The Game of Nerds Podcast Episode #22 - A Super Chat with Supergirl's Attic

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Lady and Gents, I apologize for the podcast getting a little off schedule this summer. The world’s been crazy, life’s been crazy, and Mz. Marvel is still breaking microphones. I first want to give a massive shout-out to Jared White for editing this episode of the podcast for us!

Now The Game of Nerds might not have regular Supergirl coverage like it did when the series first ran, but we recently made friends with a Supergirl podcast that’s been helping us fill that void. Supergirl’s Attic Podcast was introduced to us by our very own Fandom Science nerd, Tara Jabbari. Vv and Cycles are the podcast hosts of Supergirl’s Attic and were both introduced into fandoms differently. Vv decided to look at fandom under a microscope as a college study, and Cycles entered the cutthroat world of Youtube editing at 10. It shows that if we let kids play with these tools, it may just lead them to do the things they love doing in life. Before this episode blasts off, we chat about what we’ve been binging like Black Widow, Broadcast 41, and Monsters at Work.

I preface this episode by saying how much I love the Arrowverse. The Game of Nerds rose in popularity because we covered the CW series shows so closely those first few years we were starting. Unfortunately, as more shows arrived and the crossover started, it got too overwhelming for me to keep up. Even with multiple writers covering it, I got confused with storylines. Frankly, I gave up mid-second crossover and haven’t seen any of these series episodes since. That’s where the beauty of Supergirl lies. None of the other CW series impact the show in a way where it matters. The girls describe the crossovers as “wierd family reunions where you see each other once a year.” So essentially, you can watch Supergirl and not have to be caught up with the rest of the CW superhero shows. This may be because the series never even started on CW. It originally aired on CBS in 2015, which was known for its drama series. Supergirl became the highest-paid licensing fee television series for the first season at nearly 3 million an episode.

Vv and Cycles say this is a big part of why they have their podcast. They are looking into the behind-the-scenes of why the storyline may be the way it is. This was the case with Supergirl’s season 2 when the series moved from CBS to CW, moving production from Los Angeles to Vancouver. At the time, certain actors had clauses where filming had to be in LA to do their project. While we usually do not see these effects in other shows, it’s much more apparent for Supergirl’s story. We have to remember that Supergirl was the first female DC superhero since the Wonder Woman television series aired 35 years earlier. We also wouldn’t see the Wonder Woman movie for another two years after the series premiered. If you are enjoying Batwoman, you can thank Supergirl because she paved the way.

Unlike the rest of the CW Superhero series, Supergirl’s season rankings are among the highest. There were only two seasons that are ranked below an A. The season that is ranked the lowest comes as no surprise to Supergirl’s Attic hosts. Season 3 was filled with fan drama and false spoilers. We get into another discussion on the podcast about being a troll and an opposing force in the fandom world. Cycles reminds the fans that the core of Supergirl is “We’re going to be okay because we have each other.” I think that’s why I fell in love with Supergirl. In the other series, the main characters were always quickly solving the problem with each episode. Meanwhile, Supergirl may solve one problem in each episode, but the core issue was dealt with all season.

Supergirls Attic Breaks down the core characters to the series and some essential side characters. We chat about how Supergirl just feels more polished and professional than the other series, and once again, that may be because it originated from CBS. A network that has been known for its writing and series like CSI, Elementry, and Criminal Minds. The girls confess this is where Supergirls Attic Podcast originated. They loved analyzing storylines and characters. As Russ said in our Marvel Podcast episode, “You can analyze and rip something apart and still enjoy it.” Supergirls Attic Podcast tries to be the voice of reason in a lot of these scenarios. For example, the series was recently under fire for the CGI effects. Fans have to remember there is a pandemic going on, shortage of equipment and workers available to do these effects. Everyone is doing the best they can. We discuss how some fans just get too aggressive and almost to the point of the “aborption” phase of parasocial relationships. As we all know, this is when the trolls come out, and it can get nasty on the internet.

The girls blow my mind with the fact that Supergirl’s most significant demographic is college kids and ’40-’50s-year-olds. This age bracket is often the ones online who play the role of the “Fandom Elder,” and it’s not always in a positive light. We continue our journey through Supergirl’s current season and talking about their wishes for this final season of Supergirl. We also chat about how Superman and Lois are connected to Supergirl. My final question of the podcast, though, is what episode would you show someone who has never seen Supergirl? The answers were “Triggers” from Season 3 and “Human For a Day” in Season 1!