Stargirl Review: Summer School: Chapter Seven (Season 2 Episode 7)
After the disbanding of the ISA, is the JSA next? The team loses one key member on Stargirl Season 2 Episode 7, “Summer School: Chapter Seven.”
With Eclipso hiding in Blue Valley, things are still as dark and dreary as ever. The weather perfectly reflects Yolanda’s mood.
Without the distraction of Eclipso, she’s back to her brooding. Her dark storyline gets somewhat of a conclusion but not the one you expect.
As much as Stargirl grounds itself with its characters, it still relies a lot on Courtney’s optimism to keep things light. With the focus on Yolanda on this episode, the story gives itself over to the dark realities of being a superhero.
Yolanda isn’t the first DC superhero we’ve seen kill someone, but it’s an unimaginable weight for a teenage girl to carry on her own. It’s important that Stargirl takes time to explore the reality of her situation instead of just brushing it off as part of the job.
Yvette Monreal carries the episode, expertly portraying Yolanda’s bottled-up fear and anger. Everyone else is living in a superhero show while Yolanda is living in her own horror movie.
The story leans heavily into the realm of psychological horror as Yolanda experiences what seem like visions fueled by her guilt and perhaps something else. It’s not an easy role to play given the usual tone of Stargirl but Monreal excels at revisiting Yolanda’s vulnerable side.
Themes of morality are central to superhero shows, but that morality is not usually examined through a religious lens. For Yolanda, who was raised in a strict religious family, it’s unavoidable and separates her from her peers.
Yolanda: If I kill something truly evil, can I ever be forgiven?
It’s a unique route to take but one that works given Stargirl’s horror bent in this season and the popularity of incorporating religious elements into horror. While the other JSA members see Eclipso as a monster, Yolanda sees him as a demon in the biblical sense.
The use of an empty church as a frequent setting on the episode also increases the creep factor (seriously, why is it always so dark in there?). Seeing the vision of Henry burning in flames shows just how seriously Yolanda takes her belief and how much she fears damnation.
Even if it’s unclear what’s happening to Yolanda, her guilt feels very real thanks to Monreal’s performance. All of the horror elements create dramatic tension that builds up to Yolanda’s eventual breakdown.
The scene where she confronts the rest of the JSA about being a killer and explains her burden is one of the standout moments of the season so far. Monreal teeters between anger and hysteria in the scene, capturing the moment Yolanda officially snaps under the weight of her guilt.
Yolanda quitting the JSA is shocking because up until this point Courtney believes wholeheartedly in the JSA’s mission. Now she realizes the toll their superhero work has taken on one of their own.
More than that, Yolanda also ends her friendship with Courtney.
If you’ve ever unexpectedly been rejected by a friend, watching Yolanda “break up” with Courtney will leave you aching. I almost cried alongside them while watching.
Shifting the blame to Courtney for making her a superhero doesn’t seem like it will heal Yolanda’s pain. Although this is a good start to the show taking Yolanda’s trauma seriously, I want to see her get real closure and not just run away from her problems.
Courtney asks the same question that we’re all thinking, which is what is causing this to happen to Yolanda? Is it Brainwave, Eclipso, or just all inside her head?
Despite Eclipso’s appearances throughout the episode as his sinister child alter-ego, Stargirl doesn’t give us a definitive answer. You’re left with the nagging discomfort of not knowing the truth.
Additional Thoughts:
- This poor substitute teacher does not know what he’s in for. Blue Valley High is cursed!
- S.T.R.I.P.E. making the horns/rock sign with its remaining fingers is hilarious.
- Even I felt old when Mike didn’t know the “Wax on, wax off,” reference.
- Courtney and Cameron are so cute together. Please let them just be happy for a few episodes.
- The Shade dripping from Barbara’s ceiling is so weird. I still want to know what their connection is.
- The scenes with Henry remind me how upsetting his death was in last season.
What did you think of this episode of Stargirl? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Stargirl airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on The CW.
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Breeze Riley
Breeze Riley is a pop culture enthusiast who decided to turn her love of watching too much TV into a hobby writing about it. Although she's a convention-going sci-fi and fantasy nerd, she's just as likely to be watching an off-beat comedy or period drama. She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic.