Most television series improve in their second episode, freed from the shackles of establishing an entire universe and getting into the business of telling their story. Stargirl is no different, allowing “S.T.R.I.P.E.” to fill in some of the gaps from the pilot, emotionally, and set up the season effectively.
1. Ride the Cliché(s)
Like most of the DC Universe/CW shows, Stargirl is not exactly Twin Peaks in terms of being groundbreaking or challenging television. This is a show that relies on the viewer understanding tropes and standard superhero stories, and then having fun within those elements. And, taken in that way, the show absolutely succeeds. There are many moments in this episode where you can practically guess what the next sentence is going to be, but it is presented with such heart and conviction, that it more or less wins you over anyway.
A big part of that is the dedication to simplicity that Geoff Johns and co. established in the pilot, with its streamlined view of DC history. The show is similarly streamlined, with no relationship taking more than a few words to describe, and the archetypes being abundantly clear. This is a plus for the television show, even if a similar approach in comics, perhaps paradoxically, feels slight.
But what this simplicity allows is a certain level of irony and sarcasm free storytelling. The Justice Society of America was always an austere, pure organization dedicated to helping others. That idea can seem a little passé in the wrong setting, but Stargirl creates such a black and white world that a simple premise like that fits like a glove.
Plus, it allowed “You’re the Best” by Joe Esposito to be featured, so that’s never a bad thing.
2. A better Stargirl
The pilot episode didn’t always present Courtney in the best light, making her seem unnecessarily mean to Pat or stereotypically moody. But this episode begins to break that down, especially as Pat stops dismissing her outright due to either her age or her belief that her father was Starman. This change isn’t jarring or an over-correction, but rather a slight adjustment to her character that feels natural, and allows the audience to identify with her in a much easier way.
3. Brainwave
We get our first real villain of the series, Brainwave, and again, the simplicity in his presentation works really well. The series is already doing, on both sides of the good/bad divide, what JSA did in the 90s when it returned: it is establishing generations and the differences and similarities therein. Pat and Courtney on one side, and the Injustice Society and their progeny on the other. Hopefully, this first season isn’t just Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. killing off the older villains.
4. Further connections
This episode name checked Ted Knight as the man who built the Cosmic Staff, which somewhat goes against my celebration of simplicity, but it does open the door for many more characters from the Golden Age to show up, I suppose. This episode, overall, seemed like it wanted to tell everyone that there is a lot more to come, in terms of heroes and villains, but also acted as a nice table setter for the overall pace of the show. If things continue to unfold like this, it won’t be hard for even the most superhero opposed folks to enjoy the series.
5. “Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E.”
I’m a little surprised at how the show is really “Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E.,” the Geoff Johns-penned series, than it is a straight Stargirl story. I wonder if it will take the path of a lot of CW shows and kill off Pat early, in order to be Courtney’s motivation going forward. I hope not, because I think that Luke Wilson is doing a pretty good job as Pat Dugan, but also because if this really is supposed to be Earth-2, it would be nice for the series to retain some of that Golden Age optimism and not fall victim to the dark, brooding tone that many DC shows devolved into.
The one really negative thing I can say about this series at the two-episode point is that there isn’t a ton to say just yet. These first two episodes set up a lot of stuff for the future, but there’s not a ton to wax philosophical about just yet. Hopefully, the coming weeks will add a little meat onto these bones.
