"Supergirl" Recap: "Bizarro"

​Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

I've been a fan of Superman and Supergirl for as long as I can remember and over the many years that I've read their comics, I've seen a lot of villains, some good, some bad, some iconic. But of the many foes both these Kryptonians have faced over the years, one has always caught my eye...Bizarro. 

This sad creature, originally a failed clone of Superman's has always fascinated me. He's a true tragedy through and through and well...I've always wanted to see him pop up in the live action DC Universe for one big reason...he would be an incredible acting challenge. With makeup coming into play, a raw fury in his soul and a limited vocabulary, the actor that would get the chance to play this villain would get a solid opportunity to display their acting range, and after all this time, my wish has come true, with an awesome twist, courtesy of this week's episode of Supergirl, "Bizarro".

Yes, this brute and powerful villain finally came to life...as a she since we finally discovered that Maxwell Lord's secret room with a comatose girl was all designed to bring about the end of Supergirl...by way of a second Kara and let me just go ahead and say that Melissa Benoist deserves all the credit for making this entire episode work. She is of course stellar as always as Kara Danvers, but she is the actor gifted with the task of bringing Bizarro to life and man...she did an outstanding job. After all, it's not until later in the episode when Bizarro becomes her usual self with a shattered skin and backwards S, so before she becomes incredibly distinct, she basically is Kara and Melissa's performance is subtle but strong enough so that you are always able to know who is Supergirl and who is Bizarro. 

If anything Bizarro's storyline in this iteration of the super universe manages to take the tragedy of the character to new levels. After all, the fact that it took six other Jane Doe's to get to this point is horrifying and this poor girl has not a clue what has happened to her or what's going on really. Just that Maxwell Lord expects her to put an end to Supergirl and that also makes his fate in this episode all the more satisfying. After all, Maxwell has been a pain in the ass for some time on the show, with his over the top bravado, and clear disregard for human life to get what he wants, so to see Alex lock him up...well I may or may not have cheered at my television when he was escorted to his cell. 

Will there be consequences for Alex's actions? Absolutely. Is Maxwell Lord even more dangerous now that he knows Kara's true identity and the location of her adopted mother? Without a doubt. But it's those loose ends that make this episode work on so many levels. It's an imperfect ending on a show that should end happy and has ended happy on several occasions. As the show evolves however, the choices become more complex, the answers are no longer easy and that's really what this episode gave us, tough decisions and plenty of consequences for staying the course. Either way, loved this one not only for it's storytelling but for finally giving Bizarro a proper story and an awesome upgrade as Supergirl's equal. Until next time.

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