Courtney is injured after her encounter with Cindy, aka Shiv. So what’s a father to do? Lie through his teeth to keep her identity a secret. It’s a loving moment, if not a bit twisted, and really shows that Pat and Courtney’s relationship has come a long way. It has him not just lying to authorities but also to his wife, Courtney’s mother. It’s a hell of a start to Stargirl‘s eighth episode, “Shiv, Part Two.”

Further scenes are really interesting concerning Pat and his relationship with Stargirl/Courtney. There’s a really touching scene as he talks to the staff laying out where he stands with things and where his head’s at. It’s a dual role in many ways not just a sidekick/mentor watching out for his ward but that of a father watching out for his daughter.

Cindy also now knows the identity of Stargirl, upping the danger for her and her family. It also leaves her dad pissed because she didn’t finish the job and Stargirl is still alive. That’s a factor and direction I didn’t expect the series to go in this year and I thought it’d be something we’d see in a second season.

The episode is an interesting one with Pat teaming up with Beth to try to find out more about Cindy and a completely unexpected confrontation between Cindy and Courtney. The latter half of the episode is where things really pick up adding some interesting and delivering action. It’s an episode that’s hard to describe without spoiling it. What happens feels like something we shouldn’t be seeing yet and the reveals and twists and turns are the things of really solid cliffhangers.

Stargirl continues to be a series that mixes humor, action, heart, and drama. It also defies expectations each and every episode. This is a show that feels like it’s breaking the established rules of superhero television and it’s a series that’s a must-watch each and every week.

Overall Rating: 8.15