Stargirl 1x01 "Pilot" Episode Review

Major Spoilers are included in this episode review. Please read with caution.

Just when I thought I was burned out from watching superhero shows, Stargirl’s “Pilot” episode dropped on the DC Universe Streaming Service. There was no turning back for me after my initial viewing on May 18, 2020. In my professional—and definitely more personal—opinion, Stargirl has the potential to become the next big superhero to hit the mainstream due to the television series being streamed on The CW alongside the rest of the Arrowverse shows like The Flash and Supergirl.

For those who don’t know, the heroine Stargirl was created in honor of Geoff Johns’—one of the co-creator’s—late sister also named Courtney. Now I have seen versions of Courtney Whitmore in Smallville, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, and the animated Justice League Unlimited; so, I was quite excited to hear the DC Universe was making a live-action television series for her. Unlike the R-rated Titans or the meta-silliness of Doom Patrol, Stargirl is an all-age superhero origin story that anyone can appreciate.

The episode started with an over-the-top—epic—fight sequence centered around Pat (Luke Wilson) and the Justice Society of America’s defeat in their last battle against the Injustice League. The superhero tragedy—the death of Starman—also connected to a young Courtney Whitmore being disappointed by her absent father on Christmas Eve.

However, when the episode jumped to present day, the story followed a light-hearted tone centered around main protagonist Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger)—our future Stargirl—and her attempts to make the best out of a moving away situation, which she blamed on her step-father Pat. Courtney and Pat don’t share a good father-daughter relationship.

This aspect of the series was quite an interesting take on the superhero genre, as it played out like the start of a coming-of-age movie with a father-daughter relationship being at the heart of the movie. Once Courtney discovered the magic staff in the basement though, they started playing with the idea of getting along for the mother’s sake—the makings of their relationship that will likely turn into a superhero team as well.

While I was viewing the “Pilot” episode, there was a real freshness to the overused superhero tropes—a young legacy hero trying to make a difference, a small town with hidden secrets, and supervillains threatening the protagonist’s lively hood—that it gave me hope for its future on the streaming service and The CW.

The writing was good, the cast members—Luke Wilson and Brec Bassinger—were well-selected, and the special effects were pretty darn amazing. Like, you could tell the DC Universe’s budget was bigger and better utilized than The CW’s. For a good amount of the episode, I felt like I was watching a movie on Stargirl instead of a mere first episode.

Overall, I’m excited to watch Stargirl every Monday. The cliffhanger was effective in making the audience want more from the series, and there was confirmation that the show didn’t waste its entire special effects budget on the “Pilot”.  I’ve finally gotten over my superhero fatigue.