After months of speculation and sitting on massive cliffhangers, we’re closer to seeing how things unravel in Supergirl season 5, where big changes are on the horizon. And I’m not just talking about Supergirl’s awesome new costume.
While I’ve always been cautiously optimistic about any DCTV headed into what’s usually a drawn-out season of 22 episodes, I have to admit that I’m exactly where I started heading into season 5.
The big reveal of Supergirl’s identity to Lena Luthor will be the central catalyst of this season, aside from whatever Big Bad is in store. This show is, after all, about the emotional connections between the characters. And with Kara and Lena’s friendship at stake, you can bet I’ll be glued to my TV.
Here are 5 things I want to see in Supergirl season 5:
1. Kara and Lena fallout
The cliffhanger no one actually believed Supergirl would go through with threatens to rock the foundation of the show as we know it. In the final minutes of Supergirl‘s finale, Lex Luthor revealed to Lena Luthor that Supergirl is none other than her best friend Kara Danvers, and the look of betrayal was absolutely gutting. Even as it appeared Lena was trying to be okay with it, she made her feelings abundantly clear when she cracked a picture of her, Kara and Alex that things are far from okay.
The fallout with Kara and Lena is going to be a driving force behind this season, so it’s more of a question of how immediately does Lena confess to Kara that she knows the truth about her? The premiere? The second episode? From the looks of the Comic Con trailer, it has to be fairly early on in the season.
Obviously there have been parallels drawn to Kara and Lena’s relationship and Clark and Lex’s relationship on Smallville, which started the infamous foes as friends before things transpired. Now we’ll finally get to see the direction these showrunners want to take Kara and Lena. Is it just another Clark/Lex or will we get something fresh and new?
2. Alex and Kelly’s relationship
At Comic-Con we learned that Alex and Kelly would be taking their burgeoning relationship “one step at a time” when we kick off Supergirl‘s fifth season. The show is smart to not rush full-on into a romance as Kelly was introduced later on last season. Instead of forcing it, the show let a friendship and a foundation develop that will make the payoff that much sweeter.
I want to see more of that as they figure out who they are together, but also who they are separately. Developing that trusting foundation is the core for any relationship, and it’s something that fans don’t want to happen offscreen — they want to see it happen on screen.
But when the time finally comes for Alex and Kelly to take that next, serious step, it’ll make it all the more sweeter given that we’ll have followed their journey from start to finish.
3. Nia and Brainy’s blossoming romance
Speaking of romance, Nia and Brainy are also embarking on a new relationship, which is like if two puppy dogs started dating: Cute beyond words. While I enjoy the cute, I also want to see these two go deeper with each other. I want to see them have those meaningful conversations, I want them to confide in each other and rely on each other.
When I spoke with Nicole Maines and Jesse Rath at Comic-Con, they talked about how Supergirl is going to further explore their relationship, and they also teased it’ll be anything but smooth sailing, which honestly, is a good thing. While Nia and Brainy are cute beyond words, if this romance is actually going to work we’re going to need to take their relationship seriously as a viewer.
The way to do that is to allow them to have those tough conversations where they have to work things out. Brainy will struggle with opening up to Nia and being vulnerable with her. Both will have to work to find a balance with their relationship. But where there’s struggle, there’s lasting romance. All aboard the Dreamy ship!
4. What’s the role of Supergirl in the crossover?
Everything has been leading to Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Arrowverse’s epic crossover event, and every show will play a part. But what will Supergirl‘s part be? There have been some teases around the Internet (which I won’t allude to, keeping this spoiler free), but there’s definitely a roll for everyone.
I think maybe the more important question is: Will the crossover influence Supergirl? That’s been a problem in this universe for awhile, particularly on Arrow, where these crossovers dictate the direction of the show. While Supergirl is likely to have a big role in the crossover, hopefully it’s not at the expense of the show and its characters.
5. James Olsen’s exit explained
One of the shocking reveals at Comic-Con was that Mehcad Brooks would be leaving Supergirl during season 5, which leaves many questions in the air. What’s the fate of James? Will they leave the door open for a possible return? Will he fall victim to Crisis on Infinite Earths?
Given that Kelly Olsen is in National City, James’ legacy will no doubt live on. But how will Supergirl handle his exit? Will we see it coming? Will it do him justice? Will he survive?
Supergirl
season 5 premieres Oct. 6 at 9/8c on The CW.
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