Supergirl Is Awesome!
I thought instead of a rant bashing stupid people that I’d take a break and talk about something I am really enjoying. It’s Supergirl, I am a fan. There are so many things about the show I love. There are a couple of things, I have mixed feelings about but all in all, I have loved every minute of the show. It’s fun, it’s not dark and Melissa Benoist as Supergirl is a breath of fresh air. In fact, I will go as far as to say that Supergirl is awesome!
A few months ago I saw an extended preview of the show that CBS put out and it interested me for a few reasons. First and foremost, it wasn’t dark. I am so sick of every superhero reincarnation having to be dark and gritty. It was fine with Batman, in fact, it was perfect for Batman. But, then the new Superman re-boot came along and I was really disappointed with it. To me, the movie came off as more Emo than dark. I didn’t hate the movie. But, dark superman just doesn’t’ work for me.
I am now 46 years old and my introduction to Superman was with the 70’s when I first saw the old TV’s series starring George Reeves as the caped wonder. But, then in my 7th year of life I saw Superman the Movie with Christopher Reeves and it truly made me believe a man could fly. Those movies became an iconic symbol of hope in my eyes. They were eye-poppingly colorful and so perfectly inspiring. To this day I can’t watch Superman I or II without wanting to be a better person and considering that when it comes to being a cynic I make Lewis Black look calm and even tempered, I think that says a lot.
So, I was ecstatic to see the Supergirl series on CBS was going to continue that tradition of positivity of hope. Well, at least when seeing the preview, I was hopeful. It looked like what I had been craving for. And, a couple of weeks ago when the first episode aired, it was pure joy. It was everything I had hoped for. I loved the cameos, with Helen Slater and Dean Cain I thought that was brilliantly fun. The cast is great and the story plays out with heart. This past week’s episode, “Flight or Flight” ended with a text between Clark Kent and Kara (Supergirl) and it was just so sweet without being too sappy or cheesy. The show isn’t perfect but the amount of fun it is, makes up for any flaws there may be.
Though, I can’t express enough Melissa Benoist really is the star of the show. Not just because she’s the title character but because of the way she plays her roles as Kara and Supergirl. I believe her as both and I just adore her. She’s vulnerable and strong and that’s the key to any great character. She nails it. When she does her shy almost snort laughing, I turn to mush. I am grown man and I think if I ever met Melissa Benoist, I’d react like Kara does when she thinks about Mehcad Brooks as Jimmy Olsen er… Sorry “James” Olsen.
My only problem and it’s not so much of a problem as it is a conflict I have within myself. It’s her skirt. Part of me is glad that they stayed with the traditional looking outfit. The shallow guy in me is literally thrilled. But, the male feminist in me feels that it’s a shame. If the character was truly created in today’s world there is no way she’d be created in a short skirt that can easily be looked up with every fly by. It’s not practical at all for doing battle in and it’s just kind of silly. So, for that I am torn. However, the character Kara that Melissa Benoist’s has created, I can totally see as actually liking the skirt. So, I don’t let it get to me. As I said, torn.
It’s hard to do a superhero show because you need to keep the fantasy going without losing the human moments and I think Supergirl does this so very well. At the time I am writing this, three episodes have aired and I can honestly say that with each new episode I find my interest in the show is still strong and still growing. And, I have to admit a lot of it is because Melissa Benoist as Supergirl is awesome!
