Supergirl

The pilot was about average. But I gave it a second chance and the cuteness of Melissa Benoist is really bulletproof. She was also great during the nonsensical Glee era, when it didn't make any sense at all. Calista Flockhart, who I've been looking forward to seeing since Ally McBeal, is absolutely excellent in Season 1. Unfortunately, however, the show’s move from CBS to the CW didn't suit her and we don't see her in later seasons. If it weren't for the spectacular events across the Arrowverse in later years, there would be no point in continuing with Supergirl overall. But for people who like to reminisce about their first experiences with Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman or Supergirl (1984), this may not be such a waste of time. Years later, the DC/CW girls' series are finally rounded out by Batwoman, Stargirl, and Superman & Lois also have their own series. So there's plenty to choose from. (2015.11.16)

No one believed in Season 1 of Supergirl. Superman was missing globally, and yes, Jimmy Olsen is black in this version. But thankfully, the whole series was kept afloat by Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart) and the smile of the main character played by Melissa Benoist. It turns out that combining her stories with the undercover Martian Manhunter could be an interesting premise. Then at the end of the series came the first meeting with the friendly Flash and everything was all set. (2019.12.15)

After the first attempts to connect Arrow to Flash, this standalone Supergirl episode sees the Flash coming to her rescue. It is not a big event, but as a first meeting, it’s good. The two young actors are very cute together, and the memories of their years on Glee are also very fond. Worlds Finest is such a winged term, but it describes this lovely episode absolutely perfectly. (2019.12.15)

Season 2 changed the style a bit, the show moved from CBS to the CW, and we said goodbye to Calista Flockhart, and Lynda Carter (Wonder Woman from the 70s) started appearing. The ideal couple was Kevin Sorbo (Hercules) and Teri Hatcher (Lois Lane from the 90s) as the King and Queen of the planet Daxam. There were two crossovers with Flash and co. - firstly the introduction to the Invasion! event and preparation for the musical Duet. It’s all about humor, relationships, and superhero problems. I really like the atmosphere of the Martian stories (memories of E.R. Burroughs) and of course, it's nice to have the L storyline and the tender romance between Alex and Maggie in this series as well. The perfect mix. (2019.12.15)

A good episode and a quiet introduction to the Invasion! event. There's really no reason not to enjoy Supergirl when she's so firmly entrenched in the current DC/CW world. Her adoptive mother is played by the original 1984 Supergirl, her half-sister just got outed, and the villain is Brenda Strong from the new Dallas series, so that’s that. ;) (2019.12.15)

While we meet Mon-El's parents played by Teri Hatcher and Kevin Sorbo (which is really fun because Supergirl is dating a prince from a slave planet), the show is gearing up for another little crossover with Flash. I really have to recommend the follow-up episode, Duet. (2019.12.16)

While Season 1 was finding itself and was overall very nice and positive, and explicitly girl friendly, Season 2 added an excellent guest cast and amplified the alien mythology (which I appreciated as a devotee of classic Martian stories from the pen of Burroughs)... So how’s Season 3? The atmosphere has darkened a lot, even Kara Zor-El herself has become more serious, and the main themes don't follow the light-hearted stories as much anymore. However, instead of the promised proper L wedding, we have a breakup, a Kara grieving after Mon-El, a total coup on Mars, and Lena Luthor on her back. It's no fun. And certainly not with Reign. Anyway, very interesting are the occasional music, and references to Glee here and there, meaning we get to hear Britney Spears and Gwen Stefani. The flashback episode of Midvale is also thoroughly enjoyable. The more adventures they have on other planets, the better. (2020.04.17)

Superheroes from different shows (and countries) come together to celebrate Barry and Iris' wedding. Well, okay. The whole thing is so girly and romantic, and the eve of the wedding is capped off by a nice fling between Chyler Leigh and Caity Lotz (which I enjoyed a lot)... Then it remembers that we're in the TV version of DC, so we need to handle the threat from Nazi Country X. Well, even in the 21st century, we need to remind ourselves that superheroes wouldn't exist without the real threat of the Third Reich. This is something that the youth need to learn properly. (2019.12.16)

The crossover was good this year, as it always is. However, the beginning of Season 4 is such a shower that I'm going to have to put it on ice again for a while. The cuts between the series are demanding. Nothing much builds on itself, and new characters freely arrive. And even something like Superman on Argo is solved in one sentence. That's not very pleasant. And then there's that Soviet Supergirl... The further developments with Agent of Liberty are downright unpleasant. I understand that what's happening in Trump's USA must somehow affect pop culture there, but this is really something. I have similar problems with AHS: Cult. If such a message could be found throughout the Arrowverse, I could understand, but Batwoman, for example, is just minding her own business. We have long been lacking a quality L drama, but now we have a tranny who is also a mix of human and alien. Well... The first two-thirds of the series was so off that the quality of the last five or so episodes can't save it. It's a big risk to gamble with the audience like that. (2020.04.25)

All's well that ends well. Those children's versions in other media of great stories are so cute, colorful, and excited. But yes, I admit the connection to old DC shows is nice. It is hard to expect something similar with less branching phenomena. (2019.12.14)

This year's Season 5 was cut short by Covid. We'll see if the effects are the same as during the writers' strike in the 2007/2008 season. Because that's when heads were rolling. Slowly but surely, the entire Supergirl series can be renamed Lex Luthor, but thankfully the show is out of the worst parts of last season. The main theme was the struggle with virtual reality addiction, the style of some of the characters changed, and a number of new costumes appeared. Some have changed beyond recognition since the first episode. Kara is suddenly more mature, and she has a new hairstyle and more mature fashion. Dreamer takes over the girl's role, but the main female conflict is between Lena and Andrea. Jimmy was replaced by his sister Kelly. However, there's not enough chemistry between Kelly and Alex, and I've been waiting for the return of proper L drama since Season 2 :D One episode was inspired by Tomb Raider, and we got to know more of Brainy's personality, but the best thing of all is watching the best actors from the new series Dallas - Brenda Strong, Julie Gonzalo, Mitch Pileggi - make their way into Supergirl. A quality soap opera, whatever the genre happens to be, needs proper emotions. (2020.05.27)

The 6th season, and final, of Supergirl is a completely separate topic. Anything big that the previous series suggested had to be simplified or scrapped. It started with the posters in masks. At the beginning, Lex was still being dealt with, but Kara was immediately banished to the Phantom Zone. There she met Nyxlygsptlnz, a friend of Mxyzptlk, but also her father... The production constraints turned the whole thing upside down. Often some people dropped out, often the parts were made up of only intimate scenes with two people... While it helped Lena, Dreamer and Guardian on the whole, because each could separately address their independent storyline, the whole suffered. At least Nicole Maines can continue to pursue her trans protagonist in the comics. The spring cliffhanger was quite a surprise, and the show took on a sci-fi and horror feel for a while. But the big crossover between the former Arrowverse series has been canceled. And after the hiatus, it was necessary to wait for a few films until Lex returned for a relaxed finale. It wasn't a bad farewell series, but it was mainly a challenge - how to finish the series with honor during Covid. (2021.11.18)

It's a little sad to see how all that's left of the big events across the Arrowverse this year is a series of guest appearances by former Arrow member David Ramsay. He's made the rounds in Batwoman, Legends of Tomorrow, The Flash, Superman & Lois, and finally here in Supergirl. (2021.11.18)

I grew up frustrated with shows that didn't have an ending for various reasons, which was pretty common in the 90s. That's also why I'm so pleased with the show's ending, which received a carefully planned finale after six years. There are a number of guest appearances by old friends (basically replacing popular events before Covid) and pop culture-style catchphrases: "You'd think in another life I was a Kryptonian." - "Only in a movies." Individual themes include a beautiful lesbian wedding and an outline of Kara Zor-El's story in the years following her public coming out. Anyway, Supergirl isn't ending, Melissa Benoist is just taking a break, and the comics and movies will keep coming. (2021.11.22)