Let's re-watch Supergirl Season 1 together!

When it comes to Episode 10 Childish Things I will always firstly mention what is probably my ultimate Supergirl fantasy where she utilises 5 of her superpowers to save everyone's life and capture the villain. We start off with invulnerability and the always cool sight of bullets bouncing of her chest and piling up on the floor, saving Winn's life in the process. Then it's X-Ray Vision to locate Toyman and see that he starts the timer for the bombs to go off, a little flight and hovering follows then Heat Vision to set the sprinklers off followed by the very cool (pun intended) use of Freeze Breath to create an Ice wall to take some of the force of the bomb explosion, no-one dies and I'm a happy camper. I really liked the finish as Toyman runs away but then stops as he's confronted by the Girl of Steel and a look of resignation comes over his face, sorry Mr Schott no escape for you today .

There was one other really nice Supergirl save in the episode that I liked a lot, when she inhaled all the gas and flew up to a safe distance and exhaled it.

This episode had my favourite Melissa and Jeremy (Kara and Winn) scenes of the series. It was such a pleasure to watch them together in what were some pretty heavy scenes between the characters. I enjoyed listening to Kara say what Winn meant to her as a close friend.

Last but not least I enjoy watching Kara hang out in her apartment with her Supergirl costume on, just go and relax on her couch and eat pizza with Alex.

Its the first time I've seen how well toned Melissa's legs are, I wonder what her workout routine would be/is.

I recall Melissa has talked about working on her core a lot especially as it pertains to flying. Found an article (https://www.trainforher.com/melissa-benoists-workout/) where she talks about this.

I noticed in a Season 4 episode where Kara and Lena were at the gym that Melissa had some nice muscle tone on her arms and shoulders so she definitely works at the physical requirements of playing Supergirl.

Even in Season 1 with the attached photo from Falling one can notice development in her shoulders that I don't imagine was there in her Glee days.

Melissa was so so good as a stressed Kara awaiting the arrival of Cat to the office. "Today we have to act really really normal like like not just normal normal but Super normal, only no Super" , which had Winn questioning whether she was having a stroke. Then there was the heating of and spilling of the coffee followed by forgetting her glasses. Mel was just so entertaining to watch


All of the Kara and Cat scenes were thoroughly enjoyable in the episode and they were my favourites of them from the entire series. Both Melissa and Calista were especially good in the scene the Season 1 Soundtrack calls 'Catty Questions'

I loved the way Supergirl saved Alex from the bomb by shielding her with her cape.

It was a great little sequence, Kara is so desperate to make Cat think she's not Supergirl but the stress of it all causes her to no longer know what's she's doing.

I think the fact Cat knows Kara is Supergirl is possibly what made their scenes in this episode so good. Its great to see Cat with the heartfelt desire for Supergirl to be helping others rather than being her assistant and it troubles her that someone may not be getting saved because of it.

Kara protecting Alex was what I call a cape trick!

I think one of the reasons we see the others helping more is that the first Season was extremely tough on Melissa. I remember David using the word "shattered" to describe her which in British slang means "dead", "exhausted" etc. She was sick in several of the episodes as well. So I think they tried to take some of the load off of her shoulders to keep that from happening in other seasons.

However, IMHO, they have gone way too far. I think there is a balance they can find, but unfortunately the CW tends to try and service far too many characters on their series. I would like to see more of solo Supergirl in the future.

Wow that's an interesting tidbit. Would not have thought she would be suffering like that.
Quite a few of us think that season 1 did quite well on focusing on Kara, but that got lost at some point in the following seasons.

Its the first time I've seen how well toned Melissa's legs are, I wonder what her workout routine would be/is.

I think one of the reasons we see the others helping more is that the first Season was extremely tough on Melissa. I remember David using the word "shattered" to describe her which in British slang means "dead", "exhausted" etc. She was sick in several of the episodes as well. So I think they tried to take some of the load off of her shoulders to keep that from happening in other seasons.

However, IMHO, they have gone way too far. I think there is a balance they can find, but unfortunately the CW tends to try and service far too many characters on their series. I would like to see more of solo Supergirl in the future.

Was anyone expecting that would happen when you first saw this episode? Cat finding out Kara is SG ?

I assumed Cat would figure it out eventually, but I was surprised that she confronted Kara so soon. More specifically, I was surprised that the show's writers would do this in only the eighth episode of the series. I had figured they would drag it out, with Cat dropping hints, but not openly confronting Kara, for at least the rest of the season, and possibly longer (remember, at this time we had no reason to think Cat would leave after S1).
That scene on the balcony is still my favorite scene of the entire series.

True, but is Cat really one to "beat around the bush"? And she thought that Kara doing being Supergirl AND her Assistant was a problem.

Ep. 109: Blood Bonds

Lots to like in this episode, even though it was more "talky" than action. I feel it really set up the story arc for the remainder of the season; I know it is not a linear progression, but much of what followed can be traced back to this episode for its origins.

Melissa really was in top form. A few examples:

• Her panic when Cat suspects she is Supergirl, spilling the coffee etc. Hilarious!
  

• In the sequence of meetings with Cat, Kara progresses from laughing it off initially, to wariness when told to sit in Cat's chair, to concern, sadness, and finally resignation. Outstanding range of emotions, expressions, and body language.[list]
  
• The fierce look in her eyes after finding out that Max Lord injured James, as she told Winn "get out of my way." Wow! Kudos to Winn for standing his ground and talking her down. The subsequent scene of the three of them on the couch was touching.
  

[/list]
I liked the initial scene of SG and Non fighting and evading the airplane. That was a cool effect. I wonder if the pilot reported a UFO. lol. I also wonder what rank the one officer held after defying Gen. Lane during the prisoner transfer.

Calista was fantastic as Cat used all the tricks in her arsenal to get Kara to admit she is Supergirl.

Laura Benanti also was great as Astra. I especially liked the "faith" talk with Kara. You can see that Astra is conflicted.

The last scene where Supergirl and Kara appear to Cat simultaneously is a classic. Cat's reaction is priceless. Like many, I would love to see a reappearance of Cat Grant at some point. Calista owns that role.

Hostile Takeover; Well, of course I'm behind! I'll try to catch back up soon. The Fall semester is gearing up, and I have a lot of class design to do!
Just a few thoughts about "Hostile Takeover," which we watched last week:
1. The scene with Kara and Cat on the balcony, where Cat has Kara remove her glasses and recognizes her as Supergirl, is one of the best scenes of the entire series. Note that the first thing Cat does is thank Supergirl for saving her life and all of her help. We see the best of both characters in that scene, I think. When I first saw that scene during Season 1, I rewatched it over and over because I just love it so much. I haven't seen a scene yet that stands up to it, although there are obviously other excellent scenes throughout the series.
2. Cat with the members of the board: There are so many little snippets in the conversation that are fantastic, such as Cat smirking a bit when she remembers calling Dirk the personification of white male privilege. Cat certainly holds her own, and yet, we also see a bit of her vulnerable side.
3. I actually liked Lucy Lane in Season 1, and I missed her in subsequent seasons. I wonder if we could get her back, but I suppose she has no purpose without James. Nonetheless, she was a very strong character. Maybe if we could get General Lane back sometime, we could get Lucy. Then again, I'm sure the writers could bring Lucy back with a purpose.
4. I love it when Kara overhears Dirk's conversation in the elevator. I really like it when we see Kara using Supergirl's powers. It's always fun to see how she reacts and covers it up.

Until next time, everyone!

My longer Episode 9 'Blood Bonds' review: While this was lighter on Supergirl action it was heavy on Melissa's acting talent especially when it comes to emotional acting where she really brings her A game. My highlights on that front were:

- Melissa was so so good as a stressed Kara awaiting the arrival of Cat to the office. "Today we have to act really really normal like like not just normal normal but Super normal, only no Super" , which had Winn questioning whether she was having a stroke. Then there was the heating of and spilling of the coffee followed by forgetting her glasses. Mel was just so entertaining to watch

- The other scene that was tops for me was an initially angry (at James and Winn for taking on Maxwell Lord without her) and then overwhelmed Kara. I liked that scene a lot and it was a brave move by Winn to stand in the doorway to stop her from doing something that she'll regret. I liked Winn and James both holding Kara's hand and providing that emotional support to her. Later on Kara said thanks to them both for stopping her and Winn replied "Hey, it's why you keep us around right?" .

All of the Kara and Cat scenes were thoroughly enjoyable in the episode and they were my favourites of them from the entire series. Both Melissa and Calista were especially good in the scene the Season 1 Soundtrack calls 'Catty Questions'

I loved the way Supergirl saved Alex from the bomb by shielding her with her cape. I also liked Supergirl saving the solider's life and how later on he recoginsed that and let her proceed when General Lane wouldn't.

I enjoyed Melissa in the little scene where she plays Kara and MM disguised as Supergirl. Kara to MM Supergirl "I really like your outfit" MM Supergirl to Kara "I like your glasses" . So sweet and funny.

Kara talking to J'onn on the rooftop and then chatting with Clark on IM was a nice scene with some lovely music (especially the piano) to accompany it.

One of the funniest lines was Supergirl saying to Alex and J'onn " I can keep a secret" and they both reply together "No you can't" .

Blood Bonds was a really enjoyable episode, next comes Childish Things and one of my absolute favourite scenes from the entire series.


Totally unrelated comment, I was watching a Quiz show tonight and this question was asked "Supergirl had the name of Kara Zor-El on which planet?", a man answered correctly with Krypton. Always cool to hear Supergirl related questions on quiz shows.

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.

Was anyone expecting that would happen when you first saw this episode? Cat finding out Kara is SG ?

I assumed Cat would figure it out eventually, but I was surprised that she confronted Kara so soon. More specifically, I was surprised that the show's writers would do this in only the eighth episode of the series. I had figured they would drag it out, with Cat dropping hints, but not openly confronting Kara, for at least the rest of the season, and possibly longer (remember, at this time we had no reason to think Cat would leave after S1).
That scene on the balcony is still my favorite scene of the entire series.

Firstly something I didn't get to mention about the previous episode was I liked how Maxwell Lord was genuinely trying to help that woman's father, and the exasperation when he realizes he can't save him. I know we were focusing on Kara in that scene but it was great moment also for this character. I like villains who have that kind of side to them. I preferred the Lex Luthor of the Smallville series who could show that kind of side too.

I had never noticed in previous viewings that when Kara brings boxes of Cat's emails to James to read through, he strains to lift one of them. But Kara just takes it from him with no effort whatsoever. Easily overlooked moment, but well worth a chuckle.

It was a good little moment. Possibly this scene could have been more amusing had both James and Winn had difficulty lifting the boxes and when Kara lifts them or they get passed to her she just lifts them with ease.

- I loved the way Cat challenged Kara about being Supergirl, she worked out so beautifully and left Kara speechless. This for me was Calista's best acting in her time on the series.

- Really liked Supergirl taking a break from her fight with Astra to go and save all the people from getting killed by the falling building debris.

Certainly one of the most memorable scenes in the series. Was anyone expecting that would happen when you first saw this episode? Cat finding out Kara is SG ?

I like how she combined the events. The debris fall from the building, Kara sees this and stops the confrontation. She quickly flies towards those below catching part of that really artificial looking wall and throws it at Astra. Kaboom!

Episode 108: Hostile Takeover

This episode featured the first of many great balcony scenes between Cat and Kara/Supergirl. Cat had connected the dots and figured out that Kara was Supergirl (something Lena never was able to do). Even though in subsequent episodes this knowledge was refuted, I don't really believe that Cat ever stopped thinking she had it right the first time. Either way, a great scene.

Other highlights: Fantastic flying scenes, especially the fight with Astra in the skies over National City; the sparring session between Supergirl and Alex showed how much SG had improved since earlier episodes; Kara using her super hearing to eavesdrop on Dirk's conversation; and the rage and heartbreak Supergirl felt when confronting Alura about Astra. Another great example of Melissa's range.

I had never noticed in previous viewings that when Kara brings boxes of Cat's emails to James to read through, he strains to lift one of them. But Kara just takes it from him with no effort whatsoever. Easily overlooked moment, but well worth a chuckle.

I was thinking about Human for a Day again, and it occurred to me that even when Supergirl had no powers, she didn't have anyone else jump in to rescue her. Instead, she was very focused on continuing to help others as much as she could without her powers. It seems like in subsequent seasons, Team Supergirl rushes to hide Supergirl when she loses her powers. Maybe the supersuit is an exception.
This reminds me somewhat of the episode in Season 4 when Supergirl has to climb the wall of the room where they have her imprisoned on Shelley Island. Manchester Black ultimately releases her from the room, but she has to summon her own strength to climb that wall. It's a fantastic scene. I would rather she had somehow freed herself, though, just to showcase her powers again.

She is quite impressive in season 1 and having to work out problems to a large extent by herself as we will see even while being relatively new to the whole superhero business.

I was thinking about Human for a Day again, and it occurred to me that even when Supergirl had no powers, she didn't have anyone else jump in to rescue her. Instead, she was very focused on continuing to help others as much as she could without her powers. It seems like in subsequent seasons, Team Supergirl rushes to hide Supergirl when she loses her powers. Maybe the supersuit is an exception.
This reminds me somewhat of the episode in Season 4 when Supergirl has to climb the wall of the room where they have her imprisoned on Shelley Island. Manchester Black ultimately releases her from the room, but she has to summon her own strength to climb that wall. It's a fantastic scene. I would rather she had somehow freed herself, though, just to showcase her powers again.

I hope the writers for the show are reading our analyses, or at least someone is telling them about them. These are good ideas for upcoming seasons!

Once again, though, note that this episode centers around Kara and Supergirl. The supporting cast is absolutely fantastic, but they are in supporting roles. I think so far if we can take anything from Season 1, it's the superb focus on Supergirl herself.

This is really true. I hadn't realized it until we started doing these re-viewings, but Supergirl is at the center of each episode.

Human for a Day is a great episode, but it's not my favorite episode of Season 1. Still, it was enthralling to see Supergirl wrestle with how it feels to want to help people but to be unable to do so. One of the most riveting scenes in t his episode to me is when she tries so hard to use her xray vision to see inside the man in the alley who is dying. Melissa did a fantastic job of getting those emotions across to her audience!
One of my favorite scenes in this episode is when Supergirl comes flying up the elevator with James in her arms and the moment right before that, when we see that she has her powers back. When I first watched this episode, I'll bet I was just like almost every other viewer, watching so closely to see when those powers would return. Supergirl at her all-powerful best enthralls me.
The music is not to be discounted, for sure! I don't think the music for the seasons after Season 1 is as good in general as the music was for Season 1. At least, I don't seem to notice it as much, although I do catch it when they play Kara's theme.
Once again, though, note that this episode centers around Kara and Supergirl. The supporting cast is absolutely fantastic, but they are in supporting roles. I think so far if we can take anything from Season 1, it's the superb focus on Supergirl herself.

(plus wearing a pretty costume ) .

Season 1 - 4 is pretty, season 5 not so

I remembered an interview where Melissa briefly gives her own view on this episode at 1:40

'Human for a Day' was an episode for me that had some mixed emotions, it was an excellent episode but I was quite disappointed they went with a Supergirl losing her powers story so early in the piece, felt it's something they could've left till Season 2 or preferably never at all.

I kind of fall in the opposite camp. I felt this episode established something really important about Kara. She is who she is not because she is strong or bulletproof or shoots heat rays from her eyes. Her powers allow her to do things far beyond the power of mortal men, but she is defined by her compassion and determination to do right as she sees it.

Honestly, anyone could go out and talk down a gunman in a convenience store if they're invulnerable. It takes a hero to do it when a single panicked gunshot would end your life. Kara cared about those lives so much at that moment, she was willing to trade literally everything else she could ever do afterward for their sake. Because that's who she is.

Great review, Kiwi. You hit on all of the points that stood out to me.

- This was one of Melissa's better performances, she made you feel for Kara having lost her powers but then displayed such hope when dressed as a powerless Supergirl talking down the store robber.

The scene in the convenience store is among my all time favorites, one I've watched over and over. Supergirl's quivering hand was a great touch showing that being a hero meant overcoming her fear, followed by a pitch-perfect speech. Beautifully acted!

BTW, in this review (and many others from you, if I remember correctly) you give special mention to the soundtrack. Thanks for pointing that out. I have a tendency to take it for granted, but the music is definitely worthy of mention.

In my mind, Livewire, then Red Faced, is where season 1 REALLY hit it's stride.