Let's re-watch Supergirl Season 1 together!

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.

Childish Things is a pretty good episode. As superbill mentioned Toyman is different because of how he's driven by pure crazyness! He may as well have come from Arkham Asylum.

I have to say the incarnation of Toyman I like the best comes from Smallville where he's more enegetic and views everything like a game. Having said this I like the fact that in this series he is related to one of the main characters so that makes it a little more personal. Winn has to deal with the shame and embarrassment of it all.

We also saw Winn finally confessing his feelings for Kara but being rebuffed. Things are going to be awkward for a while. I have seen someone say they thought Winn's crash on Kara was creeepy which seems kinda unfair.

While Winn is in the limelight, our Supergirl remains fully in the picture. She uses her powers to save Winn and the police. She falls into a trap but saves herself. Towards the end there are few awesome scenes with the bullets ricocheting off her. Also setting the sprinklers off and using freeze breathe on the water. Oh and of course bringing Toyman to justice.

In contrast the sequel to this episode in season 3 was poor. Winn was in the limelight and Supergirl herself well .. wasn't. Instead she was more of a passenger. The villainess was able to catch SG quite easily although I thought the trap was creative but she needed to be rescued and Winn saved the day.

There are similarities too. Toyman in this episode and his female apprentice in the season 3 episode both try to exploit one of Kara's vulnerabilities which has been explored in the series that is she needs to breathe like everyone else. Both times this happened in a factory.

Max saying to Alex that she worked for her powers and SG didn't I thought was a noteworthy statement. It made me think of Wonder woman's origin story which I find more interesting than Supergirl's. As Diana had to work for her powers to become Wonder Woman.

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.

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.

I love Livewire!! She is one of my favorite villains, and I would love to see her return. Electricity never dies, after all! I didn't sympathize with her during Season 1, although I thought she was hilarious. When she journeys with Kara, Psy, and others to Ft. Rozz in outer space, though, I think we begin to sympathize with her. We see her actually begin to bond with Supergirl.

Becky

Which episode are we watching for June 21?
When originally broadcast in 2015, episodes 4 and 5 were aired out of sequence and streaming services like Netflix and Amazon list the episodes in broadcast order, rather than the order intended by the show's creators.
So, are we watching "How Does She Do It?" (actually episode 4, but aired 5th) or "Livewire" (actually episode 5, but aired 4th)?

Which episode are we watching for June 21?
When originally broadcast in 2015, episodes 4 and 5 were aired out of sequence and streaming services like Netflix and Amazon list the episodes in broadcast order, rather than the order intended by the show's creators.
So, are we watching "How Does She Do It?" (actually episode 4, but aired 5th) or "Livewire" (actually episode 5, but aired 4th)?

The dvd has "How Does She Do It?" in its original sequence as episode 4, so that would be my choice. Others who use services rather than a dvd may feel differently of course. I'm good either way.

Hi, everyone! Let's re-watch Supergirl Season 1 together. We can watch one episode of Season 1 every Sunday. Let's start on Sunday, May 31, with S1E1. That's one of my favorites. Then, we can talk about the episode in relation to what we know through Season 5. After Season 1, we can move on to Season 2 if we like. That will give us our Supergirl "fix" until we get Season 6!
After watching S1E1 on Sunday, May 31, post any interesting ideas that come to mind. We will do the same for the next 20 weeks through the end of Season 1.

Let's go with "How Does She Do It."

Becky

One thing rewatching the videos has shown me is just how much more action from Supergirl that we got in Season 1. I'm up to Episode 7, sorry guys I binged it yesterday.... but the amount of great action sequences where she actually fights rather than just using heat vision, etc was fantastic in Season 1.

One thing rewatching the videos has shown me is just how much more action from Supergirl that we got in Season 1. I'm up to Episode 7, sorry guys I binged it yesterday.... but the amount of great action sequences where she actually fights rather than just using heat vision, etc was fantastic in Season 1.

I completely agree! Also, Supergirl met so many more villains that just weren't as powerful as her. It seems like in subsequent seasons, so many of the villains can just take her out with one blow or by using Kryptonite. I love action scenes where she is seen as so much more powerful than her adversaries!

I'll post a lot more thoughts on Blood Bonds tomorrow but this was an episode that I enjoyed a lot. What struck me on my re-watch tonight was how good Melissa's performance was, something I don't quite remember from previous viewings but stood out to me on this occasion.

Shout out to another cute Kara outfit with her nice dress/pink cardigan combination.

How Does She Do It? is and will most likely always be my favourite episode of Supergirl. It had everything I wanted from the show with Supergirl being absolutely Super, some excellent flying scenes and a super cool transformation scene.

Normally I would be happy with 1 Super Save in an episode but to get 3 in this episode was like a dream (and ultimate fantasy). I loved the way Supergirl held up the building and stabilised it with her heat vision (and I liked how impressed J'onn was with that feat). Flying the bomb out of the city at super speed was awesome and waiting till the last second to throw the bomb to ensure the city was safe to the detriment of her own safety was suitably superheroic. Lastly stopping the train and thereby saving hundreds of lives was Super Duper.

I loved the free flying at the start of the episode and trying to catch the drone that followed. The other flying scene I liked was when she was flying towards Carter's school and talking to Cat "it's like Superwindy" which led into the transformation scene where she flew in as Supergirl behind the bushes and came out as Kara Danvers, very cool.

Other scenes I liked in the episode were:

Supergirl making decisions, when she told the DEO to go to the airport and she would take the train, I liked her assertiveness.
Alex's Id changing from DEO to FBI, to quote Supergirl "Now that is cool".
Kara/Supergirl and Carter
Kara and Lucy @ Noonan's
Alex and Max
J'onn disabling the bomb giving us our first glimpse at his Martian Manhunter powers
Supergirl and Max that concluded the episode

Melissa was excellent in portraying Supergirl trying hard to save Ethan and her disappointment when he didn't want to be saved and having to watch the carriage explode.

10 out of 10 and an episode which I watch more often than any other and enjoy each time.

Thanks, Kiwi, for an excellent review which I could have written myself! I agree, this is one of the best episodes in the series. I've watched the concluding dialog between Max and Supergirl so many times I've lost count.

Two other brief scenes to add to the list: Supergirl ignoring Alex's request for an Allen wrench and simply yanking the top off the bomb, and the view of Supergirl from a distance, flying toward us enroute to the bombed building.

10 of 10. I definitely concur!

Well crap! I'm behind, of course. I will catch up last week's and this week's episode this week!

Becky