#’Stargirl’s Brec Bassinger Teases an ‘Epic’ Battle Heading Into the Finale

The new Justice Society of America is gearing up for quite the battle against the ISA in the final two episodes of DC’s Stargirl Season 1.

And with the Injustice Society of America ready to enact their plan, Courtney Whitmore has discovered a new confidence in being the titular superhero at the right time, series star Brec Bassinger tells TV Insider of her character.

But that came as a result of a heartbreaking episode for her, “Shining Knight,” in which she received confirmation that the father who abandoned her, Sam Kurtis (Geoff Stults), isn’t Starman like she thought—and therefore isn’t the reason the Cosmic Staff chose her.

Here, Bassinger discusses Courtney’s journey in Season 1 and previews the final two episodes. (The series has already been renewed and will air exclusively on the CW; Season 1 episodes debuted on the network the day after they dropped on the streaming service DC Universe.)

Heading into the final two episodes of the season, what that Courtney has learned or experienced so far will help her most in the fight against the ISA?

Brec Bassinger: She’s definitely grown as Stargirl. Clearly, she’s learned how to use the staff better [and] how to be a better team player, but also she’s grown so much personally. Episode 11, she doubts herself but realizes the hero wasn’t decided by anyone else except her, and I feel like having that newly found confidence going into these last two episodes will be really helpful.

What can you preview about the JSA’s fight against the ISA and their plan? Everyone has a role to play, right?

Yeah, the fight is very epic. It just starts off where it’s the full ISA against the full JSA in this iconic, epic battle, and everyone knows who everyone is. There’s no secrets among this fight, and there’s a lot of payoff. You see Solomon Grundy again, you see Shiv again, you get to see lots of people.

Henry fought against his father’s wishes and there was that heartbreaking end for him. How is that loss affecting the JSA going into the finale?

There’s definitely something in the back of their heads, but there’s a bigger reason. [It’s] a bigger motivation to stop the ISA, which will be helpful to them, but it also could cause a little distraction.

One of the relationships that’s been such a joy to watch develop is Courtney and Pat’s. She went from pretty much just tolerating him to relying on him as a confidant. 

I’m biased, but Courtney and Pat’s relationship is personally one of my favorite storylines of the first season, just because it’s an interesting dynamic, having a stepdad/stepdaughter situation but also making it a sidekick/superhero opposite [than what you’d expect]. There’s a lot of interesting dynamics, so getting to see them work through those weird unique dynamics is really, really fun.

But also I just love Pat’s character so much. He’s a fan favorite for a reason. He’s such a great human being, and seeing Courtney finally give him a chance and be open to it is so rewarding. The 13th episode really dives more into that. I feel like you get the icing on the cake for their relationship, and it ends so beautifully, which is rewarding just to see how far they’ve come.

Now that her mother knows everything, how much does it feel like a weight’s been lifted from Courtney’s shoulders?

A weight’s been lifted because she didn’t technically take away Stargirl from her because that was Courtney’s biggest fear, that if her mom found out, she wouldn’t want her to do it anymore. I also feel like it makes it more complicated because now Barbara’s essentially in more danger because she knows everything so that new complication is added to Courtney’s mind.

The last episode was particularly heartbreaking for Courtney, not just as Stargirl, but just as a daughter. Meeting her father, and it being one disappointment after another.  How is she feeling about her dad after spending time with him? 

I don’t even think she really sees him as her dad anymore, and she accepted Pat as her father figure. But it’s definitely going to haunt her. I definitely feel like she’ll deal with abandonment issues for a long time.

Yeah, because first he wasn’t Starman, then he asks for her locket to sell it…

Yeah, he’s horrible. He’s absolutely horrible.

You were so good in those scenes.

Thank you so much. I have to give a lot of props to our director, Jennifer [Phang]. She pushed me and just kept pushing on those days and watching it back, I’m so grateful for her doing that.

The new JSA has had its growing pains. How is Courtney feeling about the team as a whole, her teammates as individuals, and herself as Stargirl in relation to them?

She sees them as her best friends. She would die for each and every one of them. I definitely still think she feels like a leadership role among them. She brought them all together. She saw something in them she didn’t see in themselves, so with that being said, they gave her that leadership role as well. It’s a mutual leadership decision. Courtney specifically loves something individually about them so much because they’re all so quirky and unique in their own way, Courtney included, and so all of them being together, I like to say they’re the misfits that just fit.

Courtney and Yolanda hit a rough patch when it came to Henry.

Yes, but I think Courtney no matter what will always do what she thinks is right overall, and at that time, she saw that Henry needed more help. She had helped Yolanda, but now Henry needed her help, so she had to change her priorities, but what it comes down to is Courtney’s heart is so big and she just wants to do what’s best for everyone else. I do think most of the time she’s thinking pretty selflessly, sometimes that leads to her not thinking at all and not thinking things through, but she is normally thinking of other people.

What were the most important moments that shaped Courtney into who she is now?

Joey Zarick. That was a very worldly experience for her and made her understand how dangerous this can be, but also realize how important it was for her to be Stargirl. There is evil out there, and she can help stop it, and so she felt this obligation to stop it.

Henry was once again that same thing. Courtney’s so the first one to see the best in people. That’s why she was so eager to help Henry, because he said, “no, there’s good in my dad,” and she’s like, “OK, we’ll find it.” And I think her seeing that sometimes things aren’t just black and white and people are sometimes just bad and the world can be bad was once again a very growing experience for her.

Then also her father, it made her grow in so many different ways, but overall—we said this earlier—her finding that she’s not Stargirl because of anyone else but because of her and it’s inside her and it chose her. It gave her this newfound confidence.

DC’s Stargirl, Tuesdays, 8/7c, The CW