S.T.R.I.P.E.

## Episode Guide

"**S.T.R.I.P.E.**" is the second episode of the first season of *Stargirl*, and the second episode overall. This episode aired on May 25, 2020 on DC Universe and May 26, 2020 on The CW.

## Synopsis

*"LIFE IS ABOUT LEGACY -- After Courtney has an unexpected run-in with a member of the Injustice Society of America, Pat reveals the truth to her about their history. Meanwhile, Barbara is elated when she sees Courtney making an attempt to get along with Pat, not knowing the secret they've been keeping. Finally, things take a dangerous turn at Blue Valley High's open house night when Courtney becomes the target of a dangerous foe."*

## Summary

Courtney yells at S.T.R.I.P.E. to get away from her, but Pat says he needs to get her somewhere safe. He outstretches the robot's hand on the arm. Courtney, looking back, climbs up the robot to hold on to the bars on its back. The robot continues to short-circuit at its joints, prompting Pat to curse and Courtney to ask if its safe. They fly up high in the air and escape, before Brainwave exits the tire warehouse and looks up at the sky, then looking down at Courtney's burned school ID.

Landing behind Pat's garage, Pat leads the robot inside. Courtney jumps off, looking around their workshop until the Staff begins to pull her forward. She begs to the rod that she just needs a minute and sets it down, noticing her shaking hands. Pat asks for her well-being, but Courtney asks about the robot. He tells her it's a prototype made out of old car parts he built after Sylvester died. He questions her on who her attacker was, and she responds he was creepy with red hair who threw tires at her with his eyes. Pat corrects her that it was his brain, and that he was the JSA's enemy and ISA member Brainwave. Courtney asks if he killed her father, but Pat is insistent that Starman wasn't Courtney's father. He tells her Brainwave killed many JSA members, but the ISA leader Icicle was the one who finished Starman. Pat doesn't know where he is, but Courtney guesses Brainwave might. She grabs the Staff, and tells him that it's no coincidence he and Pat are in the same town, and demands answers.

At the Zarick residence, Joey frantically wakes his father William and mother Denise up, claiming he heard something downstairs. His father dismisses it as the cat, telling his family this is Blue Valley but heads to investigate nonetheless. Opening a secret safe behind a portrait, he makes contact with his wand and heads downstairs. He finds Brainwave staring out a window, telling him he could have killed him. He asks Henry why he's wearing his costume. Henry alerts him of a problem, that a girl has Starman's Staff and passes him Courtney's ID. William asks him where she got it but Henry doesn't know; Brainwave opines that they must warn the rest of this development but William disagrees, as it was too early to jump into conclusions. He's already called Jordan Mahkent, angering William as he was the one in charge and therefore the one whom Henry should have informed first. Henry mentally tells him he's too eager to take his family and run at the first sign of potent danger, abandoning the ISA in the process. He tells his visitor to leave his head. Henry understands his concern, but the work they've been doing on Blue Valley is perfect for Jordan's master plan, Project: New America, for their respective families and their legacy. Henry vows to find the girl, interrogate her, and kill her before leaving. Denise goes downstairs, asking her husband who he was talking to. William insists it was no one, and it's his business. She goes back upstairs, with William looking down at his electric lit wand, and then the aforementioned cat.

Back at the Dugan-Whitemore basement, Pat tells her about Hourman, who survived that night and followed the ISA's movements across the country, from Los Angelos to Colorado to Nebraska. He and his wife died in an accident shortly after they got to Blue Valley. Two years ago, Pat resumed Rex's research to here, and met Barbara Whitmore. He couldn't find their trail, and assumed the ISA left the town or presumably the country. He tells Courtney he would have never moved their family here if the ISA was still active. Courtney asks why he even brought the robot, and Pat said he wanted to help Hourman but Rex insisted on doing it alone, remarking that tonight was the first time he ever donned the S.T.R.I.P.E. suit. Courtney notes that Brainwave is here for a reason and decides to find him. Pat rejects, reminding her of the danger if he found out her identity and that back then they used costumes to protect their families. Courtney concludes that she needs a costume too, but Pat tells her he's continuing this alone. She says that the bad guys being here was why the Staff lit out, and she needed to do something for her dad. Pat once again says Starman was not her father and she will never touch the Staff again, remaining her that she's fifteen. Courtney retorts that Sylvester was fifteen when he started crime fighting, and that she won't sit on the sidelines like Pat did, walking away to Pat's shock.

It's the middle of the night and Pat can't sleep. He heads downstairs to read the JSA's classified information, and picks up Brainwave's file before hearing loud creaks upstairs. Arming himself with a hammer, he finds the dog Buddy on the basement landing. With relief, he tells him they got a fight to prepare for. A montage plays of the trials and tribulations of Pat attempting to master his control of S.T.R.I.P.E. in a corn field but retiring many repairs and first aid.

In the morning, the family come together to eat the breakfast Pat's made. Barbara notices Courtney's injuries, lying that she fell down the basement stairs. Pat comes to the table and gets asked where he got his own injuries at. He comes up with the same excuse, and elaborates that he fixed the problem as Courtney distracts her with the food. Mike and Barbara still take note of their weird behavior. Barbara leaves, and Courtney drops the good girl facade and announces she's not hungry. She heads down to the basement to get Starman's suit, and takes it.

At the King manor, Henry Jr. steals money from his father's wallet only to be discovered by the maid, whom he orders to make eggs for him. Henry Sr. calls his son over to his study. Jr. claims he's late but reluctantly sits across him. Sr. says he has a few more questions that night, and asks if his perpetrator was a girl. Henry says it was a guy, leading Sr. to stand up and say he can never lie to his father as he always knows. Using his powers on him, he cruelly asks him once more if a girl beat him and his friend up and destroyed the car. Henry Jr. tells it it may have been a girl, as his father slowly sits down. Staring at him, he asks his son to tell what he's thinking. Henry Jr. exclaims he hates when he stares at him, and guesses he has to take the bus. Secretly disappointed, his father says he'll drop him off. He stands up, but before he leaves, he makes his son pay him the stolen money back.

At school, Courtney sneaks into a sewing room to transform Starman's costume into her own. However, she suffers several setbacks at the suit's sturdy materials breaks scissors and several sewing machines, succumbing to every single one of them after she makes a satisfactory work.

At The American Dream, the CFO, Mr. Sharpe, is conducting an open session on their next philanthropic event, but no one has nothing to say except for Barbara. She starts off that Blue Valley has more restaurants that ever before and presents a community test. Sharpe shots it down fast, looking around for more ideas. Barbara raises her hand again, this time calling for a farmers volunteer program but is dismissed by Sharpe as silly. He reluctantly states he'll come up with one and dismisses the meeting. As everyone heading out, Barbara is assured but a coworker that Sharpe tends to be tough.

Pat lurks in front of Ripped City, only to be found by Lawrence Crock and have his food forced out of his hand. Pat greets Crusher in a stutter, as he asks what he's doing here. He unwilling states he came here to train, and follows Crusher's thunderous direction and decides to stay. As he works out, he's forced to listen to Crusher's booming lectures about how his father's motto was "You gotta want pain, you gotta make pain your friend" and encouraging Pat's "better self".

Courtney is back in the cafeteria, worried about the social ramifications of what happened the last time she was there. Getting a stare, she goes to sit at the loser table where she awkwardly tries to ignore Beth Chapel's video call with her mother. She excitedly gets her dad to join the "family lunch", only to be informed by him that he's busy. Bridget's colleague, Dr. Henry King Sr., stops by and waves hi to Beth, taking a seat at his desk behind Dr. Chapel. She asks her daughter whose the girl sitting next to her, and Beth introduces Courtney to her as Henry looks at a database of the students of Blue Valley looking for the girl with the Cosmic Staff, failing to look behind him. Beth tells her she'll see her at the open house, and their video call ends. Henry, casually asks about the open house, and Dr. Chapel asks if he and his son will be there. He responds he wouldn't miss it.

Beth tells Courtney her parents were the best, and she gives her an awkward smile. She looks at Yolanda Montez, who snaps at her to stop staring. She leaves, before Courtney could clarify that she wasn't. She looks up at the open house banner with a smile.

At an assembly, the principal is giving a light-hearted speech as Courtney and Pat look around for Brainwave, as Henry himself is looking for the mystery girl. As they happen look in the same direction, they fail to notice and identify one another. The principal gives a shoutout to councilman Zarick for his help funding and Doctors Henry King and Bridget Chapel for their volunteer work. Unable to get a good view of Dr. King, Courtney rises above the crowd, but before Henry could look in her direction, Crusher Crook stands up in a booming cheer and blocks her from Henry's sight. The principal finally congratulates The American Dream and Blue Valley Tires.

At the conclusion of the assembly, Henry Jr. complains to his father that they never go to these things and asks why they're here, but Sr. dismisses his son and tells him to get juice. He prowls the crowd as he reads their thoughts, and finds a curly-haired blonde talking to Cindy Burman. He goes over and stares down at the girl, much to their discomfort. Behind him, Pat is about to eat a cookie but is stopped by Crusher, who snatches it out and tells him it's not a part of the program. Pat calls him crazy as Henry passes him and Barbara with a group of parents where the principal is subtlety bragging about her son. She notices Courtney looking around as the girl finds Pat. He tells her to stop looking for Brainwave and that he's got it, but she tells him they'll cover more ground together and says she'll look in their classroom much to his protests. Pat eats a cookie off the table in frustration as he bumps into Denise Zarick, who remarks that he's new. He tells her the town seems nice and she cryptically tells him people do seem to think so. Getting distracted, she bids him goodbye and leaves. Courtney is still looking around and finally finds Henry King Sr., who telepathically hears Courtney saying his alter ego name. He spots her as she begins to move away, following her. Courtney, desperately looking for Pat, exits the gymnasium as looks at a deserted hallway only to be finally confronted by Henry. He greets her by name, and reading her mind he discovers she's Starman's daughter. She coldly tells him he'll pay for he did to her father and the JSA. He feels she's frightened, and says her father was too, of many things. He tells her she'll bring him the Cosmic Staff, and as he brings a mental assault on her, uncovers her mother's name. He says he'll kill her mother in the most painful way if she doesn't bring him the Staff at midnight, and lets her go.

Courtney finds Pat and frantically tells him what happened. Pat rushes to Barbara and tells her they need to leave, while she's with councilman Zarick and the principal. He makes an excuse that he ate something bad, just as a waiter comes with a tray of food.

At night, Courtney tries to sneak into the basement but is stopped by Pat. She tells him she has to face him, but Pat tells her it's too dangerous and he can do the same threat on Courtney. She tells him she waited her whole life for her father to come but Brainwave and the ISA took him from her, and the Staff is giving her a chance to get justice. Pat is unmoved, and tells her to stay. He will go and if he isn't back by morning, she gets Barbara, Mike and her to leave Blue Valley and never look back. He says tell Barbara he loved her, and leaves to Courtney's sadness. He goes to his garage and activates S.T.R.I.P.E.

Courtney sadly looks at a picture of her father on her necklace but is interrupter by Barbara. She tells her that her new behavior towards Pat didn't go unnoticed, and she understands it's been difficult and thought it'd go perfect. Barbara tells her she's grateful for everything she's done and that she wants her to have a good life. Country replies likewise, and shares a hug. She tells her daughter she's the greatest thing to happen to her and bids her goodnight. She leaves, and Courtney, still looking at her locket, stares out her window at the starry night sky.

At Blue Valley High's parking lot, a waiting Brainwave is met with S.T.R.I.P.E., and asks him who he is. Pat, who hasn't thought of a new name yet, tells him someone looks for justice. Brainwave sends a mental attack that briefly incapacitates Pat, who respond by throwing a dumpster at him. Brainwave stops it mid-air and hurls it at the sky. Seeing a car, he proceeds to do the same as Brainwave does as well. As his last shot, he fires his fist at him, but Brainwave catches it at the last second and twirls it back at him, knocking him down. The robot falls, and Brainwave begins to crush him with the car and school bus next to him.

Back home, Courtney grabs her duffel bag and suits up, climbing upon the roof and rides the Staff into the sky. Brainwave mentally asks a weakened Pat where the Staff is until he's struck with a beam of light and hurled into a car. Our heroine lands on the ground, proudly declaring herself to be Stargirl, and the robot behind her is her sidekick, much to Pat's chagrin. Brainwave stands up and lifts two concrete beams, hurling it at her but she somersaults above them and knocks him into the school sign with the Staff. He slides next to the car before Stargirl can strike. He mentally drags her away, and lifts more concrete beams and signs off the ground, before sending them after her at supersonic speeds. She's able to deflect or avoid them until being struck by the car's bullbar, who pins her to the ground as the Staff rolls beside her just out of reach. Brainwave mentally tells her the trouble a new Starman could have caused, but if relieved that it's only silly little Stargirl. He says she'll die for attacking his son, and touches her heard to unleash a painful attack on her brain that causes her ears to bleed. Pat desperately tries to move from the pile of metal around him, but can only turn on the robot's pictorial light and momentarily blind Brainwave as Courtney finally grabs ahold of the Staff. She points it at him, and Brainwave is overcome by a powerful light so intense that it creates an anti-gravity ball around them while zapping Brainwave with so much energy and force that he drops to the ground as the Staff's assault ends. Courtney checks with Pat if he's ok, and asks what they can with Brainwave's unconscious body.

Dr. Chapel escorts Henry King Jr. in the hospital, telling him they found his father's body and that he suffered a seizure of sorts. She says that the person who would've known what to do was him, as Henry Jr. looks on and struggles to hold back his tears.

At the garage, Courtney asks Pat what if Brainwave dies. He says it's not her fault - his mind simply short-circuited. She asks him if the Staff is alive, but Pat doesn't know as Starman didn't build it, a man named Ted Knight did. He says it's a story for another day. He says he never thought there would be another Starman, but she corrects him that it's Stargirl. She says they defeated Brainwave and can do the same for the rest of the ISA and get justice for the fallen JSA. He tells her he can't do it. He doesn't know why the Staff works for her - maybe she is Sylvester's daughter, maybe not, but she was the one who didn't give up and saved him and stopped Brainwave. Courtney exclaims that they did it together and jokingly states her sidekick can't flake on her now. Pat morbidly says his last partner died. Courtney says he can do it - the Staff chose her, and she chooses him. "Stargirl and Stripesy," she says, before deciding he needs a new name, and recommends STRIPE, but as an acronym. Spelling it out, she proudly congratulates herself on the new name and excitedly asks which one of the villains is next.

Back in the heart of town, Jordan Mahkent arrives in the black car in front of The American Dream. Inside the closed building, he presses his hand on a secret screen which opens a door disguised as part of the wall. Walking through the subterranean tunnels, he greets Solomon Grundy locked behind a thick metal door before arriving at the main ISA headquarters table, meeting Steven Sharpe. He shows him the footage of the bespectacled hero who defeated Brainwave. Jordan whispers that he killed one Starman, and will kill another as his breath condenses, and the screen before him begins to freeze over.

## Cast

### Starring

* Brec Bassinger as Courtney Whitmore
* Yvette Monreal as Yolanda Montez
* Anjelika Washington as Beth Chapel
* Trae Romano as Mike Dugan
* Jake Austin Walker as Henry King Jr.
* Hunter Sansone as Cameron Mahkent
* Meg DeLacy as Cindy Burman
* Neil Jackson as Jordan Mahkent
* Christopher James Baker as Dr. Henry King Sr.
* Amy Smart as Barbara Whitmore
* Luke Wilson as Pat Dugan

### Guest Starring

* Neil Hopkins as Lawrence Crock
* Hina Khan as Principal Anaya Bowin
* Eric Goins as Steve Sharpe
* Joy Osmanski as Paula Brooks
* Joe Knezevich as William Zarick

### Co-Starring

* Cynthia Evans as Denise Zarick
* Kron Moore as Dr. Bridget Chapel
* Gilbert Glenn Brown as James Chapel
* Stella Smith as Artemis Crock
* Wil Deusner as Joey Zarick
* Maz Frantz as Isaac Bowin
* Ashley Winfrey as Jenny Williams
* Lesa Wilson as Bobbie Burman
* CC Castillo as Mercedes

## Trivia

* "*S.T.R.I.P.E.*" uses a new opening title card.
* Notorious Golden Age members Johnny Thunder, Hawkman, and Hawkgirl are mentioned. They were all killed by Brainwave during the battle.
* Hunter Sansone makes his first appearance as "Cameron Mahkent" in a quick appearance.
* Hourman is revealed to have survived the attack by the Injustice Society, though he was later killed for investigating them.
* In the portrait showing the Injustice Society within their base of operations, another member from the group is seen in the background, resembling Shade.
* Pat mentions that the Cosmic Staff was created by Ted Knight, similar to the comics.
* This episode aired on Brec Bassinger's 21st birthday which also fell on Memorial Day in 2020.
* Pat wears a t-shirt with the logo "CHET'S GASOLINE". In the DC animated universe, Chet is a member of the Royal Flush Gang under the alias Ace of Spades.
	+ Also in the comic-version of the Royal Flush Gang is Sam Kurtis, Courtney Whitmore's biological father. The incorporation of Chet into the series might have been an easter egg for Sam Kurtis and the Royal Flush Gang's involvement in the series.
* For a deep-dive podcast with lots of behind the scenes info and easter eggs that you won’t find anywhere else, click here.

**SCENES DELETED FROM CW AIRING**

* Pat looking through files and picking up the hammer when the dog approaches
* Zarick and Brainwave's conversation at Zarick's house
* Barbara's pitch at The American Dream
* Pat and Denise talking and eating cookies

## Gallery

### Videos

DC's Stargirl S.T.R.I.P.E. Season Trailer The CWStargirl Season 1 Promo 2-0
### Screenshots

Most screenshots are courtesy of Screencapped.net. For a complete image set, see their gallery.

## References

1. ↑ https://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/dcs-stargirl-season-one-ratings/
2. ↑ Starguys: “S.T.R.I.P.E.” Deleted Scenes (May 2020)