Supergirl - Season One

[Richard Willis]

From Variety.com:

MARCH 6, 2015 | 01:00PM PT
Elizabeth Wagmeister
@EWagmeister

“Supergirl” has finally arrived.

The first photos of Melissa Benoist as Supergirl were released Friday, just as production begins on the CBS pilot, which is based on characters from DC Comics.

The costume (pictured) was designed by three-time Oscar winner Colleen Atwood, who also designed the suits for two other DC Comics television properties, “The Flash” and “Arrow” of the CW.

Atwood, who’s been nominated for Academy Awards an additional eight times, was also the costume designer behind “Into the Woods,” “Snow White and the Huntsman,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “Memoirs of a Geisha” and “Chicago,” among others.

“Supergirl,” in contention for the 2015-16 season, follows Kara Danvers/Kara Zor-El (Benoist, “Glee,” “Whiplash”), Superman’s cousin, at age 24, when she decides to embrace her superhuman abilities and be the hero she was always meant to be, after leaving Krypton and hiding her powers.

Other series regulars include Calista Flockhart (“Ally McBeal,” “Brothers & Sisters”), who will play Kara’s tough boss at CatCo, Cat Grant; Mehcad Brooks (“Desparate Housewives,” “True Blood”), who will co-star as Kara’s love interest, Jimmy Olsen; Chyler Leigh (“Grey’s Anatomy”), who’s been cast as Kara’s doctor sister, Alex Danvers; and David Harewood (“Homeland”), as supervillain Hank Henshaw, better known as Cyborg Superman in the DC Comics world.

Laura Benanti will appear in a major recurring arc, playing Kara’s birth mother, Alura Zor-El.

Helen Slater, who starred in the 1984 “Supergirl” feature, and Superman vet Dean Cain (“Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman”) are set for secret roles.

The project hails from exec producers and writers Greg Berlanti (“The Flash,” “Arrow”), Ali Adler and Andrew Kreisberg. Sarah Schechter will also serve as an exec producer, and Glen Winter will direct the pilot. Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television will produce.

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

Yeah, a crossover isn't impossible, apparently, but it's not in the cards for a while. From Newsarama's report:

That being said, one show that won't be part of the family will be Supergirl from CW's parent network, CBS. “The network has said publicly at this point they’re going to keep her to themselves,” says Greg Berlanti, who is the executive producer on all four shows. “I always approach the shows as a fan first, so I would love to see (a crossover). I think in success, all things are possible. But there’s a lot that would have to happen before everybody might say yes to that.”

[Richard Willis]

My point of reference is that when Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff Angel were both on "The WB" network they had a lot of crossovers and guest shots. After the Buffy show changed to the UPN network the crossovers and guest appearances stopped dead. Even though they were still from the same production company it didn't matter. Both networks would have to agree to a crossover or guest appearance so it didn't happen. IIRC, the only exception was the Willow character showing up to tell Angel that Buffy was dead (she got better) and I don't even think she referred to her by name.

The CW network isn't just a child of CBS. It's a child of CBS and Warner Bros.

[Captain Comics]

The metaphor I think we're looking for here is that The CW is the child of divorced parents. Getting mom and dad to agree to anything will be difficult.

I like that they're not ignoring Superman's existence, and that he's just ... away somewhere. On a space mission perhaps.

I get the Devil Wears Prada bit by Calista Flockhart. But it does really show how stupid a "bumbling" secret ID is. Seriously, I have to put up with idiot bosses all the time, but I don't have super-powers. If I did, I wouldn't take orders from stupid people, because I wouldn't need to make a living. With Kryptonian powers, I wouldn't need to eat or sleep (probably), so I wouldn't need a house or food. If I don't need to breathe, I could set up housekeeping on the moon. But if I really wanted to have a secret ID, I'd just get some pirate treasure from the ocean or some diamonds from a volcano or something and set myself up as a bored playboy. No bosses, complete freedom. The bumbling secret ID is a trope, and like many comics tropes, it needs to quietly fade away.

Speaking of tropes, I do like that apparently all the important people in Kara's life know her secret. TV has demonstrated quite thoroughly that superheroes keeping secrets from their loved ones is neither advantageous nor particularly heroic. Plus, superheroes, like anyone, can use a support network, if for no other reason than to cover for their absences.

I like the "older sister" bit. Kara can use some advice, and someone to look up to, so she doesn't become the brat she is in the comics.

One thing I don't like, and I reallllllllllly don't like it: Jimmy Olsen. Not that he's black, but that he's confident, tall and handsome. That's NOT Jimmy Olsen. And why borrow more from the Superman mythos? If you want to give Supergirl a tall, handsome, black boyfriend, fine. But call him Jedidiah O'Sullivan or something. Or take an actual name from the decades of Supergirl stories. Because: That. Is. Not. Jimmy. Olsen.

[Captain Comics]

Just looked at the second trailer. Bad guy is a bald alien with an axe. Oh, please, please, please CBS, call him Persuader! (Or call him Terrax, and get sued!)

[Mr. Silver Age]

But it does really show how stupid a "bumbling" secret ID is. 

From what I've seen, I don't get the impression that it's an act. She's not confident and is a little meek. As I said, that she'd have that approach when she has Superman's powers will take some convincing. Although she doesn't seem to have tested them far, since she had a hard time starting to fly and didn't know if bullets would bounce off her. Of course, they may bounce off me for all I know, I'm not eager to find out. But there'd be ways for her to test it in increment.

I'd just get some pirate treasure from the ocean or some diamonds from a volcano or something and set myself up as a bored playboy.

Granted, a bad boss is a buzz-kill, which might make it hard to hold back on the pranks that anyone with super-cold breath, heat vision, super-ventriloquism, super-strength and super-speed might think up. I presume she's there as comic relief, to bring Kara down and to look a fool at various times. It's still CBS.

Ostensibly, Clark wanted to stay near teletypes and such so he'd know instantly about disasters happening around the world and had a reason for visiting, etc. Super-hearing is nice and all, but the chances of picking up a burglar alarm or hearing the screams from an earthquake somewhere in the world seem to be pushing it. Making him a TV anchor was totally bizarre, as well as making him a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist. 

The bumbling secret ID is a trope, and like many comics tropes, it needs to quietly fade away.

Bumbling might be a bit much, but staying inconspicuous and a bit shy seems like a good approach. Clearly, the superhero side is going to be a confident take-charge person, so you don't want to come across just that way, no matter how well you disguise your voice.

The trope has pretty well faded away, swept out the door with secret identities altogether. The TV shows (including Smallville) make a good case for close friends to know the truth to help out when needed. But Eddie Thawne? At some point, it's really pushing it further than is necessary--and every person who knows is one more person who could give it away. Let's not even mention Captain Cold, as that relationship still doesn't make sense to me.

At some point, they don't need a different personality to confuse people, because everybody who knows Oliver Queen at all knows he's the Arrow (or whatever he's going to call himself next). Granted, how Oliver Queen in the SA comics kept the identities separate with that distinctive beard in both is hard to say.

And it's James Olsen. Big difference. Actually, Supergirl did have a relationship with Jimmy--I did an entire column on all their canoodling back in the day. So that doesn't bother me. I'm surprised they can have Jimbo, though, I'd think he'd be part of the Daily Planet license for the movies.

-- MSA

[Richard Willis]

Mr. Silver Age said:

And it's James Olsen. Big difference. Actually, Supergirl did have a relationship with Jimmy--I did an entire column on all their canoodling back in the day. So that doesn't bother me. I'm surprised they can have Jimbo, though, I'd think he'd be part of the Daily Planet license for the movies.

Jimmy Olsen didn't appear in the movie Man of Steel and isn't listed as a character in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. I think they decided they didn't need the character, so I guess he's available for Supergirl.

[Ron M.]

Jimmy was in the Supergirl movie. But, yeah, why would this guy randomly decide to drink weird potions and turn into human turtles and porcupines? On the other hand, I could definitely see Jack Larson doing that if they'd had the budget.

[Commander Benson]

 Captain Comics said:

 If you want to give Supergirl a tall, handsome, black boyfriend, fine. But call him Jedidiah O'Sullivan or something. Or take an actual name from the decades of Supergirl stories.

What a nod it would have been to the old-time Silver-Age readers who might be watching if they had named that fellow "Dick Malverne".

[Captain Comics]

Jimmy Olsen was Jenny Olsen in Man of Steel. Now THAT'S a big difference!

Also, Perry White was black. I figure that somewhere in the local multiverse, there's a Perry Black who's white, for cosmic balance.

Richard Willis said:

Mr. Silver Age said:

And it's James Olsen. Big difference. Actually, Supergirl did have a relationship with Jimmy--I did an entire column on all their canoodling back in the day. So that doesn't bother me. I'm surprised they can have Jimbo, though, I'd think he'd be part of the Daily Planet license for the movies.

Jimmy Olsen didn't appear in the movie Man of Steel and isn't listed as a character in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. I think they decided they didn't need the character, so I guess he's available for Supergirl.

[Philip Portelli]

I've seen the trailer now

• I saw a recolored MAN OF STEEL clip with brighter hues. The difference was astounding!
• I hope they give us a real reason why Kara was not using her powers until now.
• They gave her her own Cisco!
• Thankfully the nerdy awkward girl is revealed to have a great body just meant for skin-tight outfits!
• Cape debate!
• Not sure about "James Olsen". It's been done so often that it's become shorthand for "look how open-minded and liberal we are". And yeah, now he can't be accident prone or foolhardy anymore.
• If they can't show us Superman, STOP namedropping him!

[Ron M.]

Why are all of these swarms of girls with great bodies walking around looking nerdy and awkward until somebody tells them to take off their glasses? Like the one that just happened to look exactly like Ginger in Gilligan's Island? Are we being secretly conquered by aliens that look like glasses and bad hairdos?

[Mr. Silver Age]

>>if they had named that fellow "Dick Malverne".

Great call, Commander! I don't know how well "Dick" would've worked these days, especially since it's old-fashioned. James was at least a reasonably popular name when he would've been born. 

But, yeah, why would this guy randomly decide to drink weird potions and turn into human turtles and porcupines?

To be fair, he was accidentally turned into a giant turtle man by an alien device Lois accidentally turned on him while he was looking at a turtle. It could've happened to anyone. And Miss Gsptlznz turned him into a human porcupine when he spurned his advances. He can't help that!

Jimmy Olsen was Jenny Olsen in Man of Steel. Now THAT'S a big difference!

That's an urban legend started by one of the comic-book tie-in comics, Cap. The person who supposedly was Jenny Olsen was actually Jenny Jurwich. She's only credited as "Jenny" at IMDB, but her name tag in the movie says Jurwich. So apparently there are no Olsens in MOS. And I doubt BvS is going to have much room for secret identities (such as it is) and the DP staff. So Jimbo is free and clear to go back to canoodling with Kara.

http://comicbook.com/blog/2013/06/02/man-of-steel-jenny-olsen-is-no...

I hope they give us a real reason why Kara was not using her powers until now.

It seems like she just wasn't sure of herself and didn't want the attention. Although she seems to know that Superman is her cousin, so why she wouldn't be using him as a model is baffling. Ideally, we'll get some kind of origin and explanation. I'm not usually big on origins, but this one needs some 'splaining.

>>Thankfully the nerdy awkward girl is revealed to have a great body just meant for skin-tight outfits!

Isn't that always the way? Those librarians with their hair up in a bun and big glasses are just waiting to be unleashed. Just ask Barbara Gordon.

>>Cape debate!

The Incredibles pretty well handled that, but I think if the notion is that if you're gonna wear the S, you need the cape, if only for recognition. It's part of the job, and it should be, to draw attention, just like the bright colors are part of the gig. Although I think the recent ginormous capes they give Supes are far too much (but then I would). Batman makes a case that sometimes work. Other than that, capes don't work. They do in the comics for dramatic effects and to show movement, but not on TV. They get in the way and could be hazard.

Although, I will admit, the animated show (of course) did a good job of giving her an identity of her own without a cape, which I can see would be a good approach for a young woman not impressed by wearing a version of the Big Blue Boy Scout's suit. As usual, the animated show knew what it was doing.

>>If they can't show us Superman, STOP namedropping him!

But given Kara's origin, I don't think they can just ignore his presence. Especially as she's trying to work up the courage to do something like him (and she's got a costume patterned after  his), he'll keep coming up as a What Would Superman Do way. He's obviously been around for awhile, but we don't know if its the MOS version or the Smallville version or just a new one who's generally the SA version everyone admits was the best (come on, they do). It'll be interesting to see how they dodge it or deal with two of them--but the SA comics often managed it.

-- MSA