Aside from these concerns, however, there is a great deal to be excited about here. Though some of the dialogue admittedly sinks like a stone under the weight of exposition (as is often the case with pilot episodes), much of it positively soars. Particular highlights include a male admirer’s assumption that Kara is gay – because only that could explain why she isn’t instantly attracted to him – and the response of Kara’s boss to the suggestion that the new superhero in town should be referred to as Superwoman, rather than Supergirl:
“What do you think is so bad about ‘girl’? I’m a girl, and your boss, and powerful, and rich, and hot, and smart. So, if you perceive ‘Supergirl’ as anything less than excellent, isn’t the real problem you?
Is that a thinly veiled attempt to head criticism off at the pass? Absolutely – but it speaks to much more than that. It speaks to the way in which perfectly good terms of reference – like ‘girl’ – have been corrupted by a patriarchal society to be in some way demeaning. This preview footage tells us right from the start – we’ve got no time for those negative connotations of femininity here. If the scripts for this show continue in that vein, this could be something very special indeed – which brings us to the next reason to be excited. There are actual female writers and producers in on the ground floor of this thing, and that is something still disturbingly rare in television.
As intriguing as all those points are, the most important aspect to note about this trailer is the tone. Being from much of the same team that delivered The Flash and Arrow (Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Andrew Kreisberg), as well as Ali Adler from Glee, the tone is light and enjoyably humorous – even managing to maintain a little levity when Supergirl becomes involved with David Harewood’s super-secret agency that protects citizens from bad guys.
This lightness is essential for Supergirl, because it removes the overbearing layer of angst that often plagues female-led projects such as these. We are bombarded daily with female television characters torn and twisted by the stress of trying to fit into their own world, and television series in which the drama stems from women feeling bad about ruffling the feathers of those around them.
Here, on the other hand, is a girl who has decided that she wants to fulfil her potential and, crucially, does not apologize for it. It seems from this preview that the result of that is not tearful confrontations and hysterical hand-wringing, but rather a well-written character coming into her own and – most vital of all – enjoying and embracing that process. Make no mistake – this Supergirl looks to be the hero television needs and I, for one, am officially excited.
