The Arrowverse Character Who Broke The Fourth Wall And Called Out The CW

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The Arrowverse featured many characters who offered fresh perspectives on the DC universe, but one stood out with particularly pointed observations about The CW network itself. The CW was remarkably successful in showcasing DC superhero stories from the very beginning.

The CW network launched in late 2006, created by combining The WB and UPN, both owned by major media companies. The network’s name, “The CW,” comes from the first letters of its parent companies. From the start, a key part of its programming was Smallville, a popular show focusing on the teenage years of Superman.

The CW was known for shows that often followed a predictable pattern. Because the network aimed for a younger audience, its programs tended to reflect that. It was therefore noteworthy when a show within the ‘Arrowverse’ directly addressed this tendency, playfully pointing it out.

Cat Grant Broke The Fourth Wall And Called Out The CW In Supergirl

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In the TV series Supergirl, Cat Grant is the powerful founder and CEO of Catco Worldwide Media. She’s known for being intelligent, perceptive, and always saying what’s on her mind. This is particularly evident in season 1, episode 18, where she discusses a new hero appearing in National City with her team of journalists.

Kara Danvers, James Olsen, Winn Schott, and Barry Allen were all in Cat Grant’s office when she jokingly observed that they looked like the perfectly cast, diverse group from a CW television show. It was a funny and surprisingly accurate comment, especially considering the show later became part of The CW’s ‘Arrowverse’.

It Wasn’t Too Long Before Supergirl Became Part Of The CW’s Arrowverse

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Okay, so Supergirl actually started its life over on CBS for season one. At the time, Arrow and The Flash were doing pretty well on The CW, and Supergirl seemed to be trying to do its own thing, be a bit different from those shows. But here’s the thing – Greg Berlanti, one of the main guys behind the Arrowverse, was also a creator on Supergirl, so it still felt connected to that universe, even with the attempt to stand alone.

The connection to the wider Arrowverse became clear early on, with Barry Allen visiting from another world in the first season to meet Kara. However, the show didn’t officially become part of the Arrowverse until it moved from CBS to The CW.

Following those events, the ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ storyline combined Kara’s world with those of The Flash and Arrow, creating a single Earth known as Earth-Prime. Despite all the complicated changes, the show still maintained a familiar feel similar to other programs on The CW, which makes a comment made by the character Cat even more impactful.

Supergirl’s Best Season Was Not On The CW

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Moving from CBS to The CW had mixed results for the show. Although it allowed for more crossovers with other shows in the Arrowverse and better fit the overall style, some aspects of the show were lost in the process.

Before it moved to a new timeslot, the first season of Supergirl had a bigger budget. It seemed like the show was a test to see if comic book-based series could appeal to a mainstream audience and move beyond their typical fanbase. Because of this, it used some familiar elements from other shows in the Arrowverse, but also felt more expansive and well-produced.

Supergirl’s first season was particularly strong because it explored Kara Danvers’ challenges balancing her personal life, job, and responsibilities as a hero. Even after the show moved to The CW, it continued to touch on these themes, but the focus shifted towards building ‘Team Supergirl’ and her work at the Department of Environmental Enforcement.

It’s not necessarily a flaw, but the show shares a lot of similarities with earlier CW superhero shows like The Flash and Arrow, particularly their reliance on large supporting teams and organizations. While these connections helped the shows maintain a ‘villain of the week’ structure and work as procedural dramas, they also meant the shows started to feel less unique and original, falling into a predictable pattern.

I’ve noticed that while these shows all managed to run for a good while and build their own followings, it’s pretty clear The CW had a formula they kept repeating. They’d take that same basic structure and just swap in different characters, hoping to make each new show feel fresh. It’s hard not to see the similarities when you look back at them all.

Cat Grant was one of the few people who recognized the superficiality of the show and wasn’t afraid to point it out. While she hadn’t officially joined The CW at that point – which likely allowed the comment to stay in – it reveals a key truth: The CW’s Arrowverse often presented similar ideas in a way that would appeal to as many viewers as possible. Sadly, Supergirl eventually fell into that same pattern.

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2025-12-03 20:19