'Supergirl' - My New Kryptonite

Being a longtime fan of any Marvel or DC show that has been released since my childhood, I have to say that some of them have fallen short of fulfilling the youthful desire to see my cartoon and comic book heroes come to life. Other than knowing some of the side story from the Superman series, I can honestly sat that I never paid much attention to Kal-El's super, cousin Kara Zor-El. So far, I have thoroughly enjoyed the three seasons that have been released. There are a few cons to the show, but they pale in comparison to the pros that the entire show has to offer.

Like most origin stories the first season introduces us to the main character, which is the mesmerizing Kara Danvers (Melissa Benoist), and the vast setting of National City. Now, being that Supergirl is not actually globally known at the beginning of the show and Superman is; this adds an interesting element to the character and her struggle to step out of Superman's shadow. The show does this cleverly by giving hints that Superman could be there at any moment, but he makes his first appearance in season two. He does appear briefly int he first season, but quickly disappears to never take away from the Supergirl spot light. At first sight I was not enthused about how they were approaching the Kara Danvers character. However, by the middle of the first season, I was completely sold with Melissa's interpretation of the Kryptonian. I found myself so in love with her character that it was greatly, over-shadowing her co-stars; but the main focus is Supergirl and her personal struggle between her public super-self and her private life as Kara.

The show would not be complete without a star-studded support cast that continues to impress and grow as an on screen family. There are some emotionally gripping scenes that allow you to connect with the variety of personalities, but there are a few side stories that seem like clear 'fillers' for studio time. The foremost being the sudden change of Alex Danver's (Chyler Leigh) sexual preference. Kara's Earth sister, the second-in-command at the DEO, and arguably the most important person in Supergirl's life. She becomes conflicted about her desires for a female police officer early into the second season after a failed attempt at dating a villainous CEO. I believe that her 'Alpha' character was stifled as she appeared far too passive and docile compared to the initial portrayal of her character. I also get the feeling that the writer's wanted to give her more face time and did not adequately plan that out. So they scrambled to do 'anything' with the character. There was a scene int he first season when Alex dawns a Kryptonite sword to slay Kara's evil aunt Astra (Laura Benanti). This to me stays true to the inception of the original Alex.

Jimmy Olsen and Winn Schott are the two characters that deserve a notable mention.

Olsen (Mehcad Brooks) is portrayed as being the best friend of Clark Kent, and the show relies on that several time throughout the series. Brooks does an amazing job as this version of Olsen, and his transformation into the Gaurdian was a welcomed change tot he otherwise, over-abused friendship to Superman. The character seems to drop off a bit as the series progresses, which makes me think they are soon to write him out completely.

Winn Schott (Jeremy Jordan) has brought much needed variety tot he show. Mainly serving as the goofy, nerdy, 'tech guy,' he is subtly being revealed as a major component to the overall story. His fiery relationship with Lyra (Tamzin Merchant) in season two was full of emotional and clever satire, and of all the short side stories was the most fun to watch. He is developing into one of the most intriguing characters to watch.

In closing I am over-the-top excited as to where the show is heading, and cannot wait to see where it will takes us next. Supergirl is what I consider to be a fulfilling adaptation of the heroes and characters that we all know and love, and it would seem that the CW network is correcting the major let downs from the last Superman series Smallville. Every episode adds to the story and leaves you with a satisfied viewing experience. Contrary tot eh feeling of wanting more from not having been allowing the 'geeky' indulgence into the world of the caped Kryptonian, Supergirl leaves you with pure excitement, delivers on all fronts, and is a pure joy to watch again and again.