Ali McGrant (Supergirl Casting)

That's a cool addition to the line up.
I like her look for a mature Media Magnate.

I was banking on a more ethnically diverse cast.
But I guess they have their one "person of color" already.

Came her to post this!

She's a name-level actress, with lots of TV behind her belt. Can't say she was ever really that interesting to me, but I can't deny that she has the skills to play the roll. Casting her is probably a good sign.

I would have thought that they'd cast younger for the roll, but she's more a more realistic casting. And maybe since one of the press releases said her character was described as "J.Lo by way of Anna Wintour" maybe having some ethnic diversity would have been good.

I really can't wait to see how the chemistry works on the show. These things are a delicate balance, and the actors themselves will often change the course of the show by how they gel together.

For example I think the Barry/Joe West relationship is one of the best things about Flash. I'm not sure that it was intentional, or if seeing how the actors worked together the writers just kept going with it.

Though I guess in that vein, unless something is really special, we'll probably not see anything real like this for a few episodes (it takes a bit for these things to come out and be noticed and worked into the show). OTH, the almost immediately canceled Almost Human had that zing between the main stars from their first interaction and it just kept getting better. (I wasn't Firefly-level upset when they canceled it, but really did like that show. Plus had Gina Carano on one episode, and I think used her quite well).

Anyway, enough rambling. seems like good news.

lfan wrote: Calista Flockhart (Ali McBeal fame) cast as Cat Grant

www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cali...supergirl-cbs-776474

She certainly has the acting chops. And she can do irritating and self-absorbed, which I'm assuming will be Cat's persona. I suspect she'll compete with Alex to be the least likeable of the non-villains. The kind where you want to scream at Linda: "Why do you put up with that crap, anyway?!!)

She's also the perfect person for a meek and mild Linda to hide beneath. Cat will draw all the lightning and notice at CatCo, and Linda will be her opposite, a nice girl who also lets herself get stepped on. All the time.

But, Linda/Kara is learning. I had the distinct displeasure of once working directly for one of what I call the Tech Tyrants, the egotistical assholes who founded or ran many of the Tech companies who emerged in the San Jose area in the 80's. The guy I worked for wasn't as illustrious as Steve Jobs, but he was easily as big of a brilliant asshole. Overwhelming ambition. Men who believed that if you paid someone enough, far more than anyone else was offering them, and gave them a bunch of options, then you could demand anything of them without regret.

So that said, why is Linda/Kara working for someone like that? Does she want to rise and be successful in the publishing industry and figures she'll learn from the best. That Cat's her ticket if she can just prove herself. Or does she just enjoy the punishment? Is this a way to understand humans better by jumping into the maelstrom? I mean, they could have cast Linda as a barista. Very different stories there. Instead, she works as the personal assistant to an alpha-alpha female who pushes all the boundaries.

Does Kara perhaps see herself as the ultimate alpha, based on natural abilities if nothing else, but she's extremely focused on not behaving like that, either as Linda or Supergirl. Yet she has to kick ass as Supergirl, and she would be very intimidating.

Maybe she's learning all the ways to NOT be an obnoxious and abusive alpha from Cat (who presumably is)?

Shadar

shadar wrote:

lfan wrote: Calista Flockhart (Ali McBeal fame) cast as Cat Grant

www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cali...supergirl-cbs-776474

She certainly has the acting chops. And she can do irritating and self-absorbed, which I'm assuming will be Cat's persona. I suspect she'll compete with Alex to be the least likeable of the non-villains. The kind where you want to scream at Linda: "Why do you put up with that crap, anyway?!!)

She's also the perfect person for a meek and mild Linda to hide beneath. Cat will draw all the lightning and notice at CatCo, and Linda will be her opposite, a nice girl who also lets herself get stepped on. All the time.

But, Linda/Kara is learning. I had the distinct displeasure of once working directly for one of what I call the Tech Tyrants, the egotistical assholes who founded or ran many of the Tech companies who emerged in the San Jose area in the 80's. The guy I worked for wasn't as illustrious as Steve Jobs, but he was easily as big of a brilliant asshole. Overwhelming ambition. Men who believed that if you paid someone enough, far more than anyone else was offering them, and gave them a bunch of options, then you could demand anything of them without regret.

So that said, why is Linda/Kara working for someone like that? Does she want to rise and be successful in the publishing industry and figures she'll learn from the best. That Cat's her ticket if she can just prove herself. Or does she just enjoy the punishment? Is this a way to understand humans better by jumping into the maelstrom? I mean, they could have cast Linda as a barista. Very different stories there. Instead, she works as the personal assistant to an alpha-alpha female who pushes all the boundaries.

Does Kara perhaps see herself as the ultimate alpha, based on natural abilities if nothing else, but she's extremely focused on not behaving like that, either as Linda or Supergirl. Yet she has to kick ass as Supergirl, and she would be very intimidating.

Maybe she's learning all the ways to NOT be an obnoxious and abusive alpha from Cat (who presumably is)?

Shadar

This is all really insightful. I certainly hope that the writers on the show are asking all these questions.

And I'm hoping it's all not just a gender-flipped Clark Kent Story, and that they've really thought about all your questions. Clark worked for Perry White (who was VERY much in that vein) precisely because he wanted to learn from him, and had ambitions to be a top reporter. Is that what Linda/Kara wants? Or is she just following along in Clark's footsteps in a similar field? If so she's not really found herself yet, and this will spell changes down the road in the series.

It does seem like from the way the series is pitched her family (esp her sister) have been trying to keep her tied down, to deny her nature. I could see her subconsciously working for someone like Cat Grant who would DEMAND the best from her workers, as a way to counteract their programming. (Nothing screws you up like family.)

I think Clark's also played a historic roll in that too. He's always seemed reserved about letting Kara out of the shadows. She was hidden for a long while, before he announced to the world she existed. Which always seemed odd to me, she was better trained than he was as Superboy, and actually more mature. Yet, Superman kept her hidden away. These aren't the actions of someone who wants to empower you and encourage you to make your own life choices...

I'm wondering how on/offscreen Clark/Superman will be (there is no news about casting him). Will we get her talking to him on the phone (just a voice), or her referring to him? Will he play no role at all (that in itself will also be telling)? He could be a force in her life and still never show up on the show. We could see her hang up a phone and rant about a conversation with him. Or make comments "clark always said to ...." (etc). Really, he shouldn't be that big of a presence in the show (too easy for him to overshadow her) BUT that is also part of the point, and he SHOULD be in her life.

Though maybe she's told him to stay away so she can learn on her own? She could be on top of a building looking out over the city. We see a shadow appear, and, we see a red cape flapping in the wind, it's bottom is a few feet above the ground (the person is obviously flying). She says something like "I told you to stay away. I need to make my own mistakes!" And there is some awkward movement as she rants at him a bit, and then he silently flys away. No voice, no face, just a blue blur and a the back of a red cape. It shows that he cares, and that they've talked a lot, but that she's committed to learning the rest on her her own. She could even thank him for his training and advice. You could even show this cape hovering a few times in the first episode or two, he's watching her, but letting her do her thing. And then comes in to console her after some foul-up (there WILL be one), but she tells him she's ok, and to go away. "I've seen you watching me. Thanks, but I got this!" Something like that, a great way to acknowledge Clark/Superman but not need to cast him or have him in the show. (Save that for later.)

Calista would make a perfect boss.

TwiceOnThursdays wrote:

shadar wrote:

lfan wrote: Calista Flockhart (Ali McBeal fame) cast as Cat Grant

www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cali...supergirl-cbs-776474

She certainly has the acting chops. And she can do irritating and self-absorbed, which I'm assuming will be Cat's persona. I suspect she'll compete with Alex to be the least likeable of the non-villains. The kind where you want to scream at Linda: "Why do you put up with that crap, anyway?!!)

She's also the perfect person for a meek and mild Linda to hide beneath. Cat will draw all the lightning and notice at CatCo, and Linda will be her opposite, a nice girl who also lets herself get stepped on. All the time.

But, Linda/Kara is learning. I had the distinct displeasure of once working directly for one of what I call the Tech Tyrants, the egotistical assholes who founded or ran many of the Tech companies who emerged in the San Jose area in the 80's. The guy I worked for wasn't as illustrious as Steve Jobs, but he was easily as big of a brilliant asshole. Overwhelming ambition. Men who believed that if you paid someone enough, far more than anyone else was offering them, and gave them a bunch of options, then you could demand anything of them without regret.

So that said, why is Linda/Kara working for someone like that? Does she want to rise and be successful in the publishing industry and figures she'll learn from the best. That Cat's her ticket if she can just prove herself. Or does she just enjoy the punishment? Is this a way to understand humans better by jumping into the maelstrom? I mean, they could have cast Linda as a barista. Very different stories there. Instead, she works as the personal assistant to an alpha-alpha female who pushes all the boundaries.

Does Kara perhaps see herself as the ultimate alpha, based on natural abilities if nothing else, but she's extremely focused on not behaving like that, either as Linda or Supergirl. Yet she has to kick ass as Supergirl, and she would be very intimidating.

Maybe she's learning all the ways to NOT be an obnoxious and abusive alpha from Cat (who presumably is)?

Shadar

This is all really insightful. I certainly hope that the writers on the show are asking all these questions.

And I'm hoping it's all not just a gender-flipped Clark Kent Story, and that they've really thought about all your questions. Clark worked for Perry White (who was VERY much in that vein) precisely because he wanted to learn from him, and had ambitions to be a top reporter. Is that what Linda/Kara wants? Or is she just following along in Clark's footsteps in a similar field? If so she's not really found herself yet, and this will spell changes down the road in the series.

It does seem like from the way the series is pitched her family (esp her sister) have been trying to keep her tied down, to deny her nature. I could see her subconsciously working for someone like Cat Grant who would DEMAND the best from her workers, as a way to counteract their programming. (Nothing screws you up like family.)

I think Clark's also played a historic roll in that too. He's always seemed reserved about letting Kara out of the shadows. She was hidden for a long while, before he announced to the world she existed. Which always seemed odd to me, she was better trained than he was as Superboy, and actually more mature. Yet, Superman kept her hidden away. These aren't the actions of someone who wants to empower you and encourage you to make your own life choices...

I'm wondering how on/offscreen Clark/Superman will be (there is no news about casting him). Will we get her talking to him on the phone (just a voice), or her referring to him? Will he play no role at all (that in itself will also be telling)? He could be a force in her life and still never show up on the show. We could see her hang up a phone and rant about a conversation with him. Or make comments "clark always said to ...." (etc). Really, he shouldn't be that big of a presence in the show (too easy for him to overshadow her) BUT that is also part of the point, and he SHOULD be in her life.

Though maybe she's told him to stay away so she can learn on her own? She could be on top of a building looking out over the city. We see a shadow appear, and, we see a red cape flapping in the wind, it's bottom is a few feet above the ground (the person is obviously flying). She says something like "I told you to stay away. I need to make my own mistakes!" And there is some awkward movement as she rants at him a bit, and then he silently flys away. No voice, no face, just a blue blur and a the back of a red cape. It shows that he cares, and that they've talked a lot, but that she's committed to learning the rest on her her own. She could even thank him for his training and advice. You could even show this cape hovering a few times in the first episode or two, he's watching her, but letting her do her thing. And then comes in to console her after some foul-up (there WILL be one), but she tells him she's ok, and to go away. "I've seen you watching me. Thanks, but I got this!" Something like that, a great way to acknowledge Clark/Superman but not need to cast him or have him in the show. (Save that for later.)

I like the way you think. We certainly don't want Linda/Kara/Supergirl to be a simple person. The fact that she's essentially two (three if you count Kara when she was back on Krypton) different persons provides lots of potential for the writers. Then there's her job and the reason she has it. And her background, which you did an excellent job reminding me of. Clark's treatment of her, etc.

A further point on her background that we all know is that, unlike Clark, who had an idyllic upbringing, she's been through hell. Parents, friends, dead. Her entire freaking planet blown to bits just as she was approaching early adulthood. Crashes on some backward planet of weakling humanoids where her cousin is the closest thing to a god. And she has suddenly gone from a normal girl into a super girl. I mean there's an absolute transformation story there. Imagine how she has to figure her powers out and how to use them.

And then... she doesn't show or tell anyone about her abilities. Never uses them. For ten years?! WTF.

Think about that. If you suddenly gained such powers, would you hide them for ten years from everybody? (Remember that Kryptonians have no special abilities on their world.)

And then there is the point that some people bring up that she's an alien. But... her cousin is the most famous and admired superhero of all time. Nearly a god. Sure, he's an alien, but a very, very good one. So she doesn't have to worry about that.

Unless... she's truly shy. She knows how the media works. The paparazzi all the way up to the network anchors. She'd be a sensation. Immense pressure focused on her unless he could disappear. That puts a lot of pressure on her as Linda to never be found out. Its the only way she can have anything resembling a normal life.

Anyway, just some further thoughts about her background and how it differs from Clark's that the writers have hopefully considered.

Shadar

shadar wrote:
I like the way you think. We certainly don't want Linda/Kara/Supergirl to be a simple person. The fact that she's essentially two (three if you count Kara when she was back on Krypton) different persons provides lots of potential for the writers. Then there's her job and the reason she has it. And her background, which you did an excellent job reminding me of. Clark's treatment of her, etc.

A further point on her background that we all know is that, unlike Clark, who had an idyllic upbringing, she's been through hell. Parents, friends, dead. Her entire freaking planet blown to bits just as she was approaching early adulthood. Crashes on some backward planet of weakling humanoids where her cousin is the closest thing to a god. And she has suddenly gone from a normal girl into a super girl. I mean there's an absolute transformation story there. Imagine how she has to figure her powers out and how to use them.

And then... she doesn't show or tell anyone about her abilities. Never uses them. For ten years?! WTF.

Think about that. If you suddenly gained such powers, would you hide them for ten years from everybody? (Remember that Kryptonians have no special abilities on their world.)

And then there is the point that some people bring up that she's an alien. But... her cousin is the most famous and admired superhero of all time. Nearly a god. Sure, he's an alien, but a very, very good one. So she doesn't have to worry about that.

Unless... she's truly shy. She knows how the media works. The paparazzi all the way up to the network anchors. She'd be a sensation. Immense pressure focused on her unless he could disappear. That puts a lot of pressure on her as Linda to never be found out. Its the only way she can have anything resembling a normal life.

Anyway, just some further thoughts about her background and how it differs from Clark's that the writers have hopefully considered.

Shadar

Hm. What if the entire reason that she's not using her powers, and hides away for 10 years is essentially PTSD. She's lost EVERYTHING. And then, as you said she wakes up on a new world, with only her "cousin" (someone she shares zero culture with, he speaks her language though). And then she finds out that she and he are almost gods? This seems like a recipe for someone's brain to overload. This is too much for an ADULT to properly process, let alone a child.

If you posit that their Superpowers are partially mental, she could even have shut down most of her powers -- leaving her just super-healthy, resistant to damage, and she heals fast. I could see that she could have accidentally destroyed a few things with her powers before learning to keep them in check, and maybe she did that by mostly turning them off. She stuffed "Kara" into a box, and tries to become normal human "Linda". I could even see Clark being relieved that she's locked her powers away.

The start of the show is her faced with a train load of people DYING or she has to do something. Before the choice was facing personal pain or ignoring it all and not facing the pain, it's quite common to just not face the pain and bury it away. For the first time, the choice is face her pain/trauma OR let a bunch of people DIE. And I could see someone who watched her entire planet die not wanting to watch more people die. The trauma of NOT doing something is greater than facing her problems, and a hero is born. (we'll make a conceit that she was initially awake as the shuttle leaves Krypton, and she watches the planet, and video feeds from the planet, as it breaks apart. That'll leave a mark....)

It probably makes her sister slightly less nefarious. If her sister has any idea the trauma she's gone through, she'd probably want to have her avoid dealing with it again. And possibly if she had a fit (and accessed her powers) she could be REALLY dangerous. Think for a second of Supergirl's strength and having a flashback and her flailing around.... Far safer to have her avoid all that. She probably had a few episodes like that, and maybe a few nightmares, before she just "forgot". Sure she knows she's from Krypton (etc), she just doesn't think about it. Thinking about it too much brings back the nightmares.... A few flashbacks of her sister with a broken arm/leg/etc and you have someone who is convinced that Linda becoming Kara is a bad idea for Linda, for herself, and for the rest of the world. (Maybe even show her sister in Kara's pod often using the equipment to quickly mend broken bones. Imagine having a limb broken every week, even if you could be healed in a few hours? Her sister could have a bit of Trauma of her own....)

But after the rescue, for the first time since Krypton exploded, she's actually started healing and coping, and she SAVED people. It would be interesting if they dealt with trauma and it's long term effects in the show. They did this recently in The Legend of Korra, where she was essentially PTSD for the entire fourth season. One of the few times I think a show has shown that such things are not gotten over in an episode. Each time Kara saves more people, she feels a bit better, as she's become more of her true self, there is some value in her surviving. (Imagine the level of "Survivor's Guilt" she has!)

So she's conflicted. She's feeling better, but she's also in this new frightening territory. But she can't stop as for the first time since arriving on Earth she feels like she has a true purpose.

There is pretty much no therapist she can talk to. What's she going to say? Maybe she talks to the computer in her ship (it might have some medical training, and if ti's an AI, it might have some psychological counseling routines). So maybe show her having dug up her old ship, and is talking to it regularly.

In this setup, Clark/Superman would probably not take her re-appearance as something positive.... And of course her sister is CONVINCED that it will be pain and broken bones for everyone near her, and those people won't have the benefit of Kara's pod to heal them..... And she's also convinced that Kara had sheer dumb luck in saving the train, as her experience is that Kara can't control her strength, so it was a fluke she didn't just destroy the entire thing (probably killing MORE people than the initial train wreck..)

Only, Kara's now an adult, and has been slowly coping for years. She still has some problems, but she has a handle on things, she is no longer an overloaded scared little girl..... Hell maybe working for Cat Grant is good, her persona she adopted would have been meek to avoid confrontation and dealing with pain. Cat is in her face all the time, giving her stress, and never giving any mercy. Instead of being coddled, she's being challenged. And she likes it.

TwiceOnThursdays wrote:

shadar wrote:
I like the way you think. We certainly don't want Linda/Kara/Supergirl to be a simple person. The fact that she's essentially two (three if you count Kara when she was back on Krypton) different persons provides lots of potential for the writers. Then there's her job and the reason she has it. And her background, which you did an excellent job reminding me of. Clark's treatment of her, etc.

A further point on her background that we all know is that, unlike Clark, who had an idyllic upbringing, she's been through hell. Parents, friends, dead. Her entire freaking planet blown to bits just as she was approaching early adulthood. Crashes on some backward planet of weakling humanoids where her cousin is the closest thing to a god. And she has suddenly gone from a normal girl into a super girl. I mean there's an absolute transformation story there. Imagine how she has to figure her powers out and how to use them.

And then... she doesn't show or tell anyone about her abilities. Never uses them. For ten years?! WTF.

Think about that. If you suddenly gained such powers, would you hide them for ten years from everybody? (Remember that Kryptonians have no special abilities on their world.)

And then there is the point that some people bring up that she's an alien. But... her cousin is the most famous and admired superhero of all time. Nearly a god. Sure, he's an alien, but a very, very good one. So she doesn't have to worry about that.

Unless... she's truly shy. She knows how the media works. The paparazzi all the way up to the network anchors. She'd be a sensation. Immense pressure focused on her unless he could disappear. That puts a lot of pressure on her as Linda to never be found out. Its the only way she can have anything resembling a normal life.

Anyway, just some further thoughts about her background and how it differs from Clark's that the writers have hopefully considered.

Shadar

Hm. What if the entire reason that she's not using her powers, and hides away for 10 years is essentially PTSD. She's lost EVERYTHING. And then, as you said she wakes up on a new world, with only her "cousin" (someone she shares zero culture with, he speaks her language though). And then she finds out that she and he are almost gods? This seems like a recipe for someone's brain to overload. This is too much for an ADULT to properly process, let alone a child.

If you posit that their Superpowers are partially mental, she could even have shut down most of her powers -- leaving her just super-healthy, resistant to damage, and she heals fast. I could see that she could have accidentally destroyed a few things with her powers before learning to keep them in check, and maybe she did that by mostly turning them off. She stuffed "Kara" into a box, and tries to become normal human "Linda". I could even see Clark being relieved that she's locked her powers away.

The start of the show is her faced with a train load of people DYING or she has to do something. Before the choice was facing personal pain or ignoring it all and not facing the pain, it's quite common to just not face the pain and bury it away. For the first time, the choice is face her pain/trauma OR let a bunch of people DIE. And I could see someone who watched her entire planet die not wanting to watch more people die. The trauma of NOT doing something is greater than facing her problems, and a hero is born. (we'll make a conceit that she was initially awake as the shuttle leaves Krypton, and she watches the planet, and video feeds from the planet, as it breaks apart. That'll leave a mark....)

It probably makes her sister slightly less nefarious. If her sister has any idea the trauma she's gone through, she'd probably want to have her avoid dealing with it again. And possibly if she had a fit (and accessed her powers) she could be REALLY dangerous. Think for a second of Supergirl's strength and having a flashback and her flailing around.... Far safer to have her avoid all that. She probably had a few episodes like that, and maybe a few nightmares, before she just "forgot". Sure she knows she's from Krypton (etc), she just doesn't think about it. Thinking about it too much brings back the nightmares.... A few flashbacks of her sister with a broken arm/leg/etc and you have someone who is convinced that Linda becoming Kara is a bad idea for Linda, for herself, and for the rest of the world. (Maybe even show her sister in Kara's pod often using the equipment to quickly mend broken bones. Imagine having a limb broken every week, even if you could be healed in a few hours? Her sister could have a bit of Trauma of her own....)

But after the rescue, for the first time since Krypton exploded, she's actually started healing and coping, and she SAVED people. It would be interesting if they dealt with trauma and it's long term effects in the show. They did this recently in The Legend of Korra, where she was essentially PTSD for the entire fourth season. One of the few times I think a show has shown that such things are not gotten over in an episode. Each time Kara saves more people, she feels a bit better, as she's become more of her true self, there is some value in her surviving. (Imagine the level of "Survivor's Guilt" she has!)

So she's conflicted. She's feeling better, but she's also in this new frightening territory. But she can't stop as for the first time since arriving on Earth she feels like she has a true purpose.

There is pretty much no therapist she can talk to. What's she going to say? Maybe she talks to the computer in her ship (it might have some medical training, and if ti's an AI, it might have some psychological counseling routines). So maybe show her having dug up her old ship, and is talking to it regularly.

In this setup, Clark/Superman would probably not take her re-appearance as something positive.... And of course her sister is CONVINCED that it will be pain and broken bones for everyone near her, and those people won't have the benefit of Kara's pod to heal them..... And she's also convinced that Kara had sheer dumb luck in saving the train, as her experience is that Kara can't control her strength, so it was a fluke she didn't just destroy the entire thing (probably killing MORE people than the initial train wreck..)

Only, Kara's now an adult, and has been slowly coping for years. She still has some problems, but she has a handle on things, she is no longer an overloaded scared little girl..... Hell maybe working for Cat Grant is good, her persona she adopted would have been meek to avoid confrontation and dealing with pain. Cat is in her face all the time, giving her stress, and never giving any mercy. Instead of being coddled, she's being challenged. And she likes it.

What you have laid out would be an amazing premise for the show. It also fits with what I've seen of the audition videos. Here's hoping the writers and director have something like this in front of them. Excellent!

It should be noted that Calista has one really good skill:

Shes good at taking characters you shouldn't like for any number of reasons and make them likable. Shes naturally charismatic in a way that makes you relate to her.

Also another point:

Harrison Ford is likely going to watch every episode of Supergirl.

Chew on that SuperWomanmanics, chew on that.