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Writer's pictureKara Chatham

TV: Supergirl - Pilot Episode Thoughts


CBS has brought a new hero to the small screen. The story of Superman, Kal El, has been told over and over again. It's about time for Kara Zor-El's story to be told. I apologize in advance for the brokenness of the following, but these are the thoughts I had during the pilot episode of this series.


Kara...quirky. I think she tries a bit too hard to hide her connection to Kal. Her attempts to blend in match those who try way too hard to fit in.

I like how her motivation to try out her powers was because of her Earth sister.

Kara's reaction to the news's coverage of her first "saving mission" is probably how I would react.

It does seem like the writers are trying to make her similar to Kal El - works at a news publication, first act of saving is a plane (they openly connected that one), and cover consists of glasses.

I like how her costume is modest. Most of the time it is not so modest. A lot of the times when a strong female comes into play, people focus on the clothing worn. And it's typically not something many parents would like their daughters to idolize. Her discomfort when the costume was being designed was a clever way to address the issue of heroine costumes.

The condescending tone of Director Henshaw is annoying. It causes him to appear like he is skeptical of the possibility of a female being able to be a hero. It also sheds some light on prejudice on people who are different from us.

The ending of the episode gave Kara a human aspect. She doubted herself. She always thought her purpose was to protect her cousin and finding out that there is more to her life than that has changed her.

The opening and closing monologues... kinda match all of the other superhero shows that are on TV right now. It's being over done. Something new needs to be done with superhero shows. Be creative, people! Being formulaic is not creative. It's honestly a way to lose your audience.

I see potential in the series. I hope it grows. There were moments when I thought it was hilarious and other moments when I felt like it was lacking - simply because it matched the styles of The Flash and Arrow. Yes, those shows have been successful, but I'd like to see something different. The fact that this is focused on a female hero alone is not enough of a "wow" factor.

Until next time... Supergirl

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