Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
Using a story as classic as “For the Man Who Has Everything” as the basis for a mainstream CBS superhero show is a bold move, no matter how much you’ve been enjoying Supergirl. Keeping in mind that it would be unfair to completely judge “For the Girl Who Has Everything” against the Superman Annual #11 classic by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, Supergirl delivers a perfectly enjoyable episode on its own merits. What I found most surprising, however, is that it finds its greatest success in the times it diverges from the source material.
Right off the bat it’s fun to see the Black Mercy latched onto Supergirl and to see Krypton -- including Kelex and a young Kal-El -- in full swing. The setup to the episode is intriguing, but unfortunately the show is forced to play its hand quickly. Before long, we’re let in on the fact that the Black Mercy is just a vile plan hatched by Non to disable Supergirl while he makes a play for Earth, unbeknownst to Astra. Sure, the original story lets us in on this secret immediately (though it’s Mongul in the comic), but here the disorientation could’ve been used to the episode’s advantage. The Krypton scenes are anchored by Benoist, who is able to sell the premise with gusto. Watching Kara struggle to remember Earth and her adopted family is effective, even if we’re not totally invested in Kara’s new surroundings.
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Using a story as classic as “For the Man Who Has Everything” as the basis for a mainstream CBS superhero show is a bold move, no matter how much you’ve been enjoying Supergirl. Keeping in mind that it would be unfair to completely judge “For the Girl Who Has Everything” against the Superman Annual #11 classic by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, Supergirl delivers a perfectly enjoyable episode on its own merits. What I found most surprising, however, is that it finds its greatest success in the times it diverges from the source material.
Right off the bat it’s fun to see the Black Mercy latched onto Supergirl and to see Krypton -- including Kelex and a young Kal-El -- in full swing. The setup to the episode is intriguing, but unfortunately the show is forced to play its hand quickly. Before long, we’re let in on the fact that the Black Mercy is just a vile plan hatched by Non to disable Supergirl while he makes a play for Earth, unbeknownst to Astra. Sure, the original story lets us in on this secret immediately (though it’s Mongul in the comic), but here the disorientation could’ve been used to the episode’s advantage. The Krypton scenes are anchored by Benoist, who is able to sell the premise with gusto. Watching Kara struggle to remember Earth and her adopted family is effective, even if we’re not totally invested in Kara’s new surroundings.
Continue reading…
Continue reading...