Eclipso is officially out of his prison and roaming Blue Valley.
Stargirl Season 2 episode 6 gives up the first physical look of God’s spirit of wrath. Despite the young JSA’s efforts and The Shade’s unofficial and temporary alliance, Eclipso managed to exploit the youngsters’ naivety to set himself loose.
The Status Quo
The entire JSA squad is recuperating from their traumatizing encounter with Eclipso. The supervillain managed to do a number on all of them, despite being trapped in the Black Diamond.
He (or it?) infiltrated their minds and used their worst fears against them. It wasn’t until Stargirl blasted her Eclipso-possessed History/Art teacher with the Cosmic Staff that the nightmare ended — or at least, the worst part of it.
Showdown Prep
The episode starts with Yolanda, at the diner, messing up an order from a regular customer due to her psychological distress. Not only has she been suffering from trauma since the beginning of the season, but Eclipso rubbed salt into the wound.
Her co-worker advises her to not let it get to her head because it’ll show on her face, which will impact her tips. So, Yolanda fakes a smile and heads to her next customer. Oops, it’s Isaac.
He doesn’t take long to confront her about what the young JSA did to his parents before he storms out, leaving Yolanda shocked.
Showdown prep one: Check!
Next up on the list, we’ve got Beth. Her parents are still getting a divorce and she’s still hell-bent on fixing it. Poor child!
The scene starts at her father’s place of work. She brings him lunch and tries to talk about the separation. Uncomfortably, he says he promised not to discuss the subject without the presence of her mom. Yet, the teenager pushes forward by pulling out a binder full to the brim with getaway ideas to help her parents fix their marriage.
Look, the scene is uncomfortable to watch, especially if you’re an adult.
Beth’s father stands his ground; so, she pulls out the ultimate weapon: She tells him she’s not okay. Daddy feels even worse, assures her that he loves her more than anything, takes the lunch, thanks her, and leaves.
Devastating.
Distraught and anguished, Beth leaves her dad’s office and rings up Rick, who’s not picking up. All of a sudden, a baseball knocks her phone down. Oops, it’s Artemis!
The athlete wonder goes on a mini young-villain monologue about how Beth is still afraid of balls — a call-back to 7th grade — and how her family has been dismantled (Sportsmaster and Tigress being in prison) and if Beth knows how that feels — which, ironically, she does. Yet, Artemis doesn’t know that.
Our beloved nerd confirms that she knows the feeling all too well, but the jock-extraordinaire isn’t having any of it. She grabs her by the collars and says “It’s gonna be you and me, jock vs nerd, an age-old classic.”
Showdown prep two: Check! *
Black Diamond Bread Crumbs
At Blue Valley high school, Pat and Courtney are going through the mess Eclipso created through Paul Deisinger, the art/history teacher, with his paintings. Courtney pulls out a painting of Diablo Island and tells her stepfather that there were other paintings of Solomon Grundy and Brainwave, except they’re gone.
Pat tells her those paintings were never there and that it was an illusion created by the spectral being. He also tells her he can make people see things, so, she asks what else can he make them see?
That’s when Cameron, looking all emo, walks in.
Next scene: Mike and Zeek – Mike goes junkyard shopping for his own robot vehicle (with no wheels). Cindy’s surprise appearance and mean comments. He asks if they know what happened to the art teacher and Pat tells him he was admitted to psychiatric care.
Cameron addresses his next three questions to Courtney:
- What are you doing here? She says they volunteered to clean the place
- Why do bad things keep happening to good people in this town? Pat interrups by pulling up a painting of Cindy Burman holding the Black Diamond.
- What is she [Cindy]holding? Courntey lies, exchanging a worried look with Pat.
The orphan proceeds to tell them about his encounter — which happened in the last episode — with the ex-Regina George. With their new clue revealed, stepfather and daughter excuse themselves to go after the diamond.
Shiv Kidnaps Mike
At Zeek’s junkyard, Mike and the quirky mechanic discuss what type of project Courtney’s stepbrother should work on. Zeek manages to install the idea of building a robot in Mike’s head.
Psyched about his new project, the teenager starts looking for parts. That’s when Cindy makes a creepy surprise appearance — classic jump scare.
Long story short, she kidnaps him planning to use him as bait.
Isaac and Artemis Beat Up an Old Man (Pat)
Pat enters his garage and checks on S.T.R.I.P.E. Suddenly, his head throbs. Isaac Bowin plays his violin and uses the cords to blast the old man onto the stairs.
Pat scrambles up to the top of the stairs where Artemis fly-kicks in the chest. He asks her to hold on and tells her he won’t hit a child — As if he has a chance against a wonder athlete.
The troubled teenagers proceed to use him as a training dummy. When Isaac is about to deal the killing blow, Artemis stops him saying that he’s her dad’s friend and that they’re there for the robot.
S.T.R.IP.E is out of commission.
Pre-Showdown Pep Talks
Let’s speed this up:
- Pat’s hospitalized with a concussion but the doctor said he’ll be okay (I’m surprised he survived without a few broken bones/ribs). Courtney blames herself for not going back with her stepdad but her mom embraces her and tells her it’s not her fault.
- Yolanda, Beth, and Rick are at the scene of the crime with the destroyed robot. Rick asks what happened and the other two recount their previous incidents with Isaac and Artemis.
- At the hospital, Courtney tells Barbara about the painting and speculates that Cindy is the one who has the Black Diamond. Right on cue, Cindy calls Stargirl from Mike’s phone. She taunts her, asks her to come to the high school cafeteria, and hangs up. Coutrney doubts herself but her mom lifts her spirit up and tells her to “go kick that girl’s ass”. Stellar parenting!
- Barbara calls The Shade to ask for his help. When he asks her why is of any concern to him, the worried mom reveals the whereabout of the Black Diamond.
Showdown With a Twist
The young JSA has a showdown with the young ISA to rescue Mike. The fight went way longer than it should have. The teenage heroes were clearly stronger and better equipped, yet I suppose the producers wanted an actual throwdown.
Mike is rescued and the fight still rages. This is when The Shade interrupts them and asks Cindy — threateningly politely — to hand over the Black Diamond. But things can never be that easy, can they? Eclipso possesses Cindy and attacks Richard Swift. They both clash with their respective powers and Courtney sees this as an opportunity to use her staff to shatter the diamond. And it works.
But, wait, it still ain’t that easy. The diamond smashes to pieces and — cue evil music —Eclipso is free at last, free at last. Cindy, enraged by Eclipso’s betrayal, rushes him yet the naive villain is mutilated as the spirit of God’s Wrath casually tore off one of her wrists blades and impaled Isaac with it. He proceeds to inhale the misguided kid’s soul, killing him in the process. Artemis, after witnessing the horror, bolts out of the place.
Cindy, resistant as always, tells Eclipso that he owes her for freeing him. The big baddie disagrees verbally at first, then by sealing Shiv in one of the diamond’s fragments.
Hot-headed Rick takes a swing and is brushed off with a backhand that slammed him against the wall. The Shade butts in and goes for an attack himself. The same outcome as those who proceeded him, except Eclipso pierces him with his bare hands and tosses him aside.
Finally, Courtney strikes with her staff, yet Eclipso catches it. However, the Cosmic Staff seems to hurt him but its glow eventually dies. Hurt, the big baddie pushes Stargirl and runs away.
The Aftermath
At the clocktower, The Shade whimpers on the ground then vanish again.
At the hospital, Courtney retells the events that transpired at her high school. They take a guess as to what will Eclipso do next and Mike adamantly declares he wants a S.T.R.I.P.E of his own saying he was scared.
At the garage, Beth tells Rick he has a broken rib, and Yolanda — who’s been reeling from the idea of who deserves to die and who’s not — is determined that Eclipso has to die.
Finally, Eclipso transforms into a blond white kid and walks around in Blue Valley with a maniacal laugh.
