Is there a new ally in town joining the Justice Society of America on Stargirl? Green Lantern’s daughter just might be what the team is looking for in phase two. “Summer School: Chapter Two” introduced Jenny (aka. “Jade”), a superpowered orphaned teenager who recently discovered that her father was the original Green Lantern. Jenny completed another piece of the puzzle in the next generation of the JSA. However, does her introduction mean she’ll stick around to be an active member of the team? Based on her first adventure, she’ll most likely pop up sometime soon.
Despite the big fight during the season premiere, Jenny’s origin story was a subtle introduction. Her character was treated as a secret after Green Lantern died, so it worked that no one (not even Pat) knew about her or her brother’s existence. The original JSA seemed quite secretive about everything—it’s only a matter of time before more kids, like Jenny’s brother, will pop up in Blue Valley. I wish her dad had left her more clues besides just his Green Lantern ring. What did he expect? Did he think she’d learn everything on her own? She’s lucky Pat still had all the information and the original lantern to pass onto her.
Jenny picked up on her powers quickly, which was a nice change of pace for her character’s development. The other JSA members were either gifted through equipment or had other skills that worked with their alter-egos, like Courtney and her gymnastics. Jenny learning the basics with her ring sped up the time we would’ve wasted watching her train. Now that she understands the core moves of the ring, such as creating anything with her mind and flying, she can jump right into the next fight. Though, I loved that the lantern wasn’t something she could easily control; that weapon was a powerful item, so it shouldn’t be something that could be mastered right away. It’s the type of storyline where she would need to conquer her inner emotions before the lantern could be stopped.
The duality between Jenny and Courtney provided some great resolution to Stargirl’s plot in the first season. Courtney had been so convinced that Starman was her father, but beyond a few scenes of her considering quitting, she moved past that inner turmoil for the sake of the world. Her having to see a character who was the child of a superhero allowed her to face any guilt or thoughts she carried from her reality being shattered. Jenny’s “superhero origin” was everything that Courtney wanted, but Courtney couldn’t look beyond that one idea to see that she had a lot of great things in her life. Courtney’s biggest flaw is her pride; she wants to be the hero without recognizing she’s in a team. It’s great that she realized all the benefits in her life; she has a loving family and great friends who will be there for her. Plus, she doesn’t need to be the daughter of Starman for her to be Stargirl.
How soon will it be before Rick encounters Solomon Grundy again? “Summer School: Chapter Two” teased something (or someone) was hiding in the forest and eating up all the meals that Rick left behind. It’s gotta be Grundy, right? The villain was spared during the JSA’s battle and no one has seen him since. And, since Jade has been introduced on Stargirl, this might be the redemption storyline to turn him from a villain to hero, and for the animosity between him and Rick to end.
Richard Swift (aka. The Shade) most likely has a dastardly scheme up his sleeve. What could he want with Wizard’s belongings? Could he be looking for Eclipso’s crystal or the powerful wand? Metaphorical alarm bells went off the second he walked into Barbara’s office; everything from his expressions to his suave movements into the room made it clear that he had a secret objective in mind. It’s great that Pat is suspicious of Richard because none of the other JSA members have encountered Richard yet, so someone needs to be cautious of his movements. Hopefully, Pat is careful if he tries to buddy up with Richard; you never know what Shade will do if he thinks the JSA will make an attack against him.
Is anyone else sad that Bobbie Burman died? She nearly got away to live her life free of the Injustice Society of America and its evil plots. If she hadn’t fallen under Eclipso’s spell, she could’ve snuck out and made a break for it. The interesting thing about “Summer School: Chapter Two” was that it made me sympathize with Cindy (aka. Shiv) a lot more. She looked truly heartbroken that her stepmother was killed by Eclipso, regardless of Bobbie trying to kill her while under Eclipso’s influence. If Cindy had treated Bobbie with kindness, their relationship might’ve been a lot more tender and welcoming. This could be the start of her needing true friends and redemption (like with the JSA) since she might not be as evil as the original ISA or her father, the Dragon King.
“Summer School: Chapter Two” packed a punch with the introduction of two key characters. Courtney got a serious case of character development that she needed from the first season, which helped her a lot to face her inner demons. And we lost a familiar figure under the influence of potentially Stargirl season 2’s deadliest villain. So far, the season has had a slow start, but the pieces are being laid for what could be a rising momentum.
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DC’s Stargirl airs new episodes Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST on The CW and streams Wednesdays on cwtv.com.
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