Stargirl Season 3 Episode 11 Review: Frenemies – Chapter Eleven: The Haunting
Of all of Stargirl ‘s villains, Jordan Mahkent may be the worst. His return creates new complications on Stargirl Season 3 Episode 11, “Frenemies – Chapter Eleven: The Haunting.”
Unlike the chaotic evil of Eclipso or the mystery of Ultra-Humanite, Jordan presents something much more sinister. He’s someone who thinks he’s good and the ends justify the means.
His insistence that he’s changed and that killing the Crocks was an accident raises all kinds of ethical questions. Does he need to be held accountable for his actions? Or does their soft treatment of other former villains mean he deserves the same?
Seeing Artemis and the JSA find the human remains of the Crocks down in the sewers is just as painful to watch as their deaths
The flashback to Icicle’s death in Season 1 is a nice callback but also serves as a reminder of how different Blue Valley has become since he left. The line between heroes and villains has blurred on Stargirl as multiple ISA members went on a redemption tour.
Everyone is grappling with his return in some way or another, and the intensity leads to some exceptional performances from the cast. Who knew Joel McHale could even get so angry and scary on screen?
Watching Sylvester and Pat go from friendly banter at the beginning of the episode to a shouting-filled argument is a great turn. For all of Sylvester’s growth, there is still that rage simmering inside him, and Jordan’s return is what takes the lid off.
McHale and Luke Wilson complement each other so well with their opposing temperaments of high energy and laid back. The fact their characters are so different creates a level of tension that is usually played for laughs but in this case, takes a more dramatic turn.
On one hand, Sylvester has always been a bit unlikeable, especially in how he treats Pat, but now you’re forced to see his side of things. Jordan literally killed him and his friends, it’s understandable he would want revenge instead of reconciliation.
On the other end of the emotional spectrum, the tender embrace between Artemis and Barbara shows why Amy Smart is so perfectly cast as Courtney’s mom. She brings a grounded performance to the superhero show whether she’s comforting her friend’s child or standing up to her old boss.
Brec Bassinger also shines on this episode, perfectly encapsulating Courtney’s turmoil as she tries to reconcile her philosophies with her hatred of Jordan for what he’s done.
There are so many layers to Courtney underneath her shiny optimism, and Bassinger knows how to communicate all of that with her facial expressions and vocal intonations. She’s compelling to watch especially when she goes face to face with Jordan, who pushes her and claims she inspired him to be better.
Cameron’s offer of putting the past behind them and the sweet kiss he and Courtney share is a twist of the knife in an already tumultuous time. Of course, Courtney probably wishes things could go back to normal for them but it comes at a very high cost.
Courtney putting what she wanted first is one of the reasons the JSA almost broke up again this season, and now she’s put in that situation again. Siding with Cameron also means siding with the murderer that killed the Crocks not to mention the original JSA and Sylvester.
The episode ends on a cliffhanger, not revealing her response to Sylvester’s request to kill Jordan. Unfortunately for Courtney, there isn’t one right answer.
What did you think of this episode of Stargirl? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Stargirl airs Wednesdays 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.