STARGIRL 2.6

 

RECAP - STARGIRL  2.6:  "Summer School - Chapter Six"

Things have been kicked into high gear in Blue Valley, and NOW things start getting real dangerous.  Eclipso is getting stronger, and Cindy doesn't seem to have as much control of him as she seems to think she does?  She's out recruiting her team of baddies to exact revenge on the JSA, and you have The Shade lurking about, wondering where he'll be able to find the black diamond that everyone's been in search for, that Cindy possesses.  The JSA themselves are trying to learn more about Eclipso, as well as figuring out their own issues.  But this week certainly kicks things into high gear...

This episode focused entirely on the revenge angle.  As Cindy has already gotten Isaac Bowen by her side, and just recently recruiting Artemis Crock to her team, she's not quite done with her master plan---but it looks like she puts it to work this week. As Yolanda is still learning the ropes of being a waitress at the diner, she heads to a table where she sees Isaac...who mysteriously keeps reminding her about the pictures she posted on her phone, that everyone has access too.  He eerily lets her know what happened to his parents....in his own way letting her know that he blames her.  She's a little unnerved by it, but is also curious as to his behavior. 

As for Beth, she's at her father's office, trying to do whatever damage control she can to save her parents' marriage.  She offers ideas as to what they can do, but her dad shuts her down, and says that he and her mother are busy...which always seems to be the case...as they seem to care more for their jobs than they do Beth.  She is tired of stalling.  Leaving her father's office, she is attacked by Artemis, who is insulted by her perfect family (if she only knew), while hers are in prison doing hard time.  She looks forward to having the jock beat the geek.  She knows it was the JSA's fault for her parents' incarceration.  She then takes off. 

Pat and Courtney are searching through Mr. Diesinger's art room for clues about Eclipso, while talking about his power...which Pat says that he made the kids see things they wanted to see---like Diablo Island for example.  Pat finds a pic of Cindy with the diamond, and they now have their big lead in regards to Eclipso.  They don't discuss much more, as Cameron comes in, wondering what they're doing there.  After lying and saying that they're there to clean up, they discuss Diesinger's admittance to a Lincoln psychiatric hospital.  Cameron comments that not only was he a great teacher, but also a friend.  He sees the picture of Cindy, and informs them that she's in town, and weirder than ever.  This prompts Pat and Courtney to take their leave, as Courtney tells Conner this is the last time she bails on him, but she has a "thing" with her mother, and she's off.  Pat is heading back towards the Pit Stop, and Courtney goes to wrangle up the team.

Pat arrives at the Pit Stop, but he's in for a rude awakening, as Fiddler and Artemis have arrived.  Fiddler uses his fiddle to knock Pat around, while Artemis gets in her shots as well.  Fiddler wants to finish the job, but Artemis tells him that he is a friend of her father's, and he's not the target.  She gets on top of S.T.R.I.P.E., and goes to knock the robot's head off.  While two of the villains take out their one target, Mike is at Zeke's junkyard, looking for a project that both he and his dad can work on.  Mike wants to do more, and Zeke tells him to find something he can do, but know that every little thing he does is helpful.  He sends the boy off to find something of his own, while Zeke himself is building chainsaws for the giant robot.  Mike finds a drillbit and is searching for other parts, when he barely catches notice of Cindy.  He thinks she's gone, but then appears in front of him.  He wants nothing to do with her, but she says he's perfect bait for his sister.  She uses the diamond to capture the young lad.

When then find out that Pat is in the hospital after his assault by the Fiddler and Artemis.  He's got some bruising and a concussion.  They also find out Mike is missing.  Courtney blames herself for not being there for Pat.  Barbara doesn't let Courtney go that route.  As they talk, Courtney gets a call from Cindy.  Cindy says she has Mike, but she just wants to hurt Courtney for what she did to her.  Courtney says that Cindy brought that on herself.  Cindy says she's going to hurt her friends, then her family, then her.  She tells her to meet her at the cafeteria at school.  Barbara tells Courtney to go be Stargirl, save her friends, save Mike, and kick Cindy's ass.  After Court leaves....Barb then calls The Shade, who appears, and Barb tells him that Cindy has the black diamond.  

The team assess the damage done to S.T.R.I.P.E., as the robot has been dismantled and taken apart, thus taking an important piece of the JSA off the board.  The team then meets up at the cafeteria, and they are met by Isaac playing the fiddle, as Shiv and Artemis ready for a fight.  The battle ensues, and immediately, Shiv and Stargirl go at it tooth and nail.  Artemis tries to attack and take down Dr. Mid-Nite, while Wildcat gets the honor of taking down the Fiddler.  Hourman is locked in battle with Artemis.  It's a back and forth affair, and it looks like the JSA get the upper hand a little bit, but then we get a stalemate.  As both sides prepare for another round, The Shade shows up to break up the festivities.  Shiv refuses to back down, with Eclipso talking in her ear, telling her that he's afraid of her.  Eclipso then feels it's time to come out an play, and takes over Shiv.  As he starts to use his power against The Shade, Shade shields himself with his own power, but he's getting weaker.  Stargirl takes the initiative and rides on the Cosmic Staff to bring Shiv/Eclipso down.  As the Staff touches the diamond, the diamond shatters.  We then see Eclipso fully come into being.  Shiv isn't happy about being used, and he says that he used her to get out, and starts to choke her.  She has her knives come out, but he takes one, and throws it at the now-helpless Fiddler, who's fiddle was broken by Wildcat.  He's wounded as he's impaled with her knife.  Eclipso tosses Shiv aside, and says that Isaac's soul is ripe....and promptly steals it by killing him.  Artemis witnesses what's happening, and takes off, not wanting to stick around.  Shiv says he wouldn't be here if it weren't for her, and he says he owes her nothing, opens up a portal on the ground, and has Shiv sucked into it.  Stargirl tries to save her, but the pull is too strong, and Shiv is gone.  Shade tries to attack Eclipso once again, and he's easily dispatched, disappearing in a cloud of black smoke.  Eclipso then takes off, with Stargirl trying to find him, but he's disappeared.  Unfortunately for Stargirl...the Cosmic Staff was affected by the black diamond and Eclipso, and is now unresponsive.  

During the battle, everyone in town looked up, as the sky grew darker, and everyone witnessed an eclipse---a sure sign that Eclipso is in power, and ready to claim more souls.  Pat knows that he'll get stronger, and Courtney realizes that he used Cindy...and them...to escape the diamond into the real world.  He will continue to feed....and corrupt.  Mike is scared, and says that it's time for him to get serious, and that he wants his own S.T.R.I.P.E., because this is a huge threat, and they need all the help they can get. Beth has checked on Rick ,and says he might have a broken rib.  They do know that they have to find Eclipso, and are curious as to how he got to Isaac and Cindy.  Meanwhile, Eclipso is skulking about town...and now in the disguise of little Bruce Gordon...who's giggling as he sees a town ripe for the picking for himself.  

This show has been the best so far!  This week, we FINALLY got that long-awaited showdown between the new JSA, and Shiv's Injustice, Unlimited group.  The action was great, and the story continues to build.  Cindy's plot---while sadistic and very calculated---fell apart in a snap because Eclipso decided he'd had enough fun and games, and with the Shade appearing to join the festivities, it forced his hand.  And Stargirl did EXACTLY what he wanted her to do:  break the diamond to truly release him.  Everyone played right into his hands.  And now he's loose on the town of Blue Valley, and there's no telling what evil he's going to inflict.  And he can hide as little Bruce Gordon, with no one the wiser.  We also realized WHY Cindy wanted Mike----he was bait for Stargirl.  The hatred she has for Courtney runs deep...even if it's misguided because it wasn't Stargirl that destroyed Cindy's life---it was her own father.  But Cindy had been so twisted and manipulated into a killing machine by her own father, that she was dreaming of being a part of the Injustice Society.  So, her mind was far gone down the evil path even BEFORE she met Courtney Whitmore.  But because Stargirl beat her in battle...she's got a HUGE grudge.  But that cost her, because she allowed Eclipso to have his fun.  And while SHE thought she was in charge...she couldn't have been more mistaken.  And now she's been swallowed up by the blackness...having begged Courtney to save her...which she couldn't.  I don't think Cindy is dead by a long shot...but she'll be gone until the JSA can find a way to beat Eclipso and return her to Earth.  

As for Isaac Bowen....I think he's gone.  I'm not sure how you can return him to the earthly plane after getting stabbed, and having his soul consumed by Eclipso.  Isaac was the ultimate emo kid---and blamed the JSA for the death of his parents...whereas it was actually ARTEMIS' parents that killed his mother.  Speaking of Artemis....for as much of the tough her act she threw out tonight at Beth....and did a bang up job holding her own against Hourman, once she saw Eclipso in the flesh...she didn't hesitate to take off before she became the next victim.  What happens next to her is unknown.  She might come to the JSA to protect her, but it's hard to say.  I found it VERY ironic that when she first bullied Beth at the beginning of the episode, that she mocked Beth for her "perfect family", while her parents were in prison.  If she only knew that Beth's family is FAR from perfect...and is falling apart, and it's causing Beth great turmoil.  Artemis' parents still love each other...they're just criminals.  But it was interesting how some of the characters paired off.  

I credit Mike for holding his own and keeping as much composure as possible during this whole ordeal.  He was scared, and openly admitted it....but he was brave enough to not totally freak out.  But with Pat on the shelf with HIS injuries, and S.T.R.I.P.E. dismantled, he wants to build his own to help the team.  Whether or not he gets to is up to Pat...but you KNOW Zeke will be helping.  Yolanda held her own, despite my misgivings about her mental state as of late, but she sucked it up for the fight.  Rick took a beating from Artemis tonight, and I didn't expect that fight to be quite as close as it was, but it also goes to show how good Artemis is in a scrap.  Either way, the team as a whole took it on the chin this week, but they're alive.  And while the new ISA is done just as it started, the big threat is Eclipso and what HE has planned for Blue Valley.  

The Shade tried to be civil to Cindy about the diamond, but even HE could not stop Eclipso.  And he took his own beating at the hands of the mystical villain.  Whether this means he'll take on Eclipso on his own, or will enlist the aid of the kids is unknown...but even HE has to acknowledge that Eclipso is getting more powerful.  

A very high quality episode, and this season just keeps getting better as it goes along.  I'm looking forward to whatever MORE surprises Geoff Johns and company have in store for us.  But you can tell A LOT of love and care goes into this show.  And they're just getting warmed up.  Halfway through, and things are looking bleak.  But that's when some of the best stuff happens.  They're hitting it out of the park, and I'm loving every minute of it.  How about all of YOU?!  What did YOU like about this week?  Subscribe and leave your thoughts and theories below.

Until next time.....keep your eyes on the stars.