Supergirl season 4 episode 1 live stream: Watch online

After the mixed results of last season, Supergirl tries a soft reboot, returning to politics and journalism. Can the show rediscover its identity?

The third season finale of Supergirl was full of upheaval. Winn accepted Mon-El’s invitation to join the Legion of Superheroes in the future, heralding actor Jeremy Jordan’s transition to a recurring role for season 4. In the wake of his father’s death, J’onn stepped down from the DEO, leaving Alex to replace him as director. Most ominously, Lena appeared to turn to the dark side, manufacturing a secret serum for experiments that will no doubt cause trouble for Supergirl.

And that’s not even mentioning the cliffhanger, which showed a Supergirl double appearing in Siberia. In a post-season interview, showrunners Jessica Queller and Robert Rovner confirmed that they plan to adapt the famous Red Son storyline from DC Comics, which posits an alternate-universe Superman whose ship lands in the Soviet Union instead of the United States. Who would’ve thought that a storyline from the Cold War would feel so appropriate?

Judging by The CW’s official synopsis for the season 4 premiere, though, we might have to wait to find out more about Red Daughter. Here’s what to expect from “American Alien”:

"Diving back into reporting, Kara (Melissa Benoist) welcomes a new cub reporter to CatCo. Meanwhile, James (Mehcad Brooks) and Lena (Katie McGrath) argue about James’ impending indictment for acting as the vigilante Guardian, while Alex (Chyler Leigh) and Brainy (Jesse Rath) struggle to get in sync at the DEO. Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) is called into action when remnants of the anti-alien terrorist organization Cadmus try to assassinate pro-alien leaders, but their endgame turns out to be much more sinister than she expected. J’onn (David Harewood) relishes his peaceful new life, but an outing with an old friend causes him concern."

More than any plot point, we are excited to see Nicole Maines as Nia Nal, the “cub reporter” described in the synopsis. Nia was inspired by the comic book character Nura Nal, a Legionnaire with precognitive abilities who also goes by the name Dream Girl.

It’s unclear if Supergirl will adhere to the original backstory, but we do know Nia will become Dreamer, making her the first-ever transgender superhero on television. Besides being a history-making accomplishment, the character opens up myriad thematic possibilities that we hope the show explores.

Supergirl regular Jesse Warn directs the episode. Gabriel Llanas and Aadrita Mukerji wrote the teleplay from a story by Queller and Rovner.

"Date: Sunday, October 14Start time: 8 p.m. ESTEpisode: “American Alien”TV Channel: The CWLive Stream: Watch live on Fubo TV. Sign up now for a free seven-day trial. You can also watch on The CW website or app."

Supergirl airs Sundays as part of The CW’s Sunday night line-up.