Fair point. I just feel like these “opportunities” have dwindled in the show’s more recent years.
Spoilers Supergirl - Season 5
- Thread starter dahj
- Start date
Fair point. I just feel like these “opportunities” have dwindled in the show’s more recent years.
I wasn't arguing, just adding.
My personal feeling is that a major reason why the ratings for this season are down significantly from last year is that there is some consternation amongst the wider SG fanbase about this Lena storyline - mainly because they’ve really dragged it on and made Kara too accommodating towards Lena’s behaviour - which is bordering on toxic. The entire storyline is also, quite frankly, a little boring. I get that the writers are trying to bring a more personal story to the table, but the way they’ve done it kind of saps all momentum from the show. A show in its fifth season needs more energetic storytelling to keep interest, and this is basically the polar opposite of that. I’m glad they finally had Kara lay down the law at the end of the last episode.
Like I said earlier I’m a big fan of this show and it is disheartening to see the ratings continue to drop as they have been. While previous drops have been partially attributed to declines in overall CW viewership and overall declines in TV viewership (more people cut the cord every year), this year’s drop feels more directly connected to a drop in writing quality on the show. It hurts because I want to see this show go on longer, but current trends are pushing it to end sooner rather than later.
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It's true the show has been off its feed all year -- odd since the same showrunners delivered such a terrific previous season. It's picked up a little post-Crisis, mainly due to the presence of Cryer's marvelous Lex, but even he is mired in the ill-conceived Leviathan nonsense. They should have cut their losses and scuttled that plotline entirely when "Crisis" offered the chance.
I think they got too focused on making this season about the "battle for Lena's soul" or whatever they termed it. As a result they've tended to write every other plot line to serve that focus, and it detracts from the overall storytelling impetus. Leviathan - which wasn't that exciting to begin with - is made even blander by being a part of the Lena plot. Most of the episodes this year have felt devoid of any energy. There is no momentum from episode to episode. Combine that with a very poorly timed 3-episode special in the middle of the season which basically had no connection to the rest of the season, and an even more poorly timed double hiatus around that 3-episode special, and you get what amounts to a full stall.
I get that they didn't just want to hit the reset button after Crisis, it's admirable to try and stay true to the intended plot lines. But what they've done instead is tepid and bland. Does anyone really see William as anything more than a stand-in for the eventual Mon-El/Kara endgame? The actor is more wooden than Beltran, has zero chemistry with Benoist, and on top of that he's being given impossibly mundane material to work with.
^ Can't disagree with much of that.
Its beyond toxic in that she's obsessed with seeing lena as some "good person" while ignoring Lena's unforgivable, morally reprehensible experiments / beliefs. There's no "good" or silver lining in what she's doing, but for the showrunners to continue to have SG beg, squeal and cry over Lena makes her appear to be morally challenged as well--as anyone in real life would be with someone making excuses for true evil.
The history of his series points to her retuning to bleeding heart mode sooner or later.
The ratings for this show have always been low, so its not as if CW/WB had high expectations and if there's a decline, its in trouble. They've kept this series on when other shows with similar ratings have been cancelled in the past.
I think they can write a redemption story for Lena, but it involves making SG putting aside her friendship with Lena, and an eventual epiphany moment with Lena after some major event involving SG. SG has made that kind of relationship sacrifice before - she put aside her relationship with Mon-El to save the planet from the Daxamites - so I don't see it as out of character for her to put aside her friendship with Lena in the name of being a superhero.
There are a few major things keeping this show on-air right now:
1. The ratings drops in the past have been attributable to overall declines in CW and TV viewership. And even with its low ratings it continues to be a top show for CW.
2. Benoist is pretty much on hallowed ground with the CW, and deservedly so, given everything that's happened to her in her personal life and given how iconic her portrayal has been.
3. A Berlanti show is going to be given a huge amount of latitude because the CW relies so heavily on his shows. They do not want to risk poisoning that relationship by forcibly cancelling one of his shows before he's ready to stop it.
4. Combining 3 and 4, Berlanti is a huge champion of SG and Benoist, and what the show and actress represent.
If it manages to stabilize in terms of ratings, it'll never be cancelled, only stopped voluntarily like Arrow was. That said, you never want to force the network's hand, because money is still the bottom line.
I think the ratings are down with Supergirl mostly due to it just being a older show and for many people they simply just get tired of shows they use to like. Sometimes a dip in quality but while this hasn't been a good season it's not so bad that I think it's to noticeable. It's also possible people are starting to get Arrowverse fatigue and all the shows will sort of slowly die especially if Disney starts churning out MCU high quality shows and I am guessing the same for HBO MAX since I think they own DC comics.
Jason
Jason
There has been a pretty noticeable drop in writing quality between last season and this one. Last season you could tell there was a direction, everything was written with a purpose and the show gained momentum from episode to episode, even if some people disagreed with some of the character portrayals and decisions. This season has been mostly aimless, there is no momentum from episode to episode, and with everything that's gone on in the last few weeks with the special episodes and the hiatuses, it feels like the show is adrift.
The ratings are down for Supergirl because of the writing. If the show was must see TV, people would watch. Crisis had ratings almost triple the audience of the normal Supergirl episode. That means people can watch should they choose to watch.
I wonder if the ratings decline began with the departure of Andrew Kreisberg. The timing is about right. The quality of CW shows just hasn't been the same since. The direction the writers have chosen has not been right.
The Superman issue alone wouldn't be enough to turn people off, but it was the direction of the shows, and the people pointing out the ridiculous reaction Supergirl is having toward Lena is certainly a major factor. That, and the show has too little focus on the actual main character.
The Crisis is a perfect way to reset things and get excitement again, but it seems like for the most part, they are merely picking up pre-crisis storylines.
Maybe they need a new showrunner and it's time for Berlanti to step aside.
I wonder if the ratings decline began with the departure of Andrew Kreisberg. The timing is about right. The quality of CW shows just hasn't been the same since. The direction the writers have chosen has not been right.
The Superman issue alone wouldn't be enough to turn people off, but it was the direction of the shows, and the people pointing out the ridiculous reaction Supergirl is having toward Lena is certainly a major factor. That, and the show has too little focus on the actual main character.
The Crisis is a perfect way to reset things and get excitement again, but it seems like for the most part, they are merely picking up pre-crisis storylines.
Maybe they need a new showrunner and it's time for Berlanti to step aside.
Benoist is pregnant per her Instagram.
No way they're going to be able to hide that.
One thing they could do is put the show on hiatus and premiere it in the winter. Best way to do that is to have at best, a soft cliffhanger, or no cliffhanger and a teaser.
First off, congratulations to the couple that's not going to read this anyway.
Second, notice, she writes "very soon", so they probably knew for some time now, and the production team probably already has plans how to deal with this on the show. Also, again, "very soon" might mean the birth will be before filming for the new season begins.
Second, notice, she writes "very soon", so they probably knew for some time now, and the production team probably already has plans how to deal with this on the show. Also, again, "very soon" might mean the birth will be before filming for the new season begins.
Okay if Supergirl is pregnant...
Then looking at the timeline, it's more than possible that it was the real Kara that got pregnant before the paragon Kara swept in and assimilated her life.
Genetically it's not exactly her kid maybe, if the rules of science have changed ever so slightly...
She has no recollection of banging the daddy, becuase that was the non paragon Kara who was born to the Earth Prime Universe.
The original Kara might have been planning on having an abortion, but becuase Paragon Kara is so chaste, she's letting this pregnancy runaway with itself unchecked.
That's how it works right?
Earth prime Kara, a real person with a slightly different life, had Earth 38 Kara's memories lozenged into her brain, so Earth 38 Kara's psyche is driving Earth prime Kara's body?
Or was Earth Prime's Kara destroyed (put on hold in storage?) and in the empty space where Earth Prime's Kara didn't exist anymore, Earth 38's Kara's physical body took over her place?
Then looking at the timeline, it's more than possible that it was the real Kara that got pregnant before the paragon Kara swept in and assimilated her life.
Genetically it's not exactly her kid maybe, if the rules of science have changed ever so slightly...
She has no recollection of banging the daddy, becuase that was the non paragon Kara who was born to the Earth Prime Universe.
The original Kara might have been planning on having an abortion, but becuase Paragon Kara is so chaste, she's letting this pregnancy runaway with itself unchecked.
That's how it works right?
Earth prime Kara, a real person with a slightly different life, had Earth 38 Kara's memories lozenged into her brain, so Earth 38 Kara's psyche is driving Earth prime Kara's body?
Or was Earth Prime's Kara destroyed (put on hold in storage?) and in the empty space where Earth Prime's Kara didn't exist anymore, Earth 38's Kara's physical body took over her place?
I wonder if they’ll just reduce the episode number and move the show to mid season.
I know this is Supergirl, but this has a more than big enough cast that they could easily just write her out for a while, and then possibly reduce her role once she's able to come back to work.
I didn't realize her and Chris Wood had even gotten together. I thought she was married to someone else?
Even though it's "Supergirl" it really is pretty focused on the whole ensemble, and I would have no problem a few episodes focused on Alex, Brainy, J'Onn, Nia, or Lena.
I didn't realize her and Chris Wood had even gotten together. I thought she was married to someone else?
Even though it's "Supergirl" it really is pretty focused on the whole ensemble, and I would have no problem a few episodes focused on Alex, Brainy, J'Onn, Nia, or Lena.
Maybe they recast Supergirl for a short while. I was thinking maybe they could bring in a Supergirl from one of the other earths and she has to fill in because our Supergirl has had to go off into space or to the future or something and once she is ready to return she comes back and then they write temporary Supergirl out by sending her back to her earth or killing her or something. Better yet maybe this new Supergirl looks like our Alex or Lena since we already have a Superman that looks like Atom as well.
Jason
Jason
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