DC’s Stargirl — “Pilot.” Spoiler Free Advance Review. A New Girl in Town.

Stargirl, Season 1, Episode 1

Air Date: May 18 & 19, 2020, on DC Universe & The CW

Rating: ★★★★★

“Someone with honor, strength must carry the torch.” — Starman

During the Golden Age of Heroes, the Superhero team known as the Justice Society of America (JSA) perished while saving the world against the evil Brainwave (Christopher James Baker) and the Injustice Society. With Starman’s (Joel McHale) dying breath, he tasks his sidekick Stripsey, aka Pat Dugan (Luke Wilson), with finding someone to carry on the legacy of the JSA – so long as it isn’t him.

Ten years later, the JSA’s heroics have become a distant memory. Meanwhile, high schooler Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger) finds her life upended when her mother Barbara (Amy Smart), marries Pat, a mild-mannered, excessively nice man. Along with her stepbrother Mike (Trae Romano), the new family of four moves from Los Angeles to Blue Valley, Nebraska. Courtney’s small-town life gets even more complicated when she discovers one of Pat’s crates in the basement. It contains Starman’s Cosmic Staff, a powerful albeit temperamental weapon used to fight crime. Is Courtney destined to wield the staff and continue what the JSA started?

Stargirl’s “Pilot” is directed by Glen Winter and written by the showrunner, Geoff Johns. Not to be confused with the new Disney+ film of the same name, Stargirl was created by Johns and Lee Moder, and debuted in DC Comics in 1999. Stargirl’s alter ego Courtney Whitmore is a tribute to Johns’ sister Courtney who died in the 1996 TWA Flight 800 crash that killed all 230 on board.

As a former competitive cheerleader, Bassinger is perfectly cast as the young acrobatic heroine. There’s an enthusiasm in her expressions and a sense of wonder in her eyes that draws the viewer in and gets you excited. While the “Pilot” is full of spectacular action, some of the more memorable moments come from Courtney exploring the Cosmic Staff’s capabilities. The way Courtney interacts with the staff reminds me of one of my favorite childhood films, Flight of the Navigator.

Having starred in another one of my favorite movies, Henry Poole is Here, I was thrilled when the casting of Wilson as Pat was announced. While Pat initially comes off as a little hokey, Wilson’s portrayal conveys such innocence you believe Pat’s sincerity. Stargirl may be the star of the “Pilot” but it’s Pat who provides much of the heart.

One of the things I love about Stargirl is the evolving relationship between Courtney and Pat. What starts as a tumultuous relationship between the two quickly evolves into more. Their scenes carry a lot of emotional weight and I loved listening to their debate over roles in the superhero hierarchy. As much as Stargirl is a superhero show, it’s also a story of a young girl trying to find common ground and develop a relationship with her new stepfather.

This isn’t the first time Stargirl has appeared on The CW as Britt Irvin played the character in four episodes of Smallville, and Sarah Grey portrayed her in three Legends of Tomorrow episodes. This latest incarnation briefly appeared along with teammates S.T.R.I.P.E., Doctor Mid-Nite, Hourman, and Wildcat in a montage scene involving several DC properties during Arrowverse’s “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event earlier this year.

My only gripe about Stargirl’s Pilot is how underused Smart is. I’ve been a fan of her comedic talent since she appeared in the hilarious 2001 film Rat Race and I was excited to see those talents put to good use. Hopefully, as the series progresses she will become more than a June Cleaver-esq mother/wife who is oblivious to the events happening around her family.

Recently, Warner Bros Television released a letter from Johns addressed “To Everyone About To Watch Stargirl.” In a section of the five-paragraph letter he wrote, “It is a story about how family is created by bond, not blood. Stargirl was, obviously, named after and inspired by my sister, Courtney. It is her spirit and optimistic energy that I wanted to put back in the world with STARGIRL. It is celebratory, forward-looking and positive. And I hope that comes through when you watch these episodes.”

As someone who enjoys the various superhero shows on The CW, Stargirl is the most fun I’ve had screening any of them. Watching this family-friendly adventure, it’s obvious Johns has many reasons to be proud of this show, not the least of which is seeing this tribute to his sister come to life. I’m excited to see where Johns and the writers take the series and what they have in store for Stargirl.

STARGIRL premieres May 18 on the DC Universe and each episode will repeat the next day on The CW.

Tweet me @staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about the Stargirl “Pilot.”

For more on the show, go to https://www.cwtv.com/shows/stargirl/

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Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.