DC’s Stargirl – Summer School: Chapter Five

By starrymag | September 13, 2021

By: Atiya Irvin-Mitchell

 

 

The episode starts with a flashback to ten years ago in California. A much younger Cindy Burman (Sophia Annabella Kim) wakes up in the middle of the night screaming. When her mother (Luna Tieu) comes in to see what’s wrong, Cindy says she has a nightmare about her father. She tells her mother that her dad took her and experimented on her. Cindy says she doesn’t want to be like her father. Her mother says her father is far away and can never find them. With that said, Cindy’s mother turns off the nights and leaves the little girl to go back to sleep. At first it seems that everything’s fine, until there’s a snarling noise in the dark and a snake-like creature appears at her bedside. The scene ends with Cindy’s screams.

 

In the present day Cindy (Meg DeLacy) is trying to figure out how to sell Cameron (Hunter Sansone) on the ISA. She’s about to approach him in front of the mural he’s painting for his father, but she’s stopped by Cameron’s grandmother Lily (Kay Galvin). Lily tells Cindy to stay away from Cameron. She adds that Cindy’s father was a monster and she believes she’s one too. Cindy says her son was a loser who got himself killed and that she’ll talk to Cameron if she wants to. Lily shows Cindy that her son wasn’t the only Mehkant with ice powers, ending the conversation.

 

Courtney (Brec Bassinger) sneaks into her room, only to be caught by Pat (Luke Wilson) who points out that it’s an hour past curfew. He asks where she’s been and she admits she was looking for Richard Swift (Jonathan Cake) because she wants to team up. Pat says he’s a dangerous person who’s killed people, so that’s a bad idea. Courtney thinks Eclipso is probably worse and she’s hurt that a supervillain was more honest with her about Dr. MidNite’s daughter than he was. Pat apologizes and Courtney does too for breaking her curfew. Before Pat leaves Courtney asks if Pat’s keeping anything else from her. Pat says no.

 

The Eclipso-related bad weather hasn’t let up the next day, so Cameron has to take his mural painting inside. He runs into Paul (Randy Havens) the History/Art teacher and when Paul sees Cameron’s sketches of Courtney he encourages him to tell her how he feels. Paul says very great artist needs a muse. Cameron considers this and goes to the art room where he runs into Cindy. Cindy starts her pitch by telling Cameron she’s sorry about his dad. But Cameron shuts her down. He reminds her of fourth grade when after her mother’s death she said she “never liked her anyway.” Cameron tells Cindy she’s never been truly sorry about anything, so she can keep her non-apology. This makes Cindy homicidally angry, but Paul walks in before things can escalate further. Cameron decides painting in the rain isn’t so bad afterall. Cindy storms off afterwards, but not before unleashing the Black Diamond on Paul.

 

Richard swings by Barbara’s (Amy Smart) office to talk. He tells her Courtney was looking for him most of last night. Barbara says they want to know what he knows about the Black Diamond. Richard just says that Barbara should tell Courtney to keep her nose out of his business. He says it’d be better for Courtney and the rest of the kids if they never speak of the Black Diamond again and leaves Barbara with his contact info.

 

Rick (Cameron Gellman) has some unpleasant flashbacks of the night his parents left him and then walks in on an argument between Beth (Anjelika Washington) and Pat. Beth is certain she talked to the real Dr. McNider, but Pat reminds her that he’s been dead for a long time. Rick gives Beth the benefit of the doubt, but Pat reminds them both that the Black Diamond could just be playing mind games. Beth says that Dr. McNider could need their help. Pat says that if Charles McNider somehow is alive they’ll do whatever they can to help him, but in the meantime they need to follow the weather patterns to track Eclipso down.

 

Paul is assigning a report and Courtney and Yolanda (Yvette Monreal) notice he’s a little distracted. The Black Diamond’s effects are starting to get to him. So, he dismisses the class a little early. Once he’s alone he hears a voice claiming to be his muse. Then, he starts vomiting paint all over the classroom and one of his eyes turns the Black Diamond’s signature purple.

 

Pat and Barbara go to the junkyard to meet Mike (Trae Romano) and Zeek (King Orba). At first Pat is annoyed that Mike called them there, but then Barbara reminds Pat that Mike’s really lonely. When they arrive they learn that Mike wanted them to see a car he wants to turn into a getaway car for the team. But Pat lectures Mike on how his drive should go towards school or his job. Mike says he just wants to help. Pat says he gets that, more than he could understand, so they should work on a JSA project together which thrills Mike.

 

Courtney runs into Cameron while he’s working on his mural. They talk a little about the tribute to his father. Cameron decides to show her his sketches of her. He’s worried she’ll be freaked out, but she seems mostly flattered.

 

We cut away and Paul is still struggling with The Black Diamond’s influence. The Black Diamond’s voice tells him he can help him with his art. The Black Diamond’s influence spreads and Paul frantically starts to paint.

 

Cameron and Courtney talk more about his artwork. Cameron says his mother insisted on buying the house he lives in just to paint the garden. He explains he always thought he’d follow in her footsteps and go to art school, but after learning how many people his father helped he’s now worried that might be selfish. Courtney says that sharing his passion with the world can’t be selfish. Then, she’s paged for JSA business and has to leave. Cameron’s worried she’s ghosting him, but she promises she just has things to take care of. She promises she won’t bail on him again.

 

Courtney, Rick, Yolanda, and Beth are outside the high school where Beth has traced the source of the strange weather. They’re supposed to wait for Pat, but Courtney spots Paul’s car and the group heads inside worrying Eclipso might have him. When they get inside they find a possessed Paul and start to see their worst fears. Courtney sees the staff breaking, Yolanda sees Brainwave, Rick is taunted about being a worse monster than Grundy and Beth sees her family falling apart. But, fortunately, Courtney uses the staff’s light to free Paul from The Black Diamond’s influence. Unfortunately, they have to start all over with Eclipso.

 

The next day we learn that Paul’s been admitted for a psych evaluation and he’s not the only person dealing with the aftermath of The Black Diamond. Beth finally decides to confront her parents about the divorce papers. She says she deserves to know what’s going on. Beth’s parents say they’re still deciding but they still love her. They say they’ll talk more later, but this leaves Beth still really upset.

 

The episode ends with Cindy overseeing a meeting with Artemis (Stella Smith) and Isaac Bowin (Max Franz). She tells them they’re no longer trying to recruit Cameron, but they’re going to set their sights on Mike Dugan as he’s the final piece of the puzzle.

 

In the last scene we see a close up on Cameron. He’s still working on his mural when several of the brushes freeze over. It looks like he might’ve inherited his father and grandmother’s abilities.