UPDATE (9/10/16):

With Supergirl: Season 1 available on Netflix as of today, we're re-featuring our review of the show's first season.

Warning: Full spoilers for Supergirl: Season 1 follow.

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So much about Supergirl was flawless right out of the gate. Melissa Benoist, for example, totally encapsulated the lead role and portrayed both the vulnerability of Kara Danvers and the determination of Kara Zor-El. The character was also written very well: strong, capable, upbeat, but also not above making mistakes and owning up to them. This of course carried over into the show itself, which nailed the hopeful, cheery tone it was going for right away. As a result, it felt more like a spiritual successor to Donner's Superman or Lois & Clark, rather than the dark and gritty Superman we've seen in the recent Snyder films.I don't think I'm alone in saying this show was at its best when Supergirl was just being Supergirl -- chasing cars, stopping bank robberies, rescuing people from burning buildings -- you know, superhero stuff. Arguably some of the character's finest moments were when she was using her tenacity and wit to overcome an obstacle, instead of punching her way through it -- like that time she convinced a criminal to hand over his gun just by talking to him in "Human for a Day" (an episode in which Supergirl didn't even have powers, by the way).Honestly, I think one of the show's fundamental flaws was introducing the DEO. With characters like the Flash and Arrow on The CW, the "Team" aspect seems like a natural fit, but Supergirl having her own HQ run by a secret government organization never quite meshed with the formula of the show. More often than not, it got in the way of Kara doing what she does best: saving people on her own terms, and not in spite of orders. In Supergirl's case, Kara and a few friends working out of an abandoned CatCo office felt like the more natural way to tell stories, but time and again that dynamic was hampered by Supergirl's obligation to visit the DEO for a debriefing.It didn't help that said dynamic was bogged down with an unnecessary love triangle -- or square, when Lucy Lane (Jenna Dewan Tatum) was involved. Not only did the obvious pairing of Kara and James Olsen (Mehcad Brooks) take way too long to reach the payoff, but the show never really went out of its way to convince us why they were a good match -- you know, besides them making goo-goo eyes at each other all the time. Meanwhile, Winn Schott didn't make much of an impact this season either, save for in his one spotlight episode, "Childish Things," which was a notable exception for actor Jeremy Jordan.[widget path="video/embed/playlist" parameters="slug=supergirl-sdcc-2015-interviews"]Looking back, Kara's most powerful relationships in Season 1 boiled down to three other characters: Alex Danvers (Chyler Leigh), J'onn J'onzz (David Harewood) and Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart). The first of those was immediately established in the pilot, when Kara made the crucial decision to use her powers for good and save Alex from a crashing airplane. In addition to relying on each other for emotional support, Kara and Alex really felt like sisters, petty arguments and all.Their bond was then strengthened when they learned the truth about Hank Henshaw, who turned their duo into a trio and became somewhat of a father figure to the two women. Indeed, J'onn's storyline was one of the highlights this season, especially as it reached an emotional climax in "Manhunter" -- definitely one of the series' most heartwarming entries.

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But I think the breakout hit of Season 1 was Cat Grant, who not only provided sharp one-liners throughout each episode, but, surprisingly, turned out to be Kara's most valued source of inspiration -- both as a superhero and an assistant. By far, their story arc was the most potent, and the way they both complemented each other (that's "complemented" with an "e") was a joy to watch in these first 20 episodes.In terms of adversaries, Supergirl was very hit-or-miss. If anything, they usually brought the show down, either by being too underdeveloped or distractingly goofy-looking. (Indigo, Jemm, Master Jailer and Silver Banshee come to mind.) Even the main antagonists -- Astra (Laura Benanti), Non (Chris Vance) and Maxwell Lord (Peter Facinelli) -- lacked screen presence and motivation, and none of them were really established as Supergirl's "big bad." That said, there were a handful of good one-off characters, including Red Tornado, Bizarro and Maxima -- if only for how they developed Kara as a character. (It's probably telling that the most effective villain in Season 1 was Supergirl herself, in the Red Kryptonite episode "Falling.")[widget path="video/embed/playlist" parameters="slug=supergirl-nycc-2015-interviews"]But despite its flaws, Supergirl: Season 1 was an overall enjoyable season of television, thanks in no small part to Benoist, Flockhart and the show's unwavering optimism. If nothing else, it certainly didn't shy away from its colorful, comic book roots, and usually succeeded as a result. Hopefully a second season can further develop these characters and pick up on certain storylines (the mystery pod and Cadmus in particular). The core elements of a great show are there, it just needs some refinement and to find a proper villain for Supergirl.