"In Plain Sight," the latest episode of Supergirl season 5, saw James Olsen once again become Jimmy Olsen, just as the character was written out of the series. Olsen's departure saw "Superman's Pal" coming full-circle, however, finding a heroic cause to which he could dedicate himself as a vigilante and a journalist.
It has been known that the character of James Olsen would be leaving Supergirl since July 2019, when actor Mehcad Brooks announced his exit would happen at some point in season 5. Brooks reportedly wanted more time to pursue other projects, including writing a book and producing his own television series, though he is apparently amicable to returning to Supergirl in the future for guest appearances. This places Brooks in the same position as Jeremy Jordan, who left Supergirl after three seasons playing tech genius Winn Schott, in order to focus on theatrical acting.
"In Plain Sight" set-up James' departure by having him and his sister, Kelly, return to Calvintown; the small town they moved to as children, following the death of their father. James had fond memories of the town, having gotten his first job in journalism taking photos for the Calvintown Gazette. It quickly became apparent, however, that Calvintown had fallen on hard times, with the town now being run by a triumvirate of crooked cops, paid-off judges and sleazy executives. The town had become home to a for-profit prison, and it was in the best interest of everyone to look the other way as people were sentenced to long sentences for petty crimes, keeping the prison full and the money flowing into the city.
James knew he had to do something after meeting a homeless teen named Simon Kirby, who was forced onto the street after his mother was sentenced for 10 years for shoplifting. Yet it wasn't enough for James to hire a good defense attorney to tackle her case and offer his home up to Simon and his friends. Calvintown needed a hero to fight for it and James Olsen was already looking for a new direction in life, having quit his job at CatCo Worldwide Media in protest of the new management's disdain for honest journalism over click-bait.
Near the end of the episode, James told his friends and family about his decision to leave National City for Calvintown. He announced that he had already bought the Calvintown Gazette and set himself up as publisher, with the intention of using the power of the press to take on the corrupt political machine running Calvintown. And if that proved to be insufficient, his superheroic alter-ego the Guardian would be ready to act as the Shield of Justice as well.
The final scene of Supergirl season 5, episode 4, showed James in his new office, offering Simon a job and showing him the first camera he'd ever owned; a gift from his late father. James gave the camera to Simon, prompting the young man to say "Thanks, Chief." James laughed, no doubt thinking of his old editor, Perry White, and replied "Don't call me Chief. It's Jimmy."