‘Supergirl’: Why a ‘Flash’ Crossover Is Exactly What It Needs

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Of all the superhero shows on TV, none have seen quite the rollercoaster CBS’s Supergirl has. After the show’s pilot hauled in a staggering 12.49 million viewers, it’s seen a precipitous 29% week-to-week drop ever since. With shows like The Flash, Arrow, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Jessica Jones, it seems odd that any comic book series would struggle this way, and yet the numbers don’t lie: For better or worse, Supergirl is on the ropes ratings-wise. Despite all this, it hasn’t managed to put a damper on CBS’s confidence, with the network picking up the series for a full 20 episodes (adding seven to the original order).

Why would a network add episodes on to a show that’s already hemorrhaging viewers on a weekly basis? The short answer: because they have an ace in the hole. The long answer involves a rumored crossover episode with CW’s The Flash during May sweeps, which, you guessed it, is only possible with a full 20-episode season. CBS splits ownership of the CW down the middle with Warner Bros. (and subsequently DC), making a crossover doable from a logistical standpoint. More than that though, it’s everything Supergirl needs right now both in terms of its flagging ratings and its greater storyline.

There’s no doubt that the enormous success of crossover episodes for The Flash and Arrow is a driving factor behind Supergirl‘s strategy. Nothing helps a ratings dip like infusing one of the most popular shows on television into the latter half of your season, and CBS is well aware of this fact. But what a crossover episode does thematically is far more important to the future of the series. Whereas before Supergirl was hindered by being the only comic book show existing in its own self-contained universe, bringing in Barry Allen and the STAR Labs crew contextualizes it in a much larger narrative.