Stargirl – DCs Earth-9

Stargirl – S1 Ep13 – Stars & S.T.R.I.P.E. Part Two Review

Written by Geoff Johns

Directed by Greg Beeman

It’s an epic battle between the JSA & the ISA in the stellar Season Finale!

After watching this finale episode, I can safely say that DC’s Stargirl is my new favorite DC live action television series. This first season has been a triumph in superhero storytelling in my humble opinion. Geoff Johns and crew masterfully brought the Golden Age heroes and villains to life in such a fantastic way. This show does an incredible job honoring the comics and bringing these characters to life in a more modern context. It is evident that this was a passion project for Johns. It also serves as a beautiful love letter to his late sister Courtney, who inspired the title character. Brec Bassinger and the entire cast have been a joy to watch on screen every episode. Each character has been complex, compelling, and masterfully portrayed. This finale was definitely a worthy close to this exciting first outing for the new JSA! Let’s recap!

“Stars & S.T.R.I.P.E. Part Two” begins three minutes prior to last episode’s cliff hanger. The recently deceased Principal Bowin’s son, Isaac, aka Tuba Turd, attacks his bully with his tuba. The band teacher breaks up the fight and begins to take him to see his mother (not knowing she is dead). Before he can get far, the Synaptic Amplifier rises out of the middle of the football field. Every adult in Blue Valley falls under the control of Brainwave including the teacher, who fights it and dies.

In the tunnels, Pat (in S.T.R.I.P.E.) attacks Courtney, but stops when she gets through to him. She tells him that she loves and accepts him as her father. Pat then begins to fight the reprogramming.

Meanwhile, Beth and Chuck determine that the ISA are using devices to make themselves immune to their mind control. Furthermore, they realize that there are several signal blockers that are offline in the town. Gambler gleefully informs them that they cannot reverse what has already begun. Chuck suggests to Beth that they target the Gambler’s money in order to distract while they target the signal blockers. While Beth hacks into Sharpe’s holdings and transfers the money into charities, Chuck is able to activate the blockers and hold them long enough to free Pat, Barbara, and Justin from Brainwave’s mind control. The JSA regroups (minus Beth and Barbara) and faces an angry Jordan, who is joined by Dragon King, Sportsmaster, and Tigress. During the battle, Sharpe unlocks the cells releasing both Solomon Grundy (who looks incredible) and Shiv. Despite this, the JSA and the Shining Knight gain the upper hand over the ISA. Shiv betrays her father and kills him indirectly saving Justin from death by Dragon King’s blade. With Ito dead and the others incapacitated, Jordan leaves. Courtney is ambushed by Shiv while Hourman and S.T.R.I.P.E. take on Grundy.

Brainwave orders Sharpe to loop his reprogramming so he can help kill these kids. Wildcat rushes off to the machine, but on the way she faces Ito’s zombies. One of the zombies reveals himself to be Henry Jr, who explains that he survived his encounter with his father and wants to stop him for good. However, Yolanda slashes his throat when he says “Where are your friends?” Brainwave collapses and dies as Yolanda tells him “They were Henry’s friends too.”

Grundy begins tearing apart S.T.R.I.P.E. leaving Pat defenseless. Rick runs in and saves him and takes on Grundy alone. Pat runs off to find Barbara. After beating Grundy to pulp, Rick realizes that the creature is just acting on instinct and is simply a dumb beast. Gaining the closure he needed, he then decides to spare Grundy’s life and allows him to escape.

Meanwhile, Courtney and Yolanda find the machine and destroy it thus saving the town and the country from the ISA’s control.

Back at the American Dream, Icicle arrives and destroys the goggles and Chuck. He blasts Beth away when she tries to attack him. He then kidnaps Barbara and takes her to the top of the building’s tower. Jordan begs her to understand his point of view. He tells her to look at all the good he has done for the town and the world. He asks her to come with him and vows to protect Courtney and raise her as his own. When she rejects him, he attempts to throw her off the ledge, but Pat steps in and distracts him. Jordan scoffs at him saying he can’t stop him without powers. “How are you going to stop me?,” he says. Pat confidently replies, “With our daughter!” Courtney flies in and attacks Jordan. The duo prove evenly matched and are blown apart from their energies colliding. Jordan lands in the street while Courtney is caught by Yolanda. Before Icicle can attack again, he is hit by an oncoming car driven by Mike! The ice villain shatters into pieces.

In the aftermath, the JSA mourn the loss of Chuck, but plan to rebuild the goggles and get him back online. They also send Justin on his way. The Knight thanks them for helping him find his purpose. He tells them that he plans to find his horse and any surviving members of the Seven Soldiers of Victory. Pat tells him to report his findings as he would like to see his old friends again.

The news covers up the events claiming a massive earthquake hit Blue Valley as Sharpe wipes the ISA’s systems and escapes. The Shade returns and watches the news in the ISA’s meeting room. “Oh, Jordan. I told you it was folly,” he scoffs.

Meanwhile, in the Wizard’s storage unit, Cindy finds a diamond containing Eclipso!

Six weeks later, the Whitmore-Dugans along with Rick, Yolanda, and Beth celebrate Christmas. In a sweet moment, Courtney gives Pat the gift she had intending for her father ten years ago. It is a World’s Greatest Dad mug! The two embrace as Barbara looks on. In the closing moments, Stargirl and S.T.R.I.P.E. watch over the city after enjoying a fly around. Meanwhile, in North Hollywood, a man claiming to be Sylvester Pemberton (guest star Joel McHale) searches for Pat at the latter’s old apartment building!!!

As I stated earlier, this episode was simply incredible in every aspect! A masterfully executed concluding chapter to a brilliant first season! Thank you to the entire cast and crew for your hard work and dedication to these characters and this world. This show has brought a lot of hope for people (including myself) during this difficult time.

I cannot wait for next season on the CW!

Thank you to everyone who has followed the season along with me through these reviews!

Stay tuned for more DC content here on Earth-9!

Stargirl, TV Reviews

Stargirl – S1 Ep12 – Stars & S.T.R.I.P.E. Part One Review

Directed by Toa Fraser

Written by Melissa Carter

It’s Part One of the Season Finale of DC’s Stargirl!

I can’t believe that the season is almost over! DC’s Stargirl, in my opinion, has delivered an incredible first season that rivals those of Arrow and The Flash. Geoff Johns and crew have done a brilliant job bringing the Golden Age of Heroes and Villains to life while giving them a bit of a modern upgrade. The story that has been told this season is exciting and compelling. This first part of the season finale sets the stage for the epic battle between the New JSA and the ISA as Project New America begins! Let’s recap!

With only eleven hours left until Project New America begins, most of Middle America is set to be reprogrammed by Brainwave, who prepares to test Dr. Ito’s machine, which the latter calls the synaptic amplifier. This device will allow Dr. King to reach and control all fully developed minds in the area. The ISA’s goal is to make people think like them and fight alongside them if need be when they secede from the Union.

Meanwhile, Sportsmaster (Neil Hopkins) and Tigress (Joy Osmanski) are “on the hunt” to eliminate the Whitmore-Dugans in order for the ISA to go through with their plans unchallenged. As Barbara and Courtney prepare to leave the house, they are attacked by Tigress, while Pat’s “old friend” “Crusher” attacks him at the Pit Stop. After an intense battle, Mike saves his father by putting a drill to Sportsmaster’s back. Elsewhere, Courtney is able to blast Tigress and escape.

The Whitmore-Dugans regroup at a remote cabin where they are joined by the rest of the JSA and Sir Justin (who comes with a feast). They then plan their next move while Rick works to decode his father’s journal.

Meanwhile, Icicle gets word of Sportmaster and Tigress’s failure to eliminate the Whitmore-Dugans and sends Principal Bowin to assist them in their second attempt. Before joining the “gym rats,” Bowin counsels her son Isaac, who is distraught following an encounter with a bully. Bowin suggests he fight back like his late father (the original Fiddler did) against his tormentors. Bowin then visits the Crocks at their home where the duo is nursing their wounds. Bowin tells them that she will immobilize their targets so that they will be easier to kill this time. “Crusher” isn’t fond of this plan. Bowin belittles them saying they are brutes only focused on violence. Bowin claims they are unfit to be parents. She then takes it a step further calling their daughter Artemis a wild animal just like her mother. With that, Tigress fires an arrow into Bowin’s heart, killing her instantly.

At the ISA’s lair, Brainwave meets with Dr. Ito to discuss the machine. With deep conviction, Dr. King tests the amplifier despite the risk of death. It is a success and he is able to hear the thoughts of millions!

Back at the cabin, Beth has Chuck scan for energy surges or anything abnormal. Meanwhile, Rick is busy trying to decipher his father’s journal. Sir Justin joins him and offers to help as he likes a good puzzle. However, he is not much help as he randomly decides to go clean the bathroom!

Outside, Courtney and Mike share a sweet brother-sister moment talking superheroes. Mike wonders if the staff would’ve worked for him if he had found it first. He then tries it, but the staff doesn’t respond. He still says he wants to help despite not having any abilities. In another sweet moment, Pat and Barbara talk about the recent craziness. Pat explains that he never wanted any of this to happen. He never told them about his past as he wanted his superhero days to stay there. He asks her if they are ok. She understands and says she hopes they can be.

Pat goes upstairs and finds Rick still slaving away with the journal. The young Hourman is frustrated as all of the numbers ( for the code key) he has tried have not worked. Pat suggests he try the year of Rex’s favorite car: his 1966 Mustang. The number works and they discover that Rex had a map of the entire underground ISA lair. Using this and analysis from Chuck, the JSA devises a plan to take down the machine and the ISA. Dr. Mid-Nite and Barbara go to the American Dream where they can hack into the network and monitor the progress of the amplifier. Courtney and Pat (in S.T.R.I.P.E.) enter the lair through the river entrance while Wildcat, Hourman, and Sir Justin enter from another entrance.

With only thirty-five minutes left, Beth uncovers the ISA’s manifesto which isn’t all that bad. Project New America aims to stop Global Warming, embrace solar and wind energy, and eliminate all forms of discrimination based on race, sex, gender identity. This causes them to question if they are really on the right side. Beth via Chuck realizes that the cost of the reprogramming will be approximately twenty-five million people! Before the JSA can locate the amplifier, Gambler (guest star Eric Goins) hacks their hack. He gleefully informs them that they are helpless to stop them. The amplifier isn’t going to power on in thirty minutes, Brainwave will be finished reprogramming everyone in that time! Thus the process has begun! As Brainwave reaches the minds, Barbara and Justin fall into a trance while Pat finds himself controlled to fight Courtney!

The stage is set for what is sure to be an epic finale! This was yet another stellar episode that featured exciting action, top notch humor, and heartwarming character moments. Neil Hopkins and Joy Osmanski once again crush it as Sportsmaster and Tigress (no pun intended). The duo bring so much charm to their characters that sometimes makes you forget they are dastardly villains. I also found the family bonding moments to be incredible as well. Trae Romano, Brec Bassinger. Amy Smart, and Luke Wilson continue to deliver incredible performances with each episode!

I cannot wait to see how this fantastic season concludes next week!

Stay tuned for my recap & review of the Season Finale of DC’s Stargirl here on Earth-9!

Stargirl, TV Reviews

Stargirl – S1 Ep11 – Shining Knight Review

Directed by Jennifer Phang

Written by Geoff Johns

Spoilers Ahead!

“Heroes can come from anywhere.”- Pat Dugan

Following the death of Henry King Jr., Courtney is put through the ringer yet again when someone from her past unexpectedly shows up at her doorstep.

DC’s Stargirl delivers yet another incredible episode! “Shining Knight” is a beautifully emotional piece about family and discovering/rediscovering your identity and self worth. This incredible episode delivers an important message that anyone can make a difference for good. A hero can come from anywhere. While this is not a new idea in comic books and adaptations, it is done masterfully here. Brec Bassinger and Luke Wilson deliver heart-wrenchingly brilliant performances in this episode. Pat and Courtney’s father-daughter relationship is the beautiful heart of this show. This episode reminds us of this as it introduces Sam Kurtis, Courtney’s biological father, whose arrival shatters her confidence. In addition, “Shining Knight” officially confirms what many have suspected: Janitor Justin is the Shining Knight himself! Justin’s journey in this episode is incredibly heartbreaking. Let’s recap!

The episode opens with Justin (guest star Mark Ashworth), the Blue Valley High janitor, visiting a local ranch. He, admiring the horses, politely asks the ranch for a “gallant white stead with fire in its eyes and victory in its heart.” The rancher angrily chases him away. A distraught Justin then sees the American Flag which triggers his memory of Stripesy. He then begins to seek him out for help restoring his mind.

Meanwhile, Sam Kurtis (guest star Geoff Stults) arrives at the Whitmore/Dugan home much to the shock of Barbara and the rest of the family. Kurtis got Barbara’s email and decided to come to Blue Valley to get to know his daughter. Courtney is shocked and devastated upon seeing her father. Noticing Sam’s locket, she realizes that he is in fact her real father. She runs upstairs and Pat follows her. In a tense conversation, Courtney tells him that if she isn’t Starman’s daughter, she is responsible for the deaths of Joey Zarick and Henry King Jr. and her whole hero identity is pointless. Pat tells her their deaths were not her fault. Mike interrupts their conversation trying to figure out what’s going on and once again gets shut out. Pat snaps at him and tells him to leave. He immediately realizes that he has been treating him poorly by keeping secrets from him.

Meanwhile, Sam tells Barbara that he is here to get to know his daughter before it is too late. Courtney comes downstairs and agrees to talk with him.

Back at BVH, Justin struggles to remember his past. He hallucinates and sees himself as a Dragon King drone. He snaps out of it and then sees an advertisement for Pat’s garage.

Meanwhile, Sam apologizes to Courtney over breakfast. He admits that he is a bit of a screw up, but wants another chance to make it up to her. He invites her to come visit him in Los Angeles so they can get to know each other.

Pat meets with Rick and Beth at the Pit Stop. Their meeting is interrupted by a distraught Justin, who with sword in tow. The troubled former hero hallucinates once more and sees Pat and crew as Dragon King and his minions. Justin attacks them, but Pat is able to talk him down. Justin breaks down and asks Stripesy for help. Pat explains to the kids that Justin is the Shining Knight, the leader of the Seven Soldiers of Victory. Justin is from the days of knights and dragons. He reveals that he was a stable hand for the King Arthur and Knights of the Roundtable. On his deathbed, King Arthur bequeathed the legendary Excalibur to Justin. Justin begins to remember that he followed the Dragon King to Blue Valley and was captured. Pat offers to help him and brings him to his home. Pat later tells Barbara that he believes the ISA is planning a massive brainwashing.

Back at the American Dream, Jordan meets with Henry Sr., who remembers everything and is eager to kill Courtney and Pat. Jordan hesitates due to his feelings for Barbara. Henry reveals that upon his son’s death his own powers have increased. He promises that Project New America will reach half of the country instead of only six states. Brainwave tells Jordan to make up his mind or he will do it for him.

Back at the Whitmore/Dugan home, Sam and Courtney talk on the porch. He tells her that their lockets are valuable. If he sells them, he can get a nice place in LA so that she can come visit him. Courtney tearfully gives him the locket and buys what he’s selling. With the locket in hand, he bids her farewell and leaves. Courtney comes inside and finds Pat. Pat offers himself as a target for her anger, but gets something else. In an emotionally charged moment, she breaks down and embraces him. All she needs from him is unconditional love and support.

Pat finds Sam walking down the street and confronts him. When Sam makes a crude remark about both Courtney and Barbara, Pat punches him.

Back at the house, Barbara finds Courtney in the basement with the staff, which seems to no longer work for her. Courtney is heartbroken. She tearfully tells her mother that the staff is not meant for her anymore and she is ready to leave Blue Valley.

Meanwhile, Jordan has Sharpe unlock Barbara’s work computer. He then discovers that Barbara is investigating him.

At school, Courtney tells her friends that she can no longer be Stargirl as the staff has disowned her. She apologizes saying she can’t let anyones else get hurt because of her silly delusion. They then attend a memorial service for Henry Jr in the auditorium. Sr. delivers a speech during which he telepathically threatens the JSA and dares them to go after him.

In a panic, Courtney rushes home and tries to activate the staff once more. It still does not work. Pat gives her a moving pep talk. He reminds her that heroes can come from anywhere. She then realizes that she has two parents who love her and has their full support. She asks them to join her and with their support the staff shines even brighter than before.

Elsewhere, Jordan orders Brainwave to murder the entire Whitmore-Dugan clan even young Mike. “We don’t want a legacy running around do we?” Mahkent remarks. Twelve hours remain until Project New America launches!

The stage is set for what is sure to be an epic two-part season finale! As I mentioned earlier, this episode was a truly beautiful piece about family and believing in yourself. It showcases the strengths of the series: top notch acting, compelling characters and masterful writing. Truly one of the best episodes of the series so far.

Stay tuned for more recaps and reviews here at Earth-9!

Stargirl, TV Reviews

Stargirl – S1 Ep10 – Brainwave Jr Review

Directed by Ani Armaganian

Written by James Dale Robinson

The truth is out! As Barbara deals with this new revelation,Courtney and the new JSA experience another major tragedy!

Last week, we dove deep into the mind of Brainwave (aka Henry King Sr.). In this week’s powerful episode, Jake Austin Walker gets the spotlight as Henry Jr. is faced with a difficult choice. Jr.’s bully-turned-hero arc continues here and to great effect. Walker’s performance and the incredible writing truly make this arc one of the best. Amy Smart’s Barbara also gets some time to shine as she deals with Pat and Courtney’s lies and begins her own investigation into Jordan Mahkent. This epic and emotional episode marks a turning point in the series as we quickly approach a climactic battle between the JSA and the ISA! Let’s recap!

“Brainwave Jr.” opens with a flashback to two years ago whe Pat and Barbara first met in Blue Valley. The two quickly hit it off and share a banana split.

We cut to where the previous episode left off. Pat and Courtney stumble over their words as they tell Barbara everything. Barbara is furious and kicks Pat out.

Meanwhile, Henry Jr discovers that his father has lost ten years of his memories upon waking up from his coma (and as a result is much nicer). The last thing Sr. remembers is Jr’s sixth birthday. King Sr. realizes that his son has his powers and offers to train him. He also learns that his wife/Jr’s mother is dead which devastates him. The two begin to bond as they embrace for the first time in years.

Back at the Whitmore/Dugan home, Courtney contemplates opening the Christmas gift left for her by her father. Meanwhile, Mike talks with his father about Barbara. Pat tells him that he hopes they can repair the damage done, but isn’t sure. Mike decides to go with him to the garage.

At the hospital, Jr. uses his abilities to hear his father dream about Merry and realizes that Jordan had something to do with her death. He rushes home and finds a video tape with more information. In the video, King Sr. explains that he met Merry aka the Girl with 1,000 Gimmicks while he was robbing a bank. She not only caught him, but she also captured his heart. His relationship with her started to change him, making him doubt Jordan’s plans. An angry Jordan then orchestrated the demise of the JSA and killed Merry’s brother: Sylvester Pemberton aka Starman! Sr. also implies that Jordan had Merry killed as well.

Later that night, The Cosmic Staff wakes Courtney up and tries to get her to go out. She refuses as she is already in major trouble with her mom. The staff decides to go after Icicle alone after remembering the latter’s identity.

At the hospital, Jordan visits Henry Sr. and informs him that Project New America is ready to launch. As they prepare to leave, the Cosmic Staff attacks them, but is no match for both Brainwave and Icicle, who capture it.

The next morning, Courtney frantically searches for the staff. Barbara tells her to stop looking. Still angry, she tells Courtney to pack as they are leaving Blue Valley as soon as possible. After Barbara heads to work to get her things, Courtney rushes to Pat’s garage. She tells Pat that the staff is missing and about leaving. A saddened Pat tells her to listen to her mother. He wants them both to be safe and their hero days are over now. Pat rushes off to make sure Barbara is safe at work. Mike expresses his disappointment to Courtney after she still won’t tell him what’s going on.

On her way to school, Courtney runs into Henry Jr., who tells her everything he has discovered concerning his father and the ISA. She embraces him, thinking him to be her cousin. Jr. offers to help her take down the ISA and save his father, whom he believes is changing.

Meanwhile, Barbara emails Sam Kurtis (aka Courtney’s father) at work. She then looks up information on Starman. Pat arrives and checks on her. He tells her to go far away from this town as all he wants is for them to be safe. Jordan and parents show up and give her some baked goods as a thank you for dinner. Mahkent’s parents speak their native Norwegian and then leave. Barbara smartly recorded them!

Back at school, the new JSA (except Beth) is still not a fan of Jr. joining them. Rick and Henry argue with the latter sneakily using his abilities to toss lunch at him. Yolanda eventually agrees to let Henry help, but tells Courtney that they are no longer friends.

Later, the new JSA and Henry Jr. journey to the tunnels where they split up to search for the staff and Henry Sr. Courtney, Yolanda, and Jr. find Brainwave hooked up to a machine surrounded by Dragon King and his goons. Cindy, who is still locked up, alerts her father to their presence and a massive fight ensues. Meanwhile, Rick and Beth discover the cell holding Solomon Grundy. Rick immediately wants to kill the brute as revenge for killing his parents. Beth is able to prevent him from following through. Eventually the JSA is reunited while fending off Ito’s drones. Amidst the chaos, Courtney finds herself facing off against Ito himself, who proves to be a powerful adversary. She is however, able to blast him after Yolanda retrieves the staff.

Henry Jr. goes to get his father, but Sr. refuses to go with him. Jr. realizes that his father’s memories have been restored and is now back to his old self. The new JSA then attempts to escape, but is cornered by Brainwave. Henry Jr. stands up to him and protects the others. Jr tries one last time to get through to his father, but is unsuccessful. Sr. begs him to join him and further develop his powers or die. He also reveals that he killed Merry much to Jr’s horror. Jr. triumphantly refuses saying he will never be like him. He then turns to Courtney and the others and apologizes. He tells them to never lose hope. With that, Sr. causes the ceiling to collapse on Jr seemingly killing him.

This episode is easily one of the best of the series so far in my humble opinion. “Brainwave Jr.” is definitely a turning point for the season, which has been consistently stellar. It delivers on every level: compelling character development, incredible action, and a truly heartbreaking climax. This thrilling episode also reinstates Brainwave as one of the most menacing villains on the show and shakes up Courtney’s family dynamic. The cast and crew continue to outdo themselves with every episode.

I cannot wait for the next episode.

Stay tuned for more recaps and reviews for DC’s Stargirl here on Earth-9!

Stargirl, TV Reviews

Stargirl – S1 Ep9 – Brainwave Review

Directed by Tamra Davis

Written by Colleen McGuinness

Into the twisted mind of Brainwave!

Compelling character work and exciting revelations were at the forefront of the latest epic installment of DC’s Stargirl! The recently renewed series continues to impress with this Brainwave focused episode that not only dives deeper into Henry King Sr’s past, but sets up an interesting crossroads for his son Henry Jr. In addition, this episode is packed with several other major revelations which includes some details on Project New America. Let’s recap!

This compelling chapter begins with a classic origin flashback. Decades earlier, a young Henry King Sr., a neurologist working on expanding the mind, has his funding cut. Despite this, he carries out his experiment on himself and has since been plagued with intense migraines. Over time, he begins to develop psionic abilities which increase his migraines. One night, as he prepared to leave the lab, he was confronted by a mugger. A panicked King experienced another major headache upon reading the man’s mind. He lashed out with his mind accidentally killing the mugger (and in turn relieved his migraine).

In the present day, Henry Jr watches old tapes of his father concerning his abilities. Jr. uses these tapes to begin to teach himself how to use his own abilities.

Meanwhile, Courtney tells Pat about her latest encounter with Cindy which also involved Henry Jr. (who used his newfound abilities). She believes that he is not like Cindy and the ISA and could be an asset to the new JSA. Pat realizes that they need all the help they can get. He reveals more about his past exploits as Stripesy with Sylvester and another superhero team: The Seven Soldiers Of Victory! They were both members of this team prior to joining the JSA. Pat explains that this group fought against Dr. Ito a.k.a. Dragon King, who proved to be quite difficult to defeat. Now with Ito back in the picture, this new fight just got a lot more dangerous.

At Blue Valley High, Janitor Justin (guest star Mark Ashworth) hallucinates that his mop is the Cosmic Staff! His memories of his past seem to fade in and out.

Elsewhere, Beth, using Chuck, discovers that Cindy’s house is empty and that she has been pulled from school to supposedly study abroad with her mother. In actuality, Cindy finds herself in a cell in her father’s lair. She pleads with him (and even threatens to kill him) to let her out, but he refuses. He gasses her (as he did when she was younger) to stop her pleas.

Meanwhile, Courtney presents her idea to recruit Henry to the rest of the team. Yolanda and Rick are firmly against it, while Beth is receptive.

Elsewhere, Jr. continues to learn from his father’s videos. Sr. explains that (based on the vile thoughts he reads) people are monsters and that each time he kills, he relieves his headaches. Jr. is shocked and appalled at first, but eventually comes around on his father’s stance: People are monsters. He then gets a message that his father’s lawyer wants to meet with him. He then hears his father speak!

Dr. Ito meets with the rest of the ISA and presents his recent findings. Ito realizes that they have not always been on the best of terms, but he assures them that he is their ally. He informs them that they no longer need Brainwave for their plans. They now have his son, who has recently developed psionic powers like his father. With this, they can now power his machine which will essentially control the minds of all active adults in six core states which will allow them to create their New America.

Later, Barbara meets with Jordan and apologizes for leaving early from their business trip. After a sweet conversation about family, she invites him and his family over for dinner.

Pat calls the team over to the Pit Stop for a new mission. Only Beth and Rick show up. He then tasks them with investigating a potential tunnel system in the town. Beth uses Chuck to research while Rick decides to work on decoding his father’s journal. Beth discovers that the seperatist founders of Blue Valley built the tunnels which serve as a great resource for the ISA. They bring this information to Pat, who quickly realizes that the ISA must be planning something.

Meanwhile, Courtney visits Henry Jr. at the hospital. She tries to reach his better nature, but Jr. angrily refuses. He believes that humans are monsters especially after hearing the vile thoughts of everyone he sees. Courtney tries to convince him that people can be good. She pleads with him to look deeper. “Behind the pain and fear, it’s all about love,” she tells him. Striking a nerve, he angrily tells her to leave. Courtney complies, but tells him she is there for him.

Back at the Dugan/Whitmore house, Pat finds Barbara frantically cooking in preparation for Mahkent’s arrival. Pat tries to tell her about the JSA and ISA, but is shut down by Courtney. The Mahkents arrive and are greeted by Courtney. The families bond over dinner, but Courtney becomes suspicious of Jordan. After he touches a scalding plate and is unphased, she believes he is Icicle!

Back at the hospital, Henry Jr. is attacked by Yolanda (suited up as Wildcat). She tells him to leave her and friends alone. He reads her mind and realizes how much he has hurt her.

Following dinner, Cameron thanks Courtney for everything. He hopes to hang out again soon. Jordan thanks her as well. He also lets her know he approves of her and Cameron’s budding relationship.

Courtney rushes to the basement to grab the Cosmic Staff. Pat finds her and tells her not to do anything. While they argue, Barbara discovers them!

In the closing moments, the lawyer visits Jr. in his father’s room. Jr. reads his mind and discovers that he wishes to take Sr. off of life support and is only in it for the money. Jr. lashes out with his powers and kills the man. Shocked at his own actions, Jr. is even more stunned as Sr. wakes up!

This show just keeps getting better and better! “Brainwave” is yet another exciting and captivating chapter in this stellar series. Both Christopher James Baker (King Sr.) and James Austin Walker (King Jr.) shine as their characters are given a truly compelling origin. I particularly found the scene between Walker and Brec Bassinger (as Courtney) to be truly moving. This episode reminds us that everyone has a light and dark side and that behind the pain is someone who simply wants to be loved. In addition, this episode was full of interesting plot development and revelations including, Justin the Janitor (and the Seven Soldiers of Victory) the scope of Project New America and Barbara’s discovery of the Staff!

I cannot wait to see where the story takes us next!

Stay tuned for more recaps & reviews for DC’s Stargirl and more her at Earth-9!