A new episode of Supergirl titled “Human For A Day” airs tonight (December 7) at 8PM ET/PT on CBS, and in it, Kara (a.k.a. Supergirl, played by Melissa Benoist) sees what it’s like to be human after burning out her powers in the previous installment.
What’s it like for Kara to be powerless? “Obviously, it’s a kind of frustrating feeling, but what I think the whole point of the episode is ‘you don’t need powers to be a hero,’ and what is in Kara’s heart is what makes her a hero,” Melissa told us about tonight’s show during an on-set Q&A with press last week. “How she deals with this tragedy in the city, and how does she save people without being able to fly and have super-strength and being made of steel?”
Kara’s intensity that set off the power loss happened in Supergirl Episode 6 “Red Faced” — here, you can find an interview with Executive Producer Andrew Kreisberg talking about how it led to what happened to her powers. That episode showed us an intensity for Supergirl beyond anything we’d seen previously. “I think everything was kind of building to that,” Benoist admitted. “Her life has just really been tossed upside down since she’s chosen to come out with her powers, and she’s really had to grapple with that — with her past, and what these powers mean on Earth, and what being Supergirl means, and what kind of hero she wants to be…. I think anyone would be overwhelmed by that, especially someone who didn’t allow themselves to be their true self for such a long time. I had a really, really wonderful time working on Episode 6. It’s probably been one of my favorites so far, just because there was so much to grab from and play with, and she has such a tragic past that there was a lot of material,” she enthused.
At the end of the day, though, it’s Supergirl’s inherent goodness that keeps her as a character for fans young and old to look up to. “I always know what to fall back on when I’m playing Supergirl, but it doesn’t exclude the emotions, like what you guys saw in [“Red Faced”],” Benoist said, pointing out that she does have levels like everyone else. “She does get angry. She does have flaws. But what ultimately is the most important about her, I think, is that she always finds a silver living, and she always finds a way to be heroic, and good, at pure at heart.”
Below, you can find video of our interview, where you can find some talk about Melissa’s progress with the stunts, and she also talks about her relationship between Kara and her boss, Cat. Enjoy, and if you want to see photos from tonight’s all-new Supergirl, you can find them here.
Also be sure to come by our Supergirl forum for LIVE discussion during tonight’s show!
