DC's Stargirl S01E02: S.T.R.I.P.E.

© Warner Bros. Television

Fresh of a hot start last week we officially get the birth and debut of Stargirl
by Marcos Rivas aka @thesunsetkid56

This week’ episode begins right after Courtney’s battle with Brainwave. Wasting no time, the episode picks up with Pat landing his giant robot in front of Courtney, quickly taking her away from Brainwave. We get to see Courtney and Pat in the immediate aftermath of the fight, and this allows room for proper character building.

Courtney and the Cosmic Staff connection grows through their mutual fear of the last week’s events. It makes the bond between the two feel real and organic as it allows the audience to see Courtney, and staff, to simply react and exist. Brec Bassinger’s performance in this episode is top notch this week. She proved last week why she was the perfect choice to play Courtney and she proves it even more here, especially toward the end of the episode. In a scene just featuring Courtney and her mom, Bassinger is a talent in the making. She has about five emotions running across her face within that one scene alone, constantly shifting back and forth between them in a way that feels so real and absolutely right for Courtney in that moment.

Fresh off their appearance last episode, we really get to see Pat and his suit in action in this episode. It’s not an abundance but just enough. The S.T.R.I.P.E. suit was fantastic. It is character building for Pat in the best way possible. Almost every scene revolving around Pat and his suit in this episode is even more down to earth than last week. It allows us into Pat’s world of a reluctant return to the side kick role while also showing us that Pat is a genius engineer. This episode goes a long way in showing who Pat is beneath the suit. He is a good, kind family man. This is most evident in a conversation with Courtney late in the episode where he is trying to protect his family from harm. It’s exactly what a hero would do and his selflessness a big part of why Courtney put on the Stargirl suit.

In the episode's biggest climax, Pat tries to take matters into his own hands but finds himself woefully unequipped to take down Brainwave. Courtney, complete with a new suit, arrives just in time. This is the big “Superhero origin moment” moment in “S.T.R.I.P.E.”

The episode ends with Courtney excited about her superhero future with her new sidekick, and the villain Brainwave defeated, “S.T.R.I.P.E” delivers a great ender for what I refer to as the one-two punch of the pilot and this episode. It has the superhero debut and sets up the future foils towards the end. Stargirl is continuing its streak of being the surprise hit the CW/DC universe needs. Let’s hope the content continues to be great.

Stargirl streams Mondays on DC Universe and airs Tuesdays at 8:00 PM on The CW.

What did you think of this episode? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below.

DC's Stargirl S01E01: Pilot

© Warner Bros Television

Stargirl premiere on DC Universe and The CW, but how does it stack up to other DC Comics TV properties?
by Marcos Rivas aka @thesunsetkid56

Stargirl, the latest entry in DC Universe's live-action series, uses the same formula done by previous properties Titans and Doom Patrol by taking comic-book mythology and mixing it with a weekly paced story. Stargirl does possess a lighter tone, with a fun, forward from coming-of-age teen juggling life and mastering new acquired abilities which makes the series a more suitable property for The CW.

In the hall of the Justice Society of America, the 1940s superhero team that predated the more famous Justice League, Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger) stumbles upon the cosmic staff and star-spangled costume of its original owner (whose fate is known within the first action-packed minutes of the show’s opening). The powerful staff was is in the possession of Starman's loyal sidekick and friend, Pat Dugan (Luke Wilson), the new stepfather of Courtney, our teenage heroine.

Courtney discovers the mythical weapon, and accidentally wields its power. Her initial adventure catches the attention of the remaining members of the Injustice Society who killed the original Starman (played wonderfully by Joel McHale). It's then revealed they have taken residency in Blue Valley, where Pat has just rather conveniently moved his new family. Courtney realizes that she can't trust anyone except Pat and her oblivious to the plot Mom (Amy Smart).

© Warner Bros Television

Stargirl (produced by Geoff Johns along with CW’s wunderkind Greg Berlanti, the mind behind CW shows such as The Flash and Arrow) has the same spirit and action that will pull its target audience on The CW.

The pilot is a better-than-average TV superhero show, which hopefully will be produced with the same quality long term. The CW episodes run shorter than the DC Universe versions to make room for ads, but with minimal removal of anything worth keeping.

Stargirl isn't groundbreaking but at its core it has a good combination of characters, decent writing and, most importantly, The CW cheese factor ...  which should allow it to perform well on both platforms.

Stargirl streams Mondays on DC Universe and airs Tuesdays at 8:00 PM on The CW.

What did you think of the pilot? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below.