Supergirl gets a visit (and an iChat) from her famous cousin

It’s here that Kara – beautifully played by Colorado native Melissa Benoist (Glee), with an idealism that borders on a Pollyannaism – toils as Kara Danvers, the assistant (read “coffee-fetcher”) to media mogul and snippy taskmaster Cat Grant, played by Calista Flockhart (Ally McBeal, Brothers and Sisters) who channels her best Devil Wears Prada attitude. I’m looking forward to, say, season two, when we can really say that she’s settled comfortably into the role of superhero, the way that Barry Allen now has on The Flash (and I do promise I’ll stop with The Flash comparisons soon…well, as soon as they stop being appropriate). Superman was always going to be the red-and-blue elephant in the room on this show, and the first three episodes have veered wildly in the show’s approach to the caped Kryptonian. It turns out one of the Spider-Man movies was playing on a TV screen in the store, and the sales clerk seemed to be more interested in the movie then helping Keaton. So with the help of everyone including Jimmy who lured Reactron to an open field and her sister who had finally received help at the DEO – Kara was able to do the one thing that Superman never could do.

Last week on “Supergirl”, Kara learned that her aunt is still alive… also that she is evil. She asks why Supergirl stayed quiet for so long, and whether she has any plans to start a family. And, from what we can divine from the pilot, Kara’s future love interest.

Even though Kara laughs way too hard at James’ jokes, she is furious that he would call for help and undermine her at this critical point – Cat Grant’s deliberately belittling story is just around the corner, and the last thing Kara needs is to look like she’s playing second fiddle to her big cousin.

Luckily, Cat has enough redeeming qualities in the form of her hilariously on point need to be well-caffeinated to be productive and imagined distractions when trying to write her exposé on Supergirl that she’s not the villain of this story. Other than Cat questioning the newest superhero’s capacity in saving National City, the trailer also showed tidbits of Reactron and Kara’s junkyard fight scene. Kara’s not happy about that proposal, and Winn’s just amazed to learn Superman’s secret identity.

– “You’re doing great, Kara”.

However Cat did get her exclusive in the end.

If “Supergirl” was going to rip from the headlines in such an overt way, I would have liked to see a bit more nuance/time given to its exploration – especially because this is a theme I would love to seen getting more attention. Hot take Cat. Way to pander to the CBS audience. Winn, handy little guy who has no chance with Kara romantically that he is, has turned a dead guy’s office into a Supergirl Cave, complete with what I can only assume is stolen (borrowed) CatCo technology. In “Fight or Flight”, which – spoiler alert – contains lots of flying and lots of fighting, Kara gets to fight a few new battles, and Benoist remains a treat. But for the first time, what surrounded her seemed to drag her down, rather than rising to her level (or at worst, not holding her back). Things can get a staid very fast if there’s a set formula to the villains every week. “Who named him that?” If the cheesy monologues and wistful glances are any indication, James and Kara are on the cusp of starting a relationship. “They’re both powerful in their own right, and they’re rivals”. One of the most enjoyable things about the CBS series is that Kara/Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) doesn’t see her superpowers as monsterous or burdensome.

When responding to a vehicle pile up on the freeway, Reactron blasts her. He wants the Man of Steel to suffer by losing everything.

Maxwell Lord is working on a train for National City. Lord might be cocky, but he does save one of his employees from being captured, so maybe he’s not all bad? It’s a nice try, but it totally doesn’t work.

Supergirl melts a statue and covers her hand in lead before finding Reactron for one final throw down.

When she comes to on the couch hours later, she is furious at James for essentially saving her life. “She’s so fearless, and inspiring, and hopeful and that’s what is most important”.

Kara wakes up in her apartment hours later with Alex and Jimmy at her side, where Jimmy reveals that he called Superman via his very Silver Age wrist communicator. Jimmy may be feeling the same, too! Ironic, then, that James would be so blind to the exact same desires in Kara. Man, what a whirlwind party!

Cat takes the few quotes she got from Supergirl and paints her as a weak willed millennial, who would crawl back and move into mommy and daddy’s house if their planet didn’t explode. “What amazingly convenient timing!” Kara had a job for when she came to Earth, only to find her mission no longer relevant with her cousin having grown up while she was in the Phantom Zone.

– “She’s like a super-interviewing villain”.