WiC Watches: Stargirl
By Ariba Bhuvad
Pictured: Brec Bassinger as Courtney Whitmore — Photo: Quantrell Colbert/The CW
Episode 1: “Pilot”
Stargirl managed to take me by surprise, and as all television connoisseurs know, series premieres are a hit-and-miss affair.
Stargirl wastes no time getting into the action sequence of the series, and while it was certainly a cheesy start to the show, I was here for it. Especially the startling introduction to “the Golden Age of Heroes.” We get served a lot of Easter Eggs during the battle between the Justice Society of America and the Injustice Society.
Who saw Jay Garrick’s helmet on the floor? We don’t see him, but his frozen helmet is proof enough that he had an encounter with Icicle. We also see JSA members Wildcat, Hourman, Dr. Mid-Nite, and Starman, all of whom meet their ends courtesy of the Injustice Society.
As I said, we don’t get much time with them, but we do meet one character who lives to tell the story, or rather not tell it, at least not for a long time. Pat, better known as Stripesy, played by Luke Wilson, is Starman’s right-hand man. With his last few breaths, Starman tasks Pat with finding someone to carry on the JSA’s legacy. He makes it very clear that Pat is not the one who will eventually take over, but Starman does want him to find the person who will. But again, Pat isn’t the guy, just in case you were wondering.
The scene pulls back and zeroes in on a young girl named Courtney, in another part of town, looking out the window, waiting for her father to come home for the holidays. A hop, skip, and 10-year time jump later, we meet the teenage Courtney who is moving away with her mother, stepfather, and stepbrother.
Who might her stepfather be? You guessed it: Pat!
Unbeknownst to Courtney and her mother, Pat has an agenda for moving them from Los Angeles to a small town in Nebraska, where Courtney’s mother grew up. All this time, Pat has protected the only remnant of the JSA, and something is guiding him to Blue Valley, Nebraska. Little did he know, the person he’s looking for is closer than he thinks.
The first day at a new school is tough for anyone, and Courtney has one hell of a day at Blue Valley High School. She finds out the gymnastics program has been cut and that she, the new girl, is considered a “loser.” Coming to the defense of students being bullied, Courtney ends up in a fistfight which naturally lands her in some hot water.
Fast forward to later that night at family dinner. Courtney lashes out at Pat after he can’t seem to quell his optimistic attitude about their new home. But I’m thankful for this breakdown because had she not stormed off into the basement, Courtney would not have discovered the staff and all of Pat’s JSA memorabilia.
It doesn’t take Stargirl long to get right into the thick of things. Courtney immediately forms a bond with the staff, and soon she’s off into the night on her first venture as a superhero.
I loved how this played out because it didn’t drag, but we still got enough setup to understand the character and her struggles. Side note: Brec Bassinger plays Courtney/Stargirl brilliantly, and I am so happy with the casting choice.
Pictured: Brec Bassinger as Courtney Whitmore — Photo: Jace Downs/The CW
The staff leads Courtney to a drive-in theater (Hi, Goonies!) where it causes all sorts of havoc, even blowing up a car as Courtney tries to get a handle on it. She hasn’t quite mastered the art of whatever this thing is, which is understandable. Plus, the guy it happened to deserved it.
Upon returning home, Courtney finds a worried Pat looking for the staff, and before she realizes it, Courtney is introduced to Pat’s secret life. What sticks out in their conversation is that Courtney seems to believe Starman was her father: the timing of her waiting for her dad 10 years ago works out. And it seems she’s right, as her mother confirms later during a fight.
In the midst of this madness, members of the Injustice Society are still around. Remember the car that the staff basically blew up earlier? Well, it belonged to a man named Henry King Sr., who is extremely curious about his son’s rantings about the staff, and who was controlling it. If you had any doubts about whether this guy was evil, his secret room and green villainy outfit should eliminate them.
The episode ends on a hilarious but exciting note: Courtney promises she’ll keep away from the Cosmic Staff, but it can’t stay away from her. This is unfortunate, because King is on the hunt for the person with the staff, and when he comes across Courtney wielding it, things get wild.
But, never fear, Stripesy is here! He’s inside of a huge Hulkbuster/Iron Giant-like machine which is pretty freaking cool. He’s not happy to see what Courtney/future Stargirl is doing, but something tells me this is the start of something very special for these two.
Two thumbs up for Stargirl, this is the light-hearted superhero show we need right now. I’m already stanning Stargirl herself and it’s only been one episode.