When a Supergirl TV show was first announced, I was apprehensive. The last time Supergirl was launched out of the comics on her own, it was for 1984’s Supergirl, which starred Helen Slater, and promptly flopped at the box office.
Initial photos of Melissa Benoist in costume didn’t inspire me, either. At first glance, the design looks lazy. It literally looks like someone cut the logo out of fabric from Michael’s and adhered it with a special craft kit. And her hair still seemed more strawberry blonde than anything. I was stuck on Kara having been blonde for the entirety of her existence.
In spite of all of this, I was quite taken by the extended preview released several months ago. The cast seemed to gel, and the spirit of the show seemed upbeat! *GASP* I’m pleased to tell you that the show is very much in this spirit of fun and whimsy, in spite of the drama in Kara’s life.
The show starts on Krypton. Jor-El and Lara are launching baby Kal-El to Earth, and in a nearby dwelling, Zor-El and Allura are sending their daughter, Kara, who looks to be around 12, to be Kal-El’s protector on Earth. (If you don’t know already, they’re cousins.) Kara’s rocket is pulled into a wormhole, and is stuck there for 24 years. When the ship breaks free, it makes its way to Earth. Kal-El, now Superman, finds his now-younger cousin and matches her with a family to care for her.
Cut to National City. Kara, now a young adult, is an errand girl for media mogul Cat Grant. Kara becomes smitten with new guy James Olsen, Pulitzer winning Metropolis photographer who now works for Grant. Her sister Alex works in National City as well. When Kara strikes out on a blind date and Alex’s plane starts to go down, Kara takes action, revealing herself to the world.
The origin story is executed in a way that explains what it needs to, but doesn’t get bogged down, as some stories do. The entire first episode is imminently watchable, and leaves the viewer interested in what happens next.
What we really have here is several things: a solid superhero show, a show with a more diverse cast than most superhero shows, and a family-friendly show that hopefully encourages girls to dream bigger.
Supergirl airs on Monday nights at 8/7 central.
Geek of All Trades 