At the end of Supergirl, our troubled superhero kills Krem for poisoning her dog, but only after stopping Ruthye from killing the villain herself. She then returns to Krypto and administers the antidote, and humorously, the pup’s energy immediately returns. The dog does not die, folks! Predictably, we should have known DC Studios wasn’t going to pull such an unforgivable stunt. Afterward, Supergirl returns to Earth and tells Superman that she’s “home” and “happy,” which visibly warms her cousin’s heart. But I’m not convinced – Milly Alcock hasn’t taken on such a layered superhero character for nothing.
The Real Reason Supergirl Stopped Ruthye from Killing Krem
Throughout the film, Ruthye – who looks far too young and inexperienced to be carrying a sword – tells Kara (Supergirl) that she wants to kill Krem to avenge her family. Ruthye’s thirst for revenge feels entirely justified considering the horror she endured on that fateful night, but Supergirl warns her that vengeance will not provide the closure she needs, nor will it fix anything.
It’s a familiar cinematic trope: revenge leads to zero satisfaction once the deed is done. Drawing from lived experience, Supergirl hints that the pain of losing loved ones cannot be healed by taking a life. Instead, she tells Ruthye that the best way to get revenge is simply by living a good life.
It’s a deeply emotional moment that signals apparent serious character development for Supergirl, who spends most of the film’s first act as an alcoholic mess. However, the scene’s moral weight is severely undercut when, immediately after Ruthye walks away, Supergirl kills Krem herself for poisoning Krypto. It could easily be argued that the real reason she stopped Ruthye wasn’t out of moral superiority, but because she wanted the kill for herself. This implies that in this dark Supergirl story arc – which has only just begun in James Gunn’s DC Universe – she hasn’t actually learned anything from this journey.
It would have been far more powerful if Supergirl had simply taken the antidote she needed and left Krem to wither and die in the middle of a barren desert. Instead, she chose violence. It’s a major signal to the audience that, due to the trauma of watching her planet die, she is a completely different breed than Superman. Kal-El possesses a strict, unyielding moral compass that drives him every day. Superman represents absolute good. Supergirl represents… well, it’s complicated.
Supergirl Claims Happiness, But What Does That Even Mean?
I have a hard time believing that Supergirl is genuinely happy at the end of her first film. Her hypocrisy regarding Krem is a major reason why, while poisoning a dog is certainly enough to justify a death sentence to the audience (it certainly justified it for me), within the context of her broader, future arc, it points to a deeply unsettled hero.
Granted, she claims she is happy because she is finally “home.” By “home,” she means she has found a sanctuary after losing her birth planet, alongside her remaining family member. Naturally, Superman is moved that his cousin finally considers Earth her home, especially after spending a good portion of the movie trying to persuade her to return with him.
But the reason I don’t buy Supergirl’s happiness is the way Milly Alcock delivers the line in those final scenes. Her performance is hesitant, guarded, and entirely unconvincing. Kara has a habit of relying on quick fixes: alcohol, revenge, and fleeing to different planets and galaxies. It feels like finding a temporary purpose on Earth with Superman is just her latest fix. Will she inadvertently cause more problems than her cousin can handle? Quite possibly.
Happiness is a fleeting emotion that humans have convinced themselves can – and should – be felt every minute of every day, but that simply isn’t realistic. True contentment and purpose are what drive a meaningful life. Will Supergirl achieve that on Earth? At the moment, it seems unlikely. Expect the character to endure a few more painful obstacles before she reaches a moment of “happiness” that feels truly earned.
