The intro into the opening credits is for me one of the top superhero intros ever, right up there with Christopher Reeves saving the helicopter with Lois. As THE BEST, although Wonder Woman's first battlefield scene is close behind. Having it lead into the opening credits is brilliant. The reveal scene with Winn on the roof is also good, though there are far too many such scenes to try to rank this one among the best.
It looks like this episode is going to be gratuitous and derivative but then we get the DEO. I didn't like this plot thread of opposition to true superheroes in the more recent DC movies (or what Marvel did either). Even with that twist, which is the theme of the entire season, the story is a little simple.
I don't know if Melissa Benoist was well cast or if she rose to the role. It was probably both. This is a talented woman, but what makes her and this series special is the personality she delivers as Kara. Such a mixture of insecurity and valor. But most of all it is her cheerful demeanor and optimism, most of the time.
I love that MB enjoys being a role model for girls. This episode plays into the mild feminism which says that a woman can be a hero too. This was my favorite of the CW run of the DC universe, but I had to give up on it in later seasons. I can stand TV that has some woke in it. Some ideas that are parallel with that political philosophy have merit, but this series and MB quickly started shoving woke relentlessly at the audience. It hasn't started in this episode, fortunately.