Vox: 'Supergirl' is the start of something great

[RandySF]

CBS's Supergirl, debuting on Monday, October 26 — some 31 years after the film's ill-fated release — understands Ebert's advice much better. By leaning into its earnestness, Supergirl delivers moments of clear, smile-inducing joy. Amidst this age of gloom-and-doom superheroes, Supergirl has no fear of being happy, hopeful, and bright — something that's true to the character that writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino created for DC Comics in 1959. And there's something courageous in that daring pursuit. The result is one of the scrappiest and most irresistible shows on television this season.

While Supergirl flexes some dazzling special effects — the show feels very expensive — and engages in some complicated myth building, at its heart Supergirl is really about the decision to be great. Kara Zor-El, a.k.a. Kara Danvers (Melissa Benoist), was sent to Earth to protect her baby cousin (yes, that would be Superman), but instead gets put in a holding pattern by way of an intergalactic wormhole, which delays her arrival. The show begins a decade or so later. She's left her parents' (Dean Cain and Helen Slater, who played Superman on Lois & Clark and Supergirl in that not-good movie, respectively) small-town home and is now an assistant to media empress Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart), a devil who wears Prada. And now, with her cousin saving the world, she wants to do the same.

Her heroism is a choice. The show explores what that really means: how choosing to be a hero makes you a target; how you lose ownership over your story; how the decisions you make for yourself end up affecting the people around you; and how you come to define yourself. While Superman's story is about saving the world, Kara's story is about living up to those lofty expectations.

"By putting on that uniform, Kara decides to live up to the legacies and responsibilities that come with it," Sterling Gates, the writer of DC's Supergirl comic book (2008 to 2011) told Vox when asked about what he thought the character represented.


http://www.vox.com/2015/10/26/9616482/supergirl-tv-review

[onehandle]

1. We are cord cutters, but hooked up the HDTV rabbit ears just to see the premiere.

It did not disappoint.

[NewJeffCT]

2. It was a fun show, though a bit uneven

Last edited Tue Oct 27, 2015, 10:15 AM - Edit history (1)

I really liked the personality Melissa Benoist brings to the role - her goofiness/nerdiness as Kara was reminiscent of Christopher Reeve's portrayal of Clark Kent back in the day. Though I think Benoist has more energy than Reeve. If the rest of the show sucked (which it didn't) it was worth it to see her reacting to the TV News reports of her heroics.

Not sure how I like Calista Flockhart as Cat Grant - seems like a knockoff of Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada. Does every female executive need to be stereotypically nasty? Hopefully, she will grow over the season.

James Olson seems a lot more mature & confident compared to the nervous dweeb he normally is - that seems to go to the guy named Winn this time out? Hopefully, "Jimmy" will grow on me over the season.

the villain she fought was okay, but it seems a bit contrived that suddenly, these Kryptonians from the Phantom Zone are attacking. However, nice twist at the end with the power behind the villains.

Edited to add - I made the Devil Wears Prada comment before reading the article, which makes a similar reference.

[RandySF]

11. One scene kind of bugged me.

GENERAL: She can't win.

SUPER GIRL'S SISTER: Why? Because she's a girl?

ME AT THE TV: Because she's getting her ass kicked.

[NewJeffCT]

12. True

That guy kind of bothered me overall. But, I hope he grows as a character, like I hope Cat Grant grows as well.

Without being able to use Superman as a training partner, or even mention his name for legal reasons, I wonder how they're going to train Kara to become a better fighter?

[OriginalGeek]

3. It was a hit at our house

Went from "record show" to "Record Series" immediately.

[NewJeffCT]

4. Big ratings on the premiere last night

and, overall positive reviews.

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/10/27/tv-ratings-monday-oct-26-2015/480552/

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2015/10/27/supergirl-premiere-episode-ratings/74677244/

http://io9.com/supergirl-proves-that-dorky-cuteness-can-still-pack-one-1738871728

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2015/10/26/supergirl-recap-season-1-episode-1-pilot/74651662/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/markhughes/2015/10/27/supergirl-flies-high-in-premiere-and-silences-sexist-criticisms/

[BlueJazz]

5. I would give it a B- Mostly enjoyed it. I think they had better watch their script and marketing.

[Lizzie Poppet]

6. I like that they resisted the "dark super(anti)hero" trend.

Not that I object in the least to said trend. I loves me some Batman, some Deadpool, etc.

But for Supergirl? No way. Supergirl should be played so straight-up, naive, and "square" that the sweetness might rot your teeth. They nailed the "feel," I'd say.

[NewJeffCT]

7. I thought Superman should have been that way as well

but, Zach Snyder made Man of Steel a very dark movie. Glad they changed it around for Supergirl.

[mucifer]

8. Not sure why they changed Jimmy Olsen's character so much.

I like Jimmy Olsen being campy.

It was interesting that most of the characters know her secret.

[NewJeffCT]

10. yeah

secret identities aren't what they used to be - watching "Arrow" myself now, and it seems like half the city knows that Oliver Queen is the Vigilante/Arrow.

[trof]

9. This could be the start of something BIG!