Supergirl Season 1: Episode 1 Review

Monday night, the long anticipated premiere of the Supergirl television show aired. We had been dealing with a year's worth of hype, teases, and clips. The episode was 'leaked'. It was lauded as a breakthrough, a female-led superhero show infused with feminism and action. It was derided as a 'rom-com', compared to a SNL skit about Black Widow. But throughout it all, I liked what I heard.

So how was it?

Well, I will give it a very solid B+. And most of my quibbles have to do with the pace of the premiere, an issue that shouldn't hamper the show from now on. And it killed in the ratings.

In the future I think these reviews will be more like my comic reviews, recap and commentary. But I think that would be impossible with the premiere.

It became clear that producers Ali Adler and Greg Berlanti wanted to set the stage for the entire season in this pilot, shoving what should have been 90 minutes or 2 hours of story into 45 minutes. Let's review the big beats of the show and be amazed that somehow it was all stuffed in.

1. Review the origin briefly, the flight from Krypton, pause in the Phantom Zone, and Superman dropping Kara off at the Danvers.
2. Establish that Kara has been hiding her powers,  suffers as the assistant for megalomaniac Cat Grant, works with buddy Win Schott and hunky James Olsen
3. Save a plane and feel empowered, realizing a destiny Kara has been denying herself
4. Get scolded by Alex and told to not hero
5. Become Supergirl with Win's help and stop some minor crimes
6. Get branded as 'Supergirl' by Cat
7. Introduce the DEO, Hank Henshaw and give exposition about Fort Rozz
8. Fight and lose to Vartox
9. Have the DEO again tell her she is worthless, have Alex tell her to quit, have Kara doubt herself
10. Have Alex do a complete 180, suddenly telling Kara to become Supergirl
11. Quick message from Alura to confirm the idea of being a hero
12. Back to the DEO to convince Henshaw that Supergirl can be an effective agent
13. Fight Vartox again, this time winning
14. End tease of the big bad, Alura evil sister The General

Whew!
I mean that is a lot of story for 45 minutes!

But let me concentrate on what works!

First off, Melissa Benoist is perfect as Supergirl. She has such an expressive face and is so solid as an actor. We see the gamut of emotions here. Joy when she is proud of being a hero. Excited to use her powers. Betrayed when she sees Alex as a DEO agent. Sadness when she feels she has failed. Awkward around Jimmy. She simply embodies the complexity of Supergirl, someone trying to live up to the S-shield legacy while finding out who she is. It starts with Benoist and she is charming and strong. I especially like hearing how, even before donning the supersuit, she defends people, asking that Cat not fire the Tribune staff.

The rest of the cast is great. Flockhart oozes as the narcissistic business tycoon Cat. Jeremy Jordan is likeable as the close friend Win. Chyler Leigh shows some range, being supportive, over-protective, as well as jumping into the fray. Mehcad Brooks is as cool as the other side of the pillow. And even briefly, Laura Benanti shines.

The action sequences are big and dynamic. The plane rescue is unreal for a TV show. And the fights with Vartox are high quality.

I also like that Supergirl is at the beginning of this journey. Her fighting style is primitive and crude. She shouldn't be a great combatant after hiding herself for years. She doubts herself at times but always dives back in. She wants to help people. And she knows (even Alura tells her) that her destiny is separate from Kal's. But she also realizes that her being a woman is important. She doesn't want it minimized. These are all the things I love about Supergirl. She is becoming the hero she needs to be. There will be bumps in the road.

I have to admit, the idea that The General being Alura's sister is intriguing. 

And there are also too many Easter Eggs and comic homages that make this Supergirl fan happy. The Otto Binder bridge. The fire at intersection of Gates and Igle. The costume montage including the ludicrous belly shirt and headband initial attempt. The idea of Fort Rozz. Someone who is clearly Despero on the DEO's wanted list. Calling Kara a guardian angel. Slater and Cain as the Danvers. The plane save, echoing so many classic Superman origins and movies. That is a lot of comic knowledge and Supergirl homages.

As a result, it sort of felt like the Gates/Igle run. From the people saying she shouldn't be a hero to those who complained about the rescue to Cat promising to plaster Supergirl everywhere, this felt like that run.

Okay. Enough gushing. On to some criticisms.

To be honest, it felt rushed. I especially think the second half of the show, introducing the DEO and revealing Alex as one of their agents was too fast in execution. Specifically, Alex going from 'don't be a hero' to 'you need to fly' over a commercial break felt too fast. Why the change of mind? She says it is because she realized her own insecurities. But that should have been a slower epiphany. And Henshaw allowing her to go out alone to fight Vartox the second time after belittling Kara and talking about how dangerous she was also seemed a bit ridiculous. Of all the characters, Henshaw felt the most two-dimensional.

I also think given constraints, some of the dialogue felt a bit too on the nose, especially Alex complaining that Hank doesn't think Kara can win because she is 'just a girl'.

All of that said, the stage is now set. We have all that behind us moving forward. While 30 more minutes might have let some of these plot turns happen more organically, I think the show is going to hit the ground running from here on out.

I don't think all the mysteries of Kara's early life have been fully discussed. We'll see her with the Danvers. I assume we'll learn what finally shoved her ship out of the Zone. We'll learn more about her aunt. But the foundation is set.

This has all been worth the wait. Much like the Flash, I think this show is going to get better and better as the season unfolds. With all this set-up behind us, Berlanti and Adler can pause, take a breath, and now build on these plot points. Henshaw's suspicions. Alex and Kara's relationship. The multitude of villains and the General's plot to rule the Earth. We now get to explore these at a better pace.

I can't wait!

The Wait Is Over ... Supergirl Airs Tonight!

 The wait is over!!!!

It has been over a year since the news first broke that there would be a Supergirl show.

Since that announcement, we have lived through casting guesses, teases of villains, promos, commercials, and a social media barrage.

We also learned the premiere would be in October, not September, adding one more month of torturous waiting.

I never thought it would be possible ... but tonight at 8:30 we'll all be watching a live action Supergirl show.

But perhaps the best thing about this has been the realization that this show is going to be great.

It starts with the star and everything I have seen and heard from Melissa Benoist has made me, as a Supergirl fan, thrilled. She simply is Supergirl. She exudes all the complexity of Kara, the optimism, the energy, the insecurities, the power ... she is Supergirl!

Look at this picture from TV Guide. That is Supergirl!

But the way producers Greg Berlanti and Ali Adler, writer Andrew Kreisberg, director Glen Winter, the co-stars ... everyone who has touched this show ... everyone has gushed about the spirit and energy of this show. 

I'll try to do my review by the middle of the week. But maybe I'll try to live tweet tonight.

The wait is over!

Supergirl Show Episode 2 Pics

The Supergirl premiere is set to air on October 26th and CBS is doing its job to promote not only the first episode but also the show. I have heard a promotion is being aired before some movies in theaters. I have seen CBS releasing videos of the premiere being shown to mothers and daughters, mostly school age girls. And we have swag such as this poster being released.

Suffice it to say, I would love this poster. I keep hoping that CBS will begin selling merchandise for the show at some point. As of 2 days ago there were no Supergirl items on the CBS Store site.

We also saw videos and photos from the cast and crew as they started filming the second episode.

One of the shots is this dynamic shot of Supergirl lifting up a National City Ambulance. (I wonder if I could get a job at National City General Hospital?)

Great shot with a determined looking Supergirl lifting the vehicle up with one hand, her other hand clenched in a fist. There is something fierce about this looking Supergirl. Who knows what is happening around her? But she looks ready for action.

But the shot also reminded me a little bit of this shot from Superman:The Movie when a baby Clark hoists Pa's truck.

Reminding me of the Donner film is a good thing.

But as much as I loved the action shot above, I also loved this candid shot of Melissa Benoist enjoying an ice cream. I doubt this is a scene from the show. But there is something charming about this pic of Supergirl eating a frozen treat.

One of the reasons I love the character of Supergirl is that she is pretty complex and layered. She is bright and optimistic. But she also can be a fierce crusader for justice. So as much as I love seeing a grim-faced Supergirl lifting the ambulance, I also love seeing this side of her (even if it is only the actor on break).

It is pictures like this (as well as the Kara scenes in the promo) which make me think the show gets all these sides of the character.

We are down to 3 months!

Supergirl Show Trailer & Promo!

The Supergirl trailer dropped on Wednesday and it seemed as if the internet exploded. At the very least, the comics corner of the internet did. But with this being a high-end show on a major network, the show got coverage everywhere.

For those who haven't watched it yet, here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm46-envrHo

I was floored.

Then yesterday, we saw another trailer which unfortunately has been pulled.


There was so much to love about the first trailer. It seemed to hit all the right notes. This is a hero at the beginning of a journey. She wants to do good. She wants to embrace the ideals of the House of El. She wants to help people. But she has a life, and friends, and a job. She isn't polished. She is completely adorable.

The whole things simply captured a vibe that said 'Supergirl'.

Perfect.

There was almost too much for me comment on but I thought I would show some screen shots I loved and some other things, marked by time, that I thought were great.

On to the in-depth look. There'll be intermittent screen shots but lots of commentary ... no surprise.

0:13 - Cousin Kal

Much like the Flash opens up with 'My name is Barry Allen and I am the fastest man alive', this trailer opens with 'My name is Kara Zor-El. Twenty-four years my planet was in peril."

It's clear by the shot with two rockets on the runway that Kara and Kal are launched at the same time. We even get a quick shot of baby Kal, spit curl and all!

We even get some Alura dialogue with Laura Benanti talking about how powerful Kara will be on Earth.

Now this 24 year things is tough for me to figure out math wise. The Krypton Kara looks to be about 7 so that would make her 31 now. Since she is younger on Earth than Superman, my assumption is that she took a longer route and was in suspended animation for a while.

But Kal is months old here. That would mean, even if he came to Earth directly, he would only be 24. My guess is this timey-wimey "I'm older but younger" stuff will be explained on the show. And I won't perseverate over the odd math.

My guess is that line is shorthand for letting us know Kara is 24.

0:27 -Childhood montage

I love that Kara's outfit is a white pajama looking thing with the S-shield. Reminded me of the Donner film's Krypton.

But it is clear that when she arrives as a child, Superman is already active. Blink and you'll miss it. But it looks like Superman is walking her to a beachside house.

And, in another quick peek, we see Dean Cain and Helen Slater. We know they are listed as playing the Danvers. So could Superman know them well enough to trust them with his cousin?

Hopefully we get some back story here. But this is better than bringing her to an orphanage.

0:30 - Working Girl

That's it for the origin story as we move right to current times where we meet Kara as she bustles to work for CatCo. There is much to digest here.

First off, we see her wearing a red skirt, a sort of foreshadowing to later.

Next, the headline of the newspaper discusses a party but with a sub-headline which says 'Girl can't help it.' Whether the story is discussing Cat or is published by Cat, the word girl there is another bit of foreshadowing, maybe cluing us in to Cat's thoughts on the word.

We also see Kara stumbling a bit, bumping into someone. Is this a Clark-like klutz move, her making herself seem normal? Or is it a way to show us that she isn't perfect already?

0:44 - Winslow Schott intro
1:00 - Cat Grant intro
1: 13 - James Olsen intro
1:40 - Alex Danvers

Over the next minute we quickly get introduced to much of the cast.

Winslow seems like an everyman who asks Kara out. You get the sense that they are friends, laboring under the rule of Cat. When will the descent into Toyman happen? Hopefully not this first season.

Cat shows up like a storm and acts exactly as I imagine she would in the comics. She drips of the Sterling Gates/Jamal Igle Cat, commanding the room, dressed snugly, and condescending to all.

James Olsen comes with a Pulitzer pedigree earned from covering Superman early on. This includes a classic 'first picture' of Superman, introducing him to the public. He seems pretty confident which I like. But the best thing of this interaction is Kara's obvious fangirl fumbling around him, even snorting once. Just endearing. (I wonder if we will hear of Kara's admiration of her cousin on the show.)

Alex Danvers is the sister who sounded a bit ominous in the earliest press releases of the show. But throughout this trailer, she seems like a loving, supportive sister which made me happy. While a heel turn seems inevitable, at least her she is behind her little sister as they act the way sisters would, providing rides to the airport and advice on clothes.

Great acting, especially by Calista Flockhart who acts just the way I think Cat Grant would act.

2:10 - Plane in peril
2:31 - Plane saved

Kara finally is spurred into action when her sister's flight is going down. It is a great sequence evocative of the plane rescue in Superman Returns, the shuttle rescue in Byrne's Superman run, or even the Animated Series premiere (which riffed on Byrne).

I like how she has to learn on the job, figuring out how to fly and barely shoving the plane over a bridge. I especially loved the exasperated 'Come on' as the bridge looks large. This is a complicated rescue, especially for a rookie.

We only see pieces but this whole scene looks great.

2:50 - Otto Binder Bridge
Nice Easter Egg in the crawl, the bridge is Otto Binder bridge. Glad to see some homages for the hardcore fans!

3:05 - Embracing her destiny
After seeing herself on the news, after realizing the lives she saves, Kara is giddy in her apartment. I like that she feels a sense of pride in doing what she did. And when Alex warns her that now she is 'out there' and can't go back to being hidden, Kara says she doesn't want to.

How great to see the young hero flushed with happiness on her first win! This is Supergirl.

3:11 - #Supergirl
3:31 - Cat speech
Is the name Supergirl appropriate for a (presumably) 24 year old woman. Even Kara wonders about the moniker given her by Cat Grant.

And then Cat gives a great line. "If you perceive Supergirl as anything less than excellent, maybe that is a problem with you!"

Heh. If I had a nickel for every time I said something like that to a comic fan, I'd be a rich man. So is it meta?

3:50 - Win reveal
In a funny scene, Kara reveals herself to Winslow, again showing how close she feels to him. I like her leaping off the roof only to flip around and land emphatically next to Win again. His lines about the reason she rejected his advances is also amusing.

4:11 - Costume montage
Deciding she wants to help people, Kara decides to do some super-heroics. And she asks Win to help her make a costume. I thought is was great that the first costume seems to be a comment on some of the past Supergirl missteps. The high tight shirt with exposed belly. The hot pants. The headband. Ridiculous.

But the ongoing discussion of capes and fashion is fun.

4:36 - Bulletproof
We see Supergirl aiding with a car chase. And then we see her stop a bank robbery, learning first hand she is bulletproof and looking thrilled about it.

This whole sequence of Kara learning to use her powers, that she needed a stronger cape that won't shred ( again a nod to Byrne), to discover her invulnerability, felt true.

4:54 - My family's coat of arms
That's right! It isn't a symbol for hope! It is the crest of the House of El. And this addition seems like the final embrace of her heritage, her heroic mission.

How iconic is this pose of hands on hips, bright S-shield, red skirt, cand cape? I love it.

And I suppose it is wishful thinking that this is a foreshadow for BizarroGirl

5:02 - The DEO
Alex knows she's Supergirl, obviously. Winslow knows she's Supergirl.
Now we see Kara join the DEO, a black ops group defending the world from aliens. Their boss Hank Henshaw now knows Kara is Supergirl. Do all these agents know too? Is it a 'sorta secret' identity?

But check out the aliens on the screen. The purple guy Could be the Parasite. Maybe Despero? Don't know who the white-haired guy is. The upper left has a Kanjar Ro feel to him. Is that a Martian in the lower right screen of the smaller inset 4 screens? Any other guesses?

We also see the Lumberjack land, grabbing a high-tech axe.

5:20 - Soulful music
Okay, this is a bit schmaltzy as Henshaw sends her away as inexperienced leading to Kara doubting herself. There have been complaints about this trailer and I wonder if people are thinking about this sentimental moment.

I did love how Alex tells Kara she needs to do this, to fly because the world needs her to. I thought Alex would be a frenemy. Glad that, at least for now, she is just a friend.

5:30 - Smiling
A DC superhero flying and smiling.
Nothing more to say.
Perfect.

5:47 - Iconic shirt rip
And then the classic 'rip off the shirt to expose the S-shield'.
More perfect!

6:00 - Lumberjack battle
More action as we see a determined Supergirl busting trucks, landing kicks, and battling the Lumberjack.

The complaints about this looking like a silly romantic comedy, a goofy Devil Wears Prada rip-off, must be ignoring all the action in this trailer. I mean, a truck explodes behind her as she calmly walks to pound on the Lumberjack some more.

You could make a 6 minute trailer of the Flash, of Agents of Shield, of Gotham were you only plucked the relationship stuff about Barry/Iris/Linda/Eddie, Ward/Daisy/Mae, Gordon/Barbara/Leslie and make those shows look like Rom-Coms.

6:03 - It's Supergirl
'It's not a bird. It's not a plane. It's not a man. It's Supergirl'
Excellent tag line.

6:15 - Jimmy and the cape
The trailer ends with Jimmy revealing he was sent to National City by Superman. And with Supergirl choosing for herself to be a hero, Jimmy bestows upon her Kal's blanket, what he wears as an indestructible cape. I assume we will get some explanation for Superman not being around. I am guessing it will be the 'deep space mission' excuse.

Whew! Just a tremendous opening volley hitting on all the right notes. The acting seems spot on, especially Benoist who is endearing and believable. But from top to bottom, the snippets we see show great acting.

As for the second trailer, it hit on many of the same beats as the first. We hear Kara say she 'has always felt the need to help people'. She seems to doubt herself much more here, crying and saying she 'can't do it.' She's a rookie and as long as this isn't a long running or major theme, I'm okay with it. And there is a lot more of the Lumberjack battle. Blue heat vision! Cool!Make sure you check that one out too!

Nothing but good feelings here.

Incredible time to be a Supergirl fan!

Supergirl Show Time Slot And News!

We were expecting big news to drop yesterday about the Supergirl show.

And it did!

At the CBS Upfronts event, the network's fall schedule was announced. At or around the same time, an official Supergirl television show Twitter account premiered.

The official address: @supergirlcbs

The costume itself looks much brighter with a vivid red really popping out. Compare it to the first color shot we saw. And she looks blonder here as well! Makes me happy!

The show now has an official page on the CBS network site here: http://www.cbs.com/shows/supergirl/?nm


SUPERGIRL is an action-adventure drama based on the DC Comics character Kara Zor-El (Melissa Benoist), Superman’s (Kal-El) cousin who, after 12 years of keeping her powers a secret on Earth, decides to finally embrace her superhuman abilities and be the hero she was always meant to be. Twelve-year-old Kara escaped the doomed planet Krypton with her parents’ help at the same time as the infant Kal-El. Protected and raised on Earth by her foster family, the Danvers, Kara grew up in the shadow of her foster sister, Alex (Chyler Leigh), and learned to conceal the phenomenal powers she shares with her famous cousin in order to keep her identity a secret. Years later at 24, Kara lives in National City assisting media mogul and fierce taskmaster Cat Grant (Golden Globe Award winner Calista Flockhart), who just hired the Daily Planet’s former photographer, James Olsen (Mehcad Brooks), as her new art director. However, Kara’s days of keeping her talents a secret are over when Hank Henshaw (David Harewood), head of a super-secret agency where her sister also works, enlists her to help them protect the citizens of National City from sinister threats. Though Kara will need to find a way to manage her newfound empowerment with her very human relationships, her heart soars as she takes to the skies as Supergirl to fight crime. Greg Berlanti (“The Flash,” “Arrow”), Ali Adler, Sarah Schecter and Andrew Kreisberg are executive producers for Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. The pilot was directed by Glen Winter (“Arrow”).

And then this official blurb about the show which covers much of what we already knew. But I did love this line - "Though Kara will need to find a way to manage her newfound empowerment with her very human relationships, her heart soars as she takes to the skies as Supergirl to fight crime." 

Her heart soars! Thanks to Mart Gray for pointing me to the quote!

Now that sounds like Supergirl! 

But I also find it interesting that she is working for Hank Henshaw. I thought for sure he would be an antagonist at first, against Supergirl. I suppose he could still evolve there. 

News about the Monday 8pm slot is fascinating for a couple of reasons.

One, it pits Supergirl against Gotham. Now in this DVR age, does it truly matter? I suppose so.

But two, as seen here https://www.yahoo.com/tv/s/cbs-fall-schedule-supergirl-lands-131833204.html , the show will premiere in early October after the Thursday Football games have been played. So we need to wait a bit to see the premiere! That may also explain the 'limited' run rather than a full season.

Lastly we got a couple of new shots to view.

Kara and James at work! Love the glasses ... totally Linda Lang!

And then Cat Grant at her desk!

The news on the screens behind her mention a flight rescue. The original screen test script talked about Kara saving a train. It has been switched to a more classic plane rescue.

And, of course, then the trailer dropped. It is available here. That was too big to just touch on here. I am putting together a post.

My optimism is running high! This looks and sounds so good!

Congrats to all involved!!

Supergirls Everywhere!

This week has just been a smorgasbord of Supergirl all over the net. It made this Supergirl fan thrilled.

We finally saw the costume!

We learned that Jeremy Jordan will play Winslow Schott.

The pilot started filming on March 4!

And then we got this treasure!

Melissa Benoist tweeted this picture of her and Helen Slater together! The past Supergirl and the future Supergirl together! I love this picture! It is crazy/amazing! And I love it more after seeing the costume, knowing there is some resonance with the Supergirl legacy!

I also love that Andrew Kreisberg talked about how excited he was about this picture ... especially because he took it!

Just a great photo!

And then these photos on a website called JustJaredJr show Benoist on set with glasses on: http://www.justjaredjr.com/2015/03/07/melissa-benoist-spotted-on-supergirl-set-after-suit-reveal/

Could this be part of a Linda/Kara Danvers secret identity ruse, similar to cousin Clark? Or maybe Benoist wears glasses in real life. Either way, love the smile. I do wonder if she should be a little blonder. But I'll withhold judgment.

While the CBS show has dominated the news, there was another Supergirl on TV last week.

Nicholle Tom, Kara's voice in the DC Animated Universe shows Superman:The Animated Series and Justice League Unlimited, was on Gotham last week.

She played Miriam, the insane daughter of corrupt Police Commissioner Loeb. It is definitely a creepy role. And it was even creepier to close my eyes and picture Supergirl saying the lines!!

What a great week for Supergirl fans!!