STARGIRL - SEASON 1.7

REVIEW:  STARGIRL - SEASON 1.7:  "Shiv Part 1"

Things are getting tense in Blue Valley.  The Icicle and the Injustice Society have scored a couple of victories as of late, as they have obtained a satellite and its codes in order for the Icicle to complete his long plan of taking over America.  We got to see the villainous duo of Sportsmaster and Tigress do battle without very raw and untrained Justice Society.  Now, the kids are going to have to learn how to be heroes on a quicker curve, because the ISA is in full motion with their master plan.  Can Stargirl and her ragtag crew get the training needed to battle these deadly foes quickly?  Pat will have to whip them into shape.  

Will we see further bonding between Barbara and Mike?  And will the Icicle manage to uncover the secret ID's of our heroes?  Let's step back into our crazy Midwestern town to find out what's going on THIS week...

**************************************************************

This week, we got the long-awaited introduction to high school Queen Bee Cindy Burman's activities, as she becomes the nasty Shiv.  We dip into her background, and discover that she honestly is a bit more sadistic than the spoiled, entitled brat she portrays at the school.  We also get our second big battle of the last two weeks as Stargirl faces off against Shiv and a face-off for our arch foes.  It was amazing stuff, and we're seeing the story pick up the pace a bit, as we are headed for the big clash between the ISA and the newly formed JSA.  However...we see that Courtney, above all else, still has MUCH to learn about the hero business.  But we FINALLY get an answer to a question that had plaguing us since episode one:  What's the deal with the Janitor?  We got our answer, and we were on the money (well, those of us, who managed to figure it out).  

We see in this installment that Cindy truly is the Queen Bee of the school, but can honesty care less about anything happening there.  She has the one friend who hangs with her, but she's rude to her, and anyone else in her path.  She manages to run into the janitor, who apologizes to her, and says some weird stuff, as he picks up her books and stuff, but she blows him off as well.  The team, which had just been preparing for school meet up in the hallway, and witness the incident between Cindy and the janitor.  They wonder why it is she's so cruel.  All of them, however, ARE excited, because they are looking forward to suiting up and fighting bad guys.  They know they got training after school, so they're trying to hide their excitement.  Beth almost blows their covers, but they quickly shut her up.

We do get more of the janitor, as he enters his office to put his supplies away, and he checks the calendar, looks at himself, and leaves.  And as we pan away from him, we see a broad-sword along his supplies.  Along with the white horse symbol on his hat...it appears we have found the former hero known as The Shining Knight.

Homecoming is the underlying theme of the episode, as Cindy goes to see Hank, who's still standing steadfast by his father's side at the hospital.  Cindy tries to encourage him to go with her to the Homecoming Dance, but he can care less.  He's also been popping pills to deal with the head pain he's been experiencing.  She's not thrilled, so she takes off for home, where she accosts her new stepmother, who's obviously intimidated by her.  Cindy wants to see her father, but he doesn't like visitors.  She heads down into the tunnels to where his lab is at the ISA Headquarters.  She is bored, and hates being at the school.  She wants to be a part of the ISA, and her father, Dragon King, tells her that she's not ready, and that he is her great creation, but not to bother him with her petty complaints.  She kills a couple of his cronies, and storms off in a huff.

Courtney and Pat have gotten closer to each other because of the whole issue with Stargirl/S.T.R.I.P.E./JSA issue, and it's not gone unnoticed by Mike and Barbara.  They try to play it off as Pat trying to each Courtney to drive, which raises Barbara's dander a bit because he didn't run it by her.  However, he is taking the kids to the Homecoming game, so we get the set up for what's to come later on.  

The team arrives at Pat's garage, where he is going to begin their training.  He has set up dummies all over their secred room, and starts giving the lowdown on the various members of the ISA, which just bores Courtney to death, as she is ready to go into action.  Pat is trying to be patient, and teach the kids, but Courtney takes the staff, and takes all the dummies out.  The rest of the kids aren't thrilled, and neither is Pat, who tells her that it's about being part of a team. The rest of the team remind her of that as well, and they walk off.  

We got some Barbara scenes with Jordan at America First, as he offers her a special assignment - acquiring a property out of town to help expand their rebuilding plan.  She's open to the idea, though she said she had to run it by Pat first.  He then heads home, where he bumps into his son Cameron, who is nervous about asking a girl out to Homecoming---that girl being Courtney.  Jordan retells his story about how he met Cam's mother, and says that he's just got to be himself, and just ask her.  Cam asks his father if he is happy, and Jordan says he is. 

Cindy and Courtney get stuck together as part of a chemistry assignment.  Courtney is amazed at how well Cindy knows what she's doing, and she tells Courtney that her father is a Chemist.  Courtney tells her story about her dead father, and they seem to bond.  Cindy suggests hanging out the upcoming weekend, and Courtney agrees.  Courtney feels good about having seem to have gotten through to Cindy.  Meanwhile, Hank is having issues in class, as his powers now seem to have completely activated.  He can hear all his classmates during an exam, and uses the process of reading their thoughts to pass the exam.  

Cindy is back home, looking for father/daughter time again, and she stumbles upon the ISA talking about Stargirl and the new JSA.  They have yet to discover their identities, and Tigress suggests bringing their kids in on it, but Jordan refuses.  Cindy is then nabbed, and she and her father talk again, and she demands to be on the ISA.  She feels she can use her abilities to find out who the new JSA is, and looks at the suit on the wall.  Once again, her father has ordered her that she is to NOT wear the suit.  

Homecoming arrives, and Pat, Courtney, and Mike are at the game.  As Pat goes to the snack bar, Mike lays into Courtney about the time her and Pat spend together.  He says she doesn't see him spending a ton of time with Barbara, and says that he and Pat have been through a lot, and they don't need her.  He storms off, and Cam approaches Courtney, and asks her to Homecoming, which she agrees...had it not been for her commitment to Cindy.  Now, during this time, Courtney has been keeping tabs on Principal Bowin, who's been on a phone call all during the game.  Artemis has been on the field doing her thing for the team.  Pat has ordered Courtney to leave Bowin be.  Now, as for her and Cam, it looks like the dance for him and Courtney is a go, and she goes to break the news gently to Cindy, who isn't thrilled about it.  Courtney then spots Bowin heading out of the stadium, and back towards the school.

Courtney springs into action as Stargirl, and follows Bowin to her office, as she witnesses Bowin tap on her wall, and a secret panel opens, and Bowin goes in.  Stargirl, with the Staff helping her, finds the secret room, and heads down into it.  

Cindy heads back to the underground lair once again, and is extremely frustrated, and hears the alarm go off.  Checking the monitors, she sees an intruder - Stargirl.  She then takes it upon herself to suit up, and head after Stargirl, and meet her in battle.  Back at the game, Mike says it's worthless to bring Courtney to these games if she isn't gonna be there.  Pat wonders just where Courtney is, and he goes to look for her, sensing trouble.  

Stargirl and Shiv finally meet face to face, and the battle is on.  They battle in the gym, after Stargirl realizes that the passage she was in leads back into the hallway of the high school.  Stargirl handles herself alright during the battle, but Shiv has more training, and a killer instinct.  They battle all over the gym, and Shiv eventually slices the Staff in half, and stabs Stargirl.  She eventually goes down for the count, and Shiv goes for the kill, but at the critical moment, the Shining Knight swats her away with his sword, and saves her.  She'll live, but she's wounded.  The Staff repairs itself, and seeks out Pat, and finds him, then leads him to Courtney in the gym.  Shiv, not wanting to be caught, makes her getaway, as  Pat gets to Courtney, and the Shining Knight recognizes him as Stripsey.  So, he is aware of a JSA presence in Blue Valley.

So...at the end of this episode, we have established that Cindy has now embraced her role as Shiv, and will undoubtedly be a major thorn in Stargirl's side as her major enemy.  I'll admit, with the Staff, Stargirl holds her own in battle, but she is still headstrong and reckless...wanting to do too much, and not using her head.  Cindy has been created as a killing machine by her father, given powers, but not yet having a reason to use them, until now.  And with Pat STUPIDLY yelling out Courtney's name as Shiv makes her retreat, he blows her ID, and now sets a HUGE target on Courtney AND himself...with Barbara and Mike in tow.  Not a smart move on Pat's part.  The fallout of this we'll get next episode, as it is part 2 of Cindy's story.  

We now know that the jantior is the former hero known as the Shining Knight, and he has been entrenched in Blue Valley for quite some time, keeping tabs on the ISA, no doubt.  I am just curious if he will interact with this new JSA at all, or keep to the shadows, so-to-speak.  

We got to see a bit more of Mike's personality come out, and it's obvious he's VERY jealous of how close Pat and Courtney have gotten (if he only knew why), and he takes it out on her this episode.  We also notice that Barbara feels kind of left out of their bonding.  But she is also excited for her new assignment...not knowing that she plays into Jordan's hands.  As for Jordan, we have gotten to see the human ascpects of him this whole series.  He was a loving husband, and he's a good father...but he's the leader of an evil organization.  It's nice that we get a villain that you have to debate whether or not to have sympathy for him...that's flat out good writing.  And Cameron....not sure if he's well aware of the extend of his father's extracurricular activities, but we know he's sweet on Courtney.  I wonder how THAT relationship goes once he eventually finds out (and he will, trust me), that she's Stargirl.  

You kind of see why Cindy is the way she is - created as a killer, but told to play the part at the school.  She's spoiled, selfish, but bored and lonely.  And it looked like her and Courtney would actually bond, but we know they are born to be bitter enemies.  They seemed destined for a rematch real soon, and we'll see just how bitter a rivalry this becomes.  It seems that the Dragon King can't be bothered with her petty grievances, when he's got more scientific work to do, as well as enacting Icicle's plan...for which they need Brainwave for.  But if he isn't able to come out of his coma, then it's up to Hank...but Cindy remarks that he doesn't have any powers.  Little does SHE know.

The team got no real time in this episode, as it focused mainly on Shiv, but also Courtney, and her gung-ho attitude to stop the JSA.  She followed Bowin, because she needed to continue playing her music to try and wake up Brainwave.  And she ended up discovering the ISA underground network of tunnels.  Apparently, all certain places in town lead to their headquarters.  And the team felt that Courtney's attitude was not helping.  After her battle with Shiv...Courtney's going to be re-thinking her stance, and realize that she can't win without the team.  

Overall, another solid episode with some good fight scenes, and some new twists involved.  The story is coming along nicely, and I'm invested in all the characters involved.  

*************************************************************

That does it for this week.  Please subscribe, pass along the good word, and lemme know what YOU thought of this episode, and where the series is going so far.

Until next time...keep looking towards the stars.