The CW show Stargirl surpassed expectations during the first season and seeks to increase viewer interest in season two. Brec Bassinger plays Courtney Whitmore, the titular Stargirl, who gains the staff and belt of former JSA superhero Starman and becomes a superhero in her own right.
The cast includes Luke Wilson as Courtney’s stepdad and former sidekick Stripesy, Amy Smart as Courtney’s mom, Yvette Monreal as the new Wildcat, Anjelika Washington as the new Doctor Mid-nite, and Cameron Gellman as the new Hourman.
Episode Format
While season one followed a more traditional TV superhero format of a villain per episode, season two carries a more episodic storyline and a full season arc. Producer Geoff Johns hopes the format will invest viewers more deeply in the overall narrative while creating more diversity of situations faced by the characters in each episode.
Courtney Struggles with Her Identity
In season one, Starman’s staff chooses Courtney as its next wielder. Courtney believes this is because she is the daughter of Starman (Joel McHale). She finds out that her father is instead an ordinary man and not a very good father. Season two focuses on Courtney’s struggle to understand herself and why the staff has chosen her. Both the villain and the new hero challenge Courtney to confront her own abilities and self-doubt in the face of overwhelming evil and her father’s rejection.
Jade, Daughter of Green Lantern
Season one hinted at the appearance of Green Lantern after Courtney steals Green Lantern’s power battery. Instead, we meet Green Lantern’s daughter Jade, who has followed her father’s ring to retrieve the battery. Jade intimidates Courtney and makes her feel unworthy of the staff and title of hero. Jade goes on a journey of her own in season 2, as she reclaims her father’s battery and title as Green Lantern.
Eclipso Is the New Evil
The new season of Stargirl heralds a single big villain in the season’s storyline arc. Eclipso is a being of inherent evil who wreaks havoc in the DC comics. Eclipso brings a darker tone to the show and intensifies Courtney’s insecurities and human weaknesses as she struggles to defeat him. Unlike the Injustice League, Eclipso is entirely inhuman and a bigger threat to people outside of Blue Valley.
Team Growth
The defeat of the Injustice Society in the finale of season one has created some fresh problems for Courtney and her team. They question whether Shiv can create a new team of young villains to gain vengeance for the defeat. Yolanda, or Wildcat, contends with her conscience after killing Brainwave. And to Pat and Courtney’s chagrin, Courtney’s stepbrother Mike also learns about the team and wants a bigger part in fighting villains.
Whether Courtney and friends can defeat Eclipso and maintain their identities will develop in season two. She explores what it means to be a superhero and still have homework that night. Will Courtney be able to defeat Eclipso while learning why the staff has chosen her to follow Starman’s legacy?
