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SUPERGIRL Soars!

Review by Atlee Greene

If you’ve watched any television program on CBS over the past several weeks, then you’ve seen the bombardment of advertisements for the newest show to enter the superhero fray.

Supergirl is here at last…officially. The fact that Supergirl was ordered to series before the pilot was even filmed tells you that CBS is banking on this property to become one of its flagship shows. Programming based on comic book entities is all the rage right now, so it’s a calculated risk.

This is a chance for the network to, in some ways, succeed where DC Comics has failed with the character. The majority of Supergirl’s notoriety comes from the wide array of Halloween costumes you can buy in her likeness. Many of them are tailored in the promiscuous persuasion, therefore highlighting sexiness over heroism.

Arrow and The Flash executive producer Greg Berlanti, along with executive producer Ali Adler, look to do the character justice as this is the first female lead superhero of a comic book show, which is kind of amazing considering the slew of Marvel films that have been released.

Supergirl tells the story of Kara Zor-El who is sent to Earth amidst Krypton’s destruction to care for her infant cousin, Kal-El, a.k.a. Superman. The planet’s explosion sends Kara into the Phantom Zone, where she is trapped for twelve years. When her ship breaks free and lands on Earth, Superman is all grown up and is the hero we know him to be.

The pilot does a great job of establishing Kara as quirky 24-year-old who hides her abilities in favor of a life of normalcy despite compressing her desire to be something more. After some social glitches, along with a burning airplane set to crash, Kara leaps into action, saves the day, and the journey begins.
Melissa Benoist instills Supergirl with an energy that exhibits all of the qualities that makes her undeniable as the titular hero. The former Glee star exudes the heart of a hero sprinkled with a naiveté that doesn’t hinder the character’s progression. The all-American girl vibe was refreshing and felt authentic instead of old-fashioned which many feel Superman’s core essential values and beliefs have become.

Despite being able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, Kara is a grounded individual that is fun, relatable and shares some of our everyday struggles that include some smiles and tears along the way, such as looking for a way to fit in while trying to appease her boss, and icy media mogul, Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart).

The formulaic villain of the week that is connected to the mysterious overarching baddie of the series hits all of the familiar notes. There is nothing wrong with it here, but those who longed for a different approach to a superhero TV show will have to look elsewhere. As much as Supergirl will appeal to comic book fans, engaging a broader audience is its main objective. While that is the goal of every show based on a particular genre, in this case, the feminism it conveys is equally as important.

Cat Grant gives a “girl” speech where she objects to Kara’s dissatisfaction over the name “Supergirl”(presumably instead of Superwoman). Ladies, correct me if I’m wrong, but the moment came off as Grant taking back the term “girl” as something to be proud of instead of operating under the negative assumption that “girl” is less than or inadequate when displaying strength or power. It was a teachable moment laced within the establishment the heroes’ given name that women can celebrate. While there are those who might feel that the “girl power” of it all was too on the nose, the reminders that Kara is Superman’s cousin run rampant. There might as well been a flashing sign or a text crawl on the bottom of the screen stating “In case you forgot, Supergirl is SUPERMAN’S COUSIN!”

Mehcad Brooks’ James Olsen brings a fresh perspective to the character of Superman’s pal. Olsen, now tall, buff, and African American, which of course has ruffled the feathers of some comic book purists. What they don’t understand is that Jimmy Olsen could be anyone. Creed and color aren’t exclusive to being a lovable bumbler or in the case of Brooks’ portrayal of a successful individual that takes the advice of a friend and relocates to National City to broaden his horizons.

Brooks’ chemistry with Benoist is magnetic from the first time they lock eyes on each other. Kara is wowed by her new co-worker, while Olsen has a big smile on his face and takes it all in.

Cat Grant, played by Calista Flockhart is brash, has no filter, and has the ability to deflate anyone’s self-esteem without even thinking twice. There was nothing wrong with Flockhart’s performance, but in some ways Grant was too mean. Most people don’t like their boss, but having an antagonist that you love to hate as opposed to them just being a B-Word could be a real feather in the show’s cap. Hopefully this avenue is explored as the season progresses.

Chyler Leigh as Kara’s sister, Alex Danvers, felt a little flat as her motivation and conviction was evident, but failed to resonate to its desired result. This could have had something to do with Alex being the only major character that didn’t originate in the comics and was created specifically for the show. Supergirl’s casting is one of its strongest attributes and Alex’s role is pivotal because she is Kara’s emotional outlet, someone she can confide in like no other.

Alex Danvers, Supergirl and Hank Henshaw

David Harewood as the alien-hating Hank Henshaw and Jeremy Jordan as the
friend-zoned Winn Schott do a serviceable job. Their trajectories will
be interesting considering the mythology of their characters.

The pilot episode is fun, fast paced, and oozes positivity and optimism that will appeal to everyone. The “women can be heroes, too” theme is empowering and well-realized, but it could serve the series well to dial it down a bit going forward since some might be turned off by it. The sentiment is certainly warranted and doesn’t impede on the quality of the show. It’s just like anything else on television. If you like Criminal Minds and don’t like seeing people murdered, don’t watch the show.

Melissa Benoist truly makes the Girl of Steel everything you want her to be. Fun, humor, vulnerability, and bravery coupled with the trials and tribulations that comes with this superhero romp has kicked things off to a very good start with potential for Supergirl to be great!

Supergirl airs Mondays at 8 PM on CBS 
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