Supergirl - CBS

[Robyn_p]

Anyone else here watch it?

I’ve been catching up on it and - apart from a few cheesy special effects and storylines here and there - I’m actually really enjoying it. It’s so refreshing. No sex, or murders or torture or gore like is on the rest of TV. It’s just good old fashioned comic book heroism.

In fact, it’s everything the new Superman movies should have been. Supergirl is someone who doesn’t compromise her principles and does what is right because it’s right, even if it’s not easy. She’s inspiring and optimistic. She’s just…good. I didn’t realize how much I was missing that in TV shows until I started watching this. Seriously, I can’t name a single show that I’ve seen in the last few years where the protagonist is just a genuinely good person who wants to help people.

Granted, it’s not an amazing show. The writing isn’t Daredevil quality. But it’s a nice refreshing change of pace. And the characters have all really grown on me. Especially Callista Flockhart’s character. She’s brought a lot of life and depth to a character that I thought would just be a stereotypical tough business woman. I love her relationship with Supergirl, how both end up inspiring each other. And she almost always has a zinger that makes me smile.

 

[Kay_Cee]

I just about died laughing when Cat Grant was on the phone, saying “Tell Harrison Ford I’m flattered, but he’s too old for me to date. Besides, isn’t he married?”

Yeah, he’s married to Calista Flockhart!

 

[Bataar]

I just about died laughing when Cat Grant was on the phone, saying “Tell Harrison Ford I’m flattered, but he’s too old for me to date. Besides, isn’t he married?”

Yeah, he’s married to Calista Flockhart!

I didn’t know they were married. That is a really funny line knowing that.

I also really like the show. It started off kind “meh” but has really grown on me as the writers find their footing. Also, introducing Martian Manhunter was awesome.

 

[Adora]

I like this show. It’s fun to see Helen Slater (who played Supergirl in the 1980’s movie) and Dean Cain (was Superman in Lois and Clark) play the parents. I like how close all the characters are and are there for each other.

 

[anon67074017]

I don’t watch this. I am not a big fan of DC superheroes. I wish Elizabeth Lail had been cast as Supergirl though.

 

[thecolorsblend]

I don’t know what other people see in this show that I’m missing. But I am missing it. I just don’t get it. 95% of the stories and supporting characters came straight from Superman comics. Jimmy, Cat, Win, Lucy, all or most of the villains, etc. There’s little or nothing uniquely Supergirl about this show. I’m happy other people enjoy it, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t get the fuss.

That said, I do rather appreciate how Superman mostly allows Supergirl to be her own person in her own time on her own terms. That’s more or less what he did in the comics. He tried to protect from his own legacy. The idea was she’d be better off not having to grow up in the shadow of his legend. The show is using that same basic idea and I value that.

 

[Rolltide]

I like this show. It’s fun to see Helen Slater (who played Supergirl in the 1980’s movie) and Dean Cain (was Superman in Lois and Clark) play the parents. I like how close all the characters are and are there for each other.

Not only is Helen Slater the mother, but Laura Vandervoot, who played Supergirl on Smallville, now plays her archenemy Indigo. All the actresses to play Supergirl as a live action character in a single episode!

 

[Robyn_p]

I just about died laughing when Cat Grant was on the phone, saying “Tell Harrison Ford I’m flattered, but he’s too old for me to date. Besides, isn’t he married?”

Yeah, he’s married to Calista Flockhart!

Ha me too! I love meta-humor like that. And this show is filled with it.

I also liked when they had the Flash crossover episode, and Cat says “You all look like the hip, racially diverse cast of a CW show.”

She really does have the best lines.

 

[Robyn_p]

I don’t know what other people see in this show that I’m missing. But I am missing it. I just don’t get it. 95% of the stories and supporting characters came straight from Superman comics. Jimmy, Cat, Win, Lucy, all or most of the villains, etc. There’s little or nothing uniquely Supergirl about this show. I’m happy other people enjoy it, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t get the fuss.

I see what you mean. I think part of the appeal is that, well, we’re not able to get that Superman stuff anywhere else. Certainly not in the DC movies. So it’s nice to get it from somewhere. Also, the enthusiasm of the cast makes it a lot of fun.

I do really hope that the show gets a second season so that they can explore the more uniquely Supergirl elements. The writers most likely wanted to stick with the familiar until they established an audience. That’s what I’m hoping anyways.

 

[MrZoom]

I’ve been a Supergirl fan since I was in grade school in the early '80s. It might be because as a guy with a disability, the idea of a beautiful lady who could protect me from bad guys is appealing.

And with this new series, I’m very happy to see the Girl of Steel finally done justice in live action. Yes, there was the 1984 movie, which remains my favorite “bad” movie. One of the flaws of that movie, though, was that it significantly altered Supergirl’s origin story. The new series doesn’t – other than give Kara an adoptive human sister, which I don’t think she’s had in any other telling of her story. But in this case, I think it’s a change for the better, as it’s been fodder for some interesting sibling drama.

 

[tomarin]

Does anyone know why in the recent crossover with the Flash, they decided to make Flash from an alternate Earth from Supergirl? In the source material comics they are from the same universe, correct?

I think I find it easier to watch television shows based on DC characters because I never read DC comics as a kid and therefore don’t find myself getting offended by deviations from the source material, or from my ideal mental image of how the characters should behave.

 

[Rolltide]

Does anyone know why in the recent crossover with the Flash, they decided to make Flash from an alternate Earth from Supergirl? In the source material comics they are from the same universe, correct?

I think I find it easier to watch television shows based on DC characters because I never read DC comics as a kid and therefore don’t find myself getting offended by deviations from the source material, or from my ideal mental image of how the characters should behave.

I do not watch The Flash, but I think the reason was that The Flash tv series had already established that Superman did not exist within the continuity of their show (because of rights reasons). Since he DOES exist in the Supergirl reality, the only reason to explain it was that he was from an alternate universe.

 

[tomarin]

I do not watch The Flash, but I think the reason was that The Flash tv series had already established that Superman did not exist within the continuity of their show (because of rights reasons). Since he DOES exist in the Supergirl reality, the only reason to explain it was that he was from an alternate universe.

Wow that’s interesting. I noticed of course that Supergirl (as well as the other characters on the show) never mentions Superman by name, always referring to him as ‘my cousin.’ I assumed that was also rights-related.

I was reading recently that there’s a version of Supergirl from Earth 2 called ‘Power Girl’ who is a bit more rough-and-tumble than the Kara that we know. It would be nice if they incorporated her into the show as I find Kara a bit too wholesome to be interesting (not the actress’s fault, I reckon). One of the better episodes I saw involved an evil - or at least reckless and self-interested - version of Kara caused by a mind-altering drug. She was so much more interesting as a ‘bad guy.’

 

[Bataar]

What was in the pod???

 

[Rolltide]

Wow that’s interesting. I noticed of course that Supergirl (as well as the other characters on the show) never mentions Superman by name, always referring to him as ‘my cousin.’ I assumed that was also rights-related.

Actually, Supergirl does have the rights to use the Superman name, but at this point he is only allowed to be shown indirectly on screen. This could change in the future, but that’s what the rights currently state. Here’s an example of a scene (toward the end of the video) of how precisely they can use Superman:

youtube.com/watch?v=vCox3g0w8jY

 

[tomarin]

Actually, Supergirl does have the rights to use the Superman name, but at this point he is only allowed to be shown indirectly on screen. This could change in the future, but that’s what the rights currently state. Here’s an example of a scene (toward the end of the video) of how precisely they can use Superman:

youtube.com/watch?v=vCox3g0w8jY

So you’re saying she could call him ‘Superman’ (and not ‘my cousin’) if she chose? I haven’t seen all the episodes but it does seem unnatural the number of times she calls him ‘my cousin.’

 

[Rolltide]

So you’re saying she could call him ‘Superman’ if she chose?

Yes, and in fact, does so a number of times in the series, including both in the clip above and right in the opening credits. Interesting, they did NOT have the right to use the name in Smallville, and were only given a special one time permission to use it in the series finale. Smallville also had the same stipulation that you could never actually see Superman properly, as in a full view close up with him talking to you, or something like that. The closest Smallville ever came was some views in the finale from a distance, and Clark opening his shirt to show the “S” in the final scene.

 

[porthos11]

So you’re saying she could call him ‘Superman’ (and not ‘my cousin’) if she chose? I haven’t seen all the episodes but it does seem unnatural the number of times she calls him ‘my cousin.’

Every single episode’s opening monologue mentions Superman by name.

James Olsen also mentioned him by name a few times, as did background news coverage and some of his foes.

Cat Grant just recently asked (in response to Supergirl’s “there he is!”), “who, Superman?”

 

[tomarin]

Yes, and in fact, does so a number of times in the series, including both in the clip above and right in the opening credits. Interesting, they did NOT have the right to use the name in Smallville, and were only given a special one time permission to use it in the series finale. Smallville also had the same stipulation that you could never actually see Superman properly, as in a full view close up with him talking to you, or something like that. The closest Smallville ever came was some views in the finale from a distance, and Clark opening his shirt to show the “S” in the final scene.

Ah I see. Never knew that about Smallville (the Dawson’s Creek of tv superhero shoes) as I rarely if ever watched it. I guess I haven’t watched this one enough either.

 

[Adora]

I did not know about the rights issues with Superman. I always thought the perfect ending to Smallville would have been to see Clark in full costume.

I wish they were allowed to show him fully on Supergirl. They mention him so much and use a lot of material from the Superman story that it doesn’t make sense to me that they don’t show him fully and only show teases of him like in the link given by Rolltide or the scene where they showed his boots in the season finale.

Does anyone know if there is anything from the Supergirl comics in the series? I only read about two or three issues when I was a kid and I don’t remember much. My brother was into Superman so that’s how I know the Supergirl series “borrows” a lot. I like the show, but I hope they start giving her her own story soon.