Spoilers ahead for the Season 1 finale of Stargirl, called "Stars & S.T.R.I.P.E. Part 2," which released on DC Universe on August 10 and airs on The CW on August 11,
The first season of Stargirl has come to an end with the second half of an intense two-parter that pitted the young Justice Society of America against the experienced Injustice Society. The odds were not in Courtney and Co.'s favor early in the finale thanks to Brainwave using the machine to begin brainwashing all the adults, which meant the JSA initially had to move forward without any adult allies. Fortunately, a little tech, a little luck, and a lot of bravery helped the good guys win the day. Here's how the end of Season 1 sets up Season 2.
Thanks to the heroes defeating the villains' plot to brainwash millions relatively early in "Stars & S.T.R.I.P.E. Part 2," there was plenty of time for some epilogue developments. Since Stargirl delivered so many touching scenes between Courtney and Pat in the finale, I spent most of the epilogue dreading a tragic death for Pat, but the show sidestepped the predictable move of killing off a parental figure after some bonding. Everything seemed pretty okay in Blue Valley, but there are already some signs that complications are coming for Season 2. Let's break them down.
Starman Is Alive
The final scene of the episode revealed that Sylvester Pemberton, a.k.a. Starman, isn't so dead after all. The Cosmic Staff coming to Courtney coupled with Pat's conviction that Starman was gone had felt like confirmation that Starman was dead, if not Courtney's dad. He turned up in the season finale at Pat's old place in California, looking for Pat and looking like either he has aged phenomenally or there's something fishy going on. If we assume that Starman and Stargirl will cross paths in Season 2, there could be some complications about who gets to keep the staff.
Some Big Deaths
Pat may have survived, but there were some characters who did indeed bite the dust. The good news is that the big deaths were mostly on the side of the bad guys, and they were pretty shocking. Brainwave died a brutal death after his attempt to impersonate Henry backfired and Yolanda killed him, and Icicle died when Mike hit him with a car while in his ice form and quite literally shattered him. Dragon King died after an act of patricide. Sadly, Chuck is gone too, and the loss of him broke Beth's heart, but more on Chuck later.
Cindy Burman Is On The Loose
Although Dragon King was one of the big bads of Season 1, he arguably did a good thing when he locked up his daughter. Cindy didn't agree, and she killed her father after she made it out of her cell in the Season 1 finale. She escaped the Justice Society taking down the ISA and will seemingly continue her villainous journey when Stargirl returns for Season 2. She ended the episode rummaging through some old boxes, and she pulled out what looked like a bizarre diamond and said "Eclipso."
New Villains In The Mix
Cindy's mention of "Eclipso" presumably means that the Wrath of God villain from the pages of DC Comics is on the way in Season 2. The Shade made an appearance in the finale as well, so he may have a bigger part to play in the second season, especially with Icicle and Brainwave seemingly dead. Sportsmaster and Tigress presumably survived the finale since they weren't shown dead, and The Gambler is almost certainly alive with a grudge against the JSA thanks to Beth draining his accounts. Season 1 may have ended with Christmas cookies, but that may not be how Season 2 picks.
Rick Tyler Didn't Kill Grundy
Speaking of grudges, Rick didn't make a secret of his thirst for revenge, and after Pat in S.T.R.I.P.E. was defeated by Grundy, Rick used his powers to fight the creature. Rick got the upper hand and had the opportunity to avenge his parents' deaths by killing Grundy, but he couldn't bring himself to do it when Grundy stopped fighting back. Rick let Grundy go, although threatened that Grundy should never return. I would be surprised if he doesn't come back, but the question is whether he'll still be a baddie or Rick letting him live changed his priorities.
Yolanda Killed Brainwave
In a surprising turn of events, Rick decided not to kill Grundy while Yolanda pretty brutally killed Brainwave. Henry Sr. used his powers to impersonate his son and try to trick Yolanda into leading him to her friends, but Yolanda figured him out and slashed his throat with her claws, saying that she would watch him die just like she'd had to watch his son die. She didn't try to hide that she killed him from Courtney, but she was also clearly dwelling on what she did in the aftermath of the battle, and there's no way that Stargirl doesn't revisit what Yolanda did in Season 2.
Chuck Is Gone
While Beth seemed like she and Chuck were the safest members of the new JSA in the finale, Icicle eventually tracked them down and destroyed the goggles. Beth was devastated that her unconventional BFF was gone, and it didn't help that Courtney and her friends clearly thought of Chuck as an "it" rather than a "him." Courtney, Rick, and a distracted Yolanda promised to try and find a way to get Chuck back, but the loss of Chuck could mean a lot more than just Beth's sadness. Chuck was an incredible asset to the team, and they might struggle a lot without him.
The Shining Knight Is On The Search
Although initially dismayed that he didn't get to slay the Dragon King as the Shining Knight, Justin's spirits lifted at the prospect of more dragons to slay, and he left Blue Valley to go "and find my horse" as well as "any other soldiers," which Pat evidently took to mean other surviving members of the Seven Soldiers of Victory. Pat had expressed a wish to know where they were earlier in Season 1, so I for one wouldn't be surprised if Justin returns along with a fellow former member of the the group or two. Maybe another Green Arrow is on the way to The CW!
The good news is that Stargirl has already been renewed for Season 2 and, like Supergirl before it, coming to The CW after debuting on a different platform. The bad news is that more Stargirl likely won't be on the way until 2021 at the earliest. For now, you can watch and rewatch Stargirl Season 1 streaming on DC Universe.
The Season 1 finale will make its broadcast debut on Tuesday, August 11 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW. For some additional viewing options now and in the coming weeks, check out our 2020 summer TV premiere schedule and our 2020 fall TV premiere guide!
