SUPERGIRL: PILOT {SERIES PREMIERE} (TV)
Summary
The first in this dramatic fantasy series about Kara Danvers, a.k.a. Kara Zor-El, a young woman who decides to embrace her heroic destiny, inspired by her cousin, Superman. In this episode, young Kara is sent to Earth from Krypton to protect her cousin Kal-El, though she is knocked off-course into the Phantom Zone and arrives on Earth twenty-four years later, still seemingly a child while "Clark" has grown into a famous superhero. He places her with her adoptive family, the Danvers, but as her "mission" is now defunct, she matures into a seemingly normal young woman and eventually goes on to work as a lowly assistant for ruthless media hotshot Cat Grant in National City. Oblivious to her friend and co-worker Winn's interest in her, she is startled when Cat informs her that she will be firing many of the Tribune staff members, as they are constantly outsold by the Daily Planet and their exciting Superman cover stories. Kara then meets handsome new art director James Olsen, who has photographed and in fact befriended her famous cousin. Later, her sister Alex stops by before a business trip to help Kara prepare for a blind date, reminding her that her frustrating job is the "normal" life she has striven to maintain by hiding her powers.
While on her lackluster date, Kara learns that Alex's flight has suffered serious engine damage and is circling the city. Deciding to finally embrace her heroic abilities, she flies into the air and saves the plane with her super-strength, bringing it to rest harmlessly in the river. Later, she is elated to see the TV reports about the flight's mysterious "guardian angel," though a worried Alex scolds her, feeling that it was reckless to expose herself thus. At work, Cat orders her employees to get an exclusive on the mystery woman to boost their sales, and Kara reveals her secret to a shocked Winn on the office rooftop. Elsewhere, alien assassin Vartox is scolded by the Commander about his failure to destroy the plane and the "human operatives" onboard, ordering him to kill the unknown savior before the arrival of "the General." With Winn's help, Kara tries out a variety of uniforms as she intervenes with few more crimes, including a car chase and a bank robbery, before settling on an outfit featuring the S-like symbol of her people. Later, however, she is shot with kryptonite darts and captured by Hank Henshaw, head of the Department of Extra-Normal Operations, who then reveals that Alex is in fact one of their agents. Henshaw informs her that she "pulled" Fort Rozz, a maximum-security alien prison, along with her when she arrived on Earth and released all of its inmates, including Vartox, onto the planet. She protests that she can help to round them up, but Henshaw orders her to resume her cover.
Kara confronts Alex about her lies, suggesting that she was recruited into the DEO only because of her alien sister. She is further offended to learn that Cat has dubbed her "Supergirl," feeling that it is demeaning, but James then arrives with a quality photo of Supergirl and gives Kara the credit, and a delighted Cat fails to notice the resemblance. Vartox then addresses Kara via her super-hearing, and when she flies off to meet him, he reveals that her mother Alura was the one to jail him. He nearly defeats her in battle, though Alex rushes in and saves her, and Kara sadly concludes that the world does not need Supergirl after all. Alex, however, shows her a recorded message from Alura found in her ship, and Kara is touched by her mother's words of encouragement. Alex convinces Henshaw to allow Kara another chance to stop Vartox, and when they battle again, she uses her heat vision to blow up his alien weaponry and he kills himself to avoid capture. Later, James reveals that he knows of her true identity and was in fact sent by Superman to keep an eye on her, and he gives her a gift from her cousin: the blanket in which he arrived, which she uses as a cape as she fully embraces her role as Supergirl. Elsewhere, however, the Commander talks with the General, who is determined to rule Earth and kill Supergirl – her niece. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: November 30, 1999 8:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:46:17
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 123944
- GENRE: Drama, fantasy/science fiction
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, fantasy/science fiction; Comic books; Women's Collection - Drama
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 2015-2016; The CW - 2016-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Sarah Schechter … Executive Producer
- Greg Berlanti … Executive Producer, Developed by, Writer
- Andrew Kreisberg … Executive Producer, Developed by, Writer
- Ali Adler … Executive Producer, Developed by, Writer
- Michael Cedar … Producer
- Joanie L. Woehler … Co-Producer
- Jennifer Lence … Co-Producer
- Carl Ogawa … Co-Producer
- Glen Winter … Director
- Jerry Siegel … Based on characters created by
- Joe Shuster … Based on characters created by
- Blake Neely … Music by
- Melissa Benoist … Cast, Kara Zor-El / Kara Danvers / Supergirl
- Mehcad Brooks … Cast, James Olsen
- Chyler Leigh … Cast, Alex Danvers
- Jeremy Jordan … Cast, Winslow "Winn" Schott
- David Harewood … Cast, Hank Henshaw
- Calista Flockhart … Cast, Cat Grant
- Dean Cain … Cast, Jeremiah Danvers
- Laura Benanti … Cast, The General
- Helen Slater … Cast, Eliza Danvers
- Owain Yeoman … Cast, Vartox
- Faran Tahir … Cast, The Commander
- Ben Begley … Cast, Tobey
- Robert Gant … Cast, Zor-El
- Derek Mio … Cast, Hayashi
- Malina Weissman … Cast, Young Kara Zor-El
- Jordan Mazarati … Cast, Young Alex Danvers
- Briana Venskus … Cast, Agent Vasquez
- Chriss Anglin … Cast, Pilot
- Rick Garcia … Cast, Himself
- Nick Jaine … Cast, Another Staffer
- Kinna McInroe … Cast, Waitress
- Leyna Nguyen … Cast, Herself
- Paul Stuart … Cast, Yale
- Julien Yuen … Cast, Terrified Teen