Stargirl featured a solid debut that dripped with nostalgia and saccharine sweetness. The second episode picks things up quickly as Pat explains to Courtney about the Injustice Society of America and we get hints as to why the Injustice Society is all in one small town.

What’s briefly mentioned feels like something we’ve seen so many times before but it works and explains a Pollyanna-ish town.

What the episode does right, and right away, is to continue the dynamic between Pat and Courtney. There’s something that really clicks and works between Luke Wilson’s Pat and Brec Bassinger’s Courtney. They’ve got a timing that plays off each other and moments, like when they both say they hurt themselves on the stairs, really plays off their dynamic which relies heavily on humor.

And that goes into the humor of the show. Much like the debut episode, the second has a lighthearted sense about it. That’s best shown in Pat getting S.T.R.I.P.E. to work in a sequence full of fantastic moments. We also get the segment of Courtney creating her costume which breaks the mold of the sequence going smoothly, takes on stereotypes of women, and also is just funny. Both segments really set up the tone of the show which tends to be a bit less serious than other DC live-action shows.

That sequence, like so much else of the show, really highlights the production value of the show. S.T.R.I.P.E. looks really great, so much so I’d love to see segments in how they put it together. There’s also something very “Iron Giant” about it, again tapping into nostalgia.

What the episode also does it set up the future. There are moments that feel like they foreshadow future threats once the Injustice Society is defeated. It’ll be a while before we see how that plays out and most likely won’t happen until a second season.

The episode continues the solid start of the pilot delivering humor and entertaining moments. There’s a good blending of the superhero genre with that of a small town setting. And, while it hints as to why everything has come to this one point, what is teased works and makes sense.

In the end though, what the episode really does is surprise. While there’s so much nostalgia, Stargirl flying by the moon is very ET, what’s said and where the episode goes is unexpected. The finale of the episode isn’t the direction that one would think the series would go. It ends on an interesting moment, not just for Brainwave, but also for the relationship between Courtney and Pat.

Stargirl isn’t the best comic adaptation that has been done for live-action but there’s an enthusiasm and innocence about it that’s unmatched. It’s hard to not just smile and enjoy the series.

Overall Rating: 8.5