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Why Supergirl is the best hero show on television

By Kelly Shanaphy

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Over the past few years, the Arrowverse has carved out an impressive corner on television, on the CW.

However, all of the shows have been plagued by the same criticism and refused to fix their mistakes. Supergirl is the only one of the four series to take the best parts of both of their seasons to make this year one of the most captivating on television.

The main criticism that all of the Arrowverse shows have suffered from is the focus on romantic relationships rather than familial or platonic ones. It has caused characters like Felicity, Iris, Laurel, Dinah Drake, and Kendra Saunders to feel like little more than girlfriends on shows where they could be so much more. Supergirl isn’t immune to adding too much relationship drama, and their sophomore season is the perfect example of that. However, the series course corrected this year by refocusing on the relationships that made many fans fall in love with the show. Kara and Alex’s sisterhood is back in focus along with their surrogate father relationship with J’onn J’onzz.

It’s still The CW, so romantic drama isn’t completely out of the show, but Supergirl manages to prevent it from ever overtaking its other aspects. The main example is how the series tries to tackle modern-day social issues without ever shoving its ideas down a viewer’s throat. They’re the first of the Arrowverse shows to have an LGBTQ+ relationship without ever making Alex or Maggie feel like a “token gay” character, and crafting a compelling story or their romance. Even their breakup subverted the “kill your gays” trope and had a conversation that most couples need to have in real life: whether or not kids will be in the future. While it was genuinely heartbreaking to watch the dissolution of their engagement, Supergirl found a way to avoid a cliché breakup and bring on genuine character growth for one of their main characters.

Last season, the series had difficulty creating a captivating storyline for its two male heroes. While Arrow and  The Flash have had an easy time taking supporting characters and crafting a good superhero origin story, Supergirl had a tough time. Mon-El has had a rough time with fans, many finding problems with his characterization. Last season the series spent too long focusing on his development from a frat boy-like prince to a true superhero. However, the show finally realized that Chris Wood’s charisma and charm does better when he gets to play a “damsel-in-distress,” type character who spends his time trying to be a better person. After being sucked into a black-hole last season, it allowed Kara to grieve the loss of a loved one and explore some darker themes this year.

Supergirl Season Three is asking an intriguing question for its characters and fans: “what does it mean to be human?”. For the past two years, the show hasn’t really explored Kara’s backstory besides her getting sent to Earth as a preteen. Now, they have begun showing the Kryptonian religion and her time growing up with Alex in Midvale. These circumstances shaped her to take up the mantle of Supergirl but with the loss of the man she loved, Kara has started to question the point of keeping up the human charade. When she escapes into her heroic alter ego, everyone in the world adores her and she’s constantly able to save the world.

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But, as J’onn J’onzz and her adopted mother point out, she might biologically be an alien but her heart is human. Her upbringing and struggle to accept who she is have been an excellent foil to new villain, Reign, who is a single mother that is slowly developing into a World Killer.

Can her life as human overcome her destiny as an alien villain? It’s a theme that has given this season better direction than any of the other Arrowverse shows have ever had.

With the crossover coming up, fans of the DC Comics shows will attempt to catch up on the Arrowverse shows for next week. Supergirl is definitely worth prioritizing over other series because it has truly emerged as one of the best genre shows on television. Not only has it subverted a lot of the problems that other shows on the CW have run into, it easily has the best acting of all of the series.

Next: 25 Best Superhero Television Shows Of All Time

Melissa Benoist is one of the best actresses in the business and there’s no one else on the small-screen that can inspire so much hopefulness with just a smile, or break your heart with a single tear. If you need to pick only one of the four shows to watch this year, definitely check out Supergirl on the CW on Monday nights.

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