Posted in: CW, DC Universe, Review, TV | Tagged: Brec Bassinger, cw, dc, Meg DeLacy, season 2, Stargirl, Yvette Monreal

DC's Stargirl Season 2 Episode 12 Review: Deeper Into The Darkness

DC's Stargirl "Summer School: Chapter Twelve" continues the slow burn from last week, getting everyone in place for the final battle against Eclipso (Nick Tarabay) coming in next week's season finale. Now that Courtney (Brec Bassinger), Dr. Mid-Nite, (Alex Collins), and Cindy (Meg DeLacy) have escaped from the Shadowlands the table is now set for the showdown that has been building all season. Beth (Anjelika Washington) and Dr. Mid-Nite, or Chuck as he prefers, have bonded and are working together in a mentor, sidekick capacity, while Courtney has tentatively aligned with Cindy.

Mike (Trae Romano) finds that his friend Jakeem (Alkoya Brunson), has the Thunderbolt, and has seemingly lost track of it. and although he regrets wishing him away a few weeks ago, Mike convinces Jakeem to keep the Thunderbolt and join the JSA, after they finish doing the dishes. Yolanda agrees to come back to the team if only to protect them from Cindy. Beth and Chuck stumble upon Eclipso who monologues and reveals that the plan to release the darkness within Courtney only works if everyone is together, gleefully telling the duo Mid-Nites 'I will feed on your entire world, and I will become your god.' Finally, the episode dissolves into a montage of what everyone is doing to prepare for battling Eclipso. All signs point to giving in to the dark side like the original JSA did, which is the only way to beat Eclipso. You have to be bad to defeat evil. However, if you have been paying attention this season you know there is only one thing that can hurt the darkness. 

Director Greg Beeman gets major points for placing a poster of controversial comedian Dave Chapelle prominently behind the shoulder of Jakeem. No matter what you think of his questionable viewpoints from his recent Netflix special, The Closer, it takes a lot of balls to seemingly show some support to the beleaguered comedian. Everything else on his walls is pretty generic, so this is definitely an intentional choice.

Points for Luke Wilson flexing his acting skills a little in this episode as he is trying to convince Rick's uncle to drop the charges. His 'I have a little bad in me' speech hints at the darkness that is needed to defeat Eclipso, which is taking over. I have to take away some points for no Thunderbolt appearance, despite talking about him almost the entire episode. There is a heavy legacy theme and with Yolanda and Rick looking for a change. Watch for new powers and costumes next week. We are also still waiting for possible appearances from Sylvester Pemberton, Obsidian, and the return of The Shade. Nothing, or no one, is off the table. A lot of the story is devoted to Beth and Chuck's relationship, I hope that the emotional bond is a set-up for future seasons, and not for an untimely death next week. 

Similar to last week, this episode was predictably a little slow with a lot of setups and some great, late-inning character development. As the JSA is getting all its members in place, we discover that Eclipso has been in control of the chessboard all along. With Cosmo back to full strength and Cindy aiding their cause, can this be enough to defeat the darkness that has taken over Blue Valley? While not as entertaining as previous weeks, this episode's build-up to the finale makes up for the lack of action, now that the endgame is in sight. 

And as for next week…

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