Debashine Thangevelo
AND the proliferation of DC Comics characters continues in TV land.
Back in 2001, Smallville, which was a small- screen interpretation of the Superman tale, became a hit with viewers. It also bagged several Emmys in its 10-season run.
These days, fans are spoilt for choice. We have Constantine, Arrow, The Flash and now Supergirl. And that’s not taking into account those shows that have been commissioned or are in production.
I have to say, it is nice to have a woman save the day for a change. Also, this is a lesser-known and, as such, a refreshing narrative.
Bagging 27-year-old Melissa Benoist as the eponymous heroine in the series was a smart move. While she’s had stints in Glee, Homeland and The Good Wife – and has a few movies under her belt – she remains fresh-faced. As such, she can really own this character.
What’s also encouraging is the cast, which includes Chyler Leigh (Grey’s Anatomy, Taxi) and Calista Flockhart (Ally McBeal, Brothers & Sisters) as well as the delicious Mehcad Brooks (Desperate Housewives, Necessary Roughness).
Flockhart plays Cat Grant, this Miranda Priestly-esque (Devil Wears Prada) character. She is the founder of CatCo.
Kara Zor-El/Kara Danvers is this geeky-looking blonde and Cat’s long-suffering assistant, while Brooks, playing James Olsen, is the new photographer. He comes with his own history, too. He is from the Daily Planet and has taken up the post as a favour to Superman, who wants him to watch over his cousin – Supergirl.
The series opened with her journey. Kara was initially sent to Earth to watch over Superman. But the mission was derailed and when she eventually arrived on Earth, things had changed. So Superman introduced her to the human family that watched after him and she got a sister, Alex Danvers (Leigh), a top scientist working for a covert government organisation.
The first episode laid the groundwork in terms of introducing everyone and their respective relationships. It also unveiled a new threat facing Supergirl.
Supergirl has a very similar feel to Arrow. Aside from the action and drama, technology plays a crucial role in the storyline as well.
The writers have given the tale a very contemporary feel, while still retaining its heroic essence. To make things a little more interesting, it is peppered with a romantic twist. In this case, Supergirl has two possible love interests: James and her tech-savvy co-worker and BFF, Winslow “Win” Schott jr.
In an interview with Hitfix.com, executive producer Sarah Shechter pointed out: “I think that Supergirl is such an interesting character and is so under-explored that the opportunity there was so enormous. And the reason why Superman is not in the show is that it’s not about him. It’s her show. He is just a shadow in the back of her psyche.”
She also added that they have much more creative leeway with the storytelling in this series.
Shechter reveals: “That’s what’s exciting for us. Our canvas is much more easily painted because people aren’t stuck in the idea of who Superman is. We get to take the most choice bits and weave it together to give you our Supergirl.”
This is a stylishly-shot series with plenty of relatable drama as well as conflict and recognisable superhuman feats.
It’s not a boy, it’s a girl. And she kicks serious bad-guy butt. And that is the selling point of this series. It’s given viewers a heroine they can become completely invested in!
Supergirl airs on Vuzu Amp (DStv channel 114) on Thursdays at 7.30pm.