DC’s Stargirl episode ten, the JSA comes face to face with the ISA! Henry also struggles with his newfound powers and tensions rise in the Whitemore house.
In DC’s Stargirl episode nine we were left with some major cliffhangers. Ones that had me over eager for the next episode. Now Stargirl episode ten is finally here and we can talk about it! Barbara, Courntey’s mother, walked in on Pat and Courtney with the Cosmic Staff, and Brainwave woke up! AFTER his son killed his lawyer with his mind.
Things are getting intense in Blue Valley and there is sure to be a full on battle between good and evil soon — and I cannot wait for it! Stargirl episode ten gave me everything that I wanted and more. As we near an end to the first season, Stargirl is getting better and better.
Warning: Spoilers for DC’s Stargirl episode ten.
The opening scene brings us back to two years ago, in Blue Valley, when Pat and Barbara met. They were the only two left in a diner and ordered the same dessert. I absolutely loved getting to see how they met and where their relationship started. I have said this before but I adore Luke Wilson, especially in this series. He is so down to Earth and relatable — and yes, adorable too!
Then flash forward to the moment when Barbara discovers Pat and Courtney with the Cosmic Staff. Courtney of course, tries to lie at first but Pat stops her and says they are telling the truth this time. The whole truth. Barbara does not like what she hears and becomes very angry with Pat. She is upset that he filled Courtney’s head with these ideas and she kicks him out. Which made me really upset after seeing how they met.
At the very end of the last episode Brainwave woke up. In this episode we see him and Henry talking and Brainwave has totally lost ten years of memories. He didn’t even remember that his wife died and that they moved to Blue Valley. As Henry explains what happened to his mother to his father, he describes that he found her ice cold and dead in the pool. One name came to mind when I heard that — Icicle.
Brainwave also learns that his son can hear thoughts like he can. They talk a little bit telepathically and then Brainwave says he remembers how scary the powers can be before you understand them. And he is going to help his son learn them, and get them under control. When Icicle learns that he has awoken, he goes to visit Brainwave in the hospital.
Henry Discovers The Truth
Henry goes back to his home and find the video that his father recorded on the day that she died. He talks about how they met, and drops a major reveal — that his wife’s brother was Starman. He also says that this was all Icicle’s idea — to have them confront the JSA. All because Icicle could see how Brainwave was starting to come around to the good side, thanks to his wife. Then he admits that Mary would never forgive him, and even hints that Icicle did kill her. This sets Henry on the path to go take on Icicle himself.
Icicle is trying to convince Brainwave to help him with the machine he is building, but Brainwave is still catching up on the last ten years he missed. Then the coolest thing happens. Courtney told the Cosmic Staff she could not go out that night, seeing as her mom was so upset.
So what does the staff do? Goes off totally on its own and attacks Icicle in front of Brainwave, at the hospital! Brainwave holds back with his powers and then Icicle finishes it off by freezing it. The two leave together so that Icicle can help Brainwave remember. But Henry is in the hospital and sends a telepathic transmission. We don’t hear it but can only assume he is warning his father, and letting him know that Icicle killed Mary.
Courtney Goes On Her Search For The Cosmic Staff
Barbara is still upset in the morning, in fact, she plans to get Courtney as far away from Blue Valley as possible. She tells her to start packing as she heads off to work to collect her things. Courtney realizes that her staff is gone as well, and runs off to see Pat at the garage. When Pat hears what he going on, he rushes to Barbara’s work because he wants her to be safe.
Mike, Pat’s son, comes out and asks Courtney to please let him in on what is going on. He has sensed it for a while and just wants her to be honest with him. She isn’t and he says it is because she never wanted him as a brother anyways, or Pat as a father figure. He then closes the garage door on her. I was really hoping she would confide in him.
Barbara And Pat
Meanwhile, Barbara is googling Starman to try to make any sense of what is going on with her family. Of course, right after Pat shows up to talk to her, Icicle and his parents come in. We already know from an earlier episode that his parents are totally in on what he has been up to. They even helped him get rid of a body.
They just drop off some cookies to say thank you for dinner. It seems that they are not onto things just yet. But probably, it is only a matter of time. However, Icicles’ parents do talk in Norwegian and this time, we don’t get the subtitles. Good thing Barbara thought to record it, so they could figure out just what they were saying.
The translation comes through and Pat and Barbara hear about the machine that the ISA is building. Pat is now even more worried because, well, he didn’t know what they were planning. But I was happy to see Barbara back on his side.
In The Sewers Yet Again
Henry sees Courtney on the street and calls to her for help. When he touches her, she can see everything that he is thinking. She learns this means they are cousins — if Starman is her dad that is — and gives him a big hug. They realize that Icicle killed both their parents, and now he has the Cosmic Staff and Brainwave with him. Courtney brings Henry to the JSA so that they can all help to stop the ISA. They agree to help because they know Courtney will go after him on her own, and they want to be there to back her up.
Once in the tunnel, Beth’s goggles stop working, just like before. They decide to split up so that they can cover more ground, quicker. Then Hourman finds Solomon Grundy locked up, and recognizes him as the one who killed his parents. He flips his hour glass and prepares for a fight, despite Beth trying to stop him.
Courtney, Henry, and Yolanda find Brainwave, all hooked up something that is likely trying to bring back his memories, as it is attached to his temples. Of course Cindy, who is still locked up, spies them coming in and outs them to her father. Dragon King has his followers prepare for a fight, and they keep the three young JSA members busy while he tried to finish restoring Brainwave’s memories.
And then something I didn’t see coming happened. Courtney and Dragon King go head to heard. I did not think we would see something like this for quite a while. Lucky for her, Yolanda sees the Cosmic Staff and frees it. Courtney gets her hands on it just in time and then Dragon King reveals his face! The staff knocks him out but that scene was nuts!
Henry tries to get his father out of there, but unfortunately the ISA already restored his memories. When Brainwave tries to recruit his son to their cause, he knocks him out and takes off with Courtney and Yolanda.
Dragon King’s minions interrupt Hourman’s plan to take on Solomon Grundy and as they are fleeing, the JSA meets in the hallway. They are running for their lives, trying to escape, but Brainwave comes after them. Henry uses his powers to get all the JSA members behind some bars and, somewhat, out of harms way, as he prepares to take on his father head to head.
That Ending Though…
The ending of Stargirl episode ten is something that I did not see coming, in all honesty. And I needed a few tissues to get through it.. Brainwave is trying to corrupt Henry. He wants to train him to use his power for evil. Henry pulls out the big guns — he mentions that his mother saw the good in his father. And that is why Icicle killed her.
But then we get a major plot twist I did NOT see coming. Brainwave admits that he killed his wife. That he was forced to make a choice between her and the ISA. He threatens his son, saying that he doesn’t want to have to make that kind of choice again, but he will. Henry, not surprisingly, says he will never stand with his father. Especially now knowing what he did to his mother.
Brainwave obviously does not like that answer and says goodbye to his son. He throws him against the bars. Henry looks up at the JSA and first tells Yolanda he really is sorry for what he did to her, and then tells Courtney that people are good, and to not let this change her mind. Then his father pulls the concrete from the tunnel down on top of him, and he is assumed dead.
DC’s Stargirl Episode Ten: Brainwave Jr.
As Henry Jr. hones his newfound skills, uncovered secrets from his family’s past force him to make a difficult decision. Meanwhile, Courtney, Yolanda, Beth and Rick’s latest plan brings them face to face with a member of the ISA. Finally, tensions between Pat and Barbara force her to revisit her own past.
Have you read my DC’s Stargirl reviews for the other episodes?
About DC’s Stargirl
DC’s STARGIRL follows high school sophomore Courtney Whitmore as she inspires an unlikely group of young heroes to stop the villains of the past. This new drama reimagines Stargirl and the very first superhero team, the Justice Society of America, in an unpredictable series.
The project focuses on the character that started executive producer Geoff Johns’ career as a comic book writer when he created her in 1999, lovingly inspired by his late sister, who was killed in a 1996 plane explosion.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. She is also a Freelance Writer. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for ten years and is a member of several Critics Associations including the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association.