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: