Starman/Stargirl Appreciation 2020

[Will Evans]

I thought the first episode had a lot of heart. The pros outweighed the cons enough that I'll definitely check out a few more episodes. I like that it takes place in the middle of nowhere, and not in LA. The final scene was super fun. Luke Wilson is great. The actress who plays Courtney doesn't have much to work with, but makes it work regardless- she's real charming and it makes the character a lot more enduring.

Not stoked about the JSA timeline. I can't think of a time less likely to be called a golden age of anything than 2010.

You have to look at the timeline from a sixteen year old’s perspective.

[j9ac9k]

Yeah, it's super weird to think of the JSA as existing in the 21st century, but I'm sure the timeline has to do with Courtney's age and her dad somehow.

What I want to know is: what is it about this small town?? Courtney's mom is from there, we don't know why Pat was there (he was "looking for something?") and why has Brainwave set up his life there?

Also, what are the odds Courtney and Brainwave's son are actually going to end up ... catching feelings? We see he's been clearly abused (so he's sympathetic), his girlfriend's a horrorshow and it would just be the kind of teenage drama made for a CW show.

[Will Evans]

Yeah, it's super weird to think of the JSA as existing in the 21st century, but I'm sure the timeline has to do with Courtney's age and her dad somehow.

What I want to know is: what is it about this small town?? Courtney's mom is from there, we don't know why Pat was there (he was "looking for something?") and why has Brainwave set up his life there?

Also, what are the odds Courtney and Brainwave's son are actually going to end up ... catching feelings? We see he's been clearly abused (so he's sympathetic), his girlfriend's a horrorshow and it would just be the kind of teenage drama made for a CW show.

I wonder if Courtney’s mom met her dad there before she moved to LA.

[MRP]

Yeah, it's super weird to think of the JSA as existing in the 21st century, but I'm sure the timeline has to do with Courtney's age and her dad somehow.

What I want to know is: what is it about this small town?? Courtney's mom is from there, we don't know why Pat was there (he was "looking for something?") and why has Brainwave set up his life there?

Also, what are the odds Courtney and Brainwave's son are actually going to end up ... catching feelings? We see he's been clearly abused (so he's sympathetic), his girlfriend's a horrorshow and it would just be the kind of teenage drama made for a CW show.

I think the use of Blue Valley is partly an Easter nod to Silver Age Dc as it was Wally West's hometown.

-M

[Güicho]

In the first half hour (I didn't pay close attention to the second half on WB) that I noticed-

When Pat brings Courtney to school there is a conversation in the car between them that sets up the dynamic between them that comes into play once she finds out he is Stripesy.

After Courtney gets her ID before we get to the lunchroom scene, she is walking down the hall and sees Brainwave Jr. and others doing their shtick and is approached by the head cheerleader and her sidekick who try to recruit her, Courtney rejects them which sets up the end of the lunchroom scene where the girl calls her a bitch as the one who does is the head cheerleader we met earlier

After Courtney is escorted out, there is a scenes with her in detention watching the clock and observing the guy who was sitting at her lunch table, then rushing out and trying to catch her bus, just missing it and having to walk home, and we see her walking through town meeting a few people. This helps set up the annoyance she is feeling at dinner when she storms off and heads downstairs to discover Pat's JSA stuff and the staff.

I got distracted by a phone call and wasn't paying attention in the second half as my wife watched it, so I can't say if there was more cut from that portion. From what I saw it was mostly stuff establishing or developing Courtney's relationship with her surroundings and the people around her. Not necessarily crucial, but it does put a lot of what we do see in context and gives it some more meaning.

My wife has decided to rewatch it on the app to see what she missed.

-M

Thanks for the breakdown the scenes do seem to add to it.

The Stargirl Aftershow podcast confirmed that was Alan Scott at the beginning with the green energy.

We saw Jay's helmet, ....

So they were likely both there.

...I don't see that team of bad guys beating the JSA...with that line-up, so I'm betting some of the heavy hitters may have not been there.

Well it's just some plot necessary convenience, they need the JSA to be "gone" at this point. There may still be a deus ex reveal where several of them survived in some form (or realm).

Terrific set up,
The whole hysterical sidekick vs you were just the assistant, schism.
You're not in the team picture, ...that's cause I took it.

Also is S.T.R.I.P.E his (flying)car, transformed?
Or completley separate?
Is that aspect from the comic?

Really looking forward to the next episode.

[Will Evans]

I think the use of Blue Valley is partly an Easter nod to Silver Age Dc as it was Wally West's hometown.

-M

It’s also where Courtney’s comic took place.

[Jekyll]

So they were likely both there.

Not so, he went on to explain that we only see Jay's helmet and that is important that we never see Jay himself, or lightning, etc.

[Flash Gordon]

You have to look at the timeline from a sixteen year old’s perspective.

How do you mean? Like an unreliable narrator?

[Flash Gordon]

Not so, he went on to explain that we only see Jay's helmet and that is important that we never see Jay himself, or lightning, etc.

I figured that might just be an extra helmet. They were having the battle at the JSA headquarters, I assume they have a lot of extra equipment there.

[Will Evans]

No, I mean the show stars teenagers. It’s aimed at a teen audience primarily.

10 years ago, is not at all long for me and you, but for a teenage it’s a long time ago, and looked upon as nostalgic and simpler from their perspective. Even if it’s 2010.

[Flash Gordon]

No, I mean the show stars teenagers. It’s aimed at a teen audience primarily.

10 years ago, is not at all long for me and you, but for a teenage it’s a long time ago, and looked upon as nostalgic and simpler from their perspective. Even if it’s 2010.

Hmm I'm not sure if that's true. 10 years is 10 years.
I GET where you're coming from in theory- but in the actual narrative it just doesn't really work.

I think Pat being in some kind of stasis would have been more inspired. The JSA is something from Courtney's history class, and bam now she's part of it.

[Güicho]

Another breakdown of the scenes cut for time- http://www.tvandmovienews.com/2020/0...niverses-show/

Significant
Set up:

The opening battle sequence depicting the final battle of the Justice Society of America ....as Pat Dugan (in his guise as Starman's sidekick Stripesy) attempted to free Starman from the ice dagger that impaled him. Starman muttered that the rest of the Justice Society were gone,

In the CW edit, this line was cut completely and the scene jumped directly to Stripsey looking around the collapsing mansion for a means of escape once he'd pulled the ice shard out of his friend's stomach.

Why Blue Valley:

One scene that was cut entirely from The CW - Pat Dugan as he began unpacking his belongings....(including the diary of Rex "Hourman" Tyler) before rifling through several JSA Classified files regarding the supervillains known as The Wizard, Brainwave and Icicle. Pat also looked at a map of the American Midwest, with various notes indicating that Blue Valley was important to the Injustice Society for some reason he had yet to determine.
This scene revealed Pat's real reasons for coming to Blue Valley; a question Courtney raised one scene earlier, when her mother and Pat discussed how they just happened to meet in Blue Valley two years previously, when Barbara Whitmore was trying to sell her mother's house after her death.

Pat's character:

Pat tried to build a bond with Courtney, telling her that he understood why she was unhappy about the move and blamed him for it. Pat went on to describe how he had to move a lot when he was her age because of his father being a mechanic in the US Army. ....While not delivering any major plot information, the scene conveyed more information about Pat's background and how he became a mechanic,

LOL creepy, who?:

.... a quick cut of a creepy janitor, who seemed to stare at Courtney a little too intently.

Courtney's character:

one brief line was cut where Courtney described her difficulties in trying to locate her father under his given name, Sam Kurtis, and how she couldn't find a picture or any information about him on-line.

Courtney passes by a local diner as she walks home, and spends a moment watching a father and daughter eating together, further establishing her desire to find the father who seemingly abandoned her and her mother when she was five years old.

[Will Evans]

Hmm I'm not sure if that's true. 10 years is 10 years.
I GET where you're coming from in theory- but in the actual narrative it just doesn't really work.

I think Pat being in some kind of stasis would have been more inspired. The JSA is something from Courtney's history class, and bam now she's part of it.

We may just get Pat’s Seven Soldiers of Victory origin from the 1940s if the show last many seasons.

Like the time warp still happened for the Seven Soldiers, and then Sylvester joins the late 20th/early 21st century JSA.

[Flash Gordon]

We may just get Pat’s Seven Soldiers of Victory origin from the 1940s if the show last many seasons.

Like the time warp still happened for the Seven Soldiers, and then Sylvester joins the late 20th/early 21st century JSA.

That sounds a lot more fun.

Having her have a step dad that's literally from another era just seems so much more meta and inspired. Like taking 'out of touch parents' and multiplying it by 100.

[Will Evans]

Another breakdown of the scenes cut for time- http://www.tvandmovienews.com/2020/0...niverses-show/

Significant

I’m surprised Wildcat died. Pat could have easily put him in the back of the star rocket racer, before heading inside to try and rescue the others.