Hey, are you a big Supergirl fan? No? That's okay... who is, really?
I was able to sneak a peek at the leaked pilot of CBS' Supergirl. My initial reaction is that while the show will likely be popular among the general, non-hardcore comic book fan, audience - fans of the comics will more than likley be disappointed (if that wasn't already made clear by the 6-minute trailer).
Melissa Benoist is... there. She's cute. She's dorky. She's almost adorable. But she really has no sense of confidence or toughness about her. Granted, it's the first episode, so chances are she'll continue to gain that as the show continues. No one else from the cast really stands out, except for Calista Flockhart's lips.... cause they're huge.
What I keep thinking about is that vocal fanbase who have been dying to see a strong, female superhero on either the big or small screen. And while Supergirl seems like a clear and easy choice to deliver to that audience - it's not happening here. To me, a strong, female superhero needs to have that self-confidence, toughness, and be able to kick some ass. CBS' Supergirl is uncertain, insecure, and when she tries to be confident, it comes off as corny and stomach-turning.
So, in short, CBS took a very strong and powerful female character from the comics, and made her wimpy, whiny, and mildly annoying in order to appeal to a general audience of young ladies. The show will probably be successful and last a couple seasons, and I'll probably give it another couple episodes to see where it's going... but if it doesn't keep my interest, I'll stop watching sooner rather than later.