There are many types of tricksters.
Richard Speight, Jr. played a great trickster on SUPERNATURAL (and did a fabulous job directing last week’s SPN episode).
Bugs Bunny is said to be based, in part, on a charming trickster character because he is clever, mischievous and can weasel his way into forgiveness with a smiling “I’ve been a bad, bad boy.” All charm. No remorse.
DC introduced a trickster into Superman’s world back in WWII named Mr. Mxyzptlk. Mxy was a troublemaker from the 5th dimension who plagued Supe with his magical ways, because even the Man of Steel could not fight against magic.
The only way to send Mr. Mxyzptlk home was to get him to say his name backward. (It was no mean trick to say it forward, either.)
Mxy pulled practical jokes and tormented Superman in weird, often childish, ways. He was the DC-verse version of a schoolhouse bully, except he picked on the quarterback instead of the geeks.
Tonight, on SUPERGIRL, Mr. Mxyzptlk (guest star Peter Gadiot) reveals why he showed up at the end of last week’s episode to interrupt a potentially steamy kiss between Kara (Melissa Benoist) and Mon-El (Chris Wood). Seems the Mx-ster has fallen in love from afar and has traveled to Earth to claim the blonde one’s affections.
Kara tries to let him down easy, thinking him harmless, but Mxy misinterprets her actions and decides to wreak havoc on National City.
Mon-El has seen beings like Mr. Mxyzptlk on Daxam and knows how dangerous they can be, especially to someone who could be considered a romantic rival.
Even worse, Mon-El and Kara argue over how to get rid of Mr. Mxyzptlk, further straining their relationship.
Is Mon-El simply showing concern or is he insanely jealous of the interdimensional charmer, who is played to the hilt by Gadiot (ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND).
Does Mxy consider Mon-El a rival, and is that why the Daxamite is at the DEO dressed only in his skivvies?
Elsewhere on the love front, Alex (Chyler Leigh) and Maggie (Floriana Lima) celebrate their first Valentine’s Day together, and Winn (Jeremy Jordan) meets a new “hot warrior chick” alien who is in the Valentine’s mood.
Valentine’s Day may have come and gone most places, but love is in the National City air tonight.
SUPERGIRL also stars Mehcad Brooks and David Harewood. Guest stars Andrea Brooks, Robert Zen Humpage and Barry Nerling return. Stefan Pleszczynski directed the episode, which was written by Jessica Queller & Sterling Gates.
SUPERGIRL airs tonight at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.
