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CW's STARGIRL series starring Brec Bassinger (2022)
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Starman is my favorite comic series ever so I have been waiting for this one. Kinda annoyed that they ignore Jack Knight but I understand why storywise - one hero retiring and just choosing her for the staff wouldn't be the best beginning dramatically but still annoyed.

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The DC TV landscape is opening a new chapter as the teenage perspective is given a center stage with DC Universe’s Stargirl, which follows the story of Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger) as she finds her inner heroine and discovers a great legacy left behind by the Justice Society of America.

 

Courtney’s creator Geoff Johns, an icon within the world of DC, has left his mark within comics, television, and films for more than a decade. Throughout his career, Johns gave life to Courtney/Stargirl who is inspired by his sister Courtney who tragically lost her life in the TWA flight 800 crash in 1996. Whether it be in Johns’ JSA runs or Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E., Stargirl has always stood out as one of DC Comics’ consistent lights from the day Johns introduced her.

 

The DC Universe drama becomes the character’s biggest spotlight outside the comic panels with Bassinger bring the teenage heroine to screen. Within the first installments of Stargirl, Courtney’s perspective becomes immediately relatable and universal as big life changes in any teenager’s life can be more than overwhelming. Bassinger delivers an excellent performance as the lead, and another of the show’s strongest elements from the second he steps into the scene is Luke Wilson’s Pat Dugan. One of the core themes of Johns’ Stargirl run that carries into the show’s DNA is how a family is created by bond, not blood. Pat and Courtney, amidst the superhero action, becomes the heart of the entire series as they explore their new family dynamic.

 

But with superheroes come supervillains and Stargirl introduces the Injustice Society with a range of DC villains that play mysterious roles within season 1. The focus is just as much on the heroes as it’s on the foes, allowing the Injustice Society to be fleshed out. For eager and long-time DC fans, there’ll be plenty of Easter eggs and nods to take in as Johns doesn’t hold back. While Stargirl will have many layers that embrace many sides of the DC Universe, the show early on establishes its ability to be a solid television series that happens to follow a comic book heroine.

 

With the vast variety of DC shows on the air, Stargirl stands as the perfect family adventure for all ages. Not only does it have something for all the viewers, but Stargirl will ideally pave the way for the addition of more teenage-led superhero shows in years to come. With times like these that society is currently going through, the arrival of Courtney’s path to heroism comes at a needed time when the world could use a shining light that Stargirl brings.

 

DC Universe’s Stargirl, starring Brec Bassinger as Courtney Whitmore/Stargirl, Luke Wilson as Pat Dugan/S.T.R.I.P.E, Amy Smart as Barbara Whitmore, Anjelika Washington as Beth Chapel/Dr. Mid-Nite, Yvette Monreal as Yolanda Montez/Wildcat, Cameron Gellman as Rick Tyler/Hourman, with Joy Osmanski as Tigress, Christopher James Baker as Brainwave, Neil Jackson as Icicle, Nelson Lee as Dragon King, Neil Hopkins as Sportsmaster and Joel McHale as Sylvester Pemberton/Starman, premieres on Monday, May 18 on DC Universe, with episodes released weekly every Monday.

 

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Forbes Review: ‘DC’s Stargirl’ Shines Bright

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It seems hard to believe, given the legacy of Smallville, that we haven’t had a live-action superhero series based on a teen in a long time. Enter, DC’s Stargirl, which premieres, quite unusually, on the streaming service DC Universe on May 18, and then on the CW on May 19. Sure we’ve had teenagers featured in some major roles, like in Titans or Black Lightning, but in Stargirl, Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger) is the title character, and she brings all the optimism and idealism of someone young with her whole life ahead of her with her. It shines bright and makes for a welcome addition to the growing collection of DC shows on television.

 

The show, created by Geoff Johns and Greg Berlanti, is based on the comics character also created by Johns. The show is uniquely personal for Johns given that the character is inspired by his sister Courtney, who died in the 1996 TWA flight 800 crash. In addition to being an executive producer on the show, Johns also wrote the first two episodes.

 

The series begins when Courtney’s mom, Barbara (Amy Smart), her new step-dad, Pat Dugan (Luke Wilson), and step brother, Mike (Trae Romano), all move to a small town in Nebraska. When Courtney discovers the Cosmic Staff, a relic of the long-dead superhero Starman, in Pat’s stuff and the staff responds to her, she resolves to become a hero of her own making. Pat, admitting to being Star Man’s old sidekick Stripsey, comes out of retirement to assist her, but this time in the driver’s seat of a giant robot christened S.T.R.I.P.E. When they find villains hiding in plain sight in the town, Courtney and Pat resolve to find out what they’re up to and take them down.

 

The special effects are fantastic, especially Pat’s robot. It adds to the show, as what could have looked campy with cheaper effects, instead looks incredible, and makes it easier to take it seriously. Add to that the polished cinematography and well choreographed action, and you’ve got a series that feels big-budget in an era of peak TV.

 

The end of the third episode (only the first three episodes were released to the press) hints at a larger group of heroes that the series is cooking up. So we may see the Justice Society of America on screen yet, and not just in flashbacks.

 

Stargirl is a series with a ton of positive energy that we could all really use right now.

 

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STARGIRL SHINES BRIGHTLY IN DARK TIMES AS THE BEST DC TV SHOW YET

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It's not hard to lose hope these days. As a pandemic puts millions of lives on pause (or worse), escapism and nostalgia for a carefree past are in high demand. There couldn't be a better time for Stargirl to come to our rescue.

 

Earnest, hopeful, and tons of good old fashioned fun, Stargirl is a winner in the expanding DC television universe. A stark contrast to gritty vigilante dramas (Arrow, Daredevil), ironic satires (The Umbrella Academy, Harley Quinn), and even the DC Extended Universe, Stargirl is an exciting refresh of the superhero genre, one that's changed so much since Action Comics #1. But as much as Stargirl feels like an old longbox come to life, the show is radically forward-thinking too, with modern characters, conflicts, and comedy in each episode.

 

There's a simple elegance to Stargirl's American-made engine, and it's in that simplicity Stargirl is a joy to watch, but the action scenes are a let-down, and that keeps the show from going supernova.

 

Much of the show's' best qualities are no doubt due to executive producer Johns. The first-time TV showrunner is responsible for the best Flash and Green Lantern comics of the 2000s, and also for Stargirl herself. It's that attachment to Stargirl's creation that gives the show its ethereal optimism. In 1996, Johns' sister Courtney died in the TWA Flight 800 crash, and his mourning created Stargirl. How much his love and care over her integrity influenced the TV show is impossible to measure, but it definitely plays a factor in how much fun Stargirl is to watch.

 

Even without a pandemic, Stargirl is an easy contender for the must-see show of the summer. But in the context of Covid-19, Stargirl joins shows like Tales From the Loop and Upload as an escapist vehicles arriving just in time. It just so happens the show is also flat-out great, with infectious nostalgia and positivity for the future. It's as exhilarating as a Sunday drive with the top down and rockabilly on the radio, a reminder of normalcy that once was and can be again.

 

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I gave it a try. Wasn't impressed. But gossip girl and arrow season 1 and 2 are the only cw shows I can recall finding good. Flash was ok. I havnt watched a scripted tv show since game of thrones so. All the cw shows have a teen young adult soap feel to them, but star girl seemed to have a higher amount compared to flash super girl and for sure arrow. And I know it's a cheap tv show but the "special effects" cgi seemed a lot less special than the other cw shows had. Surprised nobody commented about the show so figured I would. Please nobody go by my review. I stopped watching walk dead somewhere right after Neegan arrived. 

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Saw it the other night. I enjoyed it!

It was interesting to get a glimpse of the JSA. And with events leading to their deaths taking us forward in time to Courtney's introduce and rapid-fire indoctrination, it seemed to flow smoothly.

We'll see if this DCU show can avoid the pitfalls of the CW influence (too many filler episodes, same Big Bad throughout an entire season). It potential to go either way, depending on the showrunners. But to honor his deceased sister, Geoff Johns will probably do all he can to make it work.

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Turns out one of the prop photos in the pilot was of the actress alongside Geoff Johns's real sister that the character is based on that died in TWA Flight 800's crash.

SUPER TRIBUTE FOR SUPER TEEN – WRITER’S COMIC-BOOK HERO BASED ON SISTER WHO DIED ON FLT. 800

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Courtney Johns died on TWA Flight 800 – now she’s saving the world on a monthly basis.

 

The 18-year-old is the inspiration for Courtney Whitmore, a k a the Star-Spangled Kid, a brassy, braces-wearing teen superhero created by her older brother, comic-book writer Geoff Johns.

 

“It was very devastating to me what happened to her. It was devastating to my parents, devastating to my brother,” Johns told The Post.

 

“I really wanted her spirit to live on.”

 

Now Johns’ inspiration is inspiring others as a junior member of the Justice Society of America, the classic DC Comics’ superteam headed by the original Flash and the Green Lantern.

 

Johns, who co-writes the monthly JSA comic book with friend David Goyer, said he wanted the character on the team because, he said, “Training people to reach their full potential is what the JSA is all about. My sister never reached hers.”

 

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39 minutes ago, PsylockeSmythe said:

The wife and I will give it another episode before we make a decision.  It just didn't grab us as some of the other shows have.  

Psy

I liked that Johns wrote the episode. He had a great run as a writer back then. Wish he wrote the flash TV series.

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Stargirl's CW premiere, which aired on Tuesday after debuting Monday on the DC Universe streaming service, brought in a 0.3 rating and 1.2 million total viewers, according to Deadline.

 

That ties Stargirl with Nancy Drew, which ranked the same metrics, for CW's second best 2019/2020 TV premiere. Batwoman, which drew 0.5 rating and 1.9 million viewers, remains CW's strongest 2019/20 premiere.

 

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So far with 2 episodes of 'Stargirl' and S.T.R.I.P.E., it is better than Batwoman tv that had the same cookie principal villain for 18 episodes. Lots of Injustice Society villains to be re-introduced for season 1. 

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6 hours ago, aardvark88 said:

So far with 2 episodes of 'Stargirl' and S.T.R.I.P.E., it is better than Batwoman tv that had the same cookie principal villain for 18 episodes. Lots of Injustice Society villains to be re-introduced for season 1. 

Right?

By Episode 2 of Batwoman I couldn't help but question why I was taking time out to watch this show already. With Stargirl, Geoff Johns is bringing enough buildup, backstory and intensity I want to know more. Especially in seeing some of those early JSA adventures before the team was attacked.

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