TV REVIEW: Stargirl, Episode 1: “Pilot”
The Justice Society is a group that is near and dear to my heart, not least because they were my first superhero team. I first began reading comics with Roy Thomas and Jerry Ordway“s All-Star Squadron, where I first became acquainted with heroes like Hourman, the original Green Lantern, and the Ted Knight version of Starman. That loyalty remained with me into the 1990“s, where I discovered the James Robinson Starman series, which took a deep dive into the Starman legacy. However, like perhaps many fans of the JSA, one of my favorite runs is by Geoff Johns, who created Courtney Whitmore and redefined the Justice Society for a new century. I was highly intrigued coming into Stargirl, and hopeful that this would get a better treatment than other shows out of the CW.
Geoff Johns is one of the undisputed masters when it comes to the Justice Society, and his Stargirl was a shining character during his run on the JSA. She excelled as the young teen heroine who kept striving to earn her place with the team, and even though she initially could be immature, she learned from her mistakes and became more heroic over time. The comics version of Courtney embraced her place within the Starman legacy and became the heart of the Justice Society by the time Johns finally left the book. The fact that Johns created the show and remains the guiding hand behind Stargirl is a major reason why I was looking forward to this series. No one understands the Justice Society like Geoff Johns, and certainly Johns knows Courtney Whitmore better than any writer at DC.
The fingerprints of Geoff Johns are all over the first episode of Stargirl, and this is to the show“s credit. The Stargirl series uses the framework of the Stars & STRIPE series as the show“s central premise, while making changes to the deep background lore of the Justice Society in this version. In this take on the JSA, the show distances itself with the World War II setting of the original team, while honoring the spirit of what the team is about. Johns understands that the JSA has always been about legacy, and those themes are translated quite well to the small screen. Courtney (Brec Bassinger) is a young girl trying to discover herself and her true legacy, and she becomes a superhero as a way of finding where she truly belongs. Though initially resistant to her new stepfather, Pat Dugan (played by Luke Wilson), they gradually bond once Courtney learns that Pat was the sidekick to the now-dead previous Starman. This is a premise that lends itself to family drama, to comedy, and to Courtney“s journey as a superheroine, all of which the first episode executes well.
This version of Courtney offers everything positive in a female lead character, and the show brought all the right elements to the screen. Courtney is generally not treated as someone who magically knows everything she needs to out the gate, but learns from youthful mistakes as she goes. She is sometimes wrong, sometimes unfair to the people in her life (especially Pat), and she even sometimes makes damaging mistakes. However, the story never tries to treat Courtney as though she“s always right in every situation, and while the story sometimes hands her certain plot extras, she learns from her mistakes and tries to improve. At the same time, Courtney shows that she has a good heart, that she has the instincts of a heroine, and that she“ll make the right decisions when called upon. I also appreciate that she“s a fun character, she“s not driven by tragedy, and that she enjoys being a superheroine. Everything in this episode reflects the Courtney from the comics, and Brec Bassinger has done a great job in portraying these aspects. Bassinger gets Courtney“s emotions across well in subtle movements, whether it“s her annoyance at moving away or her excitement at discovering the world of the JSA. Brec Bassinger is an excellent Stargirl, and she has the charm and presence to carry the lead, while also looking like the character from the comics.
The supporting cast is still a little early to judge in its entirety, but the foundation is there to build upon. I ended up liking and connecting to Pat Dugan, and Luke Wilson sells the character beautifully in this episode. Pat sometimes comes across as a little too earnest, someone who tries a little too hard to make his new family work, while hiding a deep secret from them. Wilson is very charming in the way he plays the character, giving Pat that Golden Age optimism a former sidekick should have. When Courtney is rude to Pat, it“s easy to identify with Pat, because the viewers see the weight he“s truly carrying on his shoulders. Amy Smart is extremely believable as Courtney“s mother, who is trying her best to keep the family together but is ignorant to her husband“s true secret. I“m somewhat undecided on Trae Romano“s Mike Dugan, Courtney“s stepbrother, but that“s mainly because he hasn“t truly had a chance to shine yet. Up to this point, he“s treated as a stereotypical gamer kid, but it“s possible we“ll see more layers from him as the series continues. The high school cast so far seems a bit stereotypical, at times even reminiscent of early seasons of Buffy, but it“s still early enough that I“m willing to see how they develop.
As is usually the case with a Geoff Johns story, fans will enjoy the callouts to DC history and Easter eggs in the episode. The villains thus far are intriguing, and fans of the JSA should recognize many of them and look forward to Courtney facing them. The references to the Justice Society members and their histories are numerous, and DC fans will enjoy connecting the dots. Geoff Johns“ knowledge of the classic JSA is extensive, and even DC experts may be impressed by how obscure some of the references are. At the same time, they don“t impede the storytelling in the slightest, and it“s possible to enjoy this series as a coming-of-age superhero story without knowing anything at all. The show does a solid job of explaining who the Justice Society members are, who the Injustice Society is, and it builds a good mystery as Courtney gets drawn into the villains“ web. The pacing takes its time after a climactic opening battle, but it helps us to get to know these characters and sympathize with them by the time the Injustice Society finally makes its move against Courtney.
The negatives are relatively few, though they are noteworthy. The high school scenes are very rooted in the usual tropes, drawn from the John Hughes and Joss Whedon formulas. It“s easy to identify several similar beats from the first episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer if you look carefully. The typical high school archetypes are there””the queen bee, the jerk jock, the nerds””but there“s not enough depth to separate the Blue Valley high school kids from those stereotypes. The comic did a much better job of setting their high school characters apart in roughly the same amount of time. However, it is the first episode, and it might be that future episodes will bring us the depth that“s missing here. There are also moments where the plot is pushed forward a little too quickly to get to the action scenes, but the execution is forgivable and reasonably in character. Still, the episode does such a good job of establishing good will towards the characters and the story that it“s easy to look past these issues.
Thus far, Stargirl is off to an excellent start for DC Universe and the CW. The lead character is perfectly cast and well-written, and the setup for the show is on a solid foundation. Brec Bassinger has done an excellent job in honoring Geoff Johns“ creation, and she“s an actress with a promising future ahead of her. Moreover, the cast and the writing has created a setting and a group of characters that I care about, and that makes me want to see the rest of the season. If the rest of this season can build on what they“ve established here, Stargirl may become one of the brightest stars in the DC Universe.
Score: 4.5/5
Network: CW/DC Universe
Director: Glen Winter
Writer: Geoff Johns
Starring: Brec Bassinger, Luke Wilson, Amy Smart, Trae Romano, Lou Ferrigno Jr., Neil Jackson
Check out the Sloppy Spoilers Podcast chat about Ep 1 HERE
Author Profile
- Steve Sellers had been a fan of superheroes ever since Superman: The Movie. But it took the JSA, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Dragonlance, Lord of the Rings, Twilight Zone, and Chris Claremont's legendary run on the X-Men to make him a writer and a longtime fan of comics, fantasy, and science fiction. Steve is the co-creator of WHITE DRUID & MICHAEL NERO and GUARDIANS OF ELAYIM for Omen Comics, and he is also the creator of BLITZ and SHOCKWAVE for Revelation Comics (an imprint of Omen Comics).
