As Supergirl enters its fifth season, the show has taken on a more assured footing and propelled the series into new and exciting territories. If you’ve missed the first four seasons and want to jump into the show when it premieres on Sunday, you can read a review of each season on our site (season 1, season 2, season 3 thus far) OR, you can read this primer telling exactly what you need to know to get up to super-speed with the adventures of Kara Zol-El Danvers, the woman of steel also known as SUPERGIRL, ahead of season 5.
So, who is Supergirl again?
When she was 12 years old, Kara Zor-El (Melissa Benoist) escaped the doomed planet of Krypton and was sent to Earth. She was meant to take care of her cousin Kal-El, but her pod got knocked off course and by the time she arrived on Earth, her cousin had already grown up and was known as Superman. She was protected and raised by her foster parents, Jeremiah (Dean Cain) and Eliza Danvers (Helen Slater) and her foster sister, Alex Danvers (Chyler Leigh).
She kept her identity secret and eventually as an adult, revealed her power and became the superhero known as Supergirl. She began working at the Department of Extra-normal Operations (DEO) with her sister and J’onn J’onnz (David Harewood). She made friends along the way, like James Olsen (Mehcad Brooks) and his sister Kelly Olsen (Azie Tesfai), Winn Schott (Jeremy Jordan), and in the later seasons, Brainiac-5 (Jesse Rath) and the heroine known as Dreamer (Nicole Maines). She even developed a friendship with an unlikely ally, Lena Luthor (Katie McGrath). Now the person in charge of LCorp since her brother was imprisoned and her mother sided with an anti-alien terrorist group, Lena sets out to rehabilitate her family’s name and help make the world a better place. Supergirl also made some enemies along the way, whether it be some fellow Kryptonians during the first season, the alien race know as the Daxamites (season 2), a Kryptonian apocalyptic cult (season 3) or an anti-alien fascist group and even the evil Lex Luthor (Jon Cryer) (season 4).
Still, Supergirl remained a beacon of hope and positivity throughout the show. Always the optimist, Kara tries to find ways to help as many people as she can, whether as Supergirl, or while hiding in plain sight as Kara Danvers. She became a reporter for a newspaper and investigates cases and is a voice of the people in that role.
So what’s happening in this season?
Supergirl is on a collision course with Lena Luthor. Kara Danvers developped a friendship with Lena Luthor over the course of the last three seasons. It has been one of the most interesting, dangerous and exciting thing to happen on the show. Lena Luthor has struggled her whole life against the legacy of her mother and brother’s despicable actions. We’ve seen her try to do some good in the world as a result of that. She thought she had finally left behind a world filled with lies and deceit and found a new adopted family she could trust. Alas, Lex Luthor’s scheme from the previous season revealed Supergirl’s identity to Lena and that literally shattered her world. It puts into question the very nature of Lena and Kara’s friendship. Suddenly, to Lena, her carefree friend Kara may have been just a way to keep tabs on yet another Luthor. She is not taking kindly to this and this season will have viewer witness the wrath of Lena Luthor.
In addition to this, Supergirl is also going to confront an organization known as Leviathan. They were mentioned as the entity behind Lex Luthor’s scheme at the end of season four and they’re expected to point their head during this season to be a thorn in Supergirl’s side. There’s also a new business executive in charge of CatCo Media that should also be a problem.
Anything else I should know?
Supergirl is a light-hearted show for the most part. It took a more dramatic and mature tone over the past two seasons, something that should continue throughout this new season, but it always points towards a better tomorrow. Part of it is the nature of Supergirl herself, but also of the actress portraying her. Melissa Benoist radiates a joy and energy that is contagious and makes the show a pure delight.
The relationships between the character, in particular between the Supergirl, her sister Alex Danvers and father figure/boss/favourite Martian J’onn J’onnz is the glue that holds the show together.
Also in the background of this season is the upcoming Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline, which connects through the other DC CW shows Arrow, Flash, Legends of Tomorrow & Batwoman. Over the years, Supergirl has met a lot of these other heroes, but this time, a godlike being named The Monitor (LaMonica Garrett) is trying to prepare heroes in parallel universes for a cataclysmic event to end all universes and it will have a major impact on the show once it hits.
Oh, and Supergirl has pants now!
You can follow the developments on Crisis on Infinite Earth right here on The Beat.
Thanks
You’re welcome. Thank you for reading our Primer for Supergirl Season 5! Enjoy the show!
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