Stargirl: Pilot

May 16, 2020 5:15 AM - Season 1, Episode 1

Courtney's seemingly perfect life in Los Angeles gets upended with a move to Nebraska. (CW, DC Comics adaptation.)

AV Club - Despite its sunny hero, Stargirl goes to some dark places (non-spoilery review of the first 3 episodes)

TV Guide - Stargirl Creator Geoff Johns Wants an Arrowverse Crossover Just as Much as We Do

CBR:
*Stargirl Is an Upbeat, Satisfying Superhero Show Perfect for Summer
*10 Things You Didn't Know About Stargirl
*10 Things You Need To Know About DC’s Next TV Hero
*The Comic Book History of Wildcat, the Next-Generation JSA Hero

posted by oh yeah! (8 comments total)

Note - the series will be premiering on DC Universe Monday 5/18 and on the CW network Tuesday 5/19, but I'm under the impression that the pilot may have had some advance screenings or been up for streaming earlier, so maybe some MeFites have seen it already? In any case, with the rest of the Arrowverse winding down for the summer, I figure we might as well have get this show page started.
posted by oh yeah! at 5:15 AM on May 16, 2020 [1 favorite]

Looking like Jack Knight will be absent from this story, even if his Cosmic Staff is not. Likely due to his creator's arrangement with DC comics, I'd imagine. Probably for the best - I would just want the series to be about him and Opal City if he made an appearance. Still pretty weird how legal agreements here on Earth Prime bend and warp the flow of the multiverse though.

This looks fun, and the costumes are outstanding. I generally dig DC TV's soap opera style; I'm sure I'll give this a look.
posted by EatTheWeek at 10:16 AM on May 16, 2020 [1 favorite]

I liked it!

Loved the look of resigned sadness on Luke Wilson’s face when Joel McHale told him he wasn’t a hero.

Way too many secondary characters to introduce in a pilot, though.
posted by 1970s Antihero at 6:29 PM on May 18, 2020

TV Line recap

EW recap: A super-heroic start

EW - DC's Stargirl's Luke Wilson and Brec Bassinger break down that action-packed premiere cliffhanger

TV Fanatic recap
posted by oh yeah! at 6:34 PM on May 19, 2020

Not sure how this got such rave reviews, though these are some pretty desperate times and that crazy pipe sure has a mind of its own. Welcome to tireland, sweet lassie.
posted by snofoam at 6:23 PM on May 20, 2020

Wow, they certainly didn't spare the F/X budget on this. I just have to wonder if they can sustain that level of funding, especially given how much the other Arrowverse shows seem to have cut back on F/X.

I don't know why these shows always start off with such terrible make-up. I mean sure, the family was living in sunny California, and you want to show they're tanned, by you don't need to use a whole vat of pancake orange on each actor.

Superhero casting central certainly doesn't believe in short actors. Outside of Wolverine (and Puck from Alpha Flight), Sylvester Pemberton is probably the shortest hero I can easily name, and here we've got Joel McHale a head taller than Luke Wilson.

Maybe I missed it, but when Pat was flipping through the classified JSA villain folders, he went through all of the male bad guys who took down the society, but didn't open a folder for their female counterpart.

The JSA photo had a very Alex Ross feel.

I'm not really looking forward to high school plots and mean girls and jocks and losers (sorry, singles) as teen drama is really not my usual go-to when it comes to entertainment options, but I guess I'll stick with the show for now, even if it does have a habit of doing bad things to lovely old cars.
posted by sardonyx at 7:52 PM on May 23, 2020

So, Stripesy is a GenX who wants to be Boomer? Or did this particular corner of the multiverse simply skip 1960 - 2010?

I was not grooving on the by the numbers plot points and high school drama set up, but at least I like the leads, and they did a good job establishing Courtney as a good egg for the most part. I hope that her step-brother Poochie dies on the way back to his home planet, though.
posted by ursus_comiter at 11:29 PM on May 27, 2020 [1 favorite]

Okay, I'm finally taking up watching this show.

....Nebraska? A superhero show in....Nebraska?
I also keep wondering if it's supposed to take place in the 1950's or something, given the aesthetic.

I like how Courtney is all "My dad disappeared on Christmas Eve, Starman died that night, I'm the only one who can work this sentient staff, OF COURSE I'M STARMAN'S KID, DUH" and everyone else is just all "no, he's not" and she's all "Coulda been an alias, duh." I like that she has gymnastics skills and makes fun of "Stripey" as a name.

I'm surprised Luke Wilson is on this show? In like....every episode? As the sidekick? Who made his own robot? LOL.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:32 PM on November 1, 2020