Supergirl 1×02 – Stronger Together

Well that was extremely fun.

I wasn’t blown away by the Supergirl pilot, so it’s a relief to see that Stronger Together is a much better showcase of the potential this series is capable of. In fact, it sold me on the show much more than the pilot ever did, and that’s definitely something to be praised.

First off, Melissa Benoist is a certified treasure. Even more-so than the pilot, she embodies the iconic character with a whole lot of charm and likeability. She’s also surprisingly good in the show’s many action sequences, and that’s certainly something I didn’t expect so soon into the show’s run. I was also impressed by Calista Flockhart; I didn’t like Cat Grant in the pilot, but her witty one-liners and overall snarky demeanour were on-point in the show’s second outing. Plus, we got a heck of a cool ending with Cat finally getting her Supergirl interview. I for one can not wait to see how episode three deals with this intriguing cliffhanger.

I appreciate the fact that Supergirl is not shying away from showcasing Kara’s failures. Everything from the oil spill to Kara slowly regaining the media’s good faith was perfectly executed, and it’s a great contrast to her all-too-flawless cousin. Speaking of Superman, another positive this show has definitely going for it is the fact that Kara grew up on Krypton, and that gives us fascinating insight into her mantra (she’s not afraid of asking for help). This undoubtedly means that Kara will be building a team of her own (she’s already started with Winn and James), and this differentiates her from her cousin. In addition, her upbringing also allows the show to delve into Krypton flashbacks (and they look freakin’ gorgeous).

I was expecting this episode to be predictable, but it in fact did something I wholly did not expect: it brought our heroine and Big Bad face to face at an alarmingly fast rate. It would have been quite expected of the show to completely drag out this climactic face-off until the season finale (that’s what a lesser show surely would have done), but Supergirl wisely didn’t have General Astra hide behind her villains of the week for endlessly annoying months. The face-off between niece and aunt had some astounding production values, not to mention a host of great barbs and blood-pumping action.

Super Bits

– Hank making Kara undergo the air missile test was pretty fun.

– The minor villain of the week (the Hellgrammite) didn’t amount to much, and that’s okay with me since Astra is the real deal. His insect face effect was pretty cool though.

– Great continuity: the engineers are still trying to get the plane that Kara saved out of the bay.

– Interesting tidbit: Cat started out as Perry White’s assistant. Also, she name-dropped Lois and Clark!

– Super cool visual with Kara stopping the bullet with her hand. Actually, I loved the entire pizza/saving the city montage. And the snake trapped on the tree? Priceless!

– So the famous “S” is not only a symbol of hope, it also means “Stronger Together”.

– How did Hank lose his family? Hmm.

–  All the flying scenes look much better than I ever expected for a TV budget. Kudos!

– So what is General Astra’s plan if she doesn’t want to kill the humans? Enslave them? And why did Kara’s mom send her to prison?

– Thank God the writers didn’t make Alex a damsel in distress. We get an effective and badass showcase of her skills with her singlehandedly taking out the Hellgrammite by kicking him in the balls. Wow!

– So where did Hank get the Kryptonite dagger that he stabbed Astra with? Also, I’m glad the show gave us the twist with his glowing red eyes because I was not in the mood for a cliche commander who would constantly second-guess Kara.

– The training scene between Kara and Alex with the former getting her ass kicked thanks to Kryptonite was brilliant. Now that Kara wants more training, I’m excited to get more scenes like that.

– Also, I feel like the sisterly dynamic is going to be the show’s secret weapon.

– Anyone else’s heart break when Kara asked her AI mom for a hug?

– Goosebumps from the music in the final scene with the limo. Wow.

–  Interesting to note that both Kara and Astra believe in teamwork – albeit in totally different ways.

Kara Quips

Cat: Well, let me assure all of you, Lois Lane, Clark Kent, and all of the hags over at the Daily Planet are working day and night to get this exclusive.

Jimmy: Why don’t you think that people recognize him as Clark Kent? Reading glasses and a good slouch? No, he’s able to hide because the world can’t believe that there’s really a hero in their midst.

Kara: That was a really good pep talk. Excellent use of pep.

Alura: I’m sorry I could not be home sooner.
Kara: Father made dinner.
Alura: Then I am truly sorry.

Cat: Now, I don’t like the fishes, but it does reassure me to know that they’re still under there swimming about.

Cat: Uh, this fish isn’t local, is it?

Winn: Oh, yeah, and also try not to damage the suit. I, uh, helped make that outfit. I got some mad sewing skills.

Winn: Who names her snake Fluffy?

Winn: God, what, did you order more pizza? You’re a beast.

Kara: Back on Krypton, no one was their own man. Growing up, I was taught that to accept help from people is not a shame, it’s an honor.

Astra: Human beings are so fragile. It’s amazing any of you make it out of infancy.

Astra: I let one planet die, I will not do so again.
Kara: Funny, I was going to say the same thing.

Astra: You might wanna rethink the cape.

Astra: (After using her eye blast) I saw on the news you haven’t quite mastered that one yet.

Kara: Train me to be as good as you.
Alex: I’ll make you even better.

Alex: When you first came to live with us, my parents told me that you would be sad and fragile, having just lost your world, your parents, friends. But you never let that loss diminish your light. You’ve always had the heart of a hero, Kara, way before you put on that “S.”

Must-Download Tune
Hit With Me Your Best Shot by Pat Benatar

Conclusion
A terrifically fun-follow up that’s even better than the pilot. Unexpectedly awesome!

Nad Rating
B+