Season 1 follows Supergirl who moves to National City, becoming its protector after revealing her powers.  Kara must deal with the criminals her mother imprisoned on Krypton, including her aunt Astra and her husband Non, with the help of DEO agents J’onn J’onzz and her sister Alex Danvers.

I love Melissa Benoist as Kara/Supergirl.  She definitely embodies what you would consider Supergirl.  She’s nice, kind, sweet, has that friendly, chipper attitude that’s great for Supergirl.  I love that she’s learning to be a superhero and that she has a large developing arc.  I love her supporting cast and her relationships with Winn Schott Jr., with Cat Grant, and with her sister Alex Danvers.  Calista Flockhart literally steals the show.  She’s great in all of her scenes, she gives a lot of great depth.  Next to Supergirl, Cat is the most interesting character.  Jimmy Olsen is the weakest character of the main cast.  His only thing is that he’s a romantic interest and a pretty forced one too.

I’m on the fence about the DEO.  On the one hand, I think that it’s awesome that Supergirl has its version of Men in Black.  If  we’re talking about aliens and superpowered beings of course humanity should have its answer.  But unfortunately the DEO isn’t as badass as it seems.  They’re fighting all of these powerful beings but they don’t do anything meaningful.  Everytime there’s a bad guy on the scene they don’t have any advanced weapons to fight them and most of the time they’re just canon fodder anyway.  Really, the only thing worth a damn in J’onn J’onzz and Alex Danvers.  Hopefully, they’ll be more useful in the next season and less of a disappointment.

In terms of villains, the show has its moments.  The main antagonist of the series follows a group of Kryptonians led by Kara’s auntie Astra and her husband Non and Maxwell Lord.  I really didn’t care much for Astra or Non.  Astra felt like a character not sure of what side of the fence she was playing on and Non was just the typical bad guy.  Astra has more depth sure, but she wasn’t really interesting.  Now let’s take a look at Maxwell Lord.  He’s an interesting character but he does feel like a ripoff Lex Luthor.  The problem with Max is that he’s flat.  He has no reason to be as interested in Supergirl as he is.  They could’ve given him better motivation.

One of the biggest disappointments of the series is the lack of Superman.  We understand that this is a show about Supergirl and creators don’t want the Man of Steel to overshadow her.  But the way they tease his character when it clearly isn’t necessary is more frustrating than anything.  Instead of having him talking to Kara through emails, show up when Kara’s passing out, or shown from a distance; they could’ve shown a few cameos.  Hell, in the season finale you see only his boots.  Wow.  Someone’s trying too hard.

Of course, being a show about a female superhero there are the themes of female empowerment and gender politics.  Most of the time, the gender politics is handled well enough.  There are some moments where it is caked on pretty damn thick.  Most of the female empowerment is handled with the dialogue between Cat and Kara and it makes sense because of Cat’s achievements. 

One thing about the season that bothers me is that sometimes, the subplots feel a bit rushed.  Yes, there’s the overarching story but why do a lot of the episodes feels so episodic.  Red Tornado was introduced in one episode then later beaten in the same episode instead of being a continuous threat.  Even Livewire becoming a badguy and mastering her abilities was rushed.  It should’ve been an arc that developed over the course of the season and would’ve helped flesh her character out.

The Verdict: In the end, Supergirl Season 1 isn’t bad.  Despite my complaints, there’s a lot to like about the season.  Melissa Benoist’s portrayal of the character is just brilliant along with all the other performances.  Hopefully, the next season will give us more interesting antagonists, settle down with the presentation of its themes, and have lengthier side stories and developing arcs.  Supergirl Season 1 gets 3 out of 5.