Pre-Release Pilot Discussion

[Xenith22]

Kara Danvers née Zor-El will have her work cut out for her from the get-go, seeing as her adversary in the series pilot will be the DC Comics baddie Lumberjack.

Disappointed that this turned out not to be the case. I guess EW and the other media outlets saw a villain swinging an alien axe and just assumed Lumberjack?  Instead of the villain being the Lumberjack though it was Vartox. I can't help but feel that Vartox was wasted as a generic strong evil villain and I hate that they killed him off. I was hoping when they announced that Vartox was going to be in the series that it would be an appearance more similar to his role in Powergirl where he was more like a cheesy male version of Maxima.

Alex started out being an total B...and so I hated her and was prepping myself for her to potentially become an villain later in the series, but then they turned that on her head later. I still don't love her reaction post plane crash as she still seemed unneccesarrily almost inhumanly cold towards her sister, but I can forgive it the one time since she seemingly won't be acting that way again.

 

Still not over "James" Olsen.  The suave musclebound hunk type is just so far against character....and not wanting to even let anyone call him Jimmy.  I think I just need to pretend that he is a different character to silence my inner geek.

I am intrigued by the main villain reveal...have to say I give them props for first teasing the General which obviously made everyones mind go straight to Zod...so to then reveal that is not the case. Nice play show. But Supergirls Aunt? Does Kara have another Aunt besides Lara in the comics that was mentioned at some point or this a new character? Or are they possibly making someone like Faora an El in the series?

Edited May 22, 2015 by Xenith22

[MarkHB]

Discussion of the leaked pilot.  This will likely be merged with the official Episode Thread once it is shown on CBS. 

 

NOTE: As with all unauthorized material, linking to copies of the pilot is, to be blunt, expressly forbidden.  Thank you for your cooperation.

[steelyis]

Well, it wasn't as good as the Flash pilot, but I rank it solidly above Arrow's, way above Gotham's, and slightly above Agents of Shield's. There's definitely a lot of potential for Supergirl to become a great show. I'm not crazy about the escaped phantom zone prisoners' plot, because it gives me unpleasant Smallville flashbacks, but Kara's drive to be a hero does reassure me. If the show keeps focus on Kara's desire to save people and making a difference hopefully she won't fall into a cycle of stagnation and uselessness like Smallville's Clark Kent did.

 

The biggest surprise is how much I like Cat Grant. Calista Flockhart effortlessly stole every scene she was in. Cat was so entertaining I wouldn't mind watching a show about her running her media empire while being the flawless queen she is.

[ottoDbusdriver]

So, Kara travelled to Earth in what essentially looked like a giant metallic betta fish. Ok, then.

 

Where did the helicopters come from so quick after the plane's water landing to highlight Kara on the wing ?  Because they would have had to have been there in seconds.  And despite the water landing, all the passengers applaud -- where was the sense of panic that the plane would sink and they would all drown ?  Because they were floating in a river like US Airways 1549 after Sully landed it on the Hudson.  There should have been a lot more let's-get-the-fuck-out-of-the-plane going on.

 

How did Kara know exactly where Alex was sitting on the plane when she used her X-ray vision ?  Would have made more sense to show her scanning the plane and finding Alex.  Is Kara psychic as well ?

 

One minor hiccup -- both interior engines on the plane caught fire, but when they showed the cockpit, the displays showed one exterior engine and one interior engine in the red. 

 

Why did Kara cover her face when the plane engine crashed into her ?  She's basically indestructible. 

 

Why were none of the cars moving on the bridge as the plane went over ?  Is National City traffic that bad that late at night ?  It was well past rush hour since Kara was out on a date.

 

And how did Alex get out of the downed plane so quickly and off to Kara's apartment, and completely dry to boot, while Kara's hair was still wet ?  Alex's clothes weren't even mussed, it looked like she deplaned at the airport.  Did she go home and change into an identical outfit first ?

 

Why would Kara tell that douchebag at the office her secret identity ?  She wants to people to be excited for her -- why ?  Oh look at me, I'm on TV.  Give me a break, she didn't "need" to tell anyone especially that guy, someone that she was never shown to have any sense of trust.  If he decided to blab her secret to the world, what was she going to do -- kill him ? Put him in the Phantom Zone ? And the fact that she displays her powers in broad daylight is even stupider.  Wouldn't the people in her building have noticed a body fall by the windows, wearing Kara's clothes, followed by her zooming back up ?  Or people on the street or driving in cars noticed a body fall off a building ?

 

Kara's bulletproof -- her costume was not.  So why wasn't her costume full of holes in addition to her cape after that bank robbery ? 

 

How is the IT guy at Catco also well versed in defensive tech like super-polymer clothing and such, and also has access to it, and the cash to buy it (because it most certainly is not cheap).

 

Was that fire started by the DEO to draw Kara out ?  If so, how did they know what direction she would come from in order to shoot her with those darts ?   How did the darts even penetrate Kara's skin ?  Were they also made of kryptonite ?  Was the axe supposed to be composed of kryptonite -- otherwise, how did it hurt Kara ?  Where did Vartox get this super-duper axe from -- it most certainly wasn't on the prison ship ?  Did his handler give it to him ?  Were there no Kryptonian guards on the prison ship ?  Because that seems like a pretty shitty prison system otherwise.

 

And her sister works for the DEO.  That's overly convenient.  How did the DEO know that Alex's "sister" was an alien in the first place ?  Did Superman tell them ?

 

How did Kara's pod drifting out of the Phantom Zone "pull" the prison with her, when it was obvious that the prison ship powered up on its own and followed her ?

 

There's no way Kara's costume fit under her outfit at the office before she got that super-intense radio transmission.  Kara has all the clunky fighting skills of Laurel Lance, only worse.  Did Kara get a new costume, because the hole in the arm of her costume magically disappeared from where the axe hit her ?

 

Despite the axe exploding directly in her face, the bad guy is basically shredded and Kara walks away scot-free -- how exactly ?  He seemed to have the same powers as she does.  The CGI on the beams from Kara's eyes was pretty bad.

 

Why does Kara's aunt look exactly like her mother ?  Identical twins, perhaps.  But wouldn't Kara know that her aunt was evil ? Or did she only turn evil after the destruction of Krypton ?  Was the aunt in the prison ship in the Phantom Zone ?  If so, wouldn't Kara have known that and put two and two together ?

 

Exactly how many Kryptonians were on the prison ship that crashed ?  There were at least a couple of dozen on the screens at the DEO offices.  And why didn't Superman deal with any of them over the last 10 years.  And where has 'The General' been all this time off-planet ?

 

The biggest surprise is how much I like Cat Grant. Calista Flockhart effortlessly stole every scene she was in. Cat was so entertaining I wouldn't mind watching a show about her running her media empire while being the flawless queen she is.

 

Callista Flockhart does a decent version of J. Jonah Jameson.  I'm just curious if Catco has unisex bathrooms.  </snark>

 

It was an ok pilot, but you would have thought that the producers would have learned from the mistakes of the Arrow and Flash pilots, since they have produced some 80+ hours of television since the Arrow pilot.

Edited May 24, 2015 by ottoDbusdriver

[paulvdb]

Some interesting questions. Possible answers for two of them:

How did Kara know exactly where Alex was sitting on the plane when she used her X-ray vision ? Would have made more sense to show her scanning the plane and finding Alex. Is Kara psychic as well ?

Maybe Kara had seen Alex's ticket and knew what seat she would be in.

And her sister works for the DEO. That's overly convenient. How did the DEO know that Alex's "sister" was an alien in the first place ? Did Superman tell them ?

Maybe they saw the crash, arrived there just after Superman and followed him when he dropped Kara off with her new family. Edited May 22, 2015 by paulvdb

[Xenith22]

Where did the helicopters come from so quick after the plane's water landing to highlight Kara on the wing ?  Because they would have had to have been there in seconds.  And despite the water landing, all the passengers applaud -- where was the sense of panic that the plane would sink and they would all drown ?  Because they were floating in a river like US Airways 1549 after Sully landed it on the Hudson.  There should have been a lot more let's-get-the-fuck-out-of-the-plane going on.

I would guess the moment the news stations got word of the plane in trouble they sent choppers?  Rescue crews were also potentially scrambled at that time just in case?

 

Why did Kara cover her face when the plane engine crashed into her ?  She's basically indestructible.

This is the first time she has tested those indestuctible powers.  It's just instinct to cover your face because getting hit in the face hurts (remember she had no powers on Krypton)

 

Why were none of the cars moving on the bridge as the plane went over ?  Is National City traffic that bad that late at night ?  It was well past rush hour since Kara was out on a date.

Maybe a major sporting event or concert just let out.  There are often traffic jams in downtown areas after those kind of events?

 

Kara's bulletproof -- her costume was not.  So why wasn't her costume full of holes in addition to her cape after that bank robbery ?

Superman/Supergirl pre-Nu52's indestructability came in the form of like an aura that included any form fitting clothes so that only their cape would typically take damage.  Not sure if that is the case post Nu52, but I am assuming that is the concept being followed because this is not HBO...so when Supergirl gets hit with the flaming engine her clothes can not all burn off so that she is making her first save naked...

 

Was that fire started by the DEO to draw Kara out ?  If so, how did they know what direction she would come from in order to shoot her with those darts ?   How did the darts even penetrate Kara's skin ?  Were they also made of kryptonite ?  Was the axe supposed to be composed of kryptonite -- otherwise, how did it hurt Kara ?  Where did Vartox get this super-duper axe from -- it most certainly wasn't on the prison ship ?  Did his handler give it to him ?  Were there no Kryptonian guards on the prison ship ?  Because that seems like a pretty shitty prison system otherwise.

1. More than likely.

2. They probably did not.  There were 6 snipers shown coming to Kara's downed body.  They probably had sniper placed on multiple buildings to cover every angle.

3. The moment the K got close the radiation would weaken her skin enough for the dart to penetrate?

4. Vartox had superhuman strength?  Also pre-crisis certain unknown Kryptonian metals could cut Superman.  For instance he used an unnamed Kryptonian metal in order to shave (before the heat vision eyes shaving technique was invented).  Why wouldn't the axe be stored on the ship?  If the Kryptonians wanted it off planet why not send it into a storage locker in the phantom zone prison?  No idea about guards.  It's possible there were and they got killed when the prisoners escaped their cells/suspended animation/whatever?

 

How did Kara's pod drifting out of the Phantom Zone "pull" the prison with her, when it was obvious that the prison ship powered up on its own and followed her ?

That was just Henshaw's assumption.  He was wrong although they did apparently follow her since her ship had been programmed to head to Earth while they had no directions.

 

Why would Kara tell that douchebag at the office her secret identity ?

He's seemingly her best friend not some random douchebag?  She just felt the need to tell someone, and she also potentially needed his help to make her costume.  (Given the first outfit we saw which she hated I am assuming that he was the one that sewed them?)

 

But wouldn't Kara know that her aunt was evil ? Or did she only turn evil after the destruction of Krypton ?  Was the aunt in the prison ship in the Phantom Zone ?  If so, wouldn't Kara have known that and put two and two together ?

  Kara was only 13 when she left Krypton.  It's possible her Aunt was incarcerated long before that, and so it may not have been something told to her?

 

Exactly how many Kryptonians were on the prison ship that crashed ?  There were at least a couple of dozen on the screens at the DEO offices.  And why didn't Superman deal with any of them over the last 10 years.

They have been in hiding until now.  Superman was likely unaware of their existence since the DEO would not have told him.

[ottoDbusdriver]

He's seemingly her best friend not some random douchebag?  She just felt the need to tell someone, and she also potentially needed his help to make her costume.  (Given the first outfit we saw which she hated I am assuming that he was the one that sewed them?)

 

He came off as more of a workplace proximity associate who was hitting on her to go out on a date with him rather than a trusted BFF.  As in when he jumped to the conclusion that "she was a lesbian. That's why you're not into me" as she was trying to tell him about her secret -- because that came off rather douchey.

[derriere]

I hope they redo the opening narration for the broadcast episode because Whatshername did a horrible job with that. Otherwise, I thought it was OK. I'm in for as long as it's got this sunny, lighthearted vibe. It makes a nice change from the near-unwatchable Arrow.

[Xenith22]

Oh wow so after repeatedly straining to hear what the heck that guys name is I went and googled it....turns out my ears were not deceiving me and she was saying Wynn which I could not ever recall hearing as a guys name,   But yeah...apparently he is Winslow "Wynn" Schott aka the future Toyman (unless his father has the same name...they could pull a Tommy/Malcolm trick like Arrow did).  I somehow totally missed the casting news reveal for that role.   Anyways Wynn was an odd character to get a hold of in the pilot...he struck me more as a gay best friend than anything, but yet he has an unrequited crush on Kara.  So yeah...I have no idea what they were thinking with this character as Jeremy Jordan himself is straight (has a wife) so why they made him talk and act that way except for liking Kara...strange?

 

One final thing the Wynn/Kara "aliens don't exist" convo seems pretty significant as that pretty much once and for all seperates the Berlanti/Kreisberg TV universe from the DC movie verse given that Supermans debut in Man of Steel involved a massive alien invasion...  This is significant because up until this point while Arrow/Flash have not been allowed to reference anything in the DC Movieverse they also never definitively directly contradicted them (keeping in mind that the Nolan trilogy continuity has been declared thrown out by the movieverse) like this?  So yeah anyone who thought that maaaaybe DC was just biding their time before trying to unite things like Marvel is definitely out of luck.

Edited May 22, 2015 by Xenith22

[NorthstarATL]

That was fun. Pretty much an expansion of the preview, so I would assume anyone not onboard for that would not be necessarily won over by the longer form. Still, the intro of the DEO, the Zoners, and the Evil Els will give Kara stuff to occupy her time. I'm as okay with this origin as with any of the many others that have been done before (though the best IMO was one where Kara was actually sent to kill Kal, which would explain why they were in separate ships), and I warmed to the sister and Toyboy (Hey, why can't "boy" be as empowering as "girl"?) as the episode continued. The bast part really IS Benoist, whose stint on "Glee" didn't do much for me, but, as with Grant Gustin, I am pleasantly surprised. THIS is a Supergirl who might cause even movie Superman to be happier in his role! Her excitment was infectious, and that's a quality necessary to pull off the "super" stuff and make it relateable.

[Sakura12]

I liked it better than I thought I would. Most versions of Clark I've seen, he came off as pretending to be a dork. Where this version of Kara is a huge dork. It's one of the main reason I enjoyed the pilot. I like when the heroes are not all gloomy about having super powers. Not that she should since she's known she's had them since she arrived on Earth. 

 

The biggest thing for me is all the secrets were out in the open in the first episode. That's refreshing if you watch other Berlanti shows. And it was the human sister keeping the secret from the alien. I'm glad the sister finally came around and admitted that she held her back so she could look better. It made me like her a little better as well. 

 

Ally McBeal as Cat Grant was brilliant casting. Caltista seems to be having a ball playing the character. I didn't catch the friends last name was Wynn. Is he going to become a villain or are they going the Arrow route and changing it up. 

 

With that, I'll be checking out a few more episodes when the show premieres and probably watch the Pilot again since it will forever before it actually airs. 

[DropTheSoap]

Brilliant casting on Kara's adoptive parents, with Dean Cain and Helen Slater.

[bettername2come]

Did they ever say Superman? I don't think they ever called him by name and that would bug in the long run. Although I'm now half-convinced Kara doesn't know her own cousin's secret identity.

 

I like it enough to give it a shot. I could use a female superhero show. It's been too long since Birds of Prey. I thought the series would have a better look to it, being produced by CBS and not The CW. Melissa Benoist was likable enough. I loved her joy at seeing herself on TV and saving the plane. 

[Sakura12]

Brilliant casting on Kara's adoptive parents, with Dean Cain and Helen Slater.

 

I forgot about that, yeah it was cool to see the Superman and Supergirl as her adoptive parents. 

[Writing Wrongs]

This show has the feel of the old Lois & Clark. I enjoyed the pilot and will keep watching.

 

Little Kara looked like a mini Jennifer Garner.

 

I was getting confused about her name. I don't read comics, so my only reference is the Supergirl movie, but I thought her name was Linda Lee. Where does Danvers come from?

[Lisin]

Did they ever say Superman? I don't think they ever called him by name and that would bug in the long run. Although I'm now half-convinced Kara doesn't know her own cousin's secret identity.

 

They said "Superman" at least once in the very beginning and the newscast called him "Man of Steel" too so they're at least allowed to say it. I'm guessing if they said Superman a lot it would get old too. I'm hoping they just reference him less as she gets her own identity. 

[retrograde]

I enjoyed this. It's lighthearted and cheesy in the best kind of way, and I think it's the kind of show that won't get bogged down in mythology and twisty plots, which is what makes most of the other superhero shows hard to follow if you miss even a week (Arrow and AoS, but even Flash sometimes). It looks like it will be mostly "villain of the week" stuff, with the aunt character kind of looming in the background for a longer arc, plus probably some mild romantic arcs.

 

Speaking of, were they trying to set Jimmy (he will always be Jimmy) up as a potential love interest or more of a big brother type? It seemed like the latter in parts, but those two had some chemistry. 

[Delphi]

I actually loved it. Guess I can add the number six to shows I watch next fall (seven if I end up liking how to get away with murder). The acting really blew me away, I fight I'd be disappointed but I wasn't.

I got the gay bff Vibe from Wynn as well. Though I reject the idea that a straight man can't play a gay man. I also reject the notion that he talked in a strange way. I liked him and hope he becomes a regular/recurring.

I loved the boss.

I'm not sure that Alex won't end up being evil, which is contrived but whatever.

I too noticed the distinct lack of names like Clark and Superman instead saying "he" or "cousin" which seemed obviously intentional. Back in 2002 the WB had Birds of Prey, which in their pilot were allowed to show Batman briefly (like this) and mention Batman and Catwoman's names a few times but were otherwise off limits. I think the same thing is probably at work here. Which is too bad because I wouldn't mind seeing Clark show up briefly.

Edited May 23, 2015 by Delphi

[ottoDbusdriver]

Did they ever say Superman? I don't think they ever called him by name and that would bug in the long run. Although I'm now half-convinced Kara doesn't know her own cousin's secret identity.

 

James did refer to Superman as "the big guy".   Sorry, they shouldn't use that in this show, because the Hulk is the real Big Guy.  I know, I know, different comic universes, but still.

Edited May 23, 2015 by ottoDbusdriver

[Kromm]

Hah.  I know its wrong to watch leaks, but I couldn't help it.

 

Impressions:

 

1.) LOVE that they didn't duck saying 'Superman'.  The "my cousin"/"her cousin" thing TRULY would have been lame if that's all the show was ever allowed to say.

2.) I know the incidental music is gonna bug the shit out of some people (because it's not Action showy but could be construed at Rom Com-my).  I think those people are just gonna have to grow up. They maybe should tone the music down a BIT, but it wasn't THAT bad.

3.) The explanation as to her original role and delay was sufficient... and well tied to the plot arc they planned.  

4.) Like that they got to the point pretty quickly.  The plane rescue was less than 12 minutes in.  That's FAR less belabored than many shows would make it.

5.) I gotta be honest and say that I dislike that her "human name" is Kara (instead of the classic... Linda). Ergo it means Supergirl can't ever give out a name, unlike "Kal El".

6.) The plane FX were a bit lame.  But the flying, even in that same scene, was good.

7.) Melissa's delivery/acting was top notch.  Shut up, doubters!  And actually I was pleasantly surprised by Chyler Leigh too.  That bad guy though? Talk about over the top.

8.) The S logo flying out at the screen?  Kinda effing lame.

9.) Jimmy, um, I mean James was a bit heavyhanded with a lot of his wink-wink hints about stuff.

10.) Can Kara count?  By my count, assuming she didn't know James knew about her, she still had FOUR people who knew about her, not three. Her Mom, Dad, Sister and Cousin... or does he not count?  It's still not entirely clear why she chose to tell Winn, even if it was a nice plot convenience.

11.) I like the way the DEO got involved. More credible than her just walking in.

12.) It got cheesy and truth-bomby, of course, but that was kind of necessary.  Hopefully they'll moderate that in the future.

 

Some problems. but minor ones.  Nothing they can't fix.

 

As for the long term thing with her eventually doing the Superman II thing and fighting Kryptonians?  One only wonders how they're gonna manipulate things to not have Superman involved at all.

They said "Superman" at least once in the very beginning and the newscast called him "Man of Steel" too so they're at least allowed to say it.

"Superman" got said at LEAST three times.  And thank goodness.  It would have been awkward and weird if they hadn't.

[Xenith22]

I was getting confused about her name. I don't read comics, so my only reference is the Supergirl movie, but I thought her name was Linda Lee. Where does Danvers come from?

Pre-Crisis originally she was Linda Lee when she lived at the orpanage, but then she was adopted by the Danvers and so became Linda Lee Danvers.   Then Post-Crisis when they brought Supergirl back first as the Matrix organism when Peter David started his ongoing Supergirl series he had her merge with a girl called Linda Danvers and so that was her name for that whole run.

 

Speaking of, were they trying to set Jimmy (he will always be Jimmy) up as a potential love interest or more of a big brother type? It seemed like the latter in parts, but those two had some chemistry.

Definitely a potential love interest.  Kara made the "knock" sound after meeting James.  That was in reference to her conversation with Wynn about true love knocking you in the face.

 

10.) Can Kara count?  By my count, assuming she didn't know James knew about her, she still had FOUR people who knew about her, not three. Her Mom, Dad, Sister and Cousin... or does he not count?  It's still not entirely clear why she chose to tell Winn, even if it was a nice plot convenience.

I am assuming he does not count...since it seems like she has had zero contact with him since he dropped her off with the Danvers and so she would not count  him as someone in her life..  Not a big fan of that since it makes Clark seem like kind of a dick...but I guess it's a neccessity since they can't have her close to him such that it would make sense for him to ever show up on the show in any capacity.

 

As for the long term thing with her eventually doing the Superman II thing and fighting Kryptonians?  One only wonders how they're gonna manipulate things to not have Superman involved at all.

The easiest solution is just to claim he is offplanet at thet time.  Really though they may just ignore the issue the way the comics do whenever any character is fighting a massive world threatening/altering for on their own which should have probably attracted the attention of quite a few more powerful heroes but does not?

Edited May 23, 2015 by Xenith22

[Pothunter]

Liked it for what it is, a bright, fun and entertaining show. Won't be shipping any of the potential couples, so that's a relief.

[Lady Calypso]

I didn't mind the pilot that much. I'm not a Superman fan at all though. I never watched much of Smallville and have never seen any of the Superman films (sorry Superman fans!). So Supergirl isn't quite my cup of tea. But honestly, it has some great written female characters and I have hopes that it should be good because of so many people already knowing her secret (her boss HAS to catch on eventually...right?) so strong female characters + secret not being that big of a secret with the main cast = worth it to watch the season.

 

I also noticed some awkwardness with the pilot, though. Whether it was sometimes clunky dialogue or whatever, but it's definitely not up there on my list of TV pilots, but it was really decent enough. They did a decent job at setting up for the rest of the season, at least. And that's one way of getting Laura Benanti to stick around, so....I guess we'll have to see. It's not The Flash good, but I think it'll do for now.

 

But yeah, not really shipping anyone yet. James/Kara has potential, at least. Another thing I like is that they aren't afraid to go the interracial route. I'm sorry, but despite all the progress we've made, we still rarely see this, especially for superhero shows.

[Kromm]

I am assuming he does not count...since it seems like she has had zero contact with him since he dropped her off with the Danvers and so she would not count  him as someone in her life..  Not a big fan of that since it makes Clark seem like kind of a dick...but I guess it's a neccessity since they can't have her close to him such that it would make sense for him to ever show up on the show in any capacity.

Heh. I assume you are familiar with the Superdickery meme?

[Kaoteek]

Mediocre writing, some overacting from Melissa Benoist, some WTF decisions (Olsen), some worrying trends (the formula & the clichés are strong in this one), and a pilot that felt like they had a 90 minutes origin story on paper, but had to cut half the scenes to make it a 42 min pilot, which led to most scenes feeling rushed & impact-less.

 

Not necessarily the best of starts, but then again, I said the exact same thing (down to the clichés, the mediocre writing, and the doubts re:the lead) about Flash, and it turned out okay. Still flawed, but okay... So let's hope CBS just gives Berlanti & co the same amount of leeway CW gives them.

[Serena]

Speaking of, were they trying to set Jimmy (he will always be Jimmy) up as a potential love interest or more of a big brother type? It seemed like the latter in parts, but those two had some chemistry. 

Definitely romantic interest. Wynn was like "as soon as you fall in love, you'll feel it, like POW-POW", next scene she meets Jimmy, and when she's leaving she says "pow-pow" to herself. A bit anvilicious, but I didn't mind. Of course, if this were the Flash, she'd be getting POW-POW with her sister Alex, so we should count our blessings.

[nurse1]

I liked it as well...the lead actress is good as well as the other cast....I like that (Jimmy) James is a potential love interest..it could be interesting..writers don't fail me!!

[FurryFury]

I enjoyed it a lot. Solid, fun pilot with a relatable lead character and some interesting mythology to come, no doubt. 

 

My favorite thing about it was not Kara, however, but Alex. I have to admit, I expected her to be somebody like older Dawn Summers - a damsel in distress for Kara to save. The casting calls even mentioned that Jimmy Olsen was supposed to have interest in her (I really, really hope this idea has been scrapped for good - no more sister swapping!) But Alex Danvers turned out to be a really cool character in her own right - and I'd even say that Alex/Kara felt like the strongest relationship with a lot of potential. 

 

I already knew about DEA or whatever it's called, but I still like this storyline and Hank Henshaw was OK too. I've got used to his ears on Homeland, so at least they don't distract me anymore.

 

I was afraid the show will, once again, over-emphasize a romance from the get-go, but it was surprisingly OK. I doubt I'll ever ship Kara with Jimmy/James/whatever Olsen, but I liked him more than I expected. And thankfully, he's in on the secret so he probably won't need to have his own narrative arc that doesn't have anything to do with the main plot. I liked Wynn too, but I'm afraid they aren't going to avoid the temptation of writing a "Friendzoned nice guy turns evil out of jealousy" arc for him (not a big fan of people turning evil because of such stuff). That said, I did get a gay bff vibe a bit as well.

 

Some of the scenes felt a bit too cheesy and I can't say Melissa is 100% comfortable in the character (but I still like her a lot), but overall, I have a good impression. I'm in until the end of the season, at least.

 

PS Also, is it just me or has this pilot passed Bechdel test more times that the entire season of The Flash?

[AzureOwl]

I couldn’t help myself, but I liked what I saw. There was nothing wrong with the pilot that wasn’t attributable to the fact that it is a pilot.

 

But I was left with some questions that I hope the show gets around to addressing one day. Chief among them is…Why, if Krypton is so isolationist that they don’t even have starships available to evacuate the planet, do they have so many non-Kryptonian inmates in their high security prison?

Edited May 23, 2015 by AzureOwl

[ottoDbusdriver]

But I was left with some questions that I hope the show gets around to addressing one day. Chief among them is…Why, if Krypton is so isolationist that they don’t even have starships available to evacuate the planet, do they have so many non-Kryptonian inmates in their high security prison?

 

The prison was essentially a big spaceship -- complete with engines to get it to Earth.  And also, why didn't the Kryptonians have the common sense to use that kind of tech to setup colonies on other planets -- like an Alpha site (using Stargate lingo) just in case something goes wrong.

[Chris24601]

The prison was essentially a big spaceship -- complete with engines to get it to Earth.  And also, why didn't the Kryptonians have the common sense to use that kind of tech to setup colonies on other planets -- like an Alpha site (using Stargate lingo) just in case something goes wrong.

There's usually some factor in play... extremely decadent collapsing civilization (all previous colonies abandoned) was what they used in MoS. No one believing the world was in danger (no one believed Jor-El and the rocket being the only working prototype... he originally intended to build a ship to carry his entire family... was the Silver Age version) and/or the destruction being something sudden (I believe the Brainiac AI sabotaged the planet to keep all of Krypton's knowledge to itself in the Diniverse animated series).

 

My guess is that whatever the reason is will tie into Kara's Aunt and her 'evil general' status. Maybe she set up a secret time bomb in the planet's core out of spite for losing her bid to rule Krypton? The other factor in play here is that the escaped criminals aren't just Kryptonian, but an array of alien species. So that does indicate that Krypton had contact with other species... at least at the point they build the prison ship.... could they have something to do with why only Kal and Kara were able to escape Krypton? Maybe there was a huge interstellar war and the colonies were easy targets and Krypton suffered catastrophic damage during the war that eventually leads to its demise?

 

Another important question in that regard is... Alura was only an 'El' by marriage... her sister either has another maiden or married name (Zod perhaps?).

[NorthstarATL]

 

Another important question in that regard is... Alura was only an 'El' by marriage... her sister either has another maiden or married name (Zod perhaps?).

I'm hoping evil twin's name is "Repella". The original comic book Kryptonians were patrilineal to the extent that Kara's original name was Kara Zor-El, taking on her father's full name, and not just the "El". I assume that that's been dropped. Perhaps the patrilineal structure as well?

[AzureOwl]

I'm hoping evil twin's name is "Repella". The original comic book Kryptonians were patrilineal to the extent that Kara's original name was Kara Zor-El, taking on her father's full name, and not just the "El". I assume that that's been dropped. Perhaps the patrilineal structure as well?

 

No it hasn't.

 

The very first line of the pilot is "My name is Kara Zor-El". So if they  remain internally consistent, we should expect the same patrilineal naming convention for the other Kryptonian characters.

[Oscirus]

PS Also, is it just me or has this pilot passed Bechdel test more times that the entire season of The Flash?

 

I would hope so since it has a female protagonist. I'd say this show has the exact opposite problem of Flash as the males on this show only seem to exist to either help her or for her to prove them wrong when they say something misogynistic.

 

I'm assuming they'll fix the music by the time it comes out because it very nearly pulled me out of the episode. Not a bad pilot lets see how they build on it. There was definitely a feminist theme throughout this episode but they didn't have to be so ham-fisted with it. Girls bow before me?  Could that bit of dialogue been any more cliché? Onto the characters.

 

Kara was fine,  I'm sure the acting will improve as the series continues but for now she's alright.

 

I think Alex has the chance to be my favorite character. Her arc as the over achiever desperately trying to prove herself was intriguing.

 

Wynn eh I guess he'll be the Cisco/Felicity of this show. The actor needs to find a way to make the character his own.

 

James, the actor bought a sense of cool to the proceedings but he merely existed to move the plot along whenever Kara got into trouble. Also if you want me to take him seriously, do away with the big brother vibe, quickly.

 

I'll withhold judgment on Hank until he gets more time. But if he continues to serve as a device to be proven wrong when he talks about things girls can't do, that will get old, quickly.

 

It's definitely being added to my Monday must watch lineup.

Edited May 24, 2015 by Oscirus

[chelsie]

Kara seemed likeable enough. The pilot wasn't mindblowing, I was a little over familiar with some of the scenes, but it was watchable and shows promise for the forthcoming season.

I did prefer The Flash pilot purely because the protagonist was a "normal" average kid who had something happen to him and he was thrown into a particular life. It's one of the reasons Superman never resonated with me; you don't really journey with him.

Wouldn't anyone looking realise that the pic of super girl is Kara without glasses?

Edited May 24, 2015 by chelsie

[Racj82]

Kara seemed likeable enough. The pilot wasn't mindblowing, I was a little over familiar with some of the scenes, but it was watchable and shows promise for the forthcoming season.

I did prefer The Flash pilot purely because the protagonist was a "normal" average kid who had something happen to him and he was thrown into a particular life. It's one of the reasons Superman never resonated with me; you don't really journey with him.

Wouldn't anyone looking realise that the pic of super girl is Kara without glasses?

Don't go down that hole with the glasses thing. You have to either accept the conceit that people are fooled with the glasses or not. Of course, it wouldn't be enough to throw people off. But, it's just something to accept.

 

The pilot was fine. I'll watch. I don't care if the lead is a woman. I don't care if the show passes a test about dialogue between women. All I want is a good show. That's all I want for anything. It looks fine enough. Nothing mind blowing. It doesn't mean I can't get more invested. I don't spend too much time nitpicking pilots. They are basically introductions and exposition. Flash pilot blew me away because I was taken by Grant as Barry right away and I was hook by the father/son relationship of Barry and Joe right away. None of that happened her but i'll keep watching.

[chelsie]

Its guaranteed that there will be a love triange with Kara, Jimmy and Wynne (?). If the same writers managed to encourage (for lack of better term) shipping wars in a show that attracts an audience of predominently male, they'll do it here. Shipping is a phenomena percieved synonymous with females.

 

I thought Alex seemed a bit cold and detached. She did not seem remotely moved that she was about to die on the plane. She did not seem shaken at all. I may be misremembering but their scenes were a tad awkward as a result.

 

O/T:Joe/Barry are sweet but it increasingly seemed, particularly for later stage of the season, that Joe's main purpose was to be Barry's sidekick and cheerleader. He doesn't even go to work anymore; a sad state of affairs. Luckily there is no middle age woman in Super Girl reduced to having no life at all. Its also probably easier for male writers to write bromance (and women writers write female relationships) because its what they can relate to. *Kanyeshrug*

[Gareth3]

On the glasses thing, I'm actually having a lot of trouble recognising Melissa Benoist in the Supergirl costume. Civilian clothes, even with the glasses, no problem. Supergirl- who is that? So maybe it's not that far-fetched.

[FiveByFive]

The pilot was .... 100 times better than I thought it would be. Honestly, if they could tone down the "cheese" / "Oh! Golly gosh I am a girl who can FLY!" thing I might be able to watch the series and not want to gag repeatedly while happy frappy music plays. Don't get me wrong, I was a Lois & Clark fan and am a Flash fan but those shows are "light" and still have a more serious "edge." Or rather they have a soft edge. Yes, cute things can happen but there are at least times when you're genuinely worried that your hero may be in trouble or someone could die!

 

However, pilots are "tools" and they are used to sell a show and give every piece of information you'd need to know in order to know what the network will be getting. So I can forgive a few things. We got all of the origin stuff out of the way in the first episode and that is a sincere breath of fresh air. 

 

... I've been watching Grimm for years and they still haven't clearly defined what the hell his powers are and it took the entire run of Smallville to actually see Superman fly. We won't have those problems her.

 

Other Points ...

 

1. I was hoping and praying for a Helen Slater appearance and I'm so glad we got her and Dean Cane! I'm glad they're her parents and hopefully they'll pop up again. 
2. I was hoping BFF was a Gay BFF. I mean, I feel like that would work better rather than having a guy who pined after her from the start as a BFF. Who needs that so soon? Let Kara be a single girl trying to balance a personal life with a work life with a superhero life.
3. Also BFF doesn't really seem that much like a BFF. I feel like we're just supposed to accept that he is her BFF because they talk and ... he helps her ... dress and they ... talk ... yeah. Okay, he's the guy she is talking to when she's not talking to Jimmy James, Alex, her Boss, a holographic projection of her dead mama, Superman via third party communication, The Guy that Works With Alex & Evil Dude of the Week. Yeah, that's what he is.
4. I like the way they retold the story with her sister being Alex and Kat as her boss. It was nice and funny and ... I am just hoping they don't go too "Devil Wears Supergirl" on us because they were so trying it. 
5. Kara is way too goofy. This is a show that mentions the internet as a way to distribute news so let the girl actually realize sometimes, yeah, she should cool it. They're not in "Smallville." Not everything has to be saccharine. I did like that her sister is completely opposite of this and seems to understand the gravity of the situation. So ... you two grew up together ... what happened to you Kara? 
6. I was kind of annoyed Alex wasn't thankful her sister saved her and just upset that she didn't just fly away after but the way they twisted that was great. Yes, she does love her sister and realizes to an extent that by her making her presence known she's going to attract all sorts of attention she may not want. Also, in the end, yes Kara gets to save lives but now she has a ship full of people after her. Alex was right.
7. She totally did not "pull" that ship out of the zone. That literally doesn't make any sense. I see what they were doing with that by giving her a reason why she must continue to save lives and stop these people with a constant impending sense of super danger but no ... that's silly. They should have just said, "They followed you out and that's your fault." Not, "Your tiny ship pulled this big ass ship out!"
8. Why was she awake? Shouldn't she have been sleeping? A little nitpick but I hate to think she was up for 24 years just chilling and watching the stars.

Don't go down that hole with the glasses thing. You have to either accept the conceit that people are fooled with the glasses or not. Of course, it wouldn't be enough to throw people off. But, it's just something to accept.

The glasses thing is always so weird. We've probably all seen tons of incarnations of this story. However, they've changed their reasoning a bit from, "My glasses are on and they will never know unless I have them off" to ...

 

1. People sort of figure it out after a while but keep it secret anyway after repeated exposure to seeing both with and without glasses.
2. It doesn't make sense this person who is normally klutzy can do all these awesome things and has never acted like they could.
3. Tons of trickery including pretending to be hurt when not.
4. They do not know as SuperPerson actually always vibrates their face so you can never truly see them.

 

Relatively speaking it didn't take Lois on Lois & Clark that long at all to make the connection. Lois in the movies also was usually on the "verge" of figuring it out then Clark would do something unsuper like get "winded" running. For this show I'll go with, Kara is usually so weird that it doesn't really make sense that she could be doing all of this awesome stuff. Also Kara doesn't have that many people in her life, so far. Those that are close to her already know. The only one that doesn't is her boss Kat. I actually wouldn't be surprised if (sometime in the future) they reveal that Kat figured it out a long time ago especially since she clearly pointed out something she wore and her expression without looking this episode.  I can see her looking at a picture of Supergirl then noticing Kara and going, "Hummmm ... maybe they're the same!" but not saying it to her because sometimes it's much more interesting not to say things. 

Edited May 25, 2015 by FiveByFive

[FurryFury]

Speaking about Wynn and a possible love triangle, I've actually heard somewhere the actor's not a regular. Could someone enlighten me on that?

[Kromm]

She totally did not "pull" that ship out of the zone. That literally doesn't make any sense. I see what they were doing with that by giving her a reason why she must continue to save lives and stop these people with a constant impending sense of super danger but no ... that's silly. They should have just said, "They followed you out and that's your fault." Not, "Your tiny ship pulled this big ass ship out!"

Why are you assuming that just because a character used that logic that the character is being honest (or is, but isn't deluded/prejudiced against her and twisting the facts to suit their agenda?)  This is S.O.P. for shows like this--just because someone SAYS it doesn't mean the show itself is telling us to believe it.

 

Why was she awake? Shouldn't she have been sleeping? A little nitpick but I hate to think she was up for 24 years just chilling and watching the stars.

I don't think she was awake.  Didn't we specifically hear it said that didn't know what happened during that time in the Phantom Zone?

Edited May 25, 2015 by Kromm

[Serena]

On the glasses thing, I'm actually having a lot of trouble recognising Melissa Benoist in the Supergirl costume. Civilian clothes, even with the glasses, no problem. Supergirl- who is that? So maybe it's not that far-fetched.

I thought in the scene with the explosion going on behind her she looked like an entirely different person.

 

Speaking about Wynn and a possible love triangle, I've actually heard somewhere the actor's not a regular. Could someone enlighten me on that?

From what I heard, they were initially trying to cast a series regular for the role of Wynn. When they cast the actor they have no, though, the role was "downgraded" from regular to guest star. Either because the character wasn't testing well, they changed their minds on doing a love triangle, or because the actor is on Broadway and couldn't give them a commitment for being a regular.

Edited May 25, 2015 by Serena

[FiveByFive]

Why are you assuming that just because a character used that logic that the character is being honest (or is, but isn't deluded/prejudiced against her and twisting the facts to suit their agenda?)  This is S.O.P. for shows like this--just because someone SAYS it doesn't mean the show itself is telling us to believe it.

And at the moment we don't have any reason at all to believe that this conclusion isn't based on some fact or research that we haven't been made privy to or that they can't be trusted. There wasn't even any weird, "sinister" foreshadowing that they have a secret plot against her which you'd normally see to lay the groundwork for the future if they were using this to manipulate her. They originally don't even want her helping at all so them using that to get her to help doesn't make sense. If they wanted to use that information to prevent her from helping that doesn't make sense either. 

 

The show could totally do a reverse on it but so far in the world they've built for the show, we're to believe that they know what they're talking about and they are the authority on this matter. As such, they are telling us what is the truth until we know otherwise. I say "they" because there is a group of people that have been working for years on alien issues. 

 

I don't think she was awake.  Didn't we specifically hear it said that didn't know what happened during that time in the Phantom Zone?

 

 

Look at the scene again .... which I just did ... young Kara inside her fish-ship was looking around at the asteroids and debris. She was awake. She blinked a couple of times, she turned her head and looked around and then the ship flew out of it. She even tells us during the prologue voice over that this where her ship ended up by accident instead of going straight to Earth. She didn't see the big prison ship because it came up behind her when she was on her way out.  

 

I'll also check myself and say that her mother specifically said she would sleep "most" of the way. As such, she could have been in and out of consciousness during the trip and since time doesn't exist in the neutral zone it's possible she had no clue how long she was really there. 

[FurryFury]

From what I heard, they were initially trying to cast a series regular for the role of Wynn. When they cast the actor they have no, though, the role was "downgraded" from regular to guest star. Either because the character wasn't testing well, they changed their minds on doing a love triangle, or because the actor is on Broadway and couldn't give them a commitment for being a regular.

 

Hmm I wonder if he'll be recurring or will be killed off in, like, episode 7 or so (a popular tactic).

[Sakura12]

With the glasses and no glasses thing, I usually go with they have some kind of Alien filter that changes their face when people look at them. Like in the show Dead Like Me, anyone that knew her would look at her and see someone else. 

[Racj82]

With the glasses and no glasses thing, I usually go with they have some kind of Alien filter that changes their face when people look at them. Like in the show Dead Like Me, anyone that knew her would look at her and see someone else. 

That is fanwanking and doing the work for the show that I can't do personally. But, in general terms, I think it's just people see what they want to see. If one can't believe that someone they know is flying superhero then that wont be able to see it just by looking at some pictures. Just like with Clark, it's beyond glasses or no glasses. It's just simply too hard for people to believe that dopey Clark Kent could be the same person as Superman, whether they look the same or not.

 

On another note, yes there will be a love triangle of some sort and no I don't care. I don't know why people complain about this so much at this point. If you are targeting young viewers, having romantic subplots are par for the course. Having a love triangle or love interests is not the problem. It seems that just a the existence of a romantic pairing drives peoples nuts. This also a comic book property where damn near every hero has a romantic entanglement. It doesn't have to take away from their heroics. It's how much they let it consume the show. Just to compare with Arrow and Flash for a minute, both shows had built in love interests from jump street. They were there in big bold letters. That is a problem. With this, you are putting the show into a box where we have to buy into these relationships right away because they are built into the fabric of the show. It could work for the positive but it can also consume the show. With Supergirl, there wasn't any of this. Maybe she gets interested in Wynn or James. I'm sure the show will have it that she meets someone completely new in the early run to take her interest. They left themselves open to multiple avenues. See what works and what doesn't. It's like with Sleepy Hollow. We had to buy into Crane and Katrina's epic love right away because the show was going to to stick with it no matter what with no end in sight. They finally reached the point where they couldn't ignore the negativity stemming from that pairing but they lost a lot of viewers in the process. Whereas, not shoving Crane/Katrina down our throats would have given us time to settle into it more.

 

I wasn't blown away by the pilot but the romantic aspects of it (or lack thereof) were a positive.

[Kromm]

And at the moment we don't have any reason at all to believe that this conclusion isn't based on some fact or research that we haven't been made privy to or that they can't be trusted. There wasn't even any weird, "sinister" foreshadowing that they have a secret plot against her which you'd normally see to lay the groundwork for the future if they were using this to manipulate her. They originally don't even want her helping at all so them using that to get her to help doesn't make sense. If they wanted to use that information to prevent her from helping that doesn't make sense either. 

 

The show could totally do a reverse on it but so far in the world they've built for the show, we're to believe that they know what they're talking about and they are the authority on this matter. As such, they are telling us what is the truth until we know otherwise. I say "they" because there is a group of people that have been working for years on alien issues.  

I disagree, because one thing WAS made clear--Henshaw's hostility towards aliens.

 

The issue isn't really "did Kara's ship lead the other vessel out" anyway.  Henshaw was framing the issue as if it was some screw up on her part rather than an accident.  He was using that theme hardasses often use where they blame people for accidents that happen around them (like the driver of a car who got T-boned by another vehicle being blamed for the death of a passenger, even though that driver was hit rather than having done anything wrong).  

 

I think this is supposed to clue us into the possibility that Henshaw is a bit of an asshole. Which given the likely character arc implied by his character name, makes sense, doesn't it?

[Chris24601]

On the glasses thing, I'm actually having a lot of trouble recognising Melissa Benoist in the Supergirl costume. Civilian clothes, even with the glasses, no problem. Supergirl- who is that? So maybe it's not that far-fetched.

I had the same reaction... There a moments (during the costume montage particularly) where you can see they're the same person, but overall the combination of the glasses, the hairstyle change (particularly the way her pulled back hair emphasizes her darker undertones) the change from lighter pastel colors to darker primary tones and her, for want of a better term, game face really do help sell them as two different people in a way I've rarely seen pulled off in live action.

So long as she's not standing around giving interviews or cutting ribbons in cerimonies and doesn't have to rescue any co-workers who don't already know who she is (and possibly gets a little help from James, Wynn and the DEO in covering for her)... I think the show probably has a decent chance of at least making it feel plausible that she could maintain a secret identity despite how seemingly thin it appears to the audience sometimes.

The fact that the producers did at least play with the 'vibration' disguise over on the Flash leads me to presume they'll try to keep it plausible (ex. not really having Kara interact with Cat as Supergirl).

[Izeinwinter]

It's not really a secret identity in the normal sense, anyway. The government knows who she is, her family knows, what friends she has know. It's not so much a dire secret as it is "I'm not listed in the phonebook". So as long as random strangers don't go "You're supergirl!" on sight, then it's good enough. 

Edited May 25, 2015 by Izeinwinter

[Chris24601]

Perhaps a better term might be that she has a "Top Secret Identity" as its basically the same trope used in spy stories where they also focus on their life when off the clock as well as on. The fact that one of the producers was involved in "Chuck" might have played into this side of things as much as the guys from Arrow/Flash might have something to do with that setup (the main boss was a often a jerkass there too... to the point of ordering Chuck killed once the new Intersect came online so he couldn't accidentally expose any government secrets).

 

Also, after putting up with the year of 'secrets and lies' (boy does that phrase induce traumatic Smallville flashbacks) regarding telling Iris, I gotta say I appreciate the turnaround on the usual superhero secrets trope where its the hero whose actually a bit in the dark and someone else is clueing THEM in to the real danger.