Supergirl Review: “The Adventures of Supergirl”

Superman joins Supergirl for the second season premiere, which celebrates everything the DC Cinematic Universe is not.

Up, up, and away!

Title: “The Adventures of Supergirl”

Cast and Crew
Director: Glen Winter
Writers: Jessica Queller, Greg Berlanti , Andrew Kreisberg
Melissa Benoist as Kara Danvers / Supergirl
Tyler Hoechlin as Superman / Clark Kent
Mehcad Brooks as James Olsen
Chyler Leigh as Alex Danvers
Jeremy Jordan as Winn Schott
David Harewood as J’onn J’onzz / Martian Manhunter
Calista Flockhart as Cat Grant
Katie McGrath as Lena Luthor
Frederick Schmidt as John Corben
Brenda Strong as Mystery Woman
Andrea Brooks as Eve Teschmacher
Chris Wood as Mon-El

Premise

With the help of the world’s premiere superhero, Superman, and intrepid reporter Clark Kent (who resemble each other uncannily), Supergirl investigates a plot involving Lex Luthor’s sister, Lena, who hopes to reform her family and company’s image.

Meanwhile, the DEO, operating out of their newly-revealed office headquarters, deals with the comatose Mon-El.

High Points

Forget that guy in the oh-so-dark cinematic Snyderverse: this is Superman. While I hope they don’t overuse him, his appearances with Supergirl will be welcome. He overshadows her less this way than he did as an offscreen presence last season. It seems far more believable that they would interact occasionally, and the actors play off each other nicely.

Low Points

Yeah, yeah. They really like the 1978 Superman movie. Can you have too many obvious Easter Eggs in a show? Quite possibly.

The DEO’s new headquarters makes a good deal more sense than the old lair, but they could have presented it as a move, instead of someplace we never saw that everyone knew about.

The Scores:

Originality: 2/6 The episode takes its cue from Richard Donner and the long history of comics.

Effects: 5/6 The episode features fewer effect, perhaps, than last season’s series premiere, but they look fine for television.

Acting: 5/6 The cast, overall, shows great chemistry (I’m a little uncertain about the Kara/James romance, however).

Story: 4/6

Emotional Response: 5/6

Production: 5/6 Star City is Vancouver viewed from its sketchier streets, Central City when viewed from its brighter boulevards, and National City viewed from above.

Overall: 5/6 DC Comics has given us a different version of Lena Luthor with almost every reboot and incarnation. This episode suggests she is what she claims to be. Does anyone else suspect an eventual double-cross?

In total, “The Adventures of Supergirl” receives 31/42

4 replies on “Supergirl Review: “The Adventures of Supergirl””

    • I get that.
      But I’m uncertain they have the kind of chemistry to generate a plausible romance. However, it is far too early to determine anything about the characters’ future relationships.

  1. I did enjoy it, but, as is typical for Supergirl, you really have to suspend your disbelief. Like why someone who can fly at super-sonic speeds has to rush to catch something, why they can lift things as if they had limitless strength but also can stop something from falling while flying without really straining, and how an entire building can be held up by a few randomly placed girders.

    This episode did pass the Bechdel test, but I think that the CW was a bit insulting taking Supergirl’s show and thinking that if they want it to thrive on it’s new network then they need a man, a super man, to come and save it.

    • The show already had a male superhero in the supporting cast. I don’t think the CW is saying they need Superman– who will only appear occasionally– to save the show. I think they realized it made no sense to shoot around his existence in Supergirl’s reality.

      I agree the science could be better but, a show about Supergirl is not going to be hard SF. Nothing about Kryptonian powers has ever made much real-world sense.

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