Supergirl delivers one of its most outright enjoyable episodes ever in this Valentine’s Day-themed installment…
Usually the weakest element of any given Supergirl episode is its villain but this time around the titular Mr Mxyzptlk turned out to be the star of the show.
He might be far from the impish old man from the comics, but Peter Gadiot was brilliant as the Hamilton-loving, Aladdin-singing fifth-dimension dweller. In fact, as a charming British guy you can’t help but find charismatic despite his creepy obsession with our heroine, he was a lot like a more comedic take on Jessica Jones’ Kilgrave. I really hope this isn’t the last we have seen of him on the show.
His presence just seemed to give the show a boost in all areas. The writing was sharper, in terms of both better dialogue and the narrative. There were some really memorable set pieces – namely the guns turning on the thugs (presumably a reference to 2000’s X-Men), the Parasite scuffle and the final fight in the Fortress, where Kara tussles with a giant ice statue of her uncle Jor-El. Plus, it was nice to see Kara use her mind for once to foil the villain, rather than her fists.
Despite Mxy sticking his nose in where it wasn’t wanted, there was love everywhere this week. Kara and Mon-El finally kissed. Alex and Maggie manufactured a perfect Valentine’s Day and Winn went on a date with the alien Lyra. Even J’onn sent a message to Mars for M’Gann. No James Olsen this week, though, so presumably he was having a terrible, lonely night somewhere.
Again, the show managed to balance all these subplots a lot better than usual, perhaps because they all had a connective romantic theme. While Alex and Maggie’s storylines are never the most thrilling part of the show, they are usually solid and well-handled, and finding out that Maggie’s coming-out as a teen was not as smooth as she had previously said was another touching moment for the still fledgling couple. Winn and Lyra’s romance could use some fleshing out in subsequent episodes, but it’s sweet to see the DEO whizzkid finally finding someone. The inter-species relationship also fits in with Supergirl‘s inclusive, unprejudiced spirit.
Kara and Mon-El’s relationship continues to be a bit of a mixed bag, though. The actors undoubtedly have a great chemistry, and the ongoing story of Mon growing from a boorish womanizer into a hero is a good one. However, it does mean that the focus of their relationship is often on him rather than Kara, as in this episode. I do think Chris Wood is very likeable in the role but I couldn’t help but laugh as Mxy summed Mon up best: “Tall, dark and BLANDsome!”
Its wealth of soap opera-like romantic storylines might have miffed some viewers, but ‘Mr and Mrs Mxyzptlk’ was still one of the strongest episodes of the season – immeasurably lifted by the show’s most entertaining villain ever.
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Fandom Factory 