Beyond lauding the pilot, Variety’s initial review of “Supergirl” posed several questions, the most pointed (or at least pragmatic) being whether this sort of unabashed superhero series – having thrived on the network’s kid sister, the CW – could take off on CBS. The answer was not entirely, which didn’t prevent producers Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg and their team from applying a very “The Flash”-like formula to this handsome, fun, chaotic, slightly geeky addition to DC’s stable of TV heroes.
As with their other shows, the series chewed through great chunks of story, revealing Supergirl’s secret identity to multiple characters, introducing additional heroes (as in J’onn J’onzz, a.k.a. Martian Manhunter), and digging deep into comic-book mythology. While those weaned on comics might readily know the effects of red Kryptonite or the rules surrounding alternate universes, these series simply dive in and let the less-formally initiated follow along as best they can.
All that built toward a finale (and SPOILER ALERT if you haven’t watched) with nothing less than the fate of the world hanging in the balance, as Supergirl and her Martian pal (David Harewood, one of the show’s best assets) squared off in a four-way fight with the Kryptonian renegade Non (Chris Vance) and the villainous Indigo. The latter was played by Laura Vandervoort, one of several actors with past ties to the franchise nostalgically incorporated into the show.
The protracted build-up to the slightly anticlimactic showdown underscored both where the series can excel and, frankly, become a tad clunky. Faced with the prospect of death, Supergirl/Kara used the opportunity to go around telling everyone in her life how important they are to her, from her pal Winn (Jeremy Jordan) to her slow-simmering love interest James Olsen (Mehcad Brooks) to her imperious boss Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart), who paid the whole thing off, sentimentally, by finally acknowledging Kara’s contributions — and even getting her name right. There was even a half-baked rescue of the stricken hero by Kara’s adopted sister Alex (Chyler Leigh), whose butt-kicking abilities against threats alien and domestic have certainly been put to the test over the course of the season.
Although bullets bounce off her, “Supergirl” has been buoyed throughout by Benoist’s inherent vulnerability, managing to invest both halves of her iconic role with ordinary doubts and longings. The producers have also incorporated a number of winning little flourishes, such as Kara’s texts back and forth with her unseen cousin, Clark, whose boots she has spent the better part of the season trying to fill.
The special effects have also been impressive, credibly conveying battles between super-powered foes. While no one would expect the visuals to rival what’s on display in theatrical blockbusters, “Supergirl” (like “The Flash”) is clearly a major and welcome departure from the bad old days, when TV shows featuring Wonder Woman or the Hulk could afford to lasso a bad guy or break through a wall for about two minutes, twice per episode.
For all that, this latest series proved uneven as the year dragged on, and a slightly shorter episode order — or perhaps an “A” and “B” run, creating more air between flights of originals — might benefit all concerned. Nor did the cliffhanger involving another Kryptonian space pod, or for that matter the lingering questions about the fate of Kara and Alex’s dad, do all that much to whet the appetite for whatever awaits.
From a bird’s-eye view, everyone responsible for the series — from Warner Bros. TV to CBS to the astonishingly prolific creative team — deserves kudos for getting so many key elements right, especially as “Supergirl” took flight. Yet while the show mostly continued along that path, it also underscored the high bar and head winds associated with such properties, and the difficulty, as the finale demonstrated, of completely sticking the landing.
Renew the show CBS.
The original reason Kryptonians were “super” on earth was because of the rays of the yellow sun. Krypton had a red sun. As long as they are within the reach of our sun, they have super powers. This includes the ability to fly through and survive in the vacuum of space. “Superman: The Movie” got it right. I do wish that Greg Berlanti would have read a bunch of golden age comics before proceeding with any of the DC shows. If these shows would hold closer to the original storylines, they would be so much better. Heck, as far as that goes, I am refusing to go see super hero movies where the heros fight each other. STUPID! There is enough evil and violence in the world without this nonsense. If Lex Luthor couldn’t kill Superman (Branden Routh) with an Island of Kryptonite (Superman Returns) then he shouldn’t have died in a movie introducing new heros. By the way, Branden was a natural to play the part, just wish he would have had a better script. Hope he has a another chance, maybe a new Superman TV series.
No she cant survive in space. If you read comic her and superman can hold their breathe a very long time but he uses a space suit. Depends how long they are in space before they die. Honestly not a fan of the show. Supergirl was casted ok but the stories and most characters are just sad. Dont get me wrong they dont have to stay true to the comics but they should use them to get somethings right. The Flash does it perfect gives a little nod to the comics but yet has new stories.
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I really wanted to like this show but it has failed on so many levels. It was really noticeable with the Flash crossover on how much better that it could be. Too much militant feminism, a complete disrespect for the Superman character, and illogical plots (Kara’s sister can learn to pilot an alien spaceship in 5 minutes? Who writes this crap? They need to change the writers and bring in a producer who knows what they are doing. And for gods sake dump the Kara/Olsen romance! They have zero chemistry!
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Yes, my wife looked at me when that happened and said, “but Superman can survive in space”. I reasoned that she has never done it so she doesn’t know she can. I think that the character is still learning her powers and abilities and we will see more from her in the second season if they ever decide to. You have to remember she was raised as a human and just really started using her powers this year. Let them develop the characters and her strengths and weaknesses over another season.
Lost me with the revelation that Supergirl can’t survive in space. Rubbish like that died with John Byrne’s (less than) Superman.
Superman and Supergirl need to breathe. Clark has learned to hold his breath for a very long time, but we’ve not seen Kara learn how to do that, or train her limits with it, as of yet. So, yes, she can survive in space, but just like with everything else, she has to learn how to.
She can die in space…..
If she’s like her cousin, then no she can’t. Superman flew around the Earth multiple times from high orbit to make time go backwards to save Lois, if he couldn’t survive (and also somehow create friction in a void) that couldn’t have happened.this isn;t actual science, it’s comic book science. She’ll survive.
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