Stargirl Season 1, Episode 12: Stars & S.T.R.I.P.E. Part 1

This week on Stargirl, the big two part season finale begins as the Injustice Society finally puts their evil plan into motion.

I know I say this about every installment of the series, but Stars And S.T.R.I.P.E. was the best episode yet of the series. In addition to setting up the final, there was plenty of action, as well as satisfying emotional beats. And it ended on one hell of a cliffhanger, to boot!

This episode also did what Stargirl seems to do best— subvert the audience's expectations. There were a ton of standard, cliched comic book tropes in this episode, but in every case the writers managed to add a truly surprising twist to them.

The most unexpected one was the ISA's "evil" master plan, which turned out to be surprisingly sane, rational and beneficial— to the point where the heroes questioned whether they should actually stop them or not. That... that's actually a brilliant idea!

It was also nice to see the Justice Society finally working together as a team, as they planned out their strategy against the ISA.

I also approve of the way the writers handled Barb and Mike this week. Barb could so easily have been written as an obstacle to Courtney, constantly standing in her way and preventing her from acting as Stargirl. Instead, once she saw her daughter in action she was suitably impressed by the power she wields, and actually gave her her blessing. Barb even joined the team and helped out this week! Awesome!

For a while now I've been saying the writers needed to deal with the Mike situation, as he's been the most consistently underserved character on the show. This week they remedied the situation by finally letting him in on all the secret superheroics. It was great to see this happen at long last, even if it did take twelve episodes for the writers to get around to it. Maybe now that Mike's in on things, he'll be a little less annoying.

There was also an unexpected death in the ISA's rank this week, which I'm sure is setting up a plotline for Season 2. 

So far I've enjoyed the "isolationist" nature of Stargirl. Even though the series is ostensibly part of the Arrowverse, so far it's been self-contained. There've been no crossovers or guest appearances by characters from other series. In fact I think the show's better for not being part of a large universe.

Supposedly the show's moving from DC Universe to The CW in Season 2. I have a bad feeling the network won't be able to help itself, and will insist on having the Flash or Supergirl somehow pop over for a visit to Stargirl's Earth-2.

I hope that doesn't happen, but it's probably inevitable.

All in all this was a great setup for next week's episode. Now let's hope they don't drop the ball, and give us an amazingly awesome finale!

BIG HONKIN' SPOILERS AHEAD!

The Plot:
Jordan stands in the ISA conference room and stares at the Project: New America countdown timer (which reads eleven and a half hours). Brainwave enters and says he's ordered Sportsmaster and Tigress to kill Stargirl and her entire family. He also says Dragon King's prepping his Machine, and that once it's activated, the Gambler will make it look like the signal's originating in Moscow. By the time the Pentagon figures out it's coming from Blue Valley, it'll be too late.

At the Dugan's, Courtney and Barbara pack up their stuff as they prepare to leave. Courtney says the only thing left to pack is her Cosmic Staff. She asks Barb if it's OK to take it, and she reluctantly says yes.

Meanwhile, Dugan and Mike are at the garage. Mike's still whining about not knowing what's going on. Dugan says he's finally going to tell him, but Mike picks up a power drill and starts fiddling with it, drowing out his father. Dugan finally yells at him to cut it out. Mike tells Dugan to stop treating him like a little kid (?) and storms out.

Just then Sportsmaster appears out of the shadows, holding a baseball bat. He admits Dugan surprised him by building a giant robot, as he didn't think he had it in him. He asks where it is, and Dugan pretends he doesn't know what he's talking about.

Sportsmaster takes a swing at Dugan, who counters by punching him in the face. He shrugs it off and dares Dugan to try again. Dugan hits him a second time, and Sportsmaster bashes him across the garage and into the far wall. Dugan tries to crawl into the next room, and Sportsmaster repeatedly slams the door against him.

Dugan makes it into the next room, and Sportsmaster follows. He sees STRIPE standing against the wall and says he's impressed. He continues beating Dugan until he collapses. He raises his bat, preparing to deliver the killing blow. Just then Mike reappears and jabs his drill into Sportsmaster's back. He howls in pain as he turns to face Mike. Dugan then picks up a massive socket wrench and knocks out Sportsmaster with it.

Mike stares up at STRIPE, and asks what the hell's going on. Dugan calmly says it's a robot he built, and that Sportsmaster's an "old friend." He activates STRIPE's autopilot, and he and Mike exit. For no good reason, they leave the unconscious Sportsmaster lying on the garage floor (???).

Back at the house, Barb comes downstairs carrying more stuff. She bends down just as a crossbow bolt sticks in the wall behind her. She turns and sees Tigress, who fires again. Barb leaps behind the couch. Tigress attacks and kicks Barb backward onto a table. Just then Courtney appears, and swings the Staff at Tigress, knocking her across the house. Courtney helps her mom up.

Tigress shakes it off and chases the two through the house. Tigress knocks down Barb, but the Staff levitates and catches her. It then moves Barb out of the way and attacks Tigress on its own. Barb watches in disbelief as her daughter fights the supervillain.

Eventually Courtney blasts Tigress through the front door of the house and into the yard, knocking her out. Courtney apologizes for all the damage. All Barb can say is that Courtney was amazing. The two make their way out of the house.

At The American Dream, Jordan sits in his office with his parents Lily and Sofus. They tell him to forget about Barbara, and wonder if Jordan should tell his son Cameron what's going on. Jordan refuses, saying he wants to keep Cameron in the dark. He gets a call (presumably from Brainwave), telling him there's been a "complication" in the killing of Stargirl. Jordan then calls Principal Bowin.

Cut to Bowin entering her office to pick up her violin. She's surprised to find her son Isaac there, pouting and sniffling. She asks what's wrong, and he tells her a bully tripped him and made him tear his band jacket. She tells him a story about his father (the original Fiddler), who was picked on when he was young for playing his violin. She says he never let anyone squash his passion, and he dealt with his bully by taking his violin bow and sticking it through his eardrum (!).

We then see the Dugan's driving to their remote cabin, located in a wooded area... somewhere. As they pull up, they're greeted by Rick, Yolanda and Beth. Just then a truck pulls up, and everyone tenses, thinking it's the ISA. It turns out to be Justin, aka the Shining Knight, who's brought food. As the group prepares to enter the cabin, STRIPE roars overhead and lands.

Brainwave enters Dragon King's lair. Cindy Burman, who's still locked in her cell, sees him and asks if Stargirl's dead. He sneers at Cindy, saying she had one job— to watch his son Henry Jr. for signs of telepathic powers. Brainwave says she failed, resulting in him having to kill his own son instead of training him. He tells her Dragon King sees her as a "failed experiment." Cindy says that's not true, as her father loves her. She says if Brainwave lets her out, she could become a valuable member of the ISA. Brainwave says they don't want or need her, and slams the little window in her cell door shut.

Dragon King enters and asks Brainwave if he's ready to test the Machine. They walk through several rooms and finally enter a vast underground chamber. Brainwave sits in a central chair, as Dragon King hooks him up to the Machine. He warns Brainwave that the experiment will either work, or his brain and spine will melt down. Dragon King enters a control room and starts up the device. Electricity arcs through the room, as Brainwave screams.

After a time Dragon King shuts down the Machine. Brainwave says the test worked, as he heard millions of voices in his head. The timer indicates there's a bit more than eight hours till activation.

At the cabin, Chuck detects a power surge in Blue Valley, and somehow knows it's connected to Brainwave. Beth notices Yolanda looking sad & forlorn, and asks if she's thinking about Henry Jr. Yolanda says no, as there's nothing she can do about it. Chuck indicates to Beth that Yolanda's lying.

Meanwhile, Justin asks Rick what he's doing. He says he's still trying to decipher his dad's journal, but is missing one key number. Justin says all good things come in due time, and announces he's going to clean the bathroom in order to think.

Courtney stands watch on the porch (even though STRIPE's there and can probably do a much better job of it). Mike joins her and says he wishes he had a magic staff or a giant robot. He wonders if the Staff would have picked him if it'd met him first. He asks if he can pick it up, and Courtney say to go for it. He puts one hand around it, but it doesn't respond. He says maybe some day he can contribute to the JSA somehow. Courtney tells him that'd be cool.

Back at the Dugan house, Sportsmaster treats Tigress' wounds. Just then the door opens, and Bowin enters. They ask what the hell she's doing there, and she says Jordan called her to make sure they don't fail a second time. She says she's going to use her violin's sonic powers to immobilize the Dugans, making them easy targets.

Sportsmaster says there's no fun in killing a target that can't fight back, and Bowin calls him a sadist. She says she hates to think how Sportsmaster and Tigress' daughter Artemis will turn out. The two bristle at the insinuation that they don't love their daughter. Bowin says she's sure they love her— they're just awful parents. Tigress angrily shoots Bowin in the chest, killing her instantly! Holy crap! The two then leave, as we see the Fiddler's violin case lying on the floor.

At the cabin, Barb asks Dugan why he didn't tell her about his superheroics before they were married. He says the JSA were all long dead, and he thought that part of his life was behind him. He says if he'd know the truth about Blue Valley, he'd never have agreed to bring his new family there. He asks if their marriage is going to be OK, and Barb says she wants it to be.

Rick gives up and throws the journal against the wall in anger (of course he does). Dugan asks what's wrong, and Rick says he's tried every number he can think of to unlock the book— birthdays, anniversaries, etc— with no luck. Dugan asks about Rex Tyler's car, and Rick says it was a 1966 Mustang. He tries "1966" and sure enough, that's the key! That was easy!

Rick then has Chuck scan the journal and decipher it. Chuck uses the info in the book to display an elaborate map of the ISA's tunnels under the city. They see all the entrances, the conference room and the giant Machine in the middle. Chuck identifies it as a Synaptic Amplifier, which will allow Brainwave to control millions of minds. Barb realizes that's The American Dream's real mission— to impose their will on the country.

They find a tunnel big enough for STRIPE to fit into. Stargirl and Dugan will enter there, while Hourman, Wildcat and Shining Knight will access the tunnels under the Burman house. Barb says she and Beth can sneak into The American Dream and access the ISA computers from there.

Dugan's not crazy about Barb getting involved, but she points out she knows the building better than any of them. He reluctantly agrees (uh-oh...) Mike asks what his job is, and Dugan says he's in charge of taking care of Buddy the dog (cue sad trombone).

The team splits up and head for their objectives. Barb and Beth break into The American Dream. Chuck uses Barb's computer to hack into the ISA system. Beth sees a readout indicating there've only got thirty five minutes left before the Machine activates. 

She also finds the ISA's manifesto, which says they plan to reverse global warming, adopt solar and wind power and eliminate all forms of discrimination. They even intend to implement Universal Health Care! The JSA are all stunned by this, and Hourman asks if they're sure they're fighting on the right side.

Beth reads on, and discovers a catch— once the Machine is activated, they'll only have thirty minutes to stop it or its effects will be permanent. Oddly enough, the Machine targets "fully developed" minds— meaning it only works on adults. Beth then discovers that anyone who resists the brainwashing will shut down and die. Chuck estimates this will affect at least 25% of the population, causing 25 million people will be killed.

Just then Beth's screen goes blank, as they hear the Gambler's voice. He explains he just hacked Chuck's hack, and says there's nothing they can do about it. Beth corrects him, saying they still have thirty minutes to stop the ISA. The Gambler chuckles and says the signal ACTIVATES at the thirty minute mark! WOW! Did not see that coming!

Elsewhere, Dragon King and Brainwave activate the Machine.

Beth looks up at Barb and sees her staring into space, clearly taken over by the Machine. In the tunnels, Hourman and Yolanda notice Justin's also zoned out (well, zoned out even more).

Stargirl asks Dugan what to do, and sees STRIPE cock his head. He looks at Stargirl, raises his massive fist and takes a swing at her.

Thoughts:
• This is the first episode to begin with a "Previously On Stargirl" recap.

• Back in Brainwave, we saw a map that showed the proposed coverage area of the Synaptic Amplifier. According to this map, the Machine would allow the ISA to control the minds of everyone in South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and of course, Nebraska.

I have to admit I couldn't help but chuckle at this. They'd be in control of seven of the emptiest states in the union, whose total population added up to a bit over 21 million— in a country of 328 million! Dream big there, ISA!

Fortunately for them, now that Brainwave's absorbed Henry Jr.'s powers and added them to his own, the effects of the Synaptic Amplifier have been increased significantly. According to the updated map seen in this episode, they'll now control (partially or in full) TWENTY states. That's more like it!

Looks like I'm in luck! For some reason the Machine's sphere of influence ends sharply at the Illinois border, meaning I'll be safe from it here in Indiana! Whew!

I'd be remiss if I didn't point out a population discrepancy regarding the ISA's plan. Beth states that the Machine will affect 100 million people across the country. If you total the populations of the twenty states affected though, it only adds up to about 65 million. Eh, I'll allow it.

• At the end of last week's episode, Brainwave said it was necessary to eliminate Stargril and her family. He told Jordan "We'll take care of them." To me this heavily implied that Brainwave himself would take part in their murder. 

However, in this episode we see that he just sat back and delegated the job to Sportsmaster and Tigress! Work smart, not hard!

• Not a nitpick, just an observation: Sportsmaster wears his street clothes when he attacks Dugan, but Tigress suits up in her ISA duds to eliminate Courtney & Barb. Why the difference? I guess Tigress must reeeeeally like gettin' dolled up in her costume!

• After Mike punctures Sportsmaster in the back with a power drill, Dugan picks up the nearest tool and clocks the villain with it. Now THAT'S a socket wrench! Holy crap, how would you even turn that thing to tighten something?

• Kudos to the stunt coordinator on Stargirl. This series doesn't feature a ton of fight scenes, but when they do appear they're pretty darned impressive. Like Tigress' awesome wire-fu leap across the Dugan's living room as she chases Barb. I can only imagine how many takes they had to film before they got this just right! Well done!

• I loved Barb's reaction to Courtney's battle with Tigress. Her daughter wraps up the fight by blasting the villain through the front door and out of the house. Barb then gazes at her daughter in stunned silence.

Courtney: "Sorry about the door."

Barb: "Court, that was..."

Courtney: "I know, it was dangerous..."

Barb: "...Amazing!"

Remember, this is the first time Barb's actually seen Courtney in action, so it makes perfect sense that she'd be in awe of the power she wields.

• So far this series has impressed me by having characters who are reasonably intelligent that don't do anything too awfully stupid, as seen over and over on other Arrowverse shows (I'm lookin' right at you, The Flash!). Sadly, Stargirl finally let me down this week.

Once Dugan knocks out Sportsmaster, he and Mike just up and leave him lying on the floor of the Pit Stop! And after Courtney blasts Tigress into next week, she and Barb actually leave her lying in their front yard as they flee! What the hell? 

I get that Dugan believes the cops are owned by the ISA, so they don't want to risk contacting the authorities. But Jesus Christ— at the very least they could have tied up the villains! Instead they just waltzed off and left Sportsmaster and Tigress free to come after them another time. Feh.

• Looks like Dugan's given STRIPE an upgrade since the last time we saw him. Now the giant robot has an autopilot mode, and can perform limited functions without anyone controlling him from inside! Handy!

Once again, it makes me chuckle to see Dugan still using a flip phone in 2020. I guess they're still a thing over on Earth-2. Amazingly he can even control STRIPE with it!

• Jordan's parents Sofus & Lily make another appearance this week, and as usual they speak Norwegian with English subtitles.

I don't know anything about Norwegian, but I can recognize a native speaker of a language when I hear one. If you listen closely, Sofus' dialogue sounds smooth and natural, while Lily's is stiff and halting.

That's because Jim France, who plays Sofus, actually speaks fluent Norwegian. Kay Galvin, who plays Lily, does not, and is saying her lines phonetically. Nothing against Galvin, mind you, but it's pretty easy to tell once you listen to the two of them together.

• Principal Bowin's son Isaac makes a brief appearance in this episode, most likely to remind the audience that he exists. And also so at some point in the future (possibly even next week!) he can find his mother's body, assume the JSA killed her and swear vengeance on them. He'll then pick up her violin and become the Fiddler 3.0.

Isaac mentions he plays the tuba though, so who knows? Maybe he'll end up becoming the Tuba-ler.

Whatever instrument he plays, he's definitely gonna have to toughen up quite a bit before he can become a believable supervillain. It'll be difficult to be intimidated by a member of the ISA who cries because his band uniform got torn.

• Principal Bowin has a rather fluid philosophy when it comes to violence. When her milksop son says he's been bullied, she tells him a horrifying story about his father maiming one of his own tormentors to stop him. The implication here is that Isaac should man up and do the same to his attacker.

Later she derides Sportsmaster and Tigress for being violent sadists, and says she hates to think how their daughter Artemis will turn out. Make up your mind, lady!

• It doesn't really matter much now, but... how do Bowin's sonic powers work? Do they come from within? Could she play a tune on ANY instrument and immobilize her victoms? Or do her abilities come specifically from her violin?

Considering her husband was the original Fiddler and she took his place in the ISA after he died, I'm going to assume the power's in the instrument. It'd be too much of a coincidence if a husband and wife had the exact same superpowers.

If her violin does have some sort of magic properties, then why the hell is she storing it in her office at Blue Valley High? It'd be too tempting a target for student pranksters if they ever found out what it could do. She should be carrying something dangerous and valuable like that around with her wherever she goes!

• Apropos of nothing, Stargirl is typical of most shows on The CW, as it features actors well into their twenties playing fifteen and sixteen year olds. For example:

Brec Bassinger (Courtney) is actually 21.

Cameron Gellman (Rick) is 21.
Anjelika Washington (Beth) is 22.
Jake Austin Walker (Henry Jr.) is 22.
Meg DeLacy (Cindy) is 24.
Yvette Monreal (Yolanda) is the elder of the young cast, as she's currently an astonishing 28!

The only actor who's remotely close to their character's age is Trae Romano (Mike) who's currently 15.

According to the interwebs, Max Frantz (Isaac Bowin) is allegedly 30! I'm not sure I believe that though.

Although it might seem silly to cast adults as teens, I get why shows do it. TV actors routinely work twelve to eighteen hour days. But because they're minors, teen stars are prohibited from working over eight hours a day. This would be problematic for the show, as major characters like Courtney are in virtually every scene. If she was played by an actual sixteen year old, the time it took to shoot an episode would likely double.

Teen actors are also required to spend a certain percentage of each day in "school," and must have a parent or guardian on set at all times. That's why it makes more sense and is vastly easier to just hire adults who look reasonably young.

Stargirl's also a very international show, as many of the adult characters are played by non-Americans.

Neil Jackson (Jordan) is from England.
Christopher James Baker (Brainwave) is from Australia. 
Nelson Lee (Dragon King) was born in Taiwan.
Mark Ashworth (Justin) is from the UK.
Joy Osmanski (Tigress) was born in Seoul, South Korea.
Hina Khan (Bowin) is from India.
Kay Galvin (Lily) was born in the UK.
Jim France (Sofus) is from Scotland.

• The Dugans and the JSA hide out in a remote cabin somewhere in the woods. Jesus Christ, look at the size of that place! That ain't a cabin! It's the size of the Dugan's house— if not bigger!

Who's "cabin" is this, anyway? Is it Dugan's? Does it belong to Barb's family? Whoever owns it, they'd have to be very wealthy to afford a vacation home of this size. Apparently it's none of our concern though, as the ownership of the place is never addressed.

• After everyone meets up at the cabin, they become alarmed when a rundown pickup truck approaches. Fortunately it turns out to be Justin arriving.

OK, I'm puzzled by this scene. Justin was staying at Dugan's house, so surely he wouldn't just leave him behind, and must have invited him to the cabin too, right? So why's Dugan so surprised when he shows up? I guess he didn't know what kind of vehicle Justin drove?

Why didn't Justin just ride to the cabin with everyone else? Apparently he must have told them he'd meet 'em all later, after running a quick errand. 

It feels like the only reason this scene exists is as a cheap way to momentarily build tension.

• Loved the look on Mike & Barb's faces as STRIPE arrives and lands in front of the cabin. 

Just think of all the ways poor Barb's world has changed in the past week or so. She found out her husband was a superhero sidekick who served on two different teams, her daughter commands a powerful magic staff that's seemingly sentient, her daughter's friends are also superheroes, her boss is a deadly supervillain and she works for an organization that's trying to enslave the country. And if all that wasn't enough, she just discovered her husband built a giant mech! 

No wonder she looks stunned here!

• Note that Courtney's entire family accompanies her to the cabin, but the rest of the JSA members show up alone.

OK, Rick has no family besides an uncle he hates, so it makes sense that he'd arrive solo. But what about Yolanda and Beth? Seems like they'd want to bring their respective families to the cabin to keep 'em safe. Apparently the girls told their parents to go F themselves!

That'll teach their families to treat them both so shabbily!

• At one point Cindy, who's STILL locked up in her cell, has a confrontation with Brainwave. I would bet just about anything that this scene was foreshadowing her appearance in the next week's season finale. There's no doubt in my mind she'll show up at the most inopportune moment possible and try to kill Stargirl.

• At one point Brainwave and Dragon King enter a vast, underground chamber that houses the Synaptic Amplifier Machine, along with the massive antenna array that'll beam Brainwave's, er, brainwaves all over the country. Impressive!

Man, they are throwing a ton of money at this series, and it most definitely shows! Hats off to the producers for doing so, as Stargirl is one of the best looking superhero shows on TV right now!

Let's hope the budget doesn't get slashed when the show moves to The CW next season. I have a bad feeling it's inevitable though.

Also, note that the underground chamber and the antenna array seen here look very much like the ones seen in the Stars And S.T.R.I.P.E. comic.

• Brainwave walks out onto a suspended circular platform and hooks himself up to the Machine in order to test it out.

Apparently the ISA bought the X-Men's old Cerebro unit at a yard sale and converted it into their Synaptic Amplifier. Not only do the two platforms look remarkably alike, they function much the same way as well— both require a user with powerful telepathic abilities, who hooks themselves to the device by attaching a helmet or electrodes to their head!

• This episode features a couple instances of what I call "Cabbage-Head Syndrome." That's when a character acts like an idiot and asks about something they should already know so it can be explained to them— and thus the audience. It's an obvious and clumsy way to provide exposition.

For example, right before they test out the Machine, Dragon King warns Brainwave that hooking himself up to it poses a risk to his mind. Brainwave then asks what he's talking about, and Dragon King says the device could potentially melt his brain and spinal cord.

Um... shouldn't Brainwave already know this? They've been working on this goddamned Machine for literally TEN YEARS now. This seems like something that would have been brought up long ago, in the early days of the project. 

Clearly Brainwave only asks this so Dragon King can explain it to the viewers.

Then in the final minutes of the episode, Beth hacks into the ISA's computer system. She finds out that the Machine will only target "fully developed brains." She asks what THAT could possibly mean, and Barb has to patiently tell her that it only affects adults.

Jesus Christ, I know Beth's a kid and all, but the meaning of "fully developed brains" doesn't seem all that terribly difficult to figure out.

• Mike feels envious and left out after discovering his Dad and stepsister are superheroes. He even asks Courtney if she thinks the Cosmic Staff would have chosen him if it'd met him first.

This cute little bonding moment between the two step-siblings is a nod to a much nastier scene from the comics. In Stars And S.T.R.I.P.E. #11, Mike was much less understanding, and claimed the Cosmic Converter belonged to him (if you'll recall, in the comics Courtney has a magic belt rather than a Staff). He tried to take the belt from Courtney, and the two struggled with it till it snapped in half!

• I never noticed it till this week, but it looks like Tigress' left eye (the one with the black design around it) is white! That's... actually pretty cool! In comic books it's traditional for masked characters to have white eyes (think Batman and Deadpool), so it's fun to see this in live action as well.

Tigress isn't wearing a partial mask though, as the design on her face is painted on. So how'd they accomplish the white eye effect? If you zoom in really close, it appears she's wearing a frosted contact lens! That's a lot of trouble to look kewl and intimidating!

• Tigress gets fed up with Bowin's snarky ass, and straight up shoots her in the chest with her crossbow! 

Holy crap! I did NOT see that coming! Talk about a shock! And just like that, another powerful member of the ISA is gone!

I wonder how Jordan's going to react to Bowin's murder? Tigress just reduced the effectiveness of the team by a huge amount. Will Jordan reprimand her, or let it slide?

Now that I think about it, HE straight up murdered the Wizard himself several episodes back, so... I guess killing teammates is no big deal in the ISA!

• Chuck tells Beth there was an energy release when Henry Jr. died, and posits that Brainwave absorbed his son's psychic powers and added them to his own.

Wait a minute... Henry Jr. died in the ISA tunnels under Blue Valley. As we've seen in multiple episodes, Beth's goggles don't work in the tunnels, as something down there shorts 'em out. So how could Chuck detect anything? Whoops!

Also, nothing happens on a TV show without a reason, and the writers very deliberately had Chuck mention Brainwave absorbing Henry Jr.'s powers. What if that's not all that Brainwave got from his son? What if Henry's mind is now occupying a part of his Dad's brain? Henry Jr. could turn out to be the hero after all, as he could very well take control of Brainwave and shut down the ISA's plan!

This is probably a huge longshot, but it'd be cool if it actually happened.

• This is a cheap shot, but whatever. When Beth uses her goggles to display the schematics of the ISA's underground complex, note how the holographic image hangs rock solid in the air...

This despite the fact that her head jiggles and weaves all around as she's talking. Look how much the beam is moving! Shouldn't the schematic be bobbing up and down in sync with her head?

I guess maybe the goggle projector has some sort of stabilization circuit built in to it?

• While everyone else is looking at the ISA schematic and planning their strategy, we see Justin in the background performing the incredibly important task of sweeping the floor. Haw!

I thought Justin would be a bit more involved with the team in this episode, instead of playing the comic relief. I'm hoping next week he'll finally get his memory back and save the day. Otherwise what was the point of building up his character for the past twelve episodes?

• I have a reeeeeally bad feeling about Barb, and am worried about the future of the character.

See, over on The Walking Dead, any time a character talks about their past or experiences even the mildest glimmer of hope, they're immediately killed off in the most horrific way possible.

In this episode Dugan asks Barb if she thinks they can save their marriage, and she says she hopes so. Uh-oh!

A bit later they have this exchange:

Barb: "Okay, I'm gonna go with Beth."

Dugan: "Barb, I don't want you going anywhere near this place."

Barb: "Well, you'll let a fifteen year old go?"

Beth: "I'll be sixteen in May."

Barb: "If there's a problem, I know that building better than anyone else."

Dugan: "All right. I mean, I don't like it, but what choice do we have?" 

Dugan not wanting her to go and her saying she's the only person for the job feels like the writers are foreshadowing her tragic and untimely death. I like Barb a lot, so I really hope I'm wrong about this.

• I loved the little "Generation Gap" scene between Barb & Beth when they tried to hack into the ISA's computer:

Barb: "Do you think you can access his system from here?"

Beth: "We're going to try."

Barb: "Okay, the password is..."

Beth: (looking at the display on her goggles) "New Kids On The Block? What's that mean?"

Barb: (embarrassed) "Uh, it's just random words."

Note the quick look of confusion and disbelief that Barb throws to Beth when the teen doesn't recognize the name of the band.

I'm puzzled by Barb's password though. She states it's "New Kids On The Block," implying it should be spelled out. But when we see Beth's POV through the goggles she types "NKOTB." How would she know to abbreviate it like that without being told? I guess she may have seen there wasn't room to enter the complete title, but it still seems odd.

• I gotta admit I was disappointed that Justin didn't suit up in his old Shining Knight armor. He wears it when he helps out in the Stars And S.T.R.I.P.E. comic. Maybe we'll see him don his armor next week?

• Once again, Stargirl manages to "subvert my expectations." On any other series, the villains' master plan would involve taking over the world and setting themselves up as cruel despots, who punish even the most minor transgression with death.

In this episode, we find out that once the ISA subjugates the country, they intend to combat global warming, embrace solar and wind power and eliminate discrimination based on race, religion and sexual orientation. Oh, and they'll implement Universal Health Care!

Only on this show would the villains' plan involve turning America into a Utopian society, causing the heroes to question whether they should stop them or not! Well done, writers! Take a bow!

Even more shocking was the scene involving the ISA's countdown. When the JSA saw the timer that read thirty minutes, they assumed they had that long before the Machine started up. The Gambler then informed them that the Synaptic Amplifier had ALREADY been activated, and everyone will become irrevocably brainwashed in thirty minutes!

WOW! Another plot twist I did NOT see coming! It's extremely hard to surprise audiences these days, but they managed to do it here.

To be completely honest though, the timer switcharoo did remind me a bit of Ozymandias' plan in the Watchmen comic. In the climax of that series, he begins monologuing and explaining his master plan. When the heroes vow to stop him, he informs them he's not a "serial villain" and set his plan in motion half an hour before he told them about it!

I'll give the Stargirl writers a break here though, because I loved this twist so much I don't care if it isn't 100% original.

• Kudos to the FX team for all the details they put into their CGI model of STRIPE. Just look at the texture on his arms! It looks EXACTLY like metal spray-painted with a thick coat of gray primer. Well done!

• In the final moments of the episode, the JSA discover that Barb, Justin and Dugan have all been brainwashed by the Synaptic Amplifier. As if that wasn't enough, the adults then begin attacking the kids, as we smash cut to black! Holy crap! Now THAT'S how you end an episode!

This amazing cliffhanger ending reminded me a LOT of the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode The Best Of Both Worlds Part 1. Don't believe me? Take a look at the similarities:

TNG: The Enterprise crew is completely out of their league as they run into the Borg, a relentless and unstoppable foe.

Stargirl: The JSA is completely out of their league as they attempt to stop the much more powerful ISA.

TNG: The crew comes up with a superweapon that will give them one chance to destroy the Borg once and for all.

Stargirl: The heroes come up with a plan to infiltrate the ISA's base and destroy them once and for all.

TNG: The crew hole up in a nebula and pause before their battle with the Borg, to think about what's at stake if they fail.

Stargirl: The heroes hole up in a remote cabin to pause before their battle with the ISA, to think about what's at stake if they fail.

TNG: The crew suffers a devastating blow when Captain Picard is captured by the Borg and assimilated. He then mounts an attack against the Enterprise.

Stargirl: The heroes suffer a devastating blow when their adult allies are brainwashed by the ISA and attack them. 

TNG: Commander Riker has no choice but to fire on the Borg ship, which will likely kill the assimilated Picard. As he reluctantly gives the order to fire, we smash cut to black.

Stargirl: STRIPE then attacks Stargirl (no doubt prompting her to strike back at him) as we smash cut to black.

Note that I'm not complaining here. And I'm not accusing the Stargirl writers of copying the Trek ending by any means. I do think they were influenced by it though. And why not? Thirty years after it aired, The Best Of Both Worlds Part 1 still features the best cliffhanger ending in TV history— one that even TNG was never able to replicate. Who could blame the Stargirl writers for being inspired by it?

One caveat— the majority of fans agree that The Best Of Both Worlds Part 1 is about as good as it gets, while Part 2 was a muddled and disappointing conclusion to the storyline. Let's hope Stargirl can avoid the same fate in next week's season finale.

Oddly enough, the cliffhanger ending seen in this episode is the exact opposite of how it played out in the comic. In Stars And S.T.R.I.P.E. #12, Dragon King activates his machine, which brainwashes the YOUTH of Blue Valley! Stargirl's then taken over, and it's HER that attacks STRIPE (with Dugan inside). 

I approve of this change, as it actually make a lot more dramatic sense. By having the adults be the ones who are brainwashed, it leaves the kids in a vulnerable position, as they wonder what the hell they're supposed to do next. Kudos to whoever decided to flip the plot!