Bizarro (Supergirl)

"Bizarro" is the twelfth episode in the first season of the CBS television series Supergirl, which aired on February 1, 2016. It was written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Rachel Shukert, and directed by John Showalter.

The episode centers on Maxwell Lord's plot to destroy Supergirl with a Bizarro-version of the Girl of Steel, while Kara begins romancing Cat Grant's son Adam.

Plot
In Maxwell's Lab 52, Lord puts the final touches on his new creation - a female version of Bizarro - created to look exactly like Supergirl and follow Maxwell's orders. Max brainwashes the doppelgänger into thinking she is Supergirl and wanting to kill the real one, insisting she is evil. That night, Kara excuses herself from a date with Cat's son Adam to rescue a tram car in danger, unaware that it is a trap set by Bizarro. By rescuing the tram's occupants she confuses Bizarro making her wonder if Supergirl is good, not evil.

At the DEO, Kara tells Alex and J'onn that Bizarro isn't a gynoid but is genetically similar, suggesting the only way to deal with her is by using kryptonite. Kara and Adam go on a second date, only to be interrupted by Bizarro, who kidnaps Kara and the two fight each other at a park, matching each other's powers. The DEO arrive and hit Bizarro with kryptonite, causing her skin become cracked and gray. She now hates Supergirl, truly believing her to be evil and flies off.

Kara tells Alex that Maxwell knew she was Supergirl and sent Bizarro after her. She also learns that kryptonite made Bizarro more powerful than ever, prompting Hank to look for an anti-kryptonite mineral to stop Bizarro. Kara decides that she cannot have a relationship with Adam and they break up. Back at Lord Technologies, a deranged Maxwell sends Bizarro, now dark-suited and displaying a reverse shield, to destroy Kara's loved ones. Alex arrives with the DEO and arrests him. Bizarro kidnaps James as bait who stalls her by trying to convince Bizarro that Supergirl is good and in the process finally confesses he is in love with her. Supergirl arrives, and the two fight, being equally matched until Alex shoots Bizarro with the synthesized kryptonite, knocking her out. Bizarro is subsequently put back into an artificial coma until she can be treated.

Back at Kara's apartment she finds an alien plant on her coffee table. As she investigates she is attacked by a Black Mercy parasite which overpowers her, although this is not revealed to the viewer until the next episode.

Ratings
The episode attracted 546,000 viewers for its British premiere, making it the 10th most watched programme on Sky One for the week.

Critical response
Eric Goldman of IGN gave the episode a 4.8/10: "The interesting twists of 'Bizarro' – Alex arresting Lord, Lord knowing Supergirl's secret identity, James confessing his love for Kara – are undercut by the unbearably relationship drama and the over-the-top characterization of Maxwell Lord. While the portrayal of Bizarro and Supergirl's compassion for her was spot-on, this episode was a failure on all other fronts."

Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly noted: "This week, Supergirl asks if Kara can be Supergirl and still have a life. If you’ve seen any other superhero show, particularly ones in the Berlanti-verse, then you probably know where this episode goes. There are several frustrating parts of the episode, particularly Kara’s answer to the 'can she have it all question,' but there are also moments where the show redeems itself and makes you fall in love with it, its heroine, and what she stands for even more."

Stacy Glanzman of TV Fanatic gave the episode a 4.0 out of 5 stars.