Supergirl (the half a season review)

Up, Up goes the skirt.

Alright folks, despite the fact the first season of Supergirl isn't over yet (the main actors were hired for 20 episodes and we're on episode 14 at the moment of this review) I'd like to bring some balance to the force. Whenever I discuss with friends about our deep nerdom on a big chunk of a lot of things (comic books, Sci-Fi, films, TV series, Animé, etc) and when the subject of superheroes in the tele is brought up, I simply stand alone on the side of Supergirl. If you're a local in our blog, you can clearly tell that we don't give a fuck about following certain standards as to the things we choose to like and/or review. The past entry was about an over rated mediocre film (people will look at it this way years from now, believe you me) of one of my favorite comic book characters (yes, I fucking read comic books, been doing it since long before I had pubes) and the fact that it was rated R with lots of cussing, gory violence, sex scenes and whatever censors evaluate as "adults only material" the film wasn't that faithful to the original source and yet millions of fuckers are loving it madly. How come we can't do the same with Supergirl? what hasn't her show got that other superhero shows have? Be warned, if you're going to start with shit like "it's not dark enough", "it's too campy", "it's not as serious as Arrow", "it's got no  interesting support characters like The Flash does" and so fucking on (nope, the Marvel Comics are pure boogers and cum soup, unless we're talking Daredevil)

To all of you who think like that, and I'll put it in educated fashion: go fuck yourselves and get an education on comic books. Any true connoisseur knows that superheroes have gone through different stages of evolution as each decade went by. We have bronze age, silver age, golden age and modern age. Each period has unique features that define storytelling, writing, plot, multiverses and of course superhero personalities & behavior...

The crossover is on its way!

Just casual flying.

Who's SuperGirl anyways?

Supergirl is a fictional superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Supergirl was created to be a female counterpart to DC's popular hero Superman. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino in 1959. She first appeared in the Action Comics comic book series and later branched out into animation, film, television, and merchandising. 

Introduced in 1959, a number of different characters have assumed the Supergirl mantle over the decades, with the most popular and enduring version of the character being Kara Zor-El, Superman's cousin, who shares his super powers and vulnerability to Kryptonite. Supergirl plays a supporting role in various DC Comics publications, including Action Comics, Superman, and several comic book series unrelated to Superman. In 1969, Supergirl's adventures became the lead feature in Adventure Comics, and she later starred in an eponymous comic book series which debuted in 1972 and ran until 1974, followed by a second monthly comic book series titled The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl, which ran from 1982 to 1984.

Due to changing editorial policy at DC, Supergirl was initially killed off in the 1985 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths. DC Comics subsequently rebooted the continuity of the DC Comics Universe, re-establishing Superman's character as the sole survivor of Krypton's destruction. Following the conclusion of Crisis on Infinite Earths, several different characters written as having no familial relationship to Superman have assumed the role of Supergirl, including Matrix, Linda Danvers, and Cir-El. Following the cancellation of the third, 1996-2003 Supergirl comic book series, starring the Matrix/Linda Danvers version of the character, a modern version of Kara Zor-El was reintroduced into the DC Comics continuity in issue #8 of the Superman/Batman comic book series titled "The Supergirl from Krypton" (2004). The modern Kara Zor-El stars as Supergirl in an eponymous comic book series, in addition to playing a supporting role in various other DC Comics publications...

Nerdy never looked this good before.

a Treesome? are you out of your fucking minds?

Alright fucker, I get the point but, why do you say SuperGirl is a good show?

From day zero, when the pilot leaked Supergirl had mixed reviews (well, mostly negative reviews) stating the above mentioned in the first paragraph of this positive review. Set aside what those reviews said my goal here is to convince you Melissa Benoist's Supergirl is a must for every person looking for good old fun. First, Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg and Marc Guggenheim, the same team that brought you Arrow & The Flash are the brains behind the series, and although the series has had its ups & downs in some early episodes, there is no denying some massive potential is unveiling as the series goes by. Like The Flash, Supergirl shares a relatively similar structure that entangles the main characters to a still developing core plot while other sub plots are explored in order to expand character development and add other DC Comics characters, meaning we're in a shared universe. So far, Doctor T.O. Morrow, The White Martians, Red Tornado, Cameron Chase, Martian Manhunter, Indigo/Brainiac 8, Bizarro Supergirl & Maxwell Lord have already been introduced in the show. Fortunately the whole "I'm not Superman, I'm Supergirl" sub plot seems to have vanished for good. If this show has a problem, or had a problem it was precisely the fact that they're always comparing Kara Zor El to his cousin, makes you feel sick. You know you're watching Supergirl and yet writers insist they must remind you she's not Superman. That's fucking fucked, and I hope we won't get anymore of that crap.  

Speaking of what's to like about the series, I'd say the "all audiences" rating is one the most important assets this series has. You know, I'm not a morals guy and shit like that but, since comic books are somehow meant to be enjoyed by children & kids, this series set the proper tone for me, and millions more to watch it with younger siblings, sons & daughters, nephews and hell, even grandchildren! Despite the fact Melissa Benoist is perhaps the number one most beatiful girl in the tele today, she stays classy in both Kara Danvers & Supergirl's outfits. She could totally go all the way (remember her leaked photos from 2014) and yet she does go all the way but offering a more empowering feminine side of things. She's no Catwoman, she doesn't need to play it sexy to get what she wants, and in a way, I humbly think that is awesome, because women are usually portrayed as sex bombshells in every form of mass media there is to know. Now, this is not a contradiction in our blog, although most of the films we discuss here are sexploitation flicks, that is a genre, and Supergirl is a completely different business. 

She's the man.

Beyond the call of duty.

I feel like so many people are missing the point of this show because they think it's too silly, the writing is too immature, or the plot seems too on-the-nose. But look at it from a new perspective: Can parents see themselves watching this with their children? Arrow shows some rather steamy scenes when that sweet lovin' is going on. What are parents doing? "No, sorry kids, can't watch this." But Kara is cute, dorky, and the Every girl. She wants her boss to be more understanding, she wants to help people, and she always has an encouraging word to say. The most important thing -- she values her friends. What better lesson to teach your kids in a modern age? And for those who are kids at heart, it's still an enjoyable show. There's a great cast with lots of people we recognize (at least I recognize several). It reminds me of my youth and why I loved superheroes to begin with. She's a *clothed* feminine figure who isn't relying on the size of her chest or butt to show how capable she is. Wasn't that the biggest complaint of all sci-fi and fantasy? Now, anyone who remembers the classic Disney movie, Hercules, and loved it regardless of what age they are, I feel like that's the movie that best describes this show. I was young enough to appreciate it, and I've even re-watched it out of nostalgia a few times. The more I think of a dorky person who didn't know their own abilities, including that inner heroic capability, the more I see a parallel between that movie and CBS Supergirl. Both wanted to be more. Both wanted to find a purpose in life. Both found it by being a hero and saving others.

I think it's important to say that the pilot did not introduce this show well at all. The tone was set badly and hasn't really been followed through with on the rest of the episodes.

Initially, I would have been ready to vote this one star, just like so many others did here and there; because I thought it was derivative. But episodes four and five have completely redeemed it, and given us a glimpse of what this show could be.

Dark side of the S.

I'm not into Fifty Shades of Grey mister.

There has been some mishandling in general here. Thanks to the incredibly iffy pilot, a lot of the live audience has already been lost. I would say that this can be regained, if the right cards are played. There is a huge disparity between the quality of the more recent episodes and the first few, which suggested a vapid show that didn't seem to be about anything at all. No central focus, Supergirl appearing out of nowhere suddenly, villains getting thrown in and tossed off one by one etc, random conversations that seemed to go nowhere.

All that's gone now. We have great dialogue, a cast that's working well together. Melissa is fantastic, getting better as the show goes on. Supergirl as a character hasn't been presented this strongly before. The 1984 version certainly had some good moments, but this show is really outdoing it now.

Helen Slater's brief appearance was great. The rest of the cast is working well too, and Peter Facinelli is being built up to be a great villain. The growing dynamic between Cat and Supergirl is surprising, intelligently written and interesting. Again, what once seemed simple and insipid, has expanded quickly into new dimensions.

Where's your suit Kara?

What? Can I not sunbathe?

Note to CBS: Pick an arc with a few strong episodes (similar in quality to 4 and 5) and market the heck out of them. There's a chance to turn it around. It's unfortunate at the moment, because given the high quality of the last few episodes, with good management, this could have easily and effortlessly gone for four or five, even six seasons.

Although it doesn't really deserve a 10 I rated it high to offset the onslaught of 1 ratings. Others have noted the series started off pretty badly, and I agree, and after the third episode I almost decided to stop watching, but I was surprised by all the episodes since then. Others have commented that it really took off with episode 4. And with 5, 6, and 7 it improved almost exponentially. Although Melissa Benoist had charm from the start, some of the other characters were so caricatured that Benoist's quality performance seemed to get lost. Namely, Calista Flockhart as Cat Grant was so over the top I wondered what the writers were thinking. With the later episodes, however, she develops considerable depth and some of her dialogue is not only well written, but admirably performed by Flockhart. It seems there was a rush to judgment when the series first began by all those who gave it a one star rating. So quick to judge. Have some patience. It gets a lot better. I for one hope it gets renewed because if it keeps improving as it's been doing, it could turn into a hit series. It's the best "Superman"-related series ever put on the air, and it's developing a nice, airy, likable tone that will pull you in if you let it. Give it a chance folks. It's not dark like Gotham or Jessica Jones. It's a "different animal." The Superman/Supergirl universe is a more positive place. Consider what happened after the Christopher Reeve films. They decided to give it a Dark Knight world view and this has been a mistake. It works for characters like Batman and Jessica Jones, but not Superman. This is why I like the Supergirl series. It understands what Superman is all about.

First two episodes I would score 1 or 2 out of ten. Since then, this show is a solid 9. I'm voting ten, because I would actually like to see more of this character. She's great!

 Here's the sneak peek at next week's 15th episode "Solitude":

And a few info on the Supergirl/Flash crossover:

 

Super Girl (Pilot)

Super Girl is here!

Last year around the same date as of today, The Flash & Constantine pilot episodes leaked. Whether it was intentional or unintentional, we'll never know but one thing is for sure: it worked wonders for producers as to get a glimpse of what to expect from their target audiences. To many people out there this "leaking issue" is nothing like a new way to approach costumers without investing a lot of money in private screenings for a limited amount of people. Why would you show your product to a few chosen ones when you can show it to the whole world via internet? 

Disclaimer

Before, we move on, I'd like to clarify that  none of the members of the SPAM Alternative team support piracy, we don't post direct/indirect download links, we support the artists behind the camera, which means we encourage you to access any artistic product from official sites and/or stores so please, understand we're doing this review for hardcore comic book fans who want to know in advance if the latest superhero hype is worth trying. Again, don't ask for a download link here because you will not get it. Buy comic books! 

Anyways, if you're still reading this, you already know we're craving connoisseurs like yourself so expect spoilers ahead and don't say we didn't warn you.

Planet Krypton's fate.

Kara Zor El, a female hero making room in a macho heroes world.

Many years ago, CBS said that they didn't want to end up being known as the super hero network (This is because they produced Wonder Woman, The Amazing Spiderman, The Incredible Hulk, The Captain America & Doctor Strange TV films in the late 70's) Today, CBS knows for sure that a product based upon a comic book mag can make millions of dollars with ease, so lesson learned and enter Super Girl, the series!

Which Super Girl is the series depicting?

Now, before we get into details about the pilot, do you know your Super Girl? So far in the DC Comics universe we've seen 4 Super Girls! One (and the most popular) is Kara Zor El or Superman's cousin as everyone knows her. The second Super Girl is "Matrix", an interdimensional shapeshifter. The third S girl is Linda Danvers (not to be confused with Kara's secret identity Linda Lee Danvers) and the last one is Cir-El (Superman's daughter in an alternate universe)  Obviously, as we can all expect CBS producers focused on the most iconic S girl of them all: Kara Zor El, AKA Kara Danvers. To the connoisseurs, Kara Zor El was killed in the mid 80's during the Crisis On Infinite Earths story arc and it remained dead in the comic book world until 2004. Now, this series isn't the first time we see Kara Zor El spending on screen time. The first live action incarnation of the character was the palm face 1985 Super Girl movie. 

LOL it took me some time to get here.

Hi, I'm your cousin and I will be your guide.

Since Super Girl is Superman's cousin her story isn't any different from his, planet Krypton is on the brink of destruction (for several reasons depending on which comic book story arc you read) and well, survivors have to be preserved and for reasons unknown they're all sent to planet Earth.  Kara Zor El is to be sent to Earth to ensure Kal El survives the trip and lives to fulfill his super destiny.  Unfortunately, Kara's ship malfunctions due to the explosion of her home planet and it's swallowed by the phantom zone (again, depending on story arcs this zone is the preferred imprisonment space area where Krypton's criminals end their days) Several years go by before she gets to her final destination, so once she does, the world is already aware of who Superman is, and by the way he looks, he's clearly the Superman from the Man Of Steel film.

Once, Kara is taken to her new earth parents (you'll be gladly surprised to find out they followed the homage line set by The Flash by adding Dean Cain & Helen Slater (the original Super Girl from the 80's film) as Kara's stepparents) we're quickly taken to Kara's present day which doesn't look so bright I might say. Kara lives in National City (the series is being shot in California) with her elder sister and works as a secretary for the media conglomerate Cat Co. If you remember the six minute teaser trailer, you can clearly get the picture of Calista Flockhart as her boss (I say yawn, she's not going to be a key character during the series but what the hell, she comes up with the Super Girl nick name) 

Kissing cousins?

Hey Kara! welcome to our family!

The way Kara narrates her origin story reminds of The Flash episode opening, you know, "My name is Barry Allen, and I am the fastest man alive. When I was a child..." So if you're a Flash fan you will feel quite comfortable. The pilot, like most pilots, does not expect you to be introduced to a whole world of complex characters and hidden plots, the idea is to get a taste of things to come, and I'm convinced this series will kick ass.

In a nutshell, the pilot explains the hero's journey in 46 entertaining minutes. As opposed as other superhero stories, Kara wants so badly to embrace her super powers that she's waiting for the moment to show the world what she's truly capable of. Unfortunately, her sister Alex (Chyler Leigh) is keeping her from becoming the female version of her super cousin. For reasons unknown to the viewer, Alex must fly to a conference in Geneva, once the airplane malfunctions, Kara is forced to save her sister by using her special abilities. 

Kara Danvers by day.

Shit's about to get real!

The rescue results in National City media knowing there is an unknown female with super powers and Kara & Alex parting ways due to their different view of the rescue. However, Kara goes on with the idea of going public and with a little help of one of her colleagues she designs different suits for the occasion and begins showing up at various crime scenes with positive results until she's caught by the DEO (Department of Extra Normal Operations) There she learns the awful truth: Once she escaped from the phantom zone she grabbed a space prison with her to Earth, so every alien criminal escaped to different places in the world. The DEO started operations after Superman became Superman and well, all they want to do is to prevent aliens from destroying the planet. The problem is their CEO is named Henry "Hank" Henshaw, if you read comic books you'll know who he is... But surprises do not end up there, Alex Danvers (kara's sister) is actually  an undercover agent of the DEO, hence why she didn't want Kara to expose her super powers to the world. 

Now, all this messy hidden reality allows Kara to re think her role in a more serious way than before, and despite Henshaw & Alex's disapproval she insists she must be allowed to help re capture the aliens that she accidentally brought to planet earth on her arrival. 

Feeling that we have spoiled way too much info already, let's discuss the technical side of the pilot episode and let's start by the special effects. The airplane rescue and later fight scenes are executed with mastery, you feel you're watching a big budget movie instead of a TV episode, and while that may not be surprising to some, I might say having Greg Berlanti as one of the executive producers, guarantees Super Girl will be a total success. Berlanti's work in The Flash has been praised worldwide  and the CBS producers sure know where to pick their people to create a realistic looking universe of fictional characters. 

The workout Super Girl suit (an 80's tribute)

This is more like it.

Moving on to the actors department let's say Melissa Benoist steals the show as Super Girl, her super hot in shape body fits Super Girl's suit like no other, and her acting skills deliver a convincing confused alien looking to go out of the closet as the super character she's meant to be. Benoist, being 26 already holds a wide experience in acting. Her TV work CV includes series like Glee, Homeland, The Good Wife and Law & Order. She's also worked in the acclaimed film Whiplash among others. The pilot episode is clearly all about her character so, trying to describe the supporting cast may be a bit unfair at this point.Nevertheless, all we  can say is that they clearly need more development to get to the liking of the audience with the exception of Mehcad Brooks who plays the all too familiar James "Jimmy" Olsen with ease. As for the long awaited roles for Dean Caine (Lois & Clark The Adventures of Superman) and Helen Slater (Super Girl) all we are shown is the flashback moment in which they welcome Kara to their family which rises the question of how Superman met them? what is the relationship he has with them to trust them with his cousin's life?

Does Superman get a mention or two?

So far, DC Comics has set only one shared superhero universe and Superman it's not a part of it, or not until now at least. Such universe is shared by Arrow, The Flash & Legends Of Tomorrow series. Gotham has its own universe and now it seems that the Super Girl universe will at least be related to Superman & The Flash universes respectively. Time will tell, but to answer the question: Yes, Superman not only is mentioned but you can also see him welcoming Kara after the landing and taking her to her new human family. Later Jimmy Olsen mentions him a few times and by the end of the pilot he delivers Kara a package sent with love from her cousin. 

Not only Superman is worth the S.

Voilá! Super Girl ready for action.

Does the pilot live up to Super Girl's legacy?

If the pilot episode has an issue,  is that it is only a pilot, and thus saying it's a master piece or that it sucks badly, makes no sense. The pilot works as every pilot episode does: Introducing the audience to the series main plot, the characters  and that's it. Having watched the six-minute preview released last week is like watching a teaser trailer that may be telling you too much. Fortunately, all the Devil Wears Prada scenes are nothing but a few moments in the overall length of the pilot.

The letdown of only being a pilot is that this also means that the overall plot, that of Kara Zor-El coming into her own and empowering herself is told in the most standardized way: Lead character's quick origin, Lead character's friends and family, Lead character's desires to break free, lead character's people who want to hold her back, lead character's early attempts at reaching her goal, lead character meeting undesirable support cast characters and finally lead character setting her motto by kicking the bad guy's ass.

Super Girl's gallery of rogues.

The alien turd space ship prison.

Happily, one cliché the pilot does not run into is finding a fiancee to our lead heroine. In the past many comic book film adaptations had the wrong tendency of adding love interest characters as a way of saying "hey, this film can also be watched by adults because it has love in it" Her friend Winn, who delivers the one liner in the preview about Kara being a lesbian (assuming that is why she’s not interested in him), also is firmly kept as a friend. Still, I couldn't see the reason why she needs him as a dressing consultant since her elder sister already did that in a previous scene.

Anyways, I’m pretty confident most of these issues are purely because it’s a pilot. Furthermore, after Arrow and The Flash, I trust showrunner/creator Greg Berlanti implicitly. Both his other two DC superhero shows were fun but flawed for the first parts of their first seasons, and then got exponentially better.

Even if this expected improvement doesn’t happen, Supergirl is still well worth checking out because it is fun. The Christopher Nolan excessive darkness environment is not here because Kara loves her powers; she loves helping people, and her excitement is infectious. Maybe that is an idea they took after watching too many dark hero films that lead nowhere but to repetition and cliche. I for one, have always seen Superman, and Supergirl for that matter, as daylight heroes, which means "happy to be your savior" and just because they're glad to be here, doesn't mean we're getting a campy product. 

oops!

Up, Up and away!

In addition, Melissa Benoist steals the show as Kara Zor-El. She’s the physical manifestation of Supergirl's confidence, fearlessness and concerned, strong and vulnerable. Before the pilot I had no idea who she was. In fact, all I knew about her is that some private pictures of her (and many other actresses and artists) leaked in "The Fappening" infamous cloud hacking of the past year. 

Overall, another superhero that gets inside the small screen. CBS are experienced in terms of what it means to broadcast a superhero series. Also, having Berlanti behind the wheel tells you this series means business. Hopefully, the  forthcoming episodes will bring more freshness for comic book fans, and let's hope it doesn't get formulaic copying the already successful Arrow & The Flash series. Agents of SHIELD? Agent Carter? c'mon! nobody watches those turds! Want a heroine empowering women? watch Supergirl now!

Here's the preview trailer: