Let's re-watch Supergirl Season 1 together!

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!

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

"How Does She Do It" has been in my top 5 since season 1. I loved the action, the only thing that kept me from a 100% enjoyment was the cheesy line from James to Lucy: "Because you were here...." BIG EYE ROLL....Lol and the fact that Kara was googoo eyed over James. Never liked that in Season 1. But the action, and the last scene between Lord and Supergirl was FANTASTIC.

"Livewire" is another of my favorites from Season 1, principally because it introduced one of the Series' best villains, wonderfully played by Brit Morgan. She reprised the character in some later episodes and never disappointed. It would be great to see her miraculously reappear at some point. Livewire's campy dialog regarding Cat (here kitty kitty, etc) really connected with my recollections of comic books from my childhood.

The backstory of how the Danvers family became connected to the DEO provided interesting context which became important as the season progressed. Eliza's initial tirade against Alex was hard to understand (I mean what was Kara supposed to do, stand idle while Alex died in a plane crash?) but some tender later scenes between Eliza and Alex repaired the damage.

Calista also had some fine moments, especially showing compassion after hearing that Kara's parents had died. And her interactions with Leslie/Livewire were pitch perfect.

I liked that Supergirl defeated the rogue alien prisoner without anyone's help, and then later used her strength and wits to defeat Livewire, again without help.

Some humorous moments: Kara using her heat vision to finish cooking the turkey, and Cat calling J'onn "Agent Mulder" following Livewire's attack.

Great episode!

"Livewire" is another of my favorites from Season 1, principally because it introduced one of the Series' best villains, wonderfully played by Brit Morgan. She reprised the character in some later episodes and never disappointed. It would be great to see her miraculously reappear at some point. Livewire's campy dialog regarding Cat (here kitty kitty, etc) really connected with my recollections of comic books from my childhood.

The backstory of how the Danvers family became connected to the DEO provided interesting context which became important as the season progressed. Eliza's initial tirade against Alex was hard to understand (I mean what was Kara supposed to do, stand idle while Alex died in a plane crash?) but some tender later scenes between Eliza and Alex repaired the damage.

Calista also had some fine moments, especially showing compassion after hearing that Kara's parents had died. And her interactions with Leslie/Livewire were pitch perfect.

I liked that Supergirl defeated the rogue alien prisoner without anyone's help, and then later used her strength and wits to defeat Livewire, again without help.

Some humorous moments: Kara using her heat vision to finish cooking the turkey, and Cat calling J'onn "Agent Mulder" following Livewire's attack.

Great episode!

I have to say that Livewire is my favorite Supergirl villain! I love it that she is both good and bad. In this episode, she seems more bad than good, but we see more of her in later seasons, and that helps flush out her character.
One of my favorite scenes is when Leslie is in the hospital and Cat mentions her "Katy Perry" hair.
I too was bothered the first time I watched this episode with the overwhelming responsibility that Alex's mom put on her regarding Kara. Of course, I can see Eliza's point of view, too--Kara had just lost everything, including her home planet. I can't even imagine how that would feel. Still, it's a bit much to put so much responsibility on Alex.
Livewire, Kara, and Cat in CatCo with Livewire hunting Kara and Cat is just fantastic. Also, how many times did the big pink panther get destroyed in Season 1?
The beginning of this episode is excellent! I like when Supergirl says, "Oh, respect!" when Hank tells her the alien she defeated is a female.
I use the heat vision turkey scene in my classes for the Thanksgiving holiday. It's just fantastic. Maybe the writers could add more mini-scenes where we see Kara using her powers clandestinely. I loved it in Season 5 when Supergirl used heat vision to cauterize William's wound, for example.
I'm curious how you all feel about this--is there more of a connection between Eliza and Kara or between Eliza and Alex? Does it seem more like she has the same relationship with both? Is that realistic?
I'll bet most of us agree that this is one of our favorite Season 1 episodes. I wonder what we can take from this that we would like to see more of in future episodes. I would love to see more of Supergirl's array of powers instead of her always being wiped out immediately or sidelined because of Kryptonite, for example. I also would love to see Livewire again!! I remember the scene from Season 3 where Supergirl finds her sitting outside of a diner where she has been waitressing. Absolutely hilarious!!! Her name tag says "Roseanne," which is such a fitting tribute to the television series, Roseanne!

Becky

Quoting Meadows: "I'm curious how you all feel about this--is there more of a connection between Eliza and Kara or between Eliza and Alex? Does it seem more like she has the same relationship with both? Is that realistic?"

I'm not a parent or a psychologist, so you can take my input for what it's worth. I think the connection between Eliza and both Kara and Alex is the same, that of a parent to child. She loves them both, equally. And that is to her great credit. However the relationship with each is greatly different. Alex is an extension of herself and thus Eliza holds her to a higher standard, wanting Alex to be a better version of herself.

On the other hand, Eliza has responded to Kara's special and tragic circumstances to the point of over-compensating. In these early episodes she is still relating to Kara as a 13 year old girl, instead of the adult woman she has become. Over time, Eliza will recognize Kara for who she has become, not who she was when she first arrived.

The sister relationship between Alex and Kara is the most compelling and complex relationship in the series, IMO. Their bond is real and demonstrably durable. They have both worked to make it so, but I think Alex has done more of the heavy lifting than Kara. There are still underlying issues that burst out from time to time, most recently about attending Jeremiah's funeral. Exploring this relationship and the feelings of the two sisters offers a lot of interesting possibilities for future episodes.

You know, Supergirl Season 1 has such a strong focus on Kara and Supergirl, and one way it accomplishes that is that Supergirl has the supreme power over the villains (with the exception of the use of Kryptonite). She's really the only one that can battle with Astra and Non, for example, and the other villains she really does seem to defeat by herself, or at least primarily by herself (Team Supergirl operates behind the scenes). We lose that in subsequent seasons, and that's one way I think the focus has strayed from her. There doesn't seem to be a doubt about her power in regard to the other characters. In subsequent seasons, we often see her wiped out easily or up against villains that have Kryptonite.

So I'm not commenting specifically on any or the current episode so far, just been reading through the comments and replying to some of what's already been said.

superbill said ... Kara's adorable dorkiness
Fun scenes: Kara's tentative look leaving the elevator at Catco after saving the plane

That expression she had was pretty cute. It seems Kara shows more of her dorky side as Kara Danvers and has a more serious demeanour as Supergirl. No doubt to distinguish the identities.

Meadows said ... 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.

I agree. Supergirl is already a powerhouse on her own and having other or too many other superheroes detracts from her. That having been said I think its possibly more to do with others joining in the action scenes whether they are powered or not. You could have characters with superpowers but not necessarily using them in combat situation. For example where J'onn used his abilities to disengage the bomb at the airport and his telepathy or jumping to season 4 a moment, Dreamer using her precognitive abilities to learn of certain events. So they would be supporting Kara but she would be the one doing the heavy lifting when it came to everything else.

Meadows said ... You know, one of the things I've been noticing about Season 1 is the villains. The primary villains aren't all bad.

We can empathize with the villains more when they're not all bad. Lex Luthor is just all bad, 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

Maxwell Lord seems to be an anti villain i.e a villain with heroic or good intentions. Lena was this in season 5. We can probably relate more to these kinds of villains, and Max and Lena also showed they cared for the average Joe and Jane.
It could have been interesting to have a superpowered character like Kara who is undoubtedly good but is antagonistic towards her a bit like a Batman vs Superman setup.

I watched "Red-Faced" on Monday. This episode has always been a popular one with many viewers because of its great action sequences, specifically Supergirl fighting Red Tornado, and also Alex battling Dr. Morrow. And rightly so; those scenes set a worthy standard for action scenes in the show.

There is a lot more to this episode though, and that is what I want to mention today.

The special effects were great, especially the tornado and Supergirl flying in the opposite direction to dissipate it. I also liked Supergirl tunneling underground before erupting to hit Red Tornado from behind. It's not really special effects, but the demonic glare from Red Tornado's eyes was also really creepy.

Cat Grant telling off her mother and J'onn putting Gen. Lane in his place both got a cheer from me. Her mom and the general need a big dose of humility.

A+ acting throughout by the entire cast. Two sequences stand out in particular. The first begins with Cat berating Kara, Kara erupting in anger, Cat taking her to a bar and assuming the mentoring role, and ending with Cat staggering out after consuming three martinis. That sequence shows the full range of emotions, includes a bit of humor, and represents a big leap forward in the relationship between Cat and Kara. "Find the anger behind the anger" remains a memorable line. Excellent work by Melissa and Calista.

The second sequence is the one where Kara and James meet to punch things and dispel their anger. It's a brief scene, but one that provides so much understanding of who these two are and what motivates them. Great work by both, but Melissa in particular is brilliant. The dialog itself is great, but the magic she brings to it is what really makes the scene memorable. I've said it many times before, but her mastery of inflection and expression is a gift that few actors have. It's the little things she does, like the pain on her face as she worries about never finding her perfect partner, and the eye roll after being called away by a phone call, that sets her apart.

I am soooo far behind.

Anyway, Red Faced. I loved this one. Fun action, great character development, and it had a lot to say about being a woman (and a black man as well) in the workforce. It made those points in an organic and entertaining way.

I miss General Lane. He was a great antagonist. They've recast the role for the upcoming Superman and Lois. Wonder how much of a heavy he will be going forward.

Melissa and Callista worked so well together. I would have watched a non-super office dramedy with the two of them.

Melissa and Callista worked so well together. I would have watched a non-super office dramedy with the two of them.

They are great foils for each other. I'd like to see a short series which focuses on Cat interacting with 'both' Supergirl and Kara Danvers

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

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.

'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.