Chapter Four: The Evidence

## Episode Guide

**Chapter Four: The Evidence** also titled **Frenemies - Chapter Four: The Evidence** is the fourth episode of the third season of *Stargirl*, and the thirtieth episode overall. This episode aired on September 21, 2022 on The CW.

## Synopsis

**BACK TO THE SCENE OF THE CRIME** — After one of Sylvester’s plans results in an unexpected outcome, Pat calls upon an old friend for help. Meanwhile, Beth uncovers a new suspect in their murder investigation, and Courtney reaches out to Cameron.

## Plot

Cameron paces in his family home, in a room that has a bookcase full of snow globes. He picks up a snow globe with a figurine of a blonde girl within. He starts to shake it, watching the snow inside fall. He holds it out and focuses, letting out a single breath of cold air. The inside freezes completely. His eyes freeze over and the exterior of the globe freezes. He groans, his hand shaking, before dropping the globe, causing it to shatter on the floor. He kneels on the ground. Lily and Sofus enter the room, assuring him he's learning. It will take time to control his powers, but he will soon. They speak to one another in Norwegian, referencing the fallen land of Niflheim, blessing their grandson so their enemies might suffer. They guide him out of the room, closing the doors behind them.

Cosmo rushes up the stairs into Courtney's room to find her sleeping. It begins tapping on her until she wakes up. She tells it to go away, covering her face with her pillow. Cosmo then blasts the pillow much to Courtney's shock. The staff then flies behind her, nudging her to her feet. Once she's holding it, Cosmo yanks her out the window, flying her to The Gambler's destroyed trailer. It drops her on the ground. She asks why Cosmo took her there. Cosmo then points at Sylvester who's still unconscious on the ground, much to her surprise.

Once at the hospital, Courtney, Pat and Dr. Chapel have a conversation about the attack. Sylvester is unresponsive, but stable. He has large contusions across his body, and in his back, a puncture wound much similar to that of The Gambler's fatal wound through the heart. Dr. Chapel isn't sure what caused the puncture. Pat concludes the police won't blame this on a freak tornado. Dr. Chapel already reported his injuries with those consistent with a hit and run. She picks up on their shiftiness, asking if it was the right thing to do. Pat remarks that the police will be looking for a driver. Courtney suggests she should have said that he hit a tree. Bridget's confusion pushes Courtney to admit that it worked for her before. Pat assures Bridget they'll take care of it. Bridget reflects on her and James getting so caught up in it all, being proud of Beth for being Dr. Mid-Nite. She didn't realize there's a cost to it. She then leaves to call Beth. Courtney asks Pat why Sylvester went out there alone without telling anyone. He expresses that it’s just Sylvester, and how he does things. She questions why he didn't take the staff. Pat remarks that it wasn't his turn to be Starman, and that he was trying to do the right thing. Courtney asks if it was. Pat hopes they'll know more when he wakes up. She curls up in the chair, fighting back tears.

Yolanda is in her room talking to Rick about Sylvester's attack and theorizing if the attacker is going to target the rest of the JSA. She wonders if it's an old JSA enemy like Eclipso. Yolanda's mother calls out, so Yolanda tells Rick she has to go. Mrs. Montez proceeds to ask who she could be talking to late at night. Yolanda then lies to her mother saying that it was Maria asking if she could take a shift at the diner for the night. Mrs. Montez reminds her it's a school night, but Yolanda presses that it's only for a few hours. Mrs. Montez never would have allowed Yolanda to get her job back if it wasn't for her dad losing his. She accuses her in Spanish of telling everyone that her father lost his job. Yolanda remarks in Spanish that it's nobody's business. Mrs. Montez then tells Yolanda that the tips go to her college fund, which she knows. She tells her to keep her room clean since the realtor will be coming tomorrow. Once her mom is gone, Yolanda shuts her door and takes a duffle bag out from her bed. She removes her gym clothes and then the Wildcat cowl.

Back at the hospital, Courtney sits on a chair next to Sylvester's hospital bed, eagerly waiting for him to wake up. A few seconds after he wakes up, remarking "ow". Courtney tells him that he was attacked and asks if he knew who attacked him to which Sylvester responds that he knows, as he remembers. She asks who did it, but he didn't see who attacked him - coming or going. Sylvester feels like a rookie after this ambush. He tries to sit up but can't out of pain. He can now confirm personally that yes, the killer is, in fact, very strong. She asks what he was doing at the trailer park alone. He went looking for new clues since all their leads dried up. He assumed the criminal would come back to the scene of the crime, just not at that very moment. She asks why he didn't take the staff. Sylvester reminds her of their agreement - it wasn't his turn, and a deal's a deal. She wants to rethink their agreement. However, getting jumped made him want to rethink a lot of things. Courtney decides that if she's not around and he needs the staff, then he should take it. He notes it should go both ways, then. Pat enters the room and says he called someone who can help with that. Charles McNider then enters the room and greets Sylvester, remarking it's nice to see him again. Sylvester greets him as "doc".

A mysterious person wearing black gloves watches the room through a secret camera.

Dr. McNider proceeds to check Sylvester's wounds, apologizing for the discomfort it inflicts. Sylvester admits he’s felt worse - hell, he's been dead. McNider scans the wounds using his sunglasses. He doesn't know how to explain it, but Sylvester's healing remarkably fast. McNider shares his theory on how Sylvester came back to life, enlightenment because of the staff. Cosmo imbued him with its cosmic energy when he died. That energy is what healed him over the years as his body remained in some kind of stasis. He theorizes that long-term exposure to the staff has altered Sylvester's physiology. He compares it to Alan's daughter, Jennie, who was imbued with the power of his ring. Jennie essentially became "a living lantern". Sylvester asks if he's a living cosmic staff, but that's not necessarily the case. His body is processing the energy from the staff, absorbing the energy, not generating it like Alan's daughter. Sylvester also asks about his son. McNider admits that Stanley keeps him and Myra on their toes. Along with the clinic, he's plenty busy. Sylvester asks if he misses being Dr. Mid-Nite, and the man admits to getting more satisfaction from passing his mantle on to Beth Chapel, the next generation of heroes. Under Pat's mentorship, they are in good hands. Sylvester hasn't passed it on, so much as passed it back and forth. He's glad the doc is happy, especially after everything. McNider knows Sylvester's been through a lot, asking if he's happy, but earning only a long look in response.

The JSA heads back to Cornhusker Estate Trailer Park to look for clues about who attacked Sylvester. Dr. Mid-Nite uses her goggles to look for clues around the destroyed trailer. Stargirl asks her if she's found anything, but there was no evidence - no strands, no drop of blood, as if someone wiped it clean since Sylvester was here. Shiv thinks someone probably did, as whoever attacked Sylvester wasn't stupid. Wildcat accuses her of doing it. Shiv assures her that she would've made sure Sylvester was dead, much to the discomfort of the whole group. She shifts as she's just being honest. Dr. Mid-Nite thinks they've hit a dead-end, so the team prepares to leave. Suddenly, Dr. Mid-Nite's goggles find a single skin cell, though it's unidentifiable. Since it doesn't belong to Starman, the team determines it belongs to the person who attacked him.

Over at the Mahkent residence, Cameron sits on the end of his bed deep in thought. Lily and Sofus enter, with Lily bringing him tea to calm him so he can try using his powers again. Sofus collects Cameron's art off of his desk, which surprises the teen. Sofus explains that it needs to be put away, just for now. He leaves the room with Lily, as Cameron sadly watches them leave.

Back at the Whitmore-Dugan House, Pat and Sylvester walk down to the basement and Pat tells Sylvester how his bed sheets are clean and that his fridge was restocked. Sylvester asks with what and Pat admits it's juice only Dr. McNider said to avoid alcohol. Sylvester sarcastically replies that the day keeps getting better. He immediately notices the staff isn't in its display case and asks where Courtney and the others went, learning they went looking for his attacker. He's upset the kids are cleaning up his mess, but Pat assures him there's no mess. He's never been ambushed in all his years. Then he comes to this little town and gets his ass kicked, taking a pained seat on a cooler. Pat reminds him that Blue Valley isn't like every other community. Sylvester thinks Courtney was doing well here until he came along and made her share the staff instead of doing the dignified thing, which is moving on like McNider, who's a doctor with a wife and kid. Sylvester doesn't have a family or a career. Pat cheers him up by saying he chose a career that involves protecting other people, not something everyone would make the choice to do. Pat laments that Sylvester does have a family, who are all right here. Sylvester brings up Pat telling him to be a better Starman. These last few days have him questioning if he should even be Starman anymore. Pat calls him a legend.

At The Pit Stop Beth and Dr. McNider analyze the single skin cell, which is non-human and unidentifiable. Dr. McNider begins looking worried and Beth asks him what's wrong. He recalls a sample like this once before. It was one of Pat's old enemies, one of his, and one of hers. It belongs to Cindy's father. Beth then analyzes the DNA again and pulls up pictures of Cindy and her father, remarking that it's Dragon King.

A new day begins at Blue Valley High School. Rick, Beth, Yolanda, and Courtney walk the halls as they discuss Dragon King being the prime suspect now. He thought Cindy killed him, but Courtney admits that Pat said Dr. Ito experimented so much on himself, that he might be unkillable. Yolanda's skeptical, but Beth confirms as Dr. McNider said the same thing. Courtney wants to warn Cindy that her dad might be back, though Yolanda worries he's working with him. Courtney knows she'd never do that, but Rick points out that she literally just did, last year. The group stops as Courtney admits she didn't tell them everything that happened in The Shadowlands. She saw glimpses of Cindy's childhood, as if she were living it too. Her dad treated her like a lab rate and not a daughter. It was a lifetime full of abuse. Now she's finally free, and would never work with him again. Beth wonders if Dragon King came back to Blue Valley for Cindy. Courtney asks if anyone's seen her today, but no one has.

In the underground tunnels, Cindy stands from her chair in growing discomfort. She rubs her arm as it twists, rolling with discomfort. She shakes it a few times when the worst of it subsides. When she blinks, her eyes are reptilian.

Back at BVHS, Jakeem and Mike look at the message from Thunderbolt that is still burned onto the wall. "*The Killer*" has been crossed off and "*your mom*" written under it. Mike thinks Dragon King makes sense, though Jakeem questions if he's really the guy with the reptile skin and the big sharp teeth. Mike never saw him but thinks it has to be an exaggeration. He begins to ponder that Dragon King could still be in the tunnels under Blue Valley. Maybe The Gambler found out and that's why he "got offed". He wants to check as this is their chance to finally solve the mystery before school gets out and before Courtney and the others do. Jakeem asks when it became a competition, so Mike glibly tells him that no one takes them seriously. They should ditch P.E. and go get S.T.R.I.P.E., though Jakeem thought Pat hid them. Mike tells him to wish for them. From outside the bathroom, a bright pink glow grows brighter and bigger until the door itself blows off the hinges. A mountain of keys pours out of the bathroom, with Mike and Jakeem sitting atop it. Jakeem wonders which key it is, earning a glare from Mike who quickly walks away, pulling Jakeem's focus from the keys when he looks back.

Barbara gives her new park pitch to The American Dream. She thinks Blue Valley needs this park, as more families than ever are making their town their home. They need a safe place to take their children. They would have a new playground, and an outdoor auditorium. Tim cuts her off to say it's wonderful. He gives her two thumbs up as she has his vote, calling her Babs. He tells that group that any project she's for, he's obviously supportive of. He asks who's with him, earning near unanimous support except from a man taking notes. Tim hisses for him to put his hand up, making the vote unanimous. He tells James to push the paperwork through immediately. He offers Barbara a coffee for all the hard work she's done. He gives her two thumbs up again which she returns. He leaves the room and painfully tells her congrats, clutching the back of his head as he groans out that she's the best in the world.

Barbara returns to her office only to find Paula, who asks how her day is going. She hopes it's going well, asking if there's any problem with her new manager. She guesses a few incorrect names until Barbara reminds her it's Tim. He actually voted for her project this time, which Paula remarks is terrific. She's here as she got her a gift for helping her out so much this week. She takes out a taxidermy fox that she made herself, to show how much she really cares. Barbara whispers that it's beautiful and that she loves it. Paula knew she would.

Sylvester and Pat watch an old movie in the Whitmore-Dugan basement, reciting the lines from heart. They banter over who says which character's lines. Larry calls out "knock, knock" from upstairs, surprising the men. He emerges down the steps, remarking that the door was open. Pat questions what he's doing as Sylvester gets to his feet, calling the staff to him. Larry heard what happened - that Sylvester was sucker punched. It wasn't them, which Sylvester knows as they don't hit that hard. Larry retorts that they hit plenty hard. Sylvester asks what he wants. Larry announces he’s brought by a neighborly sixer, thinking he might need it. Pat remarks that while it's really nice of him, the Doc said no alcohol. Larry used to knock back a few when Sylvester would kick his ass. He's man enough to admit that back in the day, when he and his wife pulled a day, Starman was the last one they'd want to see. His right hook's a killer. He cheers them and leaves the beer on the table. After a moment, Sylvester offers a beer to Larry, tossing it to the man. Pat tells him they're watching "*Josey Wales*", offering him a seat with them. Larry chugs the beer in one swig, crushes the can against his forehead, and proclaims that he's in.

Cameron closes his locker and walks into the art room. Courtney watches him and quickly follows him. She pauses for a moment at the door then calls out to him, walking inside. She closes the door behind her as he stares at the blank canvas. She asks what he's doing, setting her bag by the door. He's quitting art class, which surprises her. He can't do this anymore. It's time to admit that the artistic side of himself is gone. She refuses to accept that it's gone, as he loves art. He's just been through so much and if anything's going to help him heal, it will be the things that he loves. He painfully tells her to stop, but she wants him to let her help him. He thinks she can't help him, so she reiterates that she can. He firmly tells her that she can't, but she puts a hand on his shoulder and tells him it's okay. He contorts his body and loses control over his powers, letting out a shout as ice explodes from his body, which hardens into a block of ice. The blast knocks Courtney onto the floor, throwing the canvases away. She sits up in time to watch icicles forming on the ceilings and sprouting from the flooring around Cameron, who is breathing heavily. He looks down at his hands then over to her.

She locks the door and picks up a stool, gesturing for him to take a seat. He fearfully asks if she's okay, though she only returns the question. He asks if she's not scared. She admits to feeling a bunch of stuff. He looks up and says that his grandparents call it cryokinesis, a gift that his family has had for generations. As they talk, flurries of snow fall around them, with Courtney pulling her jacket tighter around her. He explains that his family used their gift to help people. His grandmother and grandfather want him to do the same to carry on his dad's legacy, but he doesn't know what that means. He knows that must sound insane to some like her. She questions the sentiment. He clarifies that he means normal. She hesitates then starts to tell him about his father, but he interrupts to say that his death wasn't an accident - he was killed. She tries to act surprised, asking what happened to him. Cameron doesn't know as his grandparents won't tell him. He knows that Jordan died trying to help people. This is why he was avoiding her before. He could really hurt her. She's not afraid and he hangs his head, breathing shakily.

Sylvester drinks a beer on the porch when Pat joins him. Sylvester needed air, which Pat understands. Crusher's doing one-armed push-ups to work off the carbs, thinking Pat's still down there. Sylvester calls Crusher a maniac, which makes Pat laugh as Crusher calls Sylvester the same thing. A look from his friend makes Pat correct that it's not funny, because he's right, Crusher is crazy. He asks if Sylvester's feeling better. He's not feeling as great as he did back when he first got the staff from Ted. Those were unforgettable times. He wonders if there's anything sadder than an old man clinging to his Glory Days. Even bad guys like Crock have moved on, which is why he's thinking of leaving Starman where he was great - in the past, once and for all. Since he got here all he's done is screw up. Pat admits he's made some mistakes, had some transgressions, listing them off until Sylvester interrupts. Watching Sylvester screw up has finally made Courtney realize the importance of balance in her life. Sylvester smirks that he's glad he could be a bad example. Pat thinks he can be a good one - to Courtney and all the kids. Sylvester ponders if he could be a mentor like Pat. The man heads inside for a minute and returns with a box, telling Sylvester to check it out. Sylvester slowly opens the box and holds up the top of a newly crafted Starman suit. Sylvester still isn't sure, though Pat laments that if he isn't retiring yet, neither is Sylvester. Finally, he agrees to do this.

Cameron and Courtney walk down Main Street, passing his mural of Jordan. They stop to look at it for a moment before continuing on.

Sylvester stares at the Starman suit which lays on his bed. Yolanda and Rick head into the basement, looking for Courtney. They've been trying to find her as Beth and Dr. McNider found evidence that Dragon King is the one who attacked him. They think he's back and in the tunnels under Blue Valley. They were going to check. Sylvester looks at his costume and agrees to come, making the duo smile. He tells them to let him suit up.

Courtney and Cameron arrive at the Mahkent garden, walking by the gazebo. The mural was the last thing he was able to paint before his hands stopped working. She asks if he's ever tried using this gift like he does his art. They drop their bags by the gazebo posts, standing under the twinkle lights to talk. He asks what she means. She explains how he expresses himself so beautifully through color and paint, wondering if he can do it through the ice. He realizes she wants him to express how he feels. He looks away before meeting her gaze again. He could have really hurt her. She knows it's only because he was alone and afraid. But he's not alone now. He asks how she's calm about this, and she chuckles awkwardly as she fidgets. He decides it's too dangerous, but that's only if he lets it be. She knows because she knows him and he's sweet and kind and thoughtful. Someone once told her that emotions are what fuels them. It affects everything they do and how they do it. By embracing the love and hope she had for the people she cares about, it worked. She tells him to think of all the love has for his mom and dad and what they mean to him. Let his gift out while feeling that. He doesn't want to hurt her again, but she assures him he won't and takes his hands. He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes before letting out a burst of power. Courtney laughs gleefully as snow falls from the sky around them. They hold out their hands as it falls. She stares at it in wonder, remarking that it's magical. He meets her gaze, responding, "like you". He smiles and holds her hands as they move closer, until they finally kiss under the falling snow.

Across town, in the underground tunnels, Cindy groans uncomfortably as she shakes her arm and body. She feels agonizing pain and opens her torn sleeve. She peels down the gauze wrapping her shoulder to reveal green scales covering her skin. Beth's words echo that a single skin cell had the goggles all worked up. Cindy breathes painfully before swiping the contents of the table off, smashing everything onto the ground.

## Cast

### Starring

* Brec Bassinger as Courtney Whitmore/Stargirl
* Yvette Monreal as Yolanda Montez/Wildcat
* Anjelika Washington as Beth Chapel/Dr. Mid-Nite
* Cameron Gellman as Rick Tyler/Hourman
* Trae Romano as Mike Dugan
* Hunter Sansone as Cameron Mahkent
* Meg DeLacy as Cindy Burman/Shiv
* Alkoya Brunson as Jakeem Williams
* Neil Hopkins as Larry Crock
* Joy Osmanski as Paula Brooks
* Amy Smart as Barbara Whitmore
* Luke Wilson as Pat Dugan

### Co-Starring

* Kron Moore as Dr. Bridget Chapel
* Gilbert Glenn Brown as James Chapel
* Kay Galvin as Lily Mahkent
* Jim France as Sofus Mahkent
* Kikey Castillo as Maria Montez
* Todd Allen Durkin as Tim T. Tattle

## Notes and Trivia

* This episode is centered around Cameron and the growth of his powers.
* Dr. Charles McNider appears. He was last seen in the Season 2 finale, "*Summer School: Chapter Thirteen*".
* Shiro Ito/Dragon King was mentioned and his human form shown in a photograph. He was last seen in the Season 1 finale, "*Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. Part Two*". The JSA theorize that he's still alive and hiding in the underground tunnels.
* Sofus and Lily mention Niflheim while speaking to Cameron in Norwegian. Niflheim is a location in an Old Norse mythology which refers to the cold, dark, misty world of the dead, ruled by the goddess Hel. It is one of the nine Norse worlds and is the final resting place for the dishonored dead.
* Cameron and Courtney have their first kiss, which is also both characters' first on-screen kiss. Their relationship had been teased through the first two seasons.
* Cameron reveals his ice powers to Courtney, revealing that his grandparents call it Cryokinesis. This is the first episode in which Cameron demonstrates his power more than once, and the first in which he does it at a grand scale.
* Thunderbolt's message to Mike and Jakeem in "*Chapter Two: The Suspects*" is still burned onto the bathroom wall of Blue Valley High School, with the amendment of "the killer" being crossed off and "your mom" being added underneath it.
* Sylvester survives the ambush and is healing at an accelerated rate, which McNider attributes to his absorption of the Cosmic Staff's energy.
* Courtney indirectly mentions Pat covering up her fight with Shiv in "*Shiv Part One*", when she tells Bridget that covering up Sylvester's accident as him "hitting a tree" would have worked better than a "hit and run". She claims that it "worked for her once", thought Pat assures Bridget they'll figure out a way to deal with the police searching for a driver.
* Cameron tells Courtney he knows that his father was murdered, but doesn't know the circumstances behind what happened as his grandparents refuse to tell him anything else.
* Jennie-Lynn Hayden is referenced by Charles McNider when comparing Sylvester's ability to heal himself to Jennie's ability to harness the green lantern without having to use it physically.
* Barbara's boss, Tim, is now much nicer to her and hates every second of it. Paula threatened him last episode into being nicer, though we don't see what was said. This is the same scare tactic Pat used on Rick's Uncle Matt last season.
* This episode marks the first time The Gambler has ever been referred to as 'Steve' rather than 'Steven' on screen. Pat says 'Steve' while talking to Sylvester on the porch after their movie night with Crusher.
* Beth's goggles confirm that Cindy's codename is 'Shiv.' This was implied a couple of episodes back when it's revealed that the Gambler died of a stab wound and blunt force trauma when Yolanda mentions Cindy uses a shiv.
* Sylvester makes a reference to Bugs Bunny when he says "What's up, Doc?" to Dr McNider.
* This episode reveals that Yolanda is bilingual as she speaks Spanish with her mother.
* Pat is revealed to hide the keys to S.T.R.I.P.E. from Mike so he doesn't try taking the robot out without permission.
* The snow globe that Cameron has of Courtney smashes when he loses control of his powers. The figure inside remains intact, as a possible foreshadowing to their relationship going forward.
* Sylvester references Ted Knight, the original creator of the Cosmic Staff during his conversation with Pat on the porch.
* Yolanda has not told the JSA or Courtney that she might be moving since her father lost her job and is moving soon.

## Gallery

### Screenshots

All Screenshots are courtesy of Screencapped.net. For a complete image set, see their gallery.

## References

1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 **Stargirl.TV:** STARGIRL'S FRENEMIES CHAPTER 4: "THE EVIDENCE" SYNOPSIS