‘Stargirl 3×02: Frenemies Chapter 2 – The Suspects’ Review
Stars: Brec Bassinger, Luke Wilson, Amy Smart, Yvette Monreal, Anjelika Washington, Trae Romano, Christopher Baker, Joel McHale | Created by Geoff Johns
What Happened This Week
There has been a murder in Blue Valley and in a town of villains, the list of suspects never seems to end! This season of Stargirl is focusing on Courtney trying to redeem these villains and helping them become responsible citizens but it’s difficult to reform when they have been bad for so long. Let’s get into another week of superhero Clue!
The Usual Suspects
The episode starts 12 hours prior to the Gambler’s murder as he is moving into his new mobile home in Blue Valley. The town is not without a laundry list of suspects and on top of that list is Crusher as he is watching/stalking the Gambler as he moves into his new home. Despite picking up his bat and encouraging himself to kill the Gambler, Crusher realizes that this fresh start for his family is more important than taking out his aggression on a former teammate and now enemy.
Just as Crusher leaves to go home, the prime suspect, the Shade arrives at the Gambler’s trailer. The way the scene is shot, it seems the Shade is there to kill the Gambler but it’s the opposite, as the Shade wants to apologize and make amends. The Gambler is happy to oblige as no one wants to be on the bad side of the powerful and mystical Shade. It’s implied the Shade then leaves the Gambler’s home but that is never confirmed
While we will not know who the murderer is for a while, as Stargirl’s first half of the season will revolve around the murder-mystery, I do appreciate how they are laying the groundwork for every character to have a motive and an opportunity to kill the Gambler. This episode provides enough clues to make the audience think it’s either Crusher or the Shade as the one that put an end to the Gambler, but my biggest worry is that Sylvester/Starman is the true murderer. I hope not and outside of Sylvester attacking the Shade later in the episode, along with the typical trope of the mentor being the villain, I have no real reason why I think he is the murderer. It just feels like something television writers will do.
The New Scooby-Doo Gang
As Blue Valley is light on crime these days, which is surprising with all the villains living in town, the JSA decides they are the only ones that can solve the Gambler’s murder. The first suspect they need to rule out is one of their own, Cindy, as she was the one that found the Gambler’s body. Beth, using her Dr. Midnite goggles, confirms that the Gambler was stabbed and not shot, so Cindy has a reprieve for a bit as she was found hovering over his body with a gun. Outside of Courtney, no one else in the JSA believes Cindy is completely innocent but for now, it is enough for the JSA to focus on other suspects.
Courtney may think Cindy is becoming a better person but behind closed doors, Cindy is working on a serum that eases the pain/torment she is experiencing. While this is the first we see of Cindy in her laboratory, we can only assume the serum is a new formula of her dad’s (Dragon King) concoction. I am sure the results of Cindy taking this new serum will not have a good outcome but here’s hoping for a different result as the hope Courtney has for Cindy becoming a better person is endearing.
Rick, ever the grumpy hero in the JSA, does not take too kindly to Starman suggesting Rick’s friend, Solomon Grundy, as a suspect. Despite the Gambler’s trailer being nothing but twisted metal, suggesting a super-powered entity is responsible, Rick rules out Grundy as he is still dead and buried in the woods, despite Rick’s best efforts to resurrect him.
Sins of the Father
The overall theme of Stargirl has always been family and the bonds that tie us together. It started with Pat and Barbara in Season 1 as they combine their families together, reveal their secrets, move to Blue Valley for a fresh start, and learn to become a family. It continues this season as both the Gambler, before his untimely murder, and Sylvester attempt to reconnect with their own daughters in an attempt to unify their own respective families.
Courtney’s faith in people is reinforced when she finds the Gambler’s letter to his daughter. While never meeting his daughter, the Gambler realizes his faults and how he should have reformed earlier in order to make some type of normal life with his daughter. Courtney is hit hard by the realization that the Gambler will never get a chance to make amends or meet his daughter, and therefore, Courtney jumps at the opportunity to skip school and train with Sylvester.
Sylvester’s justification for pulling Courtney out of school is that a murderer is on the loose in Blue Valley and Courtney needs all the training she can get. Another reason Sylvester is looking more like the prime suspect…causing fear in the town to get more time training with his daughter. While we do not get much action this week, Sylvester teaching Courtney how to use the Staff to obtain sonic boom speed, called the Shooting Star, is a new, cool power that I am sure will be useful at some point this season.
Eventually their impromptu training session is found out by Pat and Barbara and after a scolding by them, Courtney and Sylvester realize they need to be more responsible. The pressure of being dead and missing out on Courtney’s milestones weighs heavily on Sylvester and manifests itself when he decides to take his anger out on the Shade when the Shade arrives to talk to Courtney. Luckily, the Staff still listens to Courtney more than Sylvester and the Shade is saved from certain death when Courtney calls for the Staff to return to her. Sylvester apologizes to everyone involved but there is definitely some anger issues Sylvester has with his former enemies that is not being addressed.
Quick Takes
- Mike and Jakeem finally show up and have something to do this week as they ask Thunderbolt to solve the murder of the Gambler. As usual with Thunderbolt, he does not give them a straight answer and gives a cryptic clue that the “killer goes by many names.” Thanks for nothing Thunderbolt.
- Cam, following in his family’s footsteps, is now developing ice powers and is looking like a future villain for the JSA.
Grade: B (Good)
As the norm in the last few seasons, Stargirl’s second episode of the season is a much stronger episode than the premiere. While fans may be disappointed by the lack of superhero action in a superhero series, I am enjoying the shift to the murder-mystery format. If you look at the JSA, they are very much the Mystery Inc. gang from Scooby-Doo and when has anyone seen the Mystery Inc team solve a murder? So at least it’s an original idea for a superhero series.
The episode did an excellent job breaking down many of the murder suspects and while I think the big twist will be the murderer is living in the same house as Courtney, shaking her confidence in people, I’m cautiously optimistic I may be incorrect. Overall, Stargirl has switched the status quo this season, resulting in a new and fresh take for a superhero series.
______
