Stargirl: Season 3 (Final)

Based on: DC comics character Courtney Whitmore created by Geoff Johns and Lee Moder

Created by: Geoff Johns

Executive producers: Sarah Schechter, Glen Winter, Greg Beeman, Melissa Carter, Greg Berlanti, Geoff Johns

Starring: Brec Bassinger (Courtney/Stargirl), Yvette Monreal (Yolanda/ Wildcat), Anjelika Washington (Beth /Dr Mid-Nite), Cameron Gellman (Rick/Hourman), Luke Wilson (Pat/S.T.R.I.P.E.), Amy Smart (Barbara), Trae Romano (Mike), Meg DeLacy (Cindy/Shiv), Hunter Sansone (Cameron), Neil Jackson (Jordan/Icicle), Alkoya Brunson (Jakeem Thunder), Neil Hopkins (Sportsmaster), Joy Osmanski (Tigress), Joel McHale (Starman)

This has been an excellent series from beginning to end. (Which... there are strong rumors that the show will be picked up again, somehow, at some point.) 

I don't know much about comics, but I'm in several DC groups on Facebook and other comic-focused fans have praised the portrays of all the main characters, especially Stargirl herself. So I hope they're right about the show's accuracy! But for myself, there are many other things which I find great about this series. 

• mature storylines while remaining PG
• great acting 
• great visuals
• natural diversity 
• wholesome family dynamics 

Wildcat, Dr. Mid-Nite, Hourman, and Stargirl

I'd say the first and last bullets were my favorite. The show covered deep and very dark issues: abusive family, murdered children, and parental abandonment. These issues were handled tastefully and effectively, acknowledging their heaviness while keeping things appropriate for family audiences. I have quite a lot of respect for shows that can do that because it's something I want to be able to manage in my own future. I really enjoy dark and heavy subject matters both because they're real and because they force characters (and audiences) to acknowledge these realities and process their way through them, discovering within themselves (or externally) sources of hope to carry them forward. These are the most meaningful conversations and moments that characters (and audiences) can have, in my opinion; they're topics that enable the forging of new relationships or new depths of relationship both on and off the screen. Of course, this is all only applicable when the topics are handled appropriately. 

I find the idea of handling them in a tasteful or PG manner just as important. Without that, stories can easily fall into sexualized or overly violent/gory depictions that I find unnecessary and that are often triggering for many viewers. I find violence more acceptable because it's fake; but I rarely if ever see real reason for sex or sexualized scenes. Suggestion, in my opinion, is universally acceptable and equally powerful. Stargirl handled this excellently; there was no skin and all violence was suggested or at least without blood/gore. And there was quite a lot of violence!! So I was very impressed by its tasteful depictions of these things. 

The other things I want to touch on more thoroughly are the diversity and family dynamics. There was great diversity both in race and culture; men, women, and people of color were some of the main heroes, including obviously the main hero being a girl. Family dynamics were also appropriately center-stage. Stargirl's own family was necessarily wholesome. It depicted a combined family of a woman who already had a daughter marrying a man who already had a son. There was also necessarily conflict that comes with such a situation, but their dynamics always ended up wholesome and loving, which I felt was very important to depict hope and potential at the core of the situation. That's obviously not to suggest that those situations work out every time, but I think it was more important for this show (and this character) to hold a platform that projected love as its center and hope to viewers. 

Courtney's family and the Justice Society: (L-R, B-F) Barbara, Pat, Starman, Yolanda, Courtney, Mike, Jakeem

Finally, I loved the larger array of characters the series (and even just this season!) included--and the accompanying necessary visual effects were also great. The main cast wasn't effects-heavy with only Stargirl's cosmic staff requiring a lot. But other characters were a bit more heavy, with Icicle and his cryokinetic family being center and the genie Thunderbolt being commanded by Mike and Jakeem. Other characters were also VFX intensive like Green Lantern's daughter (Ysa Penarejo), the Shade (Jonathan Cake), Brainwave (season 1; Christopher James Baker), and Eclipso (season 2; Milo Stein). At no point during the series did I feel like any of these characters were underused or nerfed based on their expensive VFX requirements, which is a lot more than can say for some other live action DC series, sadly. 

Mike & Jakeem with the Thunderbolt genie 

I really appreciated the Shade's role in seasons 2 and 3; as a powerful but morally ambiguous character, he was a compelling figure for both sides to both reason with and fight

The last thing I want to note is the great story each season contained and the great way the whole series ended. Even though each season had an independent villain (which I don't usually like), the ideas and character development for the whole cast carried forward. Each season was also very well thought out and affected each character on personal and deep levels. This was especially true of season 2, which featured Eclipso, an entity which got into each character's head and showed them their deepest fears. I was impressed how both the heroes' and villains' character development carried forward very relevantly each season. What each of them went through affected them and changed their behavior very tangibly. And the very last episode, which Berlanti wisely wrote and filmed on the chance their series would be cancelled, included a great wrap-up scene that jumped forward in time. It showed a Justice Society HQ depicting fully realized versions of each main character, including some new ones that carried the assumption that more would be discovered after the series' timeline. It was a fantastic way to punctuate the ending and give it hope that carries forward in our minds beyond the finale episode. 

Okay so I keep saying "finally" and "one last thing," but just one final last thing- 

I loved Courtney's love interest in seasons 2 and especially 3: Cameron (Hunter Sansone), Icicle's son. Their relationship brought a whole host of issues to this final season. The fact that he wasn't aware of the Justice Society or the fact that Stargirl is a superhero or his dad is a villain. He barely understood his own powers, which he inherited from his dad and his grandparents. Courtney was forced to attempt to delicately broach the whole superhero/supervillain thing over time, which included the fact that her team killed his father, Icicle, the previous season. Their relationship also meant involving his grandparents who became his guardians this season, both of whom have the same ice powers, and each of whom had very different (and sometimes deadly) thoughts about Courtney. The whole thing was full of high stakes and potentially great rewards. It was also very romantic and strung me along like a fish! 

Cameron talking to the group at school, as they know he is their enemy's son but he does not!

Here's to hoping those rumors are true and some other network picks up this amazing series!