My Supergirl review

[superduperman]

Let me start with the pros and cons.

Pros:

The suit. Looks awesome! Love the new symbol! It has the classic look while adding a "homemade" look.

Mellisa Benhoist. Great choice for Kara. She looks good without having a cheesecake look. And she's a great actress.

Her origin. I love adding the Phantom Zone to her backstory. It's a great source of future material. I also like the fact that she's not a fully developed teenager when she arrives on Earth like in every other version.

The DEO. A government agency set up to monitor super-beings on Earth is a great concept and is probably exactly what would happen if someone like Superman shows up on Earth.

Hank Henshaw. He's clearly being set up to be the "villain" that he is in the comics. Right now they are using him the same way Arrow used Det. Lance in the first season. Someone the hero has to get them to trust.

"James" Olsen. The idea of Superman sending him to watch over his cousin is a great idea and makes perfect sense. Makes me wonder if he knows about Clark being Superman.

The idea that Superman is the worlds only super-hero. This is a controversial stance, I think. But I like it in that it looks like the Superman of this universe is like Batman in the Nolan movies. No competition.

Her ship. It truly looks alien. It's not quite a rocket but it has a classic look.

Cons:

The dialogue. It's a little too much "Girl Power" and not enough SUPER-power. "She has super-powers, AND SHE'S A GIRL!" Well, yes, hence the name of the show. The line about Henshaw not thinking she could beat Vartox just because she was a girl was a little too much beating you over the head with the point. We get it. She's a role model for little girls. They didn't need a waitress point blank saying so.

Cat Grant. They're trying too hard to make her Devil Wears Prada. She's the evil cartoon boss. No real personality of her own.

The special effects. They need work. It looks very on-a-budget. Hopefully as the series catches on, they'll get their budget upped. It was just the pilot after all.

The lack of the use of the name Superman. I don't know what deal CBS made with WB but they need to let them use his name more often. He's mentioned like ten times and only once is he referred to by name. Coming up with various ways to avoid using it is going to get old very fast. It already did and this is just the first episode.

Toyman. Let's call him what he is. He's clearly going to become Toyman and he isn't even likable in his early form. Kara saves the plane and his first response is to complain she isn't wearing a suit? This may just go back to the dialogue problem but he is clearly meant to be the "nice guy" who turns on you when you won't go out with him.

Pacing. The show seemed to speed through a lot of important stuff. Now, Supergirl is a complex character with a lot of backstory and people just wanted to get the set up out of the way quickly but I hope that isn't going to be how they do things every week. To be honest, I think they could have gotten away with a two hour pilot to fill in some space.

Her evil aunt. She really is a cartoon villain. Her dialogue is hokey and she's not the best actress. She knows she's in a comic book show and is clearly acting like it. She's also a little too convenient a villain. Kara has a relative in the Phantom Zone that wants to kill her?

The timeline. The show can't seem to make up it's mind on when Krypton blew up and how old Superman is. Kara clearly came to Earth at 13. But how long ago did Superman arrive? If Krypton blew up 24 years ago, then he would have had to be 12 when he found her. Which clearly isn't the case. But if she was stuck in the Phantom Zone for 24 years, that makes a lot more sense. Yet at one point, she says that he arrived a dozen years before she did. They need to get their math squared away.

All in all it needs a little work but I like it and hope it lasts a long time. But there is something that occurred to me halfway through her fight with Vartox that I'd never thought about during a Superman show. For all intents and purposes, none of her threats are a real threat to Earth. Because even if they got through her, they'd still have to deal with Superman. Superman doesn't have a back up hero to pick up if he gets killed. She will always be in her cousin's shadow. The only way the Fort Rozz storyline works is if Superman doesn't know it came with her when she arrived. And that all these threats are operating on Earth. I get the impression that Henshaw doesn't like Superman and it would make sense he wouldn't tell him about all this. But that doesn't change the fact that anyone who gets through Supergirl would still have to deal with Superman. There's also a sort of passing the responsibility of raising her onto others feel to it. Now, if the Kents are dead in this universe, that would make sense. He would try to find the next best thing to them. Hence the Danvers. I hope they go into more detail about her powers and how they work and when they developed. Some backstory of her life with the Danvers (and I assume they will in future episodes) are down the line.

What also isn't clear is what her relationship with Superman is. Why doesn't she tell him about the Fort Rozz crash if he doesn't know already? How much contact do they have with each other? Because by the look of it, it's almost none. I wonder if they will reveal down the line why they don't have more contact with each other. He sends "James" to keep an eye on her? This comes across as trying too hard to keep Superman out of the show.

Let me know what you think. Do you agree? Disagree? What did you like or didn't like about the show?

[manofsteel1979]

Let me start with the pros and cons.

Pros:

The suit. Looks awesome! Love the new symbol! It has the classic look while adding a "homemade" look.

Mellisa Benhoist. Great choice for Kara. She looks good without having a cheesecake look. And she's a great actress.

Her origin. I love adding the Phantom Zone to her backstory. It's a great source of future material. I also like the fact that she's not a fully developed teenager when she arrives on Earth like in every other version.

The DEO. A government agency set up to monitor super-beings on Earth is a great concept and is probably exactly what would happen if someone like Superman shows up on Earth.

Hank Henshaw. He's clearly being set up to be the "villain" that he is in the comics. Right now they are using him the same way Arrow used Det. Lance in the first season. Someone the hero has to get them to trust.

"James" Olsen. The idea of Superman sending him to watch over his cousin is a great idea and makes perfect sense. Makes me wonder if he knows about Clark being Superman.

The idea that Superman is the worlds only super-hero. This is a controversial stance, I think. But I like it in that it looks like the Superman of this universe is like Batman in the Nolan movies. No competition.

Her ship. It truly looks alien. It's not quite a rocket but it has a classic look.

Cons:

The dialogue. It's a little too much "Girl Power" and not enough SUPER-power. "She has super-powers, AND SHE'S A GIRL!" Well, yes, hence the name of the show. The line about Henshaw not thinking she could beat Vartox just because she was a girl was a little too much beating you over the head with the point. We get it. She's a role model for little girls. They didn't need a waitress point blank saying so.

Cat Grant. They're trying too hard to make her Devil Wears Prada. She's the evil cartoon boss. No real personality of her own.

The special effects. They need work. It looks very on-a-budget. Hopefully as the series catches on, they'll get their budget upped. It was just the pilot after all.

The lack of the use of the name Superman. I don't know what deal CBS made with WB but they need to let them use his name more often. He's mentioned like ten times and only once is he referred to by name. Coming up with various ways to avoid using it is going to get old very fast. It already did and this is just the first episode.

Toyman. Let's call him what he is. He's clearly going to become Toyman and he isn't even likable in his early form. Kara saves the plane and his first response is to complain she isn't wearing a suit? This may just go back to the dialogue problem but he is clearly meant to be the "nice guy" who turns on you when you won't go out with him.

Pacing. The show seemed to speed through a lot of important stuff. Now, Supergirl is a complex character with a lot of backstory and people just wanted to get the set up out of the way quickly but I hope that isn't going to be how they do things every week. To be honest, I think they could have gotten away with a two hour pilot to fill in some space.

Her evil aunt. She really is a cartoon villain. Her dialogue is hokey and she's not the best actress. She knows she's in a comic book show and is clearly acting like it. She's also a little too convenient a villain. Kara has a relative in the Phantom Zone that wants to kill her?

The timeline. The show can't seem to make up it's mind on when Krypton blew up and how old Superman is. Kara clearly came to Earth at 13. But how long ago did Superman arrive? If Krypton blew up 24 years ago, then he would have had to be 12 when he found her. Which clearly isn't the case. But if she was stuck in the Phantom Zone for 24 years, that makes a lot more sense. Yet at one point, she says that he arrived a dozen years before she did. They need to get their math squared away.

All in all it needs a little work but I like it and hope it lasts a long time. But there is something that occurred to me halfway through her fight with Vartox that I'd never thought about during a Superman show. For all intents and purposes, none of her threats are a real threat to Earth. Because even if they got through her, they'd still have to deal with Superman. Superman doesn't have a back up hero to pick up if he gets killed. She will always be in her cousin's shadow. The only way the Fort Rozz storyline works is if Superman doesn't know it came with her when she arrived. And that all these threats are operating on Earth. I get the impression that Henshaw doesn't like Superman and it would make sense he wouldn't tell him about all this. But that doesn't change the fact that anyone who gets through Supergirl would still have to deal with Superman. There's also a sort of passing the responsibility of raising her onto others feel to it. Now, if the Kents are dead in this universe, that would make sense. He would try to find the next best thing to them. Hence the Danvers. I hope they go into more detail about her powers and how they work and when they developed. Some backstory of her life with the Danvers (and I assume they will in future episodes) are down the line.

What also isn't clear is what her relationship with Superman is. Why doesn't she tell him about the Fort Rozz crash if he doesn't know already? How much contact do they have with each other? Because by the look of it, it's almost none. I wonder if they will reveal down the line why they don't have more contact with each other. He sends "James" to keep an eye on her? This comes across as trying too hard to keep Superman out of the show.

Let me know what you think. Do you agree? Disagree? What did you like or didn't like about the show?

Great review and I almost agree word for word, but as for Win Schott being the Toyman, I think the actual toyman was just cast a few days ago. Apparently the Winslow Schott in the pilot is going to be the son of the real Toyman....UNLESS they are faking us out.

I also wondered the same about James and whether or not he knows the secret here. I think it's a good probability he does. I don't see Him being trusted to be the guardian of Kara in National City if he wasn't privy to Clark Kent's secret identity.

[Last Son of Krypton]

The timeline. The show can't seem to make up it's mind on when Krypton blew up and how old Superman is. Kara clearly came to Earth at 13. But how long ago did Superman arrive? If Krypton blew up 24 years ago, then he would have had to be 12 when he found her. Which clearly isn't the case. But if she was stuck in the Phantom Zone for 24 years, that makes a lot more sense.

It's not clear from which time Kara speaks when she says that Krypton exploded 24 years ago.
The rest is clear: she was 13 when she left her planet and, after 24 years in the Phantom Zone, a twenty-four years old Superman finds her.

Yet at one point, she says that he arrived a dozen years before she did. They need to get their math squared away.

Two dozens. She says he arrived two dozens years before her.

What also isn't clear is what her relationship with Superman is. Why doesn't she tell him about the Fort Rozz crash if he doesn't know already? How much contact do they have with each other? Because by the look of it, it's almost none. I wonder if they will reveal down the line why they don't have more contact with each other. He sends "James" to keep an eye on her? This comes across as trying too hard to keep Superman out of the show.

Young Justice and Superman Returns didn't teach you anything about Clark?

[Flash Gordon]

I mean Superman does get weirdly stand off-ish about being a "dad". Kon-el, Kara, Cir-El, his son in SR, etc.

[Last Son of Krypton]

I mean Superman does get weirdly stand off-ish about being a "dad". Kon-el, Kara, Cir-El, his son in SR, etc.

He should take parenting lessons from Batman.

[Ascended]

He should take parenting lessons from Batman.

Hey, even a Superman can have some flaws. I think being really bad with family is an interesting one. Maybe not a "good" flaw, like being OCD or paranoid, not even sure I like the idea that much, but it makes sense in a really twisted kind of way. Especially if you run with the Kents dying when Clark's young (not sure if that's the case with this show or not, I havent watched it yet).

Not making light of it or anything, or even really defending it. But its been a part of enough continuities I think it's (close to becoming) a facet of the overall, beyond-particular-versions character.

[Last Son of Krypton]

Hey, even a Superman can have some flaws. I think being really bad with family is an interesting one. Maybe not a "good" flaw, like being OCD or paranoid, not even sure I like the idea that much, but it makes sense in a really twisted kind of way. Especially if you run with the Kents dying when Clark's young (not sure if that's the case with this show or not, I havent watched it yet).

Not making light of it or anything, or even really defending it. But its been a part of enough continuities I think it's (close to becoming) a facet of the overall, beyond-particular-versions character.

You're right, the main versions of Superman have almost canonized this "trait" of him.
Probably, Elseworlds and Imaginary Tales are the only place where Clark/Kal is constantly shown as a good father or at least a present one.

[sunofdarkchild]

Superman goes to the Goku school of parenting.

[Ascended]

You're right, the main versions of Superman have almost canonized this "trait" of him.
Probably, Elseworlds and Imaginary Tales are the only place where Clark/Kal is constantly shown as a good father or at least a present one.

Just about.

He wasn't *too* terrible with Supergirl in the animated series. He wanted to keep her hidden and didnt want her putting on a costume, and he did stick her with his elderly parents who had, without doubt, earned a refrain from raising another superpowered kid. And he was beyond over-bearing to the point she stayed with the Legion to get out from under his shadow (not entirely his fault). But at least he showed that he cared and wanted her safe and happy. And in Smallville, he ended up having a decent relationship with Conner, though it was far from a positive relationship for the most part.

But even then, by real world standards he' still skirting the edges of negligence.

Oh, wait, in that new Superdad series he seems to be a good father. I mean, he's lied to his son about pretty much everything but that's understandable. So there's that.

[Last Son of Krypton]

Just about.

He wasn't *too* terrible with Supergirl in the animated series. He wanted to keep her hidden and didnt want her putting on a costume, and he did stick her with his elderly parents who had, without doubt, earned a refrain from raising another superpowered kid. And he was beyond over-bearing to the point she stayed with the Legion to get out from under his shadow (not entirely his fault). But at least he showed that he cared and wanted her safe and happy.

The exception that proves the rule.

And in Smallville, he ended up having a decent relationship with Conner, though it was far from a positive relationship for the most part.

What relationship? He sent Conner to live with Martha in Washington.

But even then, by real world standards he' still skirting the edges of negligence.

Somewhere in the fortress, he must have this mug:

Oh, wait, in that new Superdad series he seems to be a good father. I mean, he's lied to his son about pretty much everything but that's understandable. So there's that.

This is because it's treated as a kind of Elseworld, so they can handle things differently and make everything look "perfect". I mean, a 90s writer brings back the old Superman... I expected that Clark and Lois would end to live near Jeb Friedman's house, and Lois accused Clark of cheating on her after seeing on TV the New52 SM and WW kissing.
Where are the dramas of the old days? They changed everything. This is not the "real" Superman, that's why he seems a good father.

[5red]

The lack of the use of the name Superman. I don't know what deal CBS made with WB but they need to let them use his name more often. He's mentioned like ten times and only once is he referred to by name. Coming up with various ways to avoid using it is going to get old very fast. It already did and this is just the first episode.

You'll be glad to hear that wasn't deliberate. Apparently he was namechecked more than once, but those bits ended up on the cutting room floor.

They shot a lot of extra material for the pilot -- we know from location photos that entire scenes were filmed, but dropped from the final product, and that existing scenes went through a huge about of editing. Just before Comic Con one mag ran a script page: the scene where Hank and Supergirl meet for the first time. 50% of Hanks lines were gone from the broadcast version, specifically stuff were he talks in more detail about the DEO. Possibly they shot with the possibility of a 90 minute pilot in mind, and edited it down(?)

Toyman. Let's call him what he is. He's clearly going to become Toyman and he isn't even likable in his early form. Kara saves the plane and his first response is to complain she isn't wearing a suit? This may just go back to the dialogue problem but he is clearly meant to be the "nice guy" who turns on you when you won't go out with him.

You probably already know by now, but Toyman makes an appearance in this season, and it isn't Winn.

Her evil aunt. She really is a cartoon villain. Her dialogue is hokey and she's not the best actress. She knows she's in a comic book show and is clearly acting like it. She's also a little too convenient a villain. Kara has a relative in the Phantom Zone that wants to kill her?

Have to confess, I agree with you on the acting. Laura Benanti is an incredibly talented woman -- award winning, no less -- but I think the majority of her work has been in musical theatre. A villain like Astra needs someone with the subtly and nuance of a seasoned screen actor. Of course, it could be Laura is being directed to do the whole pantomime villain thing.

As the series goes on you'll discover it isn't coincidence that Astra was in the Phantom Zone when Krypton blew up.

What also isn't clear is what her relationship with Superman is. Why doesn't she tell him about the Fort Rozz crash if he doesn't know already? How much contact do they have with each other? Because by the look of it, it's almost none. I wonder if they will reveal down the line why they don't have more contact with each other. He sends "James" to keep an eye on her? This comes across as trying too hard to keep Superman out of the show.

I think the implication is that everyone knows about Fort Rozz, apart from Kara. Presumably Superman told the Danvers that Kara would be targeted by the escapees because of her connections to Alura, which is why they deliberately tried to persuade Kara to hide herself.

R5