BWW Recap: SUPERGIRL's Pilot Soars with Theatre Stars

Not just National City, but all of America has a new superhero: Supergirl. The pilot episode of SUPERGIRL was packed with action, plot twists, and impressive acting from the whole cast. SUPERGIRL seems likely to be one of the most popular shows of the season.

But don't worry if you haven't watched it yet: this recap is spoiler-free, just in case.

The pilot episode establishes the story of how Kara Zor-El, or Kara Danvers as she's known on Earth, comes to live with a human family from her home planet of Krypton. Though she has the same powers as her cousin, Superman, she has given up using them in exchange for living a normal life. She works at a media company called CatCo, fetching lattes and layouts for her Miranda-Priestly-like boss, played by Calista Flockhart.

However, when her adoptive sister is in trouble, Kara decides to embrace her powers to save the day. With the support of her besotted coworker Winn, played by the always adorable Jeremy Jordan, she decides to help her city by fighting crime. She soon finds out that there are more sinister forces after her and realizes she may be in over her head.

Melissa Benoist, of GLEE fame, is absolutely stunning in the lead role. Kara Danvers is quirky, self-conscious about her powers, and eager to prove herself. Melissa's comedic timing is brilliant, but her acting shines in the more touching moments when Kara doubts herself or reflects on the family she left on Krypton.

Broadway fans will be delighted with both Laura Benanti and Jeremy Jordan's appearances on the show. Laura pulled at my heart strings in her portrayal of Kara's birth mother (I actually cried at one point) and I have a feeling that we may be seeing more of her on the show than I originally expected...no spoilers though! Meanwhile, Jeremy proves his comedic abilities once again as Kara's endearingly awkward co-worker, Winn Schott, who has an obvious crush on her. I can't wait to see him on my TV every week!

Mehcad Brooks was wonderful as James Olsen, the new art director at CatCo and a friend of Superman's. He charms Kara as soon as they meet... and the whole audience too.

While I was excited to finally have a female superhero TV-show, the show is even more feminist than I'd hoped for. At one point, a villain tells Kara, "On my planet, women bow down to men." Kara responds, "This isn't your planet." The writers aren't shying away from addressing the fact that female superheros are rare and I'm glad: it makes it even more powerful.

The thing that surprised me most about the episode was how impressive the special effects were. Typically, TV shows' special effects are somewhat laughable, but I thought that SUPERGIRL's were great, especially in the scenes in which Kara flew.

Who else can't wait to see what happens next week? Clearly, Kara has a lot more people to save. Don't forget that next week the show moves to its normal time at 8:00/7:00 C.

What did you think of SUPERGIRL's pilot episode? Let me know on Twitter at @nicoleackman16 and don't forget to return next week for another recap.

Photo Credit: CBS

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