# Supergirl **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 27, 2015, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supergirl/735892 "2015-10-27T18:29:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 23
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supergirl/735892/441 "2016-04-19T22:47:06Z")
> [@Terminus\_Est](#): > > And that’s a wrap for the season. > > This is a show where, upon being handed an ice cream cone, the lead character’s [expression of unmitigated joy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqYFlXuJGQs&feature=youtu.be&t=1m26s) was brighter than the yellow sun she got her powers from. Yet for the finale, the supervillains plotted to _kill everyone on the entire planet_ by exploding their heads, _Scanners_-style. And to defeat said supervillains, the lady robot was literally ripped in half by one superhero’s bare hands and the other had his eyes burned out and his brain lobotomized by heat vision. You can keep your brooding and moody superheroes in your dark and gritty big-budget movies. This is how superheroes should be done. I was saying something similar to a friend a few weeks ago. Seems like all the superhero TV shows for ages have had some twist, dark and brooding, just discovering their powers, tertiary characters, whatever. It’s kind of nice to see a show that takes the premise head-on. I could have done without the defeat-the-mind-control-ray-with-a-rousing-speech-about-hope, bit; just a little too Tinkerbell for me. And the fight at the end was pretty good, but Supergirl and J’onn seemed to forget what they were actually trying to accomplish. They had to destroy the Myriad device before everybody’s brains exploded, so they got into a knock-down-drag-out with Non and Indigo. Once that was done they didn’t seem to be in much of a hurry to actually save everybody. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supergirl/735892/442 "2016-04-19T23:36:02Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > How can a secret identity be a secret if everyone knows? In the comic books, THIS is how Batman kept his identity from becoming public knowledge after the Riddler discovered it. (This was before the last reboot.) Bats asked him “Where does an 800 pound gorilla sit?” The Riddler said, “That’s no fun. Everyone knows that.” And Bats said, “Right. What good is a riddle if everybody knows the answer.” So the Riddler reformed. That’s no longer true, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supergirl/735892/443 "2016-04-20T00:00:10Z")
I’ve been liking the show since the start (I have to watch it online since it’s on the same time as the even better _Crazy Ex-Girlfriend_). I love the optimistic take on both superheros and humanity; it’s much like what made me love comics in the first place. One small nit – Supergirl shouldn’t have had the slightest problem getting back to Earth, by the simple application of Newton’s third law. Since the ship was established as being very massive, tossing it into space would have sent her back down to Earth. But I will say the rescue was more dramatic. But the show revives my love in superheroes, and I like the way it uses DC mythology. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supergirl/735892/444 "2016-04-20T00:21:45Z")
In the previous episode, before the finale, Superman was mentioned as being “off- planet.” If he can leave the planet, why can’t Supergirl? Unless he can’t leave the Earth without some kind of spaceship, as in the animated _Superman_ or _Superman Returns_. Also, on the subject of secret identities, James referred to Superman as Clark in the presence of Winn. Did Winn already know Superman was Clark Kent? I know Winn can be trusted with Kara’s identity, but still, how many people does Clark want going around knowing who he is? ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supergirl/735892/445 "2016-04-20T02:47:13Z")
Doesn’t Superman fly freely through space? I seem to remember him throwing stuff into the sun, and thought that’s what Kara was going to do. Instead, Kara lifted the planet-killing radio-wave device off the surface of the planet and put it into low earth orbit. So, yeah. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supergirl/735892/446 "2016-04-20T03:13:10Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Doesn’t Superman fly freely through space? I seem to remember him throwing stuff into the sun, and thought that’s what Kara was going to do. He did in the Silver Age. Not so much since John Byrne redefined his powers. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supergirl/735892/447 "2016-04-20T13:13:53Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > What’s in the Kryptonian pod? If it follows the comics, then it’s… Streaky, Supergirl’s pet Supercat. I hope not, actually. I think it is young Kara. Different universe - when Kara-b’s pod went off course, it went through a worm hole and ended up on Kara-a’s Earth. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supergirl/735892/448 "2016-04-20T17:43:56Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > I think it is young Kara. Different universe - when Kara-b’s pod went off course, it went through a worm hole and ended up on Kara-a’s Earth. That would be awesome. I thought the final two episodes were a bit of a letdown, not surprising given how frustratingly inconsistent this show is. The irritating thing is, the changes wouldn’t have to be huge. Far and away the stupidest idea was that this magical mind control ray which had been 100% successful on everyone, even Superman, could be defeated by a corny speech about hope. Sure, I understand that you want your message to be “hope can defeat bad guys” or something, but then just set it up differently. Have it only be 95% effective to begin with. Certain people with very strong wills are immune. Then you don’t need Maxwell’s stupid anti-mind-control device (and why didn’t they make more and put one of those on Superman?). Instead, they can then have some far more plausibly ridiculous thing where “everyone has the strength inside them, they just need to be reminded” or something, and eventually everyone can use their own strength, yada yada yada. Just lazy stupid writing. Not to mention “ok, here’s this countdown where literally everyone on earth is going to die in 3 minutes. Well, I’ll spend a minute of that having a lengthy conversation with my sister”. Not to mention all the planes and cars that crashed when their pilots and drivers first got mind controlled, and then had terrible headaches. I wish Melissa Benoist wasn’t so darn appealing, so I could just not watch this silly show. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supergirl/735892/449 "2016-04-20T18:13:47Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > Not to mention "ok, here’s this countdown where literally everyone on earth is going to die in 3 minutes. I got stuck on the uniform deadline aspect - if it’s going to be so bad that everyone is going to be dead in 3 minutes, then right now, there are probably a lot of people (babies, the elderly, people already ill) who are dead. It wouldn’t be unreasonable to figure that 25 million people across the Earth died during that incident, before Kara moved Fort Rozz away from the planet. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supergirl/735892/450 "2016-04-20T18:32:27Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > I got stuck on the uniform deadline aspect - if it’s going to be so bad that everyone is going to be dead in 3 minutes, then right now, there are probably a lot of people (babies, the elderly, people already ill) who are dead. It wouldn’t be unreasonable to figure that 25 million people across the Earth died during that incident, before Kara moved Fort Rozz away from the planet. Agreed. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2016, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supergirl/735892/451 "2016-04-20T18:42:59Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > I wish Melissa Benoist wasn’t so darn appealing, so I could just not watch this silly show. This. There is **so much** potential here, and they’re pissing it all away. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supergirl/735892/452 "2016-04-21T03:09:35Z")
> [@Terminus\_Est](#): > > So why is it that Batman thinks that the best way to go up against Supes is to build a supersuit and take him on _mano a mano_? Chicks dig a man in uniform Declan ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supergirl/735892/453 "2016-04-21T07:06:08Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > I think it is young Kara. Different universe - when Kara-b’s pod went off course, it went through a worm hole and ended up on Kara-a’s Earth. So, Powergirl? ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2016, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supergirl/735892/454 "2016-04-24T02:25:36Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > Proty was a member/pet of the Legion of Super-Heroes, set in the far future. Supergirl was an active member for a good part of its run. And while he was called a pet, specifically of Chameleon Lad, in actuality he was a sentient being whose entire species was trying to get recognized as such by the UP. Which was why he was capable of impersonating Lightning Lad for a while. > [@RealityChuck](#): > > One small nit – Supergirl shouldn’t have had the slightest problem getting back to Earth, by the simple application of Newton’s third law. Since the ship was established as being very massive, tossing it into space would have sent her back down to Earth. But I will say the rescue was more dramatic. Yeah, that ticked me off. They just had Superman returning from space the episode before. And really, does her sister think that Supergirl just jumps up and pushes against the air in order to fly? Stupid, stupid writing on that part. > [@cochrane](#): > > In the previous episode, before the finale, Superman was mentioned as being “off- planet.” If he can leave the planet, why can’t Supergirl? Unless he can’t leave the Earth without some kind of spaceship, as in the animated _Superman_ or _Superman Returns_. > > Also, on the subject of secret identities, James referred to Superman as Clark in the presence of Winn. Did Winn already know Superman was Clark Kent? I know Winn can be trusted with Kara’s identity, but still, how many people does Clark want going around knowing who he is? Possibly he can’t travel long distances without a spaceship or some method of carrying air. That was a power level he was limited to for a while a couple of decades ago. But she didn’t have to go that far to get the ship away from the planet. Winn found out about Clark in the first or second episode, because James and Kara are lousy at keeping secrets. > [@cochrane](#): > > He did in the Silver Age. Not so much since John Byrne redefined his powers. He is back up to almost Silver Age levels of power again. At least he was before the New 52. Not certain what they are going to do with the new Supermen powers with the Rebirth event. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2016, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supergirl/735892/455 "2016-04-24T16:29:53Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > I think it is young Kara. Different universe - when Kara-b’s pod went off course, it went through a worm hole and ended up on Kara-a’s Earth. I think it’s Kandor. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2016, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supergirl/735892/456 "2016-04-24T16:36:40Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > I think it’s Kandor. This is a great guess! ---
**Author:** ![Find\_Friends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@Find\_Friends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Find_Friends)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2016, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supergirl/735892/457 "2016-04-25T15:43:00Z")
> [@Lok](#): > > Winn found out about Clark in the first or second episode, because James and Kara are lousy at keeping secrets. I never saw the first episode, but I saw the second. It could have been in the second, though. I was trying to absorb a lot, and my short-to-long term memory isn’t what it used to be. Even with Winn already in the know, it would be better for James to say **Superman** instead of **Clark** , on the off-chance someone drops by and overhears. ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2016, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supergirl/735892/458 "2016-04-25T18:48:55Z")
> [@Find\_Friends](#): > > I never saw the first episode, but I saw the second. It could have been in the second, though. I was trying to absorb a lot, and my short-to-long term memory isn’t what it used to be. > > Even with Winn already in the know, it would be better for James to say **Superman** instead of **Clark** , on the off-chance someone drops by and overhears. You would think he would say Superman out of habit for exactly that reason. Anyone know when we’ll know for sure if the show has been picked up for a second season? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2016, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supergirl/735892/459 "2016-04-25T19:44:40Z")
> [@yellowjacketcoder](#): > > You would think he would say Superman out of habit for exactly that reason. > > Anyone know when we’ll know for sure if the show has been picked up for a second season? I believe an announcement is scheduled to be made on May 18. However, CBS president Les Moonves has previously stated that he expects the network to renew five of its freshman series, so the chances look excellent. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2016, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supergirl/735892/460 "2016-04-25T20:36:05Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > This. There is **so much** potential here, and they’re pissing it all away. That may be a demographic thing. The point is…this is a relationship show…specifically one about relationships between women. The derring do and such is a sidelight to sisters/mother-daughter/girl-to-girl bonding. You may disagree but I’ll tell you honestly that my two daughters - ages 15 and 11 - are eating up every minute of it and watching it over and over. It’s giving them exactly what they want. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supergirl/735892.md?page=22) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supergirl/735892.md?page=24)