Let's re-watch Supergirl Season 1 together!

Thanks for taking point, Meadows!

Thanks for doing this. It will be fun!

I think this will be fun, too!

OK, I guess I can start.

Way back when the Pilot aired, I was wowed. The cast, effects, production, music, everything was so good. A joy to watch. So cinematic.

Revisiting it now just reinforces those impressions. The plane sequence is probably still my favorite Arrowverse action sequence.

The initial costume Winn made is so awesome, highlighting some of the more questionable Supergirl costume decisions over the years--even the headband.

James worked so well as the connection with the "big guy."

Some new observations in light of 5 years:
- OMG, Melissa looks so young! I'd have carded her.
- I have a better impression of Alex than when I first saw it. After seeing how they have each other's back, I can see Alex's point of view more.
- I cannot imagine this version of Cat being played by anyone else than Calista Flockheart.
- Blake Neely did some of his best work ever for the pilot.

Oh, we really needed this after the last few days!

Viewing the Pilot reinforced some of the high points for me from 5 years ago: the great plane save; Kara's adorable dorkiness; the great cast, especially Calista's disdain for Kara; Winn's face after Kara shows him she can fly; some great action scenes battling Vartox. (One has to wonder how difficult those action scenes must have been for Melissa, especially in season 1, considering the hell she was experiencing in her private life. I like to think that playing Supergirl may have helped in her healing process.)

A few hints about things that became significant in later episodes: Kara's fingering her necklace; Ft. Rozz following her pod to Earth.

Fun scenes: Kara's tentative look leaving the elevator at Catco after saving the plane vs her swagger after defeating Vartox.

Favorite scene: Kara's pure joy and excitement after saving the plane, while watching TV reports and especially when greeting Alex.

Finally I watched a SuperGirl show about SuperGirl!!!

Things I did not like
I liked everything.

Specific things I liked
1. In one episode we got to see Super hearing; heat vision; seeing through things (i.e. airplane); Flight; bulletproof; able to withstand an explosion; fire proof; Super strength.
2. Kara is so adorable. James is very cool. Winn is adorable too. Cat is great. Alex is Alex (and I like Alex's hairstyle on this episode the best).
3. So it would seem that Kara was 13 years old when she arrived and KalEl was about 24 years of age.
4. The show concentrated on her fighting escaped prisoners - no trying to make a political statement. Just good ole fashion fighting the bad guy.
5. Thousands of prisoners escaped Fort Rozz - the show should have stayed on SuperGirl fighting the various prisoners.
6. I got to hear the famous phrase of Alex to Supergirl - "Hey I'm here - I gotcha"
7. Adorable the way Winn has a crush on Kara and she doesn't even realize it.

The one person in the episode I would have like to punch
1. Kara's date - he didn't even have the courtesy to say goodbye instead he told the other girl he was talking to - to put her number down on paper.

The best thing about this episode is that SuperGirl was the center of attention and the supporting cast did just that - they supported the superhero. Not like these later episodes where there are so many superheroes that you sometimes wonder where SuperGirl is. The writers should go back and look at season one and then write their next episode using season one as a guide.

After reading everyone's comments and observations on the pilot episode I'm in full agreement. The one thing that I enjoyed and now miss is Cat Grant running Cat Co. And the terrifying look on Kara's face when she was called into the office. I always felt that Cat Grant kept the show spinning with fun like a golden spoke of a wheel.
And of course the introduction of Melissa Benoist who I never heard of before and now is my favorite tv and broadway star. It's been one fun filled journey with some bumps along the way.

4. The show concentrated on her fighting escaped prisoners - no trying to make a political statement. Just good ole fashion fighting the bad guy.
5. Thousands of prisoners escaped Fort Rozz - the show should have stayed on SuperGirl fighting the various prisoners.

Immediately after viewing the Pilot, I described the premise to MrsPrime as "Supergirl meets The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo with aliens instead of ghosts and a dash of Doctor Who's UNIT." She instantly grasped and approved of the concept.

(In the 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo, Scooby and Shaggy had to chase down and capture history's 13 most terrifying ghosts after inadvertently freeing them from their prison.)

Supergirl S1E1

Wow, I really needed this! Here are some things that stood out to me in S1E1:
1. Kara's run down the alley. It's just so powerful when she first tries to fly and falls, and then suddenly just takes off! I think she becomes Supergirl at that moment.
2. Alex and Kara's relationship is always tops. Even from episode 1, that relationship has really been the heart of the show, I think. Maybe the show has strayed from that some, but we did see some of it in S5.
3. The episode really does focus on Kara becoming Supergirl, but it had to; it's the first episode of the series.
4. There aren't a lot of secondary characters in this episode, and that does work well. It's easy to keep up with what's happening and who everyone is.
5. Emotion. This episode has a lot of emotion, and that's one of the keys to a great show. Audience members have to feel what the characters are experiencing.
6. The CGI is great. I read some articles that said the CGI might not be as good on The CW, but I haven't really noticed any bad CGI so far through S5. Of course, I'm such a plot person that I might overlook that. The saving the plane scene is one of my absolute favorites of the series, and I love the way the Thomas Coville episode (which is one of my favorite episodes) was tied back to that same scene. I love seeing scenes from the points of view of other characters. Maybe in Season 6, the writers can tie more of the Season 6 plot back to previous seasons.
7. Note how the villains do not take over the show. Lex Luther really has taken over seasons 4 and 5, I think. I hope we get to move on from him in the beginning of Season 6.
8. I don't mind political messages, but they are missing from S1E1. Of course, the writers had to get a lot of things into the first episode, so there might have not been room. I remember people saying even in Season 1 that the show is "liberal." I think the show has done a good job across five seasons of showing all sides of issues.

At least I got my Supergirl fix for the week! S1E2 for Sunday, June 7!

Becky

My Comments for Season 1, Episode 2: Stronger Together

Again it was nice to watch a SuperGirl episode about SuperGirl. I loved the title and the theme of this episode.

Things I did not like
I loved everything.

Things I loved about this episode

1. We saw the following powers used by SuperGirl: Superhuman strength; ability to stop a bullet by being bullettproof; Superhearing; Flight; Heat vision.
2. Loved when Ms. Grant says she wants a video of SuperGirl and Kara laughs and then tries to talk her way out of why she was laughing.
3. The fight in the training room showed that strength can be weak if not directed correctly.
4. Loved all the talk scenes between Alex and Kara. Loved it when Alex said: "I will always be your big sister."
5 When James is talking to Kara about her being a hero - you could tell they were falling for each other.
6. In another scene where James is describing how people know him for who he knows but not for what he can do. In this early episode we get the hint as to why James became the Guardian in later seasons.
7. Adorable when both James and Winn met in the ally both not knowing the other had knowledge of SuperGirl
8. The show gets across the message that the Kryptonians are the strongest of the aliens. This is seen in the interaction between the Hellgrammite and General Astra.
9. In this episode it is when SuperGirl lets you know that she does not enjoy working alone. She states: "My cousin is so use to going it alone..... Part of being your own man is knowing when to accept help.....El May Arah - stronger together."

I loved this episode. Again, just like episode one, it was an episode in which Kara/SuperGirl was the focus with the help of the supporting actors. I will never grow tired of season one - nor will I grow tired of any episode where the focus is on our Superhero and her supporting cast (doing just that - being supportive without trying to be the main titular character.

Quoting Meadows:
I don't mind political messages, but they are missing from S1E1.

The political message isn’t entirely missing, it’s just more subtle than it would become in later seasons.
In the pilot, there was that bit with Kara on the phone trying to ensure that Cat wouldn’t be seated next to Bill O’Reilly at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner.
There are small things like this in a few other S1 episodes, always in relation to Cat Grant.

A few comments about "Stronger Together."

Some really great Kara/Supergirl moments with Alex. Always a highlight.

Loved it that both Alura and Alex told Kara she had the heart of a hero.

The scene in the alley with James and Winn was funny, and it was Melissa's smile as she asked for their help that really set the hook for me as a fan of this show.

James had some great scenes in this episode; one of his strongest IMO.

Cat's staredown of Kara after the cat video joke was a classic. I do miss Calista.

It's really fun to look back at these early episodes. Great idea, Meadows!

I will watch Episode 2 this week; I haven't had a chance yet.
I love the idea of Kara having the "heart of a hero." Maybe she realized what being a hero means a little too soon in all of the seasons. She seems to have defined it well by the end of Season 1.
More to come in a few days!

Becky

When I say I prefer Supergirl-centric episodes, this episode is a great example of what I mean. Not just because Supergirl is featured or because she uses her powers, but because she is a driving force in the story. Her determination to excel and define herself apart from her cousin's way of doing things was key to the episode.

Erica Durance has a nice take on Alura, but I do miss Laura Benanti in that dual role.

Kara seems to have become more resistant to accepting help in subsequent seasons.

I watched S1E2 last night, and it was excellent. Here are some observations (I took notes during the episode):
1. I loved it when Kara reeked of burning oil on the elevator. Just hilarious.
2. Kara's laugh when Cat says she wants an interview with Supergirl is just fantastic. I laughed, too.
3. Kara's expression when Cat rips Supergirl for making mistakes. She seems genuinely hurt. James's expression when he sees Kara's expression is fantastic as well; it's so apparent that he knows who she is.
4. James's pep talk is great. I have to admit that I miss James, but I didn't mind him being in the show in the first place. Some fans didn't like him, but I never had an issue with his character. When the character moved away from being one of the primary supporters of Supergirl, I didn't pay as much attention to him.
5. The "heart" of Supergirl and her story is so apparent in the first two episodes. The plot focuses on Supergirl's story, her feelings, problems, losses, etc. It really pulls the heartstrings. I think subsequent seasons have lost that heart some, which might be because the show just doesn't focus on Kara/Supergirl nearly as much. She's present in the episodes in subsequent seasons, but she's not the center of attention, and she always should be. There is still plenty to develop regarding her story!
More to come....
Becky

Meadows Part 2....
6. Those wonderful memories of Krypton. In this episode, we get the flashback to Kara, Astra, and Alura on Krypton. How wonderful! Those memories haven't disappeared for Kara, so they should be part of subsequent seasons. I would love to see more of that. Also, the wonderful philosophies of Kara's parents and relatives, including the "heart of a hero" moment with her mom, are fantastic! We need more of those because they are so very inspiring.
7. Loved Laura Benanti as Astra/Alura. Erica Durance is good, but there was something special about Laura Benanti in those roles. I would love to see Aunt Astra return!
8. The comical side of the show is so important! That gave the show a fun, lighthearted aura in the first season, which mixed perfectly with the villain/fight scenes.
9. Cat's worldly advice to Kara. We could have that come from a different character for Season 6 since we don't have Cat. I wonder if we could have another character who would fill the role of Cat. I know Calista Flockhart is impossible to replace, but a similar character could be added. The show has tried to add others, but they just haven't worked well. It's still possible to add one, though, provided it's a strong female role model at Catco. Lena wouldn't work because she is too close to Kara's age.
10. Note that the friends in Season 1 aren't "super," except for J'onn. I think that was a key to the season focusing on Kara. We don't need a lot of additional superheroes; we just need Supergirl and her non-super friends, except for J'onn, of course.
More to come...
Becky

Meadows Part 3....
11. Those wonderful songs! The show's theme song and "Kara's theme" are just excellent, and I think they've been lost somewhat in subsequent seasons.
12. Supergirl saving regular people. This should be a staple for the show. The pizza robbery and saving the snake from the tree were excellent. I laughed when I saw Supergirl's reaction to the snake.
13. We see Kryptonite again in this episode. I loved Hank's Kryptonite knife. However, maybe the show has come to use Kryptonite too much as a weapon against Supergirl. It would be great to see her defeating more villains who don't use Kryptonite.
14. I actually liked the DEO when Hank ran it. It seemed to go downhill after he resigned.
15. I love the TVs behind Cat Grant's desk and how they feature stories regarding Supergirl. There's no reason why that can't continue at CatCo. That also helps place an emphasis on Supergirl.
16. The balcony scenes always rock. Season 1 does a great job of setting up the balcony as the place where deep, philosophical conversations take place.
This was a great episode, of course! On Sunday, June 14, we're on to S1E3!
Becky

Episode 103, Fight or Flight

I got a lot of chuckles from this episode: "Do you have a day job?"; "How do you eat sticky buns and stay so thin? I'm an alien."; "That (Reactron) is kind of a stupid name, who named him that? Jimmy Olson. Oh."; "If she's not (a millenial) then I want the name of her surgeon."

Also Winn's giddiness when he overhears that Clark Kent is Superman, and, best of all, "If that potsticker isn't in my mouth in 2 seconds I will melt your face", followed by the perfectly aimed pillow to the face. That has to be one of the funniest scenes of the whole series.

I always enjoyed the occasional appearances by Maxwell Lord. He was such a nuanced and shaded character. His wordplay with Cat while dancing was funny.

I loved the shots of Kara, especially of her eyes, during the e-chat with Clark.

Episode 103, Fight or Flight

I got a lot of chuckles from this episode: "Do you have a day job?"; "How do you eat sticky buns and stay so thin? I'm an alien."; "That (Reactron) is kind of a stupid name, who named him that? Jimmy Olson. Oh."; "If she's not (a millenial) then I want the name of her surgeon."

Also Winn's giddiness when he overhears that Clark Kent is Superman, and, best of all, "If that potsticker isn't in my mouth in 2 seconds I will melt your face", followed by the perfectly aimed pillow to the face. That has to be one of the funniest scenes of the whole series.

I always enjoyed the occasional appearances by Maxwell Lord. He was such a nuanced and shaded character. His wordplay with Cat while dancing was funny.

I loved the shots of Kara, especially of her eyes, during the e-chat with Clark.

You know, one of the things I've been noticing about Season 1 is the villains. The primary villains aren't all bad. For example, I assume many of us actually like Astra; I certainly do. Maxwell Lord was one of my favorite "villains" of all time. His arguments did make sense, and I think he even had a chemistry with Alex. I really missed Maxwell Lord in Season 2, and I find myself still wanting him back. I would love to see Astra return as well. We all know superheroes and supervillains really never die.

We can empathize with the villains more when they're not all bad. Lex Luthor is just all bad, I think. Lillian Luthor is pretty much all bad, too, although we might empathize with her plight of rearing Lena, the daughter of the woman with which her husband was having an affair. I don't think of that when I see Lillian, though, and that's because of the superb acting. Lillian just looks evil. I'm trying to think of a villain in Seasons 2 through 5 that isn't all bad. Andrea Rojas from Season 5 isn't all bad, and I liked her. One of the key components of Lena's character is that despite being reared by and around people who became all bad, she isn't really all bad.

Becky

You know, one of the things I've been noticing about Season 1 is the villains. The primary villains aren't all bad. For example, I assume many of us actually like Astra; I certainly do. Maxwell Lord was one of my favorite "villains" of all time. His arguments did make sense, and I think he even had a chemistry with Alex. I really missed Maxwell Lord in Season 2, and I find myself still wanting him back. I would love to see Astra return as well. We all know superheroes and supervillains really never die.

We can empathize with the villains more when they're not all bad. Lex Luthor is just all bad, I think. Lillian Luthor is pretty much all bad, too, although we might empathize with her plight of rearing Lena, the daughter of the woman with which her husband was having an affair. I don't think of that when I see Lillian, though, and that's because of the superb acting. Lillian just looks evil. I'm trying to think of a villain in Seasons 2 through 5 that isn't all bad. Andrea Rojas from Season 5 isn't all bad, and I liked her. One of the key components of Lena's character is that despite being reared by and around people who became all bad, she isn't really all bad.
Becky

Skipping ahead I feel another good and endearing villain that should be mentioned is Livewire. She had a great sense of humor while creating havoc and destruction. She had an episode in season 2 where she was taken hostage and pretty much stole the show.
I think the most hateful,ruthless and evil villain was Monty's mom, Queen Rhea of Daxom. Played beautifully by Terry Hatcher.