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Monday, February 7, 2022

TV Show Review: Stargirl - Season 2

Stars: 3 out of 5
Pros: Secondary character arcs, plot threads in final few episodes
Cons: Courtney’s behavior for much of the season; very slow start to story
The Bottom Line:
Summer set season
Once again, story starts slow
Does pay off by end


“When Have We Ever Been Prepared Enough to Make You Happy?”

I was surprised at just how much I enjoyed the first season of Stargirl.  It started slowly but snuck up on me, and by the end I was fully invested.  While they tried to do another slow build with season 2, it didn’t work for me quite as well.

As season 2 opens, it’s been a quiet few months in Blue Valley, much to Courtney’s (Brec Bassinger) disappointment.  She has really gotten addicted to the thrill of being Stargirl, dragging her friends into it whether they want it or not.  Unfortunately, her grades have suffered, so she is stuck in summer school, precluding a family vacation.

That turns out to be a good thing when danger again appears in town in the form of Eclipso, an evil that also caused trouble for the original Justice Society.  But with her friends trying to deal with their own issues, some of it tied to what happened before, will they be able to come together to defeat this new threat?

The first season started things out slowly, introducing the various plot threads that would come into play later in the season.  That worked well then as Courtney was just learning about the staff and becoming Stargirl herself.  Here, it didn’t work as well for me.  The early half of the season seemed extra slow, and it went some strange places.  Don’t get me wrong, there were some enjoyable episodes along the way, but it needed to have more going on early in the season to get me fully engaged in the first half.

Additionally, we still had Courtney going off as soon as she senses danger and not paying attention to how those around her are dealing with everything.  I get it, she’s a teenager.  That can be a normal behavior on their part (and, if I’m willing to be honest, mine still).  However, we saw that last season, and I felt like it played out the same way here.

So what did I enjoy this season?  The storylines that Courtney’s friends got were all strong.  They flowed logically out of season 1, and they were wonderful for giving those actors chances to show off their acting skills.  Likewise, Courtney’s family had some fun and dramatic moments that I enjoyed.

As we neared the end of the season, we finally got to see all those threads coming together in a logical way that built to a great climax.

And the acting from the entire cast continues to be great.  Likewise, the special effects help pull me into the story.

I know the show has already been renewed for season 3.  I hope the writers try some new things and speed up the story a bit earlier in the season.  Either way, I will be back to find out what happens to Courtney.  Season 2 was slow, but it did pay off eventually.

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