While superheroes are definitely all the rage these days, it's still very uncommon to see a female superhero take center stage. And even when such a character is thrown into the mix, she's usually used as more of a side character who dons super sexy attire. Which is why CBS' new series Supergirl feels like a breath of fresh air. Not only does Supergirl 's Kara Danvers defy the typical stigma of female superheroes, but she also doesn't allow herself to hide in her cousin's shadow. In fact, from what I've seen so far, Kara's TV origin story on Supergirl is proving to be even more intriguing than Clark Kent's was on the CBS show's predecessor, Smallville.
Aside from the obvious difference that one focuses on Superman while the other one showcases the adventures of Supergirl, there are much bigger (and more important) differences in these two shows than just the general premise. For starters, I particularly enjoy the fact that Kara was sent to Earth in order to protect Clark. Sure, that mission ended up going pretty sideways considering she arrived on our planet much, much later than expected, but that doesn't takeaway from the huge responsibility her family entrusted her with at such a young age.
So often, when we think of Superman, we think of him as the great protector. But Supergirl manages to slightly alter that way of thinking by introducing someone who was supposed to protect him for a change. And not just any protector, mind you, but a female protector. And considering how important Kal-El was, placing her in charge of his care proves just how much their planet believed in her capabilities. Krypton may have been destroyed, but you have to appreciate their rather feminist way of thinking. (A concept which sometimes feels like Earth's own version of Kryptonite.)
Then there's the fact that Kara grew up on Earth knowing exactly who she is, where she's from, and what her powers are. Those are all things that our beloved Clark Kent was kept in the dark about on Smallville for a very long time. And while Kara has only recently chosen to embrace her full potential (and the many burdens that come with it), her prior knowledge of her background is already helping her to become a quicker study than her Superman counterpart. I mean, remember how long it took for Clark to start flying on Smallville? Part of me thought we were never going to get to that point, whereas on Supergirl, we've already seen her accomplish this feat by leaps and bounds. And let's face it, flying is such an awesome superpower, I'm glad we've established this one right off the bat.
But the best part is, we've only just scratched the surface of Kara's backstory and I'm already intrigued. She may not have a Fortress of Solitude (yet) or her father's voice guiding her throughout her journey, but she does have her mother's evil twin sister to deal with. And that's the type of family drama that's worth tuning in for week after week.
Images: Cliff Lipson/CBS; Giphy (2)
