Supergirl (TV series)

Supergirl
File:Supergirl (TV logo).jpg
Genre	Superhero Action Drama Fantasy
Based on	Characters created by Jerry Siegel Joe Shuster
Developed by	Greg Berlanti Ali Adler Andrew Kreisberg
Starring	Melissa Benoist Mehcad Brooks Chyler Leigh Jeremy Jordan David Harewood Calista Flockhart
Composer(s)	Blake Neely
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	20 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Sarah Schechter Ali Adler Andrew Kreisberg Greg Berlanti
Producer(s)	Michael Grassi Ted Sullivan Michael Cedar Larry Teng
Cinematography	Michael Barrett David Stockton Jeffery C. Mygatt
Editor(s)	Andi Armaganian Barbara Gerard Harry Jierjian
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	45 minutes
Production company(s)	Berlanti Productions DC Entertainment Warner Bros. Television
Distributor	Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Release
Original network	CBS (season 1)
Picture format	HDTV 1080i
Audio format	Dolby Digital 5.1
Original release	October 26, 2015 (2015-10-26) – present (present)
External links
[{{#property:P856}} Website]
Production website

Supergirl is an American superhero fiction action-adventure drama television series developed by Ali Adler, Greg Berlanti and Andrew Kreisberg (the latter two having previously created Arrow and The Flash) that originally aired on CBS and premiered on October 26, 2015. It is based on the DC Comics character Supergirl (Kara Zor-El), created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino, and stars Melissa Benoist in the title role. Supergirl is a costumed superheroine who is the biological cousin to Superman and one of the last surviving Kryptonians.

The series was officially picked up on May 6, 2015, after receiving a series commitment in September 2014, and received a full season order on November 30, 2015. On May 12, 2016, Warner Bros. Television announced that the series had been renewed for a second season and that it would move from CBS to The CW. It is scheduled to debut in October 2016.

Premise

Kara Zor-El (Melissa Benoist) was sent to Earth from the doomed planet Krypton as a 13-year-old by her parents Zor-El (Robert Gant) and Alura (Laura Benanti). Alura gave her instructions to protect her infant cousin Kal-El, and informed her that she, like her cousin, would have extraordinary powers under Earth's yellow sun.

En route to Earth, Kara's spacecraft was diverted by a shock wave from Krypton's explosion and forced into the Phantom Zone, where it stayed for 24 years. During this period, time stopped for Kara so, when the spacecraft eventually escaped the Phantom Zone, she still appeared to be a 13-year-old girl. By the time the spacecraft crash landed on Earth, Kal-El had grown up and become Superman. After helping her out of the craft, Superman took Kara to be adopted by his friends, the Danvers family. The main series begins more than a decade later when the now 24-year-old Kara is learning to embrace her powers after previously hiding them.

Kara hid her powers for more than a decade, believing that Earth didn't need another hero. However, she has to reveal her powers to thwart an unexpected disaster, setting her on her own journey of heroism as National City's protector. Kara discovers that hundreds of the criminals her mother prosecuted as a judge on Krypton are hiding on Earth, including her mother's twin sister Astra (also played by Benanti) and Astra's husband Non (Chris Vance), who seek to rule the world. After briefly becoming suspicious of the true agenda of her boss, Hank Henshaw (David Harewood), she and her adoptive sister, Alex Danvers (Chyler Leigh), secretly discover that Henshaw is actually a benevolent alien refugee, J'onn J'onzz, who has resided on Earth for over fifty years after escaping a holocaust on his homeworld of Mars. J'onn infiltrated the DEO to reform the organization as well as to watch over both Alex and Kara in addition to guiding the latter in the use of her powers due to his experience with his own abilities. Kara is also being targeted by Earth's criminals as the result of her being related to Superman, and later on encounters an emerging community of metahumans and individuals from parallel universes. Eventually, Kara accumulates her own rogues gallery who seeks to defeat and destroy her. She is aided by a few close friends and family who guard her secrets—most notably her cousin's longtime friend, James Olsen (Mehcad Brooks)--which also serves as a major plot in high tech mogul Maxwell Lord's (Peter Facinelli) scheme to expose Kara's identity.

Cast and characters

Main article: List of Supergirl characters

• Melissa Benoist as Kara Zor-El / Kara Danvers / Supergirl:

A 24-year-old Kryptonian living in National City, who must embrace her powers after previously hiding them. She assists her adoptive sister as part of the Department of Extra-Normal Operations (DEO) as she discovered the truth that her foster father also worked for the DEO so they would not take her, while Alex's co-workers at the DEO help her perfect her powers. Kara works as Cat Grant's assistant at CatCo. Benoist expressed her excitement over portraying the character, and being able to "[tell] a story about a human being really realizing their potential and their strength". Malina Weissman portrays a young Kara.

• Mehcad Brooks as James Olsen:

A former Daily Planet photographer, James moved to National City and became the new art director for his former colleague, Cat Grant, at CatCo Worldwide Media. He is a potential love interest for Kara. Among his reasons for moving across the country include his breakup with his fiancée, Lucy Lane, and keeping an eye on the newly revealed Supergirl for Superman. While working at the Daily Planet, James received the Pulitzer Prize for taking the first photograph of Superman.

• Chyler Leigh as Alex Danvers:

Kara's adoptive sister. She is a doctor and scientist who works for Hank Henshaw at the DEO. Having been extensively trained in combat after joining the DEO, Alex in turn provided rigorous training to Kara in order to decrease her reliance on her powers. Initially, like Kara, she becomes suspicious of the DEO and thus her own role upon learning of their father having worked there in order to protect Kara, but Alex ultimately learns that Henshaw is the Martian survivor J'onn J'onzz in shape-shifted disguise, whom her late father had rescued before his and the real Henshaw's deaths. Jordan Mazarati plays a young Alex.

• Jeremy Jordan as Winslow "Winn" Schott, Jr.:

A tech expert who works alongside Kara at CatCo, he serves as one of her allies, helping her develop her costume and aiding her in her adventures. Winn has an unrequited crush on Kara and is a rival with James for her affection. However, at the end of "For the Girl Who Has Everything", Winn has seemingly accepted the fact that Kara will never think of him as anything other than a friend, and in "Solitude", he begins seeing Cat Grant's new assistant, who is also Kara's rival: Siobhan Smythe, who is subsequently fired by Cat and who, in "Worlds Finest", becomes a metahuman supervillain called Silver Banshee. In the series, he is the son of Toyman. Cat nicknames him Toyman Junior after she finds out.

• David Harewood as Hank Henshaw and J'onn J'onzz / Martian Manhunter:

A former CIA agent and current head of the DEO, who goes on high alert when Supergirl reveals herself, worried that her otherworldly abilities pose a threat to humankind. However, the "real" Henshaw died with Jeremiah Danvers in Peru while hunting the alien J'onn J'onzz. After Henshaw died, the 317-year-old J'onzz, who has shape-shifting abilities, took Henshaw's likeness in order to reform the DEO from within as well as to watch over Alex and Kara. The evolution of Henshaw was discussed during the filming of the pilot, with the executive producers jokingly saying that Harewood would be a good actor to play the Martian Manhunter in a potential television series, to which DC Comics' Geoff Johns asked why it could not be done in Supergirl. Harewood reflected that he had difficulty "find[ing] an angle to play Hank Henshaw" in the pilot, and became excited when he was told about the change to his character's backstory.

• Calista Flockhart as Cat Grant:

The shallow and superficial founder of the media conglomerate CatCo Worldwide Media, who feels, since she "branded" Kara as "Supergirl", that she has proprietary custody over the new hero. Before she founded CatCo, she was a gossip columnist at the Daily Planet, and before that, the personal assistant to the Daily Planet's Editor-in-Chief, Perry White. Cat investigates and reveals that Supergirl is Superman's cousin, which then causes Kara to become a target for some of Superman's rogues gallery. Cat also serves as a mentor to Kara, dispensing advice about being a woman in a man's world. In the episode "Hostile Takeover", she suspects that Kara is Supergirl.

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code	U.S. viewers (millions)
1	"Pilot"	Glen Winter	Story by: Greg Berlanti & Ali Adler & Andrew Kreisberg Teleplay by: Ali Adler	October 26, 2015 (2015-10-26)	276088	12.96
A young girl named Kara Zor-El is sent to Earth by her mother Alura to protect her cousin, Kal-El, as their planet, Krypton, destructs. The planet's explosion forces her ship off course and into the Phantom Zone for 24 years, before landing on Earth. Kal-El, now an adult and going by the name Superman, puts Kara in the care of the Danvers. Twelve years later, Kara reveals herself to the world when her adoptive sister's plane is sabotaged. Her sister, Alex, works at the Department of Extra-Normal Operations, under the leadership of Hank Henshaw, investigating alien activity. Kara learns that there are hundreds of aliens on the planet in hiding, most whom came from a prison that crashed on Earth, and that her mother was the one responsible for imprisoning them. Her actions attract the attention of Vartox (Owain Yeoman), and she is able to defeat him. New art director James Olsen reveals he was sent to look after her and presents Kara with a new cape. Vartox's superior is revealed to be Astra In-Ze, Alura's identical twin sister, who wants to conquer Earth.
2	"Stronger Together"	Glen Winter	Story by: Greg Berlanti & Andrew Kreisberg Teleplay by: Andrew Kreisberg & Ali Adler	November 2, 2015 (2015-11-02)	4X7602	8.87
In an effort to put a positive image on Supergirl in the wake of a serious mishap, Kara asks Winn and James to help her perfect her skills, while Hank and Alex put Kara through extensive physical training. Kara learns that an alien (Justice Leak) of the Hellgrammite species who escaped from Fort Rozz is on Earth searching for chlorine-based food. The DEO prepares an ambush for the Hellgrammite, but it escapes, kidnaps Alex, and takes her to Astra. Astra uses Alex as a trap for Kara. As Kara and Astra fight, Hank injures Astra with a Kryptonite knife and Alex kills the Hellgrammite. Learning that Kara has become more powerful than she had imagined and that humanity has a means of weakening Kryptonians, Astra muses that her "plans" may need to be postponed. Cat pressures James to get her an interview with Supergirl. James has reservations about being used as a go-between to his superpowered friends, while Kara is worried about being recognized. In the end, Kara agrees to the interview and prevents James from getting fired. It is also revealed that Hank might have a secret of his own when his eyes begin to glow red.
3	"Fight or Flight"	Dermott Downs	Michael Grassi & Rachel Shukert	November 9, 2015 (2015-11-09)	4X7603	8.07
During the interview with Cat, Supergirl accidentally reveals that she is Superman's cousin. Supergirl is later attacked by Reactron (Chris Browning), who seeks to kill her in order to get his revenge on Superman, but she manages to send him fleeing. He later goes to LORD Technology labs and kidnaps Maxwell Lord to get him to fix his suit. Kara later learns that a reactor meltdown Superman stopped in the past killed Reactron's wife, thus explaining the vendetta. She goes to Reactron's hideout and manages to save Maxwell Lord, only to get badly injured by Reactron afterwards, but Superman comes to save her. She gets mad at James, who called Superman for help, as she didn't want to rely on the Man of Steel. During a party Cat organized, Reactron breaks in to find Supergirl. While James distracts Reactron, Supergirl covers her hand in lead so that she can use it to safely remove the power core in Reactron's suit and defeat him. It is later revealed that James has an ex-fiancée, Lucy Lane (the younger sister of Lois Lane), who came to National City to patch up their relationship.
4	"Livewire"	Kevin Tancharoen	Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa & Caitlin Parrish	November 16, 2015 (2015-11-16)	4X7605	7.77
After fighting an alien escapee, Kara meets Alex at the apartment to greet their mother, Eliza Danvers, for Thanksgiving, inviting Winn due to his lack of plans. CatCo's shock jock, Leslie Willis (Brit Morgan) is demoted by Cat to traffic reporting after a controversial bashing of Supergirl. During a severe thunderstorm, Supergirl tries to save Leslie, but lightning strikes them both, imbuing Leslie with electromagnetic powers. Leslie takes the name "Livewire" and tries to take revenge on Cat, but eventually Supergirl stops her and she is imprisoned at DEO. After Alex tells Eliza in a fit of rage at the dinner table that she's actually DEO, Eliza reveals to her daughters that, years ago, their father, Dr. Jeremiah Danvers, offered himself up to work for Hank Henshaw in exchange for Kara's safety and then died mysteriously, leading the girls to become suspicious of Henshaw.
5	"How Does She Do It?"	Thor Freudenthal	Yahlin Chang & Ted Sullivan	November 23, 2015 (2015-11-23)	4X7604	7.19
Cat Grant is out of town and Kara, James, and Winn struggle to take care of CatCo, Cat's son Carter, and a bomber targeting Maxwell Lord's company. The DEO, claiming to be the FBI, goes to Lord and attempts to convince him to postpone the bullet train's opening, but to no avail. On the opening night of Lord's new bullet train, Supergirl and the DEO must deal with two bomb threats simultaneously, one at the airport and one on the train. James and the DEO go to the airport, where Hank Henshaw secretly uses his hidden strength to deactivate the bomb. Supergirl goes to the train, on which Carter and the bomber are both riding. As Supergirl confronts the bomber, he claims that he is doing it for his daughter. The bomber requests Supergirl save the people on the train after he starts the timer. At DEO headquarters, Alex finds a fail-safe in the "dud" bomb, causing Supergirl to realize that Lord was the one behind the bomber's actions. Lord concedes that the threats could have been used to test Supergirl's skills.
6	"Red Faced"	Jesse Warn	Michael Grassi & Rachel Shukert	November 30, 2015 (2015-11-30)	4X7606	8.02
Anger issues surface for multiple characters, including Kara. Cat's mother, Katherine Grant, arrives. Lucy's father, Sam Lane (Glenn Morshower), arrives. The military's rogue combat android Red Tornado (Iddo Goldberg) challenges Kara. She and Alex eventually defeat both the robot and its creator T.O. Morrow (also portrayed by Goldberg), but the fight leaves the former weakened. It is discovered that Hank Henshaw was the last to see Jeremiah Danvers alive. At the end of the episode, Kara drops some glass and, when she picks it up, she starts bleeding.
7	"Human for a Day"	Larry Teng	Yahlin Chang & Ted Sullivan	December 7, 2015 (2015-12-07)	4X7607	7.67
The fight with Red Tornado leaves Kara helpless without her powers. During an earthquake, she attempts to help James and Winn, while the events allow the alien prisoner Jemm (Charles Halford) to break out of his DEO cell and face off against Alex and Hank, who is later revealed to be a benevolent alien refugee, J'onn J'onzz. Hank explains to Alex that her father saved him from the real Henshaw, who tried to kill him and that he made him a promise to watch over his daughter. Kara is later attacked by Astra and her assistants.
8	"Hostile Takeover"	Karen Gaviola	Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa & Caitlin Parrish	December 14, 2015 (2015-12-14)	4X7608	7.28
Kara's battle against Astra is muddied when Astra explains how Alura captured her, but Kara refuses to believe her story until she discovers the truth that her mother was trying to keep from her. It is also revealed that Astra used her fight against Supergirl as part of a plan to take over Lord Technologies, led by her husband Non (Chris Vance) and his army of Kryptonians, prompting Alex and Hank to stop them. The Kryptonians are employing kryptonite-shielding armor to protect themselves from the substance, but Hank still manages to take out one after he revealed to him his true identity. Meanwhile Kara, James, Winn, and Lucy help Cat track down a hacker responsible for releasing Cat's e-mails, leading them to a CatCo executive who wants to oust Cat from the company. Cat reveals to Kara that she has a son that she has not seen in 24 years and later tells Kara that she knows that she is Supergirl. Kara then races over to Lord Technologies to face off against Non.
9	"Blood Bonds"	Steve Shill	Ted Sullivan & Derek Simon	January 4, 2016 (2016-01-04)	4X7609	8.75
Non defeats Supergirl and leaves with Hank/J'onn. Lord sends the DEO away from his facility, vowing to defend it himself, and returns to a secret experiment he is conducting. Non offers to trade Hank for Astra, but General Lane (placed in charge of the DEO during the emergency though Hank left Alex as acting director) refuses, tortures Astra for Non's location, and walks into a trap placed by Non. Kara is distraught over both this defeat and the fact that Cat will fire her unless she is convinced that Kara is not Supergirl. Kara goes to the DEO and talks with Astra who tells her that Alura believed her (correct) claim that Krypton was doomed, but sentenced her for her illegal methods while promising to work for her cause. Alex and Supergirl make the trade over Lane's objections and Astra orders Non to withdraw despite his numerical advantage. Later, J'onn uses his shape-shifting power to present Cat with Kara and Supergirl simultaneously, casting doubt on her initial deduction of their identities.
10	"Childish Things"	Jamie Babbit	Story by: Yahlin Chang Teleplay by: Anna Musky-Goldwyn & James DeWille	January 18, 2016 (2016-01-18)	4X7610	8.77
When Winn learns that his father the Toyman (Henry Czerny) has escaped, Kara wants to help him find his father, but he's concerned it is his cross to bear. Alex convinces a reluctant Hank to use his powers to infiltrate Lord Technologies and find out what Maxwell is hiding. Cat hires Lucy as her general counsel, but James is unenthusiastic. Maxwell uses a hidden camera to spy on Kara and Alex, discovering that the two are sisters and learning Kara's secret identity. Also, Kara learns Winn is in love with her after he kisses her and runs off. Kara feels guilty for possibly ruining their friendship and tells Alex, who already knew how he felt.
11	"Strange Visitor from Another Planet"	Glen Winter	Michael Grassi & Caitlin Parrish	January 25, 2016 (2016-01-25)	4X7611	7.90
Kara saves an anti-alien senator named Miranda Crane (Tawny Cypress) after a mysterious creature attacks only to discover that Hank knows of the creature and wants vengeance against it for killing his family and race back on Mars. The deception takes on a new twist when the alien poses as Senator Crane in order to bait Hank into revealing the DEO's Green Martian and Kara has to intervene before Hank goes through with his vengeance. Meanwhile, Kara helps Cat meet with her son Adam who later asks Kara out for a date. An identical Supergirl suddenly shows up in National City and is already the lead story on television after she tosses a dangling car off a bridge.
12	"Bizarro"	John Showalter	Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa & Rachel Shukert	February 1, 2016 (2016-02-01)	4X7612	6.68
Kara comes face-to-face with a doppelgänger of herself (Hope Lauren) who was brought to life by Maxwell through a combination of genetics from her DNA and a comatose victim. The double is mentally programmed to destroy Supergirl. Kara, on the other hand, believes that Maxwell is the one the DEO should go after when he reveals he knows her secret by sending Bizarro out to kill her while she is Kara. Alex and Hank come up with a plan to keep Maxwell from exposing Kara while countering Bizarro with a synthetic blue kryptonite. Meanwhile, Kara starts to get to know Adam, but is not sure whether to take the next step. A mysterious plant attacks Kara.
13	"For the Girl Who Has Everything"	Dermott Downs	Story by: Andrew Kreisberg Teleplay by: Ted Sullivan & Derek Simon	February 8, 2016 (2016-02-08)	4X7613	7.92
A mysterious plant known as the Black Mercy places Kara in a dreamlike state that has her imagining she is back on Krypton. The plant is part of a plot by Non, who is using Earth's technology to launch Myriad, which he and Astra are planning to use to wipe out humanity. Alex, Hank, Winn, Maxwell, and James race against time to save Kara, with Alex entering Kara's mind to pull Kara out and bring her back to reality. When Kara comes back, she seeks revenge on Non and stops him, but Astra, who wanted Kara unharmed and is upset with Non, is killed by Alex before she could kill Hank, who fought her off as the Martian Manhunter. Hank tells Kara that he killed Astra instead of Alex, who starts to feel guilty over whether she should tell Kara the truth. Non vows revenge on Kara in the wake of Astra's death.
14	"Truth, Justice and the American Way"	Lexi Alexander	Story by: Michael Grassi Teleplay by: Yahlin Chang & Caitlin Parrish	February 22, 2016 (2016-02-22)	4X7614	7.25
Kara, Alex, and J'onn track down an armored alien known as the Master Jailer (Jeff Branson), whom they discover was a prison guard at Fort Rozz. He has become a vigilante who kills the alien fugitives, including those convicted of non-violent crimes such as a professor sentenced for drug smuggling. Kara confronts the Master Jailer, but he takes her prisoner and plans to execute her for not joining him. Alex pinpoints his location and Kara is able to save the professor and defeat the Jailer. Cat assigns James and Lucy to investigate Maxwell Lord's disappearance. Tensions between James and Lucy develop after he reveals his knowledge of the DEO, prompting James to urge Kara to release Maxwell. Kara finds competition in Cat's new "first assistant" Siobhan Smythe (Italia Ricci), who vows to become the next Cat Grant. As Kara and Non pay their final respects to Astra, Non warns her that she will be next. Kara attempts to seek out the truth about Myriad and realizes she cannot forgive J'onn for killing her aunt.
15	"Solitude"	Dermott Downs	Story by: Rachel Shukert Teleplay by: Anna Musky-Goldwyn & James DeWille	February 29, 2016 (2016-02-29)	4X7615	6.69
A hacker steals information from a cheating website and asks Cat to release it. When Cat refuses, the hacker disrupts the city's infrastructure by interfering with its computer system. The hacker is revealed to be Indigo (Laura Vandervoort), who was in Fort Rozz and enabled Kara to escape the Phantom Zone. Her true plan is to destroy National City with a nuclear missile, but her attempt is foiled by Supergirl. Meanwhile, Kara is still mad at Hank and refuses to return to the DEO. Upon realizing they are stronger together, she eventually does, only to be told by Alex that it was she who killed her aunt.
16	"Falling"	Larry Teng	Robert Rovner & Jessica Queller	March 14, 2016 (2016-03-14)	4X7616	6.53
Supergirl inadvertently comes into contact with Red Kryptonite which destroys her inhibitions. It turns out that Maxwell created it in the hopes of stopping Non's next attack. Instead, it gradually turns Supergirl evil. The DEO is able to subdue her, but at the price of Hank revealing himself as the Martian Manhunter.
17	"Manhunter"	Chris Fisher	Story by: Derek Simon Teleplay by: Cindy Lichtman & Rachel Shukert	March 21, 2016 (2016-03-21)	4X7617	6.00
While Kara is trying to win back National City's trust, Marine Colonel James Harper (Eddie McClintock) begins an investigation into the J'onn affair with Lucy, having re-enlisted into the Army at her previous rank of Major, as his legal assistant. After learning that Hank and Alex are on their way to Project Cadmus, Kara tells Lucy that she is Supergirl and convinces her to help rescue Hank and Alex. Hank learns that Jeremiah is still alive, so he and Alex go on the run to find him, but not before manipulating Harper into resigning from the Marines and appointing Lucy as the acting director of the DEO. Meanwhile, Siobhan tries to get revenge on Kara for getting her fired, but gets caught and discovers that she has the power to sonic scream.
18	"Worlds Finest"	Nick Gomez	Story by: Greg Berlanti Teleplay by: Andrew Kreisberg & Michael Grassi	March 28, 2016 (2016-03-28)	4X7618	7.17
Siobhan discovers that the women in her family are cursed with the spirit of a banshee, which can only be quieted by killing whomever wronged them. Deciding to kill Kara, Siobhan frees Livewire from captivity at the DEO and suggests they team up. Siobhan—now calling herself Silver Banshee—and Livewire kidnap Cat and wreak havoc on National City Park. With the help of The Flash (Grant Gustin), a superhero from an alternate universe (see Arrowverse), Kara is able to subdue them and win back National City's trust. Later on, Kara discovers that everyone in National City has fallen under some kind of spell, revealed by Non to be the result of Myriad.
19	"Myriad"	Adam Kane	Yahlin Chang & Caitlin Parrish	April 11, 2016 (2016-04-11)	4X7619	6.12
The Myriad effect has taken over National City and even Superman is under control, leaving Kara, Cat, and Maxwell as the only ones immune. Now, Kara must find a way to stop Non, but Maxwell is looking at destroying the Kryptonians with a bomb at the risk of killing humans. Cat objects and prompts Kara to find an alternative. The effect brings fugitives Alex and J'onn back, but not before Alex tells Eliza the truth about Jeremiah and Henshaw. When Indigo senses the two returning, she defeats J'onn, but takes Alex and places her under mind control as Non's payback for Astra's death.
20	"Better Angels"	Larry Teng	Story by: Andrew Kreisberg & Ali Adler Teleplay by: Robert Rovner & Jessica Queller	April 18, 2016 (2016-04-18)	4X7620	6.11
Kara fights with Alex, who is controlled by Non. When Alex is about to kill Kara with the same sword used to kill Astra, their mother pleads with her to stop, breaking Non's control over Alex. The team learns that hope is the key to stopping Myriad. Supergirl inspires the citizens of National City, waking them from the Myriad trance. However, Non is convinced by Indigo to kill all the humans on Earth by increasing Myriad's frequency. Back at the DEO, Max warns Kara that she might not survive a solo fight with Non and Indigo; J'onn later insists on helping her. Kara and J'onn confront Non and Indigo at Fort Rozz, which is powering Myriad. Kara defeats Non in a heat vision battle and J'onn rips Indigo's body apart. As Indigo dies, she gloats that Myriad cannot be shut down. Kara flies Fort Rozz into space, rendering Myriad harmless; Alex rescues her using Kara's pod. Afterward, J'onn is reinstated as the Director of the DEO and Cat gives Kara a promotion. While Kara celebrates at her house, another pod similar to the one in which Kara came to Earth crashes near National City. Kara opens the pod and is shocked by what is inside it.

Notes

Production

Development

By September 2014, Warner Bros. Television was looking to create a television series centered around Supergirl. Executive producers for the series include Greg Berlanti (also a creator/producer for Arrow and The Flash), Ali Adler, who are both writing the script, and Berlanti Productions' Sarah Schechter. DC Comics' Geoff Johns is also expected to be part of the project. Titles under consideration for the series included Super and Girl. Berlanti confirmed the show shortly after, and stated it was in development and had yet to be pitched to networks. On September 20, it was announced that CBS had landed Supergirl with a series commitment, with an expected premiere in 2015 of the 2015–16 television season. In January 2015, CBS Entertainment Chairman Nina Tassler revealed the show would be a procedural, saying, "There will be [crime] cases, but what [executive producers] Ali Adler and Greg Berlanti pitched was a real series arc for her. The beauty of it is now with shows like The Good Wife and Madam Secretary, you can have serialized story elements woven into a case of the week. She's a crime solver, so she's going to have to solve a crime."

In January 2015, it was announced by The Hollywood Reporter that Melissa Benoist would star as Supergirl. Benoist later revealed that auditioning for the part "was a long, drawn-out, three-month process"; she was the first actress looked at for the role, although Claire Holt and Gemma Atkinson were also considered. In March 2015, Blake Neely, composer for Arrow and The Flash, revealed he would be composing for Supergirl. The show was officially picked up to series on May 6, 2015. It was originally set to premiere in November 2015, before being moved up to October 26, 2015. The pilot episode was screened at San Diego Comic-Con International 2015 on July 8 and 11, 2015. In July 2015, Adler spoke on how much influence Superman would have on the show, saying, "Our prototype is the way the president is seen on Veep. It's certainly [inspired by] so much of what Julia Louis-Dreyfus' character goes through. Ultimately, this is a show about Supergirl and we really want to see it through her lens." On November 30, 2015, CBS ordered an additional seven episodes of Supergirl, for a full season of 20 episodes.

On May 12, 2016, Warner Bros. Television announced that the series had been renewed for a second season of 22 episodes and would move to The CW. The season is scheduled to debut in October 2016. With the move of the production to Vancouver, it was unclear if Calista Flockhart would remain with the series, as her original contract stipulated that she work near her home in Los Angeles. The CW president Mark Pedowitz said Flockhart wanted to remain with the series and that "We’re in ongoing discussions... we’re happy to have her in [in whatever capacity] works out."

Design

Supergirl's design was intended to be a modern take on the classic look of the character.

The costume for Supergirl was created by Colleen Atwood, who also designed the costumes for Arrow and The Flash. Benoist stated that she is aware of the costume worn by Kara in the comic books, and expressed that the "micro-mini hemline" of the skirt could be "a little daunting ... but that's good. I like being pushed." Promotional photos of Benoist wearing Atwood's design were released on March 6, 2015. Atwood indicated that she wanted to "embrace the past ... but more importantly, thrust her into the street-style action hero of today." Atwood later revealed details about the costume such as the cape being fastened to an undersuit as not to pull the costume and that the fabric used was Eurojersey. The reveal of the Martian Manhunter costume in "Human For a Day" was created through visual effects, though a physical version was created to appear in later episodes, with it proving to be one of the most challenging costumes for the costume team.

Reception of the Supergirl costume upon its reveal was mixed. Entertainment Weekly's Natalie Abrams commented that the new look of the costume looks and feels different in a good way. The new costume avoids exposing the character's midriff, as it does in the comic books, as well as having Benoist wear stockings underneath the skirt with over-the-knee boots. Abrams compared the texture of the costume to that worn by Henry Cavill as Superman in Man of Steel, as well as the positioning of the cape on the suit, and the decision to do away with the bright blue and red color scheme. Andrew Dyce, from Screen Rant, found the new costume to perfectly balance itself between classic nostalgia and modernism. The Washington Post noted that Atwood's design was successful, praising her ability to take "cartoon-y tints" and moving them to darker tones.

E! Online was less impressed with the design, negatively comparing it to a "cheap Halloween costume", with washed out colors, and not buying into the "gritty, 'street style'" look Atwood was intending. TV Guide questioned Atwood's design, and noted that although the promotional image has Benoist trying to appear as a powerful hero, the thigh-high boots and pleated skirt comes across as a "model advertising a moderately-priced Halloween costume".

Filming

In February 2015, it was announced that Andrew Kreisberg, co-creator of Arrow and The Flash, had joined the series as a writer and executive producer; and Arrow / The Flash and Smallville alum Glen Winter was announced to be directing the pilot. Principal photography for the pilot took place from March 4 to March 29, 2015. Filming locations included the Warner Bros. lot, where Lois and Clark was shot. Each episode cost approximately $3 million dollars to broadcast, which is one of the highest license fees ever for a first year show.

For the second season, filming for the season will occur in Vancouver, relocating from Los Angeles, where the first season was shot. This was done to reduce the high production costs of the series, one of the issues that made CBS wary to renew the series on their network.

Broadcast

In Canada, Supergirl premiered as a simulcast with the American broadcast, while it premiered three days later on October 29, 2015, in the United Kingdom. The series premiered in Australia on December 6, 2015.

Reception

Critical response

Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gave the series premiere a 97% approval rating from critics and with an average rating of 7.6/10 based on 66 reviews. The site's consensus states: "Melissa Benoist shines as Superman's plucky little cousin in Supergirl, a family-friendly comic-book adaptation that ditches cynicism for heart." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 75 out of 100 based on reviews from 33 critics, indicating "Generally favorable reviews". Cliff Wheatley of IGN gave the pilot episode a 7/10, praising Melissa Benoist's performance as Kara and the fun take on the Superman mythos.

Ratings

Season	Timeslot (ET)	Episodes	First aired		Last aired		TV season	Rank	Avg. viewers (millions)
			Date	Viewers (millions)	Date	Viewers (millions)
1	Monday 8:00pm	20	October 26, 2015 (2015-10-26)	12.96	April 18, 2016 (2016-04-18)	6.11	2015–16	39	9.81
2	Monday 8:00pm	22	October 2016 (2016-10)	TBD	TBA	TBD	2016–17	TBD	TBD

Season 1 (2015–16)

No.	Title	Air date	Rating/share (18–49)	Viewers (millions)	DVR (18–49)	DVR viewers (millions)	Total (18–49)	Total viewers (millions)
1	"Pilot"	October 26, 2015	3.1/9	12.96	1.3	3.97	4.4	16.92
2	"Stronger Together"	November 2, 2015	2.2/7	8.87	1.0	3.33	3.2	12.20
3	"Fight or Flight"	November 9, 2015	1.7/5	8.07	1.0	2.83	2.7	10.90
4	"Livewire"	November 16, 2015	1.8/6	7.77	0.8	N/A	2.6	N/A
5	"How Does She Do It?"	November 23, 2015	1.5/5	7.19	0.8	2.26	2.3	9.45
6	"Red Faced"	November 30, 2015	1.6/5	8.02	0.8	2.49	2.4	10.51
7	"Human for a Day"	December 7, 2015	1.5/5	7.67	0.9	2.32	2.4	9.98
8	"Hostile Takeover"	December 14, 2015	1.5/5	7.28	0.8	2.27	2.3	9.55
9	"Blood Bonds"	January 4, 2016	1.9/6	8.75	0.7	N/A	2.6	N/A
10	"Childish Things"	January 18, 2016	1.8/6	8.77	0.8	2.18	2.6	10.95
11	"Strange Visitor from Another Planet"	January 25, 2016	1.8/5	7.90	0.7	2.21	2.5	10.11
12	"Bizarro"	February 1, 2016	1.5/5	6.68	0.8	2.18	2.3	8.83
13	"For the Girl Who Has Everything"	February 8, 2016	1.8/6	7.92	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
14	"Truth, Justice and the American Way"	February 22, 2016	1.5/5	7.25	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
15	"Solitude"	February 29, 2016	1.4/5	6.69	0.7	2.16	2.1	8.85
16	"Falling"	March 14, 2016	1.3/4	6.53	0.7	N/A	2.0	N/A
17	"Manhunter"	March 21, 2016	1.3/4	6.00	0.7	2.07	2.0	8.07
18	"Worlds Finest"	March 28, 2016	1.7/6	7.17	0.8	2.47	2.5	9.63
19	"Myriad"	April 11, 2016	1.3/5	6.12	0.7	2.04	2.0	8.16
20	"Better Angels"	April 18, 2016	1.3/4	6.11	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Accolades

The series was honored at the Critic's Choice Awards as one of the "Most Exciting New Series" and it won the People's Choice Award for "Favorite New TV Drama" for the 2015–16 season.

Year	Association	Category	Nominee(s)	Result
2015	5th Critics' Choice Television Awards	Most Exciting New Series	Supergirl	Won
2016	42nd People's Choice Awards	Favorite New TV Drama	Supergirl	Won
	42nd Saturn Awards	Best Superhero Adaptation Television Series	Supergirl	Pending
		Breakthrough Performance	Melissa Benoist	Won
		Best Actress on Television		Pending
		Best Supporting Actress on Television	Calista Flockhart	Pending
		Best Guest Starring Role on Television	Laura Benanti	Pending

Crossover with The Flash

See also: The Flash (2014 TV series) and Arrowverse

In November 2014, Berlanti expressed interest in Supergirl existing in the Arrowverse, the same universe as his other series Arrow and The Flash, and in January 2015, The CW president Mark Pedowitz revealed that he was also open to a crossover between the series and networks (due to Berlanti executive producing all three and The CW being co-owned by CBS). However, CBS Entertainment chair Nina Tassler stated that month that "those two shows are on a different network. So I think we'll keep Supergirl to ourselves for a while." In August 2015, Tassler revealed that while there were no plans at the time to do crossover storylines, the three series would have crossover promotions.

Pedowitz regretted passing on the series when presented it in mid-2014, saying, "We hadn't launched The Flash yet, we weren't ready to take on another DC property. In hindsight we probably should've gone that direction...Sometimes you lose great shows." In January 2016, during the Television Critics Association press tour, he said that The CW was still interested in a crossover with Supergirl if the producers could find a way to do it, and Berlanti added that while no official conversations had taken place, internal ones had concerning how a crossover would work. He also noted that for a crossover to happen during Supergirl's first season, it would have to be figured out "in the next month or so". Glenn Geller, Tassler's successor at CBS, then stated on the matter, "I have to be really careful what I say here. Watch and wait and see what happens."

On February 3, 2016, it was announced that Grant Gustin, who appears as Barry Allen / Flash on The Flash, would appear in the eighteenth episode of the first season, "Worlds Finest". While no plot details on the episodes were released at the time, Ross A. Lincoln of Deadline.com noted that "the in-universe reason" for the crossover was due to Barry's ability to travel to various dimensions, thus implying that Supergirl exists on an alternate Earth to the Arrowverse in a multiverse. The Flash episode "Welcome to Earth-2" confirmed this, showing an image of Benoist as Supergirl during a sequence where characters travel through that multiverse. In its second season, Supergirl will be involved with the crossover event with the other Arrowverse series.

Other media

Beginning in January 2016, DC Comics launched a 13-issue, bi-weekly digital comic, Adventures of Supergirl. Written by Sterling Gates and drawn by a rotating team of artist including Bengal, Jonboy Meyers, Emanuela Lupacchino, and Emma Vieceli, the comic, while not directly tying into the show, tells stories set in the universe of the show.

References

General references

External links

• Official CW website
• Supergirl at IMDb