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[v0yce]

I still don't really understand where the connection comes from that "having a love interest" = "trying to appeal to female millennials". Having a love interest, even a love triangle, is a fairly standard storytelling device. And you just said it's "not bad". So, who cares?

I think you're looking for a fight that's not here.

It's not "love interest = X" it's the sum of it's parts. Again, the similarities to a spoof just a week or so ago should tell you all you need to know. There's nothing exactly "bad" but I don't see anything particularly good either. Nothing that shows me they have any new or interesting ideas for the show or character that would warrant the positive reactions of the thread.

Again, I'll watch and see and hopefully it will impress.

 

[Vermillion]

Man, the DC hate train attempts never end.

What? Flash is the shit, lol. This just doesn't look as good, and it has nothing to do with loyalties.

 

[Certinty]

I like the direction this seems to be taking.

When she isn't flying around as Supergirl the trailer gives off that 'chick-flik' vibe which is awesome. Before these trailers I was actually wondering why the hell they chose Supergirl out of all the DC characters and now it makes sense, with her they can really give the show a completely different feel to Arrow and The Flash.

 

[ivysaur12]

I think you're looking for a fight that's not here.

It's not "love interest = X" it's the sum of it's parts. Again, the similarities to a spoof just a week or so ago should tell you all you need to know. There's nothing exactly "bad" but I don't see anything particularly good either. Nothing that shows me they have any new or interesting ideas for the show or character that would warrant the positive reactions of the thread.

Again, I'll watch and see and hopefully it will impress.

Surprised at the positive reactions here. Especially with how "OMG boys and clothes!" it came off.

Just so I'm clear, sexy badass female super heroes are a no no but adorkable doe eyed female super heroes are good?

Your words, not mine.

 

[Stallion Dan]

Disliking the fact she not a bright blonde. Disliking black Jimmy Olson too, plus he doesn't seem geeky enough. If wanted a more diverse cast than what the comics offer then should have made the shows original characters black instead.

When they change stuff like this it doesn't feel like the comicbook characters I love are really getting a series/movie. General appearance is the easiest thing to nail.


Not going to stop me watching the show or enjoying it, but this will annoy me. Constantly.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

I never understood why she had to be blonde. Like, the character of Supergirl herself. I remember the first time I came across her when I was very young, I was like "if she's related to Superman why does she look nothing like him?"

I mean, of course there are cousins who don't look anything like each other, that makes sense. But I don't know why her being blonde is such a strong part of her visual identity.

Melissa Benoist looks better brunette. I would have had no problems sticking with that.

 

[ryseing]

Everything is separate.

So now DC have:
-the new movie-verse
-Arrow-verse
-Gotham-verse
-Constantine-verse
-Supergirl-verse (most likely)

You forgot Lucifer-verse.

 

[Kiritsugu]

I'll start watching when they introduce Nightwing.

 

[Stallion Dan]

I never understood why she had to be blonde. Like, the character of Supergirl herself. I remember the first time I came across her when I was very young, I was like "if she's related to Superman why does she look nothing like him?"

I mean, of course there are cousins who don't look anything like each other, that makes sense. But I don't know why her being blonde is such a strong part of her visual identity.

Melissa Benoist looks better brunette. I would have had no problems sticking with that.

Aren't kryptonians genetically engineered, or is that something MoS made up?

 

[BrightLightLava]

You forgot Lucifer-verse.

Lucifer-se?

 

[Poodlestrike]

Aren't kryptonians genetically engineered, or is that something MoS made up?

It's true on and off in the comics.

 

[Cheebo]

Guys in this thread who don't think this looks good due to the girly devil wears prada sort of aspects of this remind me of the boys from when I was a kid who would act like idiots freak out when stuck with what they thought were a "girls color" or anything remotely girly when playing.

 

[M.Bluth]

I felt it's a bit too silly for my taste, though I suspect it has more to do with I don't know how many episodes' plots being condensed into a 6 minutes long clip. Feels a bit cheesy.

Still, Benoist is very charming, and the show could be fun, and actually better than the clip makes it seems to be. I think I'll watch the first episode.

 

[SoilBreak]

I'll start watching when they introduce Nightwing.

? If you're talking about Dick Grayson Nightwing, He might be in the TNT titans show.

 

[v0yce]

Your words, not mine.

Yes those are all my words. What are you trying to say? That they contradict themselves or something? They don't.

Guys in this thread who don't think this looks good due to the girly devil wears prada sort of aspects of this remind me of the boys from when I was a kid who would act like idiots freak out when stuck with what they thought were a "girls color" or anything remotely girly when playing.

I liked the Devil Wears Prada. This is way too on the nose and just seems like a knock off.

 

[orion434]

I'm on board, I have always been a fan! So much charm from Supergirl. I want to see some badass vilians!

 

[MHWilliams]

I liked the Devil Wears Prada. This is way too on the nose and just seems like a knock off.

Except for the superpowers, moonlighting for a government agency, and punching people?

 

[Vermillion]

Guys in this thread who don't think this looks good due to the girly devil wears prada sort of aspects of this remind me of the boys from when I was a kid who would act like idiots freak out when stuck with what they thought were a "girls color" or anything remotely girly when playing.

Devil Wears Prada wasn't bad. This is pretty much a mishmash of stereotypically feminine tropes. All the same, I suppose that's what to expect...

Wonder what Jessica Jones will be like...?

I don't mind a show catering specifically to women. Actually, when I think about it, perhaps endless action and explosions are typical of male-focused television? So I guess each audience gets its own. I suppose that's just fine.

/train o thought

 

[ryan299]

Wait, wasn't this supposed to be a CW spinoff that would have arrow and flash casts showing up? What the hell happened?

CW was going to pick it up if CBS didn't but they did. I don't think this show can achieve the ratings that CBS needs and will be cancelled after the first season. I expect season 2 to be on CW

 

[v0yce]

Except for the superpowers, moonlighting for a government agency, and punching people?

Do you think it's just coincidence multiple have made the same connection?

 

[PhoncipleBone]

Man, the DC hate train attempts never end.

They obviously don't watch The Flash. Sure, it isn't going to win any awards or anything, but it is the most fun live action comic book right now. And from the Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow trailers, it looks like the fun and unashamedly comic book-ness of it is going to carry over to the other DC shows.

 

[Sober]

Except for the superpowers, moonlighting for a government agency, and punching people?

You didn't watch the director's cut? For shame.

Spoiler

/s

Devil Wears Prada wasn't bad. This is pretty much a mishmash of stereotypically feminine tropes. All the same, I suppose that's what to expect...

Wonder what Jessica Jones will be like...?

I don't mind a show catering specifically to women. Actually, when I think about it, perhaps endless action and explosions are typical of male-focused television? So I guess each audience gets its own. I suppose that's just fine.

/train o thought

Women will watch nearly any kind of television programming. It's traditionally men who need to be appealed to.

 

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

I really want Tom Welling to play a villain.

He only had swag in Smallville when he was playing Evil Clark.

 

[Vermillion]

Women will watch nearly any kind of television programming. It's traditionally men who need to be appealed to.

Right, but in this case we have tropes clearly designed to appeal to women.

Which is not a bad thing.

 

[MHWilliams]

Do you think it's just coincidence multiple have made the same connection?

She works at the office of a media mogul, not a fashionista. It's like Devil Wears Prada because she's a quiet girl who works for a type-A boss lady. That's it!

Kara works as as assistant to Grant, a self-made media magnate and founder of CatCo who started her career as a reporter and has built her company into a global powerhouse.

They essentially Xeroxed Clark Kent's life and updated it. Something which they did with Superman himself, by the by.

I mean, that's like calling the Flash a police procedural because of this trailer. It's not. Oddly enough, Supergirl is!

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/01/12/supergirl

First, since Supergirl is on CBS, you can definitely expect the show to be a crime procedural. Yet Tassler emphasized the show will have serialized elements as well. “There will be [crime] cases, but what [executive producers] Ali Adler and Greg Berlanti pitched was a real series arc for her,” she said. “The beauty of it is now with shows like Good Wife and Madam Secretary, you can have serialized story elements woven into a case of the week. She’s a crime solver, so she’s going to have to solve a crime. She’s going to get a bad guy.”

Because CBS can do nothing else. The house that CSI built is hopelessly tied to crime procedurals. This is just one with superpowers.

 

[Finaika]

I really want Tom Welling to play a villain.

He only had swag in Smallville when he was playing Evil Clark.

He should play Thanos in Supergirl.

 

[Vermillion]

She works at the office of a media mogul, not a fashionista. It's like Devil Wears Prada because she's a quiet girl who works for a type-A boss lady. That's it!

You're being extremely pedantic here. You (and most people) get the connection.

 

[ReiGun]

Right, but in this case we have tropes clearly designed to appeal to women.

Which is not a bad thing.

All the tropes on display seem like typical superhero shit to me. Like MHWilliams said, they basically just gave Kara her cousin's life. Right down to the glasses and frumpy clothes to disguise herself.

 

[MHWilliams]

You're being extremely pedantic here. You (and most people) get the connection.

I'm saying that's such a weak connection and clearly not the focus of even the trailer. They share a trope, so they're the same? That's not pedantry.

Literally:

I liked the Devil Wears Prada. This is way too on the nose and just seems like a knock off.

It's hogwash.

All the tropes on display seem like typical superhero shit to me. Like MHWilliams said, they basically just gave Kara her cousin's life. Right down to the glasses and frumpy clothes to disguise herself.

Indeed. Here's Lois editing the Daily Planet in the new 52.

 

[Sober]

I mean, that's like calling the Flash a police procedural because of this trailer. It's not. Oddly enough, Supergirl is!

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/01/12/supergirl


Because CBS can do nothing else. The house that CSI built is hopelessly tied to crime procedurals. This is just one with superpowers.

The Flash is totally a cop show. Metahuman shows up and wrecks shit. Barry shows up and thinks he can beat them, but gets his ass handed to him. Then you fill in like 30 minutes of them occasionally fighting or trying something new, only to fail again, until they can finally determine how to stop the meta's powers or work around it. Then Barry shows up one last time to defeat them. This has been pretty consistent in most episodes of The Flash.

I would argue that Supergirl will just follow the same template except now you have Kara's sister and the DEO guy as the people providing mission support.

Arrow is pretty much the same thing for the first season and even into much of the third season.

Sorry, you've all been had.

 

[Toothless]

What if she punched the couch in excitement but accidentally burst through the cushion, sending it down three floors

 

[MHWilliams]

The Flash is totally a cop show. Metahuman shows up and wrecks shit. Barry shows up and thinks he can beat them, but gets his ass handed to him. Then you fill in like 30 minutes of them occasionally fighting or trying something new, only to fail again, until they can finally determine how to stop the meta's powers or work around it. Then Barry shows up one last time to defeat them. This has been pretty consistent in most episodes of The Flash.

I would argue that Supergirl will just follow the same template except now you have Kara's sister and the DEO guy as the people providing mission support.

Arrow is pretty much the same thing for the first season and even into much of the third season.

Sorry, you've all been had.

The day-to-day cop stuff is pretty light. It's a place where Barry works. He meets Joe and Eddie there. Occasionally they remember to pay lip-service to the fact that he's a CSI. It's a crime procedural, but police work is as much a focus as it is on Arrow. Contrast to something like Hawaii 5-0, CSI, or Elementary.

On the bolded, yeah. That's 100% clear from the trailer. This is what I keep saying.

She'll go to work, get yelled at by her boss, then go around investigating the criminal of the day, eventually punching him or her. Repeat. People act like her working at a media company is going to tear everything down.

It's another show completely in the vein of Arrow and Flash. One scene of snippy boss lady and people act like they lost their minds.

And eventually the sister will turn evil-ish, because Kara is a copy-pasta of Superman and her adopted sister is named Alexandra, a la the other famous Lex.

 

[Vermillion]

All the tropes on display seem like typical superhero shit to me. Like MHWilliams said, they basically just gave Kara her cousin's life. Right down to the glasses and frumpy clothes to disguise herself.

It's definitely not just standard superhero stuff. Everything that's part of Kara's personal life hearkens to something else... The "can she have it all" debate usually concerning female CEOs (and the BW skit), the boss...

Though to quote the USAToday article...

"But Supergirl lovers leaped to its defense: Kara is a completely different character from Black Widow, and thus is more suited to this kind of bashful, rom-com type of persona."

So I mean... it does work. But to say it's standard superhero fare? I'll have to disagree.

I'll repeat that the second trailer is much better, however. Also, I'll likely give it a shot (I like rom-coms anyways).

I'm saying that's such a weak connection and clearly not the focus of even the trailer.

Fair enough.

 

[ReiGun]

It's definitely not just standard superhero stuff. Everything that's part of Kara's personal life hearkens to something else... The "can she have it all" debate usually concerning female CEOs (and the BW skit), the boss...

Though to quote the USAToday article...

"But Supergirl lovers leaped to its defense: Kara is a completely different character from Black Widow, and thus is more suited to this kind of bashful, rom-com type of persona."

So I mean... it does work. But to say it's standard superhero fare? I'll have to disagree.

I'll repeat that the second trailer is much better, however. Also, I'll likely give it a shot (I like rom-coms anyways).



Fair enough.

I mean, it has some texture that's more feminine in nature, but that's because our main character is a woman. Beyond that, I saw nothing in this trailer that would be out of place in a Spider-Man or Superman story.

 

[Shaanyboi]

The day-to-day cop stuff is pretty light. It's a place where Barry works. He meets Joe and Eddie there. Occasionally they remember to pay lip-service to the fact that he's a CSI. It's a crime procedural, but police work is as much a focus as it is on Arrow. Contrast to something like Hawaii 5-0, CSI, or Elementary.

On the bolded, yeah. That's 100% clear from the trailer. This is what I keep saying.

She'll go to work, get yelled at by her boss, then go around investigating the criminal of the day, eventually punching him or her. Repeat. People act like her working at a media company is going to tear everything down.

It's another show completely in the vein of Arrow and Flash. One scene of snippy boss lady and people act like they lost their minds.

And eventually the sister will turn evil-ish, because Kara is a copy-pasta of Superman and her adopted sister is named Alexandra, a la the other famous Lex.

It doesn't explicitly have to take place in a police station to be a procedural. Instead, all the investigating, tracking, problem-solving is done at/by Star Labs rather than the police.

 

[Mighty Chin]

I Love Arrow and Flash but this looked real cheeseball to me.

 

[Vermillion]

I mean, it has some texture that's more feminine in nature, but that's because our main character is a woman. Beyond that, I saw nothing in this trailer that would be out of place in a Spider-Man or Superman story.

It's that texture that makes it, though. There are the more obvious things, but the overall texture is what sets the tone.

 

[MHWilliams]

It doesn't explicitly have to take place in a police station to be a procedural. Instead, all the investigating, tracking, problem-solving is done at/by Star Labs rather than the police.

I even said in the post you quoted that it was a crime procedural?

 

[Shaanyboi]

I even said in the post you quoted that it was a crime procedural?

aaaaand i'm completely blind

BYE

*runs*

 

[MHWilliams]

aaaaand i'm completely blind

BYE

*runs*

Heh. S'all good man.

 

[Sober]

Some of you guys need to watch Nikita and chill out

 

[MHWilliams]

Some of you guys need to watch Nikita and chill out

I'm about to destroy the lives of another people in GalCiv 3. This is my side story right now.

 

[ReiGun]

It's that texture that makes it, though. There are the more obvious things, but the overall texture is what sets the tone.

I agree. What I'm saying is it's more the texture that's bothering people than the tropes themselves. Because the tropes are the same things we've seen in superhero media going on, what, 20-30 years now. It's just this is one of the rare occasions those same tropes (pushy but secretly wise and caring boss, potential love interest, "I want to do more" Disney-esque longing, etc.) are being seen through a female gaze and it's throwing people off.*

It's part of why the BW skit keeps coming up. Because the skit does the same thing, but obviously exaggerated for comedic effect and far more cynical (half the joke is that the tone doesn't fit Black Widow at all, but it's what you'd imagine they'd graft onto "the girl"). So people see the SG trailer and they're like "Oh shit they really did it." Not remembering part of the reason the BW skit worked was it didn't fit that character, not that it wasn't a valid path to take or that it couldn't fit any character.

Besides, what would people rather they had done? Given us angry, broody, "Earth will never be home" Supergirl? Then we'd all be having "Why is DC all dark and grits?!?!?!?" round 5629, and no one wants that. lol

*And before someone says it, no. I don't think you're sexist if you didn't like the trailer. I'm just discussing what might be driving general consensus to head where it's going. That's it. Don't quote me trying to have that fight. lol

 

[Vermillion]

I agree. What I'm saying is it's more the texture that's bothering people than the tropes themselves. Because the tropes are the same things we've seen in superhero media going on, what, 20-30 years now. It's just this is one of the rare occasions those same tropes (pushy but secretly wise and caring boss, potential love interest, "I want to do more" Disney-esque longing, etc.) are being seen through a female gaze and it's throwing people off.*

It's part of why the BW skit keeps coming up. Because the skit does the same thing, but obviously exaggerated for comedic effect and far more cynical (half the joke is that the tone doesn't fit Black Widow at all, but it's what you'd imagine they'd graft onto "the girl"). So people see the SG trailer and they're like "Oh shit they really did it." Not remembering part of the reason the BW skit worked was it didn't fit that character, not that it wasn't a valid path to take or that it couldn't fit any character.

Besides, what would people rather they had done? Given us angry, broody, "Earth will never be home" Supergirl? Then we'd all be having "Why is DC all dark and grits?!?!?!?" round 5629, and no one wants that. lol

*And before someone says it, no. I don't think you're sexist if you didn't like the trailer. I'm just discussing what might be driving general consensus to head where it's going. That's it. Don't quote me trying to have that fight. lol

That's all fair, but it's not like there's only this vs dark and broody. For example, I wouldn't expect a Wonder Woman movie to be dark, and I wouldn't expect it to be this either. I'd say the same about Captain Marvel, but I have no idea what KSD is doing these days.

 

[ReiGun]

That's all fair, but it's not like there's only this vs dark and broody. For example, I wouldn't expect a Wonder Woman movie to be dark, and I wouldn't expect it to be this either. I'd say the same about Captain Marvel, but I have no idea what KSD is doing these days.

That last part was a joke, but I agree. I'd have a completely different reaction if this were Wonder Woman or Captain Marvel. But on Supergirl, it works.

 

[Vermillion]

That last part was a joke, but I agree. I'd have a completely different reaction if this were Wonder Woman or Captain Marvel. But on Supergirl, it works.

I can fuck with that. My Supergirl knowledge begins and ends with the DCAU. I also know she's supposed to end up stronger than Clark at some point in the future. I dunno - maybe because I haven't seen her cutting loose in this like in the movie with Darkseid. Like... there's no difference between Kara and Supergirl in personality. I kinda want to see that.

Maybe we won't. But maybe we will. *shrug*

I suppose it doesn't really matter.

 

[MHWilliams]

They seem to be adding the very slight extra layer of joking about the ridiculously scanty variety that is typical of female superhero outfits in comics.

The initial suit is an in-joke reference to various Supergirl costumes.

Headband:

Bare midriff:

Daisy dukes:

 

[Sober]

I'm still not seeing where the clothes part of "OMG boys and clothes" is coming from. Is it the gags about the costume? Because assembling an adequate costume is a plot point in the first Spider-Man and in Man of Steel, and Bruce Wayne spends about 80% of Batman Begins collecting his, just to pick a few.

In the extended trailer, there's a bit about how Kara is going on a blind date that evening, and her sister shows up, saying she's gonna be late for her flight to X, but Kara needs wardrobe help for her date. Obviously that beat was horribly misinterpreted, because the obvious progression of that scene is:

-sister mentions going on a flight to wherever
-Kara going out on a date, both sisters interact (I can assume this is their first scene sharing the screen)
-Kara going out on the date sees the news report of the plane circling due to engine failure, realizes/believes her sister is on it -> goes out and confirms it
-goes to save her sister --> the plane steering scene
-she obviously loves both the attention and the rush of saving those lives, this is why she continues doing the Supergirl thing in the pilot which leads her to fighting the alien and all that and donning a costume.

To say that scene simply exists to be "oh boys and clothes girl talk" is a little disingenuous.

 

[ivysaur12]

Yes those are all my words. What are you trying to say? That they contradict themselves or something? They don't.



I liked the Devil Wears Prada. This is way too on the nose and just seems like a knock off.

So. Your issue is:

Surprised at the positive reactions here. Especially with how "OMG boys and clothes!" it came off.

but then:

It's not "love interest = X" it's the sum of it's parts.

So are the boys and the clothes a problem or not? Also, just to be clear, there is literally no part in this trailer that is about "clothes" except for a line that is used an an excuse to get two people in the same vicinity.

If you're not contradicting yourself, you certainly aren't doing a very good at explaining what your actual issue is besides some amorphous idea that "it doesn't look like sum of its parts." The only other issue you seem to have is that the trailer is about "boys and clothes." Which is a pretty ridiculous statement considering how much those things were a non-entity in the trailer.

 

[ReiGun]

In the extended trailer, there's a bit about how Kara is going on a blind date that evening, and her sister shows up, saying she's gonna be late for her flight to X, but Kara needs wardrobe help for her date. Obviously that beat was horribly misinterpreted, because the obvious progression of that scene is:

-sister mentions going on a flight to wherever
-Kara going out on a date, both sisters interact (I can assume this is their first scene sharing the screen)
-Kara going out on the date sees the news report of the plane circling due to engine failure, realizes/believes her sister is on it -> goes out and confirms it
-goes to save her sister --> the plane steering scene
-she obviously loves both the attention and the rush of saving those lives, this is why she continues doing the Supergirl thing in the pilot which leads her to fighting the alien and all that and donning a costume.

To say that scene simply exists to be "oh boys and clothes girl talk" is a little disingenuous.

I think a lot of it is just what the audience brings to it. These are bog standard story beats, but they're being looked at differently because the POV character is a woman. Which implies certain tropes and calls to our memories certain pieces of media, and so on.

People aren't necessarily wrong for this, and there isn't much the show can do about the context in which it was born. So...I guess we just have to wait for the pilot and see how it all shakes out.