Well, I watched this week’s. I am a little weirded out that while Alex is simply Kara’s “sister,” Eliza is always her “foster mom.” That created more problems than it solved.
It was probably required for her heart-to-heart with Cat. Her normally “I don’t give a shit boss” was already shaken by livewire and then noticed that Kara was adopted, enough to humanize a really bitchy character. Great performance by Calista Flockhart, btw.
I was a bit annoyed at the obviousness of the mom-sister plot, but the rest of the episode worked pretty well, I thought.
Also, Kara was an only child on Krypton; she doesn’t have another sister that would make a qualifier necessary. She did have another mother, hence “foster mother”.
I think that is the simple answer.
Let’s see, we’ve got the arguing-but-then-make-up-with-big-sister, mom-conceals-real-feelings, drama-at-big-holiday-meal, pining-for-guy-and-has-to-watch-him-with-current-squeeze, and friend-crushing-on-her-but-she-doesn’t-know-it all represented. Pushy-boss-might-know-secret-identity-and-be-more-shrewd-than-she-lets-on may be the only relationship this show has that hasn’t already been done a hundred times.
I’m hanging on by a thread, and that thread is adorableness. It’s getting harder to stomach the manufactured superhero drama. (I’m fine with manufactured family/relationship drama.)
Alex: Be careful!
Kara: I know, she can hurt me.
Me: NO SHE CAN’T!
Alex: No, she can kill you.
Me: NO SHE CAN’T!
It’s driving me insane that random schmoes can inexpicably pose a threat to her in any way. It makes zero sense.
Unless that lightning bolt that went through Kara to make Live Wire (holy shit are comic book storylines moronically stupid) was a kryptonite lightning bolt, there’s nothing Live Wire could do to hurt Supergirl.
They’d re-defined Live Wire’s powers as “absorbing energy;” she absorbed Supergirl’s heatvision. Since the usual handwave for Kryptonian powers is that Kryptonians are basically solar energy batteries, it’s likely that Live Wire could have hurt Kara by absorbing her stored solar energy and thereby depowering her Kryptonian abilities.
Actually, one of Superman’s rogues’ gallery does just that - Parasite, I think? Wouldn’t be too surprised if he shows up in this show, too.
I said somewhere, maybe even earlier in this thread, that the difficulty of making a good Superman story is the challenge of finding an adversary who can pose an actual challenge to him. The guy is nigh indestructible. And can fly.
I’m no comics expert, but that often seems to take the form of villains who try to out-think Supes, rather than out-fight him. I’m not sure if the Supergirl writers have got the chops for that (or maybe just not yet). If the alternative is to tone down her powers a bit, with the explanation that she’s still learning how best to use them, I can live with that.
From the other Supergirl thread, partly because my non-superhero friends have been asking:
Besides which, a crucial part of the Superman comic or movie is: “Superman turns into Clark when he puts on the glasses and it’s a lot more fun if Lois doesn’t recognize him” Supergirl is continuing that tradition,a nd it’s part of the fun.
Exactly right.
The exploitable weaknesses of Supergirl are bad PR, accidental collateral damage, the dreaded kryptonite (fine in small doses from a storytelling perspective,) and just being clever enough that she can’t find you. Maybe frame other bad guys to keep her off your trail. Or be five steps ahead, like a Die Hard with a Vengeance kind of plot.
Instead, every single enemy she has faced so far has gone after her strength: Standing toe to toe with her and throwing punches. It’s the worst possible strategy for a Supergirl enemy, yet every single one goes right for it. Even worse, the writers are portraying these boxing matches as fair fights.
Maybe the Hulk or Thor could go toe to toe with Supergirl. Other than that? My eyes start rolling.
Yes, although I thought that was a bit of a plot hole in the last episode; Livewire (before she becomes Livewire) was ranting on her radio show about Supergirl and called her “adorkable”. The adorkability is really a Kara thing.
That’s why I called it a challenge; in order to craft a plot worthy of a genius supervillain, you need, at least, very smart writers. Supergirl’s writers may not be up to that challenge, yet. The fact that villains have gone against her strength can be handwaved a bit; Supergirl is new on the scene and the baddies don’t really know how best to take her on. On the other hand, Superman is known and they might well assume that sauce for the gander is sauce for the goose.
Does that apply to the secret identity issue as well? If it’s known that Superman has an alter ego (even if it’s not known that he’s Clark Kent), the folks in-universe might assume that Supergirl does the same.
So Henshaw isn’t Red Tornado.
Cat’s mother is quite a piece of work …
Something I’ve always wondered, since ST:TNG - can military officers really simply “resign their commission” on the spot like that?
I liked the “Settlers of Catan” reference in the episode where she was babysitting Carter. If it was product placement it was well done. Or they figured most of the target audience know about it.
Brian
I still wonder if he’s Cyborg. Would explain the glowing eyes. I wonder if whatever his last mission the real Hank Henshaw was killed along with Daddy Danvers, and Henshaw’s body was used to make the cyborg. Cynically, he could be one of the best sleeper agents in history.
Or, if the show wanted to stay noblebright, maybe both agents were injured, Daddy Danvers used his knowledge of alien technology to save Hank Henshaw’s life by turning him into a cyborg, and Henshaw is keeping that a secret since he wants to stay an agent. Even better, Daddy Danvers could still be hiding out in South America, although why he would abandon his family is a good question.
Makes you wonder how she ever got married/knocked up.
I also wonder if it’s one of those “I have to be the most successful person in my family, even if it means stomping over my children to do it” situations.
What really did NOT make sense was the sudden “let’s go drink with my assistant” that Cat Grant decided was a good idea in the neighborhood bar. I mean, if it’s not ok for a woman to ever get angry, I can’t imagine it’s good for her to get blasted in some local bar either.
Also, the red tornado looked really dumb (costuming was awful) and General Lane was so over the top it was stupid.
Supergirl’s face of rage was awesome. The character development is getting to be pretty solid- Cat seems to get more human and complex every week. Kara’s mixed emotions on being Supergirl and not having a normal life was pretty well done. I’m more impressed with Benoist every week. I was a bit bothered that she stopped those cars instantly and the drivers weren’t killed and the airbags didn’t deploy. Lord’s character is getting pretty good though I wonder why they didn’t try to get Will Wheaton for that role.
Yeah, have to agree. The Red Tornado looked like “robot makeup” hasn’t progressed any further than the **Tin Woodsman **from the **Wizard of Oz **back in 1939.
I enjoy the actors - Benoist is surprisingly appealing - but the way they deal with her powers and the way they deal with the love interest plots make it hard to watch.
Yeah, I loved her angry look, as well!
Maybe I missed something, but: what was that robot supposed to be made of?
Yeah, they mentioned how there was some lead in there, to block x-ray vision; I got that. But whatever it is, it was tough enough to take punch after punch after kick after kick from the girl who can lift a plane before she started with the heat vision, and turned up the heat vision, and turned up the heat vision, so – what?
She wasn’t holding back; she was trying to use her rage. What’s that tough?
Thought it was cold-vision, actually (ice-white, not laser-red)? Looked like Red Tornado was kicking on heating circuits to try and resist it, or at least that was how I read the glowing red lines on his torso.
I was thinking “white-hot”, such that the glowing was “heated to incandescence”.
Regardless, as per the end of the episode she threw everything she had at it. What can take that kind of punishment?