THE SUPERLONG WAIT IS OVER
Supergirl is dorky but endearing — and she’s the first female superhero to lead a TV series in 40 years,
The first thing you may notice about the new Supergirl is the retro costume: a flimsy Halloween outfit that seems more applicable to trick or treating than the business of saving the world.
But therein lies the charm. Supergirl’s Melissa Benoist ( Glee) is vulnerable, klutzy and engaging as Kara Zor-El, even if the series, debuting Monday on Global, clumsily panders to every comic book trope.
Producers have decided not to stray too far from the Clark Kent playbook, right down to the oversized horn rims: that is, plop a big nerd into a media company and allow them to explore their superpowers while obsessing over finding love and saving the world.
Fortunately, Benoist does corny well. Kara is 24 and well beyond being a girl when she starts to work for media mogul Cat Grant ( Ally McBeal’s Calista Flockhart). In the premiere she is in the shadow of her more famous cousin Kal-El (a.k.a. Superman) and has to decide whether she really wants to be a superhero.
But much of the show plays out like a rom-com with Kara trying to discover who she is, having flirtations at work, while battling her boss, an amalgam of
Devil Wears Prada editrix types that have
dominated the genre.
When I asked Benoist what she thought when she first saw her costume, she says she was actually relieved. Modern-day superhero costumes are typically cumbersome suits of armour (think any Batman film) that lend gravitas to the hero but make it difficult to emote. The current outfit is truer to the original comic book depiction and hearkens back to 1950s George Reeves and his Spandex suit.
“I was relieved to be honest. It was like I knew what was coming and what I would have to do in terms of fighting and flying,” said Benoist. “But it still feels strong, secure and solid. I love the costume. I don’t know how Wonder Woman does it, for one thing. It just seems so impractical.”
Benoist approached the character like “any other role. I wanted to know what are her goals, what motivates her? There are some really personal parts of me to this role. I can really relate to Kara in the office. I think everyone can. That shyness, being a wallflower, not knowing who you are quite yet and trying to live up to your potential.” Supergirl
(out of 4) Starring Melissa Benoist, Calista Flockhart, David Harewood and Mehcad Brooks. Premieres Oct. 26 at 8:30 p.m. on Global, then moves to Mondays at 8 p.m.
Superhero shows are chock-ablock on airwaves currently. Many of them, including this one, are produced by the overstretched Greg Berlanti in his superhero factory where he also does Arrow and The Flash.
Yet, this Supergirl is significant. It marks the first time in 40 years that a major broadcast network put a female comic-book superhero on the screen. That was Wonder Woman starring Lynda Carter back in 1975. The record won’t last long. Netflix’s Jessica Jones comes out in November.
Like the Flash, Supergirl indulges a younger viewer, and young women (and fans of Glee) will likely find Benoist’s lovable dork act highly relatable.
“In life, I think everyone will be able to understand her journey,” says Benoist. “She’s not the only one going through it; everyone is trying to figure out who they are.”