Supergirl is coming to an end with the sixth and final season. As the third show to become part of the Arrowverse, Supergirl and crew have become staples of the CW's superpowered world. Over the years, Supergirl has delighted critics, but some seasons top others. Here’s a look at the previous five seasons ranked by critic scores from Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic.
5) Season 3 - 78 Percent
Season 3 has the lowest composite critic rating. It begins with Kara (Melissa Benoist) coping with being the cause of Mon-El (Chris Wood) leaving Earth by putting all her energy into Kara Zor-El, rather than Kara Danvers. Season 3 introduces Samantha Arias/Reign (Odette Annable), Psi (Yael Grobglas) and Brainiac 5 (Jesse Rath). Additionally, the Worldkiller story picks back up with Julia Freeman (Krys Marshall) and the second Worldkiller, Purity.
Where Supergirl has been praised so often for being more lighthearted than other superhero shows, this season decided to lean into drama and angst. For some this made the season more engaging, and it gave Kara an opportunity to rediscover who she was. On the other hand, others saw this season as uneven, lazy and lacking on the fun.
4) Season 1 - 83.5 Percent
The first season opens with Kara living a relatively normal life, working as Cat Grant’s (Calista Flockhart) personal assistant. While she’s out on a date, she sees Alex’s plane going down. Kara springs into action, saves the plane and earns the title of Supergirl. Kara also learns about the DEO and that Alex is one of their top agents. This is when J’onn J’onzz (David Harewood) reveals himself to be the Martian Manhunter.
This season provided a lighthearted script, pulling away from more edgy and bleak stories seen on television at the time. Benoist instantly won over critics with her charming personality, proving why Supergirl would succeed for several more season. There are some awkward moments, and things could be too over the top, but this season as a whole made the case for bringing Kara to the small screen.
3) Season 2 - 86.5 Percent
The second season of Supergirl sees Superman help Supergirl save the Venture space shuttle. Additionally, Mon-El is introduced in the same episode as a follow up to Season 1. A group named Cadmus, led by Lillian Luthor (Brenda Song), also attempts to eradicate the entire alien population on Earth. In the end, Kara sends Mon-El away from Earth, Alex proposes to Maggie and there’s a flashback to Krypton, which shows the evacuation of a not-yet-revealed Reign.
The show built upon the foundations Season 1 left, giving new and old characters good development and continuing to expand the boundaries of television with the effects and fights. It also opens the door for a wider world for Supergirl, one that would continue to go with much success, especially with Season 4 and 5.
2) Season 4 - 87 Percent
In this season, Supergirl starts to embrace its extraterrestrial side; although, the newly introduced Agent Liberty (Sam Witwer) isn't too fond. Furthermore, after three long seasons, fans finally meet Lex Luthor (Jon Cryer). Also, Lena Luthor (Katie McGrath) lives up to her family legacy more than ever before. The Monitor (LaMonica Garrett) also makes an appearance in the season finale.
There was a lot going on in this season, making it come off as chaotic to some and leaving several loose ends; however, this works in favor of "Crisis on Infinite Earths." It's a lot of prep work that would pay off. Regardless of how much they tried to handle, Season 4 was confident in the direction Supergirl was going.
1) Season 5 - 92 Percent
At the beginning, Kara is surprised to find that CatCo has a new owner, and her relationship with Lena is an emotional roller coaster throughout the duration of the season. There is also the introduction to the VR world of Obsidian and the imminent threat of Leviathan. Ultimately Brainy ends up stopping Leviathan. However, Lex escapes, and he and his mother, Lillian, begin working on their master plan, which is to be continued in Season 6.
This season saw a lot of changes, from new characters, to new costumes, to a new mission. While this requires some readjusting, most of the new cast members have won the hearts of fans and critics. Overall it's a solid season that lays groundwork for the final season excellently.
Airing Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on The CW, Supergirl stars Melissa Benoist as Kara Danvers, David Harewood as Martian Manhunter and Chyler Leigh as Alex Danvers.