Last, but nowhere near the least, on our wish list is Supergirl herself, Kara Zor-El, the very heart and soul of this entire show, without whom everything would fall to pieces. Kara has been through a lot since the young age of twelve, and through it all, she never stopped helping others and putting them before herself. Read on below to find out what we had to say about our favorite hero!
Opal - As the lead character of the show, Kara has had the most development on the show. Gone is the quirky, optimistic, and somewhat naive girl we met in the pilot and now we’re gifted with the poignant, strong, confident, and complicated young woman she is today. She’s had a rough year, and at times I’ve felt that the writers have gone out of their way to contrive this "angst" for her instead of letting things naturally progress. This new darker tone for the show has been extremely mishandled. While it was meant to be about Kara’s abandonment issues, the way it was written, it became too much about losing Mon-El and now this forced love triangle that makes absolutely no sense. I need the show to refocus and give Kara back her light. Connect her back to her Kryptonian heritage and show us more of how Kara finds strength in her heritage. Flesh out her friendships with Winn, J’onn, Sam and some of the new Legion members. Allow Alex to be her main tenet of support. And lastly, I want Kara and Mon-El to sit down and just talk - no BS, no contrived lies, and all honesty. There’s so much that has changed within that relationship that they need to redefine the parameters now.
Mia - Kara is the show. Plain and simple. I have so much love for this character and when she’s hurting, I’m hurting. I want to see her allow herself to break down and let some of her emotional pain out in 3B. The girl has been through so much, but keeps it all inside; she’s bound to explode soon and I want the writers to show that even the strongest heroes should allow themselves to be vulnerable sometimes. The abandonment issues, the grief, the buried anxiety...let it out, let it go, and return to the light. I also want to see her reconnect with the season one regulars: Winn, J’onn, and Alex especially. These relationships were put in the backseat during season two and I think the show suffered for it. They’re starting to have some great progress with the Danvers sisters, so please bring back the other relationships too! And lastly, I want to see her find more peace within herself and who she is. She’s struggling wildly with her identity and I hope she arrives at a point where she feels balanced again, like she did at the beginning of season two. The character of Kara Danvers means the world to me, even though she’s fictional. I’m so thankful we have Melissa to play her and not someone else. It’s only fitting a real Supergirl plays the Supergirl.
Cristina - I think Opal pretty much hit the nail on the head with this one. After the season two finale, the show had an absolutely incredible opportunity to make season three (or at least 3A) not just darker, but to show a gripping and powerful emotional depth that we rarely get to see on TV, due to the fact that Kara Zor-El is a very unique character. And the show runners and writers simply blew it. We got small glimpses of what it could’ve been in 3x02, but then once again, it got pushed to the background. Instead of having Kara’s pain and how she deals with it be the storyline that drives the season, it took a backseat to allow for the Sanvers break up and other random storylines that didn’t contribute to the season at all. Rather than seeing Kara actually dealing with her pain, we saw her brushing it off, or making vague comments about “getting better.” So much potential was squandered, yet somehow Melissa Benoist still managed to pull off amazing performances week after week, sometimes turning trash into treasure. Unfortunately, at this point the show has wasted too much time mishandling “the darkness” and so they need to start opening some of the curtains fast to let the light back in. I think the best way to do this, especially in regards to Kara, is to start letting her find answers and closure to the questions she has. Just give me a good ‘ole fashioned talking scene with her and Mon-El and also one with Alex, and squeeze one in with J’onn as well (cause we all know that’s overdue). I want to see Kara treating Winn like her best friend again, confiding in him and trusting him. I want Kara to remember who she really is - Kara Zor-El - because that’s where her “humanity” comes from. Not from Kara Danvers. And most of all, I just want her to not be in pain anymore. She deserves to be happy!
Winnie - The weight of everything that has transpired for Kara has basically come crashing down in season three. Kara’s pain, guilt, and fear were reflected in every aspect of the show to start and now with Mon-El’s return almost even more so if that was possible. It almost feels like the character is being reborn in light of all that has happened which has been a LOT. The human vs. alien struggle introduced a new dynamic that I, for one, think is a welcome addition and very true to the character. Fact is, she is not human, and cannot expect herself to react or perceive her struggles in the same ways humans do. "Midvale" made it clear that this is by no means a new conflict for Kara to experience. But now that she is an adult she is able to truly grapple with the magnitude and consequences of it all. My wishes for Kara Zor-El are many but I will try to capture the essence of them. I wish she is able to find peace within herself and be able to reach a point of resignation on her alien vs. human struggle because it is not one that can be won. I wish she continues to rely on the sources of comfort in her life, be it Alex or Lena or Winn or J’onn or James or be it being Supergirl, until then. I wish she is able to keep her heart open to the world and realize that her relationship with Mon-El was a victim of extraneous circumstances that were outside of her control and by no means her fault. I wish she reminds herself of her family’s mantra “El mayarah” in that her battles will be won with the help of her circle that has helped lift her up (I also think amassing and maintaining that circle is one of her greatest strengths but that can be a story for another day). Most of all, I wish Kara Zor-El is able to reach a place where she is content and happy. I’ve never known anyone more deserving.
Michelle - So, joking with one of my best friends the other day, I stated that maybe Supergirl could save me like it has in so many ways already. And it really struck me how true that was. Kara Zor-El has not only brought me happiness and a show I rewatch often, but she’s shown me so many things like how to be strong and good even in the face of evil. How to be compassionate to the point where you not only try to find a way to save those that deserve it, but also those for whom it may seem like there’s no redemption possible. To see someone who has gone through so much tragedy and pain but still rise above it to do her job and fight for good is so inspiring and will keep me coming back, despite possible misgivings with the show. Melissa Benoist is such a joy to watch and it wouldn’t be the character we know and love without her unfailing ability to encompass this amazing persona and also work her ass off to give us a fricken’ great show. It really hurts me to see Kara in even more pain, and I know this “human vs. alien” fight within her is because of all she’s gone through just coming together and creating this idea that she can’t have happiness without the immense heartbreak, and I get that. I understand where she’s coming from more than I’d care to admit, and that proves that she has tendencies and emotions that she deems as “human,” even though her parents and other Kryptonians/aliens surely go through what she does as well. I wish she can have that epiphany moment sooner rather than later, especially after Barry’s conversation with her about believing in and receiving love. I also wish that when she wakes up from her coma, that even though she may be joined by more superheroes (aka the Legion of Superheroes and possibly others), that she is still the head and in the lead. I love when she takes these positions and I don’t want to see her potential go to waste with so many heroes in the equation. Lastly, I wish that she finds true happiness. As much as I love Mon-El and see them as “endgame,” her happiness can’t be about him. It has to be a peace she finds within, as Winnie said, and through that have happiness and feel whole by herself. Now, will that “dopey grin” type of happiness include our favorite Daxamite? Yeah, ideally. But, after losing her whole planet, losing every last family member except Kal, having to live in a new place and suffer through suppressing her powers and her true being and then losing the love of her life only to get him back but him be totally different? Always having happiness and contentment dangled in front of her but then never truly be able to taste it long enough to enjoy it? She really needs to find a place in herself that holds this happiness, and that’s my biggest wish for Kara Zor-El.
Now that you've heard our wishes for Kara Zor-El for the rest of season three, let us know what you think. What do you hope to see with Kara when Supergirl returns next year? We've reached the end of our Christmas wish list, but stay tuned for more content coming soon in January. Until then, we wish you Happy Holidays!