After a six-year run, Supergirl ended Tuesday with its final two episodes. And like so many of the Arrowverse shows, it feels like the series weathered an epoch. Originally devised for CBS, where it aired for one year, the show had a distinctly different feel even as it found its pillars in Melissa Benoist’s Kara Danvers and Chyler Leigh as Kara’s adoptive sister Alex. Once it found its footing, CBS pulled the plug, but allowed it to transfer over to The CW, where it became an Arrowverse show in attitude and, eventually, in truth via numerous crossovers and the eventual merging of narrative realities. Through it all, though, the show retained its sense of justice, compassion, and community.
To commemorate the end of Supergirl, we thought we’d focus on some of the best moments of the series. We found many of them key in on that sense of community as, ultimately, the show was about finding those bonds and the strength within them. With that in mind, here are the 10 best moments from the series overall.
From: “Kara” (Season 6, Episode 20)
(Photo by Katie Yu/The CW)
It is fitting that the first entry on the list is the program’s final moment. After six years of living a dual identity, Kara finally felt secure in becoming one whole person. Well, once she had a couple of conversation on the topic with both Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart) and Lena Luthor (Katie McGrath). And though we do not hear Kara say the words, the smile on her face after Cat introduces her as both Supergirl and CatCo Magazine Editor-In-Chief says it all far more effectively. Kara’s grin was always a superpower in its own right, so using it here to announce the end of her secret — and leaving Kara in a position of strength — is absolutely the best image to send off the series.
From: “Prom Night!” (Season 6, Episode 5)
(Photo by The CW)
Season 6 opened with the incredible limitations thanks to COVID safety protocols and Benoist’s extended family leave. But for two episodes, it overcame this by giving Dreamer (Nicole Maines) and Brainiac 5 (Jesse Rath) the literal keys to the show as they piloted the Legion ship back to 2009 to obtain a badly needed blood sample from the younger Kara (Izabela Vidovic). But when teenage Kara sees the ship land, the pair create a hilarious cover story on the fly. In doing so, the two characters proved how much they could carry the show. But also, it once again illustrated the magic in Vidovic and Olivia Nikkanen as younger versions of Kara and Alex — two young people who could very easily lead a Midvale-set prequel series.
From: “Pilot” (Season 1, Episode 1)
(Photo by Darren Michaels / ©CBS / courtesy Everett Collection)
The series’ first action beat is so defining that it continued to become the source of new ideas for years to come, from Alex’s complex feelings about Kara using her powers to Kara’s current ponderings about the moment in regards to the AllStone gauntlets. But in the moment, it was also transformative as the character took charge of her own TV show in a dramatic and fantastic way. Back before Multiverses, Super Friends, or even a costume, Kara dramatically discovered this was her calling.
From: “Elseworlds Part 1” (The Flash Season 5, Episode 9)
(Photo by Katie Yu/The CW)
Kara’s truest self is the enthusiastic dork. And few moments get that across more than when she imitates Oliver Queen’s (Stephen Amell) serious persona during the “Elseworlds” crossover – the only moment on this list not to occur in an episode of Supergirl. Beyond having fun with an imitation of his gruff voice, there’s the smile immediately afterward that is Kara in one shot. Sure, she may use that dorkiness as a cover at times, but this is the mode she’s ultimately the most comfortable in and this goofy handful of seconds in the middle of a big crossover is its best example.
From: “World’s Finest” (Season 1, Episode 18)
(Photo by Robert Voets/Warner Bros)
In context, Barry Allen’s (Grant Gustin) first trip to Earth-38 was meant to create a certain romantic jealousy for Jimmy Olsen (Mehcad Brooks). Instead, this fun moment in which Barry brings Kara, Jimmy, and Winn (Jeremy Jordan) ice cream cones at super speed establishes so much of what the two heroes will do in subsequent crossovers. And despite sounding like a pun in regards to Benoist and Gustin’s past, “glee” really is the best word for it. Kara is gleeful to meet someone with powers who seems so at ease with them. Barry, meanwhile, brings the glee because he’s still young and the weight of the Multiverse is not yet upon him. Even without any of its contexts, though, the brief moment – and the scene surrounding it — is a pure dose of positivity.
From: “Immortal Kombat” (Season 5, Episode 19)
(Photo by Dean Buscher/The CW)
Whether you ship Kara and Lena or not, their friendship took on an intensity akin to a television romance – something the show occasionally recognized visually if never within the text itself. And that intensity would lead to a bad break-up when Lena learned Kara was Supergirl. In the fallout, Lena would try to develop technology to make people less deceitful and Kara would develop her own issues around living with a secret. We also got a pretty great 100th episode centering around it.
But all of that is just context for this moment in Lena’s lab, when she finally puts aside her pain and comes to understand why Kara never found the right time to tell her. The pair resolve to finish Lex (Jon Cryer) for good and smile at one another again. Not only is it a huge relief, but a reminder of just how central this relationship (romantic or not) became to the series.
From: “Far From the Tree” (Season 3, Episode 3)
(Photo by Dean Buscher/The CW)
David Harewood is one of show’s great pillars. He effortlessly switched from playing Hank Henshaw in the pilot to Martian Manhunter J’onn J’onzz from the next episode onward, establishing a caring and thoughtful father figure for both Alex and Kara across the first season. As it happens, family is very important to J’onn and nothing encapsulates that more than when he tries to rescue his father, M’yrnn J’onzz (Carl Lumbly), who has been imprisoned by White Martians for the last 300 years. The elder J’onzz refuses to believe J’onn is really J’onn, and it takes some telepathy and a special memory of J’onn’s Martian daughters for M’yrnn to accept the truth and embrace his son. It’s a scene made all the more incredible by Lumbly, a phenomenal actor who first gave J’onn a voice on television in the 2000s Justice League cartoon.
From: “Changing” (Season 2, Episode 6)
(Photo by Liane Hentscher/The CW)
It takes place far from any of the show’s standing sets, instead using an outside location for Alex to tell Kara her truth … or at least the truth she’s starting to understand. It’s a foundational moment for the series as so much of Alex’s journey centers on trying to incorporate that truth into everything from her work at the DEO to finding a way to fit her first girlfriend, Maggie Sawyer (Floriana Lima), into her life. It would also continue to matter once she had to nurse a broken heart while still trying to adopt a child, something which would not come to pass until just a few episodes ago. But beyond what it meant for Alex, it was huge for an audience still needing to see what it means to come to terms with this and, even then, still not have all the answers when your sister starts asking questions.
From: “Nevertheless, She Persisted” (Season 2, Episode 20)
(Photo by Bettina Strauss/The CW)
To a certain extent, the first season of Supergirl was a different show. Beyond airing on another network, it had the ongoing dramatic tension of Kara’s boss, Cat Grant, forever haranguing her. Sure, it was an ultimately supportive thing, but her inability to ever say Kara’s name right always reminded you that she only had so much bandwidth for her junior employee. Then, in the second season, she was gone as Flockhart declined a long-term stay in Vancouver when production moved north. We did get a few more appearances from her, but none more moving than when she said “Go get ‘em, Supergirl” as a still-grieving Kara left her office to go do some super-business. It finally confirmed that Cat (an ace reporter in her own right) knew the truth and understood what it meant to mentor “Kira.” It’s unclear how long she knew, but it makes watching the early seasons again a more appealing prospect to see when Flockhart decided the character made the discovery.
From: Too Many Episodes To Name
(Photo by THE CW)
For all the Earth-saving battles, plots twists, Multiversal changes, and struggles of the heart on the show, Supergirl was really about Pizza Night. Whether it was just Kara and Alex, or all of the Super Friends gathering at Kara’s apartment — and whether it was pizza, Chinese takeout, or a homemade potluck — the sense of close siblings and camaraderie among a chosen family will be the programs most lasting legacy. Sure, nothing big happens in moments like these, but the space to have them is at the heart of what Supergirl really fought for across the show’s six seasons: a space where you’re most valued loved ones can be at ease.
What was your favorite moment from the six seasons of Supergirl? Tell us in the comments.
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season 6’s final 5 episodes are now streaming on The CW site; season 1 through season 6 (episode 7) are streaming on Netflix.
(Photo by Fox, AMC, HBO,BBC America, Syfy)
The oldest show on our list, I Love Lucy, which started airing in 1951, starred Lucille Ball as Lucy Ricardo, who brought humor to every struggle — even if they were often self-made.
Our list also pays homage to young heroines like Midge Maisel (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) and Betty Suarez (Ugly Betty) and fresh characters like Regina King’s Sister Night in Watchmen and the women of The Mandalorian played by Ming-Na Wen, Katee Sackhoff, and Rosario Dawson in some of the newest shows on TV and streaming.
Have a look at a few of our favorite fearless females on TV, then head to the comments to tell us which female characters inspire you.
(Photo by CBS. Courtesy: Everett Collection.)
Yes, Lucy and Ricky Ricardo infamously slept in separate beds on I Love Lucy, but the depiction of an interracial marriage on TV (the very first) was radical enough. And that wasn’t all: Ricky played straight man to Lucy’s irrepressible and mischievous spirit, as she bounced off the edges of the television set with wild schemes and even wilder facial expressions and comic timing. The show may have been in black-and-white, but Lucy brought the color.
(Photo by Paramount. Courtesy: Everett Collection.)
Writer and producer Gene Roddenberry’s original Star Trek TV series was responsible for numerous firsts, but Nichols’ position as one of the first black woman in a leading role on TV inspired a generation. Nichols told Rotten Tomatoes she feels “honored” to have been a part of a visionary show and about that time Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “ordered” her not to quit the series.
(Photo by CBS. Courtesy: Everett Collection.)
Mary Richards was a smart, sassy, independent, modern professional who young women in 1970 looked up to and saw as a friend and sister, as well as a model for future career women. Headlining her own series, Moore was admirable in her own right, after having enjoyed fame as Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show.
(Photo by CBS. Courtesy: Everett Collection.)
The creation of psychologist William Marston, Amazon princess Wonder Woman (a.k.a. Diana Prince) was given the seal of approval by his wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, also a psychologist and her husband’s collaborator. Patriotic, loving, and strong, Wonder Woman leaped from comic books, where she started in 1941, to television screens in 1975, serving as a unique TV option for young girls more accustomed to seeing Batman and Superman portrayed in live action.
(Photo by NBC. Courtesy: Everett Collection.)
No-nonsense mom Clair Huxtable was a lawyer and the rock of her family. She represented a black middle-class too often overlooked in early television, entering the living rooms of people of every race as a model of both motherhood and career woman. Her fearlessness manifested itself in her unapologetic confidence as a professional and co-head of the household.
(Photo by NBC)
If you want an indication of the cultural potency that Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan), Dorothy Sbornak (Bea Arthur), Rose Nylund (Betty White), and Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty) enjoy to this day, just turn on your TV: seemingly at any time of day, on a number of cable channels, you will find the four women sat there in their wicker-heavy living room or noshing in their kitchen, swapping zingers about money, Reagan-era politics, or life in St. Olaf. While all four women are tropes, the genius of the show – and the incredible performances at its center – was that all had depth and tenacity, and their bond was of a kind that all viewers, regardless of gender, wanted with their own pals and confidants.
(Photo by 20th Century Fox Film Corp. Courtesy Everett Collection.)
Springfield’s pointy-haired do-gooder and moral center of TV’s longest-running primetime show, Lisa Simpson has been through it all over her 30 years on our screens (and eight years of life): She’s launched her own Malibu Stacy rival; become president of the United States; maintained her staunch vegetarianism while living in a home of people who refuse to “make friends with salad”; and fended off the persistent advances of Milhouse. She is TV’s ultimate feminist icon.
(Photo by 20th Century Fox Film Corp. Courtesy: Everett Collection.)
From the start of their association, FBI agent Dana Scully was most often playing her A-game while it seemed her partner, Fox Mulder, was still sifting through the sandbox. Sure, there really were aliens in that sandbox, but Dr. Scully’s scientific approach proved the truth that was out there, however out-there that truth was. She was as potentially lethal as she was wicked smart.
(Photo by Everett Collection.)
Seriously, who even remembers TV’s Hercules? (OK, we kinda do – but mostly because the Kevin Sorbo–starring ’90s show was where we first met Lucy Lawless’s Xena ahead of the character getting her own spin-off that ran for six seasons from 1995 to 2001.) We love Xena for her ferociousness, her can-do and do-good spirit, her “Ayiyiyiyiyi” battle cry, and her many-college-theses–launching companionship with sidekick Gabrielle.
(Photo by 20th Century Fox Film Corp. Courtesy: Everett Collection)
To be a Buffy fan 2021 is to be conflicted – under close examination, through a modern lens, it’s been hard in recent years not to see that the series’ often inspiring feminist messages and its game-changing positioning of the victim/damsel as ass-kicking vamp-hunting hero lived alongside problematic relationships with race (not a single significant character of color until the final season), LGBTQ issues (see its use of the dead lesbian trope), and even the feminism for which it’s been long hailed (Buffy kicks ass, sure, but is also hugely dependent on the not-great men around her emotionally). And then there were the recent accusations from Charisma Carpenter (who played popular girl Cordelia Chase, who ultimately evolves into a hero in her own right) – backed up by several cast members – that the show’s creator and one-time geek hero, Joss Whedon, was an emotionally abusive orchestrator of a toxic environment on Buffy and spin-off Angel. And yet: For decades now, the women of the Buffyverse – Buffy herself (Sarah Michelle Gellar), powerful witch and former timid nerd Willow (Alyson Hannigan), reformed demon Anya (Emma Caulfield Ford), good-hearted Tara (Amber Benson), younger sister finding her voice Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg), and Cordelia – have been sources of inspiration for their intelligence, bravery, growth, and yes… ability to kick ass. That they’re lately inspiring conversation about the complicated relationship we sometimes find ourselves in with our pop-culture heroes, with the actors leaning into the conversation and largely coming out in support of Carpenter, shows a different kind of heroism equally worth applauding.
(Photo by NBC)
In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit, led by a fierce woman who is singlemindedly focused on bringing perpetrators to justice. Olivia Benson is so inspirational that her crusade for victims has spilled over into Mariska Hargitay’s real life: The actress is a leading activist dedicated to ending the rape-kit backlog and has helped fight for sexual assault survivors with her Joyful Heart Foundation, now 15 years into its mission to change society’s response to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse.
Super-spy Sydney Bristow had a wig collection to die for and the world’s coolest job at Credit Dauphine, which was not actually a boring bank but the front for what Sydney thought was the CIA. But once she learned the truth — that she was not working for a black-ops CIA division but actually part of an alliance working against the U.S. government — she became even more badass as a double agent trying to take down the bad guys and also figure out what the hell a Renaissance inventor named Milo Rambaldi had to do with it all.
(Photo by 20th Century Fox Film Corp. Courtesy: Everett Collection.)
In war, the survivors are not always the winners of the battle, and the story of Firefly is the story of some of those losers. Zoe, a former corporal in the Independent Army, travels through space as the second-in-command to Captain Mal Reynolds of the Serenity. Whether battling cannibalistic human Reavers or having Mal’s back in smuggling negotiations with the unsavory elements in areas outside of the Alliance’s reach, Zoe proves herself again and again as a warrior to be reckoned with — if you dare.
(Photo by SCI-FI. Courtesy: Everett Collection.)
Some corners winged when they found out that “Starbuck” of Ronald D. Moore’s reimagining of the 1978 sci-fi series would be a woman. But Katee Sackhoff left no question about her abilities as the hard-drinking, mercurial fighter pilot. Her female costars — Mary McDonnell as President Laura Roslin, Grace Park as Sharon “Boomer” Valerii/Number Eight/Sharon “Athena” Agathon, Tricia Helfer as Number Six, and, later, Lucy Lawless as D’Anna Biers/Number Three — also left and indelible mark on the face of sci-fi. The series, in fact, takes top spot in our list of the 100 Best Science Fiction Series of All Time.
(Photo by Warner Bros. Television. Courtesy: Everett Collection.)
Inside, the petite blonde private investigator — along with her pitbull sidekick Backup — is a gooey marshmallow. On the outside, however, she’s a tough-talking, sarcastic student eager to solve any cases her rich high school (and then college) classmates send her way, from missing mascots to murder.
(Photo by ABC)
Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) is the “dark and twisty” heroine of our dreams. Since the show’s 2005 inception, we’ve seen Meredith grow from an uneasy surgical intern to a self-assured, award-winning leader in her field — and watched Pompeo become one of the highest-paid actors on TV to boot. Grey’s also launched Sandra Oh into the spotlight through her character Cristina Yang, a tough-as-nails heart surgeon whose ambition knows no bounds. The duo quickly became one of TV’s most lasting friendships, and even coined the iconic phrase “you’re my person.” Their mentor, Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson), fiercely modeled tough-as-nails leadership as well as feminine strength and vulnerability. Then there’s Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw), Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington), Maggie Pierce (Kelly McCreary), Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone), Teddy Altman (Kim Raver), and not to mention Catherine Fox (Debbie Allen) — basically, Grey Sloan Memorial is chock full of tough women who save lives on a daily basis. What’s more fearless than that?
(Photo by ABC)
After America Ferrera joined the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants but before she taught you How to Train Your Dragon or charmed us into an impulse buy in her Superstore, she was fearless Ugly Betty, a bright but style-challenged woman who starts her career in the unlikely role as a personal assistant at a high-fashion magazine. Based on a Colombian telenovela, the four-season series presented an intelligent underdog paddling for her life in shark-infested workplace waters. Besides her smarts, Betty Suarez’s superpower was her tenacity.
(Photo by NBC)
You get the sense there’s not a whole lot of distance between 30 Rock’s Liz Lemon and the woman who created and plays her, Tina Fey – especially if you’ve read the latter’s bestselling autobiography, Bossypants. And either woman would qualify for this list. Like Fey once did, Lemon works as a head writer on a major network sketch comedy show, juggling deadlines, egos, and a personal life that’s far less glamorous and much more relatable than what we usually see in glossier, NYC-set comedies. She fearlessly deals with the likes of overbearing boss Jack Donaghy, as well as her series’ impossible lead stars, and shows while you may not be able to “have it all” – Career! Kids! Love! Fulfillment! – you can do good work, forge strong friendships, and keep us cracking up as you try.
(Photo by AMC)
In the sexist world of Mad Men, AMC’s ’50s-set ad-industry drama, Peggy and Joan were beacons of female ambition. Peggy was observant and cunning, while Joan was brash and unapologetic. The characters were flawed and made bad decisions, but would rise from the ashes of their self-immolation to reach again for the brass ring so often denied to them. Their stubborn refusal to stop their respective career climbs in the face of adversity became a most admirable shared quality.
(Photo by Victoria Will/AMC)
Who can slice through mobile meat sacks with the greatest of ease? These women! Who watches friends and family die, but still returns to the fight? These warriors! Who fights zombie hordes week-after-week seemingly without breaking a sweat? The women of The Walking Dead. Maggie (Lauren Cohan), Michonne (Danai Gurira), and Carol (Melissa McBride) are just three of the female characters who’ve proven their zombie-whacking prowess on the AMC horror series over its nine-season run. It must feel good to be so badass…
(Photo by Showtime)
Though Shameless managed to continue for a bit without Rossum’s Fiona Gallagher, there’s no denying from anyone who’s ever watched the series that she was the heart and soul of both the Gallagher family and the show. And though her final season seemed hellbent to bring her down a peg or two — not that she was ever on easy street, as this is Shameless — nothing could change that fact.
(Photo by Helen Sloan/HBO)
Think what you will about the inclusion of Cersei (Lena Headey) on our list — the woman has mad survival skills, as do the rest of Game of Thrones‘ still-standing (for now) female characters: Sansa (Sophie Turner), Arya (Maisie Williams), Brienne (Gwendoline Christie), and Daenerys (Emilia Clarke). Let’s not forget the B-team of Missandei, Meera, Yara, Ellaria, and little Lyanna Mormont. And we’ll pour one out for Catelyn, Ygritte, Margaery, Osha, Myrcella, Shireen, Ros, Leaf, Irri, Talisa, Tyene, Obara, Nymeria, Septa Mordane…
(Photo by Showtime)
Nobody’s perfect, and Claire Danes’ Carrie Mathison certainly suffers from her share of inner demons — not to mention bipolar disorder — but that doesn’t stop her from being one of the most consistently effective intelligence agents in TV history… and a mother. Carrie regularly goes above and beyond what’s asked of her, frequently putting herself directly in harm’s way, to make sure her team gets what it needs. Is it a little reckless sometimes? Sure, but without risk, you don’t get the kinds of results she delivers, and you don’t get the kinds of results she delivers unless “she” is Carrie Mathison.
(Photo by ABC)
Political operative and sometime puppetmaster Olivia Pope captivated audiences as the head of her own Washington, D.C., crisis management firm for seven seasons. The Shonda Rhimes series gave Pope a complicated love life with fictional U.S. President Fitzgerald Grant III as her heart’s commander in chief and a non-stop, harrowing career path. Washington presented a character made up of equal parts resolve and grace, giving young women everywhere a role model despite her occasional missteps.
(Photo by Lacey Terrell / HBO)
Spouting sharp one-liners from the mind of Armando Iannucci (Google the dildo croissant line immediately) and imbued with incomparable fierceness by gazillion-time Emmy winner Louis-Dreyfus, Selina Meyer is one of the most terrifying politicians on TV. (Seriously, if it were between Meyer and that guy who got the boot from that Netflix series, we’d put our money on the former.) Yet for all the nastiness she can exude and the colossal mishaps that set her back, it’s easy to miss the point being made in this show: Meyer is rarely the cause of her failures. She’s surrounded by buffoons, mostly men, and is — as fearlessly as ferociously — trying to clean up the messes they create and get to where she knows she belongs.
(Photo by James Minchin/FX)
Yes, being a Russian spy is a pretty big crime — but does it compare to the felony of not giving Russell a Golden Globe or Emmy for her portrayal of The Americans’ Elizabeth Jennings? Like, not even once over the course of six years in which the show was Certified Fresh for every season and during which time critics were lauding her work as one half of the clandestine “all-American” couple that was secretly squirrelling away secrets for the USSR and occasionally brutally killing Americans who got in their way? Elizabeth Jennings is the ultimate anti-hero (sorry Walter, Tony, Don): a woman doing very bad things for what she perceives to be very good reasons – the well-being of her country and the protection of her family.
(Photo by Netflix)
Wright’s Claire Underwood may not be the sweetest woman on this list, but she makes a strong case as one of the most fearless. After all, few people — man or woman — would thrive under the kind of pressure she’s faced as the wife of Frank Underwood, and fewer still would have the nerve to leave Frank behind and re-emerge from the rubble of their relationship to become the most powerful person in the world. She’s ambitious, but she’s got the spine to achieve her lofty goals.
(Photo by BBCA)
Being a single mother tends to make you fearless, but imagine raising a precocious child while you try to get to the bottom of an international conspiracy. Maslany finally earned a well-deserved Emmy in 2016 for portraying not only Sarah Manning, but also every single one of Sarah’s Leda clones — including Alison, Cosima, Helena, Rachel, MK, Beth, Katja, Jennifer, Krystal, and more — who band together and use their unique talents to solve a mind-bending mystery. Her multi-layered performance is every bit as fearless as the Clone Club.
(Photo by FOX)
Diaz is an enigma. She loves leather jackets, motorcycles, archery, and Nancy Meyers movies (to the point that she will call you an “idiot” if you confuse Meyers for Nora Ephron). She’s also perhaps the one Brooklyn Nine-Nine character whose stories mostly always work no matter what pairing she’s put into. Oh, and she’s a bisexual icon. Diaz is, simply put, dope.
(Photo by Matthew Peyton / Comedy Central)
Yas queens! Twentysomething BFFs Ilana and Abbi are the true embodiment of the millennial hustle: Though they graduated from college into the less-than-supportive gig economy, the duo will stop at nothing to achieve their dreams in New York City.
(Photo by Starz)
Time-traveling wife Claire not only has to contend with the mind-blowing fact that she’s slipped 200 years through time from the 1940s to the relatively barbaric 1740s, but also that her husband’s doppelganger in that time is a twisted rapist. (In fact, the Starz series based on Diana Gabaldon’s book series has gotten some flack for its sexual assault plotlines.) But Claire endures, and endures, and endures — through violent attacks and the tragic deaths of loved ones. Nevertheless, she persisted.
(Photo by ABC)
High-powered lawyer and professor Annalise Keating delivers legendary monologues on a weekly basis while unapologetically defending herself against personal and professional attackers; defending her students like a mother lion; defending her clients like their lives depend on it — because they do — and in doing so, shines a light on real-world inequalities within the criminal justice system and educational institutions.
(Photo by The CW)
There are three generations of fearless Villanueva women on Jane the Virgin. Jane (Gina Rodriguez) is a writer, teacher, and a mom. Jane is often chided by friends and foes for being persistent, but that’s not a negative quality. She isn’t willing to sacrifice her high standards and falls in love fearlessly. Jane’s passion makes her who she is, and we love her for it. Then there’s Alba (Ivonne Coll), Jane’s abuela, who immigrated to the United States from Venezuela with her husband before her daughter Xiomara (Andrea Navedo) was born. Xiomara, Jane’s mother, lives in absolute contrast to her religious upbringing — she does what (and who) she wants, when she wants, and she’s a cancer survivor to boot.
(Photo by ABC)
In a franchise that has talking raccoons, hammer-wielding gods, and several varieties of green people, it’s hard for any regular human to stand out. But through resolve and determination in the face of some big comic-book events, Agent Peggy Carter made her mark. Atwell navigates the character through the 1940s, when it was uncommon to have women in the military at her capacity, juggling professional issues with Carter’s personal life, and creating a robust, complete portrait of a fighter in strange times.
(Photo by Fox)
Oh, yes, she did. She may back off every now and again if it suits her purposes, but Empire matriarch Cookie Lyon does not back down. And though not every move she makes is admirable, her ferocity and spirit should be taught in schools.
(Photo by ABC)
If you only know Wu from her role as Rachel Chu in Crazy Rich Asians, you are missing out. For five seasons, she has been delivering one of the most TV’s most hilarious and unsung comedic performances as Huang family matriarch Jessica, whose high standards for her kids, husband, and neighbors (poor Honey) drive most of the laughs and heart of the show.
(Photo by Eric Liebowitz / Netflix)
The 15 years Kimmy spent in an underground bunker maybe made her a little oblivious to the real-world dangers she should be afraid of, but that doesn’t automatically disqualify the fact that she approaches every new task, every impending adventure, with the kind of brazen gusto appropriate for someone whose life essentially skipped from age 14 to 29. Plus, we could all learn a little something from Kimmy’s unflappable can-do attitude.
(Photo by Netflix)
Grace Hanson and Frankie Bergstein are two of the funniest and toughest female characters on television. Not only did they start their lives over completely when their husbands left them (for each other), but they forged an incredible friendship in the process. And then? They started their own business selling vibrators geared toward older women. Together, the two polar opposites are unstoppable and an absolute joy to watch.
(Photo by The CW Network)
As Supergirl, Kara Danvers (Melissa Benoist) can fall into a lot of the same traps that people criticize her cousin Superman for. She sees a lot of things — if not everything — in black and white and often can’t see how her privilege makes her struggles as an alien minuscule to a lot of others’ struggles as an alien. But like her cousin, Supergirl is a beacon of hope (and wholesome badassery), and Kara Danvers is no slouch either. She loves musicals, donuts, and seeing Oliver Queen get cut down to size.
Meanwhile, her adoptive sister Alex (Chyler Leigh) led an entire government organization for two years, but pivoted out of that when her priorities changed. Now, she’s on the edge of becoming a superhero in her own right (something the show should’ve done sooner). Then again, it also introduced Nia Nal (Nicole Maines) and told her story of becoming Dreamer, the first out trans superhero on television. Like Kara, both Alex and Nia Nal are beacons of hope (in their own particular ways) and fearless to boot; in fact, both were featured in season 4 episodes about that very topic.
(Photo by Netflix)
In an entertainment world soaked through with male anti-heroes, Ritter’s turn as powerful, but flawed and often-reluctant do-gooder Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) feels fresh and needed. This is no Disney princess. She’s the ass-kicking, alcoholic BFF you never knew you wanted — and for her Jessica Jones BFF, Trish Walker (Rachael Taylor), she is the one person willing to do everything to save her. Even if it meant putting Trish behind bars.
They are just two examples of the women who braved and sometimes conquered the New York of Marvel’s Netflix shows. Misty Knight (Simone Missick) was the best cop on the force and an even better force for justice when she had to leave the NYPD behind in Luke Cage and The Defenders. Elektra (Elodie Yung) brought the town under her heel for one shining moment in Daredevil, and while we never got to see much of Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick) wielding mystical energies in Iron Fist and The Defenders, her final, full-power appearance still leaves us hoping we’ll see her and her sword return to another part of the Marvel Universe.
(Photo by FX. Courtesy: Everett Collection.)
The 2010s have seen a number of reassessments of major 1990s tabloid figures; those who found themselves splashed across the front of the Enquirer in the morning and the butt of so many punchlines late at night are now being shown in a new light. Lorena Bobbit? Try laughing now that you know the real story. Wanna talk about that “blue dress”? Try watching a recent interview with Monica Lewinsky, campaigning against bullying these days, first. Marcia Clark, the prosecutor in the OJ Simpson trial, was for a long time known as the woman who let OJ go — and the woman with that hair. Ryan Murphy’s The People v. O.J. Simpson and Paulson’s portrayal of Clark in the limited series showed us the story behind the headlines, one about a talented lawyer working her ass off as her own department as savage media outlets worked to bring her down. (We will never forget the “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia” episode.) Clark is now, rightfully, enjoying a career renaissance.
(Photo by WGN America)
Though the WGN America series unfortunately only got two seasons, it made the most of them, especially in its second season and especially when it came to the women of Underground. While we’re all eagerly awaiting Smollett-Bell as Black Canary in the Birds of Prey feature film, her work as runaway house slave–turned–beacon of hope Rosalee should never be forgotten. The second season also introduced Hinds as Harriet Tubman, giving one of the best (and criminally under-praised) performances of 2017 — to the point where an entire episode (“Minty”) was “simply” Tubman giving a speech to a crowd.
(Photo by Netflix)
Who can stop a truck with her bare hands and down a full box of Eggos for breakfast? This mystery girl, who first caught our attention — and that of three Hawkins boys — when she appeared on our screens in Netflix’s Stranger Things in 2016. As she’s settled into Hawkins life, “El” (played in a star-making performance by British actress Brown) has proven herself the town’s most resourceful defender against the dangers of the Upside Down. And dammit if we don’t cry every time she even looks at Hopper.
(Photo by John P. Johnson/HBO)
Sure, they’re killer robots, but should we hold that against them? Each achieved a moment of transcendence in which they broke the binds of servitude. As metaphors go, robots busting up a slavery ring makes for excellent TV and some stellar female anti-heroes — or are they heroes? We’re still figuring it out.
(Photo by HBO)
As a Los Angeles thirtysomething navigating personal and professional relationships alongside her BFFs, Rae portrays an everyday (yet sadly rare) kind of fearlessness: The kind required to confront your own decisions, good and bad, and move forward from them.
The three women of the Alvarez/Riera clan all bring a different brand of fearlessness to the table. Machado’s Penelope, a veteran who, in the show’s third and final season, successfully studies to become nurse practitioner, is a fighter who’ll do anything to keep her family strong. Gomez’s Elena bravely came out of the closet in the show’s first season, and showed similar tenacity for two more seasons thereafter. And Lydia – an incomparable and scene-stealing Moreno – laced her Cuban fabulousness with plenty of wisdom and heart. The three will be missed.
(Photo by Amazon Prime Video)
Addressing downer issues like divorce and glass ceilings with comedy sometimes may be the only way to address them, and Midge Maisel is making a career of it. Midge charges head-first into her problems with aplomb, and though her obsession with the circumference of her thighs may be disturbing, that she’s so hilarious while wielding the measuring tape allows her a pass for such quirks. The series has won eight Emmy awards so far, including Outstanding Comedy Series, multiple awards for series creator Amy Sherman-Palladino, and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for star Brosnahan providing ample validation for the series itself, as well as its chipper, outspoken, and, most importantly, funny lead character.
(Photo by Take Five/Hulu)
After the U.S. government was overthrown by a theocratic dictatorship, June lost her husband and daughter trying to escape to Canada and was forced into sex slavery as a “handmaid,” a forced pregnancy surrogate assigned to a rich and powerful family affected by a worldwide infertility plague. But although she was stripped of her identity and forced to go by “Offred” (or “of Fred” as the handmaid of Commander Fred Waterford), she never lost her will to live. She discovered her daughter was still alive and will stop at nothing to save her, her newborn daughter by the commander’s chauffeur, and the rest of the women oppressed under the totalitarian regime.
(Photo by Adam Rose/Netflix)
Samantha navigates racism and discrimination at a predominantly white Ivy League college. A college radio DJ, she has a platform that both elevates her message and often exacerbates her problems dealing with social injustice and bias, while also juggling her social and academic lives — all of which she does fearlessly, even when fear is her biggest challenge of all.
(Photo by CBS All Access)
Since its start in the 1960s, the Star Trek franchise has grown both in size and in socio-political philosophy. Part of that growth hit streaming service CBS All Access in 2018 with season 1 of Star Trek: Discovery, which focuses on the struggles of a female crew member of its starship with male captains playing a supporting role to her main storyline. Martin-Green’s Burnham is the thread connecting an otherwise ensemble cast that features Yeoh as both earnest, upstanding Captain Georgiou and her indomitable alt-universe counterpart, Emperor Georgiou.
(Photo by BBC America)
TV’s most recent and most glorious odd couple has got to be the whack-job assassin central to BBC America’s Killing Eve, Villanelle, and Eve, the dutiful MI5 security officer chasing her. Created by Fleabag genius Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the series’ first season is Certified Fresh at 96%, and season 2, due April 7, looks on track to repeat that stellar Tomatometer performance. What makes these two characters so fearless? Their cat-and-mouse game for one, but also that they keep switching off in the cat and mouse roles, keeping audiences both engaged and appreciative.
(Photo by Jeff Weddell/Netflix)
Netflix’s iteration of Sabrina the Teenage Witch is decidedly much darker than the ’90s kid-TV version. Kiernan Shipka’s Sabrina is powerful — and not just because of her witchy abilities. This teenage witch looks death and darkness in the eye, and always trusts her intuition. There’s absolutely no quiver in her voice when she confronts a swarm of threatening witches at the start of the series. Sabrina refuses to give up her powers or sign her name away to the Dark Lord (i.e., the devil). She’s not about to let the underworld’s patriarchy control or undermine her.
(Photo by Colin Hutton / © BBC)
The story of Doctor Who — a time-traveling extraterrestrial lifeform who acts as a sort of space-time cop, battling intergalactic and alternate-universe threats and occasionally regenerating — took what is arguably its most profound turn yet with its 13th doctor. For the first time since the iconic British sci-fi series began airing in 1963, the Doctor regenerated as a woman. Whittaker took on more than just a staple of British pop culture when she agreed to play the role, but also its rabid fan base (for both good and bad). So hats off to the Doctor and her new adventures, as well as the brave woman who accepted the gig.
(Photo by © 2020 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™. All Rights Reserved.)
The Mandalorian brought three amazing women into its second season. Although we met Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) in the first season, we really only saw her brilliance in a battle and her sense of honor recently – and after watching her take out some Imperials, we definitely want her in our squad. Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff), meanwhile, made such an impact that we’re ready to follow her into flames to liberate Mandalore … even if her claim to the throne is currently shaky. And while Ahsoka Tano was already a fan favorite from animated Star Wars shows, her first live action appearance (in the form of Rosario Dawson) revealed a seasoned Force-user whose stories we will follow religiously.
(Photo by The CW)
Whether saving all of reality, throwing a bachelorette party across time, or finding their purpose in life, the women of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow are the key reason to watch the show. Each of their journeys allowed them to be, at various times, broken, zany, ill-prepared, tactical geniuses, and heroic. Not that it always happened in that order or leads them to the same end state. Charlie (Maisie Richardson-Sellars) found her peace and left the team. Zari 1.0 (Tala Ashe) accepted the world she came from no longer exists and stepped aside so Zari 2.0 (also Ashe) could become the hero she was meant to be. Meanwhile, Sara (Caity Lotz) and Ava (Jes Macallan), opposites in almost every respect, found cooperation and love with each other. Also, they ended up leading the team!
(Photo by The CW)
Although Ryan has only been on the job a few months, she’s already shaking up our perceptions of a Caped Crusader. We’ll be honest, we were worried when we first heard she would be “from the streets,” but that perspective proved to be more illuminating in terms of story and indicative of what happens when someone approaches superhero-ing with empathy regarding to reasons behind most crime – even if she still needs to fight the truly corrupt. Also, her life experiences gave her such an unexpected confidence in the suit that it now seems like she was always meant to wear it.
(Photo by ABC/Jennifer Clasen)
By virtue of seeing them to the end of the S.H.I.E.L.D. story, one of the most striking elements of Daisy Johnson (Chloe Bennet) and Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen) as characters is the way they became better by knowing each other. When we met them, Daisy – then called Skye – was youthful chaos while May was the absolute model of precision. At the same time, though, both had closed off great aspects of themselves for reasons revealed over the course of the program’s first four years. By the time they ended up 90 years in their own future, they were equals in terms of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, and by the time the series ended, equals as women and adoptive family. Their journey to become more open and confident (in ways others than you might expect) may not have been the program’s main story, but it is one of its most rewarding.
(Photo by Michelle Faye/Wynonna Earp Season 2, Inc./Syfy)
First and foremost, Wynonna is the hot mess you want in your corner. Always passionate and protective of those she loves, she is also, somehow, the same woman who walked back into Purgatory a few years back to raise literal hell. When the chips are down, she’ll get good and drunk before gathering herself and finding the courage to fight against the darkness. She’ll also be surprisingly funny in the midst of that doubt spiral. But that mixture of irreverence, irresponsibility, and, ultimately, perseverance is why we want her on our side and why we’ll always fight for her.
(Photo by Colin Bentley/The CW)
By the end of Arrow’s run, Star City was filled with women any superhero team would love to add to their roster. Whether quick with the quips like Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards), great in fight like Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy) and Dinah Drake (Juliana Harkavy), or born for the job like Mia Smoak-Queen (Katherine McNamara), each was a full-fledged hero whether or not they wore costumes or if their costumes varied wildly in different realities. And considering how dreadful some of the realities they visited could be, they are also all remarkably well self-possessed. Yes, even Felicity. It took a certain strength to raise a daughter far from friends knowing she will become the Green Arrow one day. It also took equal amounts of gumption and vulnerability for Laurel – a villain from a different Earth – to put her past behind her and grow into someone Dinah could forgive for killing one of the few people she ever loved. And though we never got to see the full story, we imagine Mia had a special fortitude to put up with Laurel and Dinah when they moved to her time in 2040.
(Photo by The CW)
In the most recent seasons of The Flash, Iris, Caitlin, and Killer Frost have all gone on journeys underscoring a certain fearlessness among them. For Iris, it was building her own newspaper, actually staffing it, and going after a story so big, its effects are still being felt. Caitlin’s journey saw her not just accepting her powers came with a different, wilder personality, but that Killer Frost had the right to be her own person even if they share the same body. Frost, meanwhile, took the opportunity Caitlin gave her to learn how to be a whole person with vulnerabilities, responsibilities, and even tact (well, sometimes).
(Photo by CHRISTOS KALOHORIDIS/NETFLIX)
For the Hargreeve sisters, overcoming fear was the only way to become better people and better siblings during their time away from the 21st century. In Allison’s case, it took the form of joining the 1960s Civil Rights movement without allowing her reality manipulation powers to do most of the work. Vanya’s faced a different challenge: forgiving Allison for convincing her she had no powers when they were children. Of course, losing her memory when she first arrived in 1961 and finding a caring, non-Hargreeve family might’ve helped. Nevertheless, for Allison to reach a point where she could help Vanya and for Vanya to reach a point where she would not just accept it, but smile about it is the greatest show of strength either has made to date.
(Photo by The CW)
Whether moving to a new town in Nebraska, learning how to fly, or convincing people that being better is worthwhile, Courtney’s courage is wrapped up in a surprisingly sunny optimism for a teenager who supposedly grew up on Southern California. Nevertheless, it makes her a compelling lead as it proves to be infectious among the friends she makes and the viewers at home. And if you recall how hard it was to get club in high school off the ground – or for that club to make the simplest decision – Courtney’s ability to resurrect the Justice Society of America with an handful of outcast teens is a superpower in its own right.
(Photo by The CW)
Anissa is fearless in her causes, whether she supports them as herself, the superhero known as Thunder, or the street vigilante and sometimes freedom fighter called Blackbird. Living with one superhero persona is hard enough – just ask her sister Jennifer – but two requires a special sort of fortitude just to recall who each identity has met and how many people know the secret about both, one, or neither. And that’s on top of caring for her girlfriend, who until very recently was in a coma. Nevertheless, Anissa gives a lot to what she believes in. Jennifer, meanwhile, took a longer road to accepting her powers and the desire to use them for the common good as Lightning. It’s still not easy, what with her mother asking about the SAT and a dubious social media presence, but at least she has a sense of purpose now. Contrast this with just a few years ago, when her fondest wish was just to be “normal.” That may just be the natural arc of a teenager, but it is still nonetheless heroic.
(Photo by History)
Vicious when necessary and as fierce in her passion as protecting her clan, Vikings’ lead matriarch set the standard for female warriors in Michael Hirst’s six-season saga of Ragnar Lothbrok and his savage brood, based on the true story of the 9th-century Danish king. By the time she said goodbye to the series in the last season, she was worshiped as a goddess by her people — and TV fans everywhere.
(Photo by Fox)
Series creators J.J. Abrams, Roberto Orci, and Alex Kurtzman conjured a late 2000s answer to The X-Files heroine Dana Scully, who Fox lost after nine seasons on TV in 2001. (She would later return for a two-season revival.) Dunham was the FBI muscle of the Fringe universe, however; leaving the scientific side of the search for whatever truth was out there mainly to her somewhat untrustworthy consulting partner Dr. Walter Bishop and his son Peter.
(Photo by Jill Greenberg / © Warner Brothers / Courtesy: Everett Collection)
Why on Earth would Sarah Connor trust a Terminator? She wouldn’t, which is one reason Cameron Philips doesn’t reveal her true nature until absolutely necessary to save teenage John Connor’s life. When his killer mom and the 2027-era Terminator team up, John’s smothered in a protective cocoon of fearless women.
(Photo by Syfy)
Each of this space opera’s principal female leads kicks major ass in her own way: Naomi Nagata (Dominique Tipper), an equal partner in ownership and operation of the Rocinante and brilliant engineer with a heart of gold; Chrisjen Avasarala (Shohreh Aghdashloo), the foul-mouthed planet leader who mops the floor with condescending politicians; Bobbie Draper (Frankie Adams), the former Mars Marine Corps. Gunnery Sergeant who now uses her very particular set of skills to help save the solar system; and Camina Drummer (Cara Gee), the Belter captain and former security chief who later makes a living as a space pirate.
(Photo by Amazon Prime Video)
She’s a teenage assassin with major daddy issues. When they cooked up Hanna in the lab, they broke the mold – sort of. In this Amazon Prime Video adaptation of the feature film, we come to find out that Hanna isn’t alone; she was part of a legion of designer killers raised from birth. With special training from her father, however, she may be the deadliest.
(Photo by Netflix)
Amidst the magical creatures of Netflix’s The Witcher, Ciri and Yennefer reign. In season 1, young Ciri was just learning about her deadly powers, while Yennefer journeyed from physically disabled farm girl to one of the realm’s most powerful sorceresses.
(Photo by HBO)
Angela works for the Tulsa police force as Sister Night in a world in which law enforcement officers don masks to hide their identities from racist extremists responsible for an attack on police. Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ 1986 DC Comics series serves as the inspiration for Damon Lindelof’s HBO show set 34 years after the events of the comic series in the Watchmen alternate reality.
(Photo by Elizabeth Morris/HBO)
Battling monsters, racists, and dark magic, Leti holds her own in the mystical world developed by Misha Green for HBO. The horror series is an adaptation of the 2016 novel by Matt Ruff set in the 1950s about the mysteries of the town where writer H. P. Lovecraft set his stories.
(Photo by Charlie Gray/Netflix)
Chess prodigy Beth Harmon ignores the mores of 1950s and ’60s America and pursues her passion for chess as she grows from a precocious child to a striking young woman. Along the way, she becomes a chess champion and travels the world.
(Photo by Sabrina Lantos/FX)
FX’s limited series Mrs. America, about the campaign to pass the Equal Rights Amendment and the Phyllis Schlafly-led campaign block it, was teeming with strong women – some who used their powers for good, and a couple who, shall we say, did not. But among a raft of inspirational characters and the rich performances that brought them to life (Rose Byrne as Gloria Steinem, Margo Martindale as Bella Abzug among them), it was Uzo Aduba’s Shirley Chisholm – the first African American Congresswoman and the first Black major party candidate to run for President – who stood out. The series, and Aduba’s embodiment of the determined and unbowed politician, brought Chisholm’s achievements once more into the public eye, sparking a renewed interest that might have just nudged forward the announcement of upcoming biopic Shirley, which will star Oscar winner Regina King.
(Photo by Disney+/Marvel Studios)
It might have been Agatha all along, but it was Wanda and Monica who gave viewers two very different types of compelling heroes to root for in Disney+’s first MCU series, WandaVision. With Wanda (Olsen), well, it was complicated: While her grief – and some skillful manipulation from outside forces – turned her into a psychological terrorist of sorts, holding an entire New Jersey town hostage under her mind-control powers, she ultimately overcame herself and her enemies, discovering and embracing new levels of power and making an ultimate sacrifice for good. (Did she take enough responsibility for the terror she unleashed? We will leave that to the dozens of think pieces asking that question across the Internet right now.) For Monica, the S.W.O.R.D. agent following in her mother’s footsteps who was always a step ahead of her superiors in working out the Hex and its implications, it’s less complicated. An unambiguous hero imbued with new powers at the series’ end – and an exciting path forward via the upcoming Captain Marvel 2 – the only real question was whether Monica was robbed of her moment to truly shine in her MCU debut.
(Photo by CBS)
At the center of two of the most compelling and complicated legal dramas of the last few decades are two of the most compelling and complicated TV characters to ever pass the bar. Both start their respective series, CBS’s The Good Wife and its Paramount+ spin-off The Good Fight, at low points: Wife’s Alicia Florrick (Margulies) at the side of her husband as he confesses to adultery during a packed press conference; in Fight’s first episode, Diane Lockhart (Baranski) has lost her fortune in a scheme and her hopes for the future (Trump has just been elected). Watching as they fight their way back, rebuilding their careers and their lives, is a bumpy, thrilling, and inspiring ride – one punctuated by plenty of whiskey (for Diane) and generous glasses of red (for Alicia).
(Photo by Netflix)
The title of this article says “fearless” – not “good.” Nor “decent.” Nor “exhibiting behavior we recommend you emulate.” And so it is that these two exemplary antiheroes and sometime murderers join the ranks of the Golden Girls and Wonder Woman, celebrated – or at least cautiously admired – for their ruthlessness in taking care of business in male-dominated criminal worlds. Wendy Byrde’s (Linney) journey from go-along-with-it wife of embezzler Marty (Jason Bateman) to deal-making leader of the family business is a brutal delight to witness. Meanwhile, scene-stealing Garner made Ruth Langmore – foul-mouthed, calculating, but ultimately caring leader of the rough-and-tumble Langmore clan – a formidable favorite from day one.
(Photo by NBC)
She’s been the head of an FBI unit and a criminal profiler. She knows how to keep her own history as under wraps as possible. She has dealt with subordinates calling her “sir” because they don’t like answering to a woman. She’s faked her own death. She can banter with a criminal mastermind played by James Spader. She can crack a case in under an hour. In short, do not mess with Elizabeth Keen.
(Photo by Everett Collection)
An astrophysicist and member of the U.S. Air Force who eventually rises up the ranks to colonel, Samantha Carter has the perfect LinkedIn resume to get the attention of anyone putting together an elite team of officers to venture into space in search of alien life. A Gulf War veteran who is daring but pragmatic, she is also protective of her team and definitely someone you want on your side when exploring the unknown.
(Photo by Carole Segal for Netflix)
Dogged with no time for makeup and blowouts, Sarah Linden does not like letting cases go unsolved – particularly when the victims are women and even if they affect her own mental health. She will obsess over crime files and — probably rightly so — question everyone else’s police work until she finds out, say, how a 17-year-old girl came to slowly drown while trapped in the trunk of a politician’s car or how to stop a serial killer who is preying on young runaways.
(Photo by Netflix)
A no-nonsense small-town cop who has seen way too much hardship in her life (her daughter killed herself; her sister is a recovering alcoholic and heroin addict), Sergeant Catherine Cawood is not to be trifled with. Not by a punk kid loitering in broad daylight. Not by the idiot criminals planning a kidnapping. And certainly not by Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton), the man who raped and impregnated her daughter.
(Photo by Netflix)
It’s the Wild West and women have to band together – particularly in a small New Mexico town like this Netflix miniseries set in an 1880s town where a mining accident claimed most of the men. The characters include Merritt Wever’s Mary Agnes, who is smart enough to know a bad deal from some greasy businessmen when she hears it, and Michelle Dockery’s Alice, a struggling single mom who is boss of her ranch. But the show is primarily remembered for its final episode. That’s when, sick of all the lies and bloodshed, the female characters and join forces, lock, and load inside the town’s hotel.
(Photo by Everett Collection)
The first female cyborg, Jamie Sommers could run fast and hear everything. She was also a pretty decent spy when she wasn’t busy teaching middle school. Sometimes, this included stopping a doomsday device. Others, it could mean fighting female robots or tracking down a bionic dog. She also makes time to find love and foster relationships outside of work.
(Photo by HBO)
It’s not every girl who gets to spend her childhood frolicking around Oxford and going on other adventures with her sidekick (or dæmon) pine marten before things get really weird. The quick-thinking (and silver-tongued) Lyra saves children from kidnappers, her father from prison and learns that maybe you shouldn’t trust adults. And that’s all before she crosses a portal to another world and finds all-new ways that she has to protect herself and learn who to trust.
(Photo by Netflix)
The women of Litchfield Penitentiary may be locked up, but they are not silenced. Over the course of the Netflix dramedy’s seven seasons, we saw characters like Danielle Brooks’ Taystee Jefferson, who negotiated with authorities after a riot and set up an educational system for inmates that would also honor Samira Wiley’s Poussey Washington, an inmate the system let down. There were also characters like Laverne Cox’s Sophia Burset, who fought discrimination and emerged from the prison as a prospering member of society, and Kate Mulgrew’s “Red” Reznikov, who might have had trouble on the outside but rose to power once incarcerated. And then there was Taylor Schilling’s Piper Chapman, who finally learned that she was no better than any of these people just because she came from privilege.
(Photo by Apple TV+)
Emily Dickinson was more than a recluse who kept her poetry mostly hidden from the world during her lifetime – and, in Hailee Steinfeld’s embodiment of her in the eponymous Apple TV+ series, one gets to see a modern take on what the writer’s life was like. Here, there’s twerking, romance with her sister-in-law, carriage rides with Death (Wiz Khalifa) and a natural inclination to fight her mother’s expectations that she marry a proper young man.
(Photo by Michael Parmalee / ©FX / Courtesy Everett Collection)
The category is … fearless! Introducing the eclectic group of performers who make up FX’s series about the New York City underground ball scene in the 1980s and ‘90s. Chief among them: Mj Rodriguez’s Blanca Rodriguez-Evangelista, who is creative (and also scrappy) enough to pull together her own “house” (or support group) where she can “mother” (or mentor) “children” with overlooked potential like Angel (Indya Moore) – or one of her rivals, the imposing and persevering Elektra Wintour (Dominique Jackson).
(Photo by Richard Cartwright/ABC/Courtesy Everett Collection)
Being so good at your job that you inspire a literary character is impressive enough, but Kate Beckett did it all while chaperoning Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion), a man-child author who shadowed her at work to draw inspiration for his latest literary heroine, Nikki Heat. Even better: Once the dynamic with her charge sparked, she was able to learn from his unique perspective as well. (Then, of course, they fell in love. A tale as old as time.)
(Photo by ABC/Jack Rowand)
Fairy tale princesses were typically portrayed as damsels in distress — but not the versions from ABC’s storybook drama that ran from 2011 to 2018. No, the women of Once Upon a Time — including Lana Parrilla as Regina/The Evil Queen, Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White, Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan, Emilie De Ravin as Belle, Rebecca Mader as The Wicked Witch — took on their traditional fairy tale roles, both good and evil, and turned those stereotypes around. Fun fact: OUAT was the first-ever Disney property to portray Snow White with a sword in hand. That’s pretty fearless.
Listen, things could’ve worked out pretty terribly for English teenager Alyssa, considering her partner in crime was a psychopath who wanted to kill her. But it was Alyssa who stepped up when she and James were in danger, and it was Alyssa who had the tenacity to keep going against impossible odds. Plus, she was darkly funny throughout their whole adventure.
(Photo by Sam Taylor / Netflix)
Not only are these two fiercely independent women used to taking care of themselves, but they’re also totally beyond buying into society’s internalized patriarchal values regarding sex and female pleasure. They know what they want and they know how to get it — but that hard outer shell can sometimes encase a gooey, vulnerable center.
(Photo by Anika Molnar/Netflix)
It takes more than courage to escape a sheltered life like Esther’s, having been born and raised into an insular Orthodox Jewish community in New York City. Despite the fact that she didn’t know any other way of life, she knew it wasn’t for her — and she risked everything to pursue the life she wanted.
(Photo by Beth Dubber/Netflix)
Not only did Detectives Duvall and Rasmussen solve a sexual assault case ignored by the male detectives who originally investigated it, they managed to bring justice to women across multiple states who had no closure surrounding their own traumatic assaults — and they’re both based on real-life people. Talk about fearless.
(Photo by Dean Hendler/NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection)
At first glance, Sarah Walker is a sweet, stunning girl-next-door type. That dazzling smile belies the fact that she’s also a blonde bombshell CIA agent with fierce fighting skills, serious smarts, and at least a half dozen aliases she can slip into at any moment.
(Photo by Jack Zeman / FOX)
As written, Athena Grant is a smart, badass LAPD Sergeant who is very good at her job. But thanks to the award-winning actor who plays her, she’s also kind, understanding, and layered. That means she helps save victims of earthquakes, highway collapses, serial bombings, human trafficking and much, much more, then goes home and finds time to be a kind, loving, understanding mom as well.
(Photo by Patrick McElhenney/FXX)
The characters of It’s Always Sunny can be ruthlessly mean — including (and sometimes especially) Sweet Dee, who can give just as good as she gets (and she takes a lot of crap from her coworkers at Paddy’s Pub). Ultimately, even if Dee doesn’t do the right thing in any given situation, she holds her own and shows viewers what the right thing actually is.
(Photo by FX)
After watching any season of Ryan Murphy’s horror anthology series it’s clear why he continues to work with the same troupe of actors year after year: they’re amazing. Whether up against villains real or imagined or embodying evil in some way, shape or form, the women of American Horror Story — Sarah Paulson, Kathy Bates, Jessica Lange, Frances Conroy, Lily Rabe, Angela Bassett, Emma Roberts, Taissa Farmiga, Adina Porter, Billie Lourd and more — crush it every time.
Don’t see your favorite fearless female on our list? Tell us all about it in the comments!
Contributors: Erik Amaya, Jean Bentley, Jacqueline Coley, Debbie Day, Whitney Friedlander, Ryan Fujitani, LaToya Furguson, Sophie-Marie Prime, Joel Meares, Allison Shoemaker, Ashley Bissette Sumerel, Alex Vo
After what feels like 18 months of anticipation and suspense, The CW’s “Crisis on Infinite Earths” concluded the only way it could on Tuesday night on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. Taking its inspiration from the 1985 DC Comics maxiseries, a certain change to the status quo was inevitable. But as the producers of the various programs explained to Rotten Tomatoes, this change was always the plan and key to the Arrowverse’s growth moving forward.
The new format may not be a surprise to readers of the original Crisis on Infinite Earths comics, but the choice to pull the trigger and do it on television — to say nothing of its implications for other DC Entertainment media — is unexpected. Well, perhaps not as unexpected as Crisis writer Marv Wolfman’s cameo, of course. Nevertheless, the change means the individual Arrowverse shows will look different when they begin to return next week, so take a tour with us as we investigate this new world and what the Arrowverse will look like in 2020.
(Photo by Colin Bentley/The CW)
As revealed on Tuesday night, the universe was reborn. In its wake is Earth-Prime, an amalgam world in which the CW heroes all co-exist.
“We knew from last year that we were going to merge [the worlds] and create Earth-CW, basically,” executive producer Marc Guggenhim said of the “Crisis” conclusion. In choosing a name for this new existence, Guggenheim and the other showrunners latched on to “Earth-Prime,” which in the DC Comics tradition is the Earth where we, the readers of DC Comics, are said to exist.
Of course, Earth-Prime became a fictional world when a Superboy appeared on it shortly before the original Crisis series. And it only gets more messy as subsequent writers returned to the idea and its “Superboy Prime.” But for Guggenheim, the name was the right fit for their new reality. “I just personally liked the sound of Earth-Prime. So all the CW shows [are there],” he said.
“[But] Riverdale’s not there,” Batwoman executive producer Caroline Dries interjected.
“That would be very weird,” DC’s Legends of Tomorrow co-showrunner Keto Shimizu added.
“The CW superhero shows,” Guggenheim clarified.
Though now united on one Earth, Guggenheim was quick to point out this new Earth is not the Earth-1 of Arrow, The Flash or Legends.
“It’s a completely different Earth,” he explained.
What that means in the long-term will be revealed as the individual shows move forward. For The Flash and Legends, Earth-Prime’s resemblance to Earth-1 means various quirks may continue to appear for seasons to come, like Nash (Tom Cavanagh) being a distinct entity from Harrison Wells. But for Supergirl and Black Lightning, both of which inhabited worlds of their own, Earth-Prime will be major changes to their status quos.
(Photo by Dean Buscher/The CW)
Supergirl co-showrunner Robert Rovener teased the Crisis was “a huge event,” and “impacts everything going on in the show.” This is certainly the case from the brief glimpses of the Earth-Prime National City in the final “Crisis” episode. Lex Luthor (Jon Cryer) is a beloved humanitarian who owns the DEO. He is also Supergirl’s chief supporter, or so we’re told. How this will actually play out is anyone’s guess, but we assume the Lex’s presence may alter Kara’s (Melissa Benoist) problems with Lena (Katie McGrath) and Leviathan considerably.
But even as these concerns simmer, the show’s technological bent will continue with Winn Schott (Jeremy Jordan) returning from the 31st century. Hopefully, the 31st century of the Legion of Superheroes is a brighter place thanks to Winn’s time there. Maybe he can bring some of that positivity back to the 21st century.
Though Black Lightning‘s creative team was unavailable for comment on the Earth-Prime status quo, stars Christine Adams and Marvin “Krondon” Jones III offered a few glimpses into their post-“Crisis” reality.
“We are exposed to [the] other universes. It’s going to become bigger in Freeland,” Jones said.
But even with new worlds opened to them — and Jefferson (Cress Williams) obtaining a seat at the Hall of Justice — the situation in Freeland may leave them walled in for some time yet. Of course, Jefferson’s new membership in the superhero community may leave viewers to wonder why Barry (Grant Gustin) and Kara are not rushing to his aid. In our reality, it comes down to the fact Black Lightning is shot in Atlanta while the rest of the shows are produced in Vancouver, but Earth-Prime will need to find a good answer for the series standing apart from its Arrowverse siblings.
As Adams put it, “In a world that was kind of real before and set in a real place versus this crossover world, how are we going to marry those two things?”
Of course, moving Black Lightning and its situation to Earth-Prime means the Markovians will be dealing with more superheroes beyond the Pierce family. Maybe Jefferson can finally form the Outsiders.
Since Earth-Prime resembles Earth-1, Dries said the biggest “Crisis” shock wave Kate (Ruby Rose) faces will stem from that broken Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy) she encountered in Part 2.
“She just looked at her future in the mirror, and is like, ‘Is this who I’m going to become?’” Dries said of the crossover’s lasting emotional impact.
That worry will also seed the continuing friendship between Kate and Kara — a “World’s Finest” pairing already glimpsed in “Crisis” itself and further cemented by Kate’s presence alongside the Danvers sisters in the story’s final minutes.
As for Alice (Rachel Skarsten) and the other characters?
“It’s a little tricky, because our characters aren’t yet exposed to this notion of multiple universes, and superheroes with powers and stuff,” Dries said.
“’Crisis’ hits [Sara] pretty hard,” Shimizu said. “[But] in a good way.”
It’s easy to think Oliver’s insistence on the heroes building trust will be part of Sara’s story going forward. With Constantine (Matt Ryan), Mick (Dominic Purcell), Nora, and Charlie (Maisie Richardson-Sellars) always ready to choose the morally-gray option, establishing trust is definitely a good thing — even if its just trusting Mick to rob a place blind.
And as “Crisis” seemingly left Sara as the overall leader of the superhero community, it is possible the new season of Legends will focus on her becoming comfortable with the idea.
Also, there’s that issue about Behrad (Shayan Sobhian) replacing Zari (Tala Ashe) as a Legend. That will no doubt be a runner as the Legends attempt to return history’s greatest monsters back into Hell.
“Sue’s such a delight,” Wallace told us back in October.
But do not expect any of season 6’s stories to lead in the direction of Nora West-Allen’s birth.
“Not this season,” Wallace said. “But that doesn’t mean a huge hint to Nora isn’t coming.”
And, as it happens, some of Iris West’s experiences during the Bronze Age of comics may become fodder for the show.
“We do need Iris emotionally to get to this place,” he teased. “Now, that storyline supports that.”
And considering Nash’s role in the final part of “Crisis,” we imagine he will be atoning for his misdeeds and finding a new life for himself on this new Earth-Prime.
For those with quick memories, Felicity was last seen in 2040, telling the Monitor (LaMonica Garrett) she was ready to be reunited with Oliver. Does he still live on some other plane of existence or will she also reach for the peace Oliver accepted at end of “Crisis?”
(Photo by Katie Yu/The CW)
Though not discussed by the showrunners when we spoke to them about “Crisis,” Superman (Tyler Hoechlin) and Lois’s (Elizabeth Tulloch) survival leads into their own series, Superman and Lois. The program will debut in the 2020-2021 broadcast season and see the two adjusting to life as working parents. Lois’ reference to “the boys” suggests Clark will have to deal with more than baby Jonathan when he gets home. Presumably, the series will age him to a tween or teenage while the second child takes his place as an infant. Anything is possible — just look at the way Sara Diggle was restored and made a little older than J.J.
(Photo by DC Universe)
And as revealed in the “Crisis” conclusion, Stargirl (which will stream on DC Universe and air on The CW the next day) will take place on a newly reformed Earth-2. It makes total sense as Stargirl (Brec Bassinger) has strong ties to the Justice Society of America — a team traditionally placed on Earth-2 in the comics.
Meanwhile, it was also nice to see Titans recognized as the show of Earth-9, Doom Patrol as happening on Earth-21, and Swamp Thing taking place on Earth-19. Since most of the DC Universe shows are also produced by Arrowverse mastermind Greg Berlanti, giving them a place in the Multiverse was one of the miniseries’ greatest surprises.
As for the Multiverse, it has been born anew with Earth-Prime as its new anchor. While the original Crisis comic book condensed all realities into one new Earth, the producers of the television “Crisis” saw the value in keeping the concept around around.
Now, the DC Universe streaming series, theatrical films, and upcoming shows like HBO Max’s Green Lantern all exist within a framework very close to the CW’s reality. And as Ezra Miller‘s absolutely shocking appearance in “Crisis” confirms, the Arrowverse is a place where anything can happen and just about any DC Comics character can appear. It is, oddly enough, the best of all possibilities and an inadvertent fix to DC Entertainment’s wild and sometimes contradictory array of content — they are all true in the infinitude.
At least until the next crisis. But at least there will be a group of Superfriends to defend reality against it.
Fall TV is still in full swing this month, which means more and more shows for your viewing pleasure. While you decide which new ones to tune into, catch up on the 13 series below — all of which are Certified Fresh returnees with zombies, superheroes, and brainiacs to spare.
What it is: Elizabeth Olsen stars as Leigh Shaw, a widow in mourning who, unable to bear living in the apartment she shared with husband, quits her job as a magazine writer and moves in with her mother. What follows is a nuanced character study of those left behind in death’s wake.
Why you should watch it: It’s not easy to make a show on grief, much less sell it. But I’m Sorry for Your Loss is benefited by its thoughtful and thought-provoking scripts from playwright-turned-series creator Kit Steinkellner and nuanced, heartbreaking performances from Olsen, Janet McTeer as her mother, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi‘s Kelly Marie Tran as her sister. Plus, it’s perfectly timed at just 30 minutes per episode. Season 2 premiered October 1 on Facebook Watch.
Where to watch: Facebook Watch
Commitment: Approx. 5 hours (for the first season)
What it is: Co-created by Nick Kroll and featuring the voice talents of comedy heavy-hitters like John Mulaney, Fred Armisen, Maya Rudolph, and Jenny Slate, Big Mouth is a coming-of-age series about awkward teens discovering their sexuality through the raging hormones of puberty.
Why you should watch it: We’ve seen plenty of naughty comedies in the past, but none of them excavate the triumphs and traumas of pubescent adolescence quite as fearlessly or uproariously as Big Mouth. Season 3 premieres in full on October 4.
Where to watch: Netflix
Commitment: Approx. 10.5 hours (for the first two seasons, plus a Valentine’s Day special)
What it is: The going’s rough and tough in this BBC and Netflix co-production from creator Stephen Knight. Charting the rise of the notorious Peaky Blinders gang in post-WWI England, the long-running drama is led by a never-better Cillian Murphy as the fearless, cold-blooded leader, Tommy Shelby.
Why you should watch it: Between its production design, its larger-than-life performances, and airtight writing and direction, this period series takes some big swings and lands each one. Murphy delivers as the icy Tommy, and Helen McCrory is stellar as the series’ hard-as-nails matriarch. Throw into the mix a strong, talent-heavy ensemble — including turns from the likes of Tom Hardy and Aidan Gillen — and Peaky Blinders earns its reputation as one of the best series that you just might be sleeping on. Season 5 premieres on October 4 on Netflix.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Microsoft, Netflix, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 24 hours (for the first four seasons)
What it is: This decorated, mind-teaser of a series from creator Sam Esmail is at its core the story of Elliot, played by 2018 Oscar winner Rami Malek in a role that nabbed him an Emmy for best actor after season 1. Elliot is a mentally unstable (see: socially anxious, depressed, and drug-addicted) hacktivist recruited into “fsociety” by one Mr. Robot (Christian Slater). Confused? Intrigued? Just watch it.
Why you should watch it: Over the course of three seasons, Mr. Robot has made it near-impossible to look away. Few other series today make for water-cooler fare at work, but Esmail — with the help of Malek, Slater, and an impressive supporting ensemble cast — taps into the cultural consciousness with a premise as timely as it is ambitious. Its fourth and final season premieres on October 6 on USA Network.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 24 hours (for the first three seasons)
What it is: Ever wonder what the other surviving Kryptonians (what few of them are left) are up to while Superman is out there saving the world? Well, turns out his cousin, Kara Zor-El (aka Supergirl) is up to just about the same thing. This is her story.
Why you should watch it: It took until the second season for this DC Comics series to really nail down its tone on the CW with star Melissa Benoist and co., but there’s no doubt that it today ranks as one of the most formidable hour-long outings in the superhero comics-to-screen universe. Season 5 premieres on October 6 on The CW.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Microsoft, Netflix, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 65 hours (for the first four seasons)
What it is: Don’t know what The Walking Dead is? You may want to check your pulse…
Why you should watch it: Based on the comic book series by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard’s post-apocalyptic premise of zombies walking the Earth and ending mankind as we know it, the acclaimed series developed by creator Frank Darabont indulges in gore and “what if” fascinations. These are characters brought to life with bone-deep precision from a stable of some of TV’s greatest talents. You just never know when your favorite will bite the dust, but that’s admittedly part of the fun, too. Tune into this season to catch Black Panther star Danai Gurira’s final outing. Season 10 premieres on October 6 on AMC.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Microsoft, Netflix, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 98 hours (for the first nine seasons)
What it is: Inspired by the true story of former NFL-er Spencer Paysinger, this drama series from creator April Blair follows a talented high school football player from South L.A. who’s drafted to play for Beverly Hills — and the social and professional tensions that build when two worlds collide.
Why you should watch it: Hailed by the Hollywood Reporter the best new broadcast network drama of 2018, All American bears ingredients from some of our favorite teen and sports dramas of yesteryear while managing to stand out from the pack thanks to its central performances: newcomer Daniel Ezra as the recruited football star Spencer James and Taye Diggs as the NFL star-turned-Beverly Hills coach who sees a future in him. Season 2 premieres on October 7 on The CW.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Microsoft, Netflix, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 12 hours (for the first season)
What it is: Grant Gustin is crime scene investigator–turned–crime scene vigilante Barry Allen (aka the Flash), a lightning-enhanced fastest man alive. The story follows Barry’s crime-fighting adventures alongside a group of friends with their own special abilities.
Why you should watch it: You don’t gain an adoring following like that of The Flash without bringing edge-of-your-seat comic-book action and suspense, lovable characters and story arcs, and pitch-perfect performances week to week. Equal parts charming and high-octane in all the right ways, this DC Comics offering keeps us coming back for more. Season 6 premieres on October 6 on The CW.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Microsoft, Netflix, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 82 hours (for the first five seasons)
What it is: Riverdale is the latest TV adaptation of the beloved Archie comics of yore — only this time, it gets the CW treatment as a murder mystery–thriller with hot, live-action high schoolers played by KJ Apa, Camila Mendes, Lili Reinhart, and Cole Sprouse. This is not your mom and dad’s Archie.
Why you should watch it: We’ll say it: Riverdale ranks among the best teen dramas to come out of primetime since Gossip Girl, and it deserves the viewership and brand ubiquity to match. It’s the classic Archie we know with a heaping serving of sex appeal and a dash of True Detective. What’s not to love? Season 4 premieres on October 9 on The CW.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Microsoft, Netflix, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 42 hours (for the first three seasons)
What it is: Walter White is a high school chemistry professor who, after a terminal cancer diagnosis, begins cooking and selling methamphetamine to pay off his mounting medical bills and take care of his family. With that, what starts as a compelling enough premise in Vince Gilligan’s genre-defining character study builds to become one of the greatest series ever to grace the small screen.
Why you should watch it: As played by Bryan Cranston (who won a whopping five Emmys for the role), Walter White is one of the most iconic television characters of the 21st century. Meeting him mark for mark is Emmy winner Aaron Paul as his delinquent co-conspirator and cook, Jesse Pinkman. To watch the two of them play off each other while diving deeper into the underbelly of drugs and crime in New Mexico is about as good as TV gets. Binge all five groundbreaking seasons before its much-anticipated feature film bookend, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, premieres on October 11 on Netflix.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Microsoft, Netflix, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 46.5 hours (for all five seasons)
What it is: Set in the fictional, titular Maine town and drawn from the expansive works of Stephen King, this anthology series from creators Sam Shaw and Dustin Thomason uses characters both classic and new to re-imagine the author’s best works for the small screen. Season 1 was largely inspired by The Shawshank Redemption, while the second outing looks to pull from Misery.
Why you should watch it: With executive producers like King himself and blockbuster filmmaker J.J. Abrams at the helm, you know you’re in for some tricks along with your treats. And with Halloween right around the corner, the return of this hit horror series is sure to get you in the appropriate holiday spirit. Season 1 features standout performances from the likes of Andre Holland, Sissy Spacek, and Bill Skarsgård (himself a King-universe vet thanks to his Pennywise role in the record-breaking It films). Lizzy Caplan promises to light up the screen in season 2, which serves as something of a prequel or origin story for Misery’s demented nurse Annie Wilkes. Get a taste of the King-inspired mayhem before the new season’s October 23 premiere on Hulu.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Hulu, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 8.5 hours (for the first season)
What it is: Chuck Lorre knows TV, but we’ve never seen The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men mastermind tackle something quite like The Kominsky Method, a half-hour, single-cam comedy that follows an aging acting coach and his agent in contemporary Hollywood. Both a stinging comedy on the industry’s lasting truths and a revealing, humorous look at men of a certain age, the series racked up two Golden Globes earlier this year, including Best Musical or Comedy Television Series.
Why you should watch it: Few things have been more satisfying over the last few years than watching Hollywood heavy-hitters deliver career-best work on the small screen. Among them are Oscar winners Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin as the central Sandy Kominsky and his longtime agent and friend Norman Newlander, respectively. The pair’s rat-a-tat everyman rapport goes down easy, even when they’re not on their best behavior. Season 2 premieres on October 25 on Netflix.
Where to watch it: Netflix
Commitment: Approx. 4 hours (for the first season)
What it is: This acclaimed HBO comedy from creators John Altschuler, Mike Judge, and Dave Krinsky is the story of wunderkind coder Richard Hendricks (Thomas Middleditch) as he and partner Erlich Bachman (T.J. Miller) struggle to get their startup off the ground during Northern California’s tech boom.
Why you should watch it: Few shows pack as many laughs-per-episode as Silicon Valley. Through its hilarious portrayal of a company on the rise, it also taps into the real-world “brotopia” of the West Coast’s tech industry in more than just name with an assortment of memorable (and in the case of Middleditch, Emmy-nominated) performances across the board. Its sixth and final season premieres on October 27 on HBO.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, HBO Now, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 23 hours (for the first five seasons)
While The CW’s Arrowverse returns in a few weeks to set up the individual plots of each show, the week of October 6 will also likely feature more than one nod to the December crossover “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” The longest running individual shows — Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow — have been teasing the event since the conclusion of last winter’s “Elseworlds” crossover, and considering the story they are trying to adapt, spending a year teasing it is worthwhile. Crisis on Infinite Earths is a milestone in comics history and a beast of a story.
But if all you’ve heard about Crisis is its impressive scale, let’s take a look at the story and everything we know about The CW’s version of it to glean what it might look like and how it might change the Arrowverse come winter.
(Photo by Jack Rowand/The CW)
In 1956, DC Comics began introducing new versions of many of their classic characters from wartime comics like All-Flash Comics and All-American Comics. Many of the mystical characters, like the original version of Green Lantern, were revamped into science fiction characters, but even science-based characters like The Flash saw radical changes in costume and character. But in tipping a hat to the past, writer Robert Kanigher included an interesting quirk in Barry Allen’s first story: he took his superhero identity from a comic book featuring the original Flash.
Eventually, the two characters met (in The Flash #123), revealing the comics on Barry’s Earth-1 replicated the adventures of older Flash Jay Garrick, who happened to live on Earth-2. The story established the DC multiverse – a collection of parallel worlds where changes both big and small created new story potential – and it eventually led to big crossover in the pages of Justice League of America in which the heroes of Earth-1 and Earth-2 met to save the day.
The crossover’s name was “Crisis on Earths 1 and 2.”
It established a tradition for Justice League: Every so often, the League would face a Crisis, meeting the inhabitants of another Earth, and save the day. Besides showcasing other versions of characters or characters DC bought from other publishers, it proved to be a popular and fun gimmick.
(Photo by Jeff Weddell/The CW)
Flash forward a few decades and the collection of alternate worlds like Earth-3 (where the League is a criminal syndicate) and Earth-X (where World War II continues to rage into the 1980s) became too much for DC’s readers and editorial staff to keep straight. New Teen Titans writer Marv Wolfman, assigned to write to a definitive history of the DC Universe, campaigned to streamline the company’s shared reality into something much more manageable. It also gave the opportunity to tell a Ragnarok-style yarn. And in honor of those “Crisis” crossovers, it was eventually titled Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Timed with DC’s 50th anniversary, the story saw characters from various Earths pulled together by a being known as The Monitor to stop his twin, The Anti-Monitor, from consuming all of the Multiverse until only his antimatter universe remained. It is stuffed with every character DC owned at the time — and even a few sneaky one-panel cameos from some Marvel Comics characters like Peter Parker — and charted destruction on a universal scale. In its opening moments, the Earth-3 mentioned above is destroyed. The death toll included some marquee characters like Barry Allen and Supergirl, but they were far from the only people lost during the Crisis.
Roughly half-way through the series’ 12-issue run, only five universes remained. A plan is hatched to move them into a nether realm safe from the Anti-Monitor. These do not go exactly as planned, but the key editorial decision behind Crisis was accomplished: only one Earth remained to house all the DC Comics characters. Barry Allen was now directly inspired by Jay Garrick’s exploits as the Flash during World War II and an era of superheroes occurred decades before the arrival of Superman.
The streamlining didn’t work out quite the way Wolfman and the editorial staff hoped — particularly as some individual titles waited as long as 18 months after Crisis’s conclusion to revamp their characters — but the story itself is a spectacular example of the event-storylines superhero comics would trade in for decades to come.
Also, because nothing stays dead in superhero comics, the DC Multiverse eventually returned.
(Photo by Diyah Pera/The CW)
One thing we didn’t mention about Crisis was the set-up. A year before the series was due to launch, Wolfman introduced The Monitor in the pages of New Teen Titans #21 as a shadowy, ambiguous figure. The character began popping up in various titles — making his first full appearance in G.I. Combat #274 — before the first issue of Crisis revealed his real goal.
This is key because The CW pulled the same trick in The Flash’s 100th episode. In its stinger scene, we’re introduced to The Monitor (LaMonica Garrett, pictured above) as he pronounces judgment on Earth-90. And as he seemingly ends that universe, it’s Flash (John Wesley Shipp, reprising his role from the 1990s Flash TV Show) speeds away to another Earth. With its red skies and dead heroes strewn about, the stinger couldn’t be more Crisis. It also left viewers curious about The Monitor’s aims.
And like the lead-up to the comic book Crisis, we suspect The Monitor will continue to intrude on the various series throughout the Fall. As seen in Arrow’s seventh season finale, The Monitor will be directing Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) on a mission which will, presumably, see him hopping to different realities. At least, we’re pretty certain that’s why we’ll see Moira Queen (Susanna Thompson) and Tommy Merlyn (Colin O’Donnell) alive and well in the season 8 premiere.
Over on Flash, we expect he may taunt Barry (Grant Gustin) with the details of his upcoming disappearance. Slated for 2024 since the series began, the events of the program’s fifth season finale brought that ticking clock to 2019. Additionally, new villain Bloodwork’s (Sendhil Ramamurthy) story will lead into the Crisis itself.
Meanwhile, on Supergirl, The Monitor appeared to pull J’onn ‘Jonzz’s (David Harewood) brother Malefic out of time and space to cause trouble on Earth-38. And on Legends — well, he just watched the circus from afar. But that has to mean something, right?
(Photo by Katie Yu/The CW)
The Monitor’s distance from Legends may reflect the unusual broadcast pattern of “Crisis.” The story begins with the Dec. 8 episode of Supergirl, continuing into a special Monday night airing of Batwoman and a regularly scheduled Tuesday night episode of The Flash on Dec. 10 before pausing for the winter hiatus. The story then concludes on Tuesday, Jan. 14 with Arrow and a “special episode” of Legends. The show is literally as far as it can be from interacting with him and if the television “Crisis” follows the comic book plot, he may not be around to cause them much trouble.
Other things we expect to see during “Crisis” include a trippy origin for the multiverse, plenty of in-jokes as worlds disappear, the shocking removal of The Monitor by the most unlikely character, a few Earths merging into one, and maybe even a heroic Luthor showing up to save the day.
Oh, and many, many deaths.
Like the source material, the body count during “Crisis” must be high. Will we lose King Shark or Gorilla Grodd? Will Ricardo Diaz (Kirk Acevedo) appear from another Earth just to bite it again? Will former CCPD Captain Singh (Patrick Sabongui) make one last brave stand? It is hard to say. Recurring characters are definitively vulnerable, but a Crisis requires some key character sacrificing their lives to save the universe. Take you bets on whole looks like dead meat now.
One echo of Crisis we don’t expect to see is the death of Kara Zor-El (Melissa Benoist). For one thing, Oliver seemingly spared her that fate when he bargained with The Monitor for her life during “Elseworlds.” Also, her show isn’t ending and Benoist contract is not expiring. But Arrow itself is ending and one actor’s time on Supergirl is almost up. This makes Oliver and James Olsen (Mehcad Brooks) more likely candidates to die during some noble sacrifice.
And Crisis’s other famous death? We imagine the Earth-90 Flash will take Barry’s place in whatever destiny The Monitor foresaw for him. And considering the heartstrings Shipp can pull whenever he has to tell Gustin’s Barry goodbye, we expect this scene will rank high on the emotional scale. Also, as much as we love Carlos Valdes and Cisco Ramon, “Crisis” would be a good place to make a last stand.
(Photo by Warner Bros. / Courtesy: Everett Collection)
And like the Crisis comic, the crossover event will feature tons of special guests and cameos from the rich history of DC Comics television. As mentioned, Shipp will return for what we assume will be his last appearance as the 1990s Flash. Batman ’66’s Burt Ward will appear in an as-yet unannounced role while Batman: The Animated Series’s Kevin Conroy will finally make his on-screen debut as Bruce Wayne … or, at least, a Bruce Wayne from the future.
Meanwhile, Legends star Brandon Routh (pictured above) will appear as another Earth’s Superman (a callback to the time the actor starred as the character in 2006’s Superman Returns), while also appearing as his Legends character Ray Palmer. Tyler Hoechlin will also return as the Earth-38 Superman of Supergirl and, presumably, at least one or two more Supermen from other worlds. Elizabeth Tulloch and Jon Cryer will also return as the Earth-38 Lois Lane and Lex Luthor.
Also playing a double role is The Flash’s Tom Cavanagh. Besides portraying a new version of Harrison Wells, he will be taking on the role of Pariah, a key Crisis character. It may be one of the most inspired cast choices yet announced because of course Pariah — who sets the Anti-Monitor’s wave of destruction in motion — is another Harrison Wells. At least, we’re assuming Pariah is another Wells. It feels right for the Arrowverse.
Black Lightning will not be an official part of the crossover, but as confirmed in August, the characters will be making their Arrowverse debut during the episodes.
Tying it all together will be Garrett, who will reprise his “Elseworlds” role as The Monitor and play the Anti-Monitor himself.
(Photo by The CW)
Back in the comics, the DC Universe following Crisis eventually took on the term “Post-Crisis” to differentiate itself from the days of the multiverse. In that new reality, the full extent of the Crisis was forgotten. The various worlds never existed and the survivors’ memories realigned to the new status quo. Only the criminal Psycho-Pirate recalled the Pre-Crisis multiverse and his memories lingered on as a potential threat.
The Arrowverse after its “Crisis” may run along the same lines. If Earth-1 and Earth-38 merge, it is entirely possible no one will remember a time when National City, Supergirl, and the rest were absent from Earth-1. This may be the real reason The Flash will feature a new big bad in the spring — initial villain Bloodwork may have been erased from existence.
For the moment, though, we’re going to assume Black Lighting will continue on in its own separate universe even if we’d love to see Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams, pictured above) and the rest of his family interact with Team Flash or Supergirl’s Brainiac 5 (Jesse Rath). Sadly the realities of production — Black Lighting shoots in Atlanta while the rest of the shows shoot in Vancouver — make it more difficult for the characters to strike up friendships.
But a potential Earth-1/Earth-38 merger makes the friendship between Batwoman (Ruby Rose) and Kara much more likely. Instead of hopping across a universe, Gotham City would be a short flight away. And much like the streamlining of the DC Universe in the 1980s made relationships across the different generations of heroes possible, we want all six shows to interact as freely as they can.
As for Batwoman itself, it is hard to say how the Crisis will leave a lasting impact. The series will only be eight episodes old by the time it is over and not really established. Perhaps exposing Kate to the strange cosmic workings of the universe will leave some impression on her. Ultimately, though, it will have to get back to telling its story.
Which is the case of all of the shows, of course. Flash will get a new villain, Arrow will conclude its run with two episodes following “Crisis,” Supergirl will power on, and Legends will continue to be Legends. But “Crisis” will leave its mark for anyone willing to look closer and wonder if the old status quo can ever be revived. And like Psycho-Pirate, we will remember when worlds lived, worlds died, and everything was changed.
For those on the ground, Comic-Con is all about out-cosplaying each other and getting up close, personal, and maybe a little sweaty, with their favorite artists, writers, actors, showrunners, toymakers, and more. For those outside of the San Diego bubble, it’s all about first-look clips and fresh-out-of-the-edit-suite new trailers. We’ll have them right here as they drop, with the newest trailers at the top.
Movies | TV
Rick Grimes is dead. Long live Rick Grimes. The Walking Dead is coming to the big screen and though this teaser doesn’t reveal much, it’s the first promo at all we’ve seen for it.
We’re getting the first full look of Chadwick Boseman’s police thriller 21 Bridges, which follows an embattled NYPD detective thrust into a citywide manhunt after uncovering a massive and unexpected conspiracy.
In theaters September 27, 2019.
Arnie’s back in action as Comic-Con hosts a new lengthy look at Terminator: Dark Fate, which will ignore every sequel after T2: Judgment Day. Linda Hamilton has long been known to be back as Sarah Connor, featuring prominently in the promo material thus far, but now it’s been confirmed that Edward Furlong is also back as not-so-young son John.
In theaters November 1, 2019.
Comic-Con is feeling the need! Tom Cruise made a surprise appearance in San Diego, reminiscing about making the original Top Gun in town and even across the street from the convention center 34 years ago. Cruise returns as Maverick who’s set to instruct Goose’s son (Miles Teller) into the open skies, in a movie he calls a love letter to aviation.
In theaters June 26, 2020.
The Askewniverse just got a little more crowded as Kevin Smith releases the first trailer for Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, where our two titular heroic heartthrobs smoke, fight, and pop culture reference their way to California to stop a Hollywood reboot of their comic book movie. Smith has lost none of his loquacity in recent years as evidenced not only by his burgeoning podcast empire, but the sheer amount of celebrities he’s convinced to show up for some R-rated cameos.
In theaters in 2019.
It’s 27 years after the events of the first It. The Losers Club has moved on and they’re all (penny)wiser from the experience, and not unlikely carrying a significant amount of trauma baggage. Bill Hader, Jessica Chastain, and James McAvoy are among the reformed adults Losers, who are called back to their always seemingly idyllic hometown to put an end to the trickster murder-clown once and for all.
In theaters in September 6, 2019.
Movies | TV
DC Universe gave fans a naughty look at Harley Quinn’s new animated series, with guest appearances by Aquaman, Batman, The Joker, Poison Ivy and more DC favorites.
Harley Quinn is coming soon to DC Universe.
In this full scene from The Magicians season 5, Julia Wicker (Stella Maeve) meets pig man Sir Effingham, who introduces a new quest for her.
Season 5 premieres in 2020 on Syfy.
Wynonna Earp promised “Everything you asked for” and shared a blooper reel.
Season 4 premieres in 2020 on Syfy.
The Flash introduced fans to Dr. Ramsey Rosso (Sendhil Ramamurth), aka Bloodwork. He doesn’t seem so bad. All he wants to do is prevent anyone from ever dying again. What could possibly go wrong?
Season 6 premieres October 8 at 8PM on The CW.
Supergirl gave fans a look at Kara (Melissa Benoist)’s new one-piece suit, and new cast members Julie Gonzalo and William Dey. This season, Supergirl’s new foe isn’t a villian. It’s addictive technology.
Season 5 premieres October 6 at 8PM on The CW.
Black Lightning also took a look back at the Pierce family joining forces as electric powered superheroes, ending with a tease as they’re recruited to fight the Markovian War in season 3.
Season 3 premieres October 21 at 9PM on The CW.
Arrow, the show that launched the Arrowverse on The CW, is coming to an end after its eighth season. They’re not revealing much about the big finale in this first look, which focuses more on a look back at the Arrowverse’s flagship series.
Season 8 premieres October 15 on The CW.
The final season of The Man in the High Castle begins this fall. The first scene shows Juliana (Alexa Davalos) waking up in a flower bed and stumbling across a seemingly good version of John Smith (Rufus Sewell), plus another unexpected reunion.
Season 4 pemieres November 15 on Amazon Prime.
Fans of the movie Snowpiercer have waited years to see TBS’s series adaptation, through different directors and showrunners and retooled pilots. Showrunner Graeme Mason and cast members Jennifer Connell, Daveed Diggs, Alison Wright, and Mickey Summer finally brought the first look to Comic-Con, which looks remarkably faithful to the film from tail to engine car.
Snowpiercer premieres next spring on TBS.
YouTube’s 100% fresh series Impulse returns for a second season as Henry (Maddie Hasson) tries to learn how to use her teleportation powers. If you need to catch up, YouTube is offering the whole first season free this summer.
Season 2 premieres this fall on YouTube Premium.
Peter joins Beavis and Butt-Head and Meg becomes anime in season 18 of Family Guy. Plus, the Griffins survive disasters of fire and water and Quagmire has a house full of cats. Giggity giggity meow meow!
Season 18 premieres September 29 on Fox.
Ever since Amazon saved The Expanse from cancellation at Syfy, fans have been waiting to find out when season 4 would appear on Prime. The Comic-Con trailer finally revealed that, as well as the Rocinante landing on the new planet Ilus. If that’s where season 4 begins, what’s in store for them on Ilus?
Season 4 premieres December 13 on Amazon Prime.
Shorter trailer for The Expanse season 4.
Season 4 premieres December 13 on Amazon Prime.
Trailer for Westworld: Season 3 () 73%
Ever since the hosts escaped the park, we’ve been waiting to see how they make it in the real world. HBO’s Comic-Con trailer gives us a peak, as well as a glimpse at Aaron Paul’s new character and perhaps a WWII era park. Also, Bernard (Jeffrey Wright) and The Man in Black (Ed Harris) aren’t gone yet either.
Westworld season 3 returns in 2020 on HBO.
It’s finally here! The trailer for Star Trek: Picard not only shows Patrick Stewart resuming his seat on the bridge, but Brent Spiner returns as Data (finally resolving the end of Star Trek: Nemesis), Borg actor Jonathan Del Arco is back, and even Voyager‘s Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) joins Jean-Luc Picard.
Star Trek: Picard beams onto CBS All Access in early 2020.
Coming up on season 2 of Disney’s Ducktales reboot are adventures in space and time, plus cameos from Donald and Gizmoduck!
Ducktales is now airing on Disney Channel.
The second season of History Channel’s Project Blue Book catches up to the Roswell landing, as Hynek (Aiden Gillen) doesn’t believe the official story about a weather balloon.
Project Blue Book season 2 returns this winter on History.
As we’re all learning what social media and apps like Face are doing with our data, Fox has a new event series about AI that really is trying to take over, including a device very similar to Alexa.
NeXt is coming in 2020 to Fox.
Can’t wait for Star Trek: Picard or season 3 of Star Trek: Discovery? Tide yourself over with more Star Trek: Short Treks. The trailer for six new shorts features Trek favorites Spock, Pike and Tribbles!
More Star Trek: Short Treks arrives this fall on CBS All Access.
HBO gave us a look at Damon Lindelof’s Watchmen series, starring Regina King, Jeremy Irons and Jean Smart, and showing us the world after the Alan Moore comic and Zack Snyder movie. Get a glimpse at some new masked vigilantes and some hints at where the surviving Dr. Manhattan is hiding in the new trailer.
Watchmen premieres this October on HBO.
The end is nigh for Preacher as Jesse (Dominic Cooper), Tulip (Ruth Negga) and Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun) try to stop the apocalypse while Hilter (Noah Taylor) plays both the piano and racquetball in Preacher‘s final season.
Season 4 premieres August 4 at 9PM on AMC.
Batman has gone missing. It’s up to one person – Bruce Wayne’s niece — to take up the mantle See the first, stylish full look at the new Batwoman show, starring Ruby Rose!
Season 1 premieres October 6, 2019 on CW.
Fantasy words collide in Carnival Row, starring Orlando Bloom as a bowler hatted gent who lives in a world of humans co-existing with wondrous creatures. There’s a clear heirachy, with homo spaiens at the top, which makes it all the more dangerous when Bloom’s character falls in love with a faerie, played by Cara Delevinge.
Season 1 premieres August 30, 2019 on Amazon.
Below we got the first look featurette on The Terror: Infamy. Now, here’s the trailer!
Season 2 returns August 12 on AMC.
The Gelfling are back to take down somre more Skeksis in this epic journey. Everything Netflix has put out for their Dark Crystal sequel series has been well-recieved, and this one looks no different.
Season 1 will premiere August 30, 2019 on Netflix.
Rick and Morty make a fashionably late return at this year’s Comic-Con with a clip featuring a new, wily alien called Glootie.
Season 4 will premiere November 2019 on Adult Swim.
The beloved open world RPG gets its deserved high-profile adaptation on Netflix, starring Henry Cavill as Geralt. At Comic-Con they revealed the first full look!
Season 1 will premiere 2019 on Netflix.
Hot off the 7-episode Season 2, the rainbow-powered looks to continue enrapturing younger fans while reminding adult viewers about the virtues of friendship and kindness.
Season 3 will premiere August 2, 2019 on Netflix.
Creepshow originally started as a horror film anthology series in the early ’80s – the first one was pretty great, the second not so much, and the third got a 0%. And that was about all we heard since for the Stephen King/George A. Romero joint. Now, Creepshow is back to spread its horror-comedy hijinks on Shudder. In keeping with the format, there will be two stories told per six episodes.
Season 1 premieres September 26, 2019 on Shudder.
The Reyes clan is back in the saddle for this Sons of Anarchy spinoff. Season 2 promises more brawls and gunplay, more gang intrigue, and the revelation that we’ll find out who killed Mama Reyes.
Season 2 will premiere September 13, 2019 on FX.
The showrunners announced that Season 7 of Agents will be the last. They’re currently in the tail end of Season 6, so this trailer gives a glimpse into the next three episodes.
Season 6 is currently airing on ABC.
They’ve tried adapting His Dark Materials before and it was not great. But HBO’s giving Philip Pullman’s anti-Narnia an expanded try, already committing to a second season just as they’re only initially dropping the first trailer at Comic-Con. James McAvoy, Ruth Wilson, Dafne Keen, and Lin-Manuel Miranda are among the stars.
Season 1 premieres Fall 2019 on HBO.
Tricia Helfer is joining the fourth season cast of Van Helsing as Dracula, leading the vampires’ rise through the world, while going up against Vanessa Van Helsing and her merry band of monster killers.
Season 4 returns Fall 2019 on Syfy.
The second season of the AMC horror anthology series aka The Terror: Infamy gets its first look which, unlike Season 1’s doomed 1840s sea expedition, is set in a Japanese-American community during World War II as they suffer a series of bizarre deaths. A young man may be the key in solving the mystery plaguing the cast, which includes George Takei.
Season 2 returns August 12 on AMC.
There’s a lot to binge up on going into this month — so let’s get right to it, shall we? Below, catch our roundup of 15 series boasting Certified Fresh seasons that are returning in October.
Why you should watch it: Few series can claim to have brought the situational comedy into the modern age, but with its fresh, incisive, and most of all hilarious take on contemporary life in New York city — while featuring a pair of gay men and their best girlfriends to match — Will & Grace is one of the series that did. The best episodes of last season prove a) why NBC revived this hit series and b) why it’s still essential viewing all these years later. Season 10 premieres Oct. 4.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Hulu, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 77 hours
Why you should watch it: We’ve seen plenty of naughty comedies in the past, but none of them excavate the triumphs and traumas of pubescent adolescence quite as fearlessly or uproariously as Big Mouth. Season 2 premieres in full October 5.
Where to watch: Netflix
Commitment: Approx. 5 hours
Why you should watch it: Fresh off Amazon’s Emmys-sweep with The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, now’s as good a time as ever to go back and discover some other standouts in the streaming service’s catalog. First thing we’d suggest is The Man in the High Castle. Epic and engrossing — not to mention timely — it takes viewers into an utterly foreign world that still hits a little too close to today’s political climate for comfort (the way that so many of TV’s very finest manage to do). Season 3 premieres October 5.
Where to watch: Amazon
Commitment: Approx. 20 hours
Why you should watch it: A refreshing take on Asian Americans for the small screen? Check. Well-earned laughs from a trio of talented young actors? Check. A heaping dose of ’90s nostalgia? Check. And the combined powers of the hilarious Park and Constance Wu (now of Crazy Rich Asians fame)? Check and check. Need we say more? Season 5 premieres October 5.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Hulu, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 22 hours
Why you should watch it: Doctor Who is making a case for being one of those timeless sci-fi properties that’s earned a devout following akin to Star Wars or Star Trek. The decades-spanning series always finds ways to one-up itself, and with Jodie Whittaker appearing as the first female Doctor this season, there’s never been a better time to jump aboard. Season 11 premieres October 7 — to get ready, we recommend you begin with the 2005 relaunch.
Where to watch: Amazon, Google Play, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 90 hours
Why you should watch it: One of cable’s highest rated dramas returns with its season 9 premiere on October 7. Based on the comic book series by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard’s post-apocalyptic premise of zombies walking the Earth and ending mankind as we know it, the acclaimed series developed by creator Frank Darabont indulges in gore and “what if” fascinations. These are characters brought to life with bone-deep precision from a stable of some of TV’s greatest talents. You just never know when your favorite will bite the dust. (That’s admittedly part of the fun, too.)
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Microsoft, Netflix, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 86 hours
Why you should watch it: If you’re a fan of the Greg Berlanti–led DC Comics universe on The CW, then you know what you’re in for here, and you’ll love Black Lightning. But this series goes one step further by being an awesome first of its kind, spotlighting not only black superheroes on the small screen, but LGBTQ ones, as well. Season 2 premieres on October 8.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Microsoft, Netflix, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 9.5 hours
Why you should watch it: You don’t gain an adoring following like that of The Flash without bringing edge-of-your-seat action and suspense, lovable characters and story arcs, and pitch-perfect performances week to week. Season 5 premieres October 8.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Microsoft, Netflix, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 66 hours
Why you should watch it: We’ll say it: Riverdale ranks among the best teen dramas to come out of The CW since Gossip Girl, and it deserves the viewership and brand ubiquity to match. It’s the classic Archie we know with a heaping of sex appeal and a dash of True Detective. What’s not to love? Season 3 premieres October 10.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Microsoft, Netflix, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 25.5 hours
Why you should watch it: Whatever you do, don’t be put off by the series’ title — even if you’ve got one! Starring as Rebecca, Rachel Bloom is a musical genius, concocting show-stopping comedic melodies inspired by the best of Broadway and Top 40 week after week. And as if the comedy’s song-and-dance wasn’t entertaining enough, it’s buoyed by excellent performances and tight, creative scripts that tackle everything from broken hearts to mental health. Last season got especially dark, and we love it all the more for continuing to break the mold. Season 4 premieres October 12.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Microsoft, Netflix, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 30 hours
Why you should watch it: It took until the second season for this DC Comics series to really nail down its tone with star Melissa Benoist and crew, but there’s no doubt that it now ranks as one of the most formidable hour-long outings in the superheroic comics-to-screen universe. Plus some behind-the-scenes trivia: Benoist is fresh off a Broadway run as Carole King in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. We love a multi-talented Supergirl! Season 4 premieres October 14.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Microsoft, Netflix, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 45 hours
Why you should watch it: Arrow is the series that first kickstarted the DC Comics universe for Berlanti and The CW, and for six seasons now, it hasn’t let up the fun. Season 7 premieres October 15.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Microsoft, Netflix, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 102 hours
Why you should watch it: Creator Kenya Barris is one of those writers who just goes there. Even in what some would call the confines of network TV — which, incidentally, has been seen pushing up against him this last year — he conjures stories in the sitcom structure that are resonant, timely, and fearless. Plus, they’ll make you laugh, too! Tracy Ellis Ross and Anderson are especially show-stealing. Season 5 premieres October 16.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Hulu, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 35 hours
Why you should watch it: As the first Marvel original series venture on Netflix, Daredevil had a lot buzz and high expectations to live up to. We’re glad to report that it did and then some. Certainly among the best-executed comic adaptations for TV to date, it’s gritty, character-driven, and entertaining. Watch the first two seasons followed by The Defenders season 1 before diving into Daredevil season 3, which premieres Oct. 19.
Where to watch: Netflix
Commitment: Approx. 34 hours
Why you should watch it: When Ray Donovan premiered on Showtime in 2013, it promised the arrival of an exciting new anti-hero. It’s since stayed true to that promise and hasn’t let up, bringing us into the hidden underbelly of Los Angelean elite and slowly unveiling the many layers of a complicated and troubled man. Season 6 premieres October 28.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Hulu, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 52 hours
For those on the ground, Comic-Con is all about out-cosplaying each other and getting up close, personal, and maybe a little sweaty, with their favorite artists, writers, actors, showrunners, toymakers, and more. For those outside of the San Diego bubble, it’s all about first-look clips and fresh-out-of-the-edit-suite new trailers.
This year, Comic-Con watchers can expect to see the first trailer for M. Night Shyamalan’s Glass, which reunites Unbreakable’s Samuel L. Jackson’s Mr. Glass and Bruce Willis’s David Dunn, and expands the Shyamalan-iverse with the inclusion of James McAvoy’s multiple personalities from Split – it should drop on Friday. And there’s James Wan’s Aquaman trailer, which we already know he’s putting the finishing touches on; it will go live on Saturday. Across the four days of the Convention, you can also expect new footage from Doctor Who, giving us our fullest look yet at Jodie Whittaker’s first female doctor, as well as trailers and clips for a slew of other anticipated TV and movie titles. We’ll have them right here as they drop, with the newest trailers at the top.
Movies | TV
Comic-Con isn’t only about big studio movies. RZA released the trailer for Cut Throat City, the third movie he’s directed after The Man with the Iron Fists and Love Beats Rhymes (and an episode of Iron Fist). This drama tells the story of a group of 9th Ward residents in post Hurricane Katrina New Orleans, and has a mega ensemble cast including Shameik Moore, Wesley Snipes, T.I., Terrence Howard, Demetrius Shipp Jr., Denzel Whitaker, Keean Johnson, and Kat Graham.
In theaters in 2019.
The full trailer to James Wan‘s Aquaman movie already shows more of Atlantis than Aquaman (Jason Momoa)’s scenes in Justice League. Full of sea creatures and epic battles between undersea armies, Aquaman is set to be the action event of the Christmas season (and maybe another Fresh addition to the DCEU?!). There’s plenty of focus on Arthur’s childhood training, and Mera (Amber Heard) gets the most badass moments of the trailer. Check out our full breakdown of the Aquaman trailer.
In theaters December 21.
The trailer for Shazam! focuses on the kids, which makes it even better when Billy Batson (Asher Angel) turns into Shazam (Zachary Levi). Levi nails the childlike discovering of super powers. We also glimpse that Superman and Batman exist in this world.
In theaters April, 2019.
The full trailer for Godzilla: King of the Monsters gives us a look at all those other creatures over which Godzilla reigns. But are the real monsters the humans? Vera Farmiga has a plan to unleash the monsters to combat the apocalyptic scenarios also glimpsed in this trailer. Millie Bobbie Brown, Kyle Chandler, Charles Dance and Thomas Middleditch also get screen time.
In theaters May 2019.
Johnny Depp‘s blonde mohawk wins the trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindewald. Also see Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) get his Riddikulus spell on and get closer with Dumbledore (Jude Law).
In theaters November 16.
Ever since 2000’s Unbreakable, M. Night Shyamalan fans have been asking him when he’s going to make a sequel. They got their answer at the very end of his 2017 film Split. Now, we finally get to see Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson and James McAvoy in the same room for the culmination of what’s become a trilogy, and Sarah Paulson is the doctor trying to disprove their powers (good luck, Doc).
In theaters January, 2019
See Millie Bobby Brown attempt to reach “Monarch” (no relation to Dr. Venture) over the radio with some unpleasant results in the sneak peek for Godzilla: King of the Monsters. At the 36-second mark, you can see a camera and operator behind Brown; perplexing error or secret hidden viral puzzle for perceptive viewers to solve? You be the judge. A full trailer is expected to drop next week, and maybe there we’ll get a look of the incredible scaly hulk and the kaiju battle royale Warner Bros. is promising.
In theaters May 31, 2019
The trailer for Sam Levinson’s bonkers Sundance smash was expected to be revealed at the movie’s Thursday panel, which will feature the Russo Brothers, who acquired the movie after it played in Park City. In the anarchic spirit of the movie itself, though, the distributors defied expectations and released it a few days prior to the start of Comic-Con.
In theaters September 21, 2018
Movies | TV
It’s going to be so hard to say goodbye to Adventure Time. At least the fans at Comic-Con got to say it in person to the creators and voices of the show. In return, Cartoon Network showed them a scene from the series finale.
Series finale September 3 on Cartoon Network.
Are you already having Steven Universe withdrawal after season five ended July 6? well, hold out a little longer because you’re getting a whole Steven Universe movie. See the teaser, premiered at Comic-Con, above.
Coming soon to Cartoon Network.
Supernatural has got to be the longest running live-action series presenting at Comic-Con. Only the animated Simpsons and Family Guy can top it. So Supernatural has released a four minute recap of the first 13 seasons to tease the upcoming 14th this fall on The CW.
Season 14 returns October 11 on The CW.
Be sure to wait ’til the end of this Riverdale season 2 recap for a sneak peak of what’s to come in season 3. They keep it appropriately mysterious, but you see the gang get to frolic a little in the lake and ride in Archie (KJ Apa)’s hot rod before Betty (Lili Reinhart) discovers an ominous ceremony for infant twins.
Season 3 returns October 10 on The CW.
The first trailer for Roswell, New Mexico gives fans of the original Roswell a look at the new Max (Nathan Parsons) and Liz (Jeanine Mason), the roles originally played by Jason Behr and Shiri Appleby. Also get a peek at the alien cocoons and the famous moment when Max uses his alien powers to save Liz’s life.
Coming to The CW in 2019.
If you stayed for the credits in The First Purge this summer, you got to see the first teaser for The Purge TV series. Now the first trailer with footage from the show reveals all the different activities you may see on purge night. Of course there is the expected violence, but some other groups have different ideas on how to practice the purge.
Coming to USA September 4.
Barry (Grant Gustin) and Iris (Candice Patton) get a visit from their future daughter Nora (Jessica Parker Kennedy) in the season 5 trailer for The Flash. Time travel paradoxes abound and Barry refers to the classic one caused by Marty McFly in Back to the Future. In the panel, the show also announced Chris Klein joining the fifth season as the villain Cicada.
Season 5 returns on The CW October 9.
A brief minute of season 3 footage for The Man in the High Castle really leans into the multiple worlds, and some of our favorite characters are only alive in one of them. Can they come together without letting the Reich loose on both worlds?
Season 3 returns to Amazon Prime October 5.
The Simpsons creator Matt Groening brings his overbite aesthetic to the medieval princess genre in Disenchantment. If you couldn’t tell by his irreverent take on the headstrong, independent princess riff with the sassy voice of Abbi Jacobson, the trailer is set to a Renaissance faire cover of “Rebel Rebel.”
Premieres on Netflix August 17.
Season 4 of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow finds the Legends enjoying a brief moment of victory before John Constantine (Matt Ryan) returns with more bad news. A unicorn at Woodstock, Paul Revere and more time travel and fantastic creatures are in the above trailer. Also look for Back to the Future‘s Tom Wilson as Nate (Nick Zano)’s father Nick and Ramona Young joining the cast.
Season 4 returns on The CW October 22.
The season 4 trailer for Supergirl reveals Agent Liberty (Sam Witwer) leveling some very harsh (and sadly familiar) accusations against our visitors from outer space. Fortunately, Kara (Melissa Benoist) is ready to fight for her and their place on Earth, and looks like she’ll have a new costume to help. At the Supergirl panel, the show also announced TV’s first trans superhero. Nicole Maines will play Nia Nal, aka Dreamer.
Season 4 returns on The CW on its new night Sunday, October 14.
The trailer for season 7 of Arrow begins with Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) in prison, but that doesn’t stop him from working out like a beast. With no vigilantes in Star City for five months, who’s going to stop The Longbow Hunters, led by Ricardo Diaz (Kirk Acevedo) from exacting revenge on Oliver and his team?
Season 7 returns on The CW on October 15.
Well, The Magicians didn’t have any season 4 footage to show Comic-Con just yet, but they made a fun behind the scenes video. You won’t learn much about the next season, but you’ll see the cast goof off include Hale Appleman acting weird and Olivia Taylor Dudley in a panic.
Season 4 returns to Syfy in 2019.
Looks like Joe and Anthony Russo still found time between directing Marvel movies to produce the new TV show Deadly Class for Syfy. Based on the Image graphic novel, Deadly Class is about a group of students in 1987 San Francisco learning martial arts. Take a look at their killer moves in the trailer above.
Coming to Syfy in 2019
The season 2 trailer shows some all new missions for the crew of The Orville. New planets, new aliens including a first contact or two, Captain Mercer (Seth MacFarlane) in trouble, Grayson (Adrianne Palicki) trying to get Bortus (Peter Macon) to have some fun and Alara (Halston Sage) visiting home.
Season 2 premieres on Fox December 30.
There’s a lot of science fiction at Comic-Con. How about a little actual science? Neil deGrasse Tyson is back for a new round of the documentary phenomenon Cosmos.
Coming to Fox in 2019.
Comic-Con fans got their first look at the next generation of vampires, werewolves and witches in The CW’s Vampire Diaries spinoff Legacies. Now you can see them in the first Legacies trailer too. Hope Mikaelson (Danielle Rose Russell) leads a class of descendants from monsters struggling to be good, and she outlines the rules they follow to do so. See all the new Legacies faces, plus one familiar one in Alaric Saltzman (Matthew Davis) in the trailer.
Premieres on The CW October 25.
The trailer for season 2 of The Gifted shows us Reeva Payge (Grace Byers) and introduces her plans for the Age of Mutants. She’s got Polaris (Emma Dumont), who is now nine months pregnant, and shown giving birth near the end of the trailer. Meanwhile the Struckers and the Mutant Underground seem more torn apart than ever.
Season 2 returns on Fox September 25.
Wait for the end of this CW DC Arrowverse Heroes and Villains trailer for a preview of the 2018 crossover. Batwoman is coming to television and it looks like Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) in particular isn’t so sure she can be trusted. The CW shows pulled off “Crisis on Earth X” so we can’t wait to see how all four shows (including The Flash, Arrow and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow) handle Batwoman.
The Batwoman crossover comes to the CW in December.
Family Guy showed four minutes of new footage from its upcoming 17th season. Always skewering pop culture both new and old, the Griffin family made digs on Stranger Things, Basic Instinct, Oksana Baiul and even Seth MacFarlane‘s own live-action show The Orville. Plus a musical number by an evil grape trying to choke Stewie to death.
Season 17 premieres on Fox September 30.
Netflix gave Comic-Con fans a peek at the new world from the team behind Avatar: The Last Airbender. Avatar writers Aaron Ehasz and Giancarlo Volpe, along with Justin Richmond of the Uncharted games, present a brand new world of knights, creatures and magic.
Coming to Netflix September 14.
Season 3 of Stan Against Evil promises more evil. In this 90 second trailer, that evil comes in the forms of vampires, devils, demons, twins, giant monsters and… puppets?
Season 3 premieres Wednesday, October 31.
The trailer for season 3 of Adult Swim’s hit anime series FLCL: Progressive captures all the teen angst of being a 17-year-old girl, along with all the action and kaiju of anime.
Season 3 premieres on Adult Swim September 8.
The Venture Bros. season 7 is almost here and now you can get a peak of nearly a minute and a half of the new season. The trailer starts all serious, until Monarch and Gary show up. Then it’s the Venture Bros. you know and love.
Season 7 premiers on Adult Swim August 5.
Highlights from season 1 of Krypton got fans excited about season 2. When you’ve already got Braniac, Doomsday, and General Zod, season 2 promises to be even more exciting Kryptonian history. The Krypton panel announced Lobo would appear in the second season.
Season 2 returns on Syfy in 2019.
The Simpsons‘ “Treehouse of Horror “Halloween episodes have been an annual tradition, even when they air after October 31. At Comic-Con, Fox released a preview of this season’s horror spoof “Intrusion of the Pod-y Switchers.” Fan-favorite supporting characters get turned into Invasion of the Body Snatchers pod people, including Lenny, Carl, a background Disco Stu, and Comic Book Guy complaining right up to the end.
“Treehouse of Horror XXIX” airs September 30 on Fox.
Get ready for season 2 of Black Lightning with this five-minute recap of the first season’s highlights. Then, get extra excited by watching the Black Lightning cast surprise fans at Rotten Tomatoes’ event, Your Opinion Sucks.
Season 2 returns on The CW October 9.
The trailer for the second half of Preacher‘s third season was as bizarre and tantalizing as anyone who knows the show would predict, and included a look at Australian actor Noah Taylor as a fast-food–working Hitler. The fast food chain is the series’ take on Subway, as the sandwich giant had refused to give the show’s creators permission to user their name. That decision prompted Executive Producer Seth Rogen to note some of the brand’s previous spokespeople and ask, “Where do you draw the line, Subway?”
Preacher is currently airing on AMC on Sundays at 10pm/9pm Central.
The Tick stars Peter Serafinowicz and Griffin Newman gave fans a tour of the set full of goofy Tick-style humor, including Serafinowicz showing off his new Tick costume and Newman previewing a new season 2 character.
Season 2 returns to Amazon Prime in 2019.
When Syfy cancelled The Expanse after its third season, the fans rallied and Amazon decided to pick up the show for a fourth season. The cast and creators of The Expanse took the opportunity to thank their fans in a video as they get to work making perhaps their biggest season yet.
The Expanse comes to Amazon Prime in 2019.
Our first look at Amazon’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s book shows Gaiman at work on the set, with actors Jon Hamm, Michael Sheen and David Tennant. But at the panel they found the voice of God. Who could sound more almighty than Oscar-winner Frances McDormand?
Coming to Amazon Prime in 2019.
Amazon’s docudrama Lore tells the true stories behind the scariest myths and monsters. They’ve got more stories for season 2, some from the podcast that inspired the show and other subjects the show is tackling for the first time.
Season 2 returns to Amazon Prime October 19.
Julia Roberts is coming to television. This minute long teaser simply introduces her, but Homecoming stars Roberts as a caseworker for veterans transitioning back to civilian life. She’s trying to start over but the Department of Defense starts asking questions. With Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail directing, you can bet there’s more beneath the surface of this psychological thriller.
Premieres on Amazon Prime November 2.
Season 2 of Star Trek: Discovery promises more Trek lore introduced into the prequel series. The series’ tragic Captain Pike (Anson Mount) appears on the bridge, and Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) makes a discovery about Mr. Spock. Plus listen to Tig Notaro’s first comic relief one-liner at the end of this trailer.
Season 2 returns on CBS All Access in 2019.
Netflix’s hit reboot of the ’80s classic Voltron gave fans a first look at the Legendary Defenders’ attempts to return to Earth. But is it the same Earth they remember? Set to the haunting tune of Dexter French & Darius Behdad & Huckley Ware’s “Far Beyond,” the 90 second spot shows there’s no shortage of action in and out of the lions.
Season 7 returns August 10 on Netflix.
The team behind Vikings dropped a trailer for the return of the battle-happy epic series, and if the crowd reaction was anything to go by it’s going to please fans. It was also revealed that the show would be returning for the second half of its fifth seson this November on History.
Season 5 returns November 28 on History
The most watched series on TV released its season 9 trailer at Comic-Con on Friday. Get some time in with Rick (Andrew Lincoln) before his final season.
Season 9 premieres October 7 on AMC
Young Justice: Outsiders picks up after season 2 of Young Justice, with a mission to take down a metahuman trafficking ring. The Comic-Con trailer released Friday shows highlights from the original series before introducing the new show.
Premiering on DC Universe in 2018.
The zombie apocalypse continues, naturally, as season 4’s strange bedfellows learn more about each other. Catch up with Lennie James, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Colman Domingo, Danay Garcia, Garret Dillahunt, Maggie Grace, and Jenna Elfman before the return of Fear the Walking Dead with the series’ new Comic-Con trailer, which was released on Friday.
Season 4 returns August 12 on AMC
Netflix gave fans a first short look at the second season of Iron Fist at Comic-Con on Thursday, and revealed that the series will return to the streaming service on September 7. The teaser does not show much beyond some gritty-looking close-quarters combat, but some promising revelations were made at the panel, including that Alice Eve will join the show as villain Typhoid Mary. The series will also introduce the vigilante group Daughters of the Dragon, which was founded by Colleen Wing and Misty Knight, and which first appeared in Marvel comics in the late 1970s.
Season 2 premieres September 7 on Netflix
National Geographic returns to Mars in a season 2 trailer released Thursday. The series imagines a human attempt to colonize the Red Planet, including physical hardships and political mechanizations that threaten the effort. Commentary from real space experts — including Neil deGrasse Tyson, Bill Nye, and Elon Musk — illuminates the fictional account.
Season 2 premieres November 12 on National Geographic
Brothers Raph, Leo, Donnie, and Mikey emerge from the sewers and tap into undiscovered ninja powers in fall animated series Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The new voice cast includes Omar Miller, Ben Schwartz, Josh Brener, Brandon Mychal Smith, Kat Graham, and Eric Bauza.
Season 1 premieres September 17 on Nickelodeon
Draco Malfoy reunites with Nymphadora Tonks for a YouTube Original series coming this fall. Harry Potter film franchise veterans Tom Felton and Natalia Tena star in a sci-fi thriller that sees a group of space travelers abandoned and fighting for survival. The 10-episode series is from director Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evils) and the producers of The Crown and Outlander.
Series premieres this fall on YouTube Premium
Leave it to Star Wars to break the Internet on the first official day of Comic-Con. During a 10th anniversary celebration of The Clone Wars, Dave Filoni announced that it would be returning with 12 new episodes on Disney’s own streaming service. The show originally ran for five seasons after its 2008 broadcast, and while there have been one-off episodes in the years since, many plot threads remain unfinished. Until now.
More details at starwars.com
“All of this is new to me,” says Jodie Whittaker’s 13th Doctor early in the teaser trailer for the new series, which dropped during the Doctor Who panel at Comic-Con on Thursday. She continues: “New faces, new worlds, new times…” The trailer is light on any big plot details, but does convey an epic tone, gives fans a good glimpse at new characters, and ends with some trademark Doc humor.
Series premieres later in the year on BBC America
There are precious few Walkers in this trailer for the upcoming season, which will be Andrew Lincoln’s last as Rick Grimes. Instead, this early look at the ninth season of AMC’s unstoppable zombie show focuses on the human drama. Rules are about to be made and, we suspect, about to be broken.
Season 9 premieres August 20 on AMC
This very short teaser is light on detail, but heavy on menace. Enough menace we suspect to keep fans tied over until the mid-season return in August.
Season 4 returns August 12 on AMC
Mayans MC, from Kurt Sutter and Elgin James, is the next chapter in the Sons of Anarchy saga. In a post–Jax Teller world, prospect EZ Reyes (JD Pardo) is fresh out of prison and a prospect in the Mayans M.C. charter on the Cali/Mexi border. Now, EZ must carve out his new identity in a town where he was once the golden boy with the American Dream in his grasp. The series also stars Clayton Cardenas, Edward James Olmos, Sarah Bolger, Michael Irby, Carla Baratta, Antonio Jaramillo, Raoul Max Trujillo, Richard Cabral and Danny Pino. Recurring stars include Emilio Rivera, Frankie Loyal, Joseph Lucero, Vincent Rocco Vargas, Maurice Compte, Gino Vento, Tony Plana and Ada Maris.
Series premieres September 4 on FX
Bob Odenkirk returns for season 4 of Better Call Saul on AMC. Jimmy McGill is on a job hunt in season 4, having had his license to practice law suspended. Jonathan Banks, Rhea Seehorn, and Giancarlo Esposito co-star.
Season 4 premieres August 6 on AMC
DC Universe fired up Con-goers with a rich activation in support of the opening of pre-orders for the subscription streaming service ($74.99/year or, at launch, $7.99/month). The highlight of its presentation, however, is the new trailer for Titans, a gritty take on the Teen Titans franchise that stars Brenton Thwaites as Dick Grayson (aka Robin) and Teagan Croft as Rachel Roth (aka Raven), a girl possessed of a strange darkness. The two get embroiled in a conspiracy that could unleash hell on Earth.
Series premieres on DC Universe in fall 2018
Want to let people know what you thought of the newest trailers at Comic-Con? Want to see what others thought? Be sure to check out Rotten Tomatoes’ own live event during Comic-Con, Your Opinion Sucks. It’s the ultimate fans vs. critics face off – they’ll take sides on new trailers, as well as movies and TV we love, and love to hate – and you can watch it live in San Diego or on video at Rotten Tomatoes.
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For decades, the might of various superheroes has led to good-natured discussions and drag-out fights in comic book shops and playgrounds all over the country. Often, those conversations get muddled as the strength of a character, like Batman, gets wrapped up in his martial arts prowess or other skills. True strength often gets lost in the fun of building scenarios in which Venom fights Superman.
But the notion of super-strength becomes more compelling as television can finally dramatize the ability in interesting and fairly inexpensive ways. As Luke Cage executive producer and showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker told Rotten Tomatoes recently, titular star Luke Cage (Mike Colter) can easily pick up a Volkswagen. It is a point referenced throughout the show’s second season whenever anyone mentions Luke’s strength. Since the classic Volkswagen Beetle weighs roughly 1,800 lbs. – the newer models weigh in closer to 3,000 lbs. – it gives us a good measure to compare his strength to some of television other super-strength heroes.
While Luke might be the strongest man in Harlem, is he the strongest of the strong?
Thanks to the image of the Volkswagen and an early episode in the second season in which ESPN watches Luke train, we know exactly how strong he can be. Besides being told he can pick up car, viewers see him toss a 400 lbs. tractor tire as though it were a standard basketball. Heavy steel doors present him with little challenge, and he seems to take a special pleasure in ripping doors off of cars to use as an impromptu discus or shield for his non-bulletproof allies. All of which reveals a sort of strength that is impressive while still feeling relatively grounded. His comic book counterpart is said to be able to lift as much as 50,000 lbs, making the TV Luke far weaker, but definitely strong enough in the context of the show.
Also, it should be noted his strength is an upgrade from where he started in the first seasons of Jessica Jones and Luke Cage. As referenced early in the second season, he received an added boost of strength, speed and durability after Claire (Rosario Dawson) and Dr. Burstein (Michael Kostroff) used the technique which first gave him powers to revive him late in the first season.
(Photo by Universal Television/courtesy Everett Collection)
While in theory, the Incredible Hulk is capable of infinite strength, the late 1970s CBS television series could only take that strength so far. He could burst through brick walls, bend steel with his green hands and, quite infamously, throw a grizzly bear (around 600 lbs.) across a lake. He also had a habit of lifting and overturning Buick Skylarks, a popular model of cars in film and television at the time, weighing in at 3,000 lbs.
Oddly enough, that makes the Ferrigno version of the Hulk roughly as strong as Luke. Granted, demonstrations of the Hulk’s strength were limited by the show’s budget. The Hulk was also known to push farming equipment around and leap from four-story buildings. Those feats could push him into a higher tier of strength, but the tendency to get mad and throw around Skylarks keeps him in the relatively contained tier of Luke Cage.
The current Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) of the Marvel Cinematic Universe definitely reaches closer to the infinite potential of his comic book counterpart, talking on giant wolf Fenris and other impressive creatures in Thor: Ragnarok. But as seen in Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos proved a formidable foe. Perhaps in the next Avengers film, Hulk will prove he is the strongest by far.
As the keeper of the Spirit Totem, Amaya Jiwe has access to a great variety of abilities beyond those seen on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. She can derive enhanced senses, endurance, and speed in addition to creating energy shields and projections of animals capable of interacting with the world. It would be the most powerful object in the Arrowverse if not for the fact it can only call on the spirit of one animal at a time.
With that in mind, Amaya’s tendency to call on the spirit of the gorilla seems like a good way to measure her potential strength. A gorilla can lift 10 times its body weight – around 4,000 lbs. with some estimates going as high as 4,600 lbs. Presumably, the gorilla spirit is the ideal of gorilla fitness, giving Amaya an impressive amount of power to take on the likes of Grodd. The totem bearer can also call upon the spirit of other strong animals like lions, bears, and rhinos. The latter may make Vixen an incredibly powerful hero, provided she was willing to cause that level of destruction.
Jessica Jones still appears to be stronger than Luke, even with the boost to his lifting ability. Granted, she uses that strength in purely practical ways with the big feats of strength — like moving cars out of her way — used more as jokes. Nonetheless, she has no problem throwing sedans around (3,000-4,000 lbs.).
But the key difference between them appears on leg day. It is key to Jessica’s abilities as she uses that strength to hurtle herself up buildings. That feat certainly requires a lot of power. Luke’s jumping strength, as seen in the season 2 training scene, makes him better than any living Olympic long jumper, but nowhere near what Jessica can accomplish.
The comic book Jessica – who can straight up fly – is said to have an “unrevealed” upper limit to her strength, potentially making her one of the strongest super-powered beings in the Marvel Universe. Her Marvel Cinematic Universe equivalent could be capable of such feats of strength. Provided, of course, she had the necessary motivation to, say, pick up a building.
(Photo by Everett Collection)
The 1970s Spider-Man show ran for two short seasons on CBS and did its best to recreate Peter Parker’s myriad abilities on a tight TV budget. His webbing always looked like rope and scenes of him clinging to the side of buildings always looks a little too comical for comfort. But the show was dedicated to being as faithful as it could in its first season.
And one of the key abilities of Spider-Man is his radioactive spider-inherited strength. Traditionally, he has “the proportionate strength of a spider,” which can lift anywhere from 2 to 120 times its bodyweight depending on species. For Peter, this roughly translates to 20,000 lbs., depending on the needs of the plot. Not that the show could ever dramatize this upper limit. In fact, the second season pulled back even further on his abilities in hopes of courting an older audience.
(Photo by Everett Collection)
Diana has always had the strength of the gods on her side. She could hold back the tide of war, bust through walls, bend guns, and tow vehicles with her lasso. Like the other 1970s TV shows mentioned, dramatizing her powers to their fullest was beyond the technical prowess and budgets of the day. It was also beyond the writers at times, who played employed the “as strong as the plot needs her to be” rule for her strength.
Even her comic book counterpart’s strength varies with each story, so we will assume the ’70s Wonder Woman was roughly on par with ’70s Spider-Man in terms of strength. Her current DC Extended Universe film manifestation, as played by Gal Gadot, gets far closer to the godly ideal, making her one of the mightiest superheroes around.
(Photo by Shane Harvey/Katie Yu/The CW)
As a Daxamite, Mon-El has the comparative strength of a fairly fit Kryptonian. Traditionally, the character is said to have the same strength as Superman; of course, Superman once had the ability to push planets out of their orbits, making the notion of strength a ridiculous concept.
Since the 1980s, Superman’s powers decreased considerably, leaving him strong enough to keep a space shuttle (165,000 lbs) in the air (with an assist from his flight ability), but not so strong that he can lift a mountain from its roots. Over the course of various television shows, he has proved strong enough to help a rocket complete its trajectory (as seen in the first episode of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman). In theory, Mon-El would be capable of this sort of strength if given the challenge. Although, this past of season of Supergirl saw him do little else but be the prince of indecision.
But as Clark (Hoechlin) admitted in the season 2 finale of Supergirl, Kara Danvers (Benoist) is the strongest of the television superheroes. To prove it, we have a moment from the season 1 finale in which she lifted the crashed space station Fort Rozz off the Earth and into a trajectory away from the solar system. It nearly killed her, but she was successful.
Now, Fort Rozz is fictional and therefore hard to quantify, but our own real-life International Space Station is said to weigh (under Earth’s gravity) 450 tons – 900,000 lbs – and it is only a fraction of the size of Fort Rozz. If Supergirl can move something in the 100s of tons, she is definitely in a class by herself; in fact, that sort of power makes some of the developments in more recent episodes quite alarming. Maybe Worldkiller Reign (Odette Annable) really had the strength to shatter the Earth all along.
Nonetheless, Supergirl stands above all other TV superheroes for sheer strength. Of course, how she applies that power makes all the difference in the world. And seeing as she tends to empathize with her opponents, it is doubtful we will see her move anything that massive any time soon.
While shows like Arrow and Riverdale aired their season finales this week, next season is already in the planning stages at the networks, who presented their fall schedules to advertisers this week in New York. The decisions made are devastating to fans of Lucifer, which has been canceled at Fox, and somewhat disappointing to viewers of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which has been renewed with a huge caveat. On networks, the overall number of television shows based on comic books will decrease in the coming fall season, but it is still a huge aspect of broadcast television. Just take a look at what the fall 2018 will bring for comics on TV:
Having withstood the move from CBS to The CW and the scheduling snafu with DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl faces its toughest challenge yet: anchoring a new night. After three years holding Monday at 8 p.m. — and hovering at an overall 94% on the Tomatometer — the show will move to The CW’s new Sunday night programming block alongside the reboot Charmed.
Considering the challenge Sunday nights present with cable juggernauts like The Walking Dead and streamers like Star Trek: Discovery, moving the show — which stars Melissa Benoist, Chris Wood, Chyler Leigh, David Harewood, Mehcad Brooks, Jeremy Jordan, and Katie McGrath — to the network’s first real attempt to court Sunday night viewers is a mark of confidence in the show. But with the immovable Walkers grinding other shows to dust, Supergirl faces a future as tough as any fictional threat the characters may take on next year.
With Supergirl leaving Monday night, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow takes up the 8 p.m. post, which it held this past winter to make room for Black Lightning’s debut. When it returns, Matt Ryan will join the show as fan-favorite John Constantine on a permanent basis. “Each time I thought this character was dead for me, I keep coming back [and] it’s a different challenge at each point,” said Ryan at WonderCon this past March. And though he’s played the character as a lead and as a guest character, the challenge this time will be integrating him into the show’s ensemble of misfits, habitual snackers, thieves, and Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh).
Ryan may also be the shot-in-the-arm to grow its audience and reputation. It is the lowest rated of the four CW superhero shows on the Tomatometer (78%) despite finding a confident tone that replicates the feel of the best comic book teams. The love affair viewers have with Ryan as Constantine will definitely bring viewers back, but will they appreciate the show’s goofier take on CW superheroics?
But in the biggest move in the network’s schedule – apart from the two new non-comic book related shows debuting in the fall – Arrow will be moving from its Thursday 9 p.m. perch to Monday as Legends’ lead-out.
When it returns for its seventh season, the cast will be significantly altered with original castmembers Willa Holland and Paul Blackthorne moving on. But the sixth year will also see the return of Colton Haynes as a season regular. “I’m not sure how he’s coming back yet,” said co-star David Ramsey at a recent convention appearance. “I’m interested in the writing and what they’re going to do there. But just having Colton’s presence there is fantastic.” In his most recent appearance, Roy left with Thea (Holland) on a mission to destroy the Lazarus Pits discovered by her father Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman). It remains to be seen why he returns to Star City.
Behind the scenes, co-showrunners Wendy Mericle and Marc Guggenheim will step aside for the incoming Beth Schwartz. The change could not come soon enough with season 6 stumbling as Oliver (Stephen Amell) broke up the team only to find he really needed them — just like the previous two times Arrow used this plot.
Meanwhile on Fox, the only comic book–inspired TV show to air in the fall will be its superlative X-Men adaptation The Gifted. When it returns, the Strucker parents (Stephen Moyer and Amy Acker) and the Mutant Underground will face the reborn Hellfire Club, which counts former ally Polaris (Emma Dumont) and their son Andy (Percy Hynes White) in their number. And that’s on top of the threat posed by Sentinel Services and whatever Agent Turner (Coby Bell) cooks up in the wake of Polaris’ assassination of Dr. Campbell (Garret Dillahunt) and Senator Montez (David Norona).
While the critical opinion was favorable, the first season topped out at 72% on the Tomatometer. As Fox’s last comic book show standing, it still has a lot to prove. By moving it against The Flash at the 8 p.m. Tuesday slot, the network is showing some belief in the program. And considering The Flash’s rough fourth season, the Merry Marvel Mutants may prove to be the toughest of opponents.
And speaking of The Flash, it remains in the Tuesday 8 p.m. timeslot it has held its entire existence. Which means it is still successful for The CW and the fans still enjoy it, even if this season has not be the best in its history (though its 88% Tomatometer score is an uptick from season 3’s 83%).
While it is currently unknown who Barry (Grant Gustin) will be facing next year or if anyone new will be joining Team Flash on a permanent basis, the show will host Batwoman, who makes her live-action debut during the 2018 Arrowverse crossover. The special event will also introduce Gotham City into the Arrowverse, though it is currently unclear if it will exist on The Flash’s Earth-1 or Supergirl’s Earth-38.
But with the show hobbling to a fourth season finish line, the crossover might be the most interesting about The Flash going into year five.
Debuting as a mid-season show, Black Lightning joins the fall ranks and stays in its Tuesday 9 p.m. timeslot. It is unclear if the show will stick with a 13-episode season or expand to 23 episodes like The Flash and Arrow, but it will continue to explore government conspiracies against inner city neighborhoods, the role of fathers in raising superpowered children, and showcase the acting talents of star Cress Williams.
As the freshest of the five CW superhero shows based on DC Comics characters, it had a strong first season (97% on the Tomatometer), but it remains to be seen if it can hold onto that level of appreciation as executive producer Salim Akil intends to expand its scope beyond Freeland.
It is also unclear if that expansion will allow room for the characters to participate in the Arrowverse crossover. Separated on its own Earth – and its very different look at powered heroism – a Black Lightning episode dedicated to the wackiness of a Crisis on Earth-X style story may not be the best choice for the series. At the same time, it would be weird for Jefferson (Williams), Anissa (Nafessa Williams), and Jennifer (China Anne McClain) to never meet the other heroes on the network.
With its latest mystery resolved, Riverdale goes into the summer hiatus knowing its future and Wednesday 8 p.m. timeslot are secure. Like The Flash, no major staffing or cast changes are anticipated, clearing the way for the Riverdale Four – Archie (KJ Apa), Betty (Lili Reinhart), Jughead (Cole Sprouse), and Veronica (Camila Mendes) to take on her father Hiram (Mark Consuelos) for the soul of the town.
The show remains strong with fans even as it made a few slips this year with the Black Hood mystery and the aborted swerve into Single White Female territory with Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch). The plot cul-de-sacs led to 2% drop on the Tomatometer to land at 86% for Season 2. Nonetheless, it seems the show will continue to inspire passionate devotion when it returns in the fall.
For a moment, it seemed Gotham would join Lucifer in cancellationland, but a last-minute reprieve means the show will be back for one final 13-episode season in 2019. According to Fox, the final Gotham story will complete Bruce Wayne’s (David Mazouz) journey to becoming the Bat-Man. What this means for Jim (Ben McKenzie) and his corrupted soul remains to be seen.
Though show opened rough (though it was Certified Fresh at 78% in its first year), it found its voice and earned additional esteem along the way. And after entertaining viewers with its unique take on villains like Mr. Freeze, Solomon Grundy, and more, capping it all off with Batman’s debut seems appropriate. Especially if a Batman: Year One style story becomes it sole focus.
Like Gotham, the sixth season of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will be held until late in the 2018-2019 season — the summer of 2019 actually. That suggests the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe is going on pause until the resolution of the Avengers: Infinity War storyline — well, presuming all of the Netflix shows take also place before that film. When it finally returns, it will also be a shorter-than-usual 13-episode season. But ABC president Channing Dungey maintains the network is dedicated to S.H.I.E.L.D., and has no reason to suspect the show is looking at its last episodes. “I feel the season we just had was creatively the strongest yet,” she said. “By putting it on the summer we feel we can super-serve the show’s audience and possibly have it on the air longer.”
Nonetheless, renewal seemed unlikely at one point with executive producers Maurissa Tancharoen and Jed Whedon writing this week’s season finale as a series finale just in case. Creatively, the show has never been stronger as it learned to plot itself in 13-episode increments. The shorter order may give it additional focus and, should it be the final end, offer it the opportunity to go out as a great series.
Supergirl returns after a long winter break Monday night and with it, a certain relief. For a time, it seemed as though its prospects for a fourth season were in doubt. Both it and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow were forced to share the Monday night 8 p.m. time slot. Supergirl briefly returned in January, but went back on hiatus so Legends could complete its third season. The scheme was dubious as both shows labor in the shadow of The Flash and Arrow and some feared one or both might end up cut from the lineup.
Those fears have been put to rest with The CW confirming that Supergirl and Legends will return for another year on the network, but Supergirl’s time out of the spotlight may have cost it more viewers. And since we’re still fans of the show, we thought a refresher on some of its current happening and finer elements would be apt. If you have walked away, consider these five reasons to give Supergirl another chance.
Though Kara (Melissa Benoist) has had a tough time personally this season, one facet of her character remains steadfast and true: her compassion. Unlike, say, Oliver Queen’s (Stephen Amell) hard-headedness leading to his team’s disintegration in Arrow, Kara always considers other people — be they friend or foe. A recent example centers on her attempt to raid Fort Rozz and learn from a Kryptonian priestess the true nature of her opponents, the Worldkillers (more on them later).
With the station in orbit near a blue star, Kara needed powered backup as the star’s radiation would nullify her abilties. Instead of bring allies, she brought her old foe Live Wire (Brit Morgan) and recent antagonist Psi (Yael Grobglas). While Psi saw a possibility of escape, Live Wire was ultimately moved by Kara’s appeal toward decency and her belief that criminals did not deserve summary execution at the hands of the Worldkillers. Not that Live Wire would admit it at first, but her ultimate sacrifice proved once again that Kara’s compassionate heroism can inspire others to change. Psi even returned from the mission with a little more compassion than when they left. Kara’s innate ability to identify the good in others is why she continues to hope she can appeal to the Worldkillers. It is also something which sets her apart from a lot of the other heroes.
While Supergirl has a very solid supporting cast, it also plays host to a version of one of DC Comics’s most beloved super-teams: the Legion of Superheroes. In this version, the group is composed of Kara’s ex Mon-El (Chris Wood), metal manipulator Imra Ardeen (Amy Jackson) and 12th level intellect Brainiac 5 (Jesse Rath). There’s also at least one more Legionnaire in stasis aboard their ship, but that person appears to be a plot point for another time. Indeed, the Legion is shrouded in a number of mysteries. Initially, Mon-El told Kara and the other DEO agents that they had to go back to prehistoric Earth to find a solution to their current 31st Century problem — a corrupting alien intelligence known as The Blight — but Imra later suggested that this was not the case. Similarly, the true nature of Imra and Mon-El’s marriage also seems to be something of a ruse.
Until recently, the team has played by a sort of temporal prime directive, declining to interfere with what they perceive as past history. Although, Imra mentioned earlier on that their records of the 21st century are incomplete. That, of course, could also be another lie as the Legion’s true intentions allude the viewer. The mystery of the Legion has been a slow-burn intrigue, but in the coming weeks, parts of their real mission will be revealed. Also, to the delight of long time LOSH fans, Mon-El will wear a costume inspired by his comic book counterparts love of red and blue.
Though David Harewood didn’t know it when he first auditioned for Hank Henshaw in the pilot, he would come to be the best live-action depiction of J’onn J’onnz — the Martian Manhunter — ever to grace the screen. His warmth, confidence and strength have proven the character is more than a difficult-to-realize comic book character character. He is vital when you put him in the right ensemble. But before Harewood, Carl Lumbly gave J’onn his most distinctive voice in the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited animated series from 2001 to 2006. His performance was definitive until Harewood.
And since Supergirl likes to honor the history of DC Comics on television, Lumbly debuted as J’onn’s father M’rynn in the season 3 episode “Far From the Tree.” Giving M’rynn the same manner and diction of the Justice League J’onn, he was a tremendous addition to the show’s extended family, which also includes former Supergirl Helen Slater as Kara’s adoptive Earth mother, Eliza Danvers, and Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman’s Dean Cain as her missing husband Jeremiah. But Lumbly’s appearance was more than a one-off as that first story ended with M’rynn joining J’onn on Earth and acclimating to things like coffee and apartment hunting. The culture shock will continue, in fact, as an upcoming episode will see M’rynn’s innate psychic abilities interfering with DEO business.
A great hero needs a worthy adversary and this year Supergirl found one in the form of Reign (Odette Annable). One of the three Kryptonian Worldkillers, Reign is a genetically enhanced being with more strength and fewer weaknesses than the average Kryptonian. Designed by a secret death cult, she is compelled to raze any non-Kryptonian world she encounters. In the winter finale, she beat Kara directly into a coma so severe, only Brainiac 5 could help her out of it. And while she presents a great physical threat, Reign will eventually pose a devastating emotional toll when Kara learns her new friend Sam Arias (also Annable) is the very Kryptonian she’s been fighting to a standstill. Sadder still, Sam has no idea she is Reign. Her human persona goes to sleep when her Kryptonian one surfaces, leading to a number of missing time episodes and endangering her daughter Ruby (Emma Tremblay) in a couple of instances.
And since Reign is immune to Kara’s compassionate appeals, she may have no choice but to fatally wound the Worldkiller, an action that goes against her moral code and something she will resist doing — particularly when she discovers Sam has been Reign all along. But the emotional content of the story line has been one of the show’s great successes this year. As Sam, Annable has been an excellent addition to the cast and a welcome member of Kara’s circle. But there has always been a ticking clock over Sam’s head, and it will be exciting to see how the show resolves what will undoubtedly be one of Kara’s toughest decisions.
But it is possible Kara’s adoptive sister Alex (Chyler Leigh) will be able to help out, even if the third season has not been easy for her. After proposing to girlfriend Maggie Sawyer (Floriana Lima), Alex discovered she wanted to have a child while Maggie was dead set against kids. It, sadly, broke the couple up even as the Internet continued to rally around the “Sanvers” relationship. The story line felt organic for the most part, even as Lima’s decision to leave the show dominated much of the discussion in the early part of the season. Since then, Alex has been processing the breakup — a story which counterpointed Kara’s own turbulent feelings about Mon-El — and joining Kara, Lena Luthor (Katie McGrath) and Sam as a sort of
power team.
Alex also got to know Ruby, who first inspired her thoughts about becoming a mother. In more recent episodes, Ruby and Alex have spent some time together even as Alex tries to find a medical explanation for Sam’s problems. It all seems to be leading to a very specific place for Alex come the end of the season. Since the show allowed her to grieve the demise of her first real adult relationship in a fairly realistic span of time, she hasn’t put a lot of effort into motherhood. But it is possible fate has already chosen a daughter for her. Through it all, Alex has been a solid second lead and Leigh’s performance has never been better. Though a longtime television veteran of shows like Grey’s Anatomy and The Practice, Alex seems to be the character she was meant to play.
While the show may not be as groundbreaking as it was in its second season, Supergirl is still a worthwhile watch thanks to the confidence it has in its characters. The strength of Kara, Alex, and J’onn — to say nothing of the actors portraying them — allow the show take on ideas like the Legion and the Worldkillers because the core cast can always find some truth in even the craziest comic book ideas.
Supergirl airs Mondays at 8/7 C on The CW.
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(Photo by DC Comics) |
Fans of DC Comics’ futuristic super-team the Legion of Superheroes are some of the most devoted fans in comics. The team bounced around as a back-up strip in titles like Adventure Comics, Action Comics, and Superboy for years before getting the lead in Adventure and, later, taking over Superboy’s long-running title; eventually becoming Superboy and the Legion of Superheroes before dropping “Superboy” entirely from the trade dress.
Over the course of that time and for another 15 years, the Legion grew up almost in real time with its audience. Starting as teens in the 1960s, they were adults with children, marital discord, and plenty of regrets by the early 1990s. Through it all, the fans followed their travails, format changes, and even reboots as DC restarted the entire concept in 1994. Then again 10 years later in what is colloquially known as the “Threeboot.” Another version, mainly inspired by the original, debuted in 2007. There may even be another reboot for the team on the horizon in the next year or so.
Legion fans put up with a lot of alterations to their favorite characters. And as far as their appearances on Supergirl so far, they’re not the team fans love. But they could grow into something as valid as the Threeboot. With that in mind, here are five things the show has done right with the Legion — so far — and, for fairness sake, two things they could not be more wrong about.
A Legion Flight Ring is the piece of kit which identifies a young hero as a member of the Legion. They first appeared in 1965 — or, rather, 2965 — thanks to Brainiac 5’s ingenuity. Prior to that, the team used Flying Belts that limited their mobility. In fact, the Flight Ring tech seen on Supergirl appears to resemble the belts more than full-fledged abilities of the a proper Flight Ring. During the fight against Reign (Odette Annable) in episode 10, “Legion of Superheroes,” both Mon-El (Chris Wood) and Imra (Amy Jackson) appeared to hover more than fly. The team faced a similar issue in the 1995-2004 era when the rings were initially created by Brainy. Eventually, they needed a tweak from Invisible Kid to really give the Legionnaires flight. Maybe Winn (Jeremy Jordan) will serve in that capacity as his knowledge of 21st-century technology already bested Brainy’s (Jesse Rath) 12th-level intelligence in one instance.
Though it took the Legion logo some time to evolve, its current manifestation coalesced around 1993 and has stayed constant even as the various Legion series hit the reset button. The size and position of the starburst over the “L” varies based on the artist drawing it, but the design is otherwise unchanged.
On Supergirl, the logo appears in the frosted glass partitions on the command deck of the team’s advanced starship. As glimpsed in a handful of scenes, the starburst is enormous, but it will still give a Legion fan a thrill to see the logo given such attention and craft.
And speaking of logos, the individual Legionnaires have their own personal logos for identification purposes in the Legion’s computer and tracking system. Brainy’s is the three-dot motif seen embossed on his shirt. Imra’s is typically a stylized representation of Saturn, but the icon on her Supergirl outfit features more rings. When Mon-El was forced to bring her out of stasis, a number of other personal logos appeared onscreen, suggesting the other Legionnaires still in stasis may include the element manipulator Jan Arrah. A few fans hope Tenzil Kem — a.k.a. Matter-Eater Lad — is also aboard the ship.
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As explained by Mon-El and Imra in episode 10, the Legion went to the distant past to stop something known as The Blight. According to Mon-El, the secret to defeating the scourge was found in prehistoric time and is encoded in the DNA of the five Legionnaires aboard the starship. But because their craft lacks the ability to jump back to their present instantaneously, the team expected to sleep though all of human history until the 31st Century. Unfortunately, a sub-launched missile altered that plan.
Mon-El’s story is copied almost entirely from the 1999–2000 Legion of Superheroes tale “Legion of the Damned,” in which an extra-galactic menace known as the Blight took control of key Legion members and used them to conquer whole swathes of the United Planets, including Earth. In finally overthrowing the Blight, a number of Legionnaires were lost in space and risked everything to make it home. Getting stuck 1,000 years before their time was also the topic of 1999’s “Team 20th” crossover with Superman and a subsequent 2011 series called Legion Lost.
It remains to be seen if Mon-El and Imra are telling the whole truth or if Supergirl will be needed to help defeat The Blight. Despite some similarities to Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s Borg, they are worthy Legion enemies made all the more frightening by the way they use loved ones against their enemies. And one can easily imagine Kara (Melissa Benoist) struggling to fight a Blight-infected Mon-El or Alex (Chyler Leigh).
If there is one constant in the various interpretations of the Legion — which also includes a cartoon series, Superboy and the Legion of Superheroes, and their handful of appearances on Smallville — it is the inability of Brainiac 5 to understand the social niceties of humans. As a member of the Legion, Brainy’s curt and exasperated manner is tolerated because of his great intellect and because he occasionally manifests an emotional intelligence that proves his loyalty to the team. Not that this ever really stops him from decrying the lack of proper peers, equipment, or the need for someone to comprehend his ideas as quickly as he can think them up.
On Supergirl, we’ve seen Rath’s version of Brainy display a surprising amount of empathy while dealing with the comatose Kara during episode 10, but his true irascible self appeared in episode 11 when introduced to Winn and the DEO command center. His dismissive comment that he has “seen espresso machines with more computing power” was a prime Brainy remark.
But that air of superiority and arrogance can and does get him into trouble, as seen later in the episode when his sarcastic “message in a bottle” quip leads Winn into out-thinking him and finding a way to contact Supergirl. In fact, that pride-before-a-fall turn for Brainy might be the most faithful element of the character seen on the series so far.
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(Photo by DC Comics) |
Before the winter break, Mon-El and Imra eluded to some of the Legion’s expansive history with the most pertinent part of the teams origin: They were inspired by Mon-El’s stories of Supergirl’s strength and bravery.
That idea has been at the heart of the Legion since their debut story in the pages of February 1958’s Adventure Comics #247. In that tale, Imra, Cosmic Boy, and Lightning Lad come back in time to see if Superboy is worthy to join their superhero club. And while it seems that they all outclass him, it was all a ruse to celebrate his accomplishments and reveal his exploits as both Superboy and Superman would live on as legend into the 30th century. They also offered him membership, leading to decades of stories.
Curiously, Mon-El took Superboy’s place as the Legion’s inspiration when Superman’s adventures as a boy were removed from DC’s main story continuity in 1985. In that version of the legend, he helped human colonists settle each of the key United Planets worlds before ending up exiled in the Phantom Zone for a 1,000 years. Now, on Supergirl, it is only fitting to see Mon-El still inspire the team, but by framing Kara as the ultimate example of what a hero can do.
Though Jesse Rath has made fun of the change on his Twitter account, the tone of Brainy’s skin has to be one of the biggest things the show gets wrong — well, at least for a longtime Legion fan. Based on the original depiction of Superman villain Brainiac, his thousand-years-later descendant has always been depicted with the green skin of a Coluan and blonde hair.
His look on the show, which seems more like an Andorian from Star Trek, came as a shock to many fans when pictures first surfaced late in December. Rath eventually said the color was more turquoise than blue. Which may be true on set, but once color corrected in post-production, the effect lacks for any green content whatsoever. The actor also suggested fans may be experiencing their own version of the “What Color is This Dress?” meme.
Exclusive BTS selfie of the #Brainiac5 makeup test. #supergirl #dc #LegionOfSuperHeroes #moniac5 pic.twitter.com/WGw874VhTp
— Jesse Rath (@jesserath) January 6, 2018
And to be fair to Supergirl and its own continuity, the darker green hue is reserved for Green Martians. It also established Brainy’s descendant Indigo (aka Brainiac 8) in the first season as very blue Laura Vandervoort. Also, green skin tone is hard to pull off on film and television, with Guardians of the Galaxy’s Gamora (Zoe Saldana) being a notable exception.
Nonetheless, it still tough to accept this seemingly minor change to Brainiac 5. Rath, for his part, also said the makeup will continue to change as the season continues. This is definitely true in episode 11. The application of the three illuminated dots on his forehead and the white wig were markedly improved over the character’s first appearance a week ago. Maybe they’ll figure out how to make him properly green by the end of the season.
Though Amy Jackson plays a character named Imra Ardeen, the purple accents in her uniform and the nature of her powers suggest she’s really an amalgam of the comic book Imra and fellow Legion founder Cosmic Boy. In the comics, Imra is a powerful telepath. Cosmic Boy, meanwhile, has an innate ability to control metal. He also likes to wear magenta-colored outfits and predates the first appearance of Magneto by five years.
On Supergirl, Imra appears to have some sort of telekinetic power. But, so far, she has only used it to manipulate metal. A curious change to the character Legion fans will notice immediately. Some would even suggest the change is a pointed clue at what may be really happening with Mon-El and his team. At the same time, the strange mind-wompy Psi (Yael Grobglas) gave Imra may indicate a change in power is coming her way.
There are a few other things that will make a Legion fan wrinkle his or her nose — the mostly black uniforms, Mon-El and Imra’s marriage, the way they referred to Ayla Ranzz as a “friend” — but these alterations may have some not-yet-revealed story purpose. In fact, Mon-El’s costume will be getting an upgrade soon, as a winter season CW trailer recently unveiled. As with so many characters on Supergirl and its cousins on The CW, the story is really about making the people into the heroes they will become. Perhaps the Legion still has a few lessons to learn before they really become the Legion of Superheroes. And we’ll all cheer when that moment finally arrives.
And when they fix Brainy’s skintone.
Supergirl airs Mondays at 8/7C on The CW.
With the winter break over, the superheroes of the CW, Fox, and ABC are returning with more drama, surprise guests and exceptional banter with their often colorful nemeses.
Considering there are enough superhero shows to keep a crossover event going indefinitely, we thought a few reminders of where we left off with each team or hero might be helpful. For instance, did you know DC’s Legends of Tomorrow is taking an extended break until February? If not read on as we get reacquainted with the television superheroes.
Returned: Friday, Jan. 5
Thanks to their late start in December, the S.H.I.E.L.D. team is already back in business with new episodes every Friday.
In the most recent, “Fun & Games,” Fitz (Iain De Caestaecker) staged a daring rescue. Well, he sort of staged it, anyway. Daisy (Chloe Bennet) had plans of her own, and no matter how much he planned for that, things still went sideways as Kasius’s (Dominic Rains) brother Faulnak (Samuel Roukin) turned up with the intention of outbidding Fitz for Daisy and Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge). Simmons split open Kasius’s neck, Fitz shot the Kree administrator’s “stray” Sinara (Florence Faivra), and the trio exited the arena while leaving some of the most ruthless power brokers in the galaxy behind an energy barrier. And though it seemed like a victory, they still have to reconnect with Coulson (Clark Gregg), Mack (Henry Simmons), and Yo-Yo (Natalia Cordova-Buckley); find a way out of the Lighthouse; save May (Ming-Na Wen) from the surface; and find a way back to the present day. They’ll probably have to save the remaining humans in the Lighthouse as well. Reportedly, the team will not get back to our time until the 100th-episode extravaganza six weeks from now, so get ready for more intense space action. Luckily, it’s some of the best action S.H.I.E.L.D. has ever realized.
Returns: Monday, Jan. 15
Things were not looking too well for Kara (Melissa Benoist) when we last saw her. Savagely beaten by the World Killer known as Reign (Odette Annable), Supergirl fell into a coma while her opponent remained free to rip up National City and, presumably, the world.
But even before that, everybody in the DEO was feeling the strain of recent events. The return of Mon-El (Chris Wood) turned out not so joyous, as he spent seven years in the 31st century coping with the belief that he would never see Kara again; only to found the Legion of Superheroes in her honor. He also got married to the Legion’s prime telepath Imra Ardeen (Amy Jackson). Alex (Chyler Leigh) was still coping with her breakup from Maggie (Floriana Lima), but a brief fling with Legends of Tomorrow captain Sara Lance (Caity Lotz) alleviated some of the tension. Nonetheless, she also needed a trip home to Midvale to even start feeling half her old self. J’onn (David Harewood) and his father M’yrnn (Carl Lumbly) moved into an apartment in the city — a first for both Martians! And despite having a pair of best friends like Kara and Sam, Lena Luthor (Katie McGrath) is headed for a rude awakening as one tries to kill the other. Also: James Olson (Mehcad Brooks) and Winn Schott (Jeremy Jordan) are still on the show!
Returns: Tuesday, Jan. 16
Despite finally getting married at the end of the “Crisis on Earth-X” crossover, Iris and Barry’s (Candice Patton and Grant Gustin) honeymoon was cut short by Clifford DeVoe (Neil Sandilands), who orchestrated his most fiendish scheme yet: framing Barry for his murder.
Meanwhile, the rest of the S.T.A.R. Labs team are in a good place for once. Caitlin Snow and Killer Frost (both Danielle Panabaker) seem to have an understanding about inhabiting the same body. Cisco (Carlos Valdes) has been reassured that his relationship with Gypsy (Jessica Camacho) is still stable, and Harry (Tom Cavanagh) likes living on Earth-1 after his daughter and the other heroes of Earth-2 made him feel useless. Even Joe (Jesse L. Martin) has happy tidings with a baby on the way. But it’s easy to imagine DeVoe has plans to disrupt the happiness they’ve all carved out for themselves. This is The Flash after all. Nobody gets to smile for very long. Well, maybe Ralph Dibny (Hartley Sawyer) will get to keep smiling. He’s shallow enough for that.
Returns: Thursday, Jan. 18
After building up a great team of vigilantes in its fifth season, the sixth year of Arrow set out to break them. Or, at least, destroy their hard-won camaraderie.
When we last saw Team Arrow, it appeared to be mission accomplished with Rene (Rick Gonzalez) admitting he sold out Oliver (Stephen Amell) to the FBI. In the fallout, the other junior members of the team – Dinah Drake (Juliana Harkavy) and Curtis Holt (Echo Kellum) – came to distrust Oliver, Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) and Diggle (David Ramsey). In fact, there are now two teams as Rene, Dinah, and Curtis decided to go it alone without Oliver’s myriad issues harshing their style. But this breakdown in team spirit was the plan of mastermind Cayden James (Michael Emerson) who — along with Mallus on Legends of Tomorrow and DeVoe on The Flash — is proving the importance of strategy and cold, calculated reasoning. Now that Team Arrow is fractured, James is ready to send each of them a specific nemesis, like Dinah’s ex Vincent (Johann Urb) and Diggle’s former supplier Ricardo Diaz (Kirk Acevedo), in the hopes of destroying them utterly. Well, there’s probably also a profit to be made as well. It’s a shame Ragman Rory (Joe Dinicol) can’t reappear and help them out.
Returns: Monday, Feb. 12
Thanks to the arrival of Black Lightning, Supergirl and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow will be splitting the Monday 8 p.m. timeslot through June. While Supergirl returns for four weeks on Monday, Legends will return to complete its third season on February 12.
When it does, the Waverider crew will face some of their toughest emotional challenges yet. Dr. Martin Stein (Victor Garber) passed away saving his friends from the Nazis of Earth-X, and Jax (Franz Drameh) decided to stay behind in 2017 to figure out who he is without Stein and Firestorm. If that loss wasn’t bad enough, Mallus (John Noble) has some sort of direct connection to Sara, which may yet relate to the way the other time anomalies keep making the team confront their pasts. He also claims he will be free from the strange prison dimension where he currently resides. Oh, and Rip Hunter (Arthur Darvill), the person first wise to Mallus, is behind bars! But not everything is doom and gloom thanks to a visit from Earth-X’s Leonard Snart (Wentworth Miller). He’s already done wonders for Mick Rory’s (Dominic Purcell) drinking problem. Maybe he can help the others find solace. Also, Ray (Brandon Routh) and Nate (Nick Zano) still get to nerd out wherever they go.
Returns: To be announced
And though Gotham is more of a supervillain tale at this point, the trajectory of Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie) and Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) should still lead toward heroism, right?
Maybe not this Jim Gordon. His effort to recruit Sofia Falcone (Crystal Reed) into his war against Penguin (Robin Lord Taylor) led to Sofia arranging the death of her own father and the messy arrival of Lazlo Valentin (Michael Cerveris) into the mix. It also led to the deaths of a number of GCPD officers and the leverage she needs to keep Captain Gordon in her pocket. Oops. Bruce, meanwhile, fought with Alfred (Sean Pertwee) and arranged for an emancipation from his butler/trainer/legal guardian. He also fired him so he can lean into that “millionaire playboy” thing with gusto. Never mind that Alfred accurately interpreted Bruce’s recent behavior as a form of misery. Meanwhile, Tabitha (Jessica Lucas) tried to beat the Butch (Drew Powell) back into the thick skull of Solomon Grundy (also Powell) — and though she left the scene in frustration, it appeared to work. And exposed for his hand in the apparent death of a child, Penguin found himself locked up at Arkham and facing the unsettling smile of Jerome Valeska (Cameron Monaghan). Surely that team-up will lead to successful rehabilitation for both.
This year’s Arrowverse superhero crossover event, “Crisis on Earth-X,” on The CW may seem like a titanic struggle between our heroes and their Nazi doppelgangers, but it is also, oddly enough, a story about love. Some of the characters are fulfilling traditional heterosexual expectations of love and romance. Others appear to be running from those expectations. And yet still others are smarting from the lack of traditional — or nontraditional — romantic experiences.
The anchor to all of the romantic pondering is, of course, the wedding of Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) and Iris West (Candice Patton). After four years, two parallel worlds, an ex-fiance erased from existence, and a threat from a future Flash, the pair are finally getting married — well once they deal with the invasion from Earth-X, which itself seems to be motivated by a great love.
(Photo by Bettina Strauss/The CW)
Back in the pages of DC Comics, Barry and Iris’ marriage stood the test of time and even beyond. On The Flash, their love often wavered as the story line demanded. In fact, all of the shows have a spotty record with relationships, but a handful certainly stand as memorable or as meaningful as Barry and Iris. Here are five of the best (and two of the worst) relationships on Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl.
Even though it ended recently, Alex (Chyler Leigh) and Maggie (Floriana Lima) represented the best possible relationship one can find in superhero television. They weathered so much together — both in terms of Alex learning how to be with someone and alien invasions — and seemed to grow with every misstep and argument. Sadly, there was one difference of life goals they could not agree on: children. But even in acknowledging they could not compromise on the issue, their bittersweet farewell was the sort of thing everyone hopes they’ll experience if they have to call it quits with someone special.
The relationship, dubbed “Sanvers” online, became a rallying point for those who had never seen a lesbian relationship portrayed with such sensitivity. It also came as quite a shock when the series announced Lima would not return as a regular in its third year, forcing the series to make the relationship’s end as natural as it could be. Nonetheless, some remain hopeful that the pair will be reunited sometime in the future.
Since Barry and Iris were always fated to be together, Barry’s other romantic entanglements lacked a certain energy — anyone remember Linda Park? One exception to his uninspired love life was Central City Police Department officer Patty Spivot (Shantel VanSanten). Perceptive and dedicated, she was a match for Barry as he tried to conceal a temporary blindness during their first date. The pair had mad chemistry together, and he admitted his secret to her long before he told Iris! Alas, Barry’s One True Pairing was fated in the timestream (and Earth-2), so Patty took a train out of town. Curiously, her major relationship qualm — Barry’s secretiveness — would become a major issue for Barry and Iris in the show’s third season.
In the reality of the production, it seemed a decision was made to bring Iris and Barry together quicker than originally conceived; thus the effort in making Patty an appealing and interesting character ended up a waste. Thankfully, she made it out of town safely and not on a slab like other former Team Flash paramours.
Always a controversial pick for those who hated Mon-El immediately upon his debut, the pairing of Mon-El (Chris Wood) and Kara (Melissa Benoist) was well-drawn — even if Mon-El had to grow a conscience overnight so it could happen. There was an obvious attraction from the get go, even if his bad-boy ways chaffed against Kara sense of duty. He eventually came around to her point of view — and not just for the chance to date her, but also because his heart was in that morality all along. Sadly, it seems his marriage to Imra Ardeen (Amy Jackson) of the Legion of Superheroes has put an end to Karamel forever.
The pair drew the ire of fans interested in the dynamic that seemed to develop between Kara and Lena Luthor (Katie McGrath). Others felt Mon-El’s character changed too sharply in order to get the two together as fast as possible. Back in the comics, Mon-El and Kara were teammates in The Legion of Superheroes, but were never romantically linked. The (relative) success of the pair as an on-screen couple was one of the great surprises of Supergirl’s second season even if it continues to be contentious among fans.
Admittedly, Oliver (Stephen Amell) and Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) were insufferable the first time around. In giving the fans what they believed they wanted, the relationship took a lot of the bite out of Felicity and made Oliver more of a jerk than usual. This time, though, they come off as complimentary people working toward common goals. We’ve seen them tentatively include William in the dynamic as well, which may be why it is working better this time. The year apart probably helped as well, even if both tried to move on and failed miserably. A helpful explosive device care of Prometheus (or was it Helix?) also put them on the road to reconciliation. But as the only couple on this list still together, there is plenty of time for them to screw it up again. They made a good go of it at the rehearsal dinner!
The key to making it work, of course, is Rickards ability as a performer. She was the reason why “Olicity” took root with fans in the first place. In fact, she may be the reason the entire Arrowverse works as well as it does. Introduced as a recurring character, she was essential by the end of the first season. She also introduced the world to Barry Allen. So, hopefully, she can make the long-term relationship of Oliver and Felicity something fans want to see last.
Eddie Thawne (Rick Cosnett) was a victim of fate. As established in The Flash pilot, he and Iris began dating while Barry was in his six-month coma. And while Barry was blinded by jealousy after he woke up, the two were actually a very sweet couple. Unlike a traditional romantic obstacle or a “Captain Suitable” type, Eddie was portrayed as a caring, dedicated man with a bit of an edge to him. He also became friendly with Barry — after decking him, of course — and the rest of Team Flash.
Their relationship was strained when he agreed to hide The Flash’s identity from Iris — a recurring theme over the years. Though it pained him to keep Barry’s secret, he eventually concocted a lie to pacify his inquisitive would-be fiancée. Keeping the secret might have impacted their potential marriage if not for the Reverse-Flash revealing the fate of Iris West-Allen to Eddie. Learning the truth, he broke things off with Iris and sacrificed himself to erase the Reverse-Flash, his descendant, from the timestream. And even that sacrifice was somewhat in vain with remnants of the Reverse-Flash lost in time and space.
Talk about a raw deal. Thanks to Cosnett’s performance and the surprisingly even-handed writing of a character who could easily be an antagonist, Eddie deserved better. Maybe his life is better on Earth-19.
Oh, Tommy Merlyn (Colin Donnell). A hangover from Arrow’s initial mix of Smallville and Gossip Girl, he played the spoiled playboy archetype despite attempting to date the socially conscious Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy). Looking back, all of their scenes together seemed to come from a different, backlit show. Granted, a number of those scenes took place at the Verdant night club. In the midst of this, his father Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman) cut off his trust fund, forcing him to grow up a little and move in with Laurel. The two make the best of it for a time, until Tommy realizes Oliver still loved Laurel. Or, at least, that’s the way he perceived things. Time would prove Laurel and Oliver’s love for each other was never quite as romantic as Tommy believed.
In fact, Oliver and Laurel made for a terrible couple as well.
But perhaps the worst part of the Tommy-Laurel pairing comes after Tommy’s death. For much of the second season, Laurel spent her life in a drunken, despondent stupor and nearly ruined her career. Although the latter had as much to do with the Sebastian Blood (Kevin Alejandro) situation as it did her chemical dependencies.
Laurel eventually recovered, but considering the wobbly writing of both Tommy and Laurel at the time, they easily earn a spot on this short list.
But by a wide margin, the worst of the couples ever presented on the four CW superhero shows has to be Carter Hall (Falk Hentschel) and Kendra Saunders (Ciara Renee): the Hawks of Legends of Tomorrow.
Kendra was introduced as a love interest for The Flash’s Cisco Ramon (Carlos Valdes), but soon learned she was fated to stand beside a be-winged drink of water named Carter Hall. The two had always been together. Well, at least since their first life ended in a battle with Vandal Savage (Casper Crump) over a piece of Nth Metal. Born time and again, the two were fated through a mix of mysticism and science to always find each other and always die at Savage’s hand.
And even lives in which one or the other survived, misery was also their constant companion; as Kendra learned when she encountered an earlier incarnation of herself during a time travel trip to the Old West.
For most of their season on Legends, Carter was dead, killed after an early attempt to end Savage. But other versions of him and flashbacks to previous eras attempted to keep the flame alive. A version of him from Savage’s dark future even joined Kendra in the 21st century! Unfortunately, the writing and performances failed an interesting hook, based on an early 2000s comic book revision of Hawkman. The show attempted to course-correct by bringing Kendra together with Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh), but the relationship could not survive the hand of fate. Kendra and Carter literally flew away at the conclusion of Legends‘s first season to discover what their lives will be like without the threat of Savage.
You’ll note they have never been invited back for crossover events like this week’s “Crisis on Earth-X.” They will likely remain in St. Roch until the end of time.
The new season of The CW’s superhero shows – colloquially known as “The Berlantiverse” in honor of executive producer Greg Berlanti – has finally arrived and with it a number of new characters from the endless library of DC Comics characters. Since the first season of Arrow, Belanti and fellow EPs Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg have delighted themselves, and fans, with their deep pulls from the DC library, and with each year, the additions become more and more surprising for fans of obscure DC characters.
Let’s take a look at some of the new these new faces who will have a major impact on Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow this season.
In the third season premiere of Supergirl, Morgan Edge (Adrian Pasdar) first appears as a construction tycoon who aided National City in rebuilding after the Daxamite attack. But his seeming altruism was immediately questioned by Lena Luthor (Katie McGrath) and James Olson (Mehcad Brooks). In retaliation for CatCo’s critical view of his role in town, he threatened to buy the company. The move, had it been successful, would’ve brought Edge closer to his comic book counterpart.
Created by Jack Kirby in the pages of Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #133, Edge was the president of the Galaxy Broadcast System and owner of Metropolis TV station WGBS. In his first appearance, he was tied to Metropolis crime organization known as Intergang (itself tied to perennial DC bad guy Darkseid), but it was soon revealed he was merely a crook posing as Edge.
He eventually bought the Daily Planet and transferred Clark Kent to WGBS, where he became on on-air reporter and news anchor. Though often critical of Superman, Edge was friendly with Kent and other members of the WGBS news team; rarely appearing as more than a modern corporate version of Perry White.
Following the 1985 reboot of DC’s mainstream universe, Edge remerged as a true antagonist making a deal with Darkseid’s lacky DeSaad and building up a new version of Intergang. He was eventually exposed by Cat Grant and Clark Kent, but reappeared every so often to create trouble for Superman and his friends. One of his last jobs before DC rebooted their universe again in 2011 was as an anti-Kryptonian media pundit. He also funded the Superman Revenge Squad, a move the Pasdar version will no doubt make as his conflict with Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) becomes personal.
But Edge wasn’t the only antagonist introduced in this week’s episode. Odette Annable’s seemingly innocent single mother has a surprise in store for herself and everyone in National City: She’s the Kryptonian worldkiller known as Reign.
A relatively new addition to the cannon, she first appeared in 2012’s Supergirl (Vol. 6) #5. Aided by three other worldkillers – humanoid bioweapons designed by Kara’s father Zor-El – she confronted Supergirl in the remains of Argo City demanding answers about her creation. Having no knowledge to share, Supergirl fought her to a standstill; both in Argo City and on Earth. With the worldkillers close to defeat, Reign withdrew from the planet while warning Kara that her group were not the only worldkillers in the galaxy.
It is unclear if the show’s version of Reign will also be the product of Zor-El’s work or part of that strange Kryptonian cult we saw at the end of season 2. What is clear is that she shares her comic book counterpart’s lack of understanding about herself. Based on her few scenes in the season 3 premiere, Reign isn’t even aware that she’s Kryptonian.
Responding to criticism, the producers of The Flash chose to move away from speedsters as Barry’s (Grant Gustin) major opponent in season 4. Instead of the Black Flash or another member of the Thawne family, Clifford DeVoe (Neil Sandilands) and his supreme intelligence presents The Flash with a new challenge: strategizing instead of outrunning.
DeVoe first appeared in 1943’s All-Flash #12 – Flash fact: There was never an actual The Flash #1 until 1987 – wherein we learned he was a district attorney who turned to alcohol and eventually providing alibis for the Keystone City mob. He eventually used his great intelligence to become the leader of the mob, adopting “The Thinker” as his moniker, before being stopped by Jay Garrick, the Golden Age Flash.
The two would become arch-rivals with DeVoe turning to science to outsmart Garrick. One of DeVoe’s most important devices was his Thinking-Cap, which allowed him to project his mental energies. After making Keystone City and its inhabitants disappear for decades with the Thinking-Cap, it eventually gave him cancer. In an odd twist, Garrick offered to help find a cure, but DeVoe chose to die instead.
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In the modern DC Universe, The Thinker is an unnamed inmate at Belle Reve prison. His incredible intelligence forces his body to prematurely age and is willing to offer his services to anyone who can provide him with a new body immune to aging.
Beyond the visual similarities to the current Thinker, it remains to be seen how much of the character’s comic book past will inform Sandilands’s version of DeVoe. It is possible they both share an intention to fix everything The Thinker sees wrong with humanity. But whatever his plan, it’s clear he needs Barry Allen in circulation to do accomplish it.
While Barry faces the brain of DeVoe on The Flash, Arrow’s Ollie (Stephen Amell) will be pitted against the brawn of Ricardo Diaz Jr. (Kirk Acevedo), the Berlantiverse version of DC Comics’ favorite martial arts instructor Richard Dragon. Intended to cash in on the kung-fu movie craze at the time, the character debuted in Denny O’Neil’s 1974 novel Dragon’s Fists. O’Neil brought him to comics in the pages of the fabulously named Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter series for DC. Across the novel and the series, Dragon fought alongside eventual Bronze Tiger Ben Turner for an organization known as G.O.O.D. and trained the assassin known as Lady Shiva. After the series ended, Dragon became a supporting character in O’Neil’s 1980s series The Question and appeared in other titles whenever a character needed to learn martial arts. Shiva eventually enticed him to join the competitive fighting circuit even as he tried to atone for previous sins.
The New 52 version of the character more closely resembles his Arrow counterpart. Debuting in Green Arrow (Vol. 5) #23, Richard Diaz Jr. was the son of a Seattle crime boss Oliver and Diggle defeated sometime in the past. Wanting back what his father lost, Diaz trained under a man named Richard Dragon, eventually killing him and taking the name as his own. Returning to Seattle, he began to unite the disparate crime elements in the city.
Considering Diaz stole the name from another Richard Dragon, it leaves one to wonder if the other version of the character may show up on Arrow at some point. Executive producer Marc Guggenheim has made no secret of his love for O’Neil’s Question and the original Richard Dragon was a big part of that book. If he shows up, maybe he can teach Oliver and thing or two about fighting Diaz. Maybe he’ll even bring The Question with him.
But not all the new additions are aligned with comic book–style evil. Though she’s yet to appear, there will be a new Legend aboard the Waverider this year: Zari Adrianna Tomaz. According to early descriptions of the character, she is a hacker from 2046 with plenty of anger toward the Legends’ management of time. When Zari debuts on Legends of Tomorrow, it will be something of a homecoming, as the character she was loosely based on began in that medium.
Created by Lou Scheimer, Norm Prescott, and Richard Rosenbloom for the mid-1970s television series The Shazam!/Isis Hour, Andrea Thomas (JoAnna Cameron) was also known as The Mighty Isis, whose half-hour adventures shared a timeslot with DC’s Captain Marvel; a character whose copyright situation is so strange, he’s mainly known as Shazam these days. She also appeared in a licensed comic book published by DC Comics at the time.
While The Mighty Isis disappeared from television screens, DC created their own Isis during 2006’s weekly series 52. In honor of the television character, she was named Adrianna Tomaz, but had a very different life from the one Andrea Thomas enjoyed. Tomaz was introduced as an Egyptian refugee bought by Intergang as a gift for the ruler of Kanhdaq, Captain Marvel’s archfoe Black Adam. Finding the notion of enslaving a woman intolerable, he punished the Intergang representatives and freed Tomaz. She immediately began to criticize his governing of Kanhdaq.
But instead of punishing her, he listened and began to change his outlook on the world. Recognizing her as a possible reincarnation of Egyptian Pharoah Hatshepsut, he convinced Captain Marvel to confer on her the powers of Isis. The pair began to alleviate some of the suffering they encountered in the Middle East and eventually fell in love.
Unfortunately, such relationships are hard to maintain in superhero worlds. Isis would suffer a tragic death and two difficult resurrections before the entire DC Universe rebooted in 2011. Following the reboot, she was spotted as a protestor-turned-resistance fighter in a US-controlled Kanhdaq.
It remains to be seen if Zari will eventually exhibit any of Isis’s powers. In fact, it is somewhat surprising a character so closely related to Shazam! would not be held in reserve for the upcoming feature film, but even without the powers of Isis, Zari still shares the Tomaz penchant for calling out injustice and striving to correct them. Or at least, that’s what publicity surrounding the character would have us believe.
Of course, these are only a handful of characters you can expect to see debut this year in the Berlantiverse. In the weeks and months ahead, fan favorites like Ralph Dibny and obscure villains like Kilg%re will get their moment to shine as the each of the four shows continue to adapt these wonderful DC Comics characters. Maybe one of them will even become your new favorite.
The CW’s superheroes will each have some potentially world-destroying problems to deal with when the four series — Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow — return over the next week.
On the sixth season of Arrow, not everyone will make it off Lian Yu alive. In season 4 of The Flash, Barry will have been gone from Central City for six months after appeasing the speedforce to save Iris’ live. On Supergirl season 3, Kara will have to come to terms with the major sacrifice she made to save Earth. And on the third season of Legends of Tomorrow, the team will be forced to fix the anachronisms and aberrations they caused when they visited a time to which they’d already traveled before.
Rotten Tomatoes spoke with the executive producers from each of the DC series about how their superheroes will save the day, which villains they’ll have to overcome this season, and new cast members, including genre favorites such as Smallville vet Erica Durance, Lost‘s Michael Emerson, Heroes star Adrian Pasdar and more.
Read on to find out what to expect during The CW’s premiere week, kicking off Monday, Oct. 9.
Premieres: Monday, Oct. 9 at 8 p.m.
Stars: Melissa Benoist, Chyler Leigh, David Harewood, Jeremy Jordan, Calista Flockhart, Mehcad Brooks, Katie McGrath, Chris Wood
Supergirl (Benoist) made a major sacrifice at the end of the season 2 finale, sending her love, Mon-El (Wood) away in order save Earth. While the plan worked, Earth might not be safe for long thanks to a mysterious Kryptonian pod containing a baby who will allegedly reign over Earth. Executive producer Robert Rovner reveals exactly how the baby will wreak havoc and teases Mon-El’s eventual reappearance.
Rotten Tomatoes: What can you say about the baby in the teaser from the end of season 2?
Robert Rover: The baby is Reign, played by Odette Annable. She will be a world killer who is genetically engineered by these people on Krypton. We’re excited to tell that story this season, to see Reign come up head-to-head against Supergirl.
(Photo by The CW)
When Mon-El comes back, is he going to be the same guy?
All I can tell you unfortunately is that Mon-El will return at some point, but when he returns and how is one of the central mysteries of our season.
When he does return, is there a possibility that he and Kara could still have a relationship?
She’s grappling with the events of the season finale as we start the season, and she’s wrestling with what it means to be human. How and when it impacts with the return of Mon-El, that we can’t really talk about.
(Photo by The CW)
In the Comic Con trailer, Kara says, “I am not a human. Kara was a mistake.” Is that just her in the aftermath of this sacrifice she had to make in the finale, or is that just growing pains now that she’s accepting her identity as Supergirl?
I think it’s growing pains. She learned the price of being vulnerable and the price of falling in love. She was put on Earth for a reason, so she’s grappling with [the question of] is it better to compartmentalize and throw herself into work at the expense of her relationships and be focused on saving the world — which in some respects is emotionally easier — or is she prepared to try and take a chance on fulfilling her human destiny as well?
What can you say about Adrian Pasdar’s new character?
He’s wonderful. He’s playing Morgan Edge. We’re really excited to have him on. He comes from the comics, and he’s a titan in business. He comes to National City with his own agenda that quickly comes into conflict with Supergirl’s.
(Photo by The CW)
And what about Erica Durance taking the place of Laura Benanti?
Oh she’s wonderful. We’re really excited to have her. It’s great. She’s one of the legacy actors. She was in Smallville as Lois Lane. We always love bringing people who have been part of the DC Universe back into the fold in different roles, so it’s been kind of great having her back in the DC family. We were sad that Laura Benanti couldn’t continue, and we loved her in the role of Alora, but it’s great to have Erica stepping into the role. Kara’s roots and her parents and that loss are so central to her character, so we thought it was important that we continue to have that presence in her life on Earth.
The legacy casting has been so fun. Are there any other people you want to try to get on at some point?
We love having them on and so whenever a new character comes up, we think about if there’s somebody that’s been involved in the DC Universe that could play that part. But besides Erica and the ones we have, like Helen Slater, who continue on the show, we don’t really have any other plans at the present. We love it, and we think the fans love it. We love seeing people that we know and are familiar with step into other roles. And what’s great about them is that they’re all wonderful actors as well. So, you get the excitement of seeing them in the new role but they also bring a lot when they take on these new characters.
(Photo by The CW)
Alex and Maggie’s engagement seemed a little quick. Are they going slow it down a little when we get back?
We love Sanvers and we loved watching them fall in love last season. And we’re disappointed that Floriana [Lima] had other opportunities and other things she had to pursue this season so that she couldn’t come back full time, but what we are able to do is tell a story for them that really honors their relationship. That’s what we’re pursuing and we hope the fans will be as moved by it as we are.
On a larger scale, when Supergirl premiered, seeing Melissa interact with little girls dressed as Supergirl was so inspiring. Then there was Wonder Woman‘s success over the summer. Do you feel a cultural importance on a larger scale when you’re writing, or are you focused on the smaller scale of just making a good show?
One of the things I think we were able to do this season was to tell stories that really spoke to issues that were going on in the real world, and to see how this very strong woman could navigate that and allow us to discuss issues that were topical, and to tell stories about inclusion, and acceptance, and about LGBTQ rights, and all of the stuff we’ve been able to tell. We do focus on letting Supergirl be a voice of strength and optimism and hope, to tell stories that are reflective of what’s going on and to be a source of strength and be there for people who are dealing with all of the stuff that we’re dealing with. I think too it shows that it’s not always her super powers that save the day. It’s her voice and all of her strength that can inspire people that they don’t have to be a superhero to make a difference, that they can use their own strength to persevere. Hopefully the stories that we’re telling challenge people, and help embolden them to be the best that they can be, to persevere under the most trying of circumstances.
Just in time for Halloween, Rotten Tomatoes has a lucky number 13 series to add to your binge-watching queue this month. There are so many excellent new and returning series coming in October — check out our Fall TV Premiere Dates calendar for the full breakdown — that we limited this month’s binge guide to those select programs that are Certified Fresh. Find out which series you should catch up on below!
Frank Ockenfels/FOX
What it is: From the mind of creator and star Will Forte, The Last Man on Earth sees the narcissistic Phil Miller (Forte) go from living up to the series’ namesake after a killer virus sweeps the world clean of humanity to just being the center of his own world after he stumbles upon a series of other oddball survivors.
Why you should watch it: “Post-apocalyptic” and “comedy” aren’t two words you often hear in the same description, so this left-of-center comedy gets points for intrigue by default. Luckily, over the course of its three Emmy-nominated seasons (and now going into season 4’s October 1 premiere), Phil, Carol (Kristen Schaal), Melissa (January Jones), Gail (Mary Steenburgen), and a hodgepodge of other series regulars have become an unlikely clan we’re glad to be stuck with through the end of days.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Hulu, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 17 hours
(Photo by ABC)
What it is: Set in the 1990s and loosely adapted from celebrity chef Eddie Huang’s memoir of the same name, Fresh Off the Boat follows a first-generation Taiwanese family who picks up from their Chinatown home in Washington, D.C., and heads south to Orlando, Florida, where father Louis Huang (Randall Park) opens a country-western steakhouse.
Why you should watch it: A refreshing take on Asian Americans for the small screen? Check. Well-earned laughs from a trio of talented young actors? Check. A heaping dose of ’90s nostalgia? Check. And the combined powers of the hilarious Park and Constance Wu? Check and check. Need we say more? Season 4 premieres October 3.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Hulu, Microsoft, PlayStation Video, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 22 hours
(Photo by ABC)
What it is: Scandal is one wild ride, which is what makes this juicy political drama so undeniably fun. The series charts the inner-workings of Olivia Pope & Associates and the Fitzgerald Grant White House. The former is a crisis management firm in Washington, D.C., founded by Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) and loosely inspired by real-life crisis manager Judy Smith, who worked under George H.W. Bush.
Why you should watch it: Say what you may, but there’s a reason this guilty pleasure prime-time soap from creator Shonda Rhimes has remained must-watch TV for six seasons strong. (Season 7 premieres October 5.) One of the main reasons is the central performance from Washington; a renowned film actress, her riveting performance as Olivia demands our attention on the small screen like few others can.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Hulu, Microsoft, Netflix, PlayStation Video, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 80 hours
(Photo by The CW)
What it is: Ever wonder what the other surviving Kryptonians (what few of them are left) are up to while Superman is out there saving the world? Well, turns out his cousin, Kara Zor-El (a.k.a. Supergirl) is up to just about the same thing. This is her story.
Why you should watch it: It took until the second season for this DC Comics series to really nail down its tone on the CW with star Melissa Benoist and co., but there’s no doubt going into season 3’s October 9 premiere that it ranks as one of the most formidable hour-long outings in the superheroic comics-to-screen universe.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Microsoft, Netflix, PlayStation Video, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 29 hours
(Photo by The CW)
What it is: You know the Flash stands as the lighting-boosted fastest man alive, but do you know his story? This CW series and Arrow spin-off follows Grant Gustin as crime scene investigator–turned–crime scene vigilante Barry Allen (a.k.a. the Flash) and a group of fellow crimefighters with special abilities.
Why you should watch it: You don’t gain an adoring following like that of The Flash without bringing edge-of-your-seat action and suspense, lovable characters and story arcs, and pitch-perfect performances week to week. Season 4 premieres October 10.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Microsoft, Netflix, PlayStation Video, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 50 hours
(Photo by Hulu)
What it is: Hulu may be fresh off their best drama series win at this year’s Emmys for The Handmaid’s Tale, but they struck dramatic gold before that just last year with Chance. This gritty psychological thriller set in the seedy underbelly of San Francisco stars Hugh Laurie as a neuropsychiatrist who gets swept up in the turbulent life of one of his female patients.
Why you should watch it: Three-time Golden Globe winner Hugh Laurie may well be one of the most versatile television actors working today, with acclaimed work across guest arcs on Veep, supporting turns in The Night Manager, and, of course, the leading role on House, M.D. Hulu’s Chance marks the British actor’s return to that top-billed spot as the titular Dr. Eldon Chance, and he does not disappoint. Season 2 premieres October 11.
Where to watch: FandangoNow, Hulu, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 7.5 hours
(Photo by USA Network)
Why you should watch it: Some say this series suffered from the sophomore slump, but one thing’s for certain: Even at its worst, Mr. Robot makes it near-impossible to look away. Few other series today make for water-cooler fare at work, but Esmail — with the help of Malek, Slater, and an impressive supporting ensemble cast — taps into the cultural consciousness with a premise as timely as it is ambitious.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Microsoft, PlayStation Video, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 18 hours
(Photo by Diyah Pera/The CW)
What it is: Also returning October 11 with its second season (you better get to watching!) is Riverdale, the TV adaptation of the beloved Archie comics of yore — only this time, it gets the CW treatment as a murder mystery thriller with live-action, hot high schoolers (played by KJ Apa, Camila Mendes, Lili Reinhart, and Cole Sprouse).
Why you should watch it: We’ll say it: Riverdale may well be the best teen drama to come out of the CW since Gossip Girl, and it deserves the viewership and brand ubiquity to match. It’s the classic Archie we know with a dash of sex and True Detective — what’s not to love?
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Microsoft, Netflix, PlayStation Video, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 9 hours
(Photo by The CW)
What it is: How would your life change if you were stranded on an island for five years? It’s unlikely you’d turn into a caped crusader dead set on protecting his city with a bow and arrow, but to viewers’ delight, that’s exactly the case with billionaire Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell). Now he’s known as the Green Arrow.
Why you should watch it: Lucky for the CW, the DC Comics Universe has yet to stale — but that’s because what they’re putting out is just so good, keeping the old fans happy while raking in an all-new audience to join them. Arrow is the series that started it all; and for five seasons now, it hasn’t let up the fun. Season 6 premieres October 12.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNow, Google Play, Microsoft, Netflix, PlayStation Video, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 86 hours
The CW
What it is: Season 3 of this beloved cult musical comedy premieres October 13, and we couldn’t be more excited to check in on lawyer Rebecca Bunch’s misadventures in life and love. The series begins with her quitting her job and moving across the country to live near her childhood boyfriend, Josh — whom she hasn’t spoken to in years. It’s all uphill from there.
Why you should watch it: Whatever you do, don’t be put off by the series’ title — even if you’ve got one! Rachel Bloom is a musical genius, concocting show-stopping comedic melodies inspired by the best of Broadway and Top 40 week after week. And as if the comedy’s song-and-dance wasn’t entertaining enough, it’s buoyed by excellent performances and tight, creative scripts that tackle everything from broken hearts to mental health.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Microsoft, Netflix, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 21 hours
(Photo by TNT)
What it is: Downton Abbey favorite Michelle Dockery gets top billing in this cheeky crime thriller as con artist, thief, and all-around professional criminal Letty Raines, who, fresh out of prison, quickly gets caught up in a relationship with an equally adept hitman. Season 2 hits TNT on October 15.
Why you should watch it: By the heft of this cast alone, you should get hooked on Good Behavior. The Handmaid’s Tale Emmy winner (and two-time nominee along with her guest actress recognition for The Leftovers) Ann Dowd is back on TV this fall and we. are. here. for. it.
Where to watch it: Amazon, Google Play, Hulu, Microsoft, PlayStation Video, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 8 hours
(Photo by Gene Page/AMC)
What it is: You don’t know what The Walking Dead is? You may want to check your pulse…
Why you should watch it: Cable’s highest-rated drama returns with its 100th episode and season 8 premiere on October 22 — are you ready? Built on creator Frank Darabont’s post-apocalyptic premise of zombies walking the Earth and ending mankind as we know it, the acclaimed series hardly rests on the laurels of its gore and “what if” fascinations; these are characters brought to life with bone-deep precision from a stable of some of TV’s greatest talents. You just never know when your favorite will bite the dust. (That’s admittedly part of the fun, too.)
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Microsoft, Netflix, PlayStation Video, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 74 hours
(Photo by Netflix)
Why you should watch it: It was the synth-laden soundtrack heard ’round the world last summer when Stranger Things dropped out of nowhere onto Netflix and us by storm. Even if you’ve seen the first 10 episodes already, it’s well worth a week-long binge watch leading up to its second installment’s Halloween weekend premiere. A back-to-form Winona Ryder, David Harbour (who landed an Emmy nomination for his performance), and breakout stars by way of all its kids (but particularly Emmy nominee Millie Bobby Brown) are simply that good. You can watch this series again and again, and there ain’t nothin’ strange about it.
Where to watch it: Netflix
Commitment: Approx. 7 hours
There has never been a better time for comic book-based television shows on TV. Each year adds a few more with the fall 2017 season featuring 10 series on broadcast, a handful on cable, and two new programs on streaming platforms. And while there’s plenty of anticipation for new series like Runaways and The Gifted, there’s excitement to be found in all of the returning broadcast shows. Let’s take a look:
(Photo by ABC)
Marvel’s Inhumans: Season 1
Starring: Anson Mount, Serinda Swan, Iwan Rheon, Isabelle Cornish, Ken Leung, Mike Moh, Eme Ikwuakor, Henry Ian Cusick
Premise: For countless generations, the Inhumans of Attilan have hidden themselves from the human world on the dark side of the moon. That peace is about to be broken as King Black Bolt’s (Mount) jealous brother Maximus (Rheon) makes a bid to take the throne. In the ensuing coup, Black Bolt finds himself on Earth and exposed to the world.
What To Expect: Though the concept of Inhumans will be familiar to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. viewers, the full-blooded Inhuman royal family is something new and different for Marvel’s television offerings. They are extremely powerful and nothing like the grounded heroes of the Netflix series or the (usually) chummy Avengers of the Cinematic Universe. Their Shakespearean world and conflict will play out over eight episodes, presumably with repercussions for the S.H.I.E.L.D. team.
When To See It: The first chapter of the series hits IMAX theaters on September 1 for a limited two-week run; then the entirety of the series airs Fridays at 10 p.m. on ABC starting September 29
(Photo by Fox)
Gotham, Season 4
Starring: Ben McKenzie, Donal Logue, David Mazouz, Robin Lord Taylor, Sean Pertwee, Erin Richards, Camren Bicondova, Cory Michael Smith, Nicholas D’Agosto, Michael Chiklis, Maggie Geha
Premise: Before the Batman, Gotham City was mired in corruption, crime, and conspiracy. Into this stew came Jim Gordon (McKenzie), a good man who promised a boy he’d find his parents’ killer. In the process, Gordon would plumb the depths of his soul and help sow the seeds of Batman’s ongoing war on crime and costumed crazies. From Catwoman (Bicondova) to Mr. Freeze (Nathan Darrow) to the Riddler (Smith), Gordon has met the people who will come to dominate his life in strange and unexpected ways. Meanwhile, the boy, Bruce Wayne (Mazouz), has been on a journey to understand why his parents died. It’s a path that will lead him to the Bat.
What To Expect: The time is coming for Bruce Wayne to become something else. But hoods aren’t really his thing, so he must seek out the right image for his crime-fighting persona. Gordon is back on the force, but has a lot to atone for. Granted, a possible romance with Sofia Falcone (Crystal Reed) may help distract him. And as the villains of Gotham City assemble in their recognizable guises, a mysterious member of the Crane family takes up the mantle of Scarecrow.
When To See It: Thursdays at 8 p.m. on Fox starting September 21
(Photo by Fox)
Lucifer, Season 3
Starring: Tom Ellis, Lauren German, Kevin Alejandro, D.B. Woodside, Lesley-Ann Brandt, Rachael Harris
Premise: Lucifer Morningstar (Ellis) took leave of Hell to start a nightclub in Los Angeles. While enjoying his freedom, he also picked up an unexpected habit of helping the LAPD solve crimes. He also became fascinated with LAPD Detective Chloe Decker (German), a woman immune to his supernatural charms.
What To Expect: The season will begin with four “standalone” episodes produced last year. Each will spotlight a different character. Following that, Smallville’s Tom Welling will join the cast as Lt. Marcus Pierce, a likable if straight-laced police officer who will lock horns with Lucifer and cause ripples in the ongoing Lucifer-Decker tension.
When To See It: Mondays at 8 p.m. on Fox starting October 2
(Photo by Fox)
The Gifted, Season 1
Starring: Stephen Moyer, Amy Acker, Natalie Alyn Lind, Percy Hynes White, Sean Teale, Jamie Chung, Emma Dumont, Blair Redford, and Coby Bell
Premise: In a world where the X-Men are missing, Reed and Kate Strucker (Moyer and Acker) attempt to save their mutant children (Lind and Hynes White) from a world that fears and hates them. Along the way, they encounter a mutant underground and familiar X-Men characters like Eclipse (Teale), Blink (Chung), and Polaris (Dumont). Within the underground, sparks will fly between John Proudstar (Redford) and Dreamer (Satine), revealing that there’s always time for love, even when you’re being hunted by Sentinels.
What To Expect: A family drama wrapped inside an action series with a portion of X-Men¬-style romantic tensions. Though the series intends to make the absence of the X-Men a plot point, it may involve into the most faithful X-Men adaption of them all.
When To See It: Mondays at 9 p.m. on Fox starting October 2
(Photo by The CW)
Supergirl, Season 3
Starring: Melissa Benoist, Mechad Brooks, Chyler Leigh, Jeremy Jordan, David Harewood, Katie McGrath
Premise: Kara Zor-El (Benoist) is a strange visitor from another world with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal humans. Disguised as an executive assistant at Catco Worldwide Media, she tried to live an ordinary life. But when a plane carrying her adoptive sister Alex (Leigh) nearly crashed, she was revealed to the world. Adopting the identity of Supergirl, she works with Alex and the Department of Extranormal Operations to mitigate alien threats and protect the people of National City. Oh, also, she’s Superman’s cousin.
What To Expect: It is unclear if Supergirl will also leap forward a few months. But if so, it is easy to imagine Kara will still be reeling from the departure of Mon-El (Chris Wood) – whose own life is about to take an interesting turn. Luckily, she still has Alex and the friendship of Lena Luthor (McGrath) to help as she processes her grief. Provided, of course, that Lena doesn’t succumb to the Luthor family history. Meanwhile, the Kryptonian child teased at the end of Season 2 will emerge as Kara’s new antagonist, Reign (Odette Annable). Designed by rogue Kryptonian scientists to be a “World Killer,” she will give Kara plenty of trouble. If that wasn’t enough, she will face media mogul Morgan Edge (Adrian Pasdar), a man with possible demonic ties. Also, hopes run high that Alex and Maggie (Floriana Lima) will get married despite Lima’s diminished role on the series.
When To See It: Mondays at 8 p.m. on The CW starting October 9
(Photo by The CW)
The Flash, Season 4
Starring: Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Danielle Panabaker, Carlos Valdes, Tom Cavanagh, Jesse L. Martin, Keiynan Lonsdale
Premise: Barry Allen is the fastest man alive, and he’s more than happy to tell you that. After a science experiment unleashed superpowered metahumans in his city, Barry dedicated himself to stopping the metas who use their powers for evil while investigating the death of his mother. He eventually solved it, prevented it, then realized he had to let it happen. It’s not easy being the fastest man alive.
What To Expect: Like Arrow, the show will also take leap forward; six months in this case. In that time, Barry has merged with the Speed Force, the quasi-mystical place from which he and the other speedsters draw their power, and learned to forgive himself for the mistakes he made regarding his mother’s murder. Back in Central City, his fiancée Iris has taken a leadership role in Team Flash. But the arrival of the Thinker (Neil Sandilands), a non-speedster villain, will force the team to recall Barry from the Speed Force. Besides the constant presence of the Thinker, Team Flash will also face occasional threats from Blacksmith (Katee Sackhoff), an arms merchant with an ability to manipulate metal. They will also make a new friend in the form of Ralph Dibny (Hartley Sawyer), a detective with a helluva reach.
When To See It: Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on The CW starting October 10
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Season 3
Starring: Caity Lotz, Victor Garber, Brandon Routh, Franz Drameh, Dominic Purcell, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Nick Zano, Arthur Darvill
Premise: In an attempt to stop a future tyrant, Time Master Rip Hunter (Darvill) assembled a team of ne’er-do-well heroes and villains to combat the despot in his own distant past. It didn’t work out too well, leaving the Time Masters destroyed and Hunter’s team, now known as Legends, to police time itself. That also didn’t work out so well.
What To Expect: Like the other Arrowverse shows, Legends will pick up some time after the team found themselves stranded in an apocalyptic timeline. Apparently back in the original time zones, they are called together for one more mission to protect time. Complicating matters is Rip Hunter, who chose to ally with the American government to create a new Time Bureau. With their role in time unclear, the Legends will fight a new Legion of Doom composed of Damien Darkh (Neal McDonough), Grodd, and others. But the Legends will have new help in the form of Tala Ashe (Zari Adrianna Tomaz) a grey-hat hacktivist from the future with remarkable ties to DC Comics’ Rock of Eternity.
When To See It: Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on The CW starting October 10
(Photo by The CW)
Riverdale, Season 2
Starring: K.J. Apa, Camila Mendes, Lili Reinhart, Cole Sprouse, Madchen Amick, Marisol Nichols, Luke Perry
Premise: Riverdale is a complicated place. It appears to be the last vestige of small-town America, but it hides deadly secrets under its picket fences. Jughead Jones (Sprouse) intended to chronicle its fall, but now finds himself at the very center of the chaos. Though murder of Jason Blossom has been solved, Jughead will still find plenty to write about thanks to his best friend Archie’s recent tragedy and his own decision to become a Southside Serpent.
What To Expect: As season 2 opens, Archie (Apa) will still be processing his grief, even if producers remain cagey on whether or not Fred Andrews (Perry) died. It is possible his mother (Molly Ringwald) will try to get him to leave Riverdale. Meanwhile, Jughead’s lifestyle choices will drive a wedge between him and Betty (Reinhart). It seems as though Jughead is trying to exonerate his father, but it could be evidence that apples stick near trees in Riverdale. Veronica (Mendes) will get a double dose of unwanted New York attention as both her father (Mark Consuelos) and an old boyfriend (Graham Phillips) make their way to town.
When To See It: Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on The CW starting October 11
(Photo by The CW)
Arrow, Season 6
Starring: Stephen Amell, David Ramsey, Willa Holland, Paul Blackthorne, Emily Bett Rickards, Katie Cassidy, Echo Kellum, Rick Gonzalez
Premise: After five years in Hell, Oliver Queen (Amell) returned to Star City a changed man. Determined to save his city from underworld forces bent on its destruction, he became someone else … something else. He refined that thing before becoming the Green Arrow. After another five years, Oliver Queen found Hell was not done with him. But now that all of his ghosts have been uncovered, it’s time for the Green Arrow to move on free of survivor’s guilt.
What to Expect: First: A resolution to the season 5 cliffhanger. It is unclear who survived the destruction of Lian Yu, but considering season 6 will pick up sometime later, you can be sure of a quick resolution. Meanwhile, Oliver and the surviving Team Arrow will face down a new underworld foe by the name of Ricardo Diaz (Oz’s Kirk Acevedo). Based on the DC Comics martial artist Richard Dragon, Diaz has never lost a fight, but he’s also never faced an opponent like Oliver Queen before. Also, expect the dormant Olicity relationship to heat up again as both Oliver and Felicity (Rickards) forget they’re better just being friends.
When to see it: Thursdays at 9 p.m. on The CW starting October 12
(Photo by AMC)
The Walking Dead, Season 8
Starring: Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Lauren Cohan, Chandler Riggs, Danai Gurira, Melissa McBride, Lennie James, Alanna Masterson, Josh McDermitt, Christian Serratos, Katelyn Nacon, Steven Ogg, and Pollyanna McIntosh, Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Premise: After the Zombie Apocalypse, Rick Grimes (Lincoln) leads a group of people across the wastelands of Georgia in hopes of finding safety. Instead, he and his group find man is the most vicious monster of all.
What To Expect: Adapting the comic book series’ “All Out War” story arc, the survivors of Alexandria, the Hilltop, and the Kingdom take on Negan (Morgan) and the Saviors in, well, an all-out war. Meanwhile, Gregory (Xander Berkeley) may have Maggie (Cohan) in his crosshairs as the show approaches its 100th episode.
When To See It: Sundays at 9 p.m. on AMC starting October 22
(Photo by Syfy)
Happy!, Season 1
Starring: Christopher Meloni, Patton Oswalt
Premise: Nick Sax (Meloni) is a carousing hit-man whose life gets a shot of positivity from an imaginary winged horse named Happy (Oswalt). Well, he might be imaginary. He could be an alien or Sax could be having a breakdown.
What To Expect: Based on the comic book by Grant Morrison, you can expect just about anything. His books feature things as grandiose as gods destroying universes as they die or small human moments like a man grieving for his cat.
When To See It: Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on Syfy starting November 29
(Photo by Hulu)
Marvel’s Runawas, Season 1
Starring: Rhenzy Feliz, Lyrica Okano, Virginia Gardner, Ariela Barer, Gregg Sulkin, Allegra Acosta, Julian McMahon
Premise: A group of teens discover that all of their parents are part of a villainous cabal known as the Pride. Absconding from their homes with powers and gear taken from their folks, the group vows to end the Pride and atone for their crimes.
What To Expect: A coming-of-age tale with a big twist. Though the supervillain scale of the group’s discovery is fantastical, it mirrors a rite of passage many people go through on the way to becoming an adult. Also expect down-to-earth fashion sense as the Runaways never adopt superhero names or costumes.
When To See It: On Hulu starting in November (premiere date to be announced)
(Photo by Disney XD)
Big Hero 6, Season 1
Featuring the Voices Of: Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, Jamie Chung, Genesis Rodriguez, Khary Payton, Brooks Wheelan, Maya Rudolph, Alan Tudyk, David Shaughnessy
Premise: Hiro and Baymax from the Big Hero 6 feature film star in all-new animated series. As the new prodigy at San Fransokyo Institute of Technology, Hiro takes on a huge course load and plenty of social hurdles. But he also continues his crime-fighting ways with his best pals by his side.
What To Expect: A 2D version with the film’s mix of humor and heart. Also expect a long run as the series already has a second season commitment.
When To See It: On Disney XD starting in November (premiere date to be announced)
(Photo by Netflix)
Marvel’s The Punisher, Season 1
Starring: Jon Bernthal, Ben Barnes, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Deborah Ann Woll, Amber Rose Revah
Premise: Frank Castle (Bernthal) kills a lot of people as he continues to punish those he sees as wrong-doers. But Frank’s methods put him in the sights of the Department of Homeland Security, an organization none too thrilled with his activities. Frank, meanwhile, reconnects with Billy Russo (Barnes), a friend from his Special Forces days who now runs a private military corporation.
What To Expect: Frank will kill a lot of people. Also expect the real reason why his family was murdered to be revealed. Russo probably had something to do with it, as the character is traditionally one of Frank’s chief adversaries — though, typically he’s called Jigsaw and lot less good-looking than Barnes.
When To See It: On Netflix in the fall — premiere date to be announced
Kevin Smith returned to direct this week’s Supergirl, “Distant Sun,” and you could tell thanks to the Star Wars joke and an Easter Egg for Smith’s most recent movie. It was an especially big episode for Mon-El (Chris Wood), Maggie (Floriana Lima), Rhea (Teri Hatcher), Lar Gand (Kevin Sorbo), and President Marsdin (Lynda Carter).
SPOILER WARNING: STOP HERE IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE EPISODE
After a musical interlude with The Flash, Kara (Melissa Benoist) was back to working things out with Mon-El. When someone put a bounty on her head, Kara found herself the target of many threatening hit-aliens. One had a clever way of getting to her: by taking over Mon-El’s body and using him to fight her.
As they fought, Mon-El grabbed Kara and flew out the window. Hold up — Mon-El can fly?
So mon-el can fly? #Supergirl pic.twitter.com/Qw7OvTjaIA
— wyatt_domingo (@ToomuchTvTony) March 28, 2017
https://twitter.com/rainbowsanvers/status/846516736811814913
It should come as no surprise that Rhea ordered the hit. No one’s ever good enough for a mother’s son, are they? This set the stage for the moment fans have been waiting for: a face-off between the former Lois Lane and the reigning Supergirl, but Rhea had a secret weapon.
ATTACKING Kara w/ a kryptonite dagger #Supergirl pic.twitter.com/RgJ9JMD5FR
— 🇵🇷🇬🇹PiratePrincessHopeSwanJones☠️+😇=👶 (@DisneyCSJunkie) March 28, 2017
https://twitter.com/smtvaddict/status/846520179840503810
https://twitter.com/swarasalih1/status/846520480626589696
Talk about a monster in law. #Supergirl
— Kayla Coupe (@KaylaCoupe) March 28, 2017
Teri Hatcher is phenomenal on @TheCWSupergirl ! @HatchingChange @SupergirlStaff She's deliciously evil! @AJKreisberg
— William Morgan (TiredTrekker) (@WilliamFMorgan) March 28, 2017
For a while it looked like Mon-El was going to step in to make all this go away. Rhea wanted him back on Daxam, so he’d go to his home planet and she would leave Kara alone. Some fans were happy to see him go.
YES TAKE HIM KEEP HIM #Supergirl
— k. (@lightsanvers) March 28, 2017
Too bad Mon-El leaving won't be permanent. #Supergirl
— Cynthia Toulouse (@Cyn16734) March 28, 2017
https://twitter.com/cjsaechia/status/846521113081466880
I still think the honorable thing would be for Mon-el to go rebuild Daxam without slavery. @TheCWSupergirl
— Kimberly, Esq. (@CaptKimberly) March 28, 2017
All of Mon-El’s lies, omissions of truth, and flat-out disrespecting of Kara’s wishes have really split the fans on him. But not everyone has jumped off the Karamel ship yet.
https://twitter.com/lalalovestv/status/846564626774966274
https://twitter.com/weirdo130420/status/846566426932494336
Rhea vs. Kara round two ensured Mon-El would stay on Earth. The climactic battle took place on Rhea’s spaceship. It was awesome, even though it was scientifically inaccurate.
https://twitter.com/spencerstraub/status/846525495227432961
https://twitter.com/pllcoolj/status/846525004569366528
In other couple news, “Sanvers” seems stronger than ever. Alex was even willing to have dinner with Maggie’s ex, Emily (Hayley Sales). When Alex met Emily privately, Emily dropped the bombshell that her relationship ended when Maggie cheated on her.
Not for the Maggie being a former cheater thing but I'm all here for Alex finally being the supportive on #Supergirl #Sanvers #QueerEl
— Tabatha 🏳️🌈 (@GrimmSen10) March 28, 2017
😱 Maggie cheated oh boy #Supergirl
— |𝓵𝓮𝓽𝔂♡ | 🥑🌊💜💙 (@gordis82rosada) March 28, 2017
https://twitter.com/zumbagal21/status/846565749887922178
Alex understood Maggie’s struggle. When Maggie’s parents didn’t accept her coming out, she stopped trusting people and may have sabotaged her relationship with Emily. But Alex was here to show Maggie that she can trust people. (And thanks to their mutual yoga love, Smith paid homage to his own film Yoga Hosers in the beginning of the episode).
https://twitter.com/rocker152010/status/846568665055186946
https://twitter.com/kurtlives2020/status/846567256943448064
https://twitter.com/UncleJJ78/status/846530891879010304
In the spaceship battle, Mon-El quoted Smith’s favorite movie, Star Wars, and made Winn Schott (Jeremy Jordan) proud too.
https://twitter.com/clnorman/status/846569759290241025
"Aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper?" Well that was perfect. #Supergirl
— Britt Rivera (@kindamoviesnob) March 28, 2017
The twists didn’t stop until the final moments of the show. President Marsdin had been speaking with J’onn (David Harewood) via satellite, and when she signed off, she revealed her true form to the viewers.
Oh sheeeeeeeeeeeet she's a white martian! #Supergirl
— Agents of Geek Pod (@agentsofgeekpod) March 28, 2017
https://twitter.com/ecwdude17/status/846571717124276224
https://twitter.com/whatcassiedid/status/846571792189706241
Oh I'm glad they finally went back to the president is an alien storyline #Supergirl
— Baemax 🇵🇸🍉 (@disbekayla) March 28, 2017
And finally, Lar Gand and Mon-El may have shared their last father/son moment. It wasn’t a great relationship, but Lar Gand ultimately stood by his son’s decision to stay on Earth. Rhea wasn’t having any of that, however.
King's going down…#Supergirl
— Kayla Coupe (@KaylaCoupe) March 28, 2017
Oh dayuuuuuum Mom is NOT here to play! @HatchingChange #Supergirl
— Agents of Geek Pod (@agentsofgeekpod) March 28, 2017
Bruh I so knew she would kill her husband #Supergirl
— joss ☪︎⋆ (@wandaverse__) March 28, 2017
SHE KILLED HIM WTF!!! He was supporting his son damn it. AND WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL APRIL 24 WHYYYYYYYYYYYYY #Supergirl
— Rebecca Luna (@lunamuse19) March 28, 2017
End of the episode of #Supergirl pic.twitter.com/5TSxlgXaJm
— Come with me. (@Eat_onlycake) March 28, 2017
Supergirl returns April 24 on The CW.
Even though many actors on The Flash and Supergirl series on The CW have sung before, some fans heard them sing for the first time Monday night during the long-awaited musical-crossover episode “Duet” on The Flash.
The songs included covers and originals and were revealed as Barry (Grant Gustin), Kara (Melissa Benoist), Cisco (Carlos Valdes), Joe West (Jesse L. Martin), and guest stars Music Meister (Darren Criss), Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman), and Dr. Stein (Victor Garber) sang them.
Music Meister visited Supergirl first to whammy her with his hypnotic, spiralling eyes. She woke up as a ’20s moll about to go on stage. Mon-El (Chris Wood) and J’onn J’onzz (David Harewood) followed Music Meister to The Flash’s Earth, but the tuneful mischief-maker proved too fast for the heroes and whammied Barry as well.
In their own minds, Kara and Barry conjured a world of a movie musical, thanks to Barry’s childhood love of Singin’ in the Rain and Kara’s of The Wizard of Oz. She had also suggested Funny Face for a movie night with Mon-El on the Supergirl episode “Star-Crossed” the previous night. Sans powers, Barry and Kara had to follow the musical script, with Winn Schott (Jeremy Jordan), Cisco, Merlyn, Stein, Joe and Iris West (Candice Patton) playing different characters in the story.
So what did the fan think of the show-stopping numbers? Here are some standout reactions to each performance.
UPDATE: Music from the episode is now available to purchase on iTunes.
Kara got the first solo of the night and threw down the gauntlet for the next hour!
https://twitter.com/sebastianperis/status/844340253339127808
https://twitter.com/hatie123/status/844340074523299840
https://twitter.com/twittsfromKC/status/844407394109149184
This song goes back to Jackie DeShannon’s 1969 recording, but everyone remembers it most from Scrooged. When Bill Murray finally learns to stop being a Scrooge, he leads the entire cast in a cover on live television. In “Duet,” Criss led Barrowman and Valdes in a new rendition.
https://twitter.com/ivanmcohen/status/844387619031191552
https://twitter.com/ChristyWGates/status/844391088047636485
https://twitter.com/Lyve_Wire/status/844389332651839488
From Guys and Dolls, one of the only classic Broadway musicals Garber hasn’t already done.
https://twitter.com/WhitneyM02/status/844408548088008704
https://twitter.com/willmckinley/status/844407560098762752
https://twitter.com/osilvias/status/844349177865883648
Not everyone was impressed, though.
https://twitter.com/tinmanic/status/844349767551471616
An original! Flash fans today may have grown up with the Super Friends cartoon, a kiddie version of The Justice League. Kara also set this up with a “Super Friends” high-five on this week’s Supergirl. This is also the tap dance number Gustin told Rotten Tomatoes about.
https://twitter.com/TheNerdstir/status/844419844497981440
https://twitter.com/NahMate420/status/844354866860429312
Although it was maybe a little too on the nose for some:
https://twitter.com/ShyHustler/status/844396335780577280
https://youtube.com/watch?v=gWwEtE7JKLQ
Barry didn’t let waking up from the musical to top him from singing. He had this original cued up to sing to Iris. Get it? Because The Flash runs fast! Crazy Ex-Girlfriend‘s Rachel Bloom co-wrote both “Super Friends” and “Running Home to You.”
https://twitter.com/iriswestallens/status/844354649423409152
https://twitter.com/tammyyim1/status/844354585976233984
https://twitter.com/tabsthewitch/status/844354529902645249
https://twitter.com/yaboyspitfire/status/844354454354743297
But dude, that proposal is going to be a tough act for regular guys to follow.
https://twitter.com/haileyhofauer/status/844354771058348036
https://twitter.com/barnesrodgers/status/844354679286960129
So that’s all the songs, but each singer made an impression too. Here’s what the fans had to say about each of the Arrowverse stars.
Before her first number ended, Benoist had her fans rapt.
https://twitter.com/onetruecripple/status/844339653029363714
https://twitter.com/thematthatt3r/status/844340718999130112
Some had a fan theory about how Gustin’s natural vocal talents make sense with Barry’s super powers. This is one power Gustin has in real life too.
https://twitter.com/steevnsysmanzki/status/844354447971139587
https://twitter.com/ofzefandoms/status/844417077683404801
https://twitter.com/CarloDimailig/status/844418725671571458
Criss may have gotten the most love of the night by live tweeting along with the fans.
https://twitter.com/rinna_q/status/844417822545625088
https://twitter.com/cpreynoldsict/status/844345877254803458
https://twitter.com/Liadian/status/844406634575204356
More than his pipes, fans appreciated Jordan’s piano playing.
https://twitter.com/lostlover90/status/844349472813518848
https://twitter.com/joyeilene/status/844366348172120070
But his pipes too.
https://twitter.com/prenerk/status/844342750480908289
https://twitter.com/theartistjen/status/844342540690173952
https://twitter.com/christinajobs/status/844350940643835904
Valdes is developing a loyal following for his band Tha Los, and they came out to support him tonight.
https://twitter.com/charlottcharles/status/844387081178812416
https://twitter.com/ThatJessiGal/status/844388839628058625
And when Cisco asked for a GIF, the fans were there to provide.
https://twitter.com/melxgarcia/status/844352389696143361
Barrowman has a legion of fans who’ve followed his singing since before and after the Doctor Who days.
https://twitter.com/whymsywynx/status/844343779561803776
https://twitter.com/littleal612/status/844343847249494017
https://twitter.com/aliskyrichards/status/844354565235523584
They may have their own fans on Broadway, but they shared a duet, and shared the love on “Duets.”
https://twitter.com/osilvias/status/844349177865883648
https://twitter.com/tanthonyauld/status/844348665221316612
https://twitter.com/misslissafrench/status/844347432318177280
https://twitter.com/misterdev3reaux/status/844347617295454209
https://twitter.com/sjello14/status/844347628615880704
Which performance was your favorite in “Duet?” Vote in the poll and tell us why in the comments!
Supergirl airs Mondays at 8/7 C; The Flash airs Tuesdays at 8/7 C on The CW
The Arrrowverse has a lot of musical talent. Two of their title heroes, Supergirl and The Flash, came from Glee. Many others cast members were on Broadway, and some have released albums. So when The Flash was doing a musical episode, it just had to crossover with the stars of Supergirl, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow.
At the end of Supergirl‘s episode Monday night, “Star-Crossed,” The Music Meister (guest star Darren Criss) puts Kara (Melissa Benoist) into a coma. J’onn J’onzz (David Harewood) and Mon-El (Chris Wood) take Kara over to The Flash’s Earth for help in episode “Duet.” Music Meister gets Barry (Grant Gustin), too, and the rest of the episode will play out as a musical fantasy featuring the characters from all four shows, including Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman) and Dr. Stein (Victor Garber).
Here’s a breakdown of the musical cred of the stars of Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow, starting with Team Supergirl, with a clip highlighting each singer. (J’onn J’onzz and Mon-El have reportedly have non-singing roles in “Duets.”)
There were so many cast members in Glee, it was sometimes hard to give them all a song. Marley (Benoist) performed in a lot of group songs and shared a killer duet mashup of “Crazy/Drive Me Crazy.” She got to be Sandy in Grease until Rachel (Lea Michele) took over halfway through “You’re the One That I Want.” She even got to be Posh Spice with a zig-a-zig-ah in “Wannabe.” Her solo of “Wrecking Ball” really let Benoist belt it out and ride the ball. Hopefully, The Flash gives her a bravura solo like this one.
Smash allowed Jeremy Jordan to cross over from Broadway to television, employing his triple threat acting/singing/dancing skills. The fictional show on NBC’s Broadway drama couldn’t compete with Jordan’s real theater cred. Having appeared in the ensemble of Rock of Ages, Jordan then played the leads Bonnie and Clyde (Clyde) and Newsies (Jack Kelly, the Christian Bale role in the movie). The only downside of Supergirl is it kept Jordan from singing. Until now!
Criss was a theater kid and recording artist. With his University of Michigan friends, Criss co-founded StarKid Productions in which Criss played Harry Potter in a trilogy of musicals. On Glee, he introduced the show’s all boy a cappella group, The Warblers, which briefly recruited Kurt (Chris Colfer) in season 2. After Glee, Criss has earned raves for his title role in the revival of Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Broadway and on tour. Hedwig had a sex change operation to escape pre-WWII Germany with a G.I., but the operation was botched leaving Hedwig feeling like neither gender, and the G.I. left. The songs encompass anger, sorrow, and bittersweet joy. If you want to see any more, you’d have to buy a ticket.
Sebastian Smythe (Gustin) popped in and out of Glee so he didn’t get to do as many songs as the regulars. Plus, he was a villain! Under Smythe’s leadership, The Warblers covered some classic Billy Joel like “Uptown Girl” and Michael Jackson from “Bad” all the way back to The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back.” One Jackson song gave him a one-on-one with Santana (Naya Rivera) doing “Smooth Criminal” to a cello accompaniment.
John Barrowman’s stage credits are as impressive as his run on Doctor Who and its spinoff Torchwood. Anything Goes, Phantom of the Opera, Hair, Miss Saigon, Beauty and the Beast, Godspell, Putting It Together, and many nonmusical dramas too. He’s even released albums covering classic showtunes and standards. So many to choose from, but above is the song he calls his anthem. Here’s Barrowman performing it live at the Royal Albert Hall in concert.
Jesse L. Martin was part of the original company of Rent when it conquered Broadway in the ’90s. He even reprised his role for the movie. Since Rent he’s had a long TV career with a steady gig on Law & Order. When he returned to stage, it was for Shakespeare, not musicals. So The Flash will hopefully be the first chance to hear him sing a song like “I’ll Cover You” again.
Valdes studied musical theater and performed in High School Musical, The Wedding Singer, and Jersey Boys on stage. Cavanagh was in Grease, A Chorus Line, Cabaret, and more on Broadway. Cavanagh has even appeared in some videos on Valdes’s music YouTube channel for his jazz band The Los. You can find The Los’s tracks and EP on iTunes as well as Band Camp, Spotify, and other audio services. Valdes’ goes solo in his smoldering video for “Night Off!”
Victor Garber had a long musical history before he ever appeared on camera. He was in the Canadian folk band The Sugar Shoppe and on stage in Godspell, Sweeney Todd, and Tony-nominated musical roles in Little Me and Damn Yankees. Fortunately, many of Garber’s ’90s performances are preserved on YouTube and televised awards shows. One could fall down a rabbit hole watching old Garber performances, so here’s Garber singing George Michael’s “Freedom” on the short-lived Eli Stone.
Supergirl episode “Star-Crossed” kicks off The CW’s musical crossover event on Monday, March 20 night at 8/7 C; The Flash episode “Duets” airs Tuesday, March 21 at 8/7 C on The CW
When there are four shows in the DC Arrowverse on The CW, how can you pick a favorite? Easy — make like PaleyFest and don’t choose. Instead of focusing on one of the superheroes, the week-long TV celebration invited cast members from Arrow, Supergirl, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow to participate in one panel alongside their producers.
Before the panel, Rotten Tomatoes spoke with Melissa Benoist, Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Brandon Routh, and producers of all four shows on the red carpet, and they dished on the big week ahead for the Arrowverse — which includes The Flash musical crossover; Supergirl‘s impending reveal that Mon-El (Chris Wood) is the prince of Daxam; on Arrow, Oliver Queen’s (Stephen Amell) capture by Adrian Chase (Josh Segarra); and the Legends going to war.
Below, find 11 exciting developments coming up on Supergirl, Arrow, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow that we learned at Paleyfest, including season finale and future season plans!
Legends of Tomorrow showrunner Phil Klemmer told Rotten Tomatoes on the red carpet that season 3 will reboot the Waverider with some new Legends, just like the team did in the beginning of season 2. Producer Marc Guggenheim revealed that one of those newbies is pre-existing, but with a catch.
“We’re drawing on an established character who is not from the comics,” Guggenheim said. “Let me be very clear: not original to the show but not from the comics and not from any of the other DC Arrowverse shows.”
Perhaps it’s time to start watching other DC-based movies and TV shows that invented original characters to narrow down who might be the new hero poised to join the team. “That’s what I would do,” Guggenheim suggested.
During the panel, producer Andrew Kreisberg said that regardless of which DC villain ends up being the big bad of The Flash season 4, it will not be another speedster. Considering the show has already seen Reverse Flash, Professor Zoom, and Savitar, that might be prudent.
“Next season we’re not going to have a speedster as the villain,” Kreisberg said on the panel.
On the red carpet, day-to-day showrunners Todd and Aaron Helbing said they also expect to back off the time travel and alternate reality concept next season. “We haven’t really talked that much about season 4 yet, but I don’t think we’re going to do as much time traveling,” Todd said.
Added Aaron, “We like playing with the timelines and the different time periods and future and past. For now, I think we’re going to focus on the present.”
The teaser to this week’s Supergirl revealed guest stars Teri Hatcher and Kevin Sorbo hailing Mon-El as the prince of Daxam. Kara (Benoist) tells him, “This changes everything.” On the red carpet, Benoist elaborated on why Kara feels Mon-El’s title changes things.
“Well, when you find out that the person you love hasn’t been honest with you about who they really are, and when you disagree so wholeheartedly with the way they were raised and where they come from, it’s not going to bode well for them romantically,” Benoist said. “The title definitely stirs up some old feelings. Kryptonians and Daxamites do not agree. It’s a little Hatfield/McCoys, Romeo and Juliet sort of thing.”
On the panel, producers of The Flash said that the musical episode is not just a gimmick. It addresses where both Barry (Gustin) and guest star Kara are in their love lives, and Todd Helbing explained why the musical fantasy is a period piece.
“Music Meister transports whoever he whammies into a universe that they create,” he said. “Why they’re in the musical stems from something that was born out of Barry’s childhood.”
On the red carpet, Benoist and Gustin described filming the ’20s-style song-and-dance numbers.
“I had been in Thoroughly Modern Millie and we sort of sometimes did genre songs on Glee,” Benoist said. “We did ‘Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend’ so sometimes we got to dress up and be in period clothes. This time, being so immersed in that world was awesome.”
Gustin’s fast feet came right back to him in real life. “I started as a tap dancer as an 8-year-old and did it until I was 17, and haven’t tapped really in 10 years,” Gustin said. “They sent me a video of all the choreography and I started to run over it at home. My feet were figuring it out before my brain was.”
Iris West (Patton) appears in the musical as a different character named Millie Floss. “I’ve got a wig situation,” Patton said on the red carpet. “She’s completely different and she’s very much a part of helping Barry and Kara remember that love is the most important thing.”
Showrunner Aaron Helbing said two of the five original songs written for the episode should be available on iTunes or the CWTV website after the episode airs.
The teaser for this week’s episode shows what happens to Oliver after Adrian Chase finally captured him: torture. Arrow showrunner Wendy Mericle told Rotten Tomatoes on the red carpet just how dark it gets.
“Oliver goes through arguably the toughest thing he’s ever been through with Adrian Chase,” Mericle said. “Stephen gives this performance that he’s more or less broken at the end of the episode.”
Barry has always loved Iris, but his proposal might’ve ruined the future they had together (since he only popped the question in an attempt to change the future and save her life). On the red carpet, though, Patton said she still has hope for the couple.
“I think for Barry and Iris there’s always a way to come back,” she said. “They are really and truly each other’s true loves. They just have to get on the same page and stick with it.”
Todd Helbing added that the musical episode gives a hint as to where Barry and Iris are heading. “You’ll see at the end of the musical where Iris and Barry are,” he said. “It sort of kickstarts the last six episodes. There’s another episode further down the line were Barry does something to get a key piece of information to help them, and that really snowballs into the last couple episodes.”
Arrow is now in its fifth season, so by now fans noticed a particular formula for each of the prior four season finales. But with Adrian Chase/Prometheus as the villain, Mericle said Arrow is changing it up.
“I’ll just say this: Star City is not in jeopardy,” she said on the red carpet. “As we’ve joked before, there’s always a terrorist attack on Star City in May. Not this time. Prometheus is a very personal villain, very psychological villain and the ending will be appropriate to that.”
Arrow also introduced Talia al Ghul (Lexa Doig) this season, and her presence could complicate things for Oliver by the end of the season. Producer Marc Guggenheim said it runs in the family.
“I would say that she probably bears more of a resemblance to her father than [her sister] Nyssa does,” Guggenheim said.
With Supergirl on The CW, the network managed to stage a four-show crossover in the Fall. While the producers admit scheduling crossovers is difficult, they’ve still got more ideas. They may not have a choice, either.
On the panel, Amell shared a story of a dinner he had with CW president Mark Pedowitz. “I say, ‘Mark, we’re gonna do a crossover every year, right?’” Amell recalled. “He goes, ‘You’re f—ing right we are.’”
Kreisberg felt the “Heroes Vs. Aliens” event was not the best they could do. “We’re going to try to do a real, true four-way crossover with all four shows,” Kreisberg promised on the panel.
Teasing some of the post-musical episodes on The Flash, Kreisberg said on the panel that DC villain Abra Kadabra would play a major role in defeating Savitar.
“[Episode] 18 has Abra Kadabra, who’s also a villain from the future,” Kreisberg said. “He knows who Savitar is and it becomes a moral conundrum to Barry and the team to let Abra Kadabra go in order to get Savitar’s identity. It’s one of those great morality plays. Can you be a hero if you do one bad thing for the greater good?”
In the following episode, Barry himself goes to the future. “Nineteen is called ‘The Once And Future Flash,’” Kreisberg said. “Barry decides that the only way he can find out what he needs to know is in the future.”
The Legends of Tomorrow go back to World War I this week. On the red carpet, Routh said to expect some trench warfare. “We’re in trenches, which is pretty cool,” Routh said. “They built trenches and that was kind of fun to be in.”
Klemmer added that before the end of the season, the show plays with reality beyond time bending. “We’re going to get into some very strange, mind-bending, experimental alternate kind of reality action,” Klemmer said.
Working with an ex is complicated, as exemplified by Felicity’s (Emily Bett Rickards) Team Arrow conundrum. But just because she’s accepted the invitation to join Helix doesn’t mean there’s no hope for her to find a way back into the light.
“She got involved with Helix and she’s now in this really dark space,” Mericle said. “We’re going to see how she comes out on the other end of that. There’s always hope on Arrow. As dark as we get, ultimately I think there’s a lot of hope on the show.”
Supergirl airs Monday nights at 8 p.m.; The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.; and Arrow airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on The CW.
When Mon-El (Chris Wood) met Kara’s (Melissa Benoist) adopted father Jeremiah (Dean Cain) on Supergirl episode “Homecoming,” Jeremiah told Mon-El he knew his secret. Mon-El’s secret wasn’t revealed in last night’s Supergirl episode, but in the teaser for the next episode.
Watch it:
Mon-El is Daxam royalty. He’s a prince!
"Mon-El – Prince of Daxam" pic.twitter.com/90dMuaY1cs
— Karamel News (@KaramelSource) March 7, 2017
All hail, the Prince of Daxam.
— Mon-El (@ABoyFromDaxam) March 7, 2017
#Supergirl #2×15 Mon-El's been The Prince of Daxam all along. Curious to learn exactly how much of his story he told Kara is actually true!!
— Arrowverse Guildsman (@WestAllenStorm) March 7, 2017
The scene next week has guest stars Teri Hatcher and Kevin Sorbo having dinner with Kara and Mon-El, calling him the Prince of Daxam. Since they were introduced on their own ship as “your highnesses,” that would make them the king and queen and therefore Mon-El’s mom and dad!
"Hail Mon-El. Prince of Daxam." karamel are having a family dinner with the mon-el's parents aksjshs when's the wedding? @SupergirlStaff pic.twitter.com/GvXS8NKm30
— ∞ (@superiorkaramel) March 7, 2017
Fairly certain they're the King and Queen of Daxam and they're looking for the Prince, being Mon-El.
— Connor (Blaze/Nage) (@TheBlazeNinja) March 7, 2017
WOW, they've already exposed that Mon-El's parents are gonna arrive & that he's the prince of Daxam in the next "ep" PROMO?!?! #Supergirl
— Nefertari Burns (@Nefertari_4Ever) March 7, 2017
LOIS LANE AND HERCULES ARE MON-EL'S PARENTS AND THEY'RE COMING FOR HIM OMG! #PRINCEOFDAXAM #Supergirl
— Jennifer Neal (@ayeayejenga) March 7, 2017
Karamel (that’s Kara and Mon-El) shippers are excited there’s even more to their relationship.
https://twitter.com/Ellie_McCray_/status/838943177218396161
PRINCE OF DAXAM
PLEASE LET THEM BE HAPPY I JUST FALL INTO THIS SHIP A WEEK AGO DON'T RUIN THEM THANK YOU
bYE— 𝙭𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙧.💣💥 (@battinscnz) March 7, 2017
"Hail Mon-El, Prince of Daxam!" Hope it makes #karamel stronger bt for real his parents are Lois Lane & Hercules!👌🏽https://t.co/GIKAb73w5p
— SparkleMcSnowflake❄️ (@Anjaani07) March 7, 2017
Mon el is the prince of daxam and kara will be the princess of daxam hehe 🙂
— cesar riverdale (@cesarval23) March 7, 2017
Some are worried though. Kara already had a hard time seeing past her Daxamite prejudices. This could be too much. But likely her comment “This changes everything” is taken way out of context in the promo. It could change everything for the better. Or she could be talking about taco day at the DEO cafeteria.
@GonzlzGabi till she says "This changes everything" 😫
— mochi’s cheeks 🐥 (@indigo_lily09) March 7, 2017
https://twitter.com/Crystele_Kwong/status/838977900535668738
Not everyone is on the Karamel ship though.
Yes kara finally finds out mon el is the prince of daxam. I really hope they end up braking up.
— ꧁★ 𝕃𝕀𝕊𝔸 ★꧂ (@BossPink_Lili) March 7, 2017
Mon-El has had many backgrounds in the comic books, including different names like Lar Gand, Halk Kar, Valor and M‘Onel. His home planet has been alternatively called Thoron. Some Supergirl fans called this a while ago.
2×16: "mon-el, prince of daxam" #Supergirl pic.twitter.com/CWcbgTaHyd
— fukipad (@christophrcwood) March 7, 2017
https://twitter.com/unbb24/status/839052459125297152
https://twitter.com/fredbvrkle/status/838999904630484993
I literally screamed in the promo for the next episode of #Supergirl I knew my baby Mon-El was the Prince of Daxam #MonEl
— Delena (@DelenaSkaikru) March 7, 2017
https://twitter.com/moon_cove/status/839142475373502465
we all knew he was the prince of Daxam
— trish (@njkoomin) March 7, 2017
Knew Mon-El was the prince of Daxam, guessed it right 😂😍👏 #Supergirl
— Hannah 🦋 (@hannahfun1) March 7, 2017
https://twitter.com/VERMarie_/status/839059549025792000
Not quite everyone though:
Finding out Mon-el is the actual Prince of Daxam:#Supergirl pic.twitter.com/KwkPp1M719
— Erin (@cbbeauty22) March 7, 2017
What???' Wait???? He is the Prince of Daxam??? I did not see that coming.:p
— Germán David (@Spupydo) March 7, 2017
I am shocked by the news that #MonEl is the prince of #Daxam, but at the same time happy for the first appearance of #darrencriss
— AmericanGirl Updates (@AmericanGirl_Ok) March 7, 2017
Some still don’t want to believe any of it.
https://twitter.com/greyscanary/status/838954075425234944
What do you think? Did you predict Mon-el was the prince? Will this make Kara and Mon-El stronger or tear them apart? Vote in our poll and tell us in the comments.
Supergirl returns March 20 at 8/7 C on The CW and crosses over with The Flash for a musical episode on March 21. Read Rotten Tomatoes’ interview with Chris Wood here.
At the end of last week’s Supergirl, Jeremiah Danvers (Dean Cain) got away. He stole the DEO’s National Alien Registry to share with Lillian Luthor (Brenda Strong) at Cadmus. Jeremiah’s daughters Kara (Melissa Benoist) and Alex (Chyler Leigh) will have to stop them, and that also opens the doors for more problems and new characters this season, including former Lois Lane Teri Hatcher.
Supergirl and Arrowverse producer Andrew Kreisberg and Leigh spoke with reporters at The CW offices after a screening of last week’s episode, “Homecoming.” Now that everyone has seen Jeremiah’s return and has all kinds of questions about what he’s up to, Kreisberg and Leigh share 10 things that are coming up for the rest of the season on Supergirl.
Jeremiah is also in the upcoming episode 15 “Exodus,” and that won’t be the last you’ll see of Dean Cain this year. “He’s in episode 15 and then we’re still figuring out how we’re going to wrap it all up in a nice little bow at the end of the year,” Kreisberg teased.
Alex let Jeremiah go because she couldn’t kill her own father, even though he betrayed her. That causes problems for Alex in the DEO.
“The question of where do Alex’s loyalties lie plays a major part of the next episode,” Kreisberg said. “Battle lines are drawn a little bit.”
Leigh said Alex’s inner conflict over Jeremiah continues. “It maintains,” Leigh said. “It’s like any kind of parent-child relationship, especially because they’ve been apart for so long and Alex wholeheartedly wants to believe that everything is pure and good on his behalf. Once you start to see how deep the rabbit hole goes and where his loyalties lie one way or another, it’s heavy. It is definitely very emotional, very heavy.”
Kreisberg added that Alex’s girlfriend Maggie (Floriana Lima) plays a part in Alex’s activities in “Exodus.” “Alex and Maggie go rogue next week,” he said.
The final shot of “Homecoming” revealed Lillian has some sort of ship. Kreisberg thinks fans can figure out what she’s up to given her prior plans and how she sent Jeremiah to bring her a list of all the aliens on Earth.
“It’s a shimmy on Lillian’s desire to rid the earth of aliens,” Kreisberg said. “It’s an interesting debate in the next episode between Jeremiah and Alex, if his plan is any more humane [than Lillian’s]. Some of the talking points in the episode, I think, are reflective of the current debate in our world about dealing with immigrants, which we were very conscious of and wanted to speak to that.”
“Exodus” will also mark Hatcher’s first appearance on Supergirl. Kreisberg would only describe her character as completely different than any she’s ever played before.
“She is so not playing Lois, and she is so not playing any character I’ve ever seen her play before,” Kreisberg said. “She’s so not Susan from Desperate Housewives. She’s really playing something completely different that was in her repertoire of all the things she’s ever done.”
The big question for superfans is: Will Hatcher reunite with Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman‘s Superman Cain?
“We’d love to,” Kreisberg said. “They would love to. There’s a plan.”
Kevin Sorbo also guest stars this season and Kreisberg was even more mum on his role. “Most of his scenes are with Teri,” was all he’d share.
In “Luthors,” Lillian took Lena (Katie McGrath) to one of Lex’s evil lairs where he had some of his toys laying around. She pointed out the Warsuit, Atomic Axe, and Black Mercy, but discovered something secret in a box. She knew what it was that Lex had been working on, but it was carefully kept hidden from viewers.
Kreisberg promised Lillian opens the box in the season finale: “I know what it is,” he said.
Kreisberg said that Alex has a scene coming up that pushes the limits of network TV.
“My favorite scene all season long [is] where Alex interrogates a Cadmus guard,” he said.
Leigh had a different take on the scene: “Interrogates — there’s not much talking,” she teased.
Network television has shown interrogations the likes of Jack Bauer on 24. What could Alex be doing that raises red flags with the censors?
“Let’s just say we’ve had multiple rounds with Standards and Practices,” Kreisberg said. “They weren’t happy.”
When Mon-El (Chris Wood) confronted Jeremiah about his suspicions, Kara kicked him out of the apartment. On his way out, Jeremiah told Mon-El he knows who he really is and hopes Kara knows the truth. Kreisberg said this secret will be revealed in episode 16 and provide more conflict for Kara and Mon-El.
“The Mon-El secret comes to light in episode 16, so you don’t have much further to go,” Kreisberg said. “He doesn’t quite get that it’s the coverup, not the crime, which I think is really the issue.”
At the end of March 20’s episode, Kara and several Supergirl costars leave for The Flash to participate in a musical episode. Alex stays behind.
“Someone had to hold down the fort in the DEO and take care of things,” Leigh said.
Kreisberg explained they had to leave Alex out of the musical, so that they had someone to film with on Supergirl.
“Kara, J’onn, Winn, and Mon-El guest star on The Flash,” he said. “We would have had everybody, but somebody had to actually be part of an episode of Supergirl. We actually keep filming these things, so Alex and Maggie have a bigger storyline in that episode to free other people up.”
About that musical crossover (spoilery): Supergirl will be whammied into a coma by the Music Meister (Darren Criss) at the end of “Star-Crossed,” Then, in the March 21 The Flash episode “Duets,” according to the show synopsis, Barry/The Flash (Grant Gustin) will join her in an alternate Earth where the two supers will be powerless and have to follow a song-and-dance script to escape. Fun!
Supergirl is also working on several episodes that pair off characters in new ways. Now that Winn has a girlfriend, Lyra (Tamzin Merchant), James (Mehcad Brooks) is a third wheel.
“Episode 16 is a big Winn/Lyra/Jimmy storyline,” Kreisberg said. “The Winn/Lyra story is really a Winn/James/Lyra story. Winn, James, and Lyra have a really funny story in [episode] 18, too, where the three of them try crime-fighting as a trio, which doesn’t necessarily go well. She kind of becomes the Yoko of the team.”
There’s also an upcoming episode where Kara teams up with Maggie.
“My new favorite episode [Leigh] doesn’t even know about yet that’s a Kara/Alex/Maggie story,” Kreisberg said. “It’s sort of a ticking-clock story. Alex is in serious trouble, and it’s up to Kara and Maggie to save her. It becomes a story about the sister and the girlfriend both love her and are debating the best way to save her.”
Supergirl hasn’t forgotten Kara’s day job. Kreisberg said that her boss Snapper Carr (Ian Gomez) plays a big role in “Exodus,” and there’s another episode that’s all about being a journalist.
“Episode 18 is called ‘Ace Reporter,’” Kreisberg said. “It’s about Kara and journalism. That’s been very important to us, especially in the times we now find ourselves living in. We’re one of the few shows on television that actually has a journalist as a lead character.
“Fifteen also has a healthy dose of Kara as a reporter,” Kreisberg continued. “Especially episode 18, we really get a chance to talk about the importance of journalism and the importance of journalistic ethics and how important having the objective truth be out there now.”
When Supergirl moved to Vancouver, Calista Flockhart couldn’t go with them. So Cat Grant became a recurring character instead of a weekly regular, passing daily CatCo duties over to Snapper. Kreisberg said Cat could return, but there are no firm plans.
“We’re working on it,” Kreisberg said. “We love Calista. Calista loves us. She loves the show. She has other commitments and family, but we’re trying to work it out.”
Supergirl airs Monday nights at 8/7C on The CW
Mr. Mxyzptlk fulfilled his promise to be a troublemaker on this week’s Supergirl. Mxy (Peter Gadiot) appeared at the end of last week’s episode interrupting a kiss between Mon-El (Chris Wood) and Kara (Melissa Benoist). The episode “Mr. & Mrs. Mxyzptlk” picked up right where he left off.
The comics have set a pretty high bar for Mxyzptlk’s tricks. In one, he appeared as Ben DeRoy and tried to steal Lois Lane from Clark Kent. In others, he supplied Lex Luthor with red kryptonite, and lost his powers when the Joker tricked him into revealing his true name.
Supergirl writers Jessica Queller and Sterling Gates filled “Mr. & Mrs. Mxzptlk” with more memorable Mxy tricks.
Here’s a rundown of Mxy’s tricks from the episode. Then, you vote for your favorite and tell us why you chose it in the comments. Be sure to read our interview with Peter Gadiot here.
When lured to the Fortress of Solitude for what he hopes is their wedding, Mxy is not pleased when Kara backs out. He brings to life a giant ice sculpture of Superman’s father to swat Kara down. Let’s see Marlin Brando do that. Or even Russell Crowe.
Mon-El lets the Daxam out on Mxy and actually overdoes it as far as Kara is concerned (see below). But, his suggestion of an old-fashioned duel was a nice try to defend her honor and get rid of Mxy. Mon-El and Mxy appeared in old-timey knickers on a candlelit stage. When the pistols proved another bit of Mxy fakery, they put up their dukes, and Mon-El has a mean uppercut.
This was the most devious of all, and it didn’t even require magic. Just by showing up, Mxy brought out the conflict between the Kryptonian and Daxamite. Mon-El said Kara’s not a good judge of what she can handle and called her full of herself. Fortunately, he gave her a major apology at the end of the episode.
The previews for “Mr. & Mrs. Mxyzptlk” showed Kara in the wedding dress, but they didn’t give away the best part. Mxy sings two verses of “A Whole New World” from Aladdin to woo her. He also specifies that the wedding dress he materializes is Vera Wang. And it automatically fit Kara perfectly with no alterations. That’s magic!
Mxy brought back one of Supergirl’s deadliest villains: Parasite. Even if it was only a ruse for him to show up as Supermxy, it was nice to see another action-packed battle with Parasite. Supermxy’s got a nice ring to it too. Spin-off? You listening, Greg Berlanti?
With just the snap of his fingers, Mxy could take Mon-El out of the equation, although he always ended up somewhere. The best for Wood’s fans had to be when Mon-El appeared at the DEO in only his underwear — nothing the DEO hasn’t seen before.
Even Mxy admits he got this one from a movie. When Supergirl stops a robbery, Mxy doesn’t quite understand that she catches bad guys rather than killing them. He makes their guns float in the air and turn on the robbers just like Magneto (Ian McKellen) did in the first X-Men movie.
Supergirl airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on The CW.
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