Stargirl
It seems hard to believe, given the legacy of Smallville, that we haven’t had a live-action superhero series based on a teen in a long time. Enter, DC’s Stargirl, which premieres, quite unusually, on the streaming service DC Universe on May 18, and then on the CW on May 19. Sure we’ve had teenagers featured in some major roles, like in Titans or Black Lightning, but in Stargirl, Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger) is the title character, and she brings all the optimism and idealism of someone young with her whole life ahead of her with her. It shines bright and makes for a welcome addition to the growing collection of DC shows on television.
The show, created by Geoff Johns and Greg Berlanti, is based on the comics character also created by Johns. The show is uniquely personal for Johns given that the character is inspired by his sister Courtney, who died in the 1996 TWA flight 800 crash. In addition to being an executive producer on the show, Johns also wrote the first two episodes.
The series begins when Courtney’s mom, Barbara (Amy Smart), her new step-dad, Pat Dugan (Luke Wilson), and step brother, Mike (Trae Romano), all move to a small town in Nebraska. When Courtney discovers the Cosmic Staff, a relic of the long-dead superhero Starman, in Pat’s stuff and the staff responds to her, she resolves to become a hero of her own making. Pat, admitting to being Star Man’s old sidekick Stripsey, comes out of retirement to assist her, but this time in the driver’s seat of a giant robot christened S.T.R.I.P.E. When they find villains hiding in plain sight in the town, Courtney and Pat resolve to find out what they’re up to and take them down.
Courtney and Pat’s relationship is the heart of the show. They have to learn to work together both as a superhero team, and as a family. Bassinger and Wilson have a great dynamic as they rib each other, look out for each other, and open up to each other. They’re completely adorable, and make for a great focus of the series.
Courtney proves herself to be a hero both in and out of costume. While she uses the staff to fearlessly go head to head with some of the most fearsome villains alive, she also stands up for students getting bullied at school. She has an innate sense of right, and the will to do good. The audience doesn’t have to wonder why she’s worthy of picking up Starman’s mantle, it’s obvious. Pat meanwhile, has the goofy and lovable step-dad thing going, and shows off why his endless loyalty makes him a great sidekick. Romano shines in a small role, as Mike delivers sharp and sarcastic wit. The villains are a diverse group of personalities, alternately terrifying and disarmingly charming, which really works for the show.
I do wish we got a little more time to watch Courtney earn her stripes (pun fully intended) by fighting some smaller villains and regular criminals first, before going straight for the baddest of the bad. Sometime’s I just want to watch her being a regular vigilante, instead of going straight for the world-saving plot. It makes the pacing feel a little clunky and rushed, and I wonder if the direction the plot is going in will be sustainable.
The special effects are fantastic, especially Pat’s robot. It adds to the show, as what could have looked campy with cheaper effects, instead looks incredible, and makes it easier to take it seriously. Add to that the polished cinematography and well choreographed action, and you’ve got a series that feels big-budget in an era of peak TV.
The end of the third episode (only the first three episodes were released to the press) hints at a larger group of heroes that the series is cooking up. So we may see the Justice Society of America on screen yet, and not just in flashbacks.
Stargirl is a series with a ton of positive energy that we could all really use right now.
