Since Supergirl hit theaters on June 26, there has been essentially nonstop discourse about the movie—what worked, what didn’t work, what this means for the future of the DCU, whether the hate for the movie was gendered, etc. Unfortunately for Supergirl, much of the response to the movie has been backlash and criticism. While there are certainly those who enjoyed the film (as the movie’s mixed Rotten Tomatoes scores prove), there are many who took to the internet to share their deep dislike of this movie.
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Among the reasons audiences complained about the movie were the changes made to the source material for Supergirl, the comic book miniseries Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, which included significant alteration to the villain Krem’s appearance, a very different color scheme compared to the bright and colorful hues of the comic book, and a massive change to the ending regarding Kara/Supergirl’s choice when it came to handling Krem. It was the latter in particular, though, that had one meaning many viewers are missing.
Audiences Dislike The Change To Woman Of Tomorrow’s Ending
As mentioned, changes to Woman of Tomorrow’s original ending proved very unpopular with viewers. Namely, in the comic, Kara has the same conflict about whether to kill Krem for all that he has done or keep him alive. In the comic book, she ultimately decides to spare his life. However, Supergirl changed this. Although Kara leads Ruthye to believe that she is not going to kill Krem, and she stops Ruthye from doing so in an effort to maintain at least some of Ruthye’s innocence, Supergirl does kill Krem in the end.
Many took issue with this because it undercut the original messaging and meaning of Kara’s decision in the comic book, which was certainly more in keeping with how many heroes would have handled the situation. In the movie, she even goes to great lengths to tell Ruthye that killing someone is something one can’t come back from, and it would change her forever. By saying these things and then killing Krem herself, it is sadly making it seem like Kara believes she is too far gone, which is a gutting thought.
Yes, she saves Ruthye from making the wrong choice, and that is still as wonderful as it is in the comics. That Kara chooses this darker path for herself is devastating, though. While it may not make that aspect of the movie’s ending totally better, there is at least one aspect of this decision in the end and the overall scene in which it takes place that many viewers are missing, and it genuinely does improve the moment at least a bit.
One Of Supergirl’s Most Important Lines Has Another Meaning
Just before killing Krem, Supergirl tells him two things. After one blow, she tells Krem that was for nearly killing her dog, Krypto. After another, though, Kara tells Krem, “That was for what you did to that little girl.” Many are interpreting this to mean Ruthye, as Krem had killed both of Ruthye’s parents and her older brother at the beginning of the movie and then tried to capture her and force her into becoming one of “the brides,” forced to have babies for Krem and the Brigands, which is especially horrifying considering she is 13 years old.
It would have made sense for this to mean Ruthye, as Krem did plenty to her to warrant that response. However, this could also mean Sarna, the little girl who Krem killed ruthlessly in the street about midway through the movie. In fact, it would make a lot more sense and be a lot more meaningful if the “little girl” Kara mentioned here was Sarna, who actually was one of “the brides.” A significant part of the plot actually focuses on her and her parents in particular, as her parents try to trade Kara in exchange for getting Sarna back.
When Kara escapes their trap, Krem cancels their deal, and he tracks Sarna down in a horrifying sequence that ends with Krem killing Sarna’s father, her mother, and then her as well, leaving all three of them in the street. This moment was frankly sickening, yet it didn’t get nearly enough narrative attention. That was indeed a larger issue with the plot around the child sex trafficking, and while this one line can’t fix that, if it was about Sarna, it at least gave her awful death some recognition, which is still not even close to what she deserved.
Supergirl’s Sex Trafficking Plot Deserved More Attention—Especially For The Victims
Of the grievances about Supergirl, one of the biggest I have is how the movie handled this truly disturbing plot regarding the abduction and rape of little girls. While the movie doesn’t use the latter word explicitly, that is absolutely what is happening, as they are being forced to have babies against their will. Honestly, the fact that the movie doesn’t use the word rape is representative of the very issue I have: This plot did not get the focus and care it deserved, especially when it comes to the victims. If anything, they were secondary the entire time.
Kara, in fact, seemed much more concerned and angry about the potential death of her dog than about the widespread child sex trafficking ring going on, which is such a slap in the face to these innocent little girls. If Supergirl was going to introduce a topic and storyline, then it should have done so with considerably more respect. This alternate meaning to Kara’s line as she kills Krem can’t completely ameliorate that, but it can make it at least slightly better.
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