Stargirl season 2, episode 6 review: Summer School: Chapter Six

“If you knew what you were dealing with, you wouldn’t be using it in a teenage gang fight?” Spoilers for Stargirl season 2, episode 6 follow.

Now united, the second generation of the ISA begins to threaten and intimidate Stargirl and the rest of the JSA before the real fight begins.

Meanwhile, with the reemergence of the ISA, Eclipso’s influence over Blue Valley begins to take its final hold.

Here’s what happened in Stargirl season 2, episode 12: “Summer School: Chapter Six”.

The ISA returns

After five episodes of teasing us with Cindy’s new version of the Injustice Society, we finally get to see them coming into their own in “Chapter Six”. And honestly, they might be even more terrifying than their parents. The original members of the ISA were evil, yes, but these kids aren’t necessarily evil – except Cindy – they’re being driven by their anger and hate, which was only exasperated by Eclipso’s influence. Really, it’s a tragedy for Artemis and Isaac.

A nice twist in this episode though is the fact that Cindy’s use of Mike was never to turn him to the dark side. No, this entire time, she was just fantasizing about using him as bait. It’s a sick and twisted reveal that plays into Cindy’s sadistic side, as well as Mike’s underlying story of feeling worthless. He’s essentially a damsel in distress in this episode and this could be a turning point for his character arc. It just remains to be seen as to which way his arc will turn.

When it finally comes time for the ISA and JSA to face off, it starts out intense as we hear Isaac’s haunting diegetic music slowly grow into a non-diegetic score as the JSA continues to close the gap between the two groups. And, as soon as they meet, the fighting starts and what a spectacular fight it is. It’s easily the best fight of the episode, and possibly of the show so far. It expertly uses every character in creative and fun ways, balancing each of their screen time very well, with absolutely astounding match cut editing.

Eclipso rises

Out of the frying pan and into the fire, Eclipso has now arrived in Blue Valley, in the flesh, and he’s terrifying. Immensely powerful, unforgiving, and seemingly unstoppable, he’s a terror that will plague the rest of the season and it’s almost a certainty that at least one of the members of the JSA will die over the course of it.

The single fact that Eclipso killed Isaac and possibly killed Cindy (or at least sent her to what seemed like it might be Hell) exemplified the idea presented by The Shade earlier in the season: Bad and Evil are not the same thing and while the ISA was bad, we saw true Evil in the form of Eclipso and it’s entirely unsettling.

Shadows closing in on Stargirl season 2

After playing coy as to whose side he was actually on for the entire season thus far, we now finally get to see The Shade on the side of the angels, at least for a time. Yes, he still looks down on them, but as far as his nonchalant attitude though, this episode really makes that look like a charade. He might be a crook, but he genuinely cares about protecting people from the true evil that lies within Eclipso. It’s a wonderful, and completely in character, shift in characterization that works very well here.

Plus, we get to see how he compares in power to Eclipso and, well, he didn’t stand a chance. He handed the ISA their collective butts, but couldn’t stand up to Eclipso for 10 seconds. It’s a great show of power for Eclipso and really raises that stakes and power levels for this season.

Stargirl season 2 returns to The CW next Tuesday, September 21, at 8:00 p.m. ET.

What did you think of Stargirl season 2, episode 6? Let us know in the comments below!