The new "Powerpuff Girls" series has added a fourth member but like most other additions to the group, she didn't last longer than an episode. Critics, as a result, are torn about whether or not the episode was a good idea in the first place.
After a rather noisy marketing campaign calling on fans to welcome the fourth Powerpuff Girl, Cartoon Network finally premiered "The Powerpuff Girls: The Power of Four" where the new member Bliss was unveiled.
Critics have argued that Cartoon Network's attempt at diversifying the show failed in several ways. First, while Bliss was depicted as a person of multiethnic backgrounds, she was also seen as someone incapable of controlling her emotions — a media stereotype for Hispanic women.
Second, like all other Powerpuff Girl companions, Bliss did not last more than one episode, which makes the attempt ring insincere, since there is no long-term diversity after all in the show.
"The Power of Four" showed Blossom, Bubbles, Buttercup and Professor Utonium running into Bliss at a movie theater.
The Professor was then forced to explain how 10 years before the three were born, he was experimenting with sugar, spice and everything nice as well as Chemicals A to V in order to create "the perfect little girl." Bliss was the result of the Professor's experiment with Chemical W and is technically his first daughter.
Chemical W gave Bliss telekinetic, teleportation and energy powers that the three do not have. However, Bliss has trouble controlling her emotions, causing her to combust spontaneously every time she is overcome with strong feelings.
She decided to escape to a neighboring island so she would not endanger the Professor anymore as she has caused their house to explode several times in the past.
In the episode, Bliss finally learned to control her telekinetic powers and flew to space to fix misaligned planets elsewhere in the universe.
"The Powerpuff Girls: The Power of Four" is available for viewing on the Cartoon Network app.
