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<i>Supergirl</i> Series Premiere – “Pilot” Spoiler Free Advance Review. Up, Up, and Away.

Season 1, Episode 1

Air Date: Monday, October 26, 2015, 8:30/7:30c on CBS.

Rating: ★★★★★

“I didn’t travel 2,000 light years just to be an assistant.” – Kara Danvers

How much does Jimmy know about Kara?

As the planet Krypton faces imminent destruction, Jor-El and Lara (both uncredited) place their infant son Kal-El (uncredited) in a spaceship and send it to Earth moments before Krypton explodes. While Kal-El grows up on earth as Clark Kent, the world knows him as Superman (Kevin Caliber).

What you may not know is Kal-El’s cousin, Kara Zor-El (Malina Weissman), was sent in a separate ship by her mother, Alura Aor-El (Laura Benanti), to protect Kal-El. Her ship got caught in the Phantom Zone, a region in space where time doesn’t pass. Arriving 24 years later, her mission to protect Kal-El is no longer necessary. Instead, she’s raised by human parents as Kara Danvers (Melissa Benoist) and goes on to become Supergirl.

Supergirl.

Supergirl creator and executive producer Greg Berlanti uses what worked previously for The Flash, giving Supergirl a very similar tone and structure. On The Flash, he cast John Wesley Shipp, who played Barry Allen in the 1990-91 series incarnation, as Barry Allen’s (Grant Gustin) father, Henry. Berlanti takes a page from his own playbook casting former Superman Dean Cain as Kara’s foster father Jeremiah Danvers, and Helen Slater, who played Supergirl in the 1984 film of the same name, as Kara’s stepmom Eliza Danvers. Both Cain and Slater appear in Supergirl’s pilot briefly but are said to have larger roles as the season progresses.

When I reviewed the pilot for The Flash, I mentioned how the casting of Grant Gustin was a big part of the show’s success due to his ‘gee whiz’ enthusiasm that makes the audience want to cheer for his character. Berlanti strikes gold again with the casting of Benoist, who, for a lack of a better word, is super. Benoist is the heart of Supergirl, not just because she plays the title role but because her enthusiasm is infectious. Kara isn’t a cardboard cutout superhero; she’s a multi-faceted character. It’s fascinating watching Kara’s evolution throughout “Pilot” as her confidence grows, which Benoist portrays so convincingly, it’s impossible not to root for her. There’s a heartbreaking scene where Benoist’s performance is so beautiful, it had me on the brink of tears…OK, perhaps just over the brink. I can’t remember the last time a character’s emotions resonated through the television and impacted me the way Benoist’s portrayal of Kara does.

Cat Grant at work.

Rounding out the characters in “Pilot” are Winslow “Winn” Schott (Jeremy Jordan), one of Kara’s most trusted friends and a co-worker at CatCo, a media conglomerate; David Harewood as Hank Henshaw, head of the Department of Extra-Normal Operations (DEO), which monitors and protects earth from extraterrestrial presence; and Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart), founder of CatCo and an overall pain in the ass. Flockhart is annoyingly entertaining as Grant and I look forward to seeing where the writers take her character.

Then there’s James “Jimmy” Olsen (Mehcad Brooks). I admit, I was leery of Brooks when I first saw him as Olsen, not because of his race but because he doesn’t play the bumbling dork I was used to seeing in the films and comics. Instead, this version of Olsen is suave and funny. As a matter of fact, Brooks’ character is so likable, viewers will want to see more of him. Olsen serves as a proxy for Superman, which allows the writers to explain why the ‘Man of Steel’ isn’t around. As much as this Olsen is very different from what fans are used to, it works so perfectly you don’t care.

With any superhero comes a costume, and I adore the look of the Supergirl suit, which is sleek and simple. As the suit evolves in “Pilot,” it provides for some humorous scenes. I laughed when Kara appears in a version that resembles an outfit from the comic books that might be a little too distracting for TV. There are some great iconic moments in the Supergirl series premiere, like Kara taking off her glasses and opening her shirt to reveal the iconic S. The costume looks stunning on Benoist and seeing her in it makes you realize how perfect her casting is.

Meeting Hank Henshaw, but is he friend or foe?

Given what fans have come to expect from Arrow and The Flash, it should come as no surprise that the special effects Berlanti uses are top notch. The wide shots of Kara shooting across the sky are beautiful and the close-up wire work as Benoist appears to float several feet off the ground is impressive. Despite watching the scene numerous times, I still get chills watching the moment Kara races down an alley attempting to fly.

As a fan of the Superman films starring Christopher Reeves, I cherish the John Williams Superman score. Supergirl composer Blake Neely appears to have adopted musical cues from the Williams score as he creates several themes that feel like they belong in the same musical universe with Williams.

From the promos for Supergirl, it’s apparent the series creators want to send a strong message of female empowerment, which is backed up by a writers’ room comprised of 50% females. That, unfortunately, is often unheard of in Hollywood. Prior to the series’ debut, CBS has been doing everything it can to win over the female demographic. The studio even invited 400 mothers and daughters to a special screening of the Supergirl premiere where they met Benoist. Embracing her newfound fame, Benoist has even posted some adorable photos on her personal Instagram feed of her in costume meeting with some Girl Scouts.

Can’t wait to see more of Supergirl.

Despite the marketing of a series that is skewed towards a younger audience, Supergirl is a show for all ages. Although girl power is a strong theme, the show is more about finding the courage within, which is something everyone can relate to.

With shows like The Flash and Arrow, one might wonder if television needs another series based on a comic book character, especially since both were created by Berlanti. The answer is a resounding yes! Thanks to the amazing “Pilot” that includes fun dialogue and superb acting by a terrific cast of characters, Supergirl is quickly becoming one of my favorite TV shows. In addition to all the special effects and great characters, Benoist is what makes the show so special. I’m positive her enthusiasm will win you over by the end of the series premiere.

Tweet me @staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about Supergirl.

Tune in to the premiere of Supergirl Monday, October 26, 2015, at 8:30/7:30c, only on CBS. Thereafter, the show moves to its regular time slot on Mondays at 8/7c beginning in November.

Visit the show’s website at http://www.cbs.com/shows/supergirl/.

Like Supergirl on Facebook.

Follow Supergirl on Twitter.

Photos ©2015 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 

Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.

Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.