A lot of things have changed for Supergirl. She’s now an official part of the Arrowverse, airing on The CW. The show’s filming location has also changed from Los Angeles to Vancouver. Superman has joined the cast and is played by former Teen Wolf star Tyler Hoechlin. Kara and Jimmy finally took the initiative and all was cosy and well. Then another Kryptonian pod dropped from the sky and things just started right back up again.
Flying Start
Supergirl kicks off to a strong start. The Kryptonian pod is holding an unconscious Kryptonian male. After crashing into the single part of untapped land in the city — conveniently missing all the buildings — Kara and J’onn relocate it to the nearest DEO headquarters. Forgoing the old nuclear bunker, the new home of all things alien is in a tall glass skyscraper. It’s not exactly new as the DEO supposedly has such bases scattered all over. Winn is recruited to join the search for answers as Kara flips out at Alex over her first date with Jimmy.
Back in her civilian identity, Kara Danvers is facing problems. In an unusual change, Supergirl has not been skipped three fictional months like Arrow or The Flash do. The entire break only took place overnight and Cat Grant is already asking Kara what she has chosen for a job. Several online tests have her pegged for marketing but Cat ignores the results and berates her new assistant. Even when Kara tries to talk her up by mentioning Yale, Cat reminds her that ‘so did George Bush.’ Following a bad day comes an awkward encounter with Jimmy. A new prototype space shuttle designed for commercial use is being trialled and barely leaves the atmosphere before an engine bursts into flames. Two people — amongst other unimportant background characters — spot the incident on the news. Admire Hoechlin’s first appearance as the Man of Steel.
New Superman
Both Supers do a good job of safely landing the shuttle in the middle of a field before casually talking with some passing pedestrians. A savage blow is struck to Superman’s reputation when Kara reveals that she used to change his diapers. The pair then returns to the new DEO Headquarters.
Considering how Kara has already proven herself capable — and saved the planet — the next part is weird. Supergirl arrives and it’s business as usual. Superman jumps in and everybody is falling down in awe. Shaking hands and asking questions and with Kal-El thanking everyone for their hard work like the president. This face perfectly sums up the situation.
Apparently, the old California Earthquake is canon to the new show as Winn gasps out some questions about it. J’onn and Clark share a chilly professional greeting before there’s a Kryptonian reunion and they discover the newest pod dropped through an area of space where time doesn’t move. The conversation moves onto the Triumph disaster and Kal-El decides that Clark Kent could nose around to get some answers. A quick break reveals one passenger didn’t make boarding — Lena Luthor, the new head of Luthor Corp. Shadowy deals go down elsewhere as the bomber acquires attacks UAVs. Corbin then receives a phone call and reminds his client that the Triumph didn’t blow but he was still working. “After all, I’ve never let the Luthor’s down.” It appears that evil runs in the Luthor line straight to Lena.
Investigative Journalists
Intrepid reporters drop by Lena Luthor to poke some holes in her story. She claims that an emergency called her away in relation to renaming Luthor Corp “L Corp.” It also comes out that she is adopted and not a Luthor by blood. She even gives the pair all the information she has on the malfunctioning part but Clark doesn’t trust her still. Talk quickly turns to Jimmy and Kara reveals that she is struggling with the sudden decisions in her life.
Alex uncovers the reason behind the animosity between J’onn and Clark — something called “Operation Emerald.” Dating back to a time when Superman was working with the DEO, a meteorite crashed into the desert. The pair found the first example of Kryptonian rock which J’onn labelled Kryptonite. Superman ordered it destroyed but J’onn saw the use against other Kryptonians who weren’t as kind as their true and blue. Winn arrives with new information — the Triumph crash was an assassination attempt at Lena Luthor. As Lena attempts to leave town in a helicopter, several attack drones attempt to shoot her down. Supergirl deals with the chopper as Clark protects the city.
Bring the Building Down
Jimmy and Kara meet up back at CatCo and she admits that she is unsure of their relationship. Considering that she chased after him for several months until what was literally yesterday, this feels like poor writing. A brief talk with Cat encourages her to take risks in the future. J’onn and Clark are forced into a conversation. Despite his protests that Kryptonite will never be used against him or Kara, Clark asks what would happen if J’onn was replaced or given a direct order.
Lena attempts to carry out her renaming ceremony but several explosions collapse the Luthor Corp building as Corbin closes in. Alex and Corbin face off as Winn and the DEO devise a plan to save the building. Despite almost winning the battle, Corbin grabs a fallen pistol and takes Alex hostage. For all the “faster than a speeding bullet” it is Lena who shoots him from behind.
Clark and Kara later part on good terms with Lena after the Daily Planet published an article that victimizes her. Following her partnership with her cousin, Kara decides to be a reporter and Cat hands her her old résumé. Back when she had first been hired, Cat labelled her as a reporter and wrote a reminder across the sheet.
Kara and Jimmy mutually friend-zone one another as Winn is given a permanent posting at the DEO and Clark decides to stick around for a while. A restrained Corbin is offered choice — a quiet death to end his paralyzed suffering or the promise of life. Once Corbin accepts, something is injected into his bloodstream, he is dubbed ‘Metallo’ and welcomed into Cadmus.
Summary
“The Adventures of Supergirl” has an almost equal mix of good and bad moments. Cementing the backstory with Lex Luthor and references to an earlier film was good but the constant fawning over Superman made Kara seem less important. After several months chasing Jimmy, Kara then sleeps on it and doesn’t even bother to have a single date. And Winn joining up with the DEO made for a good place for his character but it doesn’t really make much sense in the overall plot. It is understandable that Supergirl has to come to grips with new management but the change is still jarring. Keep an eye on the sky and another on Fandom for the latest Supergirl news.