DC’s STARGIRL – Episode 12 “Stars & S.T.R.I.P.E. Part One” review – It’s Go Time

After a calmer plot and character driven episode, part one of the two part season finale of Stargirl brings the action back. When Brainwave conveniently ended up in a coma, it was obvious he’d come back. When Brainwave conveniently had amnesia, it was obvious the memory would come back. This episode finally pays off on both of those plot devices as the Injustice Society goes after Courtney (Brec Bassinger) and her family. In the process, the show flashes more of the inventive fight choreography it used the last time we saw Sportsmaster (Neil Hopkins) and Tigress (Joy Osmanski).  

I had the opportunity to interview Osmanski (which you can see here) prior to screening the episode and she alluded to a sweet fight scene in this episode. It did not disappoint. More so than some of the prior fights, this episode had real tension, as the stakes seem higher. Stargirl hasn’t been afraid to use common genre tropes (comas, amnesia), and this episode relies on another one – the ticking time clock. Of course the bad guys has a big neon clock counting down the time until they flip the switch on their plan. If you think about it too much, it’s silly, but it does add additional tension to the episode.

Stargirl has done a good job of introducing characters and pushing different ones into the spotlight at various times. This episode manages to give heroes and villains alike impactful screen time (even Mike!) as the villains start their endgame and the heroes gather to stop it. Speaking of endgame, we learn more details about the ISA plot, which the writers handle with the show’s typical blend of menace and humor.

For potential new viewers: Plot wise, if you are ok with knowing the bad guys are trying to do something and the good guys are trying to stop it, you can figure out what is going and enjoy this episode, but you won’t really care about the characters. Stargirl has carefully established the characters over time, allowing this episode to give them all time to shine and make you nervous about what will happen to them. I therefore recommend starting the series at the beginning, or at least a few episodes prior to this one.  

This episode will debut on Monday, August 3rd

Check back next week for my thoughts on the 13th episode of the series, which is the season 1 finale.

Are you enjoying the season so far? Feel free to chat with me on Twitter or leave a comment below!