Supergirl's "Sacrifice" in the Show's Sixth Season Probably Isn't a Permanent One
Published March 30 2021, 10:48 p.m. ET
The CW has a healthy stable of superhero shows, which, on the surface, defies logic to an extent. Special effects cost a lot of money, and TV shows typically need quick turnaround times with smaller budgets. But that hasn't stopped the WB from giving DC heroes their own network shows. Plus, the thing about heroes is that they tend to become martyrs for higher causes, which gives writing teams a built-in plot mechanism for ending a series. Does that mean Supergirl will die in the show's final season?
Does Supergirl die in the series' final season? She may sacrifice herself like Oliver Queen did in 'Arrow.'
One doesn't have to look that far to know that Supergirl's writers room is toying with the idea of self-sacrifice for the show's final season. The debut entry in the action-drama's newest crop of episodes state's in its synopsis: "Supergirl realizes that the only way to truly stop Lex is to sacrifice herself."
It's worth considering, however, the name of the episode: "Rebirth."
Just like Superman has never truly died before, it's hard to believe that even if Kara Zor-El manages to perish in her quest to stop Lex Luthor once and for all that she's going to be gone forever.
Remember when Kal-El was killed by Doomsday but then brought back in the regeneration chamber because come on, you can't just kill Superman like that. Well, you could, but think of all the money DC would be missing out on!
The Supergirl show is slightly different and not just because killing a popular fictional character is much more difficult given the fact that they don't necessarily adhere to the rules of, you know, a physical world. Lead actress Melissa Benoist announced she had her first baby in 2020 and, right around the same time, it was confirmed that Melissa, alongside Warner Bros. TV, Berlanti Productions, and the CW, had decided to end on Season 6.
She's arguably in a better position than most to do so. While CW shows aren't exactly paying its lead stars Keeping Up with the Kardashians amounts of money, Melissa was the lead character in a popular network TV show on a major station for six long seasons.
She's got a reported net worth of some $4 million, so if she's smart with her investments, she could comfortably live off of that money for a long, long time. It's understandable for her to be taking time to be home with her husband and child if that's what she so chooses to do.
But does that mean Supergirl is going to die in the show, or will Kara fly off into the sunset?
The show very well could have a happy ending, but that doesn't look like it's going to be the case as there are just too many allusions to her death. A Season 2 poster for the show is a head nod to an OG Crisis on Infinite Earths comic which shows a mourning Superman holding the dead body of his cousin.
Then there's the fact that the newest season literally has the word "sacrifice" in its plot synopsis.
However, the Arrowverse has been firmly made canon across all CW superhero shows, and since Oliver Queen already gave up his life, it's not crazy to think that Supergirl's writers wouldn't want to get too predictable.
It could just be that Supergirl will manage to defeat Lex Luthor and the show will end on a high note, and Melissa will be made available for future cameos down the line should she ever want to take up the mantle again.
New episodes of Supergirl are on Tuesdays, 9 p.m. ET on the CW. Will you be tuning in for the final season?