Channel Surfing: Supergirl - "Pilot"

Melissa Benoist

Welcome to a new column called Channel Surfing, in which I sporadically look at current TV shows and talk about them. These are not ones that I care to write weekly recaps for and are instead reflections either on the episode, the series, or particular moments. This will hopefully help to share personal opinions as well as discover entertainment on the outer pantheon that I feel is well worth checking out, or in some cases, shows that are weird enough to talk about, but should never be seen.

It seems inevitably that with every passing year, there will be a bigger influx of superhero TV shows. As it stands, every basic cable channel now has a show. Where CW has The Flash, Arrow, iZombie, and Legends of Tomorrow; ABC has Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter; and Fox has Gotham, CBS seems to be the last channel to get in on the game. What is probably most exciting about this is that in doing so, they have come up with one of the most promising of the bunch by giving a show to the first female superhero on network TV. It's Supergirl, and she's here to fight crime and work towards living a better life. Unlike most of the other male-centric series, this one feels like it may stand a chance to be so much more.

It may seem a little hard to believe that there's any value in a Supergirl show for obvious reasons. For starters, Superman will always be more iconic and overshadow anything with the word "super" in it. Even in the film canon, the only Supergirl movie of note (with Faye Dunaway) pales in comparison to the male counterpart. The very idea of Supergirl feels novelty. Yet, it feels more opportune than ever to make a show around a female superhero thanks to the changing views of the 21st century. With constant complaints of women's entitlement, it feels like entertainment has been quickly throwing the power in the female court, most notably in comedies such as New Girl and The Mindy Project. It's a great and interesting time for pop culture because of this. 

Even if this show's from the same line-up that brought us the enjoyable The Flash, it looks to be its own beast, partially from mysteriously being on a different network. Where The Flash was more interested in teen angst and time travel (CW staples), I think that Supergirl will inevitably benefit from being on a different network. For starters, it already now feels independent of the other series and has nobody to impress but those that backed CBS, who are oddly behind in the superhero craze. Considering that the only other "female" superhero of note is Agent Carter, it's also a welcomed shift in perspective. Where Agent Carter was more wrapped up in being a women in a boy's club, it feels like Supergirl will be striving for something greater.

It may be tough to comprehend, especially after only one episode, but I think that Supergirl may end up being a great female empowerment show. Even if the pilot feels a little sketchy and has a lot of the introduction problems that any show has, it shows plenty of promise. Whether it be coming to terms with the term "girl" or working her job, there's very little that feels like a hurdle trope that is meant to highlight how tough women have it. In some ways, this feels like The Mary Tyler Moore Show of superheroes. She's going to make it after all. Maybe the crimes will seem familiar, but the approach will likely be more creative and challenging. I doubt it will get too deep with making everything a metaphor for the women's movement, but I do see this show doing more good than bad. The question is if it can stand out by its already entertaining counterparts.

In general, I don't bet on CBS shows because they all feel more formulaic than the other networks. From their three camera sitcoms to the endless amount of crime-of-the-week shows, I don't find much promise in their technique. It has me a little worried about Supergirl's sustainability, but with a fun pilot and a lot of memorable moments, it's at least looking to be one of the more enjoyable shows of 2015's Fall line-up; which is sort of abysmal otherwise. It's fun and unique with promise to be one of the best superhero shows on TV. Only time will tell if this will actually pan out and if the girl power will be able to be more than a trope. It may never get out from under Superman's shadow, but hopefully it will be able to stand its own against the others.