Commentary: ‘My Adventures With Superman’ Works Because Of Supergirl

The big alien invasion is a staple of superhero stories, so there’s no surprise that My Adventures With Superman would feature one eventually. There was a fair amount of build up this season — which was broken into roughly two halves. The first half dealt with Amanda Waller (Debra Wilson) while the second half focused on Supergirl (Kiana Madeira) and Brainiac (Michael Emerson). By the season finale, both halves came together in a big grand story worthy of the Man of Steel. It’s not quite clear where the show will go from here, but the two seasons of television definitely put on a spectacle fans should be happy with.

This most recent episode picked up with Supergirl and Superman crippled by Kryptonite. They were saved by some of the heroes and villains who have appeared in the show thus far. Despite their differences, they all call Earth their home and wanted to help Superman stop this threat. Things took a turn for the worst when Brainiac displayed his control over Supergirl and offered Superman the choice to save his cousin or the planet. But Superman proved that his real strength comes from his heart and his friends as they worked to break Supergirl’s trance and stop Brainiac for good.

Superman certainly faced an emotional roller coaster this season as he had to deal with his life as an alien and also his life pretending to be human. This internal struggle was displayed well when viewed through the lens of Supergirl. For the back half of the season, she really stole the show as a character with a true story arc. She went through a series of tribulations in just a few episodes that exemplified the show’s pension for poignant storytelling. Of course, Superman was used as a vehicle to help move her along, but it’s hard to imagine this season having the same amount of success without her.

My Adventures With Superman is now streaming on Max.