I am reading the IDW Dick Tracy Archives. He became a detective in the same fashion. The police chief just asked him if he wanted to join the force and become a detective even though he had no known experience or training and there was a conflict of interest in his first assignment. So this way of doing things is not necessarily a new development even though it makes no sense.
I think you kind of have to suspend some of your disbelief when reading a comic or watching a comic-based property...I mean, Kara can't become an overnight reporter, but we have no problem with a city of intelligent gorillas living somewhere?
I'm just happy they let Carr address it, and they're not letting Kara just magically become one.
Agreed. Sometimes you just have to get from point A to point B as quickly as you can and move on.
I really enjoyed last night episode. I'm glad that Clark has gone back to metropolis, I like this version of superman but I'm more interested in Kara. I'm sorry to see Cat go, I liked the role she played as the bitchy but fair aunt.
I'm just happy they let Carr address it, and they're not letting Kara just magically become one.
...but that's exactly what happened.
No. She's going to have to earn it. I don't get the impression he's going to let her off easily. It's called mentoring.
Just like what happens in a few workplaces
When I first started doing page design for the largest newspaper in my state, I had very little experience with the design software, and I'd never worked for a newspaper before—not even a college or high school paper. I learned on the job with a supervisor sitting beside me the first two or three weeks.
I don't know how it works in the Supergirl-verse, but a cub reporter at our paper would start on the night beat. They'd sit by the police/fire department scanner, and if there was an arrest, a fire, a major car accident, etc., they'd go off and cover it. All you needed to do that job was a basic knowledge of how to gather the pertinent information, and the ability to sum it up in a paragraph or two—knowledge you could easily pick up after riding shotgun with another reporter for a few days. Of course, in order to get the job in the first place, their writing samples had to pass muster.
The paper I worked at was fairly similar. You came up through the ranks, did your time in the trenches, and either proved yourself or moved on. There were people there who helped you with whatever direction you chose to take, though. Given that this is a television show, I have no doubt Kara will move through those ranks more swiftly than in the real world (it's her television show, after all).
I can't recall if you needed the actual degree or not to work in the newsroom, but as mentioned, you had to be able to write well, understand IP from AP, and hit your deadlines.
I can't recall if you needed the actual degree or not to work in the newsroom, but as mentioned, you had to be able to write well, understand IP from AP, and hit your deadlines.
I don't know if you needed a Journalism degree to write for us either. [Edit: I'm pretty sure you had to have a college degree, but an English degree or something along those lines may have sufficed.] My Mass Communication degree was enough to work in the design department though. Prospective reporters had to pass a basic style guide test as well (Chicago Manual for us).
But, yeah, as long as Kara isn't writing five-part exposés right away, I don't think it will be too much of a stretch.
But, yeah, as long as Kara isn't writing five-part exposés right away, I don't think it will be too much of a stretch.
That's my only real hope - I know this is television and by the end of this season she'll likely be stealing Pulitzers away from Lois Lane, but in-between then I want a few times where Snapper points out she's got work to do before he'll call her anything besides "ponytail" or give her a chair.
When I decided to get into TV production, I had no idea what I was doing. I had a background in art and illustration and had been booking bands and promoting concerts, but it kind of fell in my lap. So I bought the camera gear and the software, brought in some friends, and figured it out and within a few months was independently producing a regional television show which I eventually sold to FOX NewsCorp who turned around and converted it to a satellite television network..
Welcome to America. The land of opportunity. National City is surely located there too :)
I can't recall if you needed the actual degree or not to work in the newsroom, but as mentioned, you had to be able to write well, understand IP from AP, and hit your deadlines.
I don't know if you needed a Journalism degree to write for us either. [Edit: I'm pretty sure you had to have a college degree, but an English degree or something along those lines may have sufficed.] My Mass Communication degree was enough to work in the design department though. Prospective reporters had to pass a basic style guide test as well (Chicago Manual for us).
But, yeah, as long as Kara isn't writing five-part exposés right away, I don't think it will be too much of a stretch.
At our paper, you just needed to be willing to devote your life to the job, write reasonably coherently, and have very low expectations for a decent income.
I think the whole concept of Kara (and even Clark Kent) being reporters has long grown stale, since the once-vaunted status of newspapers and all printed media has fallen into near irrelevancy. People behind these shows obviously still hold the opinion that newspapers are still important and a worthy job for superheroes to have, despite the fact that "working for a newspaper will keep me apprised of situations that need my abilities" is no longer necessary (as it was in, oh.....1938). So, all this to say, seeing Kara warming up to be yet another fantasy-version of a reporter looking for scoops and (by season's end) winning stacks of Pulitzers....total snooze.
I think the whole concept of Kara (and even Clark Kent) being reporters has long grown stale, since the once-vaunted status of newspapers and all printed media has fallen into near irrelevancy. People behind these shows obviously still hold the opinion that newspapers are still important and a worthy job for superheroes to have, despite the fact that "working for a newspaper will keep me apprised of situations that need my abilities" is no longer necessary (as it was in, oh.....1938). So, all this to say, seeing Kara warming up to be yet another fantasy-version of a reporter looking for scoops and winning stacks of Pulitzers....total snooze.
I agree to an extent. On the other hand, there aren't that many jobs where you can suddenly disappear from the office every time a crisis happens without getting fired. And, yeah, she could work from home without raising any suspicions, and it would certainly fit in with today’s reality where so many of us are self-employed, but then there would be no large supporting cast for her to interact with.
Why have an outside job at all? How about working with the D.E.O. full time? Dumping the whole notion of "mousy secret identity" would be a massive blast of fresh air and probably kind of an intriguing concept to comic book neophytes that watch the show (most of whom probably assume secret identities are an absolute must). The D.E.O. and its mission is pretty much the driving impulse for every episode anyway, so I don't think the whole pretense of "Kara Danvers: Girl Reporter" is even necessary, much less entertaining.
Why have an outside job at all? How about working with the D.E.O. full time? Dumping the whole notion of "mousy secret identity" would be a massive blast of fresh air and probably kind of an intriguing concept to comic book neophytes that watch the show (most of whom probably assume secret identities are an absolute must). The D.E.O. and its mission is pretty much the driving impulse for every episode anyway, so I don't think the whole pretense of "Kara Danvers: Girl Reporter" is even necessary, much less entertaining.
I'd be fine with that, as long as it didn't turn into yet another crime procedural. The only problem I could see with it is that the character could end up being less relateable if she doesn’t have to deal with “every day life”. That could be an interesting angle to play around with, but given the demographic the show is targeted towards, I don’t think this particular show is the ideal place for that.
Why have an outside job at all? How about working with the D.E.O. full time? Dumping the whole notion of "mousy secret identity" would be a massive blast of fresh air and probably kind of an intriguing concept to comic book neophytes that watch the show (most of whom probably assume secret identities are an absolute must). The D.E.O. and its mission is pretty much the driving impulse for every episode anyway, so I don't think the whole pretense of "Kara Danvers: Girl Reporter" is even necessary, much less entertaining.
Part of it comes from idol-worship for her cousin. It's a way for them to still connect on a level outside of being Superman and Supergirl. Wouldn't surprise me if we don't see an episode where Clark shows up to help her with an assignment she's not grasping. I can already see her saying "I don't need Superman this time...I need Clark Kent."
To elaborate on your question - why do any of the heroes need jobs? Barry doesn't need one. Why not be the Flash all day long and hang out at Star Labs? Short answer - it'd be b-o-r-i-n-g. Same as if Kara worked for the DEO and did nothing all show long except beat up the bad guys. Sounds exciting, but would eventually make the show a one-trick pony with a new bad guy each week. Staleness ensues...and doesn't make for good television. She has to have someplace else to go and a different crowd to interact with. Particularly on a network like the CW that's as much about showing the "human" side of their characters as the "super" side.
There too, newspapers, or in this case more like an internet magazine, are exciting places to work. People are moving around. Papers are being shuffled. People are yelling at other people about deadlines not being met. It's super visual. Sure, Kara could have a government job and be stuck behind a desk all day filing paperwork...but again, not good TV. Maybe she could go work at a nightclub? That's what the kids are into these days with their raves and stuff, right? :)
I'm not sure many people tune into a show like Supergirl wanting it to reflect their life back at them. Characters can be written as relatable in any situation, occupation, or environment, so I'd love to see them go for more of full-blown adventure show that doesn't need work-a-day settings to entertain. All the CW superhero shows keep every-day jobs at arm's length. Even Joe West on The Flash is shown spending more time at STAR Labs than the police precinct, and Felicity of Arrow doing more hacking in the Arrow Cave than running a multi-million dollar conglomerate, so the precedent of "Gainful Employment-Lite" has more than been established in the CW-verse.
Why have an outside job at all? How about working with the D.E.O. full time? Dumping the whole notion of "mousy secret identity" would be a massive blast of fresh air and probably kind of an intriguing concept to comic book neophytes that watch the show (most of whom probably assume secret identities are an absolute must). The D.E.O. and its mission is pretty much the driving impulse for every episode anyway, so I don't think the whole pretense of "Kara Danvers: Girl Reporter" is even necessary, much less entertaining.
Because, Kara is adorable! The office stuff, while silly, is a change of pace from the more serious DEO story line. If you were to do away with the office I wonder if the show wouldn't become monotonous.
I think you can still get "adorable" to matter where Kara is. Chaining such a character to the same tired old TV workplace scene just burns up air time...which I suspect is the primary reason for it on such an expensive show. More minutes devoted to watercooler hijinks or office mean girls are minutes they don't have to fill with special effects or the trickier logistics of action sequences.
It might have been fun if we had a couple of episodes of Kara trying a gamut of new jobs out to see what fit (i.e. restaurant critic, babysitter, dog-walker, fashion model, substitute teacher, customer service, etc). Obviously then she would conclude that being a reporter was a perfect fit for her real job - being Supergirl.
I dunno...I guess I'd just love seeing them abandon the standard workplace tropes that every other TV series fixates upon. You'd think with the amount scrutiny and pressure applied to young people in regards to future careers, that would be the last thing they'd want to see in their TV entertainment. I'd think it would be nice to escape the "What am I going to do with my life" anxiety for an hour.
I didn't find it awful, it was just meh. There was no real danger. If they wanted a set up for Miss Martians reveal I think they could have found better ways to do it.
Have to say I was a wee bit disappointed in the first part of the cross-over. It was a decent Supergirl episode but I thought there would be more Barry. I thought he was going to pop thought the portal during the Cyborg-Superman fight and help out. But if they are going full cross-over for the next three parts then I can overlook it as the story continues.
I think they wanted to wrap up all the Cadmus stuff prior to the mid-season break. Or at least this part of the Cadmus stuff. Doubt we've heard the last of them.
Have to say I was a wee bit disappointed in the first part of the cross-over. It was a decent Supergirl episode but I thought there would be more Barry. I thought he was going to pop thought the portal during the Cyborg-Superman fight and help out. But if they are going full cross-over for the next three parts then I can overlook it as the story continues.
Yeah it's been out for a while that Supergirl's episode would be just another Supergirl episode and the ending would start the crossover. And Flash, Arrow, Legends will be all about the crossover.
Talk about deceptive advertising! Including the Supergirl episode in the crossover because the last minute of the show included Barry and Ramone....a scene that was virtually duplicated in the Flash episode? So lame.
As with most Supergirl episodes, lots and lots and lots of talking. And more talking. Followed by some talking. Then talking.
Talk about deceptive advertising! Including the Supergirl episode in the crossover because the last minute of the show included Barry and Ramone....a scene that was virtually duplicated in the Flash episode? So lame.
Seasoned comic book readers have been used to this tactic for decades now. Supergirl's the tie-in issue. Or perhaps the "Countdown to..." issue. :)
Have to say I was a wee bit disappointed in the first part of the cross-over. It was a decent Supergirl episode but I thought there would be more Barry. I thought he was going to pop thought the portal during the Cyborg-Superman fight and help out. But if they are going full cross-over for the next three parts then I can overlook it as the story continues.
Yeah it's been out for a while that Supergirl's episode would be just another Supergirl episode and the ending would start the crossover. And Flash, Arrow, Legends will be all about the crossover.
Thanks for the explanation. I was avoiding as many spoilers as possible. Flash was all about the cross-over in a very big way!
Comments
I don't know how it works in the Supergirl-verse, but a cub reporter at our paper would start on the night beat. They'd sit by the police/fire department scanner, and if there was an arrest, a fire, a major car accident, etc., they'd go off and cover it. All you needed to do that job was a basic knowledge of how to gather the pertinent information, and the ability to sum it up in a paragraph or two—knowledge you could easily pick up after riding shotgun with another reporter for a few days. Of course, in order to get the job in the first place, their writing samples had to pass muster.
I can't recall if you needed the actual degree or not to work in the newsroom, but as mentioned, you had to be able to write well, understand IP from AP, and hit your deadlines.
But, yeah, as long as Kara isn't writing five-part exposés right away, I don't think it will be too much of a stretch.
Welcome to America. The land of opportunity. National City is surely located there too :)
To elaborate on your question - why do any of the heroes need jobs? Barry doesn't need one. Why not be the Flash all day long and hang out at Star Labs? Short answer - it'd be b-o-r-i-n-g. Same as if Kara worked for the DEO and did nothing all show long except beat up the bad guys. Sounds exciting, but would eventually make the show a one-trick pony with a new bad guy each week. Staleness ensues...and doesn't make for good television. She has to have someplace else to go and a different crowd to interact with. Particularly on a network like the CW that's as much about showing the "human" side of their characters as the "super" side.
There too, newspapers, or in this case more like an internet magazine, are exciting places to work. People are moving around. Papers are being shuffled. People are yelling at other people about deadlines not being met. It's super visual. Sure, Kara could have a government job and be stuck behind a desk all day filing paperwork...but again, not good TV. Maybe she could go work at a nightclub? That's what the kids are into these days with their raves and stuff, right? :)
The office stuff, while silly, is a change of pace from the more serious DEO story line. If you were to do away with the office I wonder if the show wouldn't become monotonous.
As with most Supergirl episodes, lots and lots and lots of talking. And more talking. Followed by some talking. Then talking.
I agree. I'm not quite as annoyed by it as you seem to be, but I'm getting there.
Is it just me or has Ramone become the biggest "kitten" on TV?