Supergirl series finale review: Kara

Does Supergirl season 6, and more importantly the whole series, soar with its final installment?

Up, up and away. That’s what we were promised when Kara Zor-El first took to the skies of National City in the pilot episode of Supergirl six years ago, and it’s exactly what we got over the course of the show’s six seasons. Those skies haven’t always been clear and there have been storms along the way, but the Girl of Steel always found a way to entertain and inspire the millions of viewers who tuned in across its run.

Supergirl has always been a light, one that shined remarkably bright amid its many highs and lows, so news of its impending end last September left us all struggling with the fact that it would be leaving screens. It also left many of us concerned how the show would wrap up six seasons worth of storylines, because recent years have seen plenty of shows alienate their fans with outlandish conclusions.

Thankfully, Supergirl wouldn’t dare do that. Oh it’s outlandish, alright. But in all the right ways.

With that, let’s get into the two-hour series finale, and look at how “The Last Gauntlet” and “Kara” sent the show out on a high.

The ultimate fight for good

The series finale of Supergirl is literally the final two episodes of season 6, and they are two rather different installments. The first of them, “The Last Gauntlet” is focused on wrapping up the season’s story, and even though it doesn’t quite do that, it does allow Kara to make some important realizations heading into the final episode.

After the shocking events of the previous episode, the penultimate one had plenty of stakes right out of the gate, as the team reeled from William’s death and both Alex and Kelly were determined to rescue Esme from Lex and Nyxly. This set the stage for the final showdown as the Super Friends agreed to meet with him and retrieve Esme – in exchange for giving him the rest of the Totems.

I will admit that the show has gone round in circles with Nyxly’s pursuit of the totems and the first part of the finale does that a little too, as the Super Friends are ultimately successful in retrieving Esme but again find themselves in a position where they have only part of a totem that Nyxly and Lex need. But what’s the real reason for that? Well, it’s to set up a battle that much grander in the final episode.

That battle comes, opening “Kara”, and it’s more bonkers than perhaps any battle Supergirl has ever done, as the show goes all out to send the action out on a memorable note, with Lex and Nyxly summoning soldiers of Supergirl‘s past (including Overgirl, Red Tornado, Metallo, Parasite, the Nightmare Monster and the Kryptonian Dragon). But those villains were met with familiar faces from the past, as Mon-El, Winn Schott and James Olsen/Guardian all show up to lend a hand.

Supergirl‘s commitment to please its action-craving fans is clear, and it goes without saying that this is one of the most ambitious scenes the show has ever pulled off. My only criticism is that it almost comes too early into the final episode, resulting in the remaining three-quarters having no action or super suits. Of course, that means more time with these beloved characters, but I do feel like the ultimate battle between good and evil could have been a little more centred in the finale itself.

Nevertheless, it was a wonderful scene.

Familiar faces return

It wouldn’t be a series finale if it didn’t pay tribute to the show’s entire run, and Supergirl‘s finale made sure that it did just that. With faces from the past, present and future showing up to take down Lex Luthor and Nyxly, there was something truly special about seeing the ultimate line-up of Super Friends unite on our screens. And yours truly had the biggest smile on his face for that entire showdown.

The biggest surprise of all? Well that definitely goes to the unannounced return of Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart), who made her first in-person appearance on the show since the season 2 finale. Cat has long been a mentor to Kara, and you won’t have to look far to find a fan or two to remind you that the show was never the same after Flockhart’s post-season 1 departure, so to see her return for multiple appearances here (albeit from a beach in Colombia) to bestow some wisdom upon Kara as she struggled with her duality was just incredible.

The original cast of Supergirl was truly something special, so the fact that so many of those stars were in the same place at the same time, along with the newer seasons’ arrivals, felt unbelievably right. And “Kara” used every last one of them wisely.

End of an era for Supergirl

Supergirl couldn’t truly bow out without revisiting the past, which is why it was so nice to see so many classic characters back for the occasion. Throughout the finale, there were nods and references to battles lost and won, adventures old and new, and stories we saw unfold with our very eyes. That familiarity moved things forward as it was similar experiences in the present that helped some of the show’s main characters prepare for the future.

Alex Danvers and Kelly Olsen’s wedding was a beautiful way to bring both of their respective arcs full circle, allowing us to look back at how far both characters have come. Alex, a character we have all rooted for over the years as she discovered who she was and learned to accept herself, finally has the life she always wanted, with a loving wife and daughter. And Kelly, a woman so driven by family, now has one of her very own.

The “Dansen” wedding really was the centerpiece of the final episode and even though that might sound strange for an episode titled “Kara”, it was that wedding – that endearing, beautiful wedding – that ultimately made Kara realize she wanted to be herself as well, and kickstart the next chapter of her life. Not as Kara Danvers. Not as Supergirl. As both.

Of course, she needed a pep-talk from the incomparable Cat Grant and a heartfelt conversation with Lena Luthor (a nod to both the past and present versions of Supergirl) to make her take that plunge, but Kara decided that the time for hiding in the shadows was over.

At its heart, “Kara” is about what any good finale should be about: Closure. And it doesn’t hesitate to use the show’s overarching sense of familiarity to shatter the status quo, all while coming full circle in the process. Cat Grant is back at CatCo. Kara Danvers is back at CatCo. Everything is back to how it was in Supergirl‘s best days. And yet nothing will ever be the same.

Super Sentiments

• I can see why the finale was a two-parter because neither episode really works as a standalone.
• Kara and Winn’s duet of “We Belong” was a mesmerizing and beautiful moment from the show’s most underrated friendship. It was worth that six-year-long wait to see Melissa Benoist and Jeremy Jordan duet.
• I can’t put into words how big the smile on my face was when Calista Flockhart returned as Cat Grant. What an incredible moment from a total gem of a character.
• Losing Lillian Luthor was a shock, but my goodness, that last scene between her and Lena was heartbreaking. Brenda Strong has been an incredible addition to the show over the years and I’m glad she got a moment to shine in the finale, even if it was a devastating one.
• I will say that I did have some issues with the logic behind the Legion situation. Mon-El’s reason for why he’ll probably never return to the present didn’t exactly make sense.
• Moreover, welcome as it was, the fact that the full explanation behind Brainy’s return from the future was never given made it sound like even the writers couldn’t explain that one. If that was the case, why write the “Big Brain” into the narrative of these recent episodes at all?
• Supergirl‘s conclusion marks the end of another era for the Arrowverse, as it follows in the footsteps of Arrow and Black Lightning in concluding after a successful run.
• Supergirl, you have been an absolute gem. Thank you for entertaining us for years and making us all more hopeful. We will never forget you!

What did you think of the series finale? Have you enjoyed Supergirl season 6? Let us know in the comments below!