It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Supergirl! CBS’ new drama packed a serious punch during its Oct. 26 series premiere. To put it simply, Supergirl follows Kara Danvers (Melissa Benoist) as she embraces her secret identity as Superman’s cousin, flies around throwing shade at her haters, and gets involved in a casual love triangle. Basically, it’s a rom-com meets feminist superhero drama, and we’re loving every second of it.
Need more convincing? Get pumped with everything you need to know about Supergirl below. (But not so pumped that you hurl yourself off a building in an attempt to fly, please.)
1. What Up, Special Effects
For those of you who fear Supergirl won’t deliver on the action and adventure, think again. The show doesn’t shy away from big-budget explosions and effects (Kara has laser eyes, don’t worry about it), and should please even the most discerning fans of the genre. Also, Supergirl’s costume is the bomb dot com, and happens to be resistant to actual bombs.
2. Supergirl Is Just Like Us (But an Alien…)
Here’s the deal with Supergirl: She was sent to Earth to watch over her cousin (aka Superman), but her ship got trapped in a time portal, delaying her arrival in the process. By the time Supergirl finally showed up, Superman was like, “LOL, nope,” and pawned her off to a family of normals. As a result, she spent most of her life decidedly un-super, which makes her an extremely relatable protagonist. In fact, it’s only when Supergirl saves her stepsister from a plane crash that she comes to terms with her powers.
3. Bust Out Your “This Is What a Feminist Looks Like” T-Shirt
It’s no secret that the superhero genre is slightly lacking in female leads, and Supergirl is proof positive that women are just as capable of heroism as men. The show intentionally challenges the idea that only men can be heroes, and Kara even questions her potentially problematic name. “Shouldn’t she be called Superwoman?” she says in the premiere. “If we call her Supergirl, something less than what she is, doesn’t that make us guilty of being anti-feminist?” Eventually, Kara owns her name and rises above sexism in the most literal way possible. (Get it? Because she can fly!)
4. Love Connection Alert
We’re just one episode in, and Supergirl is already involved in a love triangle. First up, we have Winn Schott (Jeremy Michael Jordan), Kara’s nerdy-but-lovable co-worker/the person she trusts most with her secret. The problem? Kara doesn’t return Winn’s feelings because she’s too busy making eyes at James Olsen (Mehcad Brooks), a photojournalist who’s best buds with Superman. Ugh, her life is so hard.
5. Calista Flockhart Is Back, and She’s Serving Meryl Streep Vibes
Calista Flockhart plays Cat Grant, the snarky CEO of Catco Worldwide Media, who’s basically Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada — only meaner. Cat becomes obsessed with featuring an exclusive about National City’s resident flying female, but little does she know that Supergirl’s actually working as her lowly assistant. Let the hijinks begin!
6. Big Plot Twists Abound
Don’t worry, this is a spoiler-free zone — but it should be noted that Supergirl’s pilot episode was packed with plot twists. Let’s just say you’ll find out a lil’ something-something about Kara’s past, and there might be more to Superman’s family than meets the eye.
Intrigued? Watch Supergirl Mondays at 8:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
