Big EW Interview With Melissa Benoist About The End Of Supergirl.

Thalolli wrote:

"Yes, maybe season 1 was great for some viewers, but it clearly wasn't a sustainable way to create a show."

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I'll agree with most of your post, but that was a result of the PTB's (executives) lack of long-term planning. They also didn't know the extent of the affairs / entanglements in Melissa's personal life. That only came to light later on.

After the pilot was shot in early 2015, there was a lull / gap period between when a network picked it up (CBS) and when episode 2 and the rest of the season was shot. Consequently, there was a lot of catch-up and scrambling that went on. There was also the fact that it was initially picked up for a 13-episode order (and only got a full season order in early 2016), so the production and scripting was very rushed when the full season order finally came down.

In truth, the shooting schedule was hyper-compressed and it became physically and emotionally burdensome on Melissa. This needed to be addressed for Season 2 and it was. The focus shifted from Melissa's overall screen time to adding more secondary / supporting cast members' back stories and plotlines.

Season 1 had a lot of flaws and was wonky in many respects on-screen, but because it was more focused on the titular character's development and had a major network's backing, it had a more domestic exposure and held more true to the spirit and intent of the character's nature. This was likely by CBS mandate, since the CW initially passed on the project.

When the show dramatically shifted networks for Season 2 onward and moved shooting locations (Los Angeles to Vancouver), the dynamic of the show changed in a big way. It became a Berlantiverse and fully CW-centric product, and fell under a very different mandate (LGBTQ+ and SJW, "woke" focused).

The ratings took a massive hit in Season 2, partly due to the network shift (the CW has a limited household reach and is considered a niche network), and Ali Adler's LGBTQ+ focus in the season led to a massive exit of conservative-minded Supergirl fans and Season 1 hold-overs. This led to Adler's dismissal at the end of Season 2. Andrew Kreisberg was let go after his misconduct became public midway through Season 3 and with his departure, the show was left rudderless and fatally flawed. With the quality key head writer EP and crack key DC lore authority EP gone, the ship was also essentially firmly crashed into the iceberg and listing quickly.

The unfortunate, massive task of trying to right the ship / saving face fell to Jessica Queller and Robert Rovner. Unfortunately, they simply did / do not have the DC Lore knowledge or full grasp of what was / is needed to make a superhero show viable. They are good EPs for getting the product out to the public (and they would work well as EPs on different genre shows), but are / were ill-equipped to handle superhero shows. This has been evident since the midpoint of Season 3 to now. Season 4 was immensely polarising politically and socially, and Season 5 was just a plain, poorly planned mess. The only way out of this vicious circle was to curtail the series and allow the actors have a somewhat graceful Season 6 swan song send-off.

Such is life.

Yes, I really think people should keep that in mind when they bemoan that the show isn't like season 1 anymore in regards to how much screentime Kara had back then. Based on her statements, she was clearly miserable with the kind of workload she had to do in season 1. I mean for her to say she barely even remembers season 1 [implied because of that], I think is very telling.

Yes, maybe season 1 was great for some viewers, but it clearly wasn't a sustainable way to create a show.

Very good interview. Thanks for posting!

First great news about your medical condition, I hope it continues to improve.

Thanks,it's a eye issue.We caught it early and so thankfully I didn't develop any symptoms.

After Melissa said in a interview towards the start of the season, that she asked the showrunners for one thing in regards to the end the series and it was never in consideration from them,I thought death was off the table after those comments.That felt like the right ending for Oliver/Green Arrow but not Kara/Supergirl.

But now after this interview,I'm not even sure Supergirl will go to the future or Argo either.

Lots of sites are picking up Melissa's comments about being open to playing Supergirl again down the line.

https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/melissa-benoist-not-opposed-to-reprising-supergirl

https://screenrant.com/supergirl-show-melissa-benoist-character-future-details/

https://bleedingcool.com/tv/supergirl-melissa-benoist-on-possible-return-arrowverse-crossovers/

After reading her interview,I certainly understand why 'Armageddon' was too soon for a return.it sounds like she really does enjoy doing the crossovers.

First great news about your medical condition, I hope it continues to improve. Her answers also confirm that Kara doesn’t die which is the only ending that I would be angry about. I didn’t think it likely but it’s nice to have confirmation that my personal worst case scenario is off the table.

Edit:
In reading the entire article more closely and watching the video a few things are standing out for me

On the best advice she's ever gotten:
"The best piece of advice I've gotten in recent years, I think, came from [Greg Berlanti and he said it to me numerous times, where he's told me in specific situations where I'll be opening up to him, and he said, 'Melissa, you have to tell people what you need and you have to fight for what you know you need to take care of yourself.'

On what she wishes knew back in Supergirl's first season:
"I wish I'd known that I didn't have to be a good sport about everything. I wish I'd known that I could have said, 'No, I can't do this. It's too much.' Or, 'I'm overwhelmed.' I honestly sometimes can't remember that entire season because it was so busy and such a whirlwind, so I wish that I had been able to step back and say, 'I need a second.' And I feel like I would have maybe had more memories of that time."

@2:48 in the video she’s asked about her biggest industry pet peeve and first she calls it an American problem but it’s the notion of work work work I’ll sleep when I’m dead.

I’m pretty sure these things are connected and I can’t help but wonder if some of the changes in the later seasons, that some fans didn’t like, were in part because Melissa was following Greg Berlanti’s advice or realizing she didn’t have to be a good sport about everything. It’s IMO very American to say just say yes when asked to do something especially at work. That doesn’t mean you can nope out of doing your job but you should be able to speak up if your not ok.