Stargirl Review: Summer School: Chapter Twelve (Season 2 Episode 12)
The cat and mouse game with Eclipso has defined the second half of the season, but Stargirl Season 2 Episode 12, “Summer School: Chapter Twelve,” ups the stakes even more. The members of the JSA grapple with embracing their dark side and what that might mean for their future.
Courtney still believes in the good in people. As we quickly see, being good isn’t enough to solve all of the team’s problems.
The preparation for the battle with Eclipso anchors several smaller storylines that Stargirl deftly weaves to lead up to an epic finale. A large part of those storylines involves getting the JSA back together under the dubious circumstances of their dark sides prevailing.
After Yolanda rejects Courtney’s earnest appeal, Cindy uses mind games to exploit Yolanda’s anger and motivate her to return to the JSA. Courtney gets reunited with her best friend just not in the happy way she imagined.
Cindy praises Yolanda’s ability to tap into her anger to fight, but views Courtney’s “light,” as a weakness. On much of the episode, it seems like she may be right which provokes a lot of questions about Courtney’s role as a hero.
Pat snaps when Rick’s Uncle Matt refuses to drop the charges, and we see the darker side of what Pat’s protectiveness can bring. Although Stargirl chooses to not show us what eventually happens between Pat and Matt, it’s easy to fill in the blanks based on where they left off.
Pat is popular with fans for being a cinnamon roll dad, but even he can do bad things. Matt deserves whatever it is he gets and it leads to him dropping the charges, but at what cost to Pat?
This is the same man who felt years of guilt after the JSA killed Eclipso’s host Bruce, someone who could do a lot more damage than Matt. Whether it’s on the finale or somewhere further in the future, these brushes with darkness will likely lead to consequences for the JSA.
As the big horror theme of the week, it seems like the infection of Jennie’s ring by Shadowlands residue hints at a scary possession storyline. That ends up not being the case, but the nightmares it causes her are just as scary. They effectively keep the viewer on the edge of their seat.
Jennie sees exactly what it will look like if Courtney loses to the dark side, and it’s not pretty.
The reveal that Eclipso intends to bring out Courtney’s darkness so she can be his host makes the final confrontation with Eclipso feel more personal and dreadful.
There’s no question Eclipso is a scary creature, but his generic motivations for world domination led him to be a lackluster supervillain. Why stay in Blue Valley when the original JSA is gone and he could go anywhere?
Putting the battle between light and darkness, with Courtney representing the light, at the center elevates Eclipso as a more interesting member of the JSA’s rogues gallery. By the end, you’re genuinely worried about Courtney’s fate.
It’s not all doom and gloom though. The episode incorporates a few lighter, kinder storylines as a reprieve and reminder of Stargirl‘s heart.
The beginning montage of Buddy the dog tearing up the house only to get in trouble with Cosmo after almost peeing on him is hilariously silly. You’re glad to see Cosmo feeling like their old self, which is to say a little bossy.
The same can be said about Mike’s adventure to track down Thunderbolt which leads him to Jakeem. The giant food falling out of the sky is equally silly and classic Thunderbolt.
Most importantly we also get a glimpse at the two’s budding friendship and learn why Thunderbolt picked Jakeem in the first place. After feeling somewhat isolated all season Mike finally connects with someone who understands him.
Continuing that theme of friendship, watching Beth and Dr. McNider immediately connect warms your heart. Not only does he praise her to Pat he also lets her call him Chuck.
In some ways, given Beth’s closeness with the goggles, he knows her best of all. The rest of the JSA cares about Beth, but Chuck really sees her.
After both being frequently sidelined this season, Beth and Mike get to make real connections on this episode. It’s so important that Stargirl remembers the humanity of its heroes.
There’s still a finale left to get through, but Stargirl Season 2 Episode 12 reminds viewers why we’re so invested in the characters and this journey.
Additional thoughts
- Love that Cindy’s hair is perfectly styled again after being trapped in purgatory. TV magic!
- Of course Barbara first notices something is wrong with Jennie. The best mom!
- They should use all of Thunderbolt’s giant food to feed Grundy.
- I would gladly never see Rick’s uncle or creepy Bruce again after this season.
- Who is Cindy calling towards the end? We know the Gambler, Tigress, and Sportsmaster are all still out there. Did Cindy inherit a Rolodex with even more names from her dad?
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.