DC Universe's newest series, Stargirl, is also the first show to simultaneously premiere on The CW. With new episodes releasing every Monday on the exclusive DC app, The CW handles the television distribution by airing each episode the following day at 8 pm.
As of yesterday, this article was only a review of the pilot, but that ended up being more negative than positive. Given the fact that pilots tend to be a poor representation of a show's full potential, we decided to inlclude the second episode in this review as well in order to give Stargirl a fighting chance.
The new series features a reasonably talented cast including the likes of Luke Wilson (Idiocracy, Old School), Amy Smart (Road Trip, Just Friends), Joel McHale (Community, The Soup), and Brec Bassinger (Bella and the Bulldogs, School of Rock). While McHale is playing Starman, the character dies in the opening act so he will be limited to recurring through flashbacks.
Stargirl's story follows Courtney as she struggles with a new town, school, and step-father. Unbeknownst to her, her new step-dad (Wilson) is none other than Stripesy, the one time sidekick to Starman and the rest of the JSA. It isn't long before she is imbued with the same super powers as her estranged father, as our heroine quickly finds the staff that Stripesy carelessly leaves in a random crate.
The pilot episode literally drags the title character into the sky by way of her impatient and sentient staff. It isn't long before using her powers comes back to bite her as she ends up on the radar of Brainwave, the Injustice Society member that her father faced in his final battle with the JSA. Although she ignores the warning of Stripesy, she winds up being saved by him in his full S.T.R.I.P.E. armor getup.
There are some parts of the episode which make for excellent television viewing such as the opening scene featuring an all-out battle between members of the Justice Society of America and villanous Injustice Society enemies like Sportsmaster, Icicle, Brainwave, Tigress, and Solomon Grundy. Luke Wilson suiting up as S.T.R.I.P.E. at the end made for a great moment ,as well.
Unfortunately, everything in between struggled to keep my attention. It took me two viewings to actually get through the pilot episode of Stargirl because it was so easy to become distracted from the mundane story and bland, practically nameless characters. There were roughly ten to fifteen minutes of the episode that stood out as exciting, and the rest of the show made for more of a chore than entertainment.
This isn't to say that the acting is terrible, though there is a distinct difference between Luke Wilson's talent compared to the rest of the supporting cast.
Brec Bassinger herself does a fine job as the heroine, and I can easily see her suiting up alongside other CW heroes on shows such as The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, or Batwoman in a crossover event once the show finds its footing.
In what is hopefully the worst episode of Stargirl to come, the series shows its potential, yet chooses to shy away from it completely. Despite boasting a cast of comedy veterans, the jokes fall flat, and while Courtney Whitmore has heart, she winds up being a tool for the most interesting character in the show -- the staff.
Now, let's move in the much more positive direction of episode two. It wasn't long into the episode before the increase in quality over the pilot was clear to see. The acting was better, the dialogue was smoother, and with the exposition out of the way in episode one, there was much more room for action and intrigue.
Episode 2 benefited from the fact that it centered around Pat and Courtney for the majority of the episode, allowing the supporting cast to more comfortably fit into their roles. The villains were also fleshed out, with Brainwave actor Christopher James Baker (Ozark, True Detective) turning in a performance comparable to Neal McDonaugh's Damien Dahrk or John Barrowman as Malcolm Merlin in Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow.
The forced relationship between Stripesy and his gym trainer is given more attention, with Pat still unaware that he is actually with Sportsmaster, a member of the Injustice Society -- though that hasn't yet been revealed to the audience. Although there is still time spent at the high school, most of it is during an open house which is one of the most thrilling scenes in the episode.
Bassinger and Wilson's dynamic is easily the best thing this series has to offer so far. With the second episode leaning more heavily on their relationship, it highly benefited from focusing on the best actors in the cast.
There were also additional interesting teases to both the JSA and the Injustice Society. Pat mentions Hawkman, Hawkgirl, and Johnny Thunder as three more of the heroes slain on Christmas eve ten years prior. Also, the end of the episode teases the Hall of Injustice and even gives fans a peek at the three members within it: Solomon Grundy, Icicle, and Gambler.
Episode 2 of Stargirl is a vast improvement over the pilot, with the increase in quality of the acting and dialogue readily apparent from the opening scene. The decision to lean more heavily on Wilson and Bassinger's acting chops is one that the series greatly benefits from, capturing attention and rewarding anyone who was willing to stick with the series through its rocky start.
What do you guys think of Stargirl so far? Share your thoughts with us below.
One decade after most of the Justice Society of America died in a battle against the Injustice Society, high school sophomore Courtney Whitmore discovers the powerful Cosmic Staff and, upon learning that her stepfather Pat Dugan used to be the sidekick to Starman, becomes the inspiration for a whole new generation of superheroes.
New episodes of Stargirl are available on the DC Universe app on Mondays and air on CW the following day at 8 pm.