Saying Goodbye to Supergirl (For Now!)

Monday night was the season finale of Supergirl's first season. With no word on renewal yet (though I'm optimistic on that front), it's goodbye to Supergirl for now. I've spent the past twenty episodes watching every Monday night with bated breath and then scurrying to write recaps for BroadwayWorld.com's TV section by 10 p.m. You can read my recap of the season finale here.

Photo Credit: CBS

In all honesty, I started watching Supergirl because Jeremy Jordan and Laura Benanti had been cast on it. I didn't expect much more out of it than to see Jeremy on my TV every week (and that would have been enough!). But as soon as I watched the first episode, I knew that this show was something special. Strong women (who are also sensitive, complex, and so varied), a focus on family (and not just the family that you're born to, but the family that you choose), a love triangle that was actually compelling, and a strong undercurrent of female empowerment...all with amazing guest stars? What more could I want from a TV show?

I loved the last scene of the season because it reminded me of what I love most about Supergirl: that it's first and foremost about the love of a family. I have cried so many times this season over Winn finding his family through Kara, about J'onn J'onz/Hank Henshaw becoming a father figure to both Alex and Kara, and of course about the sisters themselves. I don't want to give away too many spoilers in case one of you hasn't watched the final episode yet, but the phone call scene between Alex and Kara absolutely tore me apart. As someone with a little sister, I loved this portrayal of such a real relationship -- something we don't always get from TV today.

I couldn't talk about Supergirl without talking about Winn and James, played by Jeremy Jordan and Mehcad Brooks respectively. I loved Winn from the moment he first came on screen. The IT department best friend with amazing cardigans absolutely stole my heart. But throughout the season I came to love Winn, regardless of the fact that he's played by one of my favorite actors of all time. I have to say that Jeremy's performance as Winn has been absolutely flawless and he's made his unrequited love for Kara so heartbreaking without being annoying or "nice guy"-esque.

It took a while for James to grow on me, despite Mehcad's lovely voice and acting. (Seriously, that man's speaking voice is drool-worthy.) But while it took me a bit longer than it took Kara to fall for him, I eventually did. Mehcad brought something so vulnerable to his character that I've really appreciated.

One of my favorite things about Supergirl is the strong roles it allowed to older women like Laura Benanti and Calista Flockhart. Now, I feel a bit strange referring to Laura as an "older woman," but we often aren't allowed compelling female characters who are out of their twenties on a show aimed at a younger demographic. Both gave stunning performances as Astra/Alura and Cat Grant. Cat Grant's biting one-liners and confidence in her own skills have inspired me and I continue to be astonished by how well Laura played two characters on this show.

(On a side note, I've already bought tickets to see Laura Benanti in She Loves Me this summer on Broadway and I can't wait to tell her how much I've loved her on this show.)

Not knowing if we're going to get a second season of this show that found such a special place in my heart makes me so sad, but if this is all we get, then I know that I will cherish it and rewatch it for years to come. I feel so honored that I got to write about the show weekly for BroadwayWorld.com and that I got to interact with the cast on Twitter. (My reaction to Jeremy Jordan responding to my tweet during one episode is a running joke with my friends.) If you haven't watched Supergirl yet, I honestly cannot recommend it enough. If you have, I'd love to hear all your thoughts in the comment below or on Twitter at @nicoleackman16. xx