me too. i have to wonder if the Arrow/Flash spin-off will be more of the same.
Spoilers Supergirl - Season 1
- Thread starter Commander Richard
- Start date
Oliver and Barry need a command and control because they don't have super hearing and X-Ray Vision.
Frankly, i'm tired of the recycled "futuristic world" overused on the ST shows, SW prequels, and so many other movies. I loved the crystalline Krypton because it has nothing to do with earth-influenced architecture, or lazy CG artists who continue to rip and recycle the same visuals over and over again.
Well, its still lighter--not wholly brown. I think there's a conscious reason behind that.
In reference to another member's complaint about the use of a computer jockey feeding the crimes to the hero to solve--that's the computer-as-indispensable-substitute mind gimmick of too many TV series today. Its a belief that if some techie is not involved, a hero in the field cannot think or solve problems for themselves.
This episode did the same for Cat that it did for Jimmy: Clarifying that the character had the familiar backstory, but has now grown beyond it into a new role. It's interesting that this show is essentially a sequel/spinoff to a Superman series that never existed. (Although that's a format that's been done at least once before, with Birds of Prey.)
Didn't the Superman: Birthright comic define it as the Kryptonian symbol for hope?
I do find it kind of weird that the members of the House of El wore the symbol on their chests constantly, even when they were alone at home. Even little Kara's jammies had an S-shield! Isn't that sort of overkill? Although it does help explain why Kara is so comfortable wearing the Supergirl costume. I'm still loving how they're treating the costume as her DEO "work clothes," how she wears it whenever she's with them even though her civilian identity is pretty much an open secret there.
I'm afraid I was a bit distracted by that weird clump of white hair woven into Astra's coif. Nothing against the idea of a skunk stripe, but the execution of it was unconvincing.
What I imagine she should've done was to unhook the mooring ropes, take hold of all of them, and tow the ship out that way. That's the way it was designed to be towed by a tugboat, with the forces distributed over its frame rather than concentrated on a single point, so it should've been able to handle it.
These days it's hard to find shows that don't involve characters carrying on conversations with people who aren't in the same room, whether over the phone or through an earbud. It's a pretty common convention of modern shows, and not just these superhero shows. Look at something like Leverage, where the five team members are constantly talking and listening to each other through earbuds while they're carrying out a scam. Or countless cop and detective shows where the characters are routinely talking on their phones as they investigate matters in different locations. We live in an age of remote communication, and modern shows are written to reflect that.
Anyway, the question of how a superhero finds out about crimes is one that's evolved over time. In the original concept, Clark Kent took a job at a newspaper because that was the place where he would be in the best position to hear promptly about crimes or crises in progress. That model no longer works in the Internet age.
I have always thought of Birds of Prey as a sequel to the Tim Burton Batman films. Not the Schumaker films. Just the Burton films.
Part of me wants to associate Supergirl with Superman Returns, but I am also really trying to avoid that.
Well, not really. It was a sequel to an idiosyncratic Batman universe in which Batman waged a secret war against metahumans, including Catwoman, with whom he conceived a daughter early in his career. It had Burtonian elements, sure, but it drew on all sorts of precedents. Barbara Gordon's Batgirl costume was a repaint of the costume from Batman and Robin; the Joker had Mark Hamill's voice and Harley Quinn as his henchwoman; and Batman was played by the guy from the OnStar commercials. It was a world with Burton/Schumacher sensibilities, because it came out before Nolan offered a new take on cinematic Batman, but it was its own distinct, weird version that drew on a hodgepodge of influences.
Part of me wants to associate Supergirl with Superman Returns, but I am also really trying to avoid that.
Would never work. SR was meant to be set in the Donner Superman universe, where Krypton was a sterile, forbidding world of crystals. The Krypton we're seeing here is its own entity, though with some visual similarities to the Man of Steel Krypton. Also, in the Donner/Singerverse, Jor-El was the one who sentenced villains to the Phantom Zone rather than Alura.
Not to mention that the Donner version has its own Supergirl spinoff already, though Returns presumably disregards it along with the other post-II sequels.
Not a bad second episode. This show excels when they focus attention on Supergirl and her growth as a person and a hero. I hope that mean ol' Aunt Astra turns out to be a compelling villain because so far all the villains have been forgettable at best.
I liked the training, Kara confronting the limits of her power and the consequences of her inexperience.
I also like how Cat Grant is becoming a mentor for Supergirl, although Cat doesn't realize it. This is a nice change from the stereotypical "mean woman" boss that harasses the heroine and treats her horribly. It would be nice to see that relationship deepen and improve.
Winn is disposable. Seriously - please jettison him and let Supergirl find her own targets.
I liked the training, Kara confronting the limits of her power and the consequences of her inexperience.
I also like how Cat Grant is becoming a mentor for Supergirl, although Cat doesn't realize it. This is a nice change from the stereotypical "mean woman" boss that harasses the heroine and treats her horribly. It would be nice to see that relationship deepen and improve.
Winn is disposable. Seriously - please jettison him and let Supergirl find her own targets.
I would tend to agree about Winn. Hacker friend calling the shots from home doesn't seem as necessary when she's working with a big, well-funded government operation. And she has James (god help me, it's sticking) as the co-worker/confidant, who could also call the shots from his computer if needed. And Kara spends her days acting like Felicity and has a quirky, comic-relief boss. Winn just seems to be there to fill a slot in the existing Arrowverse formula, but comes off as completely redundant.
In addition, I have to remind myself who he is every time I see him during an episode. It seems even the writers recognize how forgettable he is as they had him relate to James how he designed Kara's suit. "See! I did something!"
That was a very strong episode. It easily could have aired the same night as the first episode and it would have felt like it was planned as a 2 hour Pilot. Even through it was not. Everything is bettered fleshed out here.
I am also glad that Jimmy and Cat's past in Metropolis is clearer now. I remember when the character breakdown for Cat Grant was first leaked. At the time was no sense that her comic book history was any part of this version. Same with Win Schott. Which was presumed to be a new take on the Toyman. But they recently cast Henry Czerny as his father Winslow Schott Sr. The traditional Toyman. So Win seems similar to Tommy Meryln.
I am also glad that Jimmy and Cat's past in Metropolis is clearer now. I remember when the character breakdown for Cat Grant was first leaked. At the time was no sense that her comic book history was any part of this version. Same with Win Schott. Which was presumed to be a new take on the Toyman. But they recently cast Henry Czerny as his father Winslow Schott Sr. The traditional Toyman. So Win seems similar to Tommy Meryln.
It's entirely necessary, because the big government organization is only concerned with alien threats and can't be bothered with street-level crime or accidents or fires or the like. Remember, in the pilot, the DEO actively prevented Kara from putting out that fire by knocking her out before she could get to it. The least they could've done was wait until the fire was out, but they didn't. So evidently they don't much care what happens to ordinary people while they're pursuing their anti-alien agenda. And that's why it's necessary for Supergirl to have help from people like Winn and James, who just want to help her protect the city and its populace. They and the DEO represent two different sides of her life.
Actually I'd say that Winn is her Jimmy Olsen, while James is her Lois Lane and Cat is her Perry White. So it's a formula, but it's one that's seventy-odd years older than the Arrowverse.
Unless they surprise us, they have settled into the formula much quicker than either Arrow or the Flash. Most of the cast knows her secret and she is already in (basically) her traditional costume and being called Supergirl. It was what 5 or 6 episodes until Barry fully took on the name The Flash.
Henshaw has his secret but its nothing to the complicated relationship Barry and Wells had. Barry saw Wells as a mentor. Henshaw showed distrust of Kara from the beginning.
If once Henshaw's secret is exposed Kara breaks off from the DEO she has her separate personal team.
Henshaw has his secret but its nothing to the complicated relationship Barry and Wells had. Barry saw Wells as a mentor. Henshaw showed distrust of Kara from the beginning.
If once Henshaw's secret is exposed Kara breaks off from the DEO she has her separate personal team.
Exactly. The nerd and/or weird sidekick / hacker is overused. From Leverage (Hardison) to Criminal Minds (Garcia), its become a worn, 21st century TV character cliché.
James--from what we see so far--is Kara's true confidant, and has the most intimate knowledge of her heritage outside of her cousin & criminal aunt. With his journalism experience (and we can assume experience with big city crime and the kind of threats best left to Superman), he can provide insight that Winn would not.
True. Again, he's just a modern TV character cliché that adds nothing to the plot--unless he's shoehorned into future conflicts.
So very true about Winn.
In the "Stronger Together" Extended Promo #2, there's two suggestive clips: one of Kara (while dancing with James) and their exchange:
James: "Kara, you leap into the sky, head first into danger, and you don't seem scared of falling."
Kara: "What's so bad about falling?"
Then, another--where the two are embracing during a seemingly serious moment:
Kara: "I don't wanna let go."
James: "I don't want to, either."
Both could be referencing other events--something that one or other has to deal with, or--as the teaser intended--to suggest a possible romance between the two. I am also aware of the shot of Winn kissing Kara on the cheek, but it seems if she's going to be involved with anyone, it would be James. The chemistry (and scripting) is there.
Thoughts on Hank Henshaw from ew.com:
http://www.ew.com/article/2015/11/02/supergirl-hank-henshaw-cyborg-superman
http://www.ew.com/article/2015/11/02/supergirl-hank-henshaw-cyborg-superman
But, as I also pointed out, James could fill that role just as easily.
I was under the impression that it was set as a trap. There were probably no civilians in danger.
Either way, his role may sound good on paper, but in practice and on this show, it's not working so far. For every niche that he might fill, he seems redundant with at least one other cast member.
Well the ratings dropped 29% and to 8.9 million viewers without Big Bang as a lead in. Which was expected but still a bit concerning...
http://www.ew.com/article/2015/11/03/supergirl-ratings-fall
http://www.ew.com/article/2015/11/03/supergirl-ratings-fall
I liked the episode, but I agree with the others that Winn is unnecessary, and eventually he'll just have to be rescued by Super Girl. They should go really dark and just kill him off and give SG a real edge.
I'm still on the fence about Cat. She's a bitch, but that seems too one-dimensional, and there has to be some sort of other angle to her. Hopefully something will change in the new few weeks.
I'm still on the fence about Cat. She's a bitch, but that seems too one-dimensional, and there has to be some sort of other angle to her. Hopefully something will change in the new few weeks.
Except he's a photographer and art director, not a hacker. And he's a potential love interest, while Winn is stranded in the Friend-tom Zone. They clearly fill different niches.
Key words, "so far." We're two weeks into a show that has a season-long arc planned out. It's safe to assume they have plans for Winn beyond what we've seen yet. I mean, they wouldn't have made him the Toyman's son for nothing. We saw this week how James and Cat work as legacy characters, informed by their history as part of Superman's story. As Toyman's son, Winn is bound to be influenced in some way by the legacy he carries from the bad-guy side of the Superman narrative. Whether that's through becoming a bad guy himself, dedicating himself to repudiating that legacy, unwittingly compromising Supergirl because of his relationship with his father, or something else remains to be seen. The fact that he likes Maxwell Lord is probably bound to become significant as well.
He might have more of a niche if he weren't in on her secret...somebody at work who'd be paying enough attention to her comings and goings for her to make lame excuses to.
And James could just as easily be hacker guy if they'd written him to fill that role.
Has it been established that he's supposed to be Toyman's son? I thought he was just Toyman, or named after him.
And James could just as easily be hacker guy if they'd written him to fill that role.
Has it been established that he's supposed to be Toyman's son? I thought he was just Toyman, or named after him.