Stargirl Season 1, Episode 11: Shining Knight

This week on Stargirl, the action takes a backseat again, as we get an hour of character development and setup.

On any other show this would be considered a dreaded filler episode, but Shining Knight was anything but. While it was chock full of emotional drama, it still manged to propel the story forward at a brisk pace, as well as set up the season finale. In fact I'd call this the best episode of the season so far!

Of course the highlight of this week's episode was the big reveal of Courtney's real father. Ever since the Pilot she's been convinced she's the daughter of Starman, and nothing could make her change her mind. Unfortunately her world came crumbling down when she discovered that just wasn't true. 

It was devastating to see Courtney find out that not only is her real father most definitely not a superhero, he's an all-around terrible person to boot! Thank goodness for Dugan, who was there to pick up the pieces and offer her the most meaningful gift of all— simply being there for her.

Good on the writers for following the storyline from the Stars And S.T.R.I.P.E. comic and veering off into a completely unexpected direction here. It might have been emotionally satisfying for Courtney's father to be Starman, but it would have been trite and a massive cliche as well. Making Sam Kurtis turn out to be a deadbeat dad was a stroke of genius, and elevates the series far beyond the typical comic book show. 

The theme this week was "Heroes Can Come From Anywhere." We see this played out in the most obvious way possible, as Justin The Janitor is finally revealed to be the Shining Knight. But it's also presented a bit more subtly, as Courtney comes to the realization that she doesn't have to be Starman's daughter to be a superhero.

Lastly, kudos to the writers for making Barb an integral part of this week's story. It would have been so easy to turn her into a "plot roadblock" for Courtney, but instead she's actually trying to wrap her head around the fact that her daughter's a superhero, and is trying to figure out how to help her save the town. Well done, writers!

SPOILERS!

The Plot:
Justin The Janitor walks down a rural Blue Valley road, and stops to watch a herd of horses in a pasture. He calls to a nearby farmer, asking if he's seen a "gallant white steed." The farmer tells him to get his crazy ass away from his horses or he'll call the cops on him. Hey, I thought everyone in Blue Valley was supposed to be friendly?

Justin staggers down the road and begins hallucinating holding the Cosmic Staff again. He then sees a vision of Dugan as Stripesy, beckoning to him.

Just then a passenger bus honks as it roars by him. Inside the bus we see Sam Kurtis, Courtney's real father. He's fingering a gold locket that's identical to the one Courtney always wears, and features a photo of her inside it. The bus stops in downtown Blue Valley, and Sam exits.

Meanwhile, Courtney fills in Dugan and Barb, telling them how Brainwave killed his own son Henry. Barb wants to contact the authorities immediately, but Dugan says for all they know the Injustice Society could be controlling them. He tells Barb to take Courtney and Mike as far away from Blue Valley as possible. Barb refuses to leave while the ISA is threatening the town. Dugan accepts this, and tells her and Courtney to go about their daily routines so Jordan won't suspect they know the truth.

Just then Mike comes downstairs and says someone's at the door looking for Courtney. Everyone troops upstairs, where they're surprised to see Sam waiting. Barb asks what he's doing in Blue Valley. He tells her he replied to her email but never heard back, and since her message sounded so urgent he decided to just show up.

Sam sees Courtney and introduces himself as her father, shocked at how much she's grown since he last saw her ten years ago. Blindsided by all this, Courtney tells Sam he's most definitely NOT her father. As proof that he is, he holds up his locket and says he gave her the one she's wearing years ago.

Courtney's overwhelmed by everything that's happening and tells Dugan she wants to talk with him alone. Barb looks hurt and troubled that she's confiding in her stepfather instead of her.

In her room, Courtney tells Dugan that Sam can't be her real father, else the Cosmic Staff wouldn't have chosen her. She says if she's not Starman's daughter, then what is she even doing dressing up and playing superhero? She says it's her fault that Henry Jr. and Joey Zarick were killed. Dugan consoles her, saying she's not responsible for anyone's death.

Just then Mike enters and asks what's going on. Dugan snaps at him, saying it's not a good time and to get out. Poor Mike doesn't understand, and asks what he's done wrong. Devastated, Dugan assures his son it's not his fault and says everything's gonna be fine. Mike doesn't believe him and leaves.

In the living room, Barb tells Sam she looked for him after he disappeared on Xmas Eve ten years ago, but gave up after a year or two. She asks why he's back after all this time. He says he's been thinking about reaching out and getting to know his daughter before it's too late. Surrrrrrre he has.

Courtney comes downstairs and tells Sam she's ready to talk. He suggests they go for a walk, but Barb reminds Courtney she has school. She says she'll just have to be late, and Barb gives in.

At the high school, Justin enters his office and moans in pain. He looks in a mirror and sees Dragon King staring back at him. He hears a horse whinny, and once again vows to find his steed. He sees a flyer advertising Dugan's garage (complete with his photo on it) and says his "squire" can help him. He grabs a sword leaning by the door and leaves.

Courtney & Sam walk down Main Street, and she demands to know where he's been. He says he doesn't have a good excuse for his absence. He tells her about the last time he saw her, when she was four and they sang Xmas carols together. She's surprised when she remembers this, and begins to suspect he's telling the truth.

Sam apologizes for not being around and says he wishes he could go back in time and do things differently. He offers to buy her breakfast to try and get to know her better. She reluctantly agrees.

Dugan arrives at his garage and finds Rick & Beth hanging out there. He asks where Yolanda is, and Beth says she went to church to pray for Henry Jr. When they ask about Courtney, he says she's with her father. Beth's excited to hear Starman's alive and well. Dugan disappoints her by telling her Courtney's father is definitely not a superhero.

Just then Justin enters, and Beth recognizes him as their school janitor. Rick wonders why Justin's carrying a lethal looking sword. Justin calls Dugan Stripesy, and says he needs his help. Suddenly he hallucinates Dugan turning into Dragon King, as Rick & Beth become drones. He raises his sword as if to attack.

Dugan talks him down, and the hallucinations fade. Justin falls to his knees, sobbing. The kids ask who Justin really is, and Dugan says he's the strongest, bravest man he's ever known.

Meanwhile, Brainwave waits in Jordan's office at The American Dream. Jordan enters, sees Brainwave and tells him he's sorry about Henry Jr. Brainwave says Dragon King restored his memories, and he knows that Courtney is Stargirl and that Dugan is Stripesy. He says he's going out to kill them. Jordan hesitates and tells him no. Brainwave scans Jordan's mind and discovers he's hesitating because he's developed feelings for Barb.

Jordan says Courtney & Dugan's deaths would devastate Barb. Brainwave says tough cookies, and points out that he killed his own wife and son for Project: New America. He says he could wipe Barbs's memory of her loved ones, but Jordan doesn't want him monkeying around with her brain. 

Brainwave says his powers have increased since Henry Jr. died, as if he absorbed his abilities. He says he'll no longer be altering the minds of six states, but of half the country. He threatens Jordan, ordering him to make up his mind about his commitment to the Project or he'll make it up for him.

At the diner, Sam tells Courtney that he travels a lot, chasing business deals that never quite pan out. He says he'd like to get to know her better, and suggests she come visit him in California. Courtney decides to give her father a chance, and says she'd like that.

At the garage, Dugan shows Justin an old photo of the Seven Soldiers Of Victory— the team they were in before the JSA. Justin says he remembers Stripesy, but try as he might, he just can't remember his own identity. Rick asks if it's safe to have the sword lying around, and Justin claims it's Excalibur. Of course Rick doesn't believe him, but Dugan asks Justin to tell him the story of how he came by Excalibur. He says he was a lowly page cleaning the stables, and King Arthur gave him the sword on his deathbed, telling him that "Heroes Can Come From Anywhere."

Beth asks if Justin's from the past, and Dugan says he believes he is. He asks Justin how he arrived in Blue Valley, and he says the rest of the Seven Soldiers had been scattered, so he followed the "Dragon" (obviously Dragon King) to Blue Valley by himself. He says the Dragon captured him and stole his memory. Justin says none of them are safe. He then sees the STRIPE robot, and says Dugan built himself a fine suit of armor.

Dugan takes Justin back to his house, and tells Barb the ISA must have done something to him. He thinks they're planning some sort of mass brainwashing, maybe even of the entire country. Barb says she'll make up the guest room so Justin can get some rest.

Courtney and Sam arrive back at the Dugan house and sit on the front step to talk. Sam takes out his locket and tells Courtney they were made by a Hollywood artist who made custom jewelry for the stars. He says they're very valuable— but only if they come in a set. He says if he had both the lockets, he could sell them and make enough money to buy a bigger place, so she could come visit him. He says once she comes out to LA he'll buy her whatever jewelry she wants.

Courtney gives him a long, hard look, and hands over the locket to him. As soon as he pockets it he says he has to go, and they'll catch up when she comes to visit.

Courtney sits in silence on the front step for a while. Eventually she goes in the house. Dugan's waiting there for her, and says if she wants to yell at someone, he's there for her. She bursts into tears and embraces him. Barb comes down the stairs and sees the two of them together.

Cut to Sam walking to the bus station. Dugan catches up to him and tells him Courtney loved the locket, and he can't believe he conned her out of it. Sam says he'll make it up to her, and Dugan tells him to never come back. Sam states he wasn't planning to, and tells him to say goodbye to Barb for him. Dugan decides he's had enough and punches Sam, knocking him to the ground. He tells Sam he's lucky he's busy, and walks off. Go Dugan!

Courtney goes down to the basement and opens the Staff's crate. Barb comes down and says she shouldn't have reached out to Sam. Courtney says it's OK, as it's better she know the truth. She then says she's put everyone in danger by believing in a fairy tale. Barb admits she doesn't know what to do— she knows there are families that need saving in Blue Valley, but if she lets Courtney stay and fight she could die.

Courtney picks up the Staff, but it doesn't light up or respond to her. She says the Staff's not meant for her anymore, and she's ready to leave Blue Valley.

At The American Dream, Jordan sneaks into Barb's office and tries to access her computer, only to find it's password protected. He calls the Gambler and tells him to unlock it for him, and to restore her search history. He sees a newspaper article that reads, "STARMAN KILLED BY ICICLE." He realizes Barb knows who he really is.

Courtney joins RIck, Yolanda and Beth in the school cafeteria. She tells them she's no longer Stargirl, as her father wasn't Starman and the Staff no longer works for her. Rick tells her the Staff's mistaken, but she insists she used it when she shouldn't have, and got Henry and Joey killed.

Later the school holds a memorial for Henry Jr., and Courtney and the others attend. They're shocked when Henry Sr., aka Brainwave, steps up to the podium to say a few words. As he speaks a load of platitudes to the other students, he sends Courtney a telepathic message blaming her for Henry Jr.'s death, and daring her and her teammates to come after the ISA.

Courtney rushes home and goes down to the basement, where she tries to activate the Staff again. She tells Dugan that Brainwave has his memories back and knows she's Stargirl. Unfortunately the Staff still won't activate, and she figures it doesn't want her anymore because she's not Starman's daughter. Dugan says that's not true— the Staff chose her because it believed in her, and now she has to believe in herself (Oy). He goes upstairs to give her time to think.

Courtney calls Dugan and Barb downstairs, and says she needs both of them with her. As they look on, she takes a deep breath and picks up the Staff again. The wind begins blowing as the Cosmic Staff finally ignites and glows with brilliant energy.

Just then Justin comes downstairs, sees Courtney with the Staff and says, "Our Queen has risen!"

Deep below Blue Valley, Brainwave gazes at the portrait of the ISA members. Jordan enters, and Brainwave says he's glad he made the right decision. He tells Jordan he'll take care of Courtney, Dugan and Barb. Jordan pauses a moment and tells Brainwave not to forget Mike, as they don't want any legacies running around.

Jordan then looks at a timer, which indicates there're just twelve hours left until Project: New America begins.

Thoughts: 
• The Director Of Photography on Stargirl bought a camera drone at the beginning of the season, and he is determined to get his money out of it! I think there's been at least one drone shot in every episode so far. They went hog wild this week though, as Shining Knight contains at least FOUR swooping drone shots!

Not complaining mind you, as I find the shots pretty cool— I just thought I'd point it out.

• The episode begins with Justin wandering down a rural Blue Valley road. At one point he spots a windmill, which causes him to remember brief flashes of his former life.

Was this a Don Quixote reference? You know, crazy guy who thinks he's a knight and all that? For a second I thought he was actually gonna steal a horse and try to attack the windmill!

• Justin sees a flag flying in a field, which causes him to hallucinate a heavenly vision of Dugan as Stripesy.

Did... did Dugan's Stripesy costume really include a pair of plain old jeans?

• I continue to be impressed with the attention to detail on this show. The Stargirl Design Department took the time to create a logo and vinyl graphic for a fictitious bus line! Well done!

• Hey, it's one of this episode's many camera drone shots!

This one's actually pretty funny if you know what to look for. OK, pay close attention to Sam's location as the camera zooms up to take a look at the clock tower. When it pans back down, Sam's somehow traveled a good thousand feet from where he was standing when the bus took off! There's no way in hell he could have gotten that far in the five or six seconds he's out of camera range.

I can think of two possibilities here: He took off running down the street the second the camera zoomed up and then slowed down as it aimed back at the street. Or the real Sam just stood there, and the one we see walking down the street in the second half of the shot is a stand-in.

Why would they do either one? Why not just film him walking down the street normally?

• More attention to detail: When the camera pans up to the clock tower, we see it's 6 am. In the very next scene the Dugans' doorbell rings, and Barb remarks that it's not even 7 yet! Good job!

• Wow, Barb certainly changed her tune awfully quick, didn't she? Last week she was furious with Dugan and Courtney for engaging in superhero shenanigans without telling her, and didn't believe a thing they said about the ISA.

Then in this episode Courtney tells her that Brainwave killed his own son Henry Jr., and Barb takes her completely at her word! So what happened to change her mind?

• Once Barb finds out about the ISA, she and Dugan have the following conversation:

Barb: "Brainwave murdered his own son last night. I mean, there has to be someone we can call. The police."

Dugan: "They could own the police, Barbara."

Barb: "How about the government?"

Dugan: "We don't know who's listening in. We make the wrong move now, we could get someone killed, or lead the ISA straight here."

OK, I get that the writers don't want the authorities intruding in their superhero story, but man, Dugan's excuses were all pretty weak. Surely they could have come up with a better reason not to call the cops than "They could own the police."

This all brings up an interesting point— IS there a police force in Blue Valley? Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure we've seen a single policeman or squad car all season! Surely even a small town like Blue Valley would at least have a sheriff's department. If they do, he's keeping a mighty low profile!

• I got definite The Exorcist vibes from the composition of this shot. I wonder if that was the point?

• Kudos to whoever cast actor Geoff Stults as Sam Kurtis. He's got perfect leading man looks, as he appears to be some unholy melding of Joel McHale, Bradley Cooper and Timothy Oyliphant. His wholesome appearance makes it all the more surprising when he turns out to be a conniving sleazeball.

• I felt really bad for Mike in this episode. The poor kid has no idea what's going on, and actually thinks HE'S somehow caused his family to break apart! I loved Dugan's guilty and horrified reaction when he realizes his son's blaming himself— that was really well done.

Mike's been pretty neglected as a character lately. I'm hoping the writers will rectify that oversight and bring him into the loop soon. There're only two episodes left in the season though, so there probably won't be time.

• Even Buddy hates Sam, and sits in the living room growling at him. Or maybe he's just struggling to breathe, like all such severely inbred bulldogs do.

• Take a look at the sign to the right of Courtney in this scene. Wow, who knew there was such a call for body piercing in a small, conservative town like Blue Valley?

• Technically Dragon King doesn't appear in this week's episode, as he just shows up briefly in one of Justin's hallucinations. Despite that, I thought I'd share these images I found of actor Nelson Lee getting his unmasked Dragon King makeup applied.

• The scene where Justin's in his office, looks in the mirror and thinks he sees Dragon King was included in the version of the episode streamed on DC Universe, but was cut when it was broadcast on The CW. I guess they needed that extra thirty seconds for yet another commercial.

• In his office, Justin picks up a flyer for Dugan's Pit Stop and recognizes him as Stripesy.

Hats off to the Stargirl Prop Department for coming up with such a wonderfully cheesy and amateurish advertisement! It looks exactly like something a non-designer would come up with. And I mean that in the best way possible!

• I mentioned this a couple weeks ago, but it's worth a repeat. Good job with your security, Blue Valley High School! You've got a visibly disturbed janitor who's storing a real sword in his office, right under your nose!

• Back in Hourman And Dr. Mid-Nite, I noted that Justin was sporting a VERY obvious fake beard— one that looked like it came from a Halloween store.

Suddenly in this episode his beard looks one hundred percent real! I'm assuming actor Mark Ashworth probably didn't have a long, full beard when filming first started, so they had to glue a fake one to his face. Apparently by the time they shot this episode, he'd grown his own luxurious facial hair.

By the way, Justin appears in the Stars And S.T.R.I.P.E. comic as well, although he doesn't have quite as big a beard there.

• So after weeks of me saying so, this episode FINALLY confirms that Justin is indeed the Shining Knight. Note that I'm not bragging about my deductive reasoning here, as it wasn't all that hard to figure out. He speaks in a formal manner like a medieval knight, he's got a silver chalice and the sword Excalibur in his school office, he gazes longingly at a calendar displaying an image of white horse, and even has a Pegasus on his baseball cap. Who else could he be?

The Shining Knight first appeared wayyyyyy back in 1941's Adventure Comics #66. In that story, Sir Justin was a knight who received magic armor from King Arthur's pal Merlin. He also rode around on a flying white horse named Winged Victory. Eventually he was accidentally encased in ice (as often happens) and thawed out in the 1940s, where he teamed up with the Seven Soldiers Of Victory.

His origin is slightly different here on the show, as he tells Rick & Beth, "I was but a lowly, yet loyal page, cleaning the horses' stables. Yet King Arthur himself bestowed to me his sword. Upon his deathbed he told me, 'Heroes can come from anywhere."

Note that in this episode Justin claims his sword is the legendary Excalibur. In the comics the Shining Knight did have a magic sword, but there it was a generic and unnamed one. 

• Beth looks at the photo of the Seven Soldiers Of Victory and helpfully points out, "There's eight of you in the picture." I loved Dugan's slow, barely restrained reply, as he says, "I know that, Beth." HAW!

• Back in Pilot, the STRIPE robot showed up in the final seconds of the episode. It was an awesome scene, featuring some top notch, realistic CGI. As impressive as it was though, my first thought was that the show wouldn't be able to afford to show STRIPE every week. I predicted we'd see the giant robot in the first episode and then it wouldn't show up again until the season finale.

Imagine my surprise when STRIPE was featured quite heavily in Episodes 2 and 3 (S.T.R.I.P.E. and Icicle). At the time I said the show had managed to "subvert my expectations" again and include the robot in every episode.

Welp, it looks like I spoke too soon. 

Other than a very brief scene in The Justice Society, STRIPE's been conspicuously absent from the show. On the rare occasion we do see him, he just stands motionless in Dugan's garage— like he does in this episode.

Hopefully we'll get some more proper action scenes involving STRIPE in the big upcoming two part season finale.

• Looks like the Dugans have a painted portrait of Buddy hanging on their living room wall! Sure, why not.

• Brec Bassinger really knocked it out of the park in this episode. The script required her to display a wide range of emotions, including shock and disbelief, resentment, grudging acceptance and finally soul-crushing realization, and she played it all perfectly.

Just look at her face in this scene, as she realizes her father Sam is a lying asshole, who, despite all his promises, has absolutely no intention of ever seeing her again. You can see the look of sheer sadness and disappointment on her face here. This episode demanded a lot from her, and she most definitely rose to the challenge.

• I brought this up last week, but it's worth posting it again. In the comics, Sam Kurtis left Barbara Whitmore and ended up turning to crime. He eventually became a low-ranking member of the Royal Flush Gang— a playing card-themed team of supervillains.

For now at least, the show seems to be ignoring this part of his past.

The scene in which Sam and Courtney sit on the front steps as he finagles her locket from her it's practically a shot for shot recreation of the same sequence seen in Stars And S.T.R.I.P.E. #14.

Much of the dialogue is word for word as well. Here's a comparison between the comic and the episode:

Sam: "Wanna sit for a sec?"

Courtney: "Yeah. Thanks for coming out here today."

Sam: "Yeah, of course. I'm excited for you to come visit. Sooner than later, hopefully. You know... I didn't know it when your grandmother gave me these, but... these lockets, the pair? They are special."

Courtney: "I always wear mine. Always."

Sam: "Yeah, I was hoping you had yours. So these lockets, they, um, they were made by a fancy designer back in the day. And old-time jeweler to the stars. Like Marilyn Monroe-type people. Actually, they're really valuable. And I was thinking that if I sold them, then I could put a deposit down on my own place. And once I get that settled, that'll be where you come visit. Yeah, and I could... I could buy you a bracelet or some, some really pretty earrings. We can go shopping together in L.A. We'll go to The Grove. And then when I'm settled in, then you'd come visit. Yeah, my place now, it's like a shoe box. It's barely big enough for me by myself."

Courtney: (disappointed) "Um... Yeah. You can have it."

Sam: "Yeah? Ah, that's great."

Sam: "I'll be back, Courtney. And, uh... you know, when I am, I really... I want to hear all about you. Honestly."

Courtney: "Sure thing, Sam."

Sam: "See ya, kid."

Note that in the episode they even recreated the falling leaf from the comic, as Courtney realizes just what a sleazeball her dad really is.

• By far the best part of the episode was when Courtney tearfully embraced Dugan after Sam deserted her yet again. It was quite touching to see her finally realize she's had a loving and reliable father figure under her nose this whole time.

Note Barb lurking in the background during the scene though. I can't tell if she's happy that Courtney's accepted Dugan at last, or if she's jealous that she didn't seek comfort from her. Could this be another potential rift in the Dugans' marriage?

• I gotta admit, that was one damn satisfying punch when Dugan confronted Sam and told him never to come back to Blue Valley. Dugan's the best!

I'm surprised he didn't straight up punch Sam unconscious. Remember, when Dugan was with the JSA his sole power as Stripesy was a good right cross!

• Last week when Barb did an internet search for Starman, I noted that every single photo she found depicted him with his face obscured by shadow. I said the producers obviously did this for plot obfuscation reasons, so Barb couldn't look at his photo and definitively say, "That's not my ex!"

This week Jordan gets a look at Barb's search history, and we see she FINALLY found a photo of Starman that gave her a good look at his face.

Also last week, we saw that Barb left her personal email account open— on her WORK computer! Who the hell's dumb enough to do that?

Fortunately for Barb she learned her lesson this week. At one point Jordan sneaks into her office at The American Dream and tries to get on her computer, only to find it's password protected. He then calls the Gambler and has him unlock it, along with her history.

• Brainwave pays Jordan a visit and states he's gonna kill Stargirl. Jordan flat out forbids it, claiming that doing so would devastate Barb. Brainwave points out that he killed his own wife and son for the ISA's cause, and tells Jordan he isn't exempt from doing the same. Several things here:

First of all, for weeks now we've all suspected that Jordan's developed feelings for Barb. This episode confirms it in no uncertain terms. 

Secondly, I sense a power struggle brewing here between Brainwave and Jordan. They're arguably the two most powerful members of the ISA, and they both know it. Even though Jordan's the leader, it's clear that Brainwave believes he's becoming soft. 

I predict Brainwave's gonna try to usurp Jordan's position at some point in the next two episodes, claiming he's no longer fit to lead. And I wouldn't be at all surprised if one of them died in the season finale. But which one?

Brainwave's too dangerous a foe, plus he knows Stargirl's secret identity. The writers would have to bend over backwards to come up with a reason not to kill her and get it over with in Season 2. They'll have no choice but to eliminate him from the show.

Jordan's a much more interesting character, and there's a lot of dramatic potential between him and his son Cameron. He'll definitely stick around for Season 2.

• In this episode Brainwave states that he's more powerful than ever, almost as if he absorbed Henry Jr.'s powers when he died.

That's actually the exact opposite of what happened in the comics. In Infinity Inc. #10, Brainwave was mortally wounded and turned over a new leaf in his final moments. His son Brainwave Jr. held him in his arms, and when he died HE absorbed all his father's considerable powers and added them to his own.

• At Blue Valley High, the new JSA members attend a memorial for Henry Jr. I gotta admit, when I saw this scene my first thought was, "Look at all those stupid asshole kids who aren't wearing masks!" Then I remembered this episode was likely shot in 2019, back in the days when before the world ended and we didn't risk our lives by daring to breathe outside our homes.

• Courtney rushes down to the basement, picks up the Cosmic Staff and tries to activate it. Unfortunately it doesn't respond and remains inert. She and Dugan then have the following conversation:

Courtney: "It doesn't want me anymore. It knows I'm not Starman's daughter. And it doesn't want me."
Dugan: "Court, that's just not true."
Courtney: "Yes, it is! The staff chose me because it thought I was someone else."
Dugan: "The staff didn't choose you because of who your father is or isn't."
Courtney: "It knows all of my mistakes."
Dugan: "No."
Courtney: "It knows my dad isn't Starman."
Dugan: "I don't know a lot about the staff— it's always known more than I did about almost everything. But it always knew that your dad wasn't Starman, Court. It chose you because it believed in you. It's just waiting for you to believe in yourself again, that's all. Heroes can come from anywhere."

Ugh, it's a prime example of the dreaded Patented The CW Pep Talk®. These banal, maudlin bromides show up on every single Arrowverse show, much to the displeasure and annoyance of viewers. They're especially rampant over on The Flash, which often includes four or five of them in each episode!

I'll give Stargirl a pass here though, as so far the writers have restrained themselves and kept the Pep Talks to a welcome minimum. Plus this one seemed organic and appropriate to the situation. Courtney's a teen after all, and as such doesn't have the emotional maturity of an adult. It makes sense that she'd occasionally need to have her confidence boosted a bit.

Compare that to the cast of The Flash, who are all well into their thirties, and shouldn't need a motivational speech to inspire them to fulfill their responsibilities and obligations.

• After Brainwave says he's off to kill Courtney and her family, Jordan looks at a readout indicating Project: New America will begin in a little over twelve hours. I have a couple questions about this scene:

First of all, is... is there any good reason why they need to wait half a day? Why not just start it immediately? Why give the new JSA time to potentially stop the project and foil their big plan?

Secondly, why's it necessary for Brainwave to kill all the Dugans? He's gonna use the Machine to boost his powers and brainwash half the country, right? So why not just reprogram Courtney and her family? That'd be a more sadistic fate for them than death, and would be right up Brainwave's alley.