#Stargirl Season 2 Episode 2 Review: Summer School: Chapter Two

Sometimes jealousy gets the best of you.

It certainly did for Courtney on Stargirl Season 2 Episode 2 as she found herself battling her inner green-eyed monster for most of the episode following the arrival of Green Lantern’s daughter Jennie.

It’s too bad because, by the time Courtney got it through her head that Jennie wasn’t a threat, the newcomer had left town as quickly as she arrived.

It’s understandable why Courtney was suspicious, but her skepticism had less to do with a newcomer’s arrival in Blue Valley than with Jennie herself.

When Courtney looked at Jennie, all she could see was what she lacked. Jennie is a true legacy, the daughter of Green Lantern, whereas Courtney is just the daughter of an ex-con.

Pat: Quite a show down there.

Courtney: Sorry.

Pat: I’m not the one you need to apologize to. The thing is I don’t get it Court. I mean your greatest superpower is seeing the good in other people, but you can’t seem to see it in Jennie.

Courtney: Can’t see it? Pat, how can I not see the good in Jennie? Everyone sees it. She’s perfect, and she’s a superhero’s daughter for real. I feel like such a fraud around her. She’s everything I should be.

Pat: No, she’s everything you were. Think about it. She’s just trying to learn more about a father she never really knew. That’s all. That’s why she’s here. Remember how that felt?

Courtney: Pretty lonely.

Pat: Yeah, pretty lonely.

Adding insult to injury was that Jennie seemed perfect, and everyone in Courtney’s life took an instant liking to her.

All of this made Courtney green with envy, but instead of admitting her feelings, she hid behind the notion that Jennie wasn’t who she seems. There is such a thing as too good to be true, after all.

However, from Jennie’s point of view, Courtney had it made. Courtney has a family who loves her, a solid group of friends, a place to call home, while Jennie has virtually nothing.

Jennie’s an orphan. She has no idea where her brother is. She’s essentially homeless after aging out of the group home.

She feels like she has no one in her corner, and at long last, when she thinks she’s found what she’s looking for, she’s still left with so many unanswered questions.

It’s heartbreaking to think about all Jennie has been through, and it’s even sadder that, in the end, she journeys off by herself, once more alone.

Jennie probably could have stayed at the Whitmore-Dugan household indefinitely and become a permanent member of the JSA.

She would have had a home and a found family, but she wouldn’t have been content, not really when she still doesn’t know what happened to her brother.

Courtney: I’m sorry for how I spoke to you.

Jennie: I have the lantern, and now that I do, I should go.

Courtney: Jennie, wait. Look, none of this is your problem. It’s mine. I spent months convinced I was Starman’s daughter, and I was so messed up when I found out I wasn’t. I thought I was everything that you actually are, but clearly, I’m not. Your power is like nothing any of us have ever seen before. You’re all anyone could ever want in a member of the JSA. You’re the real deal, Jennie. You’ve got everything.

Jennie: Stop saying I have everything. I have nothing. This ring us supposed to do whatever you ask it to, anything at all. All I wanted was to find my brother.

Courtney: Your brother?

Jennie: I thought this ring would lead me to him, not to this stupid lantern.

So, Jennie left Blue Valley for the time being, but something tells me we haven’t seen the last of Green Lantern’s daughter.

We’ve barely scratched the surface with this character, and there’s so much more story left to tell, so let’s hope she comes back at some point because the new JSA is going to need all the help it can get as the threats keep on coming.

First, there’s Cindy, who’s been relatively quiet so far. We didn’t get much information about her evil master plan, but we did learn she’s not as in control of Eclipso as she thinks.

Cindy thinks she can use Eclipso to do her bidding but based on the episode’s last few minutes, that doesn’t seem to be what’s happening. 

Eclipso is certainly a tool Cindy can use to control others, but how much control does she have over the demonic spirit? Not as much as she’d like to think she does if Eclipso can possess her at any given moment. 

Following the events of Stargirl Season 2 Episode 1, I posited Eclipso’s possession was more like Isobel’s abilities on Roswell, New Mexico. 

Similar to how Isobel can influence people, Eclipso can influence people to act on their baser desires, such as killing your insufferable stepdaughter, for instance.

However, it appears the demonic spirit can do more than just influence, but also take possession of a person, which is in line with the source material.

Cindy: Just let me go.

Eclipso: Your stepmother was desperate to escape. She was trying to kill you. I had to take control to protect you.

Cindy: I can protect myself. What did you do to her?

Eclipso: I fed off her hatred, her desperation, her corrupt soul.

Cindy: I’m in control, me. My body is mine. You do that again, and I’ll put you back in the box, you got it?

Eclipso: Of course, Cynthia, of course. I am sorry. You are in control. You. I’m only here to serve.

What’s still unclear is if Eclipso can possess others in the same way it momentarily possessed Cindy, taking complete control of her body.

If so, Eclipso is more dangerous than we initially thought, and Cindy should put the demonic spirit back where she found it.

Although, it would probably be unwise since Richard Swift, also known as The Shade, is sniffing around Blue Valley, looking for the late William Zarick’s things.

For those who need a quick recap, The Shade is the last unaccounted member of the ISA. He was involved in the ISA’s destruction of the old JSA in 2010, using his abilities to attack and consume Dr. Mid-Nite.

However, sometime after the battle, he left the team, betraying Icicle. From there, the details surrounding The Shade are hazy at best, but just because he crossed Icicle doesn’t mean he’ll be teaming up with the new JSA.

The character has functioned as both a hero and villain at times in the DC Comics, but lately, he seems he’s returned to his evil roots, both in comics and on TV.

However, the series describes The Shade as a “classic antihero … who wields magical shadow powers,” so who knows?

(Side note, his “magical shadow powers” allow him to manipulate the darkness around him, meaning The Shade can also construct solid objects purely out of shadows, create protective force fields, and even project concussive blasts composed of dark energy.)

Courtney: If you’re worried I’m here to dig through old files again, don’t be. I’m done with that.

Pat: What are you talking about?

Courtney: Jennie, she made me realize what was really important, my friends and family, Stripesy. I should have treated you more like Jennie did when we first moved here. So, ot’s Courtney Whitmore first — daughter, sister, friend. And if a villain comes up, then it’ll be Stargirl.

Pat: Right, it’s actually funny you should mention that because there is this villain from the old days called The Shade. He was bad news, and he’s the last member of the Injustice Society that’s unaccounted for. I think he’s in Blue Valley.

Courtney: I’ll get my staff.

What we do know is The Shade is in Blue Valley for a reason, and it’s probably not just to celebrate the demise of the ISA, though that’s certainly a bonus.

No, The Shade is up to something. The only question is what it is. Guess we’ll have to keep watching to find out.

Some stray thoughts:

• Oh, irony, how you love to play with us. Just as Courtney resigned herself that there was more to life than being Stargirl, she learned now was not time to put her alter ego on the backburner. She couldn’t be happier to get back out there, though Pat didn’t share her elation.

• The rest of the JSA took a backseat this episode, which ended up being a rather good thing. The season premiere was a bit overstuffed as it was, so cramming anything else into this already jam-packed episode would have been too much. 

• With Yolanda’s parents sending her to summer school to keep her out of trouble, did anyone else wonder if Beth’s would do the same if only to get their daughter out of the house and have something to do?

• We saw a bit of summer school. Wonder how long that’s going to last since school is always optional on teen dramas, but since the ISA headquarters are still below the high school for some reason, we do have a good chance of spending some quality time there.

• Where are the teen hookups? With the show’s move to The CW, shouldn’t we be drowning in teen romance and unresolved sexual tension by now? However, the closest we got was Courtney pining over Cameron in the season premiere. Thoughts?

• STRIPE now has flamethrower capability. How cool is that? However, how concerned should we be that Zeke now knows some of the JSA’s secrets?

So what did you think, Stargirl Fanatics?

What’s the cause of Courtney’s jealousy?

Have we seen the last of Jennie?

Who’s the bigger threat: Eclipso or The Shade?

Don’t forget to hit the comments below to let me know your thoughts on the episode. If you missed the latest episode, remember you can watch Stargirl online at TV Fanatic.

Jessica Lerner is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.