DC’s Stargirl – Summer School: Chapter Nine

By starrymag | October 11, 2021

By: Atiya Irvin-Mitchell

 

 

The episode opens with a flashback of Bruce Gordon (Jason Davis). According to a magazine with his face on the cover he’s a famous explorer and according to his demeanor he’s a very broken person. He’s having a conversation with the diamond that contained Eclipso (Nick Tarabay) and he says he regrets having ever brought it back from the island. Eclipso points out he didn’t regret it when he was helping Bruce become famous. But Bruce says Eclipso destroyed his life and the life of his colleagues. However, Eclipso says Bruce owes him and takes him over.

 

In the present day there’s a storm coming to Blue Bell in more ways than one. It’s going to be bad so Barbara’s (Amy Smart) job sends her home early. Meanwhile, at home Mike (Trae Romano) and Pat (Luke Wilson) prepare for the family to spend the night in the basement. But Courtney’s (Brec Bassinger) more interested in Rick’s current predicament. He’s still in jail, but Pat says he’ll be safer there for now. And he promises that they’ll help him later. Speaking of safety, Courtney said she talked to Beth and they don’t want to tiptoe around Eclipso anymore. She wants to take the fight to him. Pat says they’re not ready yet, but Courtney says they’re never prepared enough for Pat’s liking.

 

Another flashback shows it’s the day of little Rebecca McNider’s funeral and the original JSA members are there to pay their condolences. In attendance are Pat, Ted Grant (Brian Stapf), Jay Garrick (John Wesley Shipp), Johnny Thunder (Ethan Embry), Rex Tyler (Lou Ferrigno Jr.) and Sylvester Pemberton (Joel McHale).  The group discusses needing to get justice for Rebecca. Pat tries to weigh in, but with the exception of Jay the rest of the team makes it clear that they don’t consider him a real member. The flashback seems to end, but then it becomes clear Eclipso’s involved when Pat sees Rebecca McNider’s coffin in the middle of his living room and a child’s voice taunts him by calling him a liar.

 

Pat continues to remember the day of Rebecca’s funeral. The team splits up until it’s just Pat and Sylvester who walk until they see Richard Swift (Jonathan Cake) lurking behind a tree. Sylvester leaves Pat to talk with him, but before he goes he promises they’ll talk about Pat being able to do more with the JSA later.

 

Barbara drives home and the thunder roars. She listens to a radio forecast that says the storm is going to be terrible until her car breaks down and it starts to pour. Back at home Pat looks through old pictures and is hit with another memory. He was working in his old garage when the JSA members came down to the garage and Pat’s surprised. They tell him soberly that they need a tie-breaker.

 

While Mike continues trying to prepare for the storm he’s interrupted when Cameron (Hunter Sansone) shows up at the door. He’s confused, but Cameron says he got caught in the storm so Mike says he can stay. Cameron asks where Barbara is and we cut away to see that she’s still pretty stranded in the car. She can’t get any reception and then her problems go from bad to worse when Jordan Mahkent (Neil Jackson) appears in the backseat.

 

Due to the cold Mike builds a fire. He pointedly tells Cameron he can go see Courtney, but Cameron seems determined to stick by his side. Cameron looks at the pictures and tells Mike about his parents’ deaths and laments that Mike got seven more years with his mother than he got with his. But then he points out that Barbara isn’t Mike’s “real” mother and he drove his real mother away, just like he killed his father.

 

In the car the rain has become snow thanks to Jordan’s powers. Barbara tries to be logical and says this is all just Eclipso, after-all Jordan’s dead. But Jordan says the storm is his rebirth and that if Barbara had just trusted him he could’ve protected both her and Courtney from all the danger.

 

Back at the house Cameron keeps terrorizing Mike. He tells him that no one’s coming to save him and he’s forgettable. Seeing how upset Mike is getting Buddy (the dog) attacks Cameron and Cameron kills him with his ice powers. And now, he says, everyone in the house is going to die.

 

Jordan tells Barbara she’s the first person he opened himself up to since his wife died and she broke his heart. He also says that they could’ve saved the world together. Barbara says he’s still insane. Then, she hears Richard’s voice saying that none of this is real and she needs to start the car. At first she doesn’t believe him, but then she puts the keys in the ignition and the snow turns back to rain and Jordan disappears. Richard tells her to go home and says he needs Emily.

 

At home Mike is on the ground and Cameron is choking him. Or so he thinks. Courtney comes in and sees him on the ground but it’s just him. She manages to snap him out of it. They both realize that Eclipso’s been messing with Mike and they decide to go check on Pat.

 

The Shade told Sylvester that Eclipso can possess the person wielding the diamond, but if you kill the host you stop Eclipso. Ted and Rex want to kill the host because Eclipso has threatened to kill their children and the Green Lantern and Dr. Mid-Nite couldn’t stop him. Jay unequivocally believes killing goes against the reasons they founded the JSA. Pat votes no too and he thinks Sylvester will as well, but he’s in favor of killing the host. Pat is shocked, but Sylvester says Eclipso threatened his family. Pat is horrified and Jay refuses to participate, but the JSA has decided.

 

In the present day Pat is imagining that Bruce Gordon is haunting him. He’s calling Pat a murderer. And the now dead members of the JSA join in on the haunting. Bruce says when they killed him they damned themselves. Fortunately, Courtney uses the staff to drive Eclipso away.

 

Mike cuddles with Buddy and Pat and Courtney talk. Pat thanks her for saving him and Pat decides it’s time to come clean. He tells her that the JSA killed him and that killing Bruce broke the JSA apart. They all went their separate ways until the ISA formed. Pat thinks that’s why the JSA lost, they weren’t really a team again. Courtney is angry that he kept another secret and she doesn’t understand how Pat could watch all the chaos unfolding and not say something. She wonders what her mother will say, but Pat says she already knows. Barbara comes home and Courtney tells Mike. Then, they confront Barbara. It’s one big screaming match.

 

Time has passed and Pat and Sylvester are sitting in a car looking pretty shell-shocked. Sylvester has spots of blood on his suit. He tells Pat that he was right, the JSA shouldn’t kill people. But what’s done is already done. He pulls out the diamond which Eclipso is inside and Sylvester says they need to lock the diamond away.