The world is looking brighter for Jennie on the latest episode of DC’s Stargirl. “Frenemies – Chapter Eight: Infinity Inc. Part Two” finished the two-parter on a high note for Green Lantern’s daughter. And subsequently, his son Todd too! Jennie’s story had been a part of the Justice Society of America’s narrative since her introduction during Season 2. Beyond finding the ring and discovering her powers, her journey focused a lot on reuniting with her brother. Thankfully, that day is finally here and things are looking up for them. The reunion was a good ending for their story and a nice start for their next adventure.
If there was anyone who could calm down Todd’s shadow powers and reach him, it would be Jennie. They have a deep bond as twins and she was the only family he had left. Since his powers were going out of control, the JSA would’ve needed to do something drastic to stop him, or else the world would’ve plunged into darkness. (And we’re not talking about Eclipso this time!) I liked the contrast of how Courtney, a superhero who channels light, figured out that another superhero of light could be what balanced the darkness. Courtney has a skill for knowing how light can save the day and the power of light within people; it isn’t the first time she’s used the good within people to the benefit of the heroes. This balance of light vs. shadow is a consistent theme of DC’s Stargirl.
When all was said and done, Jennie didn’t even need to use her Green Lantern ring. The bond she shared with her brother was strong enough to quell any shadows and find balance in the world again. It’s great that Jennie and Todd (aka, “Jade” and “Obsidian” respectively in DC Comics) found peace; now they can start their next adventure in New York City and help the JSA when needed.
Did anyone else get spin-off vibes between them and The Shade? It felt like Stargirl was setting up a new story for them to pull in new members for the group. The first stop will be bringing in Sandman’s nephew, but there could be other relatives of superheroes out there who need help and could turn to the JSA. It’s early to tell if The CW (or another platform) would want to tell that story, but the group splintering off will expand Stargirl’s story to other parts of the world. If they ever return to Blue Valley, we’ll have more characters joining the team, which is always welcome!
Speaking of teams, do we trust that Helix will stay on the side of good? DC’s Stargirl made it seem like Mister Bones and Nurse Love were on the side of the JSA, but as the DC Comics had shown in the path, the Helix team originally was a group of supervillains. Plus, Nurse Love always seems like she has something sinister hiding up her sleeve. Some of them reformed to join Infinity, Inc., so we’ll have to see which direction the series wants to take with this new ragtag group of powerful players. Maybe we’ll see them again in the future when all the groups reunite to fight the next big supervillain. Having Helix/Infinity, Inc. aid the JSA in battle would be an exciting comparison to see how both teams deal with combat and their abilities.
In the Shadowlands, we were treated to more backstory about Pat and The Shade. I love it whenever a show explores the hidden layers of characters because we learn the complex motivations behind them and what led them to this moment. For instance, Pat always seemed to be the supportive sidekick under Starman and the moral center for Courtney. But when we take into account his toxic father and the berating he received as a child, it made sense why Pat was always so focused on being good and leading the direction of being a hero. His father’s hurtful words would never keep him down; Pat’s path would try to be a noble hero and a good father.
Though, it was interesting how Barbara’s and Mike’s doppelgangers lashed out at Pat in the Shadowlands. Did their words make you look at Pat in a new light? He clearly fears that he’s ignoring Mike and not taking an interest in his son, almost being too focused on his work as a superhero. And Barbara won’t truly be connected to the life since she’s an outsider. Pat is a complex man. Hopefully, he heeds their advice and makes a change because he has the power to bring them in more and take care of them; he’ll never be his evil father.
In The Shade’s case, he got a good redemption from his former evil ways. Sure, he already got redemption during the second season when he helped the JSA defeat Eclipso, but his redemption now was more on a personal level. His finding peace over not being with his sister during her death and his lack of emotions was good character development for who he is now as a person. The Shade won’t ever fully be an emotional and open man, but he acknowledged his faults and wants to be a better person. Dare we say, he found *some* emotions again, which is a start for him.
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“Frenemies – Chapter Eight: Infinity Inc. Part Two” was a bright spot and a good ending for the two-parter. A trip back to the Shadowlands is always a fun time as we learn more about the characters and what evils are lurking in the shadows. Though you need to pair this with “Frenemies – Chapter Seven: Infinity Inc. Part One” because this episode isn’t strong enough on its own; both parts work together to tell one big story. And that story is the beginning of a new adventure for many characters in the Stargirl world.
DC’s Stargirl airs new episodes Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EST on The CW and streams Thursdays on cwtv.com.
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