When a Supergirl TV series was announced, it quickly became one of the most anticipated shows heading into its first season. With Melissa Benoist (Glee) cast as Kara Zor-El, CBS had a groundbreaking opportunity in introducing the first female lead superhero, who happened to be the cousin of the Man of Steel. The lighter tone of the show also provided a breath of fresh air from the heavier elements of its fellow DC Comics TV counterparts, The Flash and Arrow.
Supergirl‘s first season was uneven and above-average, at best. That is not to say that those 20 episodes were without merit, as the main characters are what has made the show worth tuning into.
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Benoist’s development as both Kara and Supergirl over the course of the series was one of its more positive aspects, as was her supporting cast of characters like Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart), James Olsen (Mehcad Brooks), and Winn Scott (Jeremy Jordan). Kara’s relationship with her sister Alex Danvers (Chyler Leigh) grew beyond a sibling bond as they become comrades-in-arms at the DEO (Department of Extranormal Operations), helping Kara learn what it means to be a true hero.
Danvers following the mystery surrounding her father and her complicated relationship with mother Eliza Danvers (Helen Slater) was an engaging plotline, showing the responsibility and burdens that she had to carry before donning the red cape. Similar themes came up for Winn in episode 10, “Childish Things,” when he was forced to confront his father. That provided insight into a character who loves Kara, but isn’t loved the same way in return. This was, I think, one of the strongest episodes of the season for the two characters, changing their relationship for a while, especially once Winn started dating Siobhan Smith (Italia Ricci) prior to her ascension into Silver Banshee.
Out of the main cast, James was never given any sort of compelling line, as it was easy to tell that his relationship with Lucy Lane (Jenna Dewan-Tatum) was not destined to last and the show obviously began slowly pushing him and Kara together. It felt as if the writers could not find any meaningful time or development for the character outside of being Superman’s best friend during his time at the Daily Planet.
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Hank Henshaw (David Harewood) revealed himself as J’onn J’onzz in one of the best moments of the season, and his development into a sort of father figure to Alex and eventually Kara spoke volumes of the show’s ability to foster and grow these relationships.
Cat Grant was perhaps the biggest surprise of the season, as she quickly became a sort of mentor to Kara and worked as one of the more “human” elements of the series. Over the course of the season, we gain glimpses into pieces of her life beyond her media empire, and what we find is a character that has sacrificed much of her “normal” life for the sake of the people, which very much mirrors what Kara is going through right now.
Grant stands as a parallel track that Kara, as Supergirl, still has the potential to end up becoming, and through the series, she subtly implies that Kara become better than she was and find different ways of accomplishing her goals that don’t require sacrificing who she is. By season’s end, she very much stood as a kind of role model for the young female Kryptonian.
But season one had its share of flaws, the most major of which was its villains, an important element of superhero lore that can make or break a series. Supergirl’s fellow heroes over at The CW each had compelling and multi-layered villains who added a dynamic threat to the plot.
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The Flash had “Reverse Flash” Eobard Thawne/Dr. Wells as its antagonist in its first season, a person who betrayed Barry Allen and the team of scientists at the very end and left mental and physical scars that they had to overcome. In Arrow, Oliver Queen had to contend with Malcolm Merlin during the first season, an adversary who quickly became a mainstay and a formidable threat in the series who continually has his hands in everything. Both provided depth and compelling storylines while standing as perfect foils against their heroes.
A significant villain was an essential element that Supergirl lacked for the entirety of season one. Non (Chris Vance) was poorly developed as the primary antagonist, and was easily one of the weakest characters in season one. He came off as a very simple, typical enemy that seemed to be evil with no cause for it. Banshee and Livewire (Brit Morgan) were the most intriguing adversaries in the entire first season, and that is not necessarily a good thing when the small time bad guys prove more compelling that the main antagonist. Not to mention, Non’s master plan was much too easily fixed, and there was never really a sense of impending danger you would expect from the big villain. Come season two, that has to change.
With the destruction of Fort Rozz and the defeat of Non (thankfully), this means that a new main enemy must be established. With the Supergirl/Flash crossover in episode 18 (“World’s Finest”), it is possible that the series could begin exploring alternate universes in a similar manner to its CW counterpart, and the crashed pod at the end of season could signify the beginning of such storylines.
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Could the crashed pod be housing Power Girl (an alternate universe Supergirl in DC Comics mythology)? Integrating another Supergirl-type of character into the equation could be an interesting dynamic by introducing the idea of a parallel universe into the story. The pod crash very much mirrors Kara’s arrival on Earth and being found by her own cousin. Assuming that Power Girl was in the pod, it is only fitting that Kara, who has become a hero in full by season one, be the one to unearth her in the same manner that she was found by Superman.
Supergirl is a series that, despite some of its glaring flaws, is still packed with opportunity to do more. And if given a season two, it has the ability to fix said flaws. For now, only time will tell how long that takes.
