Spoilers Supergirl - Season 1

[Guy Gardener]

Kryptonians normally live under a red Sun and do not have superpowers.

Of course Kara said that she had visited 12 planets in her life, and Grant Morrison postulated that different Stars at different positions in their life cycles eminating different wave lengthed light, cause different reactions/powersets in Kyptonians.

Rather than just the same powers at different levels, considering how weirdly different coloured Kryptonite effects these buggers (in some lore), different stars might/should possibly also create new exotic super powers, and if she's been to 12 planets it's likely that Kara has already experienced other super powers that are only present on specifically different worlds because of the star they are orbiting, that are not part of her powerset on Earth.

 

[Vendikarr]

The most wrenching part of that was in her workout scene with James, where it came out that, to Kara, a normal life is a Kryptonian life. That's the world she was born into and spent the first half of her life in. Which makes her interestingly different from other superpowered characters who yearn for a normal life. For her, unlike for Superman, Earth will always be an alien world. Her wish for normality isn't just about not having to fight crime or not having to sacrifice her social life -- it's driven by a deeper grief at the destruction of her home. I hope next week's episode remembers that.

This revelation makes me hope they adapt Alan Moore's For The Man Who Has Everything. This would be a great story to explore Kara's feelings and perhaps move past them.

 

[Corran Horn]

Ok, I guess I shouldn't have left something I thought was obvious unstated - *not* a midseason show as Dollhouse S1 was.

Why would you want to exclude midseason shows? After all, Supergirl itself premiered in late October, about a month later than typical, so the fact that late-premiering shows often have shorter season orders is clearly relevant here.

Because even though it premiered in late October it's very clearly not a midseason show. And like I'd said, that late premiere is a reason why I think even though it did not receive a back 9 commitment it will still likely get renewed.

 

[Christopher]

Why would you want to exclude midseason shows? After all, Supergirl itself premiered in late October, about a month later than typical, so the fact that late-premiering shows often have shorter season orders is clearly relevant here.

Because even though it premiered in late October it's very clearly not a midseason show.

It doesn't have to be! It's not like full seasons and midseason are the only two options that exist. There are intermediate cases like this one.

And like I'd said, that late premiere is a reason why I think even though it did not receive a back 9 commitment it will still likely get renewed.

That's exactly my point! So why are you treating it like you're disagreeing with me?

 

[Christopher]

Berlanti shoots down the Flash crossover rumor:

http://comicbook.com/2015/11/30/no-supergirl-crossover-planned-for-the-flash-says-greg-berlanti/

 

[Corran Horn]

That's exactly my point! So why are you treating it like you're disagreeing with me?

You seemed to be saying the reason for the shorter season was either for story...

having shorter seasons, because it means less filler and more time to devote to each episode

...or budgetary

Given Supergirl's rather spectacular VFX, a 20-episode season would have more time and money per episode than a 22-episode season and could therefore have better visuals

...and unfortunately I don't think either is the case. I think the limited order is a combination of the late start and the low ratings.

 

[Christopher]

You seemed to be saying the reason for the shorter season was either for story...
...or budgetary
...and unfortunately I don't think either is the case.

No, I'm saying I can imagine multiple non-worrisome reasons why a television series might get a shorter season in this day and age. Of course I'm speaking generally and hypothetically, because I'm not a member of the network or the production staff and therefore have no actual knowledge of the situation. I'm merely pointing out that there are many possibilities.

I think the limited order is a combination of the late start and the low ratings.

And again, the ratings are not "low." Variety explicitly called Supergirl one of the highest-rated network shows of the season. As I've pointed out repeatedly, the pilot's ratings were exceptionally high -- the highest-rated network broadcast of the season, in fact -- and so there was inevitably going to be a dropoff afterward. The episodes since then have merely fallen to a more normal level, which they were expected to do anyway.


Okay, The Hollywood Reporter seems to support what I said about the heavy FX work being a factor in the reduced order and what both of us said about the late premiere being a factor:

Although it's slightly less than the normal 22, the freshman drama debuted a month later than most other new fall offerings. Supergirl also requires more special effects than the average series.

It also mentions that another CBS drama, Code Black, got a shorter extension, only five extra episodes instead of nine. As I've been saying, there's increasingly less uniformity in season lengths these days as the business changes.

 

[Corran Horn]

And again, the ratings are not "low." Variety explicitly called Supergirl one of the highest-rated network shows of the season. As I've pointed out repeatedly, the pilot's ratings were exceptionally high -- the highest-rated network broadcast of the season, in fact -- and so there was inevitably going to be a dropoff afterward. The episodes since then have merely fallen to a more normal level, which they were expected to do anyway.

The pilot ratings were high both because it was a pilot and because it had a great lead-in - possibly the best lead-in available in all of broadcast television right now.

Thankfully they're still at a level where it's likely the show will be renewed. I think it did a 1.6 last night which is safe from cancellation.

Okay, The Hollywood Reporter seems to support what I said about the heavy FX work being a factor in the reduced order and what both of us said about the late premiere being a factor:

Although it's slightly less than the normal 22, the freshman drama debuted a month later than most other new fall offerings. Supergirl also requires more special effects than the average series.

It certainly requires more than something like CSI - but I confess I've never seen that used as an excuse for a limited episode order before for broadcast TV. I could be wrong.

It also mentions that another CBS drama, Code Black, got a shorter extension, only five extra episodes instead of nine. As I've been saying, there's increasingly less uniformity in season lengths these days as the business changes.

Not a great example since that show is certain to be cancelled.

 

[Christopher]

It certainly requires more than something like CSI - but I confess I've never seen that used as an excuse for a limited episode order before for broadcast TV. I could be wrong.

As I've been trying to get across, television is changing. The rules of the past don't necessarily apply anymore. Broadcast TV is under heavy competition from cable and streaming, and shows on cable and streaming frequently have shorter, tighter seasons by choice. If broadcast TV wants to survive, it needs to adapt.

 

[tomalak301]

I loved her scenes in this episode about wanting to be normal...

The most wrenching part of that was in her workout scene with James, where it came out that, to Kara, a normal life is a Kryptonian life. That's the world she was born into and spent the first half of her life in. Which makes her interestingly different from other superpowered characters who yearn for a normal life. For her, unlike for Superman, Earth will always be an alien world. Her wish for normality isn't just about not having to fight crime or not having to sacrifice her social life -- it's driven by a deeper grief at the destruction of her home. I hope next week's episode remembers that.

I get the feeling that's exactly what the next episode will show. She wanted a normal life, now that for some reason she lost her powers, she kinda gets a normal life. I hope they really dig deeper on her loss, and the aftermath of what she realized in last night's episode.

 

[davejames]

Some of the FX work (ex. some flying shots) really need improvement; they are so clearly composite work that in no way looks like she's a part of the environment. The tornado FX were very video game-like.

I actually thought the opening flying shot was some of the most impressive work they've done yet. It finally looked like she was flying through a real sky this time instead of just hanging in front of a green screen.

But I definitely agree that the Red Tornado FX were lacking. The costume already looked cheesy enough, and when you throw in the bad tornado effects and twirling body parts, well... it just wasn't a good combo. Here's hoping this was just a crude prototype suit, and the next time we see him he'll look a helluva lot better

That heat vision though. Kara's looks even more angrier than Kal's.

Yeah that entire scene was just absolutely insane, and the most epic moment on the show by far.

I just hope it's not the last we've seen of Kara angry and pissed off, because it's something she clearly does very well.

 

[Christopher]

I've resigned myself to nobody doing tornado effects right. Everyone assumes that the visible funnel cloud is the entire tornado, that the funnel has to touch something or get right up next to it before affecting it; but actually most of the tornado is the much wider cylinder of high-velocity swirling winds around the funnel cloud. It's basically the same principle as the funnel that forms in the sink or bathtub when water's draining, and you can see there that there's a much wider vortex around the funnel itself. But of course, Hollywood assumes that anything you can't see doesn't exist, so air must not exist, and so a funnel cloud or an explosion or a bed of lava has to visibly touch something in order to have any effect on it.

 

[davejames]

Berlanti shoots down the Flash crossover rumor:

http://comicbook.com/2015/11/30/no-supergirl-crossover-planned-for-the-flash-says-greg-berlanti/

Yeah that did sound pretty unlikely to me. Berlanti and the CW clearly have their hands full this season just launching the new Legends show and coordinating everything with Flash and Arrow, so it's doubtful they'd also have the time to fit in a major crossover with Supergirl as well.

 

[Admiral2]

My favorite scenes were punching out the engine block and Angry Heat Vision. This was first time I thought an episode of this was really good.

 

[davejames]

I loved her scenes in this episode about wanting to be normal...

The most wrenching part of that was in her workout scene with James, where it came out that, to Kara, a normal life is a Kryptonian life. That's the world she was born into and spent the first half of her life in. Which makes her interestingly different from other superpowered characters who yearn for a normal life. For her, unlike for Superman, Earth will always be an alien world. Her wish for normality isn't just about not having to fight crime or not having to sacrifice her social life -- it's driven by a deeper grief at the destruction of her home. I hope next week's episode remembers that.

Yeah Benoist did a really great job in all those scenes. In fact as much as I like seeing her in the costume, the character actually seems to come across a lot more interesting and complex when she's out of the costume on this show, and just simply reacting to Cat or having conversations with her sister or James.

 

[kirk55555]

This was an ok episode. Red Tornado looked stupid, but he did look a bit better in motion then he did in the pictures that came out before the episode. Max Lord and General Lane were both irritating, and Lucy Lane is an ass. I'd say this was a weaker episode overall, but I thought the fights between SG and RT were pretty good.

 

[JD]

I watched the last couple episode this morning.
I like the fact that they actually have Lucy being a decent person. I think it makes these kinds of triangles a lot more interesting when the rival is just as nice as the main character.
I'm liking what they're doing with Maxwell Lord, he's a fun villain. I'm starting to get the impression they are setting up a relationship between him and Alex.
These last few episodes have done a lot to really build Cat's character. I really liked her talk with Kara in last night's episode after Kara lost her temper.
I loved the punching scene with her and James.
Red Tornado was kind of disappointing. I knew that he was coming in as a villain, but I know in the comics he is traditionally more often a hero, so I was really hoping the episode would end with him being redeemed rather than destroyed.
Kara cutting herself at the end was a big shocker for me. I wasn't aware of Kryptonians being able to use up their powers in recent comics, but that does seem to be what's happening here.
The reveal with Henshaw and Alex's father was interesting. I can see two possibilities after the reveal, either he is a cyborg, or he's an alien in disguise and they'll bring back the real Henshaw as Cyborg Superman later. I'm hoping it's the former, because the later would feel a lot like a replay of The Flash Season 1.

 

[FPAlpha]

Jim takes photographs for a living.

30 years ago that might have a job, and almost difficult.

Today, everyone has a cellphone, and you don't have to risk inhaling mercury and going batshit to develop your pictures.

Years ago I read/heard about a newspaper firing all their photographers and giving their reporters new cellphones.

Recently I saw that computer algorithms were replacing journalists by google harvesting facts on a subject and creating original compositions.

If Jim is trying his hardest to benefit society, he's a fuck up.

If Jim is 1/16th assing it, to skate by professing to be an expert in a job a child or a monkey could do, while being paid four times more than a teacher, he's a lazy SOB.

You clearly know little about photography or you are just trying to post your usual nonsense.

While cellphone cameras have gotten pretty good (at least those in the high end smartphones) they can't compete with a professional SLR which professional photographers use. Cellphone cameras are good for snapshots and Facebook pictures but if they have to be used professionally use a professional camera.

Second a good photographer does more than just push the button.. he also knows how to use the technical possibilities of his gear instead of setting everything on Auto and clicking away.

Third and probably most important a good photographer knows far more about picture composition and i'm not talking about paparazzi who just click away like their camera is a machine gun hoping they get one decent picture out of a hundred.

But you know this too so i assume it's just another one of your posts.

As to the episode.. very mixed bag. The villain or main story was laughably bad and i mean 90s level camp/cardboard character cutout bad.

"Red Tornado" (seriously?) could have easily been from Lois & Clark.. hell, a good cosplayer could have made a far better costume than this crap. Everything about that thing was rubbish.. it's as if the writers didn't care a bit to put a little effort in making him halfway interesting (and where did he get a second arm after Supergirl ripped the first off? Did that Doctor dude repair him? And why did no one else mention this?)

There were however two good things about the episode.. Cat Grant rocked this one, especially her heart to heart with Kara in the bar. I feared she'd remain that two note bitch boss for the entire show but i guess there is a human under all that bitch coating. If they ever decide to let Cat find out about Kara that could be one hell of a moment and episode.

Second was heatvision nuclear Supergirl.. that was an awesome scene well supported by the music and properly acted by Benoist. Just well done and really a holy shit moment to see her fully let loose.

 

[shapeshifter]

Pretty good episode, I thought. Lots of good stuff being unpacked here. My favorite thing was how the RT piercing eyes reminded me of Yul Brenner as the Gunslinger in Westworld. I could almost hear my favorite Gunslinger chase theme playing.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

I've resigned myself to nobody doing tornado effects right.

The show had resigned from any resemblance of reality since day 1, so I didn't notice no tornado.

OK, was this the first good episode? It was good. Really good. I don't even know how it got so intense, I am still feeling Kara's anger. So far I've been watching it as a guilty pleasure, but this week may have me rethink my excuses. I may have to admit I am liking it, since it is no longer objectively bad.

Current love situation is a bit in limbo though. Lucy should cheat on Jimmy with Kara ASAP.