Less use of powers in season ?

I've been feeling the same way about power use. I think the issue is actually a few different things:

1. Scale of Power Use - Yes, she still 'uses' her powers, maybe even as often as before, but the 'scale' of the use of the powers feels much different. For example, she still uses her heat vision, but nothing this season has come close to the Red Tornado take down from season 1. That was a completely different level of power use. Much of the power use we've seen this season thus far is more like Flash and Arrow level stuff and not Supergirl/Superman level stuff. The pilot episodes this season got it right, but most of the rest of the season so far has been underwhelming.

2. Too Many Heroes - We've got Kara, J'onn, Mon-El, Guardian, M'gann, Superman (on occasion), and Alex in her super suit, which is just too many. The problem with too many heroes is that you have to give them all something to do. This causes Kara to get less fighting time (i.e. less power use), and it makes Kara weaker because her power level has to be lowered to make weaker heroes like Guardian seem useful/credible (i.e. weaker power use). Plus, because Kara has so much help there's no need to take things to 11 to defeat the villain, like with Red Tornado, leading to issue #1 above.

3. Too Much Heat Vision - Season 2 episodes seem to rely too heavily on heat vision when simple super strength or use of other powers would have sufficed or been a better choice. - Stuck in handcuffs? Let me just heat vision those off you. Don't worry, I promise not to burn your hands off in the process! - Part of me wonders if this is a way to save money. Practical effects require you to actually make props, but the process for making her heat vision is probably quick and easy to do in the computer at this point.

4. Not Enough Super Strength - In season 1 we had Kara saving airplanes, stopping trains, moving (and breaking) oil tankers, crashing through tractor trailers, ripping doors open, etc. In season 2 she breaks a computer when she gets angry that Livewire escaped. Further, when Supergirl punches someone they should really go flying, or there should be collateral damage. For example, think back to Kara's fights with Astra in season 1 - big punches that sent each other crashing through walls and buildings. Season 2 fighting is more like Arrow/regular human style fighting. Why is it like this now? See #1-3.

5. Inconsistent Invulnerability - On the one hand we've got Kara crashing through walls, pillars, tractor trailers, and airplane engines with little ill effect, and on the other hand we've got her being knocked out by seemingly minor things like the rocket from the drone in the pilot and Livewire's exploding restraints in the the previous episode. I understand the need to make her vulnerable to more than just kryptonite, but some of the season 2 instances have just gone too far and make her look weak, like Superman from season 1 of the old Justice League cartoon. Personally, I think her getting knocked out by Max's bomb in season 1 struck the right balance.

One other thing to note is that The Flash is also suffering from some of these same issues. In season 1 you had Barry evacuating everyone on a crashing train (mid crash!), outrunning nuclear explosions, stopping tsunamis, etc. In season 3 you have Barry looking to let his protege save the day because he's not fast enough. In season 1 Barry was (mostly) the only hero. In season 3 everyone and their mother has powers. I'm starting to sense a pattern here....

I really have no idea what you are talking about...

Episode 1: We saw flying, super strength, x-ray vision (saved people)
Episode 2: We saw flying, super strength, heat vision
Episode 3: We saw flying, super strength, heat vision, speed, freeze breath (saved people)
Episode 4: We saw super strength, heat vision, x-ray vision, flying (saved aliens)
Episode 5: We saw super strength, heat vision, and very cool flying using heat vision (saved people)
Episode 6: We saw flying, super strength (saved people)
Episode 7: We saw flying, super strength, and heat vision (saved Mon-El)
Episode 8: We saw flying, super strength, and heat vision (saved aliens)
Episode 9: We saw super strength, almost heat vision (scarred off the alien before she used it), and heat vision while flying (saved people)
Episode 10: Super strength, you don't use heat vision on Livewire, freeze breath and speed (saved people)

As far as #Sanvers, we have seen very little from them the last 3 episodes.

So, I'm not sure what you are not seeing....

I'm not saying she's not using them at all, just less. Where are scenes like in How Does She Do It where she holds up a collapsing building and the stops a speeding train? In fight scenes, she seems to throw fewer punchs and uses heat vision more often she did in season 1.

I always enjoy more action, but I think they have done a good job of giving us both the relationship and the action this season. Really the only thing I would like to see more of is the Alex/Kara scenes together at her apartment. I would gladly give up some of the Guardian action for that.

I'm not saying she's not using them at all, just less. Where are scenes like in How Does She Do It where she holds up a collapsing building and the stops a speeding train? In fight scenes, she seems to throw fewer punchs and uses heat vision more often she did in season 1.

I'm not saying she's not using them at all, just less. Where are scenes like in How Does She Do It where she holds up a collapsing building and the stops a speeding train? In fight scenes, she seems to throw fewer punchs and uses heat vision more often she did in season 1.

She heald up a building in S2E2. She heald the building until Superman came then she went and got an armful of steel beams and reinforced the building.

They seem to be a bit fond of Supergirl participating in larger fights in ground attack mode, flying over in flat horizontal posture with eyebeams flashing. I think part of that is that they are using a different gadget for flying. However, to judge from the trailers, the next episode is going to give Super Stunt Woman, whoever the new Canadian stunt woman is, a real workout.

I really have no idea what you are talking about...

Episode 1: We saw flying, super strength, x-ray vision (saved people)
Episode 2: We saw flying, super strength, heat vision
Episode 3: We saw flying, super strength, heat vision, speed, freeze breath (saved people)
Episode 4: We saw super strength, heat vision, x-ray vision, flying (saved aliens)
Episode 5: We saw super strength, heat vision, and very cool flying using heat vision (saved people)
Episode 6: We saw flying, super strength (saved people)
Episode 7: We saw flying, super strength, and heat vision (saved Mon-El)
Episode 8: We saw flying, super strength, and heat vision (saved aliens)
Episode 9: We saw super strength, almost heat vision (scarred off the alien before she used it), and heat vision while flying (saved people)
Episode 10: Super strength, you don't use heat vision on Livewire, freeze breath and speed (saved people)

As far as #Sanvers, we have seen very little from them the last 3 episodes.

So, I'm not sure what you are not seeing....

sorry guys I agree with Kelly here. I know from interviews with producers they try to vary up powers often so they are kept fresh and things dont get stale. At this point in season 2 I would argue she has saved as many people as she did in season 1.

We saw live action miss martian and martian manhunter team up fight a white martian and supergirl cut in! (let that sink in for just a second). White martian wanted nothing to do with SG so he fled, she tackled him through a building, then she hovered to look for him as he got out of dodge. That all happened in 1 scene!! SG chased off Winn (a white martin in disguise) with her heat vision hot on his trail. SG fought a white while J'onn and M'gann fought a white martian. it took 2 green martians to take on 1 white martian but SG took hers out just fine. SG punched it across the room and then super sped up to it and gave it a knock out punch. Miss Martian from the top rope drove a pipe through a Armek's head. All this happened last episode!! Hell they even tossed in a little evil Alex for us.

there have been plenty of couch scenes through out the season, just not always on the couch. Season episodes were 1 and done type stories and the couch/balcony scenes were the final thought (the moment of zen if you will) of the story. Season 2 the stories push across multiple episodes so couch scenes have changed some. We got 1 last episode which was basically about a story they have been playing out over a few episodes. That story has been the balancing act of time spent between Kara/Alex/Maggie. With a couch scene discussing the issue, I would bet the tension of that new dynamic to be over. They cant have a couch scene discussing guardian because that story is on going.

Early on in the series more "saves" occured that didnt involve a villain because the story construction made it necessary since at the beginning of an episode because there wasnt an established threat yet. so she was left with stopping a couple knuckle heads involved in road rage. Even as early as episode 10 of last season they pretty much stopped showing supergirl squaring off with regular humans. They didnt ever actually show her take toyman sr into custody, its assumed she did because he is a regular guy and she is supergirl, there is no chance for toyman at that point.

so to sum up, there is plenty of super action in various forms, they have not been skimpy or shy on using CGI. and couch scenes are simply in different settings than just the couch.