Supergirl: Season One (2015-16) - Written Review

Supergirl follows Kara Zor El, a Kryptonian who was sent to Earth by her family protect her younger cousin Kal. As they travel to the planet, however, Krypton's destruction causes Kara's pod to become knocked off-course into the Phantom Zone - where time doesn't even exist. 24 years later, Kara finally arrives on Earth, but discovers that Kal has grown up to become Superman. With her cousin saving the world, Kara resorts to living a normal life until a crashing plane causes her to reveal herself to the world as a superhero. Now called Supergirl, Kara joins her sister and her boss Hank Henshaw of the DEO to save National City from any extraterrestrial threats...

Based upon the character created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino, Supergirl was developed by Ali Adler, Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg - the latter two of which developed Arrow, The Flash and DC's Legends of Tomorrow - for CBS Television. The show follows a similar format to that of The Flash, with many villains-of-the-week which Supergirl and her team have to face, as well as including a season "big bad" built-up over the 20 episodes. Part of me wonders if it was the success of The Flash that got Supergirl commissioned in the first place, but even so The Flash's influence on the series is a positive one. The lighter tone and occasional cheese actually works really well for Supergirl - certainly much better than the gritty and dour tone of Zack Snyder's Man of Steel. There are some familiarities between both shows, but I think both easily stand on their own.

Melissa Benoist stars as the titular heroine, and I honestly couldn't think of anyone better than her to play this role. She looks the part, she acts the part and really embodies the character. She has great chemistry with all of the other members of the cast, and really sticks out as being the best casting choice in the series. Benoist works well as both the more bubbly Kara Danvers but can also very much hold her own as Supergirl in the fight sequences. I should also give credit to the actress who plays the younger Kara, who is featured in various flashbacks over the season.

David Harewood plays Hank Henshaw - the leader of the DEO with a mysterious past - and is consistently great in the role, being likeable enough but also having a definite sense of mystery and secrecy about him that helps to build-up his story-line. Once all is revealed he gets a lot more material to work with and I think he really throws himself into the show.

Initially I thought Calista Flockhart was quite annoying as Cat Grant, but as the season went on and the show expanded on her character and her dynamic with Kara, somehow the writers managed to fix her character without completely re-writing her, and it works very well. I do hope she returns for a second season.

The rest of the cast are all good in their respective roles, and while I've already mentioned the standouts, I must give credit to Peter Facinelli as the villainous Maxwell Lord and Jeremy Jordan as Kara's ultimately likeable friend Winn. If there is one weak link in the cast its with James Olsen - played by Mehcad Brooks. While it is by no means Brooks' fault, the character of James Olsen in the series is very different to previous iterations, meaning that I didn't even recognise the character from the Superman films at first. The way he's written means that Brooks is playing a completely different character, and the character he does play seems very generic. Thankfully though Mehcad Brooks is very likeable in the role, so saves the character from being too dull.

The overall production values of the series are quite mixed. There is some very fake-looking CGI in the Pilot which over time greatly improves. The flying sequences are well-directed and there is some very well-done aerial combat but the odd shot or two doesn't quite ring true. It is also very disappointing that one of the main alien characters has a CGI head instead of prosthetics or make-up, but then again some of the costumes and make-up can look a bit rubbish - such as with villains Red Tornado, Indigo and Silver Banshee. Supergirl herself, however, has a great costume, and some of the villains fair better than others. While most of the effects and make-up hold up well, you can see the restrictions of a TV budget in many places, which is a shame. The series is shot very well by its directors and cinematographers though, with some particularly great action sequences involving a mixture of stunts, wire-work and CGI. Apparently though the show did have various budgetary issues - with the Pilot reportedly costing around $14 million to produce (and the season costing nearly $70 million) - which has now caused the series to be moved from CBS to the CW in the US, with the budget slashed and a new filming location in Vancouver. While this does mean that Supergirl is in the same place as it's other DC shows, it does reflect the behind the scenes challenges on the series.

The writing for the show can feel a little generic at points, and some of the characters can seem a little flat. There is a certain cartoon logic to the episodes which means that there are plot-holes and the odd strange leap in terms of logic. Some of the villains' origin stories are a little far-fetched, but the light and fluffy tone of the series suggests that Supergirl is hardly taking itself seriously in the first place. It's a tonal approach that may not work for some, but I think in a TV landscape where so many shows are dour and grim, it's nice to watch something fun and silly for a change. I think it will appeal to a family audience, and I can imagine that I would have absolutely loved the show when I was younger. There's a sense of childish excitement in Supergirl that makes it very endearing, even if some of the writing isn't pitch-perfect - although it does get better as the series goes on.

Blake Neely composes the score for Supergirl, after writing the soundtracks for both Arrow and The Flash, and I think that this is a bit of a step-down from those two shows. While Neely makes a great main theme, the soundtrack isn't very distinctive or memorable, and the large amounts of electronic and synthesised music at points doesn't quite fit the series. The score lacks the impact of John Williams' Superman theme or Hans Zimmer's motif for Man of Steel, and I do feel that it is a bit of a shame, given how great Neely's work on other shows, such as The Mentalist or the formerly-mentioned Arrow and The Flash.

Overall, I think Supergirl is a very enjoyable series that acts as fun family entertainment. I think that if you switch your brain off and enjoy it for what it is, you'll really like Supergirl. The series never bored me, and there were some really fun episodes in there, such as the Flash crossover. I was also happy with the way the main story arc was resolved. It didn't feel rushed and was paced surprisingly well. The main villain was a little dull but I think the series worked in what it actually wanted to be about, in this case heroism. Supergirl herself is a flawed character who's always trying to be the hero for everyone, and in many ways I think the character is as inspiring to the audience as she is to the people of National City. So yes, I think Supergirl is good, solid entertainment that I'd recommend particularly to Superman fans and as family viewing. It's a lot of fun with a fantastic lead actress and I look forward to see where the series goes in its second season.