‘Supergirl’ 1.12 Recap: “We All Feel Ugly Sometimes”

Fans of ‘Supergirl’ have known for a few weeks now that Kara would eventually square off with the Bizarro version of herself, and it finally happened this week. The results are kind of a mixed bag, but those who’ve waited for a Supergirl vs. Supergirl match-up will probably find something to like in this week’s entry.

After a brief intro that takes viewers back in time three months to when Maxwell Lord first brought Bizarro Supergirl (a name she’ll be given by Cat Grant later in this episode) to life, we jump back to the present where the DEO and Kara and trying to figure out where this other Supergirl came from. All roads lead to Max, but just how and why he’s done so remain a mystery.

At the office, Cat is being particularly nice to Kara, but only because she’s now dating Cat’s son, Adam. Kara and Adam go out on their first date, but it’s interrupted when Kara sees a TV report about a dangling tramway. Excusing herself and flying to the rescue, Supergirl has her first encounter with her doppelganger. As Kara notes to Alex and Hank back at the DEO, Bizarro Supergirl seems to be like her in every way, except “She talks like Cookie Monster.” Hank and Alex believe that if this new Supergirl is a perfect clone of Kara, that will mean she can be stopped with Kryptonite. After learning Max has experimented with six other girls (who were all comatose patients taken from hospitals) before creating Bizarro Supergirl, Alex pays him a visit. Max reveals that he obtained Supergirl’s DNA from the remaining arm of the Red Tornado robot. He also hints at the fact that he knows Alex is Supergirl’s adoptive sister.

Jimmy and Winn are both pretty depressed about Kara dating Adam, so they share a bottle of whisky at the office. (I wonder what HR would think about that?) Winn knows he has zero shot with Kara, but he can’t understand why Jimmy hasn’t made his move, since Kara is obviously attracted to him.

On their second date together (basically a raincheck for the first one), Kara and Adam kiss. Before things can progress any further, Bizarro Supergirl swoops in and flies off with Kara. The two square off, with Bizarro matching Kara’s heat vision with freeze vision and matching her ice breath with fire breath. When Alex arrives on the scene and shoots Bizarro with a Kryptonite gun, it only makes her stronger. However, it also results in her skin bulging, cracking and turning white. Get this gal some moisturizer!

Kara figures out that Bizarro is the complete opposite of her, which is why Kryptonite has made her stronger. She also figures out that Max must know her secret identity, as Bizarro came after her when she was out in public as Kara Danvers, not as Supergirl. Finally, Kara comes to the realization that she can never have a real relationship with anyone, and decides to break up with Adam. Jimmy tires to offer her comfort, but she tells him to leave her alone. After Kara is gone, Bizarro shows up and flies off with Jimmy.

Alex has had enough of Maxwell Lord and arrests him, hauling him back to the DEO. Hank is none too happy with Alex’s decision, but agrees after Alex notes that Maxwell is uncovering too many of their protected secrets. (In other words, she suggests that Hank’s Martian Manhunter identity is in jeopardy.)

Tied up in an abandoned warehouse, Jimmy tries to talk some sense into Bizarro Supergirl. When he asks why she kidnapped him, Bizarro tells him that Supergirl loves him. The real Supergirl shows up to save Jimmy and, after a long battle, Alex arrives on the scene to shoot Bizarro with a blue Kryptonite dart, which is basically anti-Kryptonite the DEO has created. It works and Bizarro is incapacitated. They take her back to DEO headquarters, where it’s decided to put her into an induced coma until they can figure out a way to heal her.

Back at CatCo, Kara tells Cat that she’s broken up with Adam. Cat already knows, as Adam has decided to leave town. She tells Kara that their relationship should be strictly professional from this point forward. Flying back home to her apartment, Kara notices that a green plant-like pod has broken open on her coffee table. A tentacled creature reaches out to nab her from behind as this episode closes.

In terms of watchability, this episode was just fine. In terms of advancing the plot in any significant way, not so much. The capture and jailing of Maxwell Lord is really the only thing of significance that happens this week. The whole Adam/Kara relationship was a non-starter to begin with, and seems to have only been written in so that Melissa Benoist’s husband Blake Jenner could guest star on the series. Characters like Hank and Winn are given pretty much nothing to do this week. Cat doesn’t play a big part either, but that was actually a little refreshing.

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