“Supergirl: The Complete First Season” Review

“Supergirl: The Complete First Season” collects all 20 episodes along with bonus features that include a gag reel, deleted scenes, and behind-the-scenes interviews.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post. The opinions I share are my own.

More from TV

• Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episodes 1 and 2 review: Aftermath
• The 9 best (and 8 worst) Arrowverse characters
• 10 things nobody wants to admit about The Walking Dead
• Harley Quinn renewed for a fifth season on Max (and it’s well-deserved)
• The Walking Dead: Every TWD spinoff show coming in 2024 and beyond

Ever since the advent of DVDs, one of the best things has been the inclusion of bonus features. “Supergirl: The Complete First Season” is a collection that shines in this arena. Though the overall set is only a modest three discs, fans will get some fun deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes interviews, and a gag reel.

Say what you want about Supergirl as a television series—it’s cheesy, childish, and a bit too lighthearted. However, you can’t deny the enthusiasm of the cast and crew in bringing to fruition the Girl of Steel’s first outing on television.

I’ve seen all twenty episodes of Supergirl, so there was no reason to re-watch them again. What I did do was jump right into the bonus features. I have to admit, after watching these never-before-seen interviews, I think I have a new respect for the show. Why? Starting from the Comic-Con 2015 panel segment, when the show was first introduced, you can tell that the cast and crew were very proud with what they accomplished, and they couldn’t wait for the world to see it.

Quickly moving into the feature segment titled “A World Left Behind: Krypton,” we get a taste as to how much the creators respected the lore of the Superman and Supergirl mythos. The brightness was a result of mimicking the optimism found in the Donner/Reeve Superman: The Movie (1978) mixed in with a variety of comic book source material. Storylines were an adaptation of old Superman issues modernized to fit in with Kara Zor-El’s situation.

The creators talked about emphasizing the emotional weight in the series by exploiting the fact that Kara actually remembers Krypton, as opposed to Superman, who left when he was an infant with little to no recollection of his birth planet. Further interviews with the cast prove that each and every one of the actors delved into the emotional essence of their respective characters.

The bonus feature that impressed me the most was the one titled “The Man From Mars.” Though it wasn’t an exhaustive, comprehensive look at the Martian Manhunter, it brought to light that he was an important figure in the DC universe. On top of that, their highlight of the character is something that other DC franchises have been sorely neglecting (I’m looking at you DC Extended Universe).

Finally, the gag reel is … well … a gag reel. To tell you the truth, the gag reel to me felt a bit more emotional because it was the cast having fun and enjoying their work and passion. It’s actually a great mirror of Supergirl‘s overall philosophy—a very bright individual who’s trying to just make the world a better place. Something like that will always be a joy to watch.

Next: Supergirl: New On-Set Image Captures Famous Moment

If you’re a fan of Supergirl, it’s a no-brainer that you should purchase this first season set. If you’re a fan of the overall “Super” family of characters, I would still highly suggest that you give this boxed set a serious consideration. Supergirl will be joining The CW this fall. With Arrow, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow being in the same playground as Kara Zor-El, the DC lore will only get deeper and more intriguing. I’m sure “Supergirl: The Complete Second Season” will be a blast to own.

Own “Supergirl: The Complete First Season” on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD on August 9, 2016.

The CW’s Supergirl Season 2 will premiere on October 10, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. EST.