5 Things You Can Learn from Supergirl

Supergirl has won the Saturn Awards for Best Superhero Adaptation Television Series three years in a row. It originally premiered on CBS October 26, 2015 and moved to the WB a year later where season four will unfold Sunday nights at 8:00 pm. Supergirl has lasted this long because actress Melissa Benoist (you may remember her as Marley Rose in the fourth and fifth seasons of Glee) plays a warm-hearted and optimistic young woman who puts love and helping others as her prime objective. Because the show has such a positive influence on its viewers, here are five reasons tweens, teens, and their parents should watch Supergirl.

Goodness Prevails

Few primetime TV shows showcase the lead character believing humanity is basically good. The writers of Supergirl confront contemporary issues like prejudice and diversity while producing episodes showing a cast of people who use empathy, compassion, and forgiveness as tools to save the day.

Supergirl believes to her core that goodness will always prevail. Kara Danvers (Supergirl’s secret identity) has a hard-crusted boss, Cat Grant played by Calista Flockhart, who isn’t as positive about people as her personnel assistant, but in one episode during the first season, Cat says to Kara, “You showed me there was another way to be strong, by having faith in people, by believing that goodness would prevail… and because of you, I started letting people in… you have changed me and I am not easy to change.”

You Don’t Need Superpowers to be a Hero

During season one Supergirl loses her powers as National City falls apart around her. Kara notices a thief about to rob a liquor store and comes to the rescue as Supergirl only to have the robber point a gun at her. Nervous without her powers, Supergirl talks to the criminal and miraculously convinces him that “you are better than this,” and he gives up his gun.

Throughout season two Alex Danvers (Chyler Leigh), Kara’s adoptive sister, questions her own sexuality in an honest and emotional series of events. The question of her homosexuality is not rushed or contrived. The show has seamlessly threaded Alex’s relationship with a National City female detective into the narrative as a form of heroism.  

Forgiveness is Something You Give to Yourself

During season 2, Alex Danvers confronts her boss, Hank Henshaw. This is a gutsy move because she knows Hank is really the Martian Manhunter. When M’gann, the Manhunter’s estranged flame, becomes ill Hank needs some convincing to help out and Alex provides the inspiration. She says, “Forgiveness isn’t something you give to somebody who’s hurt you, forgiveness is something you give to yourself.” Hank, who is a telepath, contacts M’gann’s mind and realizes the hardships she has lived through, and thus finally sees her humanity.

Love is Putting the Needs of Another Above Your Own

In season two, episode 13, Supergirl meets Mr. Mxyzptlk, a mischievous imp from the fifth dimension who wants Kara to be his bride. When Kara doesn’t reciprocate his feelings, Mxyzptlk unleashes havoc on National City. Supergirl learns that the only way to return the imp home is to trick him in saying his name backwards. Supergirl then teaches him an important ingredient to true love, “Love is putting someone else’s needs above your own,” something the conniving imp never would have thought of. 

Hope Can Overcome Adversity

Toward the end of season two, Earth is attacked by Daxamites, people from the neighboring world to Krypton, by taking over the individuality of the people of National City. In so doing, the population feels hopeless and retreats, losing their strength and a sense of self. To get them back, Supergirl uses the media to communicate to the people. She tells them about coming to Earth as a pre-teen feeling alone and hopeless. However, the love of family and friends brought her around. So she explains, “When faced with an enemy, determined to destroy your spirit, you will fight back, and thrive!”

In just about every episode of Supergirl Kara faces trials that show her strengths and weaknesses. Most female characters today are shown as perfect individuals with no flaws. Not Supergirl. This is a character that shows her audience that failure is only a few steps behind success.

We share this planet together, and to make the most of it, we need to work together to ensure that the lives of our family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers are improved through kindness and giving a little more of ourselves to better their lives. This is what Supergirl teaches and a good reason to watch this award winning series.