Stargirl

Tbh, that actually looks pretty decent

Certainly a million times better then Batwoman, and much more fun then Supergirl lol  

Looking forward to giving it a try when its out

Peace.

/K

Anybody watch this?  Thumbs up?  Down?  

Sarge395 wrote: Anybody watch this?  Thumbs up?  Down?  

It was a pretty good start to the series, establishing several of the main characters(mainly Courtney and Pat) and their relationships. A bit heavy on the teen drama, but that's to be expected from a CW show. Plus, it's true to the original Stars & S.T.R.I.P.E. comic, where Courtney was portrayed as being very resentful of her mother's marriage and the move from LA to Nebraska. Hell, the show lightened her up a bit, because she was a bit of a brat early in the comic. Here she's more tolerable. Of course, with her creator Geoff Johns as a producer, he's not going to let them screw around with a deeply personal character(Courtney was modeled after Johns' sister, who had died when TWA Flight 800 went down in '96). On top of that, it established that she's got a background in gymnastics and martial arts, so her growing skills when she suits up won't be too far out of the blue. We were also introduced to several supporting characters who will become heroes and villains in their own rights. And points to Luke Wilson and Amy Smart for their portrayals of Pat Dugan and Barbara Whitmore-Dugan. 

All told, like I said, it's a good start that ended on a nice cliffhanger and I look forward to seeing where it goes from here. 

Haven't seen it yet.  I'm waiting for a few episodes to air before I dive in.

Want to give it a fair shot.

Peace.

/K

I have mostly given up on CW shows.  I  might skip through this season's Supergirl & Flash when it hits netlfix, but I'm not sure i'll bother.  I still watch Legends, though I miss a few weeks then I binge.  But that's only because it's super silly and hella fun.

OTH, I really enjoyed Stargirl.   As murdough said, the character is personal to Geoff Johns and he's in charge of the show, so I was pretty sure that they'd get it right.

The main leads are doing a great job so far.  Courtney is doing a good balance of being a teenager playing the mature and brat parts pretty well.  the first episode was pretty good, with a lot of backstory and setup but at the same time, keeping things moving.

The action and CGI effects seemed pretty good.  They at least have someone to do gymnastic stunts for Stargirl.  Her use of the staff as a gymnastic tool is done fairly well and feeds into her character history.  I liked all the effects & stunts.  So I think everything starts out on good footing.

Some changes to the comic -- the staff is intelligent.  It adds a Star Wars Droid-type character to the show, even if it can't talk or make sounds.  Might be a backstory about her father that doesn't agree with the comic either.

They seemed to have written Ted Knight and Jack Knight out of things totally.  No mention is made of who created the Cosmic Staff.  Originally she uses Star Spangled Kid/Skyman's Cosmic Converter Belt (also made by Ted Knight).  I liked her having the belt as it made her stronger, faster, and more agile, all things I like in female characters.  Later Jack Knight (Ted's son and the current Starman) gives her a Cosmic Staff and Courtney changes her name to Stargirl.   I was sorta hoping to see Jack Knight on the show at some point.

Doh.  So I just read about the show and one of the producers is James Robinson, the comic book writer who created Jack Knight.  But only for the pilot. Maybe we'll get to see Jack and Ted Knight at some point.  Though Shade's power is seen, we don't really get much about him and he's not one of the main bad guys for the show.  (Shade was really important in Robinson's Starman.)

But this is all "Stargirl" mechanical changes which don't matter (they are just geek talking points). They nail the character and her interactions with Pat.  To me this is the important part: having a strong clear vision of the people is more important.  Sure it's annoying when Supergirl's powers fluctuate every week -- but nothing will work if you don't get Courtney Whitmore or Linda Danvers right.  OTH, they seem to have a handle on the powers so far.

I watched in on DC Universe which meant no commercials, which is just fantastic. I wish the other CW shows were on DC universe.  Maybe there is a quality bar?  Harly Quinn, Stargirl, Doom Patrol, and Titans are all miles better than the other shows on CW in acting, writing, and quality. (I haven't watched Swamp Thing)  More likely it's a licensing/contract thing. Originally Stargirl was not going to be on the CW and only on DC Universe.  So it's actually a DC Universe show that is being shown on CW rather than the other way around.   Greg Berlanti is still involved, but since Geoff Johns outranks him...

Anyway, good start. I hope they keep it up. I'm actually looking forward to the next episode.  I am a bit of geek for the JSA though so...

A very watchable and entertaining pilot. Bassinger's interpretation of Courtney is fun and pretty much on key from what I can remember of the comics.  Classic superhero origin, starting with being a loner or outcast and all. But also damn cute and appropriately cast (young looking 21). Young enough to remember what its like to be a mid-teen with a spunky attitude and a chip on her shoulder. 

But the greatest parts were the staff's droid-style but quirky intelligence (which I think is a terrific addition) and Courtney's gymnastics with the staff. Less bludgeon and more super-droid, gymnastic spin-you-around kind of thing with an occasional blast of energy. . 

The high school student memes were a hoot, and deliciously exaggerated to make sure they were sufficiently comical to not be offensive. Although the actors playing the students made it look a lot more like LA than Nebraska, but that's a nit. 

Luke Wilson playing Pat is a nice bit of casting, and the writers are handling Luke with competence. He takes a special kind of writing, but I've always seen him as the perfect sidekick. 

Shadar

TwiceOnThursdays wrote: I have mostly given up on CW shows.  I  might skip through this season's Supergirl & Flash when it hits netlfix, but I'm not sure i'll bother.  I still watch Legends, though I miss a few weeks then I binge.  But that's only because it's super silly and hella fun.

OTH, I really enjoyed Stargirl.   As murdough said, the character is personal to Geoff Johns and he's in charge of the show, so I was pretty sure that they'd get it right.

The main leads are doing a great job so far.  Courtney is doing a good balance of being a teenager playing the mature and brat parts pretty well.  the first episode was pretty good, with a lot of backstory and setup but at the same time, keeping things moving.

The action and CGI effects seemed pretty good.  They at least have someone to do gymnastic stunts for Stargirl.  Her use of the staff as a gymnastic tool is done fairly well and feeds into her character history.  I liked all the effects & stunts.  So I think everything starts out on good footing.

Some changes to the comic -- the staff is intelligent.  It adds a Star Wars Droid-type character to the show, even if it can't talk or make sounds.  Might be a backstory about her father that doesn't agree with the comic either.

They seemed to have written Ted Knight and Jack Knight out of things totally.  No mention is made of who created the Cosmic Staff.  Originally she uses Star Spangled Kid/Skyman's Cosmic Converter Belt (also made by Ted Knight).  I liked her having the belt as it made her stronger, faster, and more agile, all things I like in female characters.  Later Jack Knight (Ted's son and the current Starman) gives her a Cosmic Staff and Courtney changes her name to Stargirl.   I was sorta hoping to see Jack Knight on the show at some point.

Doh.  So I just read about the show and one of the producers is James Robinson, the comic book writer who created Jack Knight.  But only for the pilot. Maybe we'll get to see Jack and Ted Knight at some point.  Though Shade's power is seen, we don't really get much about him and he's not one of the main bad guys for the show.  (Shade was really important in Robinson's Starman.)

But this is all "Stargirl" mechanical changes which don't matter (they are just geek talking points). They nail the character and her interactions with Pat.  To me this is the important part: having a strong clear vision of the people is more important.  Sure it's annoying when Supergirl's powers fluctuate every week -- but nothing will work if you don't get Courtney Whitmore or Linda Danvers right.  OTH, they seem to have a handle on the powers so far.

I watched in on DC Universe which meant no commercials, which is just fantastic. I wish the other CW shows were on DC universe.  Maybe there is a quality bar?  Harly Quinn, Stargirl, Doom Patrol, and Titans are all miles better than the other shows on CW in acting, writing, and quality. (I haven't watched Swamp Thing)  More likely it's a licensing/contract thing. Originally Stargirl was not going to be on the CW and only on DC Universe.  So it's actually a DC Universe show that is being shown on CW rather than the other way around.   Greg Berlanti is still involved, but since Geoff Johns outranks him...

Anyway, good start. I hope they keep it up. I'm actually looking forward to the next episode.  I am a bit of geek for the JSA though so...

had to look it up to be sure, but it wasn't the Shade who appeared in the prologue scene, but the Wizard( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wizard_(DC_Comics)  ). the show's Injustice Society is(so far) Brainwave, Icicle, Wizard, Solomon Grundy, Sportsmaster, and Tigress

murdough wrote:
had to look it up to be sure, but it wasn't the Shade who appeared in the prologue scene, but the Wizard( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wizard_(DC_Comics)  ). the show's Injustice Society is(so far) Brainwave, Icicle, Wizard, Solomon Grundy, Sportsmaster, and Tigress

Wizard is there and we do see him.  When he's shown attacking, he's using his wand to blast people with a very bright white energy blast.

OTH, at 2:20 a black shadowy hand reaches out and drags Dr. Mid-Nite away. It certainly looks like the Shade's power. There isn't an actor listed as playing him, but we also don't see who sent out the hand either.  So it COULD just be the Wizard as his powers are adaptable.  OTH it is a dead-on match for Shade's powers and he's a traditional member of the Injustice Society.



(forgive the crappy screenshot)

screenrant.com/dc-universe-stargirl-cut-scenes-cw/
Showrunner Geoff Johns revealed missing scenes from DC Universe’s  Stargirl , which premiered earlier this week. The first two episodes in particular were initially planned to be two hours, like a feature film. Unfortunately, the Stargirl deal with The CW wasn't made until after production was completed, leading to changes afterward. Johns encouraged viewers to watch the longer version of the episode to catch all these missing details, which can be streamed on DC Universe .

I missed the premier! I cant believe it! Did they do any kind of launch promo effort?!  I'll have to watch it tonight.

Interesting to see ratings beat everyone on CW but Flash (yes, granted it's a premier).

Random321 wrote: I missed the premier! I cant believe it! Did they do any kind of launch promo effort?!  I'll have to watch it tonight.

Interesting to see ratings beat everyone on CW but Flash (yes, granted it's a premier).

I watched the longer version on DC Universe and liked it. Not sure how satisfying the shorter, tweaked CW version is. 

It's insane to cut good footage from a new and interesting superheroine show just to jam a bunch of ads into the same running time. I know that makes it free, but come on. 

Shadar

Why not ADD footage and make it a true premiere event?
It is not like the CW has anything else to watch.

My TV Schedule shows the CW airing the pilot episode tonight. Was the premiere different from the pilot???

anonxyzus wrote: My TV Schedule shows the CW airing the pilot episode tonight. Was the premiere different from the pilot???

I would think they are the same thing with different names. Maybe the pilot is getting multiple plays, which is not unusual. . 

If you can stream the DC Universe version (also available on AppleTV's store), you'll get a longer version with better scenes.

Shadar

My wife and I are caught in a classic paralysis by analysis situation trying to decide which streaming services we want to pay for. Currently we have Netflix and Amazon.

slim36 wrote:

Stargirl Disney and Stargirl DC Universe are totally different properties that share a title. 

Not to be compared. 

shadar

Just caught up on the first 2 episodes.

Have to say, I had a blast watching them    Good old fashioned super heroics   Loved the tone of the show (ofc there was the trademark CW-ness to it, but it felt bearable here)

I haven't read the comic, though I do know bits and pieces with regards to its history and connection to Johns.  So went into this fresh, and the show did a great job of introducing the main players.

Luke Wilson was great imo, and played the "sidekick" role brilliant.  The villains were also well done, especially liking the fact that they don't all get along necessarily.

There were certainly themes in there, legacy and family among others.  But you never felt beaten over the head with them.

The soundtrack for both the episodes was awesome, and set a great tone for the show.  Directing and production values were also good.  You can tell they spent a fair penny on this show, and given the personal nature, I can imagine that being the case.

Which leads me to the my final point - Stargirl herself.

Great casting.  I probably shouldn't be saying this, considering I'm old enough to be her father, but Brec Bassinger looks awesome.  She has that mix of wholesome girl-next-door and bratty tomboy, as well as exuding a youthful spunky spirit.  Great casting choice, and plays well off Wilson.  They seem to have good chemistry.

So far so good.  I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes.

Its a million times better then Batwoman ever could dream of being  

Peace.

/K

P.S  @Twice, Ted Knight is mentioned as the creator of the staff in the 2nd episode.

Episode 2 continues to please.  

I’m impressed that all the pieces seem to be working really well in Stargirl.  The casting is great.  As kickass2014 said the chemistry between Courtney and Pat works really well.  There doesn’t seem to be any weak points in the casting yet.

I agree with him that it’s not the normal CW Show, but that’s because strictly speaking, Stargirl isn’t a CW show, it’s a show that airs on the CW but it wasn’t created for it.

I did notice that it’s listed on CW as “DC’s Stargirl” — I don’t know if this is part of that as it’s not “DC’s Supergirl” or “DC’s Flash”... or if it’s because there is a Stargirl show on Disney+.  It’s probably the later to help distinguish it.

I’m still impressed by the effects.  STRIPE wasn’t always the best, but it was pulled off well enough that it didn’t matter.  I love the acrobatic moves w/ the Cosmic Staff.   They’re doing the important part and getting Stargirl right.  Nothing super amazing, but it’s good enough to get the job done.

The writing so far has been great.  We’re getting just enough information to move along the story, but not get bogged down on it. 

As I said, so far all the pieces are working together well.  As Kickass2014 said, even the soundtrack is good.

I did like the nod to Ted Knight at the end of E2.  Robinson’s name was on this episode as a Producer as well...  Being a slave to the original source is always a bad idea — but being true to the spirit of the source is always the best. Stargirl is nailing that and it’s because of Johns .. but I’m sure Robinson being a producer didn’t hurt either.

I did notice she added a belt to her uniform that looks just like the Cosmic Converter Belt.  It could be the real thing, but it doesn’t seem to be.  (In the comic, It’s what gave her powers before she got the staff.  Ted Knight made it too.). The costume looks great..

Lot’s of laying ground work with seeing offspring of the JSA and the Injustice SocietY, we know we get to see several of them in costume later from the show promos.  We’ve seen a woman with Fiddler’s last name and her son (the music Prodigy).   I’m not sure Who is the last Pierson in the Injustice Society picture, is (the one at the end of E2) next to the Gambler. It could be the Fiddler.

I do wonder if we’re going to get a bit of the Runaways action going on as kids find out their parents are bad guys,  In the comics Artemis is usually aware of her parents. Brainwave’s kid didn’t seem too know though. 

even the smallville version takes less time to get behind Arrowverse character CW use to have bloody morals &lessons if we're doing some tv comparisons 
Hell i can't believe that I am saying this but even the smallville version of[/color] hawkman is truly better than arrowverse versionhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35FYfgXuquohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE8hz2G4sYQhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JZLMjAUIwM

I’m still digging Stargirl as of Ep 4 which introduces the new Wildcat.

The show seems to be balancing it’s budget, we didn’t see much of Stargirl doing acrobatics on her staff, instead we saw the new Wildcat.  (Here the powers come from the mask and aren’t native like in the comics).   And in the comics Ted Grant’s Wildcat didn’t have powers (* later he has some funky “9 lives thing” IIRC).   In the comic he’s her godfather, we are not sure if there is a connection in the show ... she’s a boxer and she had a picture of Grant. It could just be because she’s a boxer ... or it could be she till has some connection to him .. .which would be a bit silly for her to end up as Wildcat and then find out she knew Wildcat.

I do like the little hints going on.  And a nice use of “You don’t have to show everything”.  Sometimes things happening offscreen (esp when the main characters don’t know) is a great way to keep the pacing going.

Some of the wildcat power display was a bit awkward, i hope they get better at it.

This episode was nicely focused on Yolanda, while keeping the plot moving.

High points for me:

- Wildcat’s costume scene (as silly as it was, it was still fun). I’m also forgiving them for having Grant’s costume have powers.
- Fiddler playing (We still don’t know the full story here as the Male Fiddler Is in the pictures, the comics did have briefly have a female fiddler but she wasn’t married to the old one.)
- Name dropping Shade as someone who betrayed the Injustice Society and showing him in the picture.
- the bad guys aren’t uniform, There are disagreements.  Some are REALLY creepy.  (Dr. Ito)

I still maintain it’s Shade killing Hourman in the pilot. No one in the Injustice Society should be able to kill Shade.  It’d be cool to see him in an episode.  There’s so much going on right now though, I’m ok with it not happening and focusing on the characters that are already there.

I have to agree, episodes 3 and 4 have kept up the quality.  They've both been really, really, good.

I've not really read the comic, so its all new to me generally.  By reading Twice's reviews, its nice to see that they are sticking "closely" to the source.

Sure, you have, as Lfan puts it  "bubble-gummy" , feel to it at times, but I'm ok with that.  I actually enjoy it    And in this case, it actually fits the story and tone of the world.  Because you also get that darker side rearing up in bursts.  So its a nice contrast.

I LOVE Brec Bassinger.  Her interaction with Luke Wilson, for me, is the core of the show, and it is fantastic to watch.  Both from a narrative point of view, and a meta one. 

I enjoy seeing this older, veteran actor playing off a younger, fresher, actress.  Although he is by far the best actor on the show, he doesn’t steal the scenes with Courtney.  And that’s a testament to Bassinger, who plays the character with great youthful idealism.  You buy their relationship.

As I’ve said, Wilson plays the sidekick role brilliantly.  I loved in this episode (episode 3) his investigation of Brainwave at the hospital.   Little things like that are great touches.

It also helps that the characters are written so well (so far), and consistently. 

Courtney, for example, is clearly the young, idealistic, and bratty teenager.  She’s 15 so (although exaggerated for story telling) makes sense.

The villains also are both clearly defined, and have some depth.  In this episode for example, we learn of Icicle’s motivation.  Its simple, clear and well defined.  And that’s ok.  There is only 13 episodes (as I understand it) of this series/season, so you have to make short-cuts.

Courtney and her mastery of the staff is another example. In the first episode she couldn’t control it.

But by the second, she was doing flips and jumping all over the place with it, even taking out Brainwave (although that looked like luck had something to do with it as well). This is fine, because unlike other shows, they set this stuff up with little nuggets throughout.  Courtney being into gymnastics, wanting to be a cheerleader, etc.  All this is great story telling, setup and payoff.

And you get this also in episode 4.  For example, little things like the Wizard's wife interacting with Pat, saying she is suspicious of her husbands death, and that she is leaving town.  And then right at the end, we see Pat back at the scrapyard, coming across her battered up car.  We don't need to see her being taken out.  Or a scene where the villain "talks" to her, then kills her.  WE CAN PUT TWO AND TWO TOGETHER, so ty show for treating us with some respect

Or the beginning of episode 4.  There is NOOOOO dialogue for the opening few minutes of the show.  Just a song and visuals.  And its testament to visual storytelling in a way you don't see a lot of on TV anymore.  You don't need to be beaten over the head with exposition, exposition, exposition all the time.  In nearly all cases - SHOW DON'T TELL, is better.  Seem most people working in movies and tv have forgotten this.

Wildcat was great   Again, nice to see payoff.  We were introduced to this character in the FIRST episode.  We didn't know exactly what she had done, and certainly not that she would be WILDCAT   So kudos to the show for that for, not only explaining all that, but doing so in a way that you weren't bludgeoned to death with exposition.

I also loved the introduction of Dr. Ito.  I don't know who the character is, but I WANT TO KNOW NOW lol    Sinister, great visual design straight out of a vintage comic book   And his two red assistants lol   Loved it

I could write for ages on this show tbh   I actually really am digging it   The production values are amazing for a TV show.  The series is shot beautifully, the directing is well paced, and everything flows.  You never feel there is filler in this show.

All in all, Stargirl is easily the best DC superhero show imo (even better than The Flash, which devolved into the Iris West show a while back, and I stopped watching).

Can they maintain this for the whole season and beyond?  I’m willing to find out tbh.

Gz so far to Geoff Johns and his crew.

Peace.

/K

I cant stand the SJW nonsense that the CW has been peddling. So I reluctantly watched Stargirl, having given up on every other CW show. To my surprise, the show is fun! Of course you can nit pick a few things, but the episodes that I watched, weren't preachy, no agendas....Just a fun story. 3 episodes in, im looking forward to more