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Supergirl

Advance Review: The Supergirl Season Premiere Is Absolutely Super

Review of the Supergirl Season 2 premiere “The Adventures of Supergirl” airing October 10 on The CW

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I grew up at an interesting time to be a Superman fan.

While those older than me might pick George Reeves or Christopher Reeve as their “favorite and only” Superman, and a younger generation who grew up watching Smallville or the new Zack Snyder movies might insist on Tom Welling or Henry Cavill, I grew up at a time were yeah, the Reeve Superman movies were cool and seemed like a comic book flying at the screen, but at the same time, younger portrayals like Gerard Christopher or Dean Cain might have also been familiar as inheritors to the role. I myself feel I’ve had the unique experience of seeing that variety of actors and appreciate aspects of each and every one of them — including the massively underrated Brandon Routh.

Hoechlin SupermanA new Superman is introduced in the Season 2 premiere of Supergirl titled “The Adventures of Supergirl” where he’s played by Tyler Hoechlin, who I see as a worthy addition to the pantheon. As Superman, he’s played as an authoritative yet likable figure; as Clark, he’s dorky and clumsy, but maybe a little less overdressed than Christopher Reeve had been. He’s certainly not “cool” like Dean Cain or Henry Cavill, and may be closest to what I remember Gerard Christopher’s Clark or the version played by Brandon Routh as being. Like Melissa Benoist’s Kara/Supergirl, this Superman cares about other people, but he won’t hesitate to make it known when he doesn’t like someone — and in National City, there are definitely a few “someone”s that he has history with, and not all of them are good. Oh… and this Superman smiles!!

How right is he in this season premiere, which airs October 10 on The CW?

SPG202a_0169bLet me put it this way: While thankfully not overpowering Melissa Benoist out of her own show, Hoechlin immediately fits in with the ensemble in a way that the best comparison might be Grant Gustin’s two appearances introducing Barry Allen in Arrow Season 2. Seeing how the other characters interact with him is a joy; a lesser actor would not have been able to look so at ease in the role. I, too, pictured an older actor for the part, considering that he has had more time to age than Kara has, but at the very least, that aspect is lampshaded and mentioned. Also, like how Barry Allen made references (either indirectly or directly) to Iris and the Reverse-Flash, we already see what relationships Hoechlin’s Clark has with Perry White or Lois Lane. That’s just fun. We also get some references to famous moments in Superman media history, so listen closely. But best of all, this Superman feels fully-formed as soon as we see him; a lot of thought and care clearly went into creating this version of the character, and we’re spared yet another “origin of Superman” story.

SPG202B_0155bThe move to Vancouver for the show’s Season 2 production has some amusing elements and some that don’t really work as well. On the bright side, CatCo and Kara’s apartment both look very much the same as the sets that we watched in all of Supergirl Season 1. The DEO, however, has a brand new location, and there’s a really funny joke about it as if it’s been there all along. (Goodbye, weird cavern place and frequently used stock shot of that truck coming in!) Also amusing is that, being The CW, it looks like the makeup plan has changed and all of the characters look 5-10 years younger than they did in Season 1. TV magic!

I will miss the exterior shots that were genuinely shot in Los Angeles last season; already in a scene where Lena Luthor makes a big announcement in a park, it looks like a park we’ve seen on shows like The Flash before. Initially, I thought Supergirl’s Luthorcorp building might have been the same one used on Smallville, but after further inspection I’m not so sure.

SPG201A_0042bNot all of Season 2’s new characters are introduced in the season opener, though we do first meet Lex Luthor’s sister, Lena, as played by one of my Merlin favorites, Katie McGrath. First off, if you haven’t seen Merlin already, you should, though be warned its finale was more disappointing than even Smallville’s was. I find the Lena character to add an interesting wrench into the works and I’m curious where they go with it; however, I do wish they had kept Katie McGrath’s natural accent, as right now it’s at a weird mix of things that I can’t quite place but don’t really care for. EW has also already taken the lid off the notion that my Dallas/Desperate Housewives fave Brenda Strong is playing a mysterious role, and I can’t wait to see what they do with her. If my “Queen” Calista Flockhart can’t be on Supergirl every week, Brenda Strong is also a close favorite in the “playing strong women” category.

SPG201b_0297bFlockhart does play a good role in the season premiere, and I hope she will continue to do so whenever the show is able to get her. Cat Grant was a gem in Season 1, and it will be very hard to replace her, though the changes set forth in this season premiere might fly Kara to a place that might not necessarily be the CatCo building anymore. Interpersonal relations in this premiere are key and set up what could be very interesting moments, whether it’s Kara/Alex, Kara/Cat, Cat/Clark, J’Onn/Superman, Winn/Superman, Kara/James, or any other combination. I do wonder, though, if we’ll find out where Lucy is, or if Jenna Dewan Tatum is just too busy to go up to Vancouver anymore. Oh – and I’m sure this will be properly spoiled on the Internet by the time the episode airs, if it hasn’t been already, but just wait until you find out who Cat’s new assistant is! I will miss Kara’s chances to get older words of wisdom from Cat once Flockhart departs, though. Sure, she can talk to her cousin (on camera!) now, but the relationships between women on this show also makes Supergirl special. Hopefully Alex can pick up the slack, or I can hope we will see more of Eliza Danvers at some point.

(Oh, and before anyone accuses me of forgetting: Containment and Vampire Diaries favorite Chris Wood‘s Mon-El is seen in the premiere, though sparingly, and sadly missing his Containment scruff. Containment, we miss you! In any event, I’m looking forward to seeing what they do with this character.)

Supergirl SupermanMost of all, though, like “Worlds Finest” last year, the Supergirl season premiere makes me happy. I generally judge how much I liked a TV show or a movie by how many times I want to see it repeatedly. Let me put it this way: I want to see “The Adventures of Supergirl” many, many more times. If you’ve been on the fence about watching the show, it’s a good jumping on point. And to The CW: THANK YOU for giving us more of this. This is only the start of what I think will be something truly fantastic. I’ve been waiting over a decade to finally see Superman in full costume on The CW, and now thanks to this show, I got it, and as I tweeted after I first watched it, it is appropriate that this episode airs on 10/10 because I rate this episode a 10/10. Great job all around.

The Supergirl season premiere airs October 10 on The CW. Take a look at some photos from the premiere here and if you want to talk Supergirl with other fans, come by our discussion forum… yes, the KryptonSite Forums still exist!

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3 Comments

3 Comments

  1. Danny LAVERY

    October 4, 2016 at 2:29 pm

    If Tyler si a success i’d be shocked if the producers won’t try and reel him back in following the opening two episodes . It’s SUPERMAN for pete’s sakes!!

    Could he head a TV Justice League, as well crossing over into the other shows? or even Legion of Super Heroes?!

    • Craig Byrne

      October 4, 2016 at 2:35 pm

      Some very good suggestions and ideas Danny!

  2. Ben Phillips

    October 10, 2016 at 10:36 pm

    I feel the same way. Tyler Hoechlin just fit in so nicely with everyone. Great chemistry. I love the lines “This looks like a job for both of us!” and Superman’s response “Absolutely!” It shows he just wants to help his cousin. That line is very endearing. I’ve got to say I really want to watch again, but I’ll hold off maybe until tomorrow. Haha.

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Smallville

Supergirl & Smallville Writers Have A New Comic Book-Inspired Series

Eric Carrasco, Alfredo Septien, and Turi Meyer will be showrunners for El Gato starring Diego Boneta.

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Prime Video, which recently has been the home of some of the best comic book-inspired series with shows like Invincible and The Boys, is currently casting a live-action adaptation of the comic book series El Gato Negro by Richard Dominguez. (El Gato Negro translates to “The Black Cat,” so we wouldn’t be surprised if there is a title change to avoid Marvel’s Black Cat.) With the working title El Gato, the showrunners include veterans from Supergirl and Smallville.

Eric Carrasco wrote several memorable episodes of Supergirl between Seasons 2 and 4 and eventually served as a story editor on the series. He wrote the Justice League vs. the Fatal Five animated feature and is a producer for Zack Snyder’s upcoming Twilight of the Gods. He’s also been an Uber — err Ride Me Now driver for two stoners from New Jersey in their reboot movie. What’s also very cool about Eric is that one of his earliest industry jobs was working on a TV series called Smallville. Perhaps you’ve heard of it.

The other two showrunners need no introduction when it comes to SmallvilleAlfredo Septien & Turi Meyer were among the most prolific writers for the show, on the team for six seasons with episodes including “Vengeance,” “Labyrinth,” “Bride,” “Salvation,” and “Finale Part 1.” Turi Meyer also directed two episodes of Smallville, and the two of them returned to the DC Universe with DC’s Stargirl on The CW in recent years.

The series will star Diego Boneta as the main character, Frank Guerrero, who returns home to Mexico after the death of his father and finds himself neck-deep in a nest of vipers – his estranged family – who are vying for control of his father’s business empire. But Frank’s grief is interrupted when he learns his only inheritance, a seemingly worthless parcel of land on the border, sits atop the lair of a famous costumed vigilante — his father, “El Gato.” Now, Frank is in the crosshairs. To survive, he’ll have to solve mysteries decades in the making and unravel the truth about his father’s connections to a modern-day terror plot.

“This is a pulp thriller,” Eric Carrasco said in a quote posted by Variety earlier this year. “It’s a family drama, it’s everything I love about spies and masks and secret identities. A lot of us on this team – Diego, and Andrew Mittman, and Steve Stark, and Carla Gonzalez Vargas, and I – have been at this for a long time now, and it’s a genuine thrill to finally make the show with MGM Television and Prime Video.”

El Gato will be produced by MGM Television which is part of Amazon MGM Studios. Hopefully we’ll learn more about this project as development progresses! For now, though, congratulations to Eric, Al, and Turi!

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Supergirl

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow Release Date Announced

The Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow film is currently scheduled for a 2026 release.

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The Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow film has had a release date announced — and it’s less than a year after James Gunn’s Superman.

Warner Bros. announced Tuesday that the new film for the Maid of Might — based on the comic by Tom King and Bilquis Evely — is on the schedule for June 26, 2026. Of course, plans can and often do change, but that’s where it’s set for now. The film is said to “depart from the earnest take on the character” that was seen on The CW’s Supergirl TV series.

Milly Alcock will play Supergirl, and it is expected that we will see her before this movie — in Superman, perhaps? Craig Gillespie (Cruella) is the director.

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Smallville

New Supergirl Featurette Includes Laura Vandervoort, Melissa Benoist & More

Supergirl actresses Laura Vandervoort, Melissa Benoist, Sasha Calle, and Helen Slater are included in a retrospective featurette on The Flash Blu-ray.

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One of the rare good elements from the recent Flash movie was the inclusion of Sasha Calle as Supergirl, and now, we can revisit her and a few old Supergirl favorites, as Laura Vandervoort (Smallville), Melissa Benoist (Supergirl TV series from The CW & CBS), and Helen Slater (movies’ original Supergirl) are all included on a featurette on The Flash movie home release. These are all new interviews with the actresses, and in some cases, these are their first interviews about the character in years. The title of the featurette is “Supergirl: The Last Daughter of Krypton.”

Although a Twitter/X report from “Sennaverse” on Twitter notes that the documentary can be found on the MAX streaming service, we have had no luck finding it there so far. The featurette is included, however, with purchase of The Flash movie on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD. The set is due for release on Tuesday, August 29. You can purchase that here and support KryptonSite if you wish! 

We’re looking forward to seeing these new interviews and spotlight on the Woman of Tomorrow!

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