STARGIRL - SEASON 1.12

 

REVIEW:  STARGIRL - SEASON 1.12: "Stars & S.T.R.I.P.E. Part 1"

Well....for those of you who have followed the OTHER version of my "Pop Fiction" blog, I have ran into a snag with my previous page, and had to start a new one (don't ask me WHY it went all wonky, but it did).  Either way, This is the new and improved version, and we'll pickup the reviews of our favorite CW shows, movies, comics, as well as anything else that will tickle my fancy to share with you.  So, thanks for your patience as I got this back out.  But if you wanna check all my OTHER blogs out...you can do so at Pop Fiction Blog, and peruse the old stuff.  But for now, we begin anew here, and we left off with our Star-Spangled Heroine...Stargirl.

When last we checked in our gal and team, she had just met her real father, and he wasn't what she thought he'd be---Sylvester Pemberton.  He turned out to be nothing more than a bum, Brainwave is now feeling the power of two, thanks to killing his son, Hank, and also knows the identity of Stargirl and the team.  Jordan is about ready to put his plan into action, and the Shining Knight has joined the team to help put down the ISA.

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We're close to the end, and this was another solid episode!  We now know that Brainwave's power can handle what Dr. Ito's machine pumps out, and their plan is WELL underway.  The team is in desperate mode, as they try to stop the ISA from taking over all the adult's minds.  

This episode basically set up the plan for the Injustice Society, laid it out all nicely for us, and also gae us some justpoxisition on the Justice Scoiety members prior to them going into battle.  We got some little moments between Mike and Courtney, as Mike finally now understands what's going on.  

So, with Jordan and Brainwave finally going over the final touches to the plan, he still notices some hesitation in Jordan, but says that the sooner he forgets Barbara, the better.  The Dugan family is a threat, and as long as Stargirl is out there, the plan is in danger.  So, Brainwave has sent Sportsmaster and Tigress to kill them.  Tigress shows up at the Dugan household as Barbara and Courtney are packing things up, and getting ready to leave for their discreet location.  Barbara holds her own, avoiding Tigress' attack as best she could, taking a couple of lumps, but Courtney ends up grabbing the staff, and taking Tigress out.

Meanwhile, Pat has his own issues, as he arrives at the garage to grab S.T.R.I.P.E., when Sportsmaster shows up.  Pat and him fight as well, but it doesn't go so well for Pat.  While he gets his shots in, Sportsmaster is obviously the better combatant.  But just as Pat is about to go down for the count, Mike manages to knock out Sportsmaster from behind, taking him out.  Mike is now fully dragged into this scenario, and he and Pat make their way to their secret hideout in the mountains.  Justin also arrives, and the team tries to map out the next move.  Justin tries to give encouragement to Rick, who is sitll frustrated at trying to solve his father's equation.  Pat later on offers some encouragement as well, and Rick says he's tried every number that he could think of, and Pat brings up the model year of the Mustang.  Rick's inputs it, and it works!  He's now solved his father's equation.  

It turns out that the equation, once Chuck scans it, Beth's gogles shine, and it's coordinates to a map that shows the entire underground network of the JSA.  Information Rex Tyler had prior to him and his wife getting killed by Solomon Grundy.  While they have discovered that, Courtney and Mike had a chat, and Mike admires Courtney, and hopes that one day he can be a hero like his dad and her.  She lets him touch the staff, but it doesn't work for him.  Courtney apologizes, but their bond gets closer.  

With the map now on display, they decide to split up to stop the ISA's plan, which is using this weapon Ito created called a synaptic amplifier, which will control the minds of everyone unless they stop it.  Courtney says they'll break off into teams, and attack the ISA a different places to avoid detection.  Pat and Barbara managed to have a tiny chat beforehand, wondering where they go now with Pat's past coming back to haunt him.  He thought he'd left it all behind but he couldn't.

Principal Bowen had been lifting up her son when she found out he was bullied again.  She told the story of how his father had used the bow of his fiddle to jam it into the ear of a person who bullied him....they then gave him respect.  She gets a call, and has to leave.  She arrives at the Dugan household, where Sportsmaster and Tigress recover from the ass kicking they took.  The Fiddler tells them she's there to clean up their mistakes, and to put down the Dugan family once and for all.  She berates them for their sadism in idiocy.  She also feels sorry for Artemis.  That was pushing it, as Tigress shoots a tiny bow into her, killing her.  They take off to join up with Icicle and Brainwave.  

Meanwhile, Ito and Brainwave prepare for the task at hand, and Ito warns him that there could be side effects such as brain damage and paralysis if this doesn't work.  Brainwave is hooked up to the machine for a test run, and Ito starts it.  There's a massive power surge, but Brainwave survives the test...he is ready to execute the plan.  

The team splits, with Stargirl, S.T.R.I.P.E., and Justin approaching from the lake side, while Yolanda and Rick, apporach from another section, while Barbara and Beth head to America Best to hack into the computer to try and stop the machine from activating from there.  However, the Gambler hacks Beth's goggles, and tells them they can't stop what's about to happen.  What they discover is that this machine will only effect the adults in the world, and before they can react, Barbara and Justin are under control as well as the adult townsfolk.  In the tunnels, Pat is also under control, and begins to attack Stargirl as the episode ends.  

This episode was a nice build-up to the season finale.  It gave us the outright plan for the ISA, and gave the team time to formulate a plan, just before things seem to go wrong.  I finally am happy that Mike is in the loop about everything now, and seems in awe of Courtney.  Also, props to the kid for sticking up for his dad when Sportsmaster was pounding the crap out of him.  We also got some more of Barbara and Pat's situation, with him regretting that his past has come back to haunt him.  Feeling bad about dragging Courtney into it, but she's actually proud of her daughter.  We have a now cohesive family unit.  Justin seems to be returning to his old self, and we finally got the answer to the equation and what it was for.  

Anyone notice that homage to X-Men, with Dr. Ito's machine for Brainwave?  Can you say CEREBRO, anyone?  Just too obvious with that idea.  Also, Sportsmaster and Tigress are certainly out on a limb---going so far as to shoot The Fiddler for her ripping them a new one, and eventually going a step too far, bringing up Artemis in her rant.  Now, I wonder what Isaac will do once he finds out his mother is gone too?  She was just used to put more heat on the psychotic duo on edge, and she paid the price for it.  But her death was so quick.  I always felt that Bowen was just so expendable in this show.  

Anyway, we're set for the finale, and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens, as this new JSA battles the ISA.  

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That's it for this next-to-last episode of the season....the finale is next!

What did YOU think?  Subscribe to the blog and leave a comment!  

Until the finale...keep your eyes on the stars!