S01.E02: Stronger Together

[Tara Ariano]

Kara's confidence as a superhero is shaky at first, and with good reason. But then a threat to National City forces her to cast her doubts aside in order to capture an escapee from the Kryptonian prison Fort Rozz. Elsewhere, Cat pressures James to use his connection to Superman to land her an interview with his cousin.

[Primetimer]

Everyone learns a little something about the value of co-operation. And Kryptonite.

Read the story

[stealinghome]

I thought this episode was a definite step up from the pilot. The second half especially seemed to find the right tone for the show--lighter than something grim'n'gritty'n'dark like Man of Steel but more mature than the Disney cartoon vibe the pilot and first half of this episode had. I liked it. Cut down on the cheese.

 

The first half of the ep really dragged, but from when the sister was taken, it really picked up. I'm intrigued by where they're going with cranky boss.

 

Laura Benanti makes everything better.

 

James and Kara is definitely the money couple. They have much better chemistry than Kara and the best friend (Winn?).

 

I liked Supergirl hovering above her boss, heh.

[AimingforYoko]

This show might not be for me. I appreciated Kara's learning curve and I like the complicated relationship she'll have with the aunt. And I like the gee-whiz enthusiasm of our hero, I really do,  but the way the people talk in National City apparently bears no resemblance to the way people actually talk. Dialogue is a big part of my enjoyment of a show, and this dialogue is Disney Channel-level.

[kdm07]

Kara is adorable!

 

Some genuinely funny moments like the snake and Kara's face when Cat said she might be Superman's girlfriend went a long way in convincing us to stick with it. We (my sister and I) are in it for the long haul.

[nottopbravo]

Supergirl: A warehouse on the corner of 78th and Washington."

 

Wait Supergirl has GPS?  How about "It's in this general direction"
 

Edited November 3, 2015 by nottopbravo

[bmoore4026]

Maxwell Lord, eh?  Potential lover-enemy tension?

[Ltg.jon]

Guys, guys... Perd Hapley is a newscaster in National City. Does this mean Parks & Rec is part of the DC Television Universe? The implications are mind blowing.

[AimingforYoko]

Guys, guys... Perd Hapley is a newscaster in National City. Does this mean Parks & Rec is part of the DC Television Universe? The implications are mind blowing.

If they showed Leslie fangirling over Supergirl, I'd forgive all dialogue sins.

[Pepper the Cat]

I am freaking loving this show.

I loved the part where Supergirl thought she was rescuing a kitten but it was a snake. Little things like that just make me love the show!

[Kromm]

I am freaking loving this show.

I loved the part where Supergirl thought she was rescuing a kitten but it was a snake. Little things like that just make me love the show!

I haven't seen it yet, but it would be doubly hilarious if the Snake's name was "Streaky".

 

That's a Supergirl in-joke... the comic version had a cat named that... also a horse named Comet, who could change into a man who wanted to have sex with her... but that one's a little more complicated.  And if we get winks at these ridiculous but hilarious elements of Supergirl's comic book legend... it could be comedy gold.

[Chicago Redshirt]

I am sticking with it but it's not making life easy.

 

1. Kara says she only found out about Kryptonite the other day (i.e. in the pilot). So again, Superman has held out a pretty important fact of life (that there exists an element that can cause excruciating pain and possibly even death to Kryptonians) from his cousin. Also, one would think that there'd be some information about Kryptonite in the public eye, what with Superman having been operating openly for at least a dozen years (since Kara's arrival and probably some before then) and presumably having faced enemies who used it.

 

2. General Astra is kind of the worst. Rather than try to manipulate Kara into joining her by playing on her family loyalty and naivete, she goes first for the "join me or die approach." And despite being a frigging general, she can't figure out how to take almost-no-training Kara down. Rather than being a poor woman's Zod, I wish they went in another direction with the character. I mean, even without having or using her powers, with even an inkling of the knowledge of Krypton, she would be well positioned to take over the world.

 

3. Number of pep talks Kara needs this episode is, what, 3? Alex, Cat, Jimmy...maybe I'm missing one. Although she does give Jimmy a pep talk too.

 

4. I know that they needed the oil spill thing to kick off the"Supergirl is a noob" thing, but it seems fairly unbelievable that her pulling the can would result in ripping the hull off. Also, with there being a river/bay/lake right there, it seems like it would be pretty easy to just dump a bunch of water on the fire and put it out that way.

 

5. The talking openly about Kara's secret identity several times was also not awesome.

 

6. The reveal that Winn and Jimmy both know the secret was awkward and unfunny. I'm pretty annoyed by Winn and find him redundant and boring.

 

Things I liked

 

1. We got Team Supergirl assembled. 

 

2. I do see Kara as pretty likeable.

 

3. Even though I don't really see the reason why Kara bothers to work at Katco, I do like Kat and her threats and truth bombs. 

Supergirl: A warehouse on the corner of 78th and Washington."

 

Wait Supergirl has GPS?  How about "It's in this general direction"
 

She has various vision powers, so it doesn't seem unlikely she could tell that it was 78th and Washington.

[BkWurm1]

Supergirl: A warehouse on the corner of 78th and Washington."

 

Wait Supergirl has GPS?  How about "It's in this general direction"

 

Or maybe she just read the street signs, lol. 

 

 

The DEO and what their agenda is with Kara is confusing.  Like having Alex show her that her fighting skills aren't up to snuff.  Ok, then tell her you will teach her rather than do it in a way that is designed to make her think the partnership is never going to be allowed.  That was the only misstep in this episode, otherwise, I enjoyed it a lot.

 

Her "save" at the docks was more than a little hilarious.  Oh, the cringing! 

 

Cat remains an interesting character to me.  Deserving of a slap down though.  I was really hoping Kara would do more than just freak her out by taking the limo for a spin.  At least Ms. Grant will be careful for what she demands in the future from James.

 

I ADORE that they are already setting up the difference in mindset between Supes and Kara.  I love that she is using her first hand knowledge of Krypton and the good lessons she learned to help shape her choices here.  Also helps to fill in those little exposition details like "name the alien".  Setting her up as someone that really wants a team and has zero ego about accepting help, that is really refreshing.  I still watch Arrow.  And Gotham.  I have no need for another brooding loner (to be fair, Oliver Queen is doing a bang up job at not brooding this season).

Edited November 3, 2015 by BkWurm1

[BkWurm1]

1. Kara says she only found out about Kryptonite the other day (i.e. in the pilot). So again, Superman has held out a pretty important fact of life (that there exists an element that can cause excruciating pain and possibly even death to Kryptonians) from his cousin. Also, one would think that there'd be some information about Kryptonite in the public eye, what with Superman having been operating openly for at least a dozen years (since Kara's arrival and probably some before then) and presumably having faced enemies who used it.

 

Once she stepped out into the limelight, yeah, he should have passed on that little warning but I guess the DEO beat him to it??  Before that, he probably didn't see any reason to worry her about something she wasn't likely to encounter since no one was targeting her.

 

But as for it being general knowledge, I'd think keeping it hush hush would be a big priority.  Also, it would be in the government's best interest to keep that info quiet. Knowledge is power.

 

 I also suspect that this is NOT Smallville's universe where Kryptonite is strewn about so commonly that they sell it in road side souvenir stands.  I bet it's supposed to be a rare commodity. 

 

Speaking of Kara and Astra's fight- lets keep it grounded in the future since the wire work was painful to watch and I NEVER notice that kind of problems in stunts or special affects.  I have to remind myself that they show makers are on a leaning curve as well.  They'll get better. 

Edited November 3, 2015 by BkWurm1

[ottoDbusdriver]

4. I know that they needed the oil spill thing to kick off the"Supergirl is a noob" thing, but it seems fairly unbelievable that her pulling the can would result in ripping the hull off. Also, with there being a river/bay/lake right there, it seems like it would be pretty easy to just dump a bunch of water on the fire and put it out that way.

 

That immense fire that Winn had on his computer screens was so NOT the fire on the waterfront by that tanker -- even before she blew on it (and somehow managed to even screw that up).  That tanker was never in any real danger.

[thuganomics85]

A decent step up from the pilot, although the second half was really when it improved, since the first part was a bit of my least favorite trope, which the whole "Superhero questions his or hers ability to be a hero" story, but thankfully they blew through that already, so I hope that means that's all out of the show's system. Then again, Arrow has dipped into that pool a few times, so maybe not.

 

I guess we already got a "Team Supergirl", now that Kara has already got Jimmy and Winn on the same page.  We'll see if it works out.  There were a few times I kind of just wanted Jimmy to smack Winn.  I did like the montage of Kara dealing with the normal crimes.  I always like it when superhero shows and films show that part of the job.

 

Kind of loving Alex now.  I don't know if I was suppose to think this way, but I actually liked Alex giving Kara the tough love treatment, and was annoyed that she apologized for it.  I like Kara, but I do think she needed to realize that her strength won't always work by itself, and needs actual fighting skills.

 

Henshaw got more interesting.  What was up with those eyes?

 

Still don't like Cat.  Was kind of wishing Kara would just launch the car into space.

 

Laura Benanti used her crazy-eyes to perfection tonight!  Astra seems like she could be a good antagonist.  But she isn't alone: whose is behind that mysterious voice, that I'm pretty sure belonged to Chris Vance?

 

Even if he wasn't being played by Peter Facinelli, you know someone named "Maxwell Lord" is bound to have a bigger role to play.

 

Totally saw Perd from Parks & Rec as the news anchor!  I'm just going to pretend it's Perd and these two shows share the same universe.

 

Weakest part is the dialogue still.  I know some of it is on purpose, but there is a difference between hokey and "hokey."

[Writing Wrongs]

Maxwell Lord is part of the DC universe.

 

What's the deal with the boss's red eyes? At first I thought Martian Manhunter or something.

 

I would crack up if Cat was like "Miss Danvers, what are you doing up there?"

Edited November 3, 2015 by Writing Wrongs

[Chicago Redshirt]

Thankfully, yes, Kryptonite is probably not anything like in the Smallville universe.

 

But I can't help but be influenced by most versions of the Superman mythos, which have various villains trying to use Kryptonite to kill him from early in his career. I would think that there'd have to be some coverage of these attempts and of the existence of Kryptonite.

 

Of course, Supergirl is its own universe, and I should let it unspool on its own terms.

 

 

 

Henshaw got more interesting.  What was up with those eyes?

 

Hank Henshaw is one of Superman's most powerful villains. He started off as a proxy Reed Richards, who then got the ability to control machinery. In the "Death of Superman" storyline, he was one of the pretender Supermen, the Cyborg/Cyborg Superman. You can read more about all that jazz here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Henshaw

So I think it's safe to say that "Supergirl's" Hank Henshaw is/will become some version of the Cyborg.

Edited November 3, 2015 by Chicago Redshirt

[Kromm]

What's the deal with the boss's red eyes? At first I thought Martian Manhunter or something.

Well, I could suggest why, but the mere speculation is probably spoilery.

 

Then again... who Hank Henshaw is in the comics is hardly a secret. It's not even some drilled down minor detail, it's like the first sentence about him on any character description.

So I think it's safe to say that "Supergirl's" Hank Henshaw

is/will become some version of the Cyborg.

You can even see how they'll do it (or past tense to the series, already have).

Two words: "Alien Tech".  There's a ridiculous origin for him in the comics, but it's an easy one to make far more general here with someone who we know who's job it is to interact with aliens and alien technology. It could be by accident, on purpose, knowingly, unknowingly, gradually, or all at once but hidden... any number of ways.

Edited November 3, 2015 by Kromm

[Sakura12]

They said Superman a bunch of times and Clark Kent, are people happy now? Along with Cat name dropping Lois Lane and Perry White. 

 

This show seems more kiddie flavor than the other super hero shows. I'm okay with it for now. I do like a non broody hero and I like that she's going to learn to fight and not just depend on her powers. Kal El sure has held out a lot from his cousin. I know we can't see him but you'd think he would've called her once in awhile, especially since she was old enough to remember their home planet. 

 

I'm enjoying the sister's relationship as well. That is how you write a caring sibling relationship, Arrow. The eviltwin aunt relationship could be interesting too. 

 

I liked Kara's way to have an interview with her boss. She should make it on her terms she's the one with upper hand. Still not feeling any romantic chemistry with any of the love interests. Friendship chem sure, but not enough for her to think about dating any of them. 

Edited November 3, 2015 by Sakura12

[Lady Calypso]

I definitely thought the first half was too tropey, but the second half got so much better when they allowed the story to actually flow and not having cliches thrown in every direction. First off, I am really, really loving Kara and Jimmy. They have such excellent scenes that it makes me already want them as a couple, but I love their growing friendship too. 

 

The Superman name-dropping felt more natural than it did in the pilot. I also liked the Clark/Lois name drops.

 

Kara's relationship with her sister is one of my favourite parts of the show; I also have to point out that I love that Kara knows about her aunt being the villain. Usually, they'd keep that secret going until at least episode 9 or 10. 

 

Wynn is alright, I guess. I do really like Jeremy Jordan, but I do think his character is pretty boring thus far, and his 'rivalry' with Jimmy isn't interesting. I'd find it more interesting if Wynn wasn't interested in Kara.

 

I like the villain aspect, and I like Henshaw. Kara's boss isn't super interesting to me yet.

[cynic]

Wow, that wire work was really bad. I enjoyed the sparring between the sisters a lot more. In fact, I love that the sister is a well-trained fighter on her own. Some of their relationship is trying and a bit after-school special, but it has potential.

 

I really like the relationship developing between Kara and James. They'll make a beautiful couple.

 

Winn is still super annoying. I hate his jealousy and the Nice Guy vibe to his character.

 

The actress playing Kara is doing great work. 

 

Overall, this episode was an improvement over the pilot. 

[lion10]

I liked this episode and it's interesting to see the dynamics between the Fort Ross prisoners.  I liked seeing Kara flying around helping out on small time crimes and the assembling of Team Supergirl.  It's interesting in that if you compare Kara to Barry and Oliver, she's the only one that is part of two teams, the DEO and Team Supergirl.  Oliver occasionally collaborates with ARGUS so I think having Kara have two teams is an interesting writing choice.  It's kind of early for Kara to meet the big bad isn't it, though I wonder what flashbacks they'll show with Kara and her aunt.  

 

I find it really strange that Kara didn't know about kryptonite, Supes never told her about the one substance other than red sunlight that could depower and kill her?  And I'm really surprised that not!Alura didn't know about kryptonite.  If she's been here as long as Kara has, then surely she knows about Superman and has been following his exploits and so should know about kryptonite.  Idk, I'm not buying Klara and her aunt not knowing about kryptonite.  It's interesting how little it takes to affect a Kryptonian.  At 18% strength Klara was reduced to human-level and all it took were a few kryptonite-laced needles to knock her out.  Any higher than that could easily kill her.  If I were her, warning bells would be going off in my head about the fact that the DEO has a room specifically designed to subdue and kill Kryptonians, especially since the only ones they'd know of would be Clark and Kara.

[Trini]

Heh -- I wonder who has the bigger stockpile of Kryptonite in this universe, Henshaw or Luthor?

[Kromm]

I actually think it's good that the show is burning through so many reveals so quickly, because I think it's become obvious from other shows like this that doing such ultimately helps this kind of show get beyond the cliched and expected stuff. 

[BkWurm1]

Still not feeling any romantic chemistry with any of the love interests. Friendship chem sure, but not enough for her to think about dating any of them.

 

For most of the episode (and last week as well) Kara felt too young for James, but there was a tone change when they spoke on the balcony and talked about accepting help.  I saw a possibility there.  Not completely sold, but I got an inkling. 

 

Wynn is alright, I guess. I do really like Jeremy Jordan, but I do think his character is pretty boring thus far, and his 'rivalry' with Jimmy isn't interesting. I'd find it more interesting if Wynn wasn't interested in Kara.

 

I'm super not interested in a love triangle so yeah, I really hope they give him a graceful way to transition out of love interest.  Given the history of the show runners I'm thinking he's either dead man walking or they are laying the seeds of inevitable betrayal.  The betrayal would work with her wide eyed optimism but killing the guy that has for reasons might turn into a villain but is actually a totally good guy willing to sacrifice everything and they don't know what they had til it was gone is a favorite "twist" of this crowd. 

 

Or maybe the big twist will be NOT killing off a main cast member in the first season. 

[VCRTracking]

Perd Hapley!

[Lantern7]

Interesting that Kryptonite is not that common. So we have flights, tights, and no VotW driven to power on meteor rock? Okay,  then.

 

Anybody else half-expected Vincent Price to laugh when Henshaw's eyes glowed red? Or am I dating myself?

 

Not liking Cat. I know, that's the point, but I keep rooting for her to fall through a sewer grate. She raises valid points about Supergirl, but she does it in the most obnoxious way possible. It's not that great a look.

[Chris24601]

Or maybe the big twist will be NOT killing off a main cast member in the first season. 

Nah, they've still got Henshaw and Auntie to kill off for the main cast deaths of season one.

 

Regarding Winn, its worth noting that there's actually been a non-villainous Toyman in the comics before, a teenage genius who worked as Batman's tech guy for awhile, so that could be the angle they're running with as Kara's tech support (and sewing... he's good at sewing).

 

The thing I found MOST interesting was the show choice to have James fully in the know that Clark and Superman are the same guy (which is basically a first for television). The pilot really left just how much James knew about Superman open to interpretation, but I'm glad the show went that way with it as it does make the "Superman's Pal" aspect of the character feel far more genuine. I also wouldn't be shocked at all if Supergirl runs with the Pre-New52 setup where Clark (now in his mid-thirties) and Lois were happily married to put a narrative capstone on that side of things so the drama can really stay focused on Kara.

 

I also love the bit about Kara not wanting to do the solo hero gig that Superman did. Its something that's been brought up in the comics a few times, particularly with the younger generation of heroes, but the notion was that Superman (and Batman and most of the other first generation heroes) were typically lone heroes who typically solved problems on their own and teaming up was basically a last resort sort of situation, while the younger heroes, many of whom had been members of either the Teen Titans or Young Justice grew up as a team and so tended to get help from their peers a LOT more often.

 

This Kara is basically of that generation in that she's always lived in a world where there's been a Superman in the world and has had a chance, even if just as a bystander, to see what's worked and what hasn't for her cousin. Another nice thing about it is that, unlike say Arrow or Flash which basically had to explain away various tropes like secret identities, costumes and such, Kara's story doesn't have to worry about that much at all because the groundwork for putting on a costume and hiding your identity has already been done by Superman. She got a costume because her cousin had a costume and kept her ID a secret because her cousin did it first.

 

I know a lot of people are calling shenanigans on Kara being able to fight Astra at all due to all the training her aunt would have had, but in thinking about it, Astra's been on Earth for a dozen years now working in secret with all Superman's powers. Being super-strong, fast and invulnerable she hasn't NEEDED to keep her combat skills honed because her baseline powers make her superior to basically everyone except Superman or another Kryptonian. So she got complacent and caught off guard, both by Kara using a maneuver that wasn't "hit it with my powers" and by Henshaw's kryptonite.

 

I REALLY like that Astra's reaction to both is to put her plans on hold until she's figured out how to counter these unexpected threats instead of plunging ahead with the original plan like many a comic book villain would. That's the sort of competence that you need from a season long (at least) villain and it means she's unlikely to fall for the same trick twice. Kara's definitely going to need that training because Astra's not going to be complacent either.

 

I'd say the season is off to a solid start.

[TLoyd]

Kara's voice overs are my Kryptonite. Like that guy who couldn't handle Mary Hart's voice long long ago.  

 

Melissa Benosit is doing a ok job over all much better than her gig on glee,  but I do not see voice over work in her future. I liked the sister better this episode, Jeremy Jordan is doing nothing for me and the evil twin thing is so corny.  Wish Laura Benanti had comedy instead of so solemn Mom or caricature villain.

 

It isn't grabbing me so I am still on the fence I guess. 

[Hollysdower]

That immense fire that Winn had on his computer screens was so NOT the fire on the waterfront by that tanker -- even before she blew on it (and somehow managed to even screw that up).  That tanker was never in any real danger.

 

No, it was not. Not even close. But that 's really the only complaint I have about this episode. It moved along much faster than the pilot, and had plenty of action, while still managing to show that super-heroing has a learning curve. Can't wait to see how this interview turns out. Also can't wait to find out what's up with Henshaw's eyes.

[VCRTracking]

I like Laura Beranti as evil auntie way more than as saintly mom or saintly mom who's now an AI.

 

I'd like to thank the person on Twitter who coined "Kryptonite Danger Room".

Edited November 3, 2015 by VCRTracking

[WhosThatGirl]

I'm not shipping Kara with anyone, honestly. Even though the show probably wants me to. I really like Melissa here better than I ever did when she was on Glee. I'm very surprised by that. But I'm not feeling anything with any of these guys.

I like the sister but maybe that's because I have a soft spot for the actress. So, what is the consensus on Alex's coworker? Evil alien or good alien? Whenever someone's eyes flash red, I always pinpoint it to evil. But I feel that would be too on the nose.

[Oscirus]

I'm on the fence about this episode. I love that Kat somehow unknowingly (?) became Kara's hero, but on the other hand, I'm not a fan of her getting what she wants through blackmail.

 

I like that Jimmy, sorry James, has an interesting backstory, but on the other hand, get a backbone. You're a Pulitzer prize winner, she needs you not vice versa. Also, stop the frigging close talking. I get it, you're Kara's love interest.

 

I love that the show put her up against the supposed season 1 villain early, but I'm a bit disappointed that they're basically on equal ground. 

 

I like Kara's message about learning this superhero thing together. But having them report crimes while you fight them is not that.

 

As for the rest, I like Alex even if I'm starting to get tired of the forced conflict in their relationship. Winn is annoying, Hank is intriguing.

[Winston Wolfe]

 

What's the deal with the boss's red eyes? At first I thought Martian Manhunter or something.

My guess is there's a 99.99% chance you're correct based on one key piece of dialogue that went unexplored (pure speculation here, not a spoiler).  But if it is him, that would be really, really cool.  And opens the door to some potentially great storylines going forward.

 

Loving the show so far, but a few minor things still bug.  Like Winn's constant references to Kara's costume not being bulletproof.  I'd love for the writers of this show to read some of John Byrne's Superman stuff from the comics and transfer a bit of that mythos here.  In Byrne's Supes universe, anything Clark wore that was within a quarter inch or so of his skin was indesctructible because of a bio-electric aura that his body generated.  Using that same logic, Kara shouldn't have smelled like gasoline after saving that ship since that same nuance of her power would have protected her from that.

 

Since the show is so big on exposition - and there are likely so many new viewers not familiar with the Superman canon, a little explanation of how Kryptonian powers work in this universe might be nice.  Ok, we get that whole "I've got the same powers as my cousin" thing, but what does that mean exactly?  Do you both have micro-scopic vision?  Infra-red vision?  In this new universe, the writers have a really nice opportunity to re-define things just like Byrne did 30 years ago.  His Supes had some really cool little quirks, like being able to sense when he's been photographed.

 

Overall, inperfect as it is, two episodes in Supergirl has all the makings of a promising show and I'm looking forward to the ride.

Edited November 3, 2015 by Winston Wolfe

[Kromm]

I'm willing to bet that Kryptonite dagger Henshaw used on Astra comes back. I mean really, for all his blowhardiness on how sloppy Supergirl is, he just let the one thing that can kill her out of his possession.

 

Whoops!

[Kromm]

Interesting that Kryptonite is not that common. So we have flights, tights, and no VotW driven to power on meteor rock? Okay,  then.

You only need one dagger to kill Supergirl. And Hank Henshaw just handed one to her biggest enemy.

[cambridgeguy]

I'm not sure why Kara had to arrive in costume when meeting James and Winn in the alley (the roof actually is a better place) but having one or both of them as mission control is a decent idea.

 

Superman being MIA will always be weird when the big stuff happens (you'd think his evil aunt's diabolical plan would warrant a visit), especially since Kara doesn't have a problem asking for help.  I guess he only likes talking to dead Kryptonians?

[LisaM]

I liked it. Melissa does a very good job as Kara and Supergirl. Glad that Laura Benanti's part was expanded to twins. Cat Grant is still too one tone for me.

 

Not sold on Chyler Leigh as the sister but I definitely like how she is also a badass warrior -- as opposed to a typical human weakling.

[Sakura12]

Considering Superman seems to have ignored Kara most his life, I can see why he doesn't come help her. Despite being her cousin, he's as much a legend to her as he is to everyone else. He's probably letting her do her own hero-ing. As for meeting other family, he's never met his other family he was a baby when he left Krypton. What makes this show interesting is Kara was 13ish. Kal El has only had one home on Earth, Kara's had two. She remembers her home planet and her family. And has some knowledge of the other species which Superman never had. 

Edited November 3, 2015 by Sakura12

[Misanthrope]

OK, I'm really loving this show except for two things:

1) This show seems to take place in the same universe as Man Of Steel, yet Arrow and The Flash don't. Why, exactly?

2) They're lighting and shooting Calista Flockhart with some crazy filter on the lens like that bit Beth Littleford used to do on the Daily Show when she'd parody Barbara Walters (see also: any shot in CSI: Original Recipe with Marg Helgenberger), and it's distracting as hell. She's a lovely woman! There's no need to smear Vaseline on the lens!

[Kromm]

This show seems to take place in the same universe as Man Of Steel

What makes you think that? Did I miss something, because I haven't seen any indication of that.

[Kromm]

What makes this show interesting is Kara was 13ish. Kal El has only had one home on Earth, Kara's had two. She remembers her home planet and her family. And has some knowledge of the other species which Superman never had. 

Well also a clear philosophical difference. Although to be fair, the show kind of pulled that difference out of the asses of the writers, because Superman? Hell. A founding member of The Justice League. So Kara's claim that he's a loner and not a team player?  Heck, even Man of Steel Superman isn't that, because even that version, by the time he's the age he would have to be relative to the timeline of this series (mid 30s) would have already be well established as a team-belonging hero.

 

Ergo, this has to be something of an alternate take on Supes to portray him as such a loner.

[Chris24601]

1) This show seems to take place in the same universe as Man Of Steel, yet Arrow and The Flash don't. Why, exactly?

Well, over on The Flash, they just confirmed the existance of at least 52 parallel Earths and CBS was pretty firm that they didn't want any crossovers with CW shows (at least not yet) so my guess is that Superman and Supergirl exist on a different Earth than Arrow/Flash/Legends of Tomorrow... which is good in a way because its very hard to come up with threats to one that wouldn't just wipe the floor with the rest of the Justice League combined (Supergirl broke the sound barrier in the first minutes of episode two... the Flash took about half a season to get there if I recall).

 

ETA: On Superman being a loner... All of the Justice League pretty much are loners in that they have most of their adventures as solo heroes and only come together as a team for the big threats, as opposed to say, the X-Men who have always been a team right from the start. Its a subtle thing, but Superman doesn't call in Batman to help him deal with crime problems in Metropolis unless the Joker has shown up and Green Lantern isn't going to be called in just because some random supervillain is threatening the city, even if having two of them vs. the villain greatly minimizes the chances for collateral damage. By contrast, the younger generation heroes who grew up working together crossed-over in the comics a LOT more often and for much more trivial reasons (ex. one time Superboy went and hung out on a nightly patrol with Robin and Batgirl just because he was bored... hijinx ensued).

Edited November 3, 2015 by Chris24601

[Kromm]

Well, over on The Flash, they just confirmed the existance of at least 52 parallel Earths and CBS was pretty firm that they didn't want any crossovers with CW shows (at least not yet) so my guess is that Superman and Supergirl exist on a different Earth than Arrow/Flash/Legends of Tomorrow... which is good in a way because its very hard to come up with threats to one that wouldn't just wipe the floor with the rest of the Justice League combined (Supergirl broke the sound barrier in the first minutes of episode two... the Flash took about half a season to get there if I recall).

Yeah, but to me more accurate "A Superman". Not necessarily THE Superman.  The Man of Steel Superman and the Supergirl-verse Superman probably aren't the same one.

 

Even the little we know supports this. Supergirl and Man of Steel are both set in a contemporary 2010-decade seeming environment. But Man of Steel Superman is just becoming active in that time period, whereas Supergirl-verse Superman has been active for at least a dozen years. At the very least that also makes Supergirl-verse Superman older--in his mid 30s vs, his early 20s.  Also, the "story" we're hearing in the Supergirl-verse doesn't include a backstory of Superman being a pariah who helped destroy a city. Although he supposedly also had troubles at first, per Mr. Olsen, they haven't seemed to marr his reputation.

 

I will say it's fortunate there was no Jimmy Olsen in Man of Steel to contradict this one. But everything else does, even if mostly just implied.

[Jediknight]

There are not many television shows that can't be improved by a little Pat Benatar.

 

I'm guessing Hank is Martian Manhunter, the red eyes and because of a line he said. 

The line about having a family once.

 

Liked this episode.  And yeah Kara continues to be adorable, you just want to hug her.

Edited November 3, 2015 by Jediknight

[Kromm]

I'm guessing Hank is Martian Manhunter, the red eyes and because of a line he said. 

The line about having a family once.

Sorry to ruin a theory, but Cyborg Superman's plotline also has a dead family too (at least a dead wife he's grieving for).  Not saying that this might not be a fake out where they pull a character switch and make the person we think is Cyborg Superman into Martian Manhunter. It IS possible. But if they go more straightforward and just make him who the character seems to be, then the dead family thing is hardly shoehorned.

[dusang]

1) This show seems to take place in the same universe as Man Of Steel, yet Arrow and The Flash don't. Why, exactly?

 

I don't think Supergirl and Man of Steel are in the same universe -- just on simple timeline issues, both appear to take place in present day but in MoS (and BvS) he's new on the scene and in Sueprgirl, Superman had revealed himself by the time she landed and it's been 10-12 years since then.  So Supergirl appears to be working with a different Superman than the MoS version.  Also, her Ep1 intro said she was in the Phantom Zone for 24 years, right?  So Superman landed 24 years before she did and had already revealed himself - in MoS he specifically says he's been there for 33 years before he revealed himself.  Even if they are in the same universe (and the concept of "present day" is relative and fluid), the storylines are separated by nearly a decade within that universe.

 

(Or what Kromm said.)

Edited November 3, 2015 by dusang

[Kromm]

I don't think Supergirl and Man of Steel are in the same universe -- just on simple timeline issues, both appear to take place in present day but in MoS (and BvS) he's new on the scene and in Sueprgirl, Superman had revealed himself by the time she landed and it's been 10-12 years since then.  So Supergirl appears to be working with a different Superman than the MoS version.  Also, her Ep1 intro said she was in the Phantom Zone for 24 years, right?  So Superman landed 24 years before she did and had already revealed himself - in MoS he specifically says he's been there for 33 years before he revealed himself.  Even if they are in the same universe (and the concept of "present day" is relative and fluid), the storylines are separated by nearly a decade within that universe.

 

(Or what Kromm said.)

The one part I appear to be wrong about is the age of Superman. I (wrongly) assumed he was quite young in Man of Steel, not in his 30s.

 

That said, the fact remains that we know that the Supergirl-verse Superman has, as you say, been Superman-ing for at least as long as Kara has been on Earth (since he's in costume when he rescues her from the pod). So at least 12 years. And Man of Steel Superman is brand new to the Superhero biz. But if those are incidents in the same universe happening 12+ years apart... we don't really see any sign of it in the society.

Edited November 3, 2015 by Kromm

[Chris24601]

Yeah, but to me more accurate "A Superman". Not necessarily THE Superman.  The Man of Steel Superman and the Supergirl-verse Superman probably aren't the same one.

Right. I guess I should have clarified that I was responding to the Superman as a lone hero remarks and not to the claim that Supergirl takes place in the same universe as "Man of Steel" (they clearly do not). The design of Krypton and its tech doesn't match (compare the solid Jor-El hologram of MoS to the transparent one of Alura in Supergirl and the shap of Kal-El's pod in MoS vs. Kal and Kara's pods, etc.), the sheer decadence and decay of Krypton doesn't match, the meaning of House El's symbol is different ("Hope" in MoS, the first glyph of a family motto "Stronger Together" in Supergirl), the timeline doesn't match (Superman would have been about 25 when he found Kara... about when his career first started in most comics, vs. not even making his first appearance until 33 in MoS).

 

There's just no way that Supergirl lines up with "Man of Steel" at all (and if they ever did do a guest spot by Superman, Lois and/or Perry White there's no way they're getting the actors from MoS to play the roles there anyway).

 

As to the line about the costume not being bulletproof, the comics have gone back and forth on that for ages... originally it was just clothes and they didn't put much thought into it, by the silver age it had been made using fabric from the indestructable baby blankets he came to Earth in (Martha apparently unwove and then rewove the stuff since she couldn't even cut the threads of the blanket... how that works I leave to Silver Age whackiness). The force field was an Iron Age concept to explain why his clothes didn't rip but his cape could and then in the Modern/Mercury age they went back to his invulnerability being entirely based on his skin being impervious and his costume was made from the baby blankets, but that the material could be cut by his heat vision and finally the New52 kept the indestructable skin but changed the costume into morphable self-repairing kryptonian battle armor (so the cape and long sleaves and such could disappear when his outfit as Clark required it to).

 

So yeah, depending on which version they use Kara's costume could totally be non-bullet proof (though I tend to suspect they're doing the Iron Age aura thing because bullets bounced off her chest with no damage to the costume in the pilot... but that could also just be early installment weirdness and Kara will have to worry about bullet induced clothing malfunctions down the line).

 

I think the poster who said we need to hear some 'in universe' explanations for Kryptonian powers so we know just which set we're dealing with is spot on. Some early evaluations on that include;

 

-Given the stress fractures to the tanker and to the plane when she applied super-strength I think we can rule out the whole 'lifting field' thing they did in the Iron Age (basically his force field holds the objects he's lifting together even though by rights the object should just snap in half from the weight being supported on an area the size of two human hands). That actually helps at the production level though as it means they won't ever need to do CGI of Supergirl (or Superman) lifting an entire ship or something... if she's picking it up it'll have to be something small enough that a hydraulic jack wouldn't damage it either and that means they can just use hydraulic jacks/lifts and camera angles and not expensive CGI when she's using her superstrength.

 

-If there's no lifting field in play, then that supports both Kara's assertion of smelling like burning oil (which would not penetrate a protective energy field) and Winn's statement to remember that the suit isn't indestructable (though its probably made of the same stuff as the second cape in the pilot so its at least bullet resistant) and probably relegates the bullets not damaging the suit from the pilot to the realm of early installment weirdness.

 

-We see that both Astra and one other Kryptonian both have the same blue heat vision as Kara does so the choice of color is a specific design for Kryptonians in general and not something special to Kara (i.e. her heat vision burns hotter than Kal's or something). Different choice given the traditional red or more realistic 'heat waves' from Smallville, but interesting... also worth noting that apparently there's at least some physical mass to the beams if they can intercept and even deflect each other like they did in the fight between Kara and Astra... maybe they're more like particle beams in this version?

 

-Though Kara CAN go supersonic, it appears she has to push a bit to get there (i.e. something she could do over the distance of a city to arrive in the nick of time, but not something she could sustain for say, a cross country flight). If the same goes for Superman then it also explains why Superman's not routinely flying from Metropolis on the East Coast to National City on the West Coast on a regular basis because even at Mach One its probably a ten hour round trip.