S01.E01: Pilot

[anonymiss]

Predictable and very rushed, but love seeing Calista Flockhart again! She's the perfect Wintour. And she has the best lines: 

 

"Cancel my appointment with my therapist. I don't need it if I'm not seeing my mother anymore."

"Besides fatty foods, there's nothing people love more than a hero."

[seveneightnine]

It was mildly entertaining, I suppose. I still don't understand why they can't say Superman or Clark Kent. It was jarring as hell. Even if they did say it at the beginning where he pulls her out of the pod (and I'm still not convinced they did). Every other time after that just reinforced how awkward it was not to say "Superman". I mean does Jimmy (sorry, James) call him "the big guy" when he's in Metro City?

No one calls him that!!

Arrgh!! Now they've got me doing it!!!

[benteen]

13-year-old Kara looked a LOT like Holly Taylor from The Americans.

[fastiller]

Nothing deep, but fun. Liked Jimmy Olsen a lot, and Callista Flockhart is having so much fun as the Evil Boss that I'm willing to roll with it. I'm not sold on Geek Guy yet. Or the sister. Way to go, Alex - tell a secret government agency about your sister's secret superpowers, but don't bother to pass on her mother's message to her? Sigh.

 

I thought Alex was recruited because of Kara? DEO already knew all about her...

 

Yep, recruited b/c of the Kara, but 'kept' on her own steam is how I recall it.

 

Brook is excellent as James Olson and Melissa Benoist was very likeable and charming at times.  Flockhart's character was grating as hell.

 

I'm watching 'around' Flockhart, as in: not engaging 100% on her scenes.

[shrewd.buddha]

It was like a public service announcement for young girls with low self-esteem   ... who happen to be attractive, blonde, super-strong, invulnerable,  able to fly, and have never felt physical pain in their lives.... yeah .. 

 

It was earnest and cute, but I am  definitely not the target audience. And, unfortunately, there was not much about the pilot that made us want to return for more. (But I wish it luck.)

 

The show seemed to be stuck trying to explain things that really don't add up: 

a) Trying to defend the use of 'girl'. I would like to see all of Cat's employees and associates refer to her as a girl on a regular basis. 

b) Kara has to hear about "Him" from other people? He can't call? He can't visit? He can't help her learn about her abilities?

c) "He" cannot deliver the blanket/cape himself? 

d) "He" discovered Kara's spacecraft -- but somehow it ended up in possession of the US Gov. ... along with personal artifacts from Kara's mother? 

e) Kara can fly  ... but never got around to trying? Seriously? It's almost as if she has major emotional issues. 

f) Didn't Kara have a father, too? They are hitting the "females first" button way too hard. 

g) Kara needs this job as an abused assistant for Cat now? She is going to help people only during her spare time? She can't work with her sister? 

h) .... and the list goes on ....

 

I would have liked a show with an actual teenage-d Kara, with the mixture of excitement, confusion, anger, head-strong opinions, etc -- you know, the types of highs and lows an actual teenage girl would have...

This show seems to be more interested in cliches about empowerment (but not really) , sisterly affection/competition , mother issues, etc. 

Edited October 27, 2015 by shrewd.buddha

[benteen]

Caroline Siede on the AV Club, who liked the pilot, had a great bit on the whole trying to justify the name thing...

 

 

But the show makes a pretty cringeworthy misstep as it desperately tries to justify why calling a 24-year-old a “girl” rather than a “woman” isn’t patronizing because, I don’t really know, “girl power” or something. Cat makes a condescending speech about it (would anyone argue it’s more empowering to refer to Superman as “Superboy”?), and I kind of wish she had just said, “We’re in a tight spot because we have to use the name from the comics so just go with it.”

Edited October 28, 2015 by benteen

[Marianne]

I thought this was terrific.  I hadn't heard anything about it, so I didn't have any expectations. Also, the only actor I recognized from another show was Owain Yeoman, whose villain was wonderfully different from his Mentalist character.  It seems that most people on the forum recognize many of the actors from other shows. Perhaps perceptions were influenced by that.  Anyway, I thought Melissa Benoist was very good.  I appreciate the fact that she looks very athletic and she's not a WonderWoman-type babe.

There was a lot of exposition, but I assume that was necessary in the pilot.  I actually liked the time spent on explaining the rationale for "Supergirl" as appropriate name for a modern female superhero.  The comic's name has to be kept, of course, but the scene told us that Kara sees herself as a Super Woman; ascribing the "girl" choice to the editor makes sense within the story and for that character.  And I think it's almost like a way, perhaps counter-intuitively,  to embrace the term "girl" while not subscribing to the all of the conventional connotations of that word.  For me, the few seconds they spent on that exposition were pretty clever.

Loved the evolution of the costumes, and I'm glad that they went for the dark tights and not naked legs with the skirt.

Finally, James Olsen is wonderful.

Edited October 27, 2015 by Marianne

[nksarmi]

You know what helps to enjoy this show?  Having a 12-year old daughter and being thrilled she will have something like this to watch.  I mean, really this is the latest in a rather short line of female hero shows.  From Linda Carter's Wonder Woman to Bionic Woman and Charlie's Angels (I watched all three on reruns as a kid) to Xena: Warrior Princess and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which were in their heyday in my 20s); then we got Alias (which I missed but I still want to watch on Netflix someday) and that 13-episode run of Birds of Prey (which I loved).  Now we have Agent Carter and Supergirl.  Have I left anything out?  That really isn't a lot.  So I kind of hope this show succeeds just on principle.  And I will watch whatever they give us with my daughter and step-daughter just so they can have this memory.

[Raja]

It was like a public service announcement for young girls with low self-esteem   ... who happen to be attractive, blonde, super-strong, invulnerable,  able to fly, and have never felt physical pain in their lives.... yeah .. 

 

It was earnest and cute, but I am  definitely not the target audience. And, unfortunately, there was not much about the pilot that made us want to return for more. (But I wish it luck.)

 

The show seemed to be stuck trying to explain things that really don't add up: 

a) Trying to defend the use of 'girl'. I would like to see all of Cat's employees and associates refer to her as a girl on a regular basis. 

 

My first thought was Helen Gurley Brown and the entire Cosmo Girl thing surviving long past the societal change

[Tarasme]

You know what helps to enjoy this show?  Having a 12-year old daughter and being thrilled she will have something like this to watch... From Linda Carter's Wonder Woman to Bionic Woman and Charlie's Angels (I watched all three on reruns as a kid) to Xena: Warrior Princess and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which were in their heyday in my 20s); then we got Alias (which I missed but I still want to watch on Netflix someday)...So I kind of hope this show succeeds just on principle.  And I will watch whatever they give us with my daughter and step-daughter just so they can have this memory.

ITA!

 

And run, don't walk, to watch the first two season of Alias (the rest? meh, but the first two seasons... whoowhoo!)

[cynic]

I'd add the first two seasons of Nikita, though it is darker and some of the subject matter may not be age appropriate. It has great female characters though.

[Whitley Trillbert]

You know what helps to enjoy this show?  Having a 12-year old daughter and being thrilled she will have something like this to watch.  I mean, really this is the latest in a rather short line of female hero shows.  From Linda Carter's Wonder Woman to Bionic Woman and Charlie's Angels (I watched all three on reruns as a kid) to Xena: Warrior Princess and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which were in their heyday in my 20s); then we got Alias (which I missed but I still want to watch on Netflix someday) and that 13-episode run of Birds of Prey (which I loved).  Now we have Agent Carter and Supergirl.  Have I left anything out?  That really isn't a lot.  So I kind of hope this show succeeds just on principle.  And I will watch whatever they give us with my daughter and step-daughter just so they can have this memory.

Love this post and yes u must watch Alias !!!!! U could add Charmed to the mix too 

Edited October 27, 2015 by Whitley Trillbert

[benteen]

Let me throw in additional love for the first two seasons of Alias.  Highly recommended and to me back in 2001-2002 it was a perfect gateway into this current era of television with recurring storylines and greta writing.

[sjohnson]

Worth checking out for more episodes. The coy references to "Him" are already annoying, they sound like reformed agnostics trying to pray. The biggest weakness so far I think is the DEO, David Harewood's "characters" and Agent Danvers. If I liked those shenanigans I would be able to keep watching Agent of SHIELD, but I can't. I think the guys sitting in a roomful of TV screens magically showing the action is a visual trope that needs to die already. 

[Chaos Theory]

Yes the dialog was a little clunky but It's a pilot and there are maybe ten pilots in the history of time that didn't have clunky pilots. I like the optimism and that it will not be yet another dark and gritty super hero show. Plus chock full of strong females. Yes there will be some angst in the future but right now I am enjoying the clear skies.

[Sakura12]

They did say Superman, they said it the first two minutes. 

 

I don't see where this "They can't say Superman" complaint is coming from. Is it because they are not name dropping him every 2 seconds? It would make sense for Kara to call him "my cousin" rather than by his hero name. He is her cousin. Plus this show is about her, not about him. 

Edited October 27, 2015 by Sakura12

[Bats27]

The Good:

 

-The lead: Melissa Benoist is fantastic. She's adorable, and funny, and instantly endearing/likeable. Plus she fills out the suit well, both literally and figuratively.

-The rest of the cast as good for the most part.

-The action/effects were quite good.

-The main villain seems potentially interesting.

 

Stuff I'm not quite sure of:

 

-Cat Grant-I hope that they tone her down a bit going forward. I don't hate her, but she was the weak link of the group here.

-How they're handling Superman and his absence seems, weird to me. We'll see how it goes, but they need a better explanation for why he's not around.

-Some of the dialogue was clunky.  I didn't care for the "why she's called "Girl" speech and the "glasses as disguise" thing is stupid e (but then again I've always found it stupid).

 

All in all, I'd give it a B, maybe a B+. It's got "pilot-istis" to a degree, but that's hardly unexpected. So I'm willing to see where it goes.

[Watcher0363]

Omigod, I have never seen that before--hilarious!

 

I disagree about Kara and Supergirl though.  I thought she looked more different than Clark and Superman.  I was kind of marvelling at how in her office persona, she really does seem sort of plain and mousy, and then she's pretty hot as Supergirl.  I know it's a tired trope, putting the girl in glasses with her hair up, then having her take the glasses off and hair down and suddenly she's supposed to be ten times hotter, but it kind of works for me here.

The problem with non masked heroes in this day and age. Office group photo, high school club photos. All of a sudden pictures of Supergirl keep popping up on your social media page. You tagged her on April 6th 2011. Facial recognition software, internet and social media. Her secret identity would have the life span of about 3.8 seconds.

[benteen]

The problem with non masked heroes in this day and age. Office group photo, high school club photos. All of a sudden pictures of Supergirl keep popping up on your social media page. You tagged her on April 6th 2011. Facial recognition software, internet and social media. Her secret identity would have the life span of about 3.8 seconds.

 

Exactly.  Someone would have gotten a clear enough picture of her when she saved the plane.  Superman's lack of a mask is iconic and Supergirl has always been the same way with this but it's hard to ignore the obvious.

[VCRTracking]

 

But the show makes a pretty cringeworthy misstep as it desperately tries to justify why calling a 24-year-old a “girl” rather than a “woman” isn’t patronizing because, I don’t really know, “girl power” or something. Cat makes a condescending speech about it (would anyone argue it’s more empowering to refer to Superman as “Superboy”?), and I kind of wish she had just said, “We’re in a tight spot because we have to use the name from the comics so just go with it.”

 

I remember how wierd it was with the 80s syndicated "Superboy" series where he's in college and later in his 20s being called "Superboy"! Most of her incarnations in the comics Supergirl was an actual teenage girl. Then she gets killed off during "Crisis on Infinite Earths" in 1985. I remember the poignant moment in  the final story for the Silver Age version of  Superman "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" written by Alan Moore right after Crisis:

 

Edited October 27, 2015 by VCRTracking

[lion10]

I know that they can't have Superman in the TV show, but his absence from Kara's life is strange. He brings her to her adoptive family and then peaces out for 24 years? He doesn't check up on her or call her to ask her questions about what Krypton was like or what his parents were like?

[Notwisconsin]

I never read these comics.  Were the comics so unoriginal that they also decided to have Kara clone Clark's life by going to a different city to work at a different newspaper.  I'm trying to decide if the lack of any original thought is on this show or on the source material.

The problem with the comics is that they never quite knew what to do with her. Her origin story was really different than this one, and DC tried to kill her off a couple of times but she was too popular.

[nottopbravo]

Didn't Alex say that Kara's alien DNA meant she couldn't even get pimples? How do they explain that cute little acne scar next to her left eyebrow?

 

Damn, you have a good eye.

[slowpoked]

I love the pilot. I thought Melissa Benoist is cast well for the role, reminds me of a younger Blake Lively, but more affable and likable. I thought she conveyed well being really excited about finally having to use her powers and her sadness and confusion as to the big picture of what it all means when the secret is out and she has to do this Supergirl thing on a more regular basis. 

 

And I love the fact that they didn't skimp on the action scenes, and that Supergirl was really hit hard, and wasn't treated with kid gloves because it is kind of awkward to see a 200lb man slap and throw a woman around.

 

I hope this catches on and improves steadily. I do want to have a female superhero series that I can watch at this day and age.

[Kromm]

From the conversations in the super secret government agency lair, Alex and the spooks are well aware of Kal-- I recall that they discuss Kal's the reason the spooks coordinated as the DEO then they were prepared when Kara's ship crashed to pick it up (not sure how that all worked- how they picked up the ship but left the alien?). Maybe they're still uninformed as to the identity of Kal? Whatever, I'll handwave that they're ignorant until it's spelled out.

I think in the DC Universe proper, the public eventually becomes aware that his name is Kal-El ("Superman" is nobody's name), so certainly the DEO would know. Not sure what the deal was between the DEO and Superman at the time the ship crashed--you'd think he would have had The Fortress of Solitude by then and a place better than some Kansas barn to store a ship, so if the DEO had it then there must have been some accommodation or deal there (perhaps to buy Kara's safety/non-interference from them). The part they don't know of course, is about Clark Kent. Frankly it's doubtful the Danvers know about Clark (so that included Alex), and in fact it's not even 100% if James Olsen does, since he managed to be "Superman's Pal" for most of Superman history without knowing that.

It's even possible Kara only knows him as Kal-El and not Clark... although it seems unlikely, since it's probably not easy to keep a secret from someone with super-hearing, super-vision, X-Ray vision, etc.  We don't know how much time she's actually spent with him though (or how any contact was arranged after she was with the Danvers). Certainly "Clark Kent" didn't simply drop by. And as Supes, he'd have to be careful being seen flying there, so people wouldn't know SHE was "Super". So maybe... not much (contact that is).

[StaceyNotStacie]

I thought it was interesting.  I'm assuming that even though there was very little contact, Superman kept tabs on Kara over the years since he knew where to send James/Jimmy.  I'm hoping that this show lasts a few seasons; I'm curious as to who they would cast as Superman if they eventually bring him on for a special episode.  

The only thing that confused me was the aunt at the end.  I'm assuming that it was her mother's twin sister, but she wasn't Superman's mother.

[maczero]

Kat is irritating.  Kara's stepsister (wicked stepsister?) is also irritating.  Loved Kara's gay friend and the figuring out the costumes.  

Why do you think he's gay?

 

I liked the former Supergirl (Helen Slater) and Superman (Dean Cain) cameo as Kara's adoptive parents. 

Man, I didn't even recognize Cain.

 

I loved it. Maybe after watching The Walking Dead yesterday I needed a big damn hero moment. I swear, I teared up in the scene where she stood on the wing after saving the plane. Her absolute joy at saving her sister really hit home with me, and how she was so visibly crushed when her sister bitched her out for revealing herself.

I was slightly bothered that she had to verify that her sister was on the plane before she stopped it from crashing.  It almost makes me feel if her sister wasn't on the plane she would've went home and watched tv.

Any episode I watch of anything else (nothing personal, Supergirl) is inherently pushing episodes on that aforementioned huge "to watch" list further back, potentially forever (when you're over 40 and months or years go by without making any progress on a show like The Wire, it's not a good sign for those further down the list).  So anything that comes along today that I'm curious about, it's inherently triage: is this good enough to displace those other shows?  It may be sad or unfair in some sense, but it's just reality.

I'm so glad to read this post.  I've been criticized for my "one and done" policy for shows that don't instantly appeal to me.  There's not enough time to give a show an entire season to impress me.  As it stands right now, I watch tv during my lunch break, while commuting, a couple hours after work and at least six hours over the weekend.  I really don't want to devote more time to television than that.

 

Anyway, this wasn't bad.  

 

The Bad:  

1)  The "him" thing is annoying.  Hopefully, they'll either just say Superman or minimize bringing him up.  

2)  Am I the only one who thinks it's a mistake having Clark exist in this series?  They can't use the character in any meaningful way so he's never going to be able to help when she's in trouble.  It just makes him seem uncaring.  I think I would've preferred if this version of Superman had been lost or even died.

 

The Good:

1)  The effects weren't bad for tv.

2)  Kara is likeable.

 

The Puzzling:

1)  Kara seemed to be able to more than hold her own in that second fight.  I'm under the impression she had no training or had even been in a fight based on her performance in the first fight.  I would've preferred to see her sister train her a little or at least give her a few pointers before facing the guy.

[Chaos Theory]

What I liked is the enthusiasm that Kars has for being a hero. I think I was sold when she giddily watched herself on tv after the plane thing and was like "that me! I did that!". We've all seen world weary hero shows. They are all over the place and I like that Kara is so pumped and yet she in inexperienced as well. Her only experience is as a assistant getting latte orders for her boss. It will be fun to see what her learning curve is.

[that one guy]

I liked it. It really helps that Benoist's Kara is a likable enough character that I want to spend time with her. (A big part of my struggle with "Arrow" is that Oliver is kid of an a-hole.) The pilot missed its mark in some places, but the takeaway scene for me was really just how thrilled she was after saving the airplane. I feel like we learned more about her character from that scene than from all the exposition in the world.

[bmoore4026]

Why do you think he's gay?

 

It thought he was!  My mistake, I guess :(

[Kromm]

The only thing that confused me was the aunt at the end.  I'm assuming that it was her mother's twin sister, but she wasn't Superman's mother.

Why would anyone assume she was?  People can have aunts on both sides... and more importantly cousins on both sides.  One set won't be related to the other even if all are related to you. Alien society or not, that's just genetics and (admittedly) an assumption of similar marriage rules, but that's how it works here.

 

My memory of the comics is that Kara's Kryptonian Dad is named Zor-El (see, it rhymes with "Jor-El"!). That sets him as the common genetic relative between Kal-El and Kara Zor-El. I can't say I understand why HER name carries her Dad's full name in it and Kal's doesn't, then again stuff like that exists in Earth cultures too.

Edited October 27, 2015 by Kromm

[MDKNIGHT]

I kind of guessed that while Melissa Benoit just could NOT be "the New Rachel" that she might be able to be the New Supergirl and in my opinion yesterday proved that I was right.  For me she is pulling off a mix of naïve but not stupid that works.  I can imagine that someone with a good heart who just brought down a plain safely would be extatic.  And then she was crushed when her sister wasn't even grateful.  I thought it was acted well.  BTW while I blame the writers and not the actress I thought the sister came off really badly.  Yes I get that she wanted Kara's powers hidden but for crying out loud she just saved your ass and those of hundreds of other people.  Like what WAS she supposed to do?  Let you and hundreds of others literally crash and burn?  That just made the sister look like a bitch. 

 

While I don't like Calista Flockhart's character and hope she turns out to be an out and out villain I think she's acting it well.  She may either be a villain or a stumbling block like J Jonah Jameson  for Spiderman where he wasn't evil per se but because of his predjudices about Spidey he makes life hard for him.  My main complaint about Calista's character is that it kind of re-enforces the stereotype that a woman in power especially in the business world HAS to be evil.  I mean they copied so much about Superman, why isn't she a female Perry White i.e. a basically honest publisher who is a friend to Superman?  No she has to treat everybody like dirt and fire everybody every 5 seconds.  While not realistic, I kind of wanted Kara to respond to  "I'm a girl Maybe YOU'RE the problem" regarding naming her "superGIRL"  with something like "No.  You are a grown ass WOMAN and your holding the rest of us back."  Also while they had to have SOMEBODY dub her supergirl I'd like somebody to point out she probably named her that out of her own insecurities.  I'm hoping that as this show goes along Kara starts standing up for herself against Calista.  What exactly was she going to be fired for? Or doesn't Calista need just cause for firing people?  I hope that subplot as they go along is that Kara's success as a super hero translates into success in other parts of her life due to self confidence. 

 

Cranky secret organization guy just makes me roll my eyes.  Either you are going to kill someone with super powers secretly and quickly or you leave them alone.  If Kara WERE evil then how would darting her with kryptonite and making her slam into the ground and then kidnaping her supposed to improve her disposition and feelings toward humans?  That was just dumb.   They are lucky Kara isn't the revenge type.  As it was, it was the worst possible way to tell her her sister has been spying on her since forever.  Liked that there was at least some hard feelings initially since that really was a big betrayal but also glad that their sister bond is still intact.  If Frozen has taught us anything it  is that people find other bonds besides romantic ones, interesting. 

Edited October 27, 2015 by MDKNIGHT

[Kromm]

They did say Superman, they said it the first two minutes. 

 

I don't see where this "They can't say Superman" complaint is coming from. Is it because they are not name dropping him every 2 seconds? It would make sense for Kara to call him "my cousin" rather than by his hero name. He is her cousin. Plus this show is about her, not about him. 

It's actually around the 2 and a half minute mark, but close enough! We also hear "Superman" at least additional time later in the show (it's been months since I watched the leak though so I don't recall the exact scene, but I noted it at the time).

 

Kal-El (also his name) is brought up too, in fact, within like.. the first 30 seconds of the show. It's only "Clark Kent" we never hear mentioned (and that makes perfect sense given that nobody among this group--probably not even James Olsen--KNOWS Clark Kent is Superman (Kara is the only one who might, and even there there's some doubt depending on the type of contact they've had, and how effective Clark protects that identity from someone else with super-senses).

While I don't like Calista Flockhart's character and hope she turns out to be an out and out villain I think she's acting it well.  She may either be a villain or a stumbling block like J Jonah Jameson  for Spiderman where he wasn't evil per se but because of his predjudices about Spidey he makes life hard for him.  My main complaint about Calista's character is that it kind of re-enforces the stereotype that a woman in power especially in the business world HAS to be evil.  I mean they copied so much about Superman, why isn't she a female Perry White i.e. a basically honest publisher who is a friend to Superman?  No she has to treat everybody like dirt and fire everybody every 5 seconds.  While not realistic, I kind of wanted Kara to respond to  "I'm a girl Maybe YOU'RE the problem" regarding naming her "superGIRL"  with something like "No.  You are a grown ass WOMAN and your holding the rest of us back."  Also while they had to have SOMEBODY dub her supergirl I'd like somebody to point out she probably named her that out of her own insecurities.  I'm hoping that as this show goes along Kara starts standing up for herself against Calista.  What exactly was she going to be fired for? Or doesn't Calista need just cause for firing people?  I hope that subplot as they go along is that Kara's success as a super hero translates into success in other parts of her life due to self confidence. 

Cat in the comics is a pretty big bitch, and for a good chunk of it went after Supergirl, but the big difference there is that she was just a gossip columnist and not some big media empire boss. 

 

She's also younger (and at times was romantically interested in Clark, even if he didn't give her the time of day). Or perhaps they're going to portray Cat as younger than Callista is in real life. Spoilers say

Cat has a son who's about the same age as the Cat in the comics has. Bad things happen to that son in the comics though...

Edited October 27, 2015 by Kromm

[sjohnson]

They talk a lot about Superman without mentioning his name when it's awkward not too. 

 

In regards to contact between Superman and Supergirl, perhaps I'm overthinking it but to me it seems natural to be very cool about meeting up with your most likely marriage partner for having children?

[Kromm]

They talk a lot about Superman without mentioning his name when it's awkward not too. 

 

In regards to contact between Superman and Supergirl, perhaps I'm overthinking it but to me it seems natural to be very cool about meeting up with your most likely marriage partner for having children?

Are we concluding that Krypton wouldn't have the same first cousin taboo most Earth cultures have?

[RemoteControlFreak]

So within a day of debuting as Supergirl, Kara/SG spills about her identify.  Superman made it how long before Lois figured out his identify?  

 

Overall, this is probably the weakest Super* portrayal in the history of the franchise. Unlike other Supers, she seems more secure in her mild-mannered-personal assistant role than she does in her Supergirl role.  

 

It should be the other way around.

 

Clark Kent is bumbling but he never doubts his skill or power  or mission when he put on the cape.  

 

I'm not trusting this Supergirl to rescue me from the bad guys.

[allonsyalice]

You know, I'm not in love with this. At all. Which is dissapointing, because I love Jeremy Jordan. I'm only about 30 minutes in, but it feels a little like pulling teeth. I wasn't a fan of Melissa in Glee, so that is probably part of it. Maybe it'll find its footing soon, but I'm not going to continue. I'm not even gonna finish this episode.

[StaceyNotStacie]

Why would anyone assume she was? People can have aunts on both sides... and more importantly cousins on both sides. One set won't be related to the other even if all are related to you. Alien society or not, that's just genetics and (admittedly) an assumption of similar marriage rules, but that's how it works here.

My memory of the comics is that Kara's Kryptonian Dad is named Zor-El (see, it rhymes with "Jor-El"!). That sets him as the common genetic relative between Kal-El and Kara Zor-El. I can't say I understand why HER name carries her Dad's full name in it and Kal's doesn't, then again stuff like that exists in Earth cultures too.

I didn't even think about her father and his father being brothers. They made so much emphasis about the father regarding Superman and so much about the mother in this version, that I automatically assumed that her mother was connected to one of his parents somehow.

[arc]

I don't see where this "They can't say Superman" complaint is coming from. Is it because they are not name dropping him every 2 seconds? It would make sense for Kara to call him "my cousin" rather than by his hero name. He is her cousin. Plus this show is about her, not about him. 

They were name dropping him a lot, though. Just that a lot of times, they weirdly went out of their way not to say what would have been the natural thing to say. Avoiding it by saying 'him' or 'the big guy' or whatever it was are awkward and call attention to the obviously weird choice of words.  It happened a lot! And if anything, the two times they did say "Superman" make it even more weird that they don't say that word the other times.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Clark Kent is bumbling but he never doubts his skill or power  or mission when he put on the cape.  

 

Clark has only been the bumbling klutz in the Christopher Reeve movies; all other incarnations, he was and is a mild-mannered reporter.

 

I liked it. I didn't love it, but I liked it and it wasn't all angsty and grim and so in that sense, it was refreshing. 

[kieyra]

Distracted by the creepy factor of the Young Kara actress obviously having lip injections. :/

I am not that well versed in any of the comic TV universes, but yeah I'm having some feelings of the "you, ma'am, are no Felicity Smoak" variety.

Edited October 27, 2015 by kieyra

[CabotCove]

In regards to contact between Superman and Supergirl, perhaps I'm overthinking it but to me it seems natural to be very cool about meeting up with your most likely marriage partner for having children?

 

They are related. 

[Jodithgrace]

I think, and I hope, that the reason the show seemed to go out of its way to not mention the "S" word was to maximize the effect of the first appearance of "Supergirl!"

 

Now that her title is out there, hopefully the taboo will be lifted and they can say "Superman" again. It will be very annoying if they keep avoiding it. Kind of like during Super Bowl season, when all of the non-official sponsors have to call it "the big game," which irks me no end.

 

I did enjoy this pilot, though i confess I didn't recognize SG's adoptive parents as Clark and The original Supergirl..that was very clever. I like the fact that she's not doing the secret identity thing so much...I was shocked, and practically cheered,  when she confided her identity to IT guy. 

 

And I loved her pure joy in using her powers after keeping them hidden all these years. 

[DeLurker]

If I could shoot lasers out of my eyes, I don't think I would get in a physical fight with some galactic convict.

[lion10]

If I could shoot lasers out of my eyes, I don't think I would get in a physical fight with some galactic convict.

You would if he caught you by surprise or were out of practice.

[Kromm]

Distracted by the creepy factor of the Young Kara actress obviously having lip injections. :/

I am not that well versed in any of the comic TV universes, but yeah I'm having some feelings of the "you, ma'am, are no Felicity Smoak" variety.

No clear lip injections in any thing I've seen with her. Sometimes a lip is JUST a lip. 

 

As for the Felicity Smoak, thing, I have to argue that the Super-people with red capes had glasses before a side character on the CW did.

[Zanne]

But the show makes a pretty cringeworthy misstep as it desperately tries to justify why calling a 24-year-old a “girl” rather than a “woman” isn’t patronizing because, I don’t really know, “girl power” or something. Cat makes a condescending speech about it (would anyone argue it’s more empowering to refer to Superman as “Superboy”?), and I kind of wish she had just said, “We’re in a tight spot because we have to use the name from the comics so just go with it.”

 

 

It would've been fun if, when Kara suggested Superwoman as a name, the editor shrugged and said something like, "We checked with legal...the Daily Planet's got a copyright and two letters are too close to infringement."

Edited October 28, 2015 by Zanne

[sjohnson]

First cousin marriages historically are quite common in the US, and by no means unheard of now.

 

The thing is, the possibility of having children makes contact delicate, either because it may be perceived as raising expectations in either party when none are meant. Or perhaps more dismaying, might raise fears about Kryptonians breeding and replacing the inferior population. 

[legaleagle53]

First cousin marriages historically are quite common in the US, and by no means unheard of now.

 

Just because they may be common (although I highly doubt that) doesn't mean they're legal or culturally acceptable everywhere.  They are prohibited by law in 30 states (in fact, it's a criminal offense in five states), and of the states that do permit them, two states permit it with restrictions, and six only allow marriage between first cousins once removed (i.e., second cousins).  I honestly doubt that the show would want to go there (and let's not forget that Kara is actually 13 years Kal's senior chronologically, even though he's now at least six years older than she is physically, mentally, and emotionally because of her time in the Phantom Zone).

Edited October 28, 2015 by legaleagle53

[Kromm]

First cousin marriages historically are quite common in the US, and by no means unheard of now.

It's outright illegal in most of the US, although it varies state by state.

 

Either surprisingly or unsurprisingly (depending on your point of view) it's the "Blue states" (politically) where it's allowed and the Red States where it was soonest banned. One would think in some ways the traditionalists would have supported it and the people who believe in evolution banned it.  But I guess the evolution-believing states are also the ones who maybe saw it as a civil liberties thing not to ban things as the easy solution.

 

But there's a CULTURAL bias against it even where it's legal. The Civil War is apparently around the time when the main social change against it came along. So yes, historically BEFORE that it wasn't uncommon.  But the Civil War was a LONG time ago now.

 

LEGALLY it's apparently allowed in most of the world, even still. What's against it is convention mostly (admittedly convention based upon a lot of late 19th century/early 20th century social debate on the issues of genetic defects and inbreeding).

 

The important thing here is that Kal-El was raised in KANSAS. The heart of the Red States. Where Cousin marriage has been illegal for the longest.  What do you suppose he's most likely to believe, being raised there?

Edited October 28, 2015 by Kromm