How closely do you want/need the tone of superhero TV shows to mirror “real life” and why?

"Then when Melissa got Supergirl, that brought me back to those comics so I purchased Showcase Presents Supergirl Vol. 2, began reading that......then moved to the New 52 and found those to be more enjoyable for me. But, I've really enjoyed the most recent iterations the best.....I've really enjoyed the Rebirth comics...."

Did you read "The Adventures of Supergirl" comics series by Sterling Gates - the one that paralleled the TV show (in the summer after Season 1)? That is by far my favorite of the recent Supergirl comics. I loved Gates' take on the contemporary Supergirl. Too bad he isn't writing for the TV show now!

Yes, I read "The Adventures of Supergirl"...

"Then when Melissa got Supergirl, that brought me back to those comics so I purchased Showcase Presents Supergirl Vol. 2, began reading that......then moved to the New 52 and found those to be more enjoyable for me. But, I've really enjoyed the most recent iterations the best.....I've really enjoyed the Rebirth comics...."

Did you read "The Adventures of Supergirl" comics series by Sterling Gates - the one that paralleled the TV show (in the summer after Season 1)? That is by far my favorite of the recent Supergirl comics. I loved Gates' take on the contemporary Supergirl. Too bad he isn't writing for the TV show now!

While I like the idea of Kara having other relationships and bringing Mon-El back later unfortunately there are real world issues that would make that extremely difficult. If Mon-El goes back to the 31st century at the end of the season and Chris Wood isn't signed as a regular for next season then he will be free to look for other work and I think it's likely he would do just that. Chris has a career to think about so he can't be expected to sit around waiting plus he has to earning a living. Chris is a talented actor and would would be able to get other work. The CW could possibly sign him to a one year contract on another show but that has it's own problems and is at best a one year solution. Basically if Mon-El leaves at the end of this season the assumption has to be that the character won't be back in a later season.

Upfront, the event where among other things the network releases synopsis of all it's shows was 5/18/2017 for this season. When the season three synopsis was released we were able to figure out something was up when Florina Lima wasn't on it because only leads and regulars are traditionally on a shows official synopsis. The interesting thing is with this season ending on 6/18/2018 we will have five or more episodes left when the season four synopsis is released so we will likely know which characters are returning well before the finale.

Yeah, it's hard to tell what they have in store for next season, they probably don't even know yet. I look at the original five, Mel, Chyler, David, Jeremy, and Mechad, as the only permanent regulars. Everyone else is on a year by year basis, depending on the story line so, if Chris can find a more permanent long-term gig, than that would probably be more beneficial for him. Then, if he could even come back and shoot an episode or two at the very end of the series, if they want to go that route, then perhaps he could fit it in. But, I was thinking that I remember someone saying that in the comics, Mon-El and Supergirl don't end up together.

To bring it back onto the topic of this thread, if we look at the show mirroring real life and relating to the characters, it would be more realistic that Kara experiences a healthy first break-up now than to expect that her first love will be her last and that they live happily ever after. In real life, we would see her getting through it, growing and becoming stronger because of it and eventually moving on.

Setting aside the soap opera aspect of Mon-el and Kara, I have a different question regarding that relationship, which is:

If Mon-el was to stay now and be in a long-term relationship with Kara, what do they do with him?

Mon-el is basically a mini-Supermanl in his powers. The show has introduced Superman and they have J'onn right there in the same city, at the same place of work as Supergirl. Whenever there is any type of major incident, viewers already ask where the two of them are at to help Supergirl. So, what does the show do with Mon-El? Does he become yet another underutilized superhero that creates future plot holes? Do they let him use his powers and the show becomes an ensemble superhero show? (no vote from me on that) Or do they completely ignore his powers and his role becomes Kara's love-interest, much in the same way that James was in Season 1?

Mon-el is an okay character and I especially like Woods as an actor but, I think the producers have to look more long-term and how a character with his attributes can fit into an already large cast. Mon-El was Kara's first love but, first love doesn't necessarily mean that it has to be last love. Let the girl live her life a little bit as Supergirl/Kara and if indeed Mon-El is the right guy for her, bring him back when the show is closer to the final season to finish it off. That's what I would like to see anyway.

While I like the idea of Kara having other relationships and bringing Mon-El back later unfortunately there are real world issues that would make that extremely difficult. If Mon-El goes back to the 31st century at the end of the season and Chris Wood isn't signed as a regular for next season then he will be free to look for other work and I think it's likely he would do just that. Chris has a career to think about so he can't be expected to sit around waiting plus he has to earning a living. Chris is a talented actor and would would be able to get other work. The CW could possibly sign him to a one year contract on another show but that has it's own problems and is at best a one year solution. Basically if Mon-El leaves at the end of this season the assumption has to be that the character won't be back in a later season.

Upfront, the event where among other things the network releases synopsis of all it's shows was 5/18/2017 for this season. When the season three synopsis was released we were able to figure out something was up when Florina Lima wasn't on it because only leads and regulars are traditionally on a shows official synopsis. The interesting thing is with this season ending on 6/18/2018 we will have five or more episodes left when the season four synopsis is released so we will likely know which characters are returning well before the finale.

"The problem I had as a kid reading comic books, the few that I did read were usually friends of mine, while they were reading them. I never found a female superhero that I could relate to...."

"WW was nice but, they didn't even let her throw a punch or do anything that might have broken a fingernail - just used that lasso and the problem was solved. Loved Bionic Woman, too!"

Hmmm... This may be too far off-topic.... but did you read "A Wrinkle In Time" when you were growing up? I read it when it was first released (and was acclaimed for winning the Newberry award). I was very much a fan of "young readers" (now called YA) science fiction then, and "A Wrinkle In Time" immediately became one of my favorites. I loved Margaret "Meg" Murray, the book's heroine, and found her to be every bit as likable and interesting a character as Supergirl and the Flash. In fact, I borrowed the book's "tesseract" device for one of my own recent stories - and acknowledged that debt at the end. (Hey. if Meg Murray can "tesser" through space and time, then why not Kara Zor-El?) And I'm very much looking forward to the Disney movie version of "A Wrinkle In Time" to be released early next year! (They have some big Hollywood names in the cast, too...)

No, I was more into Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, pretty much any Black Beauty book, and then later into my teens, Bess Streeter Aldrich, I honestly read very few comics after about the age of 10. I watched many of the cartoons growing up for sure, but that was about it. Hearing of a Fantastic Four movie coming out in 2005 got me back into comics, but then those movies were horrible. Especially the 3rd one. It was so weird following the 2015 SDCC and getting info back to the SHH.....and looking at the Supergirl cast and thinking......OMG, THAT IS A PERFECT Fantastic Four cast...and absolutely crying at the actual Fantastic Four cast for the 3rd movie....LOL, Then when Melissa got Supergirl, that brought me back to those comics so I purchased Showcase Presents Supergirl Vol. 2, began reading that......then moved to the New 52 and found those to be more enjoyable for me. But, I've really enjoyed the most recent iterations the best.....I've really enjoyed the Rebirth comics....

"The problem I had as a kid reading comic books, the few that I did read were usually friends of mine, while they were reading them. I never found a female superhero that I could relate to...."

"WW was nice but, they didn't even let her throw a punch or do anything that might have broken a fingernail - just used that lasso and the problem was solved. Loved Bionic Woman, too!"

Hmmm... This may be too far off-topic.... but did you read "A Wrinkle In Time" when you were growing up? I read it when it was first released (and was acclaimed for winning the Newberry award). I was very much a fan of "young readers" (now called YA) science fiction then, and "A Wrinkle In Time" immediately became one of my favorites. I loved Margaret "Meg" Murray, the book's heroine, and found her to be every bit as likable and interesting a character as Supergirl and the Flash. In fact, I borrowed the book's "tesseract" device for one of my own recent stories - and acknowledged that debt at the end. (Hey. if Meg Murray can "tesser" through space and time, then why not Kara Zor-El?) And I'm very much looking forward to the Disney movie version of "A Wrinkle In Time" to be released early next year! (They have some big Hollywood names in the cast, too...)

Setting aside the soap opera aspect of Mon-el and Kara, I have a different question regarding that relationship, which is:

If Mon-el was to stay now and be in a long-term relationship with Kara, what do they do with him?

Mon-el is basically a mini-Supermanl in his powers. The show has introduced Superman and they have J'onn right there in the same city, at the same place of work as Supergirl. Whenever there is any type of major incident, viewers already ask where the two of them are at to help Supergirl. So, what does the show do with Mon-El? Does he become yet another underutilized superhero that creates future plot holes? Do they let him use his powers and the show becomes an ensemble superhero show? (no vote from me on that) Or do they completely ignore his powers and his role becomes Kara's love-interest, much in the same way that James was in Season 1?

Mon-el is an okay character and I especially like Woods as an actor but, I think the producers have to look more long-term and how a character with his attributes can fit into an already large cast. Mon-El was Kara's first love but, first love doesn't necessarily mean that it has to be last love. Let the girl live her life a little bit as Supergirl/Kara and if indeed Mon-El is the right guy for her, bring him back when the show is closer to the final season to finish it off. That's what I would like to see anyway.

If it is getting back with Monel that makes Kara hapoy, then the haters of theur relationship ship will be almost correct in what they were saying last season. Kara need to find her happines through herself, not a relationship....that is what I didnt like about Alex and Maggie.

Just one more thing I wanted to say here. You don't have to be a Baby Boomer to enjoy the DC Comics of the 60s and 70s. Many of the people at the school where I teach are aware that I write Supergirl fan fiction stories featuring Kara in her Silver Age persona. Some of the younger teachers (both Gen X and Millennials) and even some of my students have told me that they really enjoy my stories, too!. And they all agree that Supergirl was never the hippest superhero around, just the friendliest and the most likable

But as long as the show keeps the essential character of Kara the same, I'm fine with it. But if they attempt to drastically change her personality, then maybe not....

Definitely, the best thing though Stewart is that Melissa herself wants to keep Kara's character at her core the same.
So what I take from that is if Melissa wanted a radical change to Kara's personality she probably would've accepted a change to the costume (similar to how she dressed in the Black suit when affected by Red Kryptonite in the episode 'Falling').

In Triggers, when Kara questioned who she was because she felt broken, Alex told Kara that she is who she is as Kara, who she is as Supergirl. That, to me, is the message that we need to remember. Moods change, personalities do not. Kara maybe going through some tough times but, she will always come back to who she is as Kara, so I don't think we need to worry about a drastic change to her personality.

The problem I had as a kid reading comic books, the few that I did read were usually friends of mine, while they were reading them. I never found a female superhero that I could relate to.... I loved the Fantastic Four because they didn't try to hide their identity, but Sue Storm was boring to me. I wanted to be her brother, not her.

I always wanted to be Superman. I didn't read comics but I was an avid cartoon watcher and Superman and Friends was my favorite cartoon. I'm not positive but, I don't think Supergirl was even on it. WW was nice but, they didn't even let her throw a punch or do anything that might have broken a fingernail - just used that lasso and the problem was solved. Loved Bionic Woman, too!

Well said....

Thanks.

But the Legion story isn't doing anything for me. Maybe that's because I lack the comics background, as said previously, but right now it doesn't seem interesting. IMO this trio creates emotional drama and little else

I'm not at all interested in the Legion but, I know that others are so, if they're only on for a couple of episodes, I'm okay with it. And yes, I agree that the main focus for them right now is to create drama for the sake of having drama. I have yet to see a romantic pairing that SG has done right so, I am not confident that they would be able to put together Mon-el and Kara without it being a soap opera drama.

I've been following this interesting discussion for about a week now and have to say I see good points on both "sides" (for lack of a better term). I'm 4 years into retirement so I am hardly the target demographic for Supergirl. On the other hand I really wasn't into comics much as a kid, so I don't have much history to tap into other than what I've seen from this show and some of the earlier Superman movies with Christopher Reeve. On the whole I am enjoying this season the most, and I agree with those who have stated that a more-relatable Supergirl storyline is more interesting and compelling. I think the production team has done a good job balancing that aspect with what we might call "happy" Kara, so I think there is something here for everyone to enjoy. Yes, the first 9 episodes have definitely been darker, but the first was the darkest in terms of Kara's personality itself, and by the end of that episode she was beginning to come out of it. That is a progression I expect will continue in the second part of the season. By June I think we will see Kara return to something like her season 1 form, but much more mature and focused.

I may be in a minority, but I would love to see Kara and Mon-el get back together by season's end, but in a much more mature relationship than before. Their chemistry is off the charts, way more than Flash/Iris or Oliver/Felicity (or Mon-el/Imra, for that matter). It seems foolish to waste that and I think if it was done well (i.e. not a soap opera) it would fill in an important part of Kara as a whole person. That being said, I'm really not sure how this could be accomplished under the current casting. But the Legion story isn't doing anything for me. Maybe that's because I lack the comics background, as said previously, but right now it doesn't seem interesting. IMO this trio creates emotional drama and little else.

The problem I had as a kid reading comic books, the few that I did read were usually friends of mine, while they were reading them. I never found a female superhero that I could relate to.... I loved the Fantastic Four because they didn't try to hide their identity, but Sue Storm was boring to me. I wanted to be her brother, not her. No one I knew was really reading DC comics back then, they were into Spiderman, etc....so they were more Marvel readers.

I use to always get excited watching reruns of the old Batman tv series when in the intro I would see Batgirl riding her motorcycle and I knew she was in that particular episode. But she sometimes made me roll my eyes as well. I loved the Wonder Woman TV series, but actually it wasn't until The Bionic Woman that I really felt like I had found someone that I could relate to.....she was a tennis player, that was my main sport.....and she was a teacher, that is what I wanted to be, so she was perfect as far as I was concerned....LOL I have watched some reruns of it, and OMG, what was I thinking....LOL, but it still brought back great memories. I loved the remake of it, too bad it got hit by the 2007 writer's strike and was just never given much of a chance, but the 7 episodes that made it to air were pretty good. I liked the sister aspect that they brought into the reboot.

Smallville bored the heck out of me, and the acting was just cringe worthy so I never got into it. I loved the first season of Agents of Shield, but by the 3rd season I was bored.

I am glad that Supergirl decided to take a different tone this season, I don't mind it at all. Do I enjoy happy Kara? of course.....I want her to be happy. I think that is why I've been so pissed at Mon-el. I'm not sure if they are trying to get us to like Imra by it looking like she is empathetic to Kara, or make us not like Mon-el because he seems to be oblivious to her feelings. I have no clue, but I'm not really happy with that part of the story line. THANK GOODNESS, the other story lines have been fantastic. Now that Floriana is gone, I'm ready to see less emo-Alex, and more kick arse Alex. So, I'm looking forward to more of that from Kara as well......as much as I love Chris in the role of Mon-el, I'm already getting tired of that little threesome. Hoping that we are able to move on with The Legion, get Kara out of the coma, and send The Legion back home. That story line hasn't even started, and I'm already tired of it.....LOL I think the hiatus may have something to do with that......

" I tried watching the Adam West Batman last summer and I just could not get into it. I know the point is it was so campy that at times it was making fun of its self but it just wasn't for me. The Lynda Carter Wonder Woman show I could get into, it was still campy but much less, at least you understood Diana as a character and what motivated her. "

No, even as a teenager, I wasn't really a fan of the Adam West Batman show. I thought it was just silly, "too goofy", and "more for the little kids". I liked the Lynda Carter Wonder Woman show OK, but wasn't a big fan of the character in those days, so I didn't watch it that often. (See below for further explanation of this...)

"My opinion, take it or leave it, is that if we want the Supergirl legacy to compete and continue, we have to change our thinking from "our Supergirl was" because "this Supergirl" has to be for today's generation."

Yes, that's what Kelly said, too. And I realize that I'm not a part of the target demographic for today's superhero shows. And of course, what appeals to Millennials will differ in some respects from what appeals to me. But as long as the show keeps the essential character of Kara the same, I'm fine with it. But if they attempt to drastically change her personality, then maybe not....

Meanwhile, I'll be striving to keep the original Supergirl of the 60s and 70s alive and still kicking in my fan fiction stories - for those who (like myself) still enjoy and remember the classic DC comics of the Silver and Bronze Ages. I believe there's still room out there for the old version, too

"The WW in the theaters just a few months ago is a perfect example of that change. Gal Gadot's WW was written and produced as a reflection of the current times and as a result, millions viewed it and WW has never been more popular because of it."

I have to admit that I didn't see the Wonder Woman movie that way at all. To me, it was the first time I had ever really liked Wonder Woman! Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman has much the same sort of endearing personality as Kara. I found her to be very much a likable character, and therefore I enjoyed the movie a great deal. Back in the 60s and 70s, I wasn't much of a Wonder Woman fan because she seemed to be too one-dimensional to me, sort of a female equivalent of Superman - who many regarded as "the big blue Boy Scout" then. (As a teenager, I also found the references to the Greek gods and goddesses to be corny, rather than clever.) On the other hand, I did find Supergirl, Green Lantern, and the Flash to be interesting and likable characters, and they were always my favorites among the DC superheroes.

As a child, I watched WW and enjoyed it for the fact that it was the first time I was able to see a female superhero on prime-time television. But, even as a child I can recall thinking that it was a very superficial, low-stakes show. However, that campy, cheerful, light atmosphere prevalent in WW was a commonality across many of the shows up until the early to mid 80's because that was how society, and entertainment as a by-product, wanted life to be depicted. So, people from those generations were used to reading it/seeing it and televison shows, at that time, had success because of it.

But, I don't think we should expect that superheroes and comics that were written 40-50 years ago should have the same characteristics and the same tone today. From what I understand, the print comics/superheroes have changed over time to reflect the time period. Most likely, this change was made with the purpose of exposing new, younger audiences to the characters with the hope that interest in the characters would continue to grow. That is the goal for superhero fans- to keep the genre thriving with each new generation. To do that, they have to compete with what is on television, in the movies and in print during that generation. And, for today's society, that means superheroes that are more real, have more depth and are a bit more dark. The WW in the theaters just a few months ago is a perfect example of that change. Gal Gadot's WW was written and produced as a reflection of the current times and as a result, millions viewed it and WW has never been more popular because of it.

My opinion, take it or leave it, is that if we want the Supergirl legacy to compete and continue, we have to change our thinking from "our Supergirl was" because "this Supergirl" has to be for today's generation.

Well said....

As a child, I watched WW and enjoyed it for the fact that it was the first time I was able to see a female superhero on prime-time television. But, even as a child I can recall thinking that it was a very superficial, low-stakes show. However, that campy, cheerful, light atmosphere prevalent in WW was a commonality across many of the shows up until the early to mid 80's because that was how society, and entertainment as a by-product, wanted life to be depicted. So, people from those generations were used to reading it/seeing it and televison shows, at that time, had success because of it.

But, I don't think we should expect that superheroes and comics that were written 40-50 years ago should have the same characteristics and the same tone today. From what I understand, the print comics/superheroes have changed over time to reflect the time period. Most likely, this change was made with the purpose of exposing new, younger audiences to the characters with the hope that interest in the characters would continue to grow. That is the goal for superhero fans- to keep the genre thriving with each new generation. To do that, they have to compete with what is on television, in the movies and in print during that generation. And, for today's society, that means superheroes that are more real, have more depth and are a bit more dark. The WW in the theaters just a few months ago is a perfect example of that change. Gal Gadot's WW was written and produced as a reflection of the current times and as a result, millions viewed it and WW has never been more popular because of it.

My opinion, take it or leave it, is that if we want the Supergirl legacy to compete and continue, we have to change our thinking from "our Supergirl was" because "this Supergirl" has to be for today's generation.

"Supergirl has done a very effective job of balancing the lighter and more serious tones, especially when it comes to Kara and her story (and really, who is more likable than Kara? Thank you Melissa Benoist)"

Yes, I agree! As far as I'm concerned, Kara is (and was in the original comics ) the most likable of all superheroes .(Though Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman now comes close.). That's the main reason why I watch the TV show. read Supergirl comics, and write Supergirl fan fiction stories!


"I never really saw Mxy as a villain....he always reminded me of "The Great Gazoo" on the Flintstones."

Me, neither - and even though Mxy is listed in the "villain" section of this website, the admins expressed misgivings about doing so.....

Here's a good example of Mxy in action:

Hmmmmm..... I enjoy characters that I can relate to, characters that go through some of the things I go through, and then throw in the kick arse action, great acting, and you have some of my favorite characters on TV. Growing up, comic books were very campy to me as a kid, but I knew that they were going to be so that wasn't that big of a shock when major camp was happening on the page. However, on TV, I don't want that "same camp" when it is on the page, those characters are not as real to me as they are on screen, so over campy is fine. On screen, not so much fine....I don't need to relate to them in a comic book to enjoy it, as much as I do on screen. So, less camp, less cheese is more to my liking.....that is why I don't necessarily have to have the characters just as they are in the comics, though if the villain is HUGE in the comics, they need to be on the screen as well....don't have to look the same, but they need to bring the same amount of hurt. THAT has nothing to do with camp.

Exactly, at least to me the level of camp I want to see in live action is much lower than on paper or even in animation. I think it's something about seeing an actual person dressed as a superhero, I need the character to still be a relatable person. It takes a special kind of actor to pull that off and that's where I think both Melissa and Grant's musical theater backgrounds help. They're trained to convince audiences that it's no big deal to break out in song so why not take it further and convince us they have superpowers. I tried watching the Adam West Batman last summer and I just could not get into it. I know the point is it was so campy that at times it was making fun of its self but it just wasn't for me. The Lynda Carter Wonder Woman show I could get into, it was still campy but much less, at least you understood Diana as a character and what motivated her.

"..though if the villain is HUGE in the comics, they need to be on the screen as well....don't have to look the same, but they need to bring the same amount of hurt. THAT has nothing to do with camp."

Yes, I agree! Mr. Mxyzptlk is a good example (though he didn't really bring "hurt"

When I first started writing Supergirl fan fiction stores of my own, one of the first comments I received was that my stories offered very few dangers to Kara - and that I needed some more powerful villains. So, realizing that the commenters were right, I subsequently started coming up with more powerful "bad guys" (synthetic kryptonite, anyone?), and lowering Kara's "vulnerability threshold" a bit, too. That way, my readers could start seeing Supergirl in some real peril in one scene in each story, as they apparently wanted to.

I never really saw Mxy as a villain....he always reminded me of "The Great Gazoo" on the Flintstones.

"..though if the villain is HUGE in the comics, they need to be on the screen as well....don't have to look the same, but they need to bring the same amount of hurt. THAT has nothing to do with camp."

Yes, I agree! Mr. Mxyzptlk is a good example (though he didn't really bring "hurt"

When I first started writing Supergirl fan fiction stores of my own, one of the first comments I received was that my stories offered very few dangers to Kara - and that I needed some more powerful villains. So, realizing that the commenters were right, I subsequently started coming up with more powerful "bad guys" (synthetic kryptonite, anyone?), and lowering Kara's "vulnerability threshold" a bit, too. That way, my readers could start seeing Supergirl in some real peril in one scene in each story, as they apparently wanted to.

"They do sometimes do the eye roll at the "happy go lucky" Kara, because they don't believe in reality anyone can be that happy all the time...."

And of course, this brings us right back to the original question that was asked: how closely do you want the show to mirror real life? Apparently, your students want more "reality" in Supergirl than some of us "old-timers" do. But of course, I grew up with "happy go lucky" Kara of the 60s and 70s comics, so it's what I expect she'll be like. Perhaps your students are growing up with more "realistic" superhero and science fiction shows (and comics), so that's what they expect to see.
Like Kiwi said, for me the answer to the original question is -, "not too closely"

Hmmmmm..... I enjoy characters that I can relate to, characters that go through some of the things I go through, and then throw in the kick arse action, great acting, and you have some of my favorite characters on TV. Growing up, comic books were very campy to me as a kid, but I knew that they were going to be so that wasn't that big of a shock when major camp was happening on the page. However, on TV, I don't want that "same camp" when it is on the page, those characters are not as real to me as they are on screen, so over campy is fine. On screen, not so much fine....I don't need to relate to them in a comic book to enjoy it, as much as I do on screen. So, less camp, less cheese is more to my liking.....that is why I don't necessarily have to have the characters just as they are in the comics, though if the villain is HUGE in the comics, they need to be on the screen as well....don't have to look the same, but they need to bring the same amount of hurt. THAT has nothing to do with camp.