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Oct 23, 2015 By Mark Redfern Web Exclusive

Female superheroes haven’t gotten much of a break in terms of TV and film adaptations. Most female-fronted comic book movies have been poorly received (2005’s Elektra, 2004’s Catwoman, 1984’s Supergirl). They haven’t fared much better on the small screen, unless you count iZombie and Agent Carter (who aren’t even really superheroes, per se, but are great examples of what the genre could be). 2002’s Birds of Prey was ill-conceived, so you have to go all the way back to the 1970s and Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman for a positive example. 2015 looks to change all that, with Marvel’s Jessica Jones on Netflix and CBS (Wonder Woman‘s network) adapting a comic book for the first time since 1990’s original The Flash with Supergirl.

Supergirl is a highly enjoyable and faithful adaptation of the DC Comic that’s anchored by an extremely likable lead performance by Melissa Benoist (Whiplash, Glee) as the title character. Benoit is Kara Zor-El, Superman’s older cousin who was also sent to Earth to protect him when Krypton exploded. But her rocket gets stuck in a wormhole and by the time she arrives on Earth as a teenager, Superman is already a man and a worldwide superhero phenomenon. She is raised by an Earth couple (in a nice nod to the past, they are played by former Superman Dean Cain, of Lois & Clark, and Helen Slater, who was Supergirl in 1984). Cut to the present, and Kara is the unassuming assistant to unforgiving media mogul Cat Grant (Ally McBeal‘s Calista Flockhart), but when her adoptive sister Alex (Grey’s Anatomy’s Chyler Leigh) is put in danger, Kara must use her powers in public for the first time.

Part of what makes Supergirl work is the tone. Those who found Man of Steel too dark won’t find much traction leveling similar complaints here, as Supergirl is full of light and hope, but not so much so that it doesn’t have weight and drama. It helps that executive producer Greg Berlanti already has experience heading up the currently successful and well-received DC Comics television dramas Arrow and The Flash on The CW. Supergirl has the potential to reach an even larger audience than those shows, thanks to being on CBS and its connection to Superman (who only makes a cameo and whose face isn’t even seen), but it might not connect as well with picky fanboys due to its The Devil Wears Prada-esque moments with Cat Grant, its feminist vibe, and a few slightly cheesy moments. Diehard fans should appreciate that, like The Flash, and unlike most previous female superhero adaptations, Supergirl is true to the original comics and is filled with characters from their pages. Benoist, who was underused as the girlfriend in Whiplash, is a clear charmer and a potential major star. She brings a mix of likability, vulnerability, and strength to the role and is someone the audience immediately wants to root for as she finds her way as a new hero. The rest of the cast is appealing too, from Homeland alum David Harewood as Hank Henshaw, the head of the Department of Extra-Normal Operations (and it looks like Supergirl will be helping him each week) to Mehcad Brooks (Necessary Roughness) as a more confident, hunkier take on Jimmy Olsen.

The true test of an enduring TV show is, of course, in how well the show develops and maintains its quality in subsequent episodes beyond a good opener. The pilot sets up a clever plot device (much how The Flash‘s first episode did) to explain why Supergirl will be facing different villains each week. But as 2015 fall broadcast TV pilots go, Supergirl is far and away one of the best (though it debuts in an admittedly weak year) and the scene where she saves a passenger jet is certainly one of the most thrilling and impressive TV set pieces in recent memory. Here’s hoping that Supergirl is able to reach such great heights on a consistent basis for the rest of its first season. (www.cbs.com/shows/supergirl/)

[Note: Supergirl premieres on CBS on Monday, October 26, at the special time of 8:30 p.m. before moving to its regular 8 p.m. time slot the following week.]

Author rating: 7.5/10