Supergirl’s 13th episode (“Mrs and Mr. Mxyzptlk”) made me laugh, while tackling some heavy relationship issues. First of all, whoever does the music on the show? You’re wonderful. Second of all, whoever decided to have Mxyzptlk (a compelling Peter Gadiot) sing Aladdin songs, make Hamilton references (“How do you like the duds, Monsieur Hamilton? I’m more of a Burr man, myself. … Don’t throw away your shot.”), and borrow a line from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (“Strike that. Reverse it.”)—you have my undying love. And I’m not even wearing Vera Wang.
The slapstick bits (Mon-El appearing in the DEO in his underwear! The robbery victim thanking Supergirl!) offset the very real danger of the man from the 5th dimension. He could, by his own admission, crack the planet in half. But his obsession with Kara aside, his presence serves as an excellent catalyst for Kara to assert herself with Mon-El.
The Daxamite tries to pull the alpha male thing and protect her (“I’m not going to let some imp stalk you and live.”) despite her insistence otherwise (“I am not some damsel in distress.”). He commits a cardinal relationship sin: stops listening. And it leads to some pretty hilarious fighting and tension. I mean, Mon-El, sweetheart: she taught you how to fight. You don’t need to caveman it up to win her heart. Try, you know, making her laugh.
Mxyzptlk is a creepster to the nth degree, honestly (“I’ll hound you across the stars.”). Because nothing says true love like stalking! You cannot threaten anyone into a relationship. As Kara points out, “Love isn’t making demands of someone. … Love is putting someone else’s needs above your own.”
Of course, all’s well that end’s well: Kara, smart as ever, tricks Mxyzptlk into writing his name backward, after a hot tip from J’onn about the Martian importance of writing things down. (Side-note: I really hope they bring M’gann back. She was too good a character simply write off.) I did laugh when he called her a nasty woman, only to start disappearing. Funny, how that “insult” gets trotted out when someone feels threatened, no?
In the end, Kara and Mon-El make up, but not before he admits that she is his density. Wait, that’s not right: “You are my kryptonite. … I’ve never felt like this about anyone.” And that was a sweet moment, because, yes, love can often bring us to our knees. It can, to quote Buffy, make us do the wacky. But the frat boy has real feels, so we’ll see how it goes.
Speaking of feelings, Winn has them for Lyra, who looks vaguely like a vamped out vampire from Buffy, actually. It’s the classic story of boy gets drunk in the middle of the day and boy gets rescued by a kickass girl in killer boots (note: I’m size 8 ½, y’all. If Kara’s boots are unavailable, I will absolutely be okay with Lyra’s.). Then they knock boots. It’s an interesting fit for Winn, who seems to fancy aggressive women who know what they want. I mean, even when they go out to dinner, it certainly didn’t look like they stayed to eat. But they both bond over past heartbreak and acknowledge it has the potential for more. And that’s all anyone can really ask for, no?
Now, we need to talk about the Sanvers of it all. I love them. Hell, Maggie has excellent tastes in girlfriends and dessert (I could also eat Tiramisu all the time, FYI). But she vehemently thinks Valentine’s Day is for chumps, whereas Alex is super excited to be with someone for it. They both have their reasons. Truthfully, I related to both Maggie’s utter panic due to past experiences and Alex’s giddy zeal about having a special person to share the day with. Neither is right or wrong (they’re reacting), and it all goes spectacularly sideways before it gets better. It is Kara who reminds Maggie to bend, that to be in a relationship often means making changes. It was refreshing to see Kara giving, instead of receiving, relationship advice. And yes, the V-Day prom was cheesy, but it was the sweet kind of cheesy. It was a grand gesture. I am a girl who can always appreciate that.
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