Adopting a hopeful, cheery personality that aligns itself more with quintessential 90’s outing Lois & Clark over the grittier tone set by Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, Supergirl injects some much-needed optimism into the TV comic-book scene which is teetering with becoming an over-saturated market at this stage. Much like the character herself, the show is strong, likeable and upbeat but not without its flaws, yet it’s in these imperfections that make Supergirl such a watchable product.
Set in a time where a young Kara Zor-El (Melissa Benoist) has crash-landed on Earth a considerable amount of time after her more-famous red-caped cousin, the 20 episode-deep season packs a great deal into its time frame where it delights in balancing Kara’s responsibilities as both a superhero and an ambitious twenty-something; the former seeing her work alongside her adopted sister (Chyler Leigh) at an organisation specialising in extra-terrestrial defence, the latter where she fetches coffee and dodges insults from her Devil Wears Prada-esque boss Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart) at media conglomerate CatCo.
Whilst the show clearly wants to inspire female viewers with its strong, relatable representations of women (and it succeeds in doing so) developers Greg Berlanti, Ali Adler and Andrew Kreisberg also know they have an action series on their hands, and the balance in wanting to please both their male and female audience is one they handle quite respectably. A “monster of the week” type mentality is implemented for the majority of the season run but a few key plot elements that run throughout allows the show a sense of cohesion and clarity; the mystery surrounding Kara’s sister’s boss (David Harewood), the sinister intentions of tech mogul Maxwell Lord (Peter Facinelli), and the conspiracies of other Kryptonians being the main arcs.
If the action isn’t enough though, the introduction of a love quadrangle more than fills its share of running time, and whilst this allows for a nice break in between sequences of danger and destruction, it ultimately only serves as a delay towards the inevitable pairing of Kara and hulking photographer James Olsen (Mehcad Brooks). Their interactions are cute without question but the introduction of Lucy Lane (Jenna Dewan-Tatum) to halt momentum on their meet-cute doesn’t feel entirely organic, and the friend-zoning of co-worker Winn Schott (Jeremy Jordan) by Kara is simply too obvious. Where Supergirl hones its strength in the relationship department is with Kara’s interactions with her sister Alex and her boss Cat. Both established near-immediately from the get-go, the bond between Kara and Alex felt natural, petty arguments and all, whilst Cat surprisingly turns out to be Kara’s greatest source of inspiration – both as a superhero and as an assistant.
Though the special effects aren’t always as polished as they could be, and a few villains lose their edge with their goofy demeanour, Supergirl survives on its plucky spirit and invested cast with Benoist undoubtedly carrying the series effortlessly throughout. Having already proven her star quality during her run as Marley on the fourth and fifth seasons of Glee, Benoist’s enthusiasm as Kara and Supergirl is infectious, and there’s no denying she is largely a reason the show remains as watchable as it is.
Review Score: THREE AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Special features wise, Supergirl impresses with a slew of extras that aid in showcasing the clear enthusiasm everyone has for the project they’re involved with. A Comic-Con panel discussion from 2015 gives an insight to the fandom surrounding the event itself as well the hype the Supergirl cast and crew successfully built for themselves in the lead-up to their television debut. The Man from Mars is an interesting look at the character J’onn J’onnz, an alien that Superman described as “the most powerful being on the face of the Earth”. Though most extras are always best viewed after watching the feature itself, this is a particular case as J’onn J’onnz’s reveal in the show is one of the season’s highlights.
A World Left Behind: Krypton is perhaps one of the highlight features as it explores the famous planet and its vast history. It’s a fine example of the effort and intricate detail that goes on beyond what we physically see on-screen. Standard deleted scenes that ultimately don’t hold too much weight and a light, entertaining gag reel close things out.
Special Features Score: FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Supergirl: The Complete First Season is available on Blu-Ray and DVD from tomorrow, 27th July 2016.
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