Supergirl Review

My evening went as smooth as a glass of delicious Soy milk which I drink due to my body’s latent lactose struggles. 

The centerpiece of it all – some would argue the very reason for my existence – was viewing the series premiere of Supergirl on the Columbia Broadcasting System.  I did not have the slightest idea what to expect as I have a rather dubious history with the television format and goodness knows superhero adaptations run the gamut from the sublime to the gag inducing awful with seemingly no way to predict which will be which without watching.  As such, I made myself a big bowl of piping hot soup, sat down on my bourgeois sofa and watched with eyes literally glued to the screen.  Being a physically large fan of funnybooks and of the Superman mythology in particular I can say there was never a moment in this entire pilot episode where my face did not wear a maniacal grin which could easily have been mistaken as a twisted rictus of death.  Yes dear friends, I hate to spoil the verdict but I give this premiere a hearty and swollen thumbs up! 

Prose: Right up front the most central thing, the most necessary component without which the show could never work worth a hooey is the casting of Kara Zor-El AKA Kara Danvers AKA Supergirl and the mysterious powers that be have scored a super win with Melissa Benoist who lays claim to role effortlessly (or so it appears).  She takes a little of Christopher Reeve’s Clark Kent in her portrayal of Kara as occasionally awkward or clumsy and this is shockingly endearing and makes the rock em’, sock em’ action hero transformation even more satisfying.  Most importantly, she is believably earnest (goes to camp) and forthright in her actions which really sells the character.  This also ensures that the instances where she shows fragility do not seem forced or saccharine.  And she’s just as believable when smashing semi-trucks or punching out aliens. 

The arc she is given is slight – she essentially goes from being a good person hiding in plain sight to really really good person now in the public eye – but it is sweet hero’s tale and I actually find it a bit refreshing not having to contend with another dark angst-ridden character and simply have someone with a strong desire to do good (that has always been a huge appeal to me for Superman as well, just as that lack angst is something which turns some people off).  And yes, she is also quite attractive and made my eyes bulge, my palms sweat, my mouth go dry and my pulse race when she stepped out wearing the “S” and the red skirt and cape. 

Quick note on the suit from Academy Award winner Colleen Atwood: it looks great and I’d have no reservations about this design appearing in a feature film.  It is iconic and functional without ever being exploitative (I think) and any ridiculous comic fans that have issues with it should just bite down on cyanide pills.  There is also one thing in particular about it which followers of The Cream will no doubt realize thrills me to alarming levels.  Overall, this iteration of the Supergirl character completely works in characterization, efficiency, power-level and appearance and is a more than worthy interpretation.  

There were tons of little soft-boiled eggs for fans to pick up on from the casting of former Superman Dean Cain and former Supergirl Helen Slater as Kara’s adoptive parents to homages to the classic Superman The Movie in the way the episode’s villain contacts Kara to characters like Hank Henshaw (played by a great David Harewood, more groovy casting) appearing.  Henshaw?!  Will he become the Cyborg Superman at some point?!  This would please me no end.  The supporting cast holds up well and the establishment of three central locations: her home, her job and Department of Extra-Normal Operations (odd name) goes a long way to setting a firm foundation the series can utilize.  To that end the most crucial relationship (so far) between she and her sister played out nicely and I’m happy both these characters will be on the field.

The action and effects – something always requiring more slack on television – were quite well done with the requisite plane rescue as thrilling as ever and the villain fights blissfully showing a lack of restraint; these were great knock down brawls.  

Khans: The whole enchilada was a little rushed.  The groundwork I previously alluded to was impressive in how quick it came but the drawback to events blurring by like a really fast thing is that key moments often pass with nary time to savor or appreciate them.  Ultimately, I think I do prefer they get to the point like that rather than elongating everything and stretching out what would be predictable plot points over several episodes but hopefully scenes are allowed to breathe a bit more now that the pilot business is out of the way.  I’m also never big on narration and this was utilized largely because of how quick everything was.  

As stated, I am overall pleased with the casting with one exception: Calista Flockhart.  Those who know me best know that Ally McBeal is possibly my favorite program of all time and I certainly consider myself a fan of Flockhart’s work so it pains me to say the Meryl Streep Devil Wears Prada shtick she’s employing here is something which will quickly get old(er).  I hope the writers and she add more depth to this character as the season progresses or I sense she will stick out even more like a formerly malignant tumor beginning anew with fresh verve and spunk.  

I also cannot recall the villain’s name and can see how this show may have an element of freak-of-the-week formula to it (as many of this type fall back on).  The phantom zone prison is a neat idea for a well of bad guys but I hope they are able to develop these characters as interesting threats beyond mere muscle and special effects.  The Flash has done a good job of establishing multiple villains with longer arcs and I would like to see that done here.  The end scene seems to be heading in this direction which gives me hope they are already addressing this issue. 

I will say one thing here about TONE.  This is a much brighter series in comparison to a lot of other superhero romps or shows out there (at least in this episode!  Maybe they’re just waiting to start up all the arcs about incest and cannibalistic serial murder).  A little cheese or camp (and those are not the same thing despite many people using them interchangeably) is not a bad thing in my never humble opinion.  Heck, even an overload of them can be amazing if done right though I would say this show merely added a quick pinch.  If there is any mythology that can strike a balance between earnest lightheartedness and sci-fi infused superheroics it should be Superman.  I may be more forgiving or accepting of things like cheddar and camp than others but I dare say a vast majority of TV shows have those elements (even the dramatic heavy hitters) but many audience members simply deny it and are aghast to ascribe anything like that to their favorites as those elements have somehow become synonymous with the word “bad”.  Light does not automatically mean silly or ridiculous just as dark doesn’t automatically equate to intelligent or mature.  Still, I can understand how something like this would not be geared to everyone’s tastes or everyone’s superhero tastes but I think it beneficial to judge it on its own intentions and associated merits rather than what one wishes it might be.

Winding down here I am shocked to the point of dropping a massive steaming load into my formerly clean pristine white jockies to say that I loved this premiere!  I see this first episode debuted to smashing ratings but I also know that any show has the potential for drops and struggles with consistency, this may be even truer on a show like this (Agents of SHIELD, Gotham and the recent Heroes Reborn are prime examples of this) and I wonder if this show might have been better served on the CW along with Producer Greg Berlanti’s other shows Arrow, The Flash and the soon to premiere Legends of Tomorrow.  We’ll see how it fairs on the Columbia Broadcasting System but for right now it has me chomping at the proverbial bit for the next episode.  Time will tell if Supergirl has a future but as I vowed yesterday I will stay with it whether it’s cancelled next week or whether it lasts for another 75 years at which point Benoist will be 102 years old and I will likely be dead as I have a pretty bum ticker.