Generation Justice: Stargirl, Episode 104: "Wildcat"

The ranks of the new Justice Society of America expand by one this week with the induction of Yolanda Montez (Yvette Monreal) into the role of Wildcat. Yolanda's backstory is a heartbreaking cautionary tale that rings true to the viewer, making her instantly both sympathetic and heroic as we see how a young girl who only three months prior was outgoing, vivacious, and a leader in the student body go to being an outcast and introvert.

But Yolanda is also a fighter, and Courtney (Brec Bassinger) sees that in her. And since Courtney has pretty much stripped the old JSA headquarters of its costumes and weaponry, she makes it her mission to bring Yolanda in on her secret of being Stargirl. Upon convincing the reluctant Yolanda to at least try on the Wildcat outfit, we get a bit of a writing shortcut wherein many of Wildcat's abilities come from the suit itself rather than just Ted Grant's ability to land an uppercut. The suit conforms to the body of the wearer, it has retractable claws, and it confers a grace and agility upon the wearer to give them catlike capabilities.

When Courtney lets Yolanda know that her ex-boyfriend's father is a super-villain, it's the first thing that actually makes sense to her. And to find out where the other Injustice Society members are hiding out, they decide to look at the hospital visitor logs to see who has been visiting the comatose Brainwave (Christopher James Baker). But the only visitor they see on the logs is Brainwave's son, Henry King Junior (Jake Austin Walker). However, right before they leave, Brainwave gets a visitor who bypasses the registry -- high school principal, Anaya Bowin, who takes out a violin and plays a short piece of music at Brainwave's bedside before leaving abruptly. I think it's safe to say we've met the original Fiddler.

Pat Dugan (Luke Owen) uncovers mysteries of his own as he has a conversation with Denise Zarick (Cynthia Evans), who has been left alone after the deaths of her husband and son last episode. Denise tells Luke not to trust anyone in the town of Blue Valley, because her husband's death was not the heart attack everyone was told it was. (Viewers know that Zarick was The Wizard, and that he was killed by fellow Injustice Society member, The Icicle, played by Neil Jackson). Denise is leaving Blue Valley for good, but when Pat later visits the salvage yard for parts, he encounters Denise's wrecked vehicle, heightening his suspicions that there is indeed something very dangerous going on in the seemingly idyllic midwestern town.

The crowning moment of this episode has to be Yolanda's moment of clarity with her family, as she stands before them and makes her declarative plea. The audience is clearly expecting this to go one way, and when it goes differently, it is both shocking and character developing. Yolanda is at this moment our favorite character of the show, as she actually has hurdles to overcome to be a hero.

This episode also sees Beth Chapel (Anjelika Washington) stumble upon a secret, and we get a name drop of a familiar Justice Society member who, if the series sticks to canon, should become the bearer of that mysterious pink ink pen Pat has deemed the most dangerous weapon in the entire Justice Society arsenal.

STARGIRL consistently delights and intrigues its audience, and has become our most-anticipated must-watch show every week.