Stargirl
DC Universe/CW
Season 1, Episode 6 “The Justice Society”
With the plans of the Injustice Society starting to be put in motion, the Justice Society is already having a mini crisis from within. Pat finds out about Courtney ransacking the JSA headquarters and she now has to face the consequences of that action. Will Court break her teammates heart? Or will she push Pat to the limit?
This episode changes back and brings topics that highschool students may face daily. We see Yolanda and Beth find a sense of self worth with their new superhero identities and costumes. This is especially true with Yolanda as she is seen as a pariah at home and school because of the photos she sent. Her researching Ted Grant allowed her to find a kinship with someone going through a similar struggle of identity with the public. With Beth, she finally finds someone who accepts her for being an introvert and finds her true self worth.
The topic of identity doesn’t just focus on Beth and Yolanda but the whole of Blue Valley. We see other citizens tackle that topic in different ways. One of them is some of the Injustice Society members and their child. Another is Beth and Mike bonding over junk food and fun experiments.
With the focus shifting back to world building, this episode was a needed one. The characters started coming into their own personalities and we are able to see where their abilities are at. The Injustice Society plan started being implemented along with revealing new members. Having the story shift back to growth and a progressive narrative plays to the strength of the show.
The Justice Society is a great episode that deals with one’s identity and understanding your self worth, For a superhero show to tackle these issues perfectly takes a precise balance to not be too unrealistic but not be forced. The line that they balance on is very thin but they walk it with ease. Stargirl has shown a consistent progression of growth in their characters which makes them relatable.