Stargirl Season 2 - Discussion ( Spoiler Warning)

[Mr. Adventure]

It bugs me when this show just stops short. Why does Eclipso leave them after a while? Why do the heroes just stand there as he reforms and attacks Cindy and violin creep? It’s cute that Pat won’t hit kids and they don’t kill him because of their parents but really? Pat still just leaves STRIPE in the garage? It’s like there’s these massive stakes that are just shirked off. Guess it must be a school night, go to bed and get ready for class tomorrow kids.

I did like the callback to Yolonda’s pictures which was a rare moment of follow through.

I’ve said it before but hopefully Amy Smart is having fun and paying bills because her role seems really thankless.

I was kind of surprised with Cindy’s boob armor, seemed very un CW progressive lol. Despite myself I find I really like Cindy and her hamminess. There’s these Fear Street movies on Netflix with a character named Cindy Berman which was massively distracting whenever they said her name.

I take it for what it is but the show always feels to me to buy its teeny breeziness at the expense of committing fully. Critical as I’m being the battle did have some fun stuff. I doubt any of the other CW shows would try that POV shot with Courtney riding her staff.

Oh, and I think I may have figured out who Jonathan Cake’s voice reminds me of. Paul Bettany, perhaps?

 

[LaxScrutiny]

^ Eclipso left because the Shade actually hurt him (despite being hurt worse) and the staff took a lot out of him before he shut it down. He might not have had the strength to finish off the others, but why should he worry? He'll be back stronger than ever and has all the time in the world.

Pat left Stripe in the garage because the Junior ISA broke her into pieces and it will doubtless take weeks for he, Mike, and Zeek to repair her. (It's built from car parts and every man's car is a she.)

I liked the callback to Yolanda's pictures as well, especially since Isaac thought it would affect her and she seemed pretty much over it. A strong woman.

I take it for what it is but the show always feels to me to buy its teeny breeziness at the expense of committing fully.

It's an adventure show about teenagers in high school, as opposed to, say, the teenagers in Titans. If we want to critique and compare, then Buffy remains the Gold Standard for that genre, and compared to shows like Sabrina or Panic, I think Stargirl stands up pretty well.

Oh, and it also bugged me that Artemis seemed to match Hourman's strength and endurance, since she wasn't injured by getting smashed through solid walls and porcelain and such. Did we know she was superstrong?

I thought the show made it pretty clear that Artemis has some level of combination of Tigress' and Sportsmaster's powers. The way they were able to toss around Hourman and Wildcat last season pretty much answers your question.

 

[dupersuper]

It's an adventure show about teenagers in high school, as opposed to, say, the teenagers in Titans. If we want to critique and compare, then Buffy remains the Gold Standard for that genre, and compared to shows like Sabrina or Panic, I think Stargirl stands up pretty well.I thought the show made it pretty clear that Artemis has some level of combination of Tigress' and Sportsmaster's powers. The way they were able to toss around Hourman and Wildcat last season pretty much answers your question.

Are Sportsmaster and Tigress supposed to have powers?

 

[LaxScrutiny]

There's no human in real life that can do what they do, and Artemis somehow can do it too. They haven't come right out and said it but they're a lot beyond anything we've seen Batman and Robin do. I'm not going going exactly from comic canon if that's what you mean, but the show isn't beholden to that. So let me ad an "IMHO", but I need evidence that they don't.

 

[Aragorn]

I'm still wondering how awful the original Justice Society was if a handful of untrained kids can defeat the supervillains that killed them.

 

[Christopher]

I'm still wondering how awful the original Justice Society was if a handful of untrained kids can defeat the supervillains that killed them.

I guess the villains got older and slower in the interim.

 

[Marc]

I'm still wondering how awful the original Justice Society was if a handful of untrained kids can defeat the supervillains that killed them.

Well if they were any good they’d have been the Justice League

 

[Mr. Adventure]

^ no wonder they never got out of that podunk town

 

[Guy Gardener]

Are Sportsmaster and Tigress supposed to have powers?

I'm going to say steroids.

Although you'd hardly expect that from a health food nut.

The mommy is Tigress or Huntress, and this is Earth Two.

Earth 2 Huntress is Batman's daughter...

Wikipedia says otherwise.

Huntress/Tigress is an old school JSA Villain.

 

[theenglish]

I'm still wondering how awful the original Justice Society was if a handful of untrained kids can defeat the supervillains that killed them.

I was always under the impression that the JSA became over confident and the ISA took them by surprise.

 

[thribs]

Speaking of the old JSA, they’re sure taking their time with the Starman story.

 

[Charles Phipps]

To go with the JSA Golden Age feel of everything, I assume Charles Atlas workout routines put you on a level of Batman.

 

[LaxScrutiny]

I'm going to say steroids.
Although you'd hardly expect that from a health food nut.
The mommy is Tigress or Huntress, and this is Earth Two.
Earth 2 Huntress is Batman's daughter...
Wikipedia says otherwise.
Huntress/Tigress is an old school JSA Villain.

I had an elbow inflammation a few years back. It was basically tennis elbow, although it was from another activity. (Nothing sexual. Get your mind out of the gutter.)

My doc sent me for steroid shots. I was supposed to get 3 shots, a week apart. After the first I was doing constant push ups to keep from going crazy. Then I was walking down the street and this guy bumped into me and I was ready to kill him. I was scared to go back for the next shots. God knows what I would have done.

So, yeah, it could be steroids, except I don't think Artemis was shooting up, it was something she inherited.

 

[Commander Troi]

Although it bugged me that the JSA just stood there dumbly for over a minute while Eclipso killed Isaac. But maybe they were just worn out from their earlier acrobatics.

I think they were also in shock. They'd never seen anything like that before. And since Pat *still* hasn't told them everything, they were not prepared for what Eclipso is and does.

Hmm... maybe she did, and he's now a Trojan Horse.

Interesting thought!

Forgot to mention that I liked it when Artemis stopped Isaac from killing Pat because "he's friends with my dad."

Me too. I think that shows she isn't beyond redemption. Mostly, she's *angry*. As she said to Beth, her whole world exploded.

Once again, I want to smack Beth's parents. They are the kind of people who shouldn't have kids because they're utterly selfish.

Anyone else smile at Hourman throwing Wildcat because it reminded you of Colossus and Wolverine?

Yes!

There's no human in real life that can do what they do, and Artemis somehow can do it too. They haven't come right out and said it but they're a lot beyond anything we've seen Batman and Robin do. I'm not going going exactly from comic canon if that's what you mean, but the show isn't beholden to that. So let me ad an "IMHO", but I need evidence that they don't.

I wondered about this too. How strong and damage resistant is she? Is it something from her parents or was she modified? I'm pretty sure her parents wouldn't do anything to hurt her, but if one of the ISA scientists told them they could give her a "competitive advantage", they'd probably agree to it. She's not invulnerable though - she was limping when she (sensibly) got out of there.

I was always under the impression that the JSA became over confident and the ISA took them by surprise.

Ditto.

I loved when Barb called Shade - she may have felt it was wrong, but you do what you have to when your kids are in danger. I also loved her shutting him down when he thought it was just a teen "gang fight". Shade definitely has issues with anyone hurting children. I thought I heard Eclipso say that Shade's power comes from his (Eclipso's) home dimension, so we might see more of the Shadowlands, which is also where 1) Doctor Mid-Nite is probably stuck and 2) where Jade's twin brother Obsidian also gets his powers from in comics.

Ah, Cindy. I knew she was in over her head, but it was still sad to see her sink in dark ooze. I was so happy that Courtney tried to save her anyway - she's really a deeply good person. I too think we'll see Cindy again.

Speaking of "deeply good" - I wonder if that's why the staff picked her and if that's part of why she & the staff can hurt Eclipso. Him manipulating everyone so the staff would break the diamond and free him was a nice plot touch.

I've loved Nick Tarabay since Spartacus, and he is freaking terrifying here, weird makeup or not. Little Bruce's cackle as he skipped away was Seriously Creepy!

 

[Greg Cox]

About Artemis: I think all her sports-themed protective gear and armor, like the hockey mask and all, is supposed to "explain" why she can take all that damage in her fight with Hourman. Not sure how believable that is, but that may be the conceit here.

And Stargirl trying to save Cindy is pretty darn heroic, given that Cindy had spent the entire episode threatening Courtney's family . . . .

 

[Christopher]

About Artemis: I think all her sports-themed protective gear and armor, like the hockey mask and all, is supposed to "explain" why she can take all that damage in her fight with Hourman. Not sure how believable that is, but that may be the conceit here.

A helmet might reduce the damage and prevent death if she had her head smashed through walls and porcelain like that, but I doubt it would leave her completely unharmed, undazed, and still able to hold her own in a fight against a super-strong opponent.

I think it would've made for more interesting fight choreography if they hadn't been portrayed as equally strong and invulnerable -- if Artemis had needed to fight more cleverly and carefully to evade his superior strength, to counter his brute force with superior technique.

 

[Guy Gardener]

How come Beth hasn't got any Black Light Bombs?

Puberty gave her a couple inches since season one, but she still comes off as a frightened little lamb. (Is she going to outgrow her suit?)

Even Beth could beat up a (temporarily) blinded Sportsmaster.

 

[Commander Troi]

How come Beth hasn't got any Black Light Bombs?

Puberty gave her a couple inches since season one, but she still comes off as a frightened little lamb. (Is she going to outgrow her suit?)

Even Beth could beat up a (temporarily) blinded Sportsmaster.

I don't think Beth knows about the black light bombs. Someone also needs to teach her some basic fighting techniques so she doesn't need to be defended by others all the time. Right now, I don't think she could beat up anyone, blinded or not.

BTW, the actor is 23, so she hasn't gained any height. Trae Romano, who plays Mike, is 16 and *has* gained some height since last season.

 

[Guy Gardener]

I don't think Beth knows about the black light bombs. Someone also needs to teach her some basic fighting techniques so she doesn't need to be defended by others all the time. Right now, I don't think she could beat up anyone, blinded or not.

BTW, the actor is 23, so she hasn't gained any height. Trae Romano, who plays Mike, is 16 and *has* gained some height since last season.

Then she must have lost weight.

It's rude to talk about a woman's weight, but it's fine to talk about a child's height.

Mike on the other hand?

The only reason I'd care about him gaining a more adult body is that it would look less creepy if Cindy had seduced him into betraying the JSA.

Imagine if that had been her plan?

To make out with Mike until he put sugar in STRIPE's gas tank and laxatives in Courtney's wheeties?

Light treason in exchange for heavy petting.

 

[thribs]

So it looks like Brainwave has taken over Yolanda. That explains her quitting and abandoning her team.
I forgot that the team, besides Courtney didn’t know that she killed him. I just thought it was common knowledge.
I don’t know what the leeches represented. Something to do with Eclipso’s imprisonment perhaps?