Supergirl Just Finished Its Best Season Yet

Supergirl isn’t a show I’ve written about much in the past, other than to give the odd shout out to a character or storyline I’m enjoying. That doesn’t mean I don’t love it; most seasons it’s my favorite Arrow-verse show (though Legends of Tomorrow sometimes gives it a run for its money), and at least three of its characters (Kara, Lena, and Alex) fall in my current top 10. It’s more that because I pretty much always enjoy the show, I rarely have anything interesting to say about it. But that was before this season, their strongest yet by a mile. Here’s why it was so good:

1. They let Kara embrace her duality. This has happened before in small doses—it’s basically the premise of the show after all—but we’ve never seen it quite to the extent we did this season. Back in episode 2, Kara was trapped in a situation where she had to save Lena without letting her know that she was saving her. It was hilarious (Kara knocking down goons with a pretend sneeze) and sweet (Lena doing everything in her power to protect Kara) and the first hint of how much the show would embrace those separate sides of Kara and the power that both of them have. In the finale, this came full circle in a lovely way: after spending all season switching between fighting crime as Supergirl and disinformation as Kara, she defeated Lex with her words as much as her fists. And speaking of…
2. They cast Jon Cryer. The writers made a whole bunch of smart Lex-related choices, but a lot of them hinged on Cryer’s performance. What was remarkable about Lex, definitively the season’s big bad (sorry, Ben Lockwood), was just how little he was actually in it. He came in with a huge episode that sold how dangerous he was to the point that his presence loomed large even in episodes he wasn’t in. That’s thanks to an unsettling, incredibly specific take on a character that’s been played a thousand times before. It’s also worth noting that I had a similar reaction to Cryer’s casting as I did to Tyler Hoechlin’s: that he was such a good choice that I worried his character might overshadow Lena’s. Like with Superman, though, my concerns were unfounded. Lex remained a player in Lena’s story, exactly as he should have been.
3. They pulled Lena into the action. Much as I love Lena (and trust me, I do), during her first couple of seasons I sometimes felt like her character was a bit unnecessary to the plot, though her friendship with Kara was obviously an important aspect of the show. Even though she would sometimes interact with other characters, she also spent a lot of time holed up in her office with Kara, or being rescued by Supergirl. This season, though, her deeply personal connection to the villain really brought her into the fold. It made the show more cohesive as a result but more importantly made Lena a much more active participant. She teamed up with Alex and Kara, got herself out of sticky situations sans Supergirl (that gun grab in the finale!), and obvious spoiler alert, but killed(?) her own brother to save the world.
4. They introduced new characters that popped. I was a little worried when both Mon-El and especially Winn departed in last season’s finale, but man did they take advantage of those empty slots. Nia was instantly endearing and fit in so well that it will be weird to watch earlier seasons without her. And that’s without even mentioning that she came out as transgender in only her second episode, in a choice that was monumental yet never played for drama. Brainy, while not a new character this season is still relatively new, and Winn’s absence, as well as his budding humanity, really allowed him to shine this season. He built a sweet relationship with Nia and provided one of the season’s most heartbreaking moments when Lockwood’s men rebooted him. Kelly also managed to make an impression despite showing up in a busy part of the season and played an important role in Alex’s adoption ordeal, a painful standout of the year.
5. They created real stakes. Superhero shows have such flashy powers and fancy gadgets that it often seems like anything can be prevented or undone. They also rely heavily on the status quo, so even when things change, viewers know that they won’t change that much. Not this year. They used Supergirl taking place on a different earth more than they ever have before, letting the tension with Lockwood and the Children of Liberty build to dangerous heights. The anti-alien sentiment also wasn’t too far off from what we’re experiencing in the real world, and the stakes felt that much higher because of it. In one of the most surprising and devastating moments of the season, Alex had her memory wiped to protect Supergirl’s identity, and for a substantial period no less, proving there was a real threat that Kara could be exposed, while also significantly changing the dynamic between the two sisters. And, after teasing all season that Lena could finally discover Kara’s secret, they delivered in the most brutal way possible, dismantling the show’s central friendship in the process.
6. They took risks. This goes along with the above, because offering real stakes and threatening the status quo are always risks, but they went beyond that this season. They made bold, surprising storytelling choices, like James getting shot and then getting powers, or Eve betraying Lena. They weren’t afraid to go dark, particularly with backstories, like the reveal that James’ childhood bullies caused him to miss his father’s funeral or that Lena’s biological mother drowned right in front of her. The episodes were also much less paint by the numbers than they have been in the past; Kara embracing her duality let them do full episodes with just Kara or just Supergirl, and they became much less beholden to CatCo and the DEO as central locations. It was also more action-packed, with no filler episodes (especially in the latter half of the season) and more serialized storytelling than they’ve ever done before.

Despite all the things that worked, it wasn’t a perfect season. The second half was much stronger than the first, with the introduction of Lex giving the show a focus the first half was missing. Lena and James still don’t quite work as a couple, or honestly, even seem to like or respect each other all that much, and it’s not a coincidence that the season gained traction after their breakup. Kelly and Alex were great together—and I’m excited to see their relationship continue to blossom—but sometimes felt like they were on a different show entirely. And J’onn, while still a wonderful character and important mentor/father figure to Kara and Alex, certainly contributed to the aimlessness of the first half of the season with his quest for peace.

But none of those things take away from the fact that this was a nervy season of TV, especially so late in the show’s run. It was surprising, consistently entertaining, and often excellent. When you take as many chances as they did this year, some things will inevitably fail or not work quite as perfectly as hoped. But I’d so much rather a show do what Supergirl did this season than play it safe.

What did you think of Supergirl season 4? Have any hopes for next season? Hit the comments and let me know!