‘Stargirl’ Episode 7 Review: “Shiv Part One”

Pat trains the new JSA just as the ISA assemble. Meanwhile, homecoming starts as Cindy’s actual history comes to light.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR8_QJpyMos

This episode is mostly a filler episode of a two-parter that should lead us to the midseason conflict. As homecoming begins, the biggest takeaway is that the villainous ISA seems to be coming closer to the truth behind the JSA, just as the show also reveals the origins of Shiv.

Who’s The Queen?

The episode begins with Pat dedicating his time to train Courtney and the crew the ins-and-outs of battling the ISA. The other JSA members are excited to finally get some real training in, though it seems Courtney, being naturally gifted, headstrong and ahead of the curb, doesn’t really care. She breezes through and emphasizes Pat’s little contribution isn’t helping and that it’s all things the group already knows… Unfortunately, Courtney is wrong. And it’s evident to us that she’s incredibly headstrong and arrogant, not unlike the original Starman.

Though this episode focuses on introducing yet another character as we see Cindy, who’s thus far been Queen Bee and the mean-spirited bully, in full-action. Cindy quickly showcases she’s not a mean girls parody but, also, a criminal mastermind, who’s been supervising the events of the high school on the student level. It’s a play on tropes as thus far the stereotype, like many cases of this in the series, has proven to be a narrative device where a character leads on less than they actual know. Although, given that the principal Bowen is influenced too, there must be something special about Blue Valley High.

We get to know Cindy quite intimately in this one, seeing her rapport with her father Dr. Ito, the Dragon King. It’s a slightly tragic relationship as Cindy seemingly lost her mother in an experiment early in life, likely because of her nefarious father’s own diabolic science and manipulations. It’s also interesting to see how Dr. Ito’s seemingly chemically conditioned a small army of grunts who’ll likely serve as battle fodder down the line of the series.

Cindy is revealed to also be headstrong yet fully capable. She seeks to take on a leading role not unlike Stargirl. The two women eventually coming to a head in this episode. Cindy is also revealed to be a brilliant chemist, much like her father, and amongst the younger generation of supervillains (as I’m starting to think the reason the older ISA is here simply to be defeated as each conveniently has a villainous child heir), can be their potential leader.

Meanwhile, Barbara takes an opportunity with Jordan for a new role at her job. And Justin the janitor also comes to light in this episode, showcasing a past affiliation with superheroic abilities.

The Take

It’s obvious this episode was mostly filler, leading up to the big finale. It’s interesting to see Cindy become a villain in her own right, as she’s been the primary Queen Bee and bully in the series, who seems to be a tying thread between the high school and superheroic conflicts in the series (aka she’s the series’ main bad girl). I have a feeling that she’s not going to be Courtney’s rival, but rather, Yolanda’s, given their history for competing as class president and the fact she used to date Cindy’s boyfriend, Henry. It’s a competitive rivalry that delivers Stargirl a much earned defeat, as she was getting a tad cocky.