Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Supergirl On Smallville


 This is already probably old news and it was even mentioned here in the comments ... but I need to post about this TV Guide brief article. Here is the link:
http://www.tvguide.com/News/Kecks-Exclusives-Smallville-1022118.aspx

Here is the blurb and my comments.

Smallville offers an exciting glimpse of what's to come for Clark Kent in the show's final season with the October 8 return of V's Laura Vandervoort as Clark's cousin Kara, who has been MIA for almost two years. "Kara returns in a very heroic way," Laura tells me. "When I found out this could be my last episode, I thought it would be great to see a quick glimpse of her in the uniform before she takes off." Lucky Laura's getting her wish!

Well, we knew she was coming back. But 'in a heroic way' and 'in the uniform'! 

I really thought there was great potential for Supergirl on the show. So I am glad they are bringing her back. And it sounds like they have the right characterization.

"You really see her as Supergirl," says exec producer Kelly Souders. "Not the whole outfit, but her wardrobe will have evolved even a little more than Clark's. She's less Kara and way more Supergirl." Watch for Kara to don her new look for a photo shoot after she becomes a media darling following a heroic save that reveals her flying capabilities to the world. To protect her superhero identity, "You'll see Kara in the [brunette] wig and glasses [as] a bit of an homage to her other identity from the comics, Linda Lee Danvers," Laura says.

Might Clark be inspired to further define his own blurred personas? Souders hints, "Kara has a lot of input down the road in Clark's transformation into Superman."

I don't know what to say. I am thrilled ... almost beyond words. I am so hoping to see the blue shirt, red skirt, cape motif. 

But a Linda Danvers homage! I think I am more excited about that than I am the 'modified costume'.

I am just thrilled that Smallville recognized how popular the Kara character was and brought her back. And I am so happy that they seem to finally have a handle on her character as a hero, doing the right thing. But to add details for the Supergirl crowd is simply fantastic.

I have said it before ... so I'll say it again. It is a great time to be a Supergirl fan.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I dunno despite Ms. Vandervoort's obvious charms and affinity for the character, "Smallville" has never been friendly territory for cousin Kara. I suspect they've brought SG back merely as a mark for Darkseid, frankly we will be lucky if they don't kill her off.
I trust "Smallville" and it's producers as much as I trust DC Comics which is Not All All.

John Feer

Unknown said...

Cool Beans!

Lisa said...

They said a Linda Lee Danvers homage. Not Linda Danvers. Two different people.

I've never thought that Laura was right for the part. She's too old and too statuesque. I would have thought that someone like Jessie Schram (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1789336/) would have been better for the role. But for better or worse, she got it. And I'm fine with her being a role model for Clark on the show. It's just a bloody TV show. And the whole thing has been a riff on the real story. A variation on a theme.

Anonymous said...

Anj wrote:
"I have said it before ... so I'll say it again. It is a great time to be a Supergirl fan."

Indeed! I am really looking forward to this episode and that picture of Laura V as Linda Lee Danvers is quite convincing.

It would be cool if her heroic actions as Supergirl finally convinces Clark to don the blue and red tights and fly. Boy, that would drive the Supergirl haters nuts! :D

Gene

valerie21601 said...

They have it twisted around, it's like having Robin comes first BEFORE Batman.

Even if it's a great story it's going to stick in the back of my mind. Would the Batman legends be the same if they rewrote it that Robin was what inspired Batman?


Though I do wonder if Supergirl and Brainiac 5 will meet up in Smallville since James Marster is coming back as B5. But then the producers of Smallville are going have Brainiac 5 shown as a "slippery fish kind of guy" instead of being a hero with a "questionable moral compass" according to TV Guide.

Michelle said...

Oh, I gave up on this show getting Superman's story right when they went with Trenchcoat Clark and then "The Blur". The show has gone so far afield of the Superman story on so many points already that I had to emotionally disengage from it, after giving up on it after S07, just so my head wouldn't explode. I do feel sorry for the fans who have held on this long and put up with all the crack and *still* hold out hope that Smallville will somehow magically turn it all around and tell the story of Superman they've been waiting for all in the final episode. I gave up waiting for that show to materialize a long time ago. Smallville has screwed up the departure of every major character so far; there's not a chance they're going to give fans the finale they want.

I...have a hard time watching the show and not weeping for what it could be.

Jason said...

I am excited about this and glad Anj posted something about it. I enjoyed Laura's Kara in season 7. I couldn't believe it when it looked like she was just going to be left in the phantom zone at the end of that season.

When season 8 started without even a glimpse of Kara in the "last season" clips or a mention of her by any of the cast, I frowned even more. Both Laura and the character of Kara deserved better. I think the show ATTEMPTED to do right by bringing her back for the season 8 episode, "Bloodline." I felt it was a respectful episode to both Laura and Kara and gave her the more thoughtful sendoff that I knew she deserved. While I feel the episode was respectful to Laura and her character and gave her a thoughtful and touching farewell to Clark, I again still felt like she was getting short-changed by having her fly aimlessly off into space "to search for Kandor." While it was far better than leaving her in the phantom zone and simply never mentioning her again, Laura and the character of Kara once again deserved better.

When Laura wasn't brought back at all for season 9 despite "Bloodline" being the highest-rated episode of season 8, despite Kara still not really having closure (she was off in space, so what happened to her?), despite Laura's availability since V and Smallville were both filming in the same location, I was again let down.

So now it sounds like Smallville FINALLY decided to give Kara/Laura the final, "heroic," return and sendoff her character has deserved. For that, I am thankful to them. It sounds like this might be the best Supergirl episode of Smallville, as it should be if it is her final one.

Anj said...

Thanks for all the posts.

I agree that Smallville has become a warped look at the Superman story so Kara being his role model doesn't bother me ... especially since he has brooded rather than embracing his role in the world.

I think Vandervoort has been a good Supergirl. When the script has her in her right mind, I think she conveys a sort of focused persona, someone willing to do the right thing no matter what the reprecussions. She might be sterner than my ideal Supergirl but the character her could have been a lot worse.

And lastly, I semi-trust the Smallville writers to do the right thing by her here. They could have left her in the Phantom Zone, or even killed her in the 'Bloodlines' episode but instead had her embark on her own heroic journey. I doubt they'll kill her off now. In fact, I wonder if there isn't a glimmer of hope for a spinoff or 'Straight to TV' movie.

I really look forward to the episode.

Anonymous said...

Same here, Anj. Looking foward to this episode and hoping for a spin-off.

-ealperin

TalOs said...

OMG!!! 0_0 *faints from just the sheer excitement of it all* Nuff' said lol! ;-)

Plantagenet said...

I too would like a Kara spin-off; there's so much potential for that to be an awesome show.