A new episode of Supergirl airs tonight at 8PM ET/PT on The CW, and rather than a hugely in-depth review, I’m just going to share some thoughts on what we can look forward to. I’m going to try to keep spoilers out, for the most part, but if you want some initial thoughts about “The Last Children of Krypton” a few hours early, here you go. I’m not even including Metallo in these ten points, since I’m not sure what I thought of the character… but most of the rest is here!
– Kara/Alex: With apologies to my queen Cat Grant, Kara and Alex is the single most important relationship in Supergirl, and even with Kara’s Kryptonian cousin around, these two get their screen time. Chyler Leigh gets to really show what kind of feelings that Alex has had with growing up with a Super sister, and Kara might have an announcement for Alex that she won’t like. It’s so very well done, and is a great example of the heart within this series.
– From Cat Grant to Lou Grant: Snapper Carr sees that Kara has spunk, and he hates spunk. Ian Gomez plays the newspaper editor as… well, an a–hole, for lack of a better word, and he’s not as easy to crack as Cat has been. As someone said after the screening last week, it’s doubtful that even Barry Allen can make this guy smile. I think he’ll be a fun addition to the show.
– SUPERMAN. I cannot stress enough how perfect Tyler Hoechlin has been in this role. One of the things I love the most, though, is his respect for others. He’s not out to take Supergirl’s thunder or hog the glory. He wants to help her. (See what Tyler Hoechlin himself had to say about this here). I desperately want to see more of this Superman, who did more for me in 30 seconds than the movies had in 10 hours… well, Batman v Superman felt like 8 hours, at least, but you get my general idea. Spinoff? More appearances on this show? Whatever it is, I hope the Supergirl producers lock him down. Oh, and of course, three’s more between him and J’Onn in this episode, which is also a great thing, since David Harewood is another of the show’s best assets.
– Hero Worship. Winn’s adoration of Superman continues to be adorable.
– Mon-El. We may get to learn more about Mon-El as well as Chris Wood’s chest in this episode.
– There’s a mole in the DEO. Quick, see which of the “extras” you recognized in the season premiere. It’s probably that guy. Or lady.
– Brenda Strong. Brenda Strong is another one of those actresses whose work I’ve always enjoyed. I liked her brief role as the Ice Queen on The 100 last year, and Ann Ewing is in my top two list of favorite Bobby Ewing wives on Dallas. (Sorry Pam, you’re #3). On Supergirl, she plays this mysterious person at Cadmus, and within she drops a bomb about Jeremiah Danvers that I’m calling it now as “Cyborg Superman.”
– Stronger Together. With Alex, or with Superman, Kara works so well with others. Again, smiles abound.
– Glen Winter. I failed to mention one of Supergirl’s best directors in my review of the premiere, and I’d like to rectify that. Having had years of experience also helming episodes of Smallville, The Flash, and Arrow, Glen Winter *gets it.* There are some beautiful shots in this episode, including the already-spoiled Crisis on Infinite Earths homage, but I’ve got to say, Glen is at the top of the game, and Supergirl is lucky to have him.
And finally…
– Cat. Cat has nurtured Kara in the series’ first 22 episodes, and it’ll be interesting to see what happens to the show once that situation changes. But I will say the Kara/Cat scenes in this episode are very well done, and Calista Flockhart is yet another of those castings that was just so right.
Come join the countdown for tonight’s Supergirl premiere at the KryptonSite Forum!