Review: 'Stargirl' doubles down on its family niche in Season Two
Posted Tuesday, February 8, 2022 at 3:06 PM Central
by John Couture
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this news story. The opinions I share are my own.
A lot has changed in the world and the DC world, in particular, since 225930{Stargirl: The Complete First Season was released in September of 2020. Not only has Covid continued to reshape the world of entertainment, but James Gunn has introduced his special brand of humor to the DC universe.
Known primarily in comic book circles as the guy who almost single-handedly forged Guardians of the Galaxy to international acclaim, Gunn's most recent trick was an improbable two-step that has seen him straddle both the Marvel and DC cinematic universes with great aplomb.
After resurrecting the underperforming Suicide Squad franchise with his 2021 release The Suicide Squad. His genius didn't end there though. He has quickly spun off the character of Peacemaker to his own raunchy HBO Max show that has taken the world by storm.
I never knew I could learn to love John Cena's take on the ultra-violent and peace-loving superhero, but here we are. Of course, this new direction for DC is one that is in direct contrast to their shows on the CW which tend to be more wholesome in nature and intended for a more family-friendly audience.
And yet, they both work.
DC's Stargirl follows Courtney Whitmore, a bright high school student who’s taken on the legacy of the legendary Starman to become the leader of a new generation of superheroes – the Justice Society of America. In season two, Courtney, her stepfather, and her JSA friends take on two of DC's most frightening adversaries – the dark entity known as Eclipso, and the powerful immortal known as The Shade.
As the father of a young daughter, I am always on the outlook for quality TV that we can watch together and this show fits the bill. With Batwoman and the recently concluded Supergirl already in the Arrowverse stable, there's no shortage of strong and empowered female characters on the CW. With my young daughter seeking out more and more entertainment options, it's good to know that she can find strong role models with a simple click of a channel.
It will be a long time before she watches Peacemaker and I just can't see them having a cross-over between the two polar-opposite tonal shows. But hey, who knows, right?
But that's OK. While I'm sure Warner Bros. is more than pleased with the success that James Gunn is creating over in the more mature corners of their cinematic and small-screen universe, it's not like Greg Berlanti is chopped liver over here.
His CW shows that share their own universe continues to overperform its peers and proves that quality family entertainment will continue to find an audience. The holy trinity at the wheel in Stargirl (Brec Bassinger, Luke Wilson and Amy Smart) are about as wholesome as you can expect these days, and their apple pie-in-the-sky values fit in nicely on the CW.
As we previously mentioned in our review for season one, it's been a hot minute since Luke Wilson and Amy Smart were given anything substantial to do in Hollywood and this show is the perfect opportunity for these two stars to experience a bit of resurgence in the careers. I couldn't be happier for them.
And besides, now that Luke's brother Owen has his own Marvel show over on Disney+, the Marvel/DC war just got personal in their family. As a fan of quality entertainment, I welcome the good-natured competition as this will surely drive both companies to continue to put their best foot forward.
As for the direction of Season Two, Stargirl is back for another 13 episodes which we felt underserved the character in season one, but I've changed my mind on this. In the last couple of years, it seems that full-season orders of TV series in excess of 20 episodes is going the way of the dodo. It seems that our binge-happy attention spans can only handle 10-15 episodes before we get bored. So, I expect that we'll continue to see "full seasons" gravitate to this new norm.
The new season finds Courtney and friends in Summer school which is actually brilliant in that it allows them to keep the high school theme without worrying about costly extras that will almost assuredly be necessary for Season three. Their new big baddie this season is played by Nick Tarabay as Eclipso who always turns in memorable performances as the foil.
This role is no exception as he brings a certain menace to Eclipso that challenges the upstart JSA to new heights. Venerable character actor Jonathan Cake brings a bit of intrigue and mystery to the series as The Shade and his shifting allegiances prove to be another high point for the season.
This show continues to find its footing during the second season. One of the over-arching themes is the balance between home life and all those cool superhero moments. It's a simple concept that easily resonates with audiences both big and small as we continue to try and strike our own balance in our lives. Whether it's a work/home balance, or school/sports, to each life must come a certain balance and Stargirl continues to lead the way by example.
Stargirl: The Complete Second Season is now available on Blu-ray and DVD.
