right. She was lost after that. More than the rest, but she kept visiting him in prison.

  Supergirl : You should've called me.

  Tanya : Oh! Guardian had it handled. Don't worry, I'm not gonna start a church or anything.

• James Olsen : So, any luck finding the cult?

  Supergirl : We went back to where you escaped from. They weren't there, but we did find evidence that they were trying to build the bomb you told James and Kara Danvers about. But they failed. Um... we think someone might have died there.

  Tanya : [she holds out a necklace]  This was Liza's. She was my friend.

  Supergirl : [James' phone buzzes]  What is it?

  [noticing his expression change] 

  Supergirl : James.

  [he tosses her the phone] 

  Supergirl : [reading a text]  "Give us Tanya and the journal, or the world will see your true face."

  James Olsen : They're gonna tell National City I'm Guardian.

• Supergirl : What happened? Was there another attack at CatCo?

  James Olsen : No, no, no. I-I'm sorry to bring Tanya here, but I figured with all the threats out there, this is the safest place for her.

• Lena Luthor : James, if you're doing this, I'm coming with you. I wanna stand beside you.

  James Olsen : I really appreciate that. But you should continue working. Sam's life depends on it, right?

• Lena Luthor : I know this is scary, but maybe it's a good thing, you know, you coming out.

  James Olsen : It's a little more complicated than that.

  Lena Luthor : Why?

  James Olsen : [leading her into an empty room]  For one, I'm a black man.

  Lena Luthor : But everyone knows that Guardian's a hero.

  James Olsen : Yeah, but not everyone knows that Guardian is black.

• Tanya : You don't have to reveal yourself for me. I'm gonna give myself up. I wanna face them. I wanna fight.

  James Olsen : No, no, no, Tanya. It is way too dangerous for that.

  Tanya : No, I need to do this. For once, I need to take a risk and stand up for what I believe. I need to be myself.

  James Olsen : Well, you're not doing this alone.

• James Olsen : Should've never let Tanya go.

  Lena Luthor : Wait. Wait, wait. If they use the rock, then it will give off an energy signal.

  Winn Schott : Which we can scan for.

  James Olsen : Wouldn't that get us there after they've already made a Worldkiller?

  Supergirl : Don't worry. There's a reason we sent Mon-El with her. He's smart, tactical, he's a Legionnaire. If anyone can find us a signal, it's him.

• James Olsen : [noticing Kara wince in pain]  What is it?

  Supergirl : Kryptonian sunstone. Mon-El found a frequency I can hear. Let's go.

• James Olsen : I just wanted to apologize for putting you in a tough position with Lena earlier.

  Supergirl : Oh, it's fine. I did it. I asked you to do something I shouldn't have. I knew there were consequences.

  James Olsen : I do understand the complex issues about your identity. But I gotta tell you, there was a moment when I decided to unmask today where... I felt powerful. And-and don't get me wrong, I was definitely afraid of what changes may come or-or how people may perceive me, or the fallout. But I-I wanted to fight that good fight, because I think people like Tanya need to see heroes who look like me so they know what they're capable of.

  Supergirl : Yeah.

  James Olsen : So when the time is right, on my own terms, I'm gonna take that mask off.

  Supergirl : I'm proud of you.

  James Olsen : That's my story. Yours is different. You can't take yours off because you do it to protect us, the people you care about. I know it takes its toll.

  Supergirl : Well...

  James Olsen : But I'm here to tell you that I respect it. I understand it. I appreciate it.

• Supergirl : "You must deliver Tanya and the journal to the corner of Pacific and First at 5:00 p.m. If you fail to show up, we will go live with this video and reveal James Olsen as Guardian to all of National City."

  Tanya : I am so sorry I put you at risk.

  James Olsen : No, no, no, it's not your fault.

  Tanya : If they expose your identity, then you're a vigilante. They could arrest you, and then all of those people that you put in jail, they... they'd know who are you, they could go after you.

  James Olsen : Look, Tanya, it-it is not about that right now. This is about protecting you.

  Supergirl : We have three hours. We can find Olivia and her followers before anything happens to James.