Supergirl season 6, episode 1 review: Rebirth

Supergirl season 6 opened with a memorable premiere but was it heroic enough for the show’s final season?

There is something undeniably different about watching a season premiere of a show knowing that it’s going to be that show’s last season opener. But there is also something unusual about watching a season premiere that feels more like a finale because it’s on the wrong end of the wrong season.

Yes, a lot has changed in the outside world since Supergirl last aired on screens, including the somewhat unforeseen announcement that season 6 would be the Arrowverse show’s last. In Supergirl itself, however, a lot remains the same – and considering season 5 ended on a surprisingly high note, that’s mostly a good thing.

“Rebirth” is tasked with beginning to bring some of season 5’s underwhelming stories to a close but oddly enough it also functions as a season premiere, setting up a new status quo for the show moving forward.

Enter Supergirl season 6, Exit Supergirl season 5

We’ve established that this premiere had a finale-esque feel and that was clear from the opening moments in which Team Supergirl hatched their plan to stop Lex Luthor once and for all, acknowledging all the obstacles they would probably face before they inevitably encountered them. And encounter them they did as the Super Friends desperately tried to rescue Brainy, defeat Gamemnae and save the world from Lex before he manipulated half of the population to fall in love with him and obliterated the other half.

In the end, however, it all came down to a battle between Lex and the Girl of Steel (who was eventually accompanied by her allies) in the Fortress of Solitude – which is something we were all expecting by this point. Ever the noble hero, Kara was willing to sacrifice herself so that her teammates could save the world, but they were having none of it, aiding her in her fight against him after completing their own missions to save the world.

The battle that came next was worth the episode-long await. However, like much of the episode, it could have done with a tad more time just to highlight the gravity of the events that were occurring. This is Supergirl vs. Lex Luthor in a finale-like episode, remember? Then again, we already did that in season 4 so maybe there was no use dwelling on it again.

Nonetheless, it was an effective way of both returning to the story it left behind and beginning to finally wrap it up so that things can move forward on the show before it ultimately concludes. It also paved the way for some truly powerful moments that reinforced the ideals of both Supergirl and Lex Luthor.

A tale of redemption

It was hard not to notice the overarching theme of redemption in the episode. You could go as far as to say that even the title, “Rebirth”, implies its importance. And it really does show throughout as formerly antagonistic protagonists like Lena Luthor and Andrea Rojas took paths that previous versions of themselves wouldn’t have, coming through for either their friends or themselves (in a way that doesn’t involve any villainous activity).

Watching these events unfold, you can’t help but feel like maybe the creative team are the ones seeking some redemption here. Lena’s arc last season was divisive at best, with fans of the character growing weary of the endless dialogue about her potentially being evil while the character’s detractors just grew weary of her in general. And it’s hard not to see where both parties were coming from because, in spite of some exceptional performances from Katie McGrath, Lena’s arc was very “been there, done that”. Here, however, was a completely different story.

Lena came through for Kara and the team in a way that was so fulfilling to the character and it maybe, just maybe made it feel like all of the going around in circles we saw in the previous season was worth it. Don’t just give me a season of this Lena Luthor, give me a lifetime supply of her.

Finally, it feels like the character is where she needs to be.

An upward trajectory

If that paragraph didn’t give it away, Supergirl season 5 was not the show’s strongest offering. In spite of that, it delivered an impromptu finale that not only brought the show out of its funk, it outdid the rest of its Arrowverse counterparts at the time – something it hadn’t done in quite some time.

“Rebirth” continued that upward trajectory by giving us a season premiere that was full of heart, tension and stakes. It wasn’t quite as strong as its predecessor and it did occasionally feel like it tackled some of the emotionally heavier stuff on autopilot but it did start wrapping up the show’s weakest storyline in a pretty solid way, all while laying the groundwork for what is looking like it could be an epic final season.

We’re not there yet, but Supergirl is definitely on the Up, Up and Away.

Super Sentiments

• In case it wasn’t obvious from my above ranting, Lena Luthor really came through for the Super Friends. We’ve waited too long to see her become a fully-fledged member of the team so it’s imperative that the show continues to make the most of this opportunity like they did here. It’s Lena’s time to shine.
• Seeing Lena punch Lex was such a genuinely satisfying moment.
• Jon Cryer always delivers an absolute masterclass of a performance as Lex Luthor and seeing him camp it up here as the megalomaniac prematurely celebrated his victory to “We Are the Champions” in the Fortress of Solitude was comedy gold. Gold!
• “You’re a woman who stops tidal waves, and dreams of impossible things.” Braniac-5 I love you!
• The notion of Kara in the Phantom Zone is an interesting one. Definitely looking forward to seeing where it goes but I do hope that Kara isn’t off-screen or separated from the rest of the gang for too long. It is the final season, you know?
• This writer will admit that he was a little perplexed when Lena brought up the fact that Kelly didn’t know Kara was Supergirl. The show has skirted around that issue in the past, so it’s nice to see them finally addressing that. Here’s hoping it’s actually done on-screen. We could use more “Dansen” screen-time in the final season.
• Alex finally getting the superhero codename she deserves. Hello Sentinel!
• Does Lillian Luthor have a selection of suits to match the occasion? The decision to change her outfit just as Lex was about kill half of the population is so camp villain queen I can’t even.
• Hearing the name Cat Grant brought a smile to my face. Can we please get an apperance from Calista Flockhart on this final season?

Supergirl season 6 returns to The CW next Tuesday, April 6, at 9:00 p.m. ET.

What did you think of Supergirl season 6’s premiere? Will you be watching the rest of Supergirl season 6? Let us know in the comments below!