Stargirl

Recap
The team deals with inner tensions concerning welcoming former villains into their ranks.
Spoiler Level: Mild (contains spoilers for season 2 though)
Review
Season three opens with the team returning after a brief respite. The Whitmore-Dugans return from a camping trip and must confront the awkwardness of the original Starman, Sylvester Pemberton’s (Joel McHale return from the dead. Courtney / Stargirl (Brec Bassinger) and Sylvester must figure a way of living together, each wanting the staff. There are also tensions within the team, as not everyone is willing to accept Cindy / Shiv (Meg DeLacy) into their ranks, Yolanda / Wildcat (Yvette Monreal) in particular. Rick / Hourman (Cameron Gellman) is dealing with the loss of Solomon Grundy and still hopes he will return after being killed during season two. When Steven Sharpe / The Gambler (Eric Goins) shows up also looking for redemption, the tensions increase even further. The episode ends with a death and Cindy standing over the body with a gun, claiming her innocence.
The thing I enjoy about Stargirl is her eternal optimism and hope. She always wants to see the good in people, even after they betray her. It is this aspect of her that really draws me into the show. When everyone else around her doubts this sunny disposition, her light, quite literally, shines through and guides the team. I will admit that I stopped watching season two, partially because I felt she lost some that aspect of her personality. But it does seem to have returned, at least in the first episode of the new season. The cast is well chosen, and I like that not everyone is super athletic looking. The one character I don’t care for, but I think this is intentional, is Cindy / Shiv. I know that shows need to have drama, but she is just a bully and I am sort of over teams with infighting and continual conflict. I will say that Meg plays this part to perfection.
The production value is what you would expect from a CW show. It is of high quality for television but isn’t quite at big screen blockbuster level. I also love that everyone wears a costume. Often, in superhero television shows, their is a reluctance to “suit up”. The Arrowverse (the shared universe that started with Arrow) has done a good job at having characters actually wear costumes that are at least similar to their comic book counterparts. The story for this season is intriguing with a bit of a whodunit vibe especially at the end. The script was adequate, although there was some dialogue that felt a bit forced or campy, but over all the episode was well written with some tender sentimental moments. Having not watched all of season two, I did feel a bit lost at points, but season three has revived my interest in the show and I am going to try to keep up with it (no promises, there are a lot of new shows starting and my time is limited).
Final Thoughts
This was a subdued but surprisingly intriguing opening to the new season.
Stargirl Episode 301: Keep Your Enemies Closer
- Writing - 7/107/10
- Storyline - 8/108/10
- Acting - 9/109/10
- Music - 8/108/10
- Production - 8/108/10