Awesome / Stargirl (2020)

As a Moments subpage, all spoilers are unmarked as per policy. You Have Been Warned.

Season 1

Episode 1 - "Pilot"

• The opening battle of the JSA and Injustice Society is fantastic in action and selling the power of the ISA by slaughtering these heroes.
• Despite being "the sidekick", Pat charges in to help these heroes no matter what.
• It wasn't meant to get so out of control (she just wanted to smash a tire, not blow up the car) but Courtney's first foray with the Cosmic Staff is good as, with zero combat experience, she holds off three jocks, including Henry Jr, with ease.

Episode 2 - "S.T.R.I.P.E."

• Courtney runs down the roof and jumps straight off it, knowing that the staff will catch her.
• Courtney and Pat taking on and defeating Brainwave together.

Episode 3 - Icicle

• Icicle ambushes Courtney and has her at his mercy... and then S.T.R.I.P.E.'s rocket punch sends him flying.
• A villainous one for Icicle. Many supervillains fall prey to Bond Villain Stupidity and Evil Gloating. Icicle, however, proves himself a No-Nonsense Nemesis, takes out S.T.R.I.P.E. from ambush, and barely pauses for a Bond One-Liner. If Pat had been just a few seconds slower, the show would've ended right there.
• One for Courtney's quick thinking—when Pat reports that Joey is looking at him, she immediately summons a blast of light bright enough to dazzle the entire bus. From the other side of the lake, no less.

Episode 4 - Wildcat

• Yolanda having the courage to call out her family for their treatment of her, stating that one mistake shouldn't define her whole life.
  • When that fails, she picks up the mantle of Wildcat and comes to join Courtney. We don't know much about the original Ted Grant, but it looks like he has a worthy successor.

Episode 5 - Hourman and Dr. Mid-Nite

• Despite only knowing about superheroes for less than a day, Beth, the weakest physically of the group, is quick to intervene between a potential fight between Courtney and Rick and successfully defuse the situation.
• Rick using his newfound super strength to smash his abusive uncle Matt's truck. This happens right after he witnesses a drunken Matt harassing a waitress at a diner.

Episode 6 - The Justice Society

• Sportsmaster and Tigress completely wreck the new Justice Society with ease while demonstrating their superb skills and stellar teamwork. It is only because of S.T.R.I.P.E's intervention that they decide a tactical retreat is needed.
  • That being said, the new Justice Society members do put up a surprisingly good fight for children with no training against veteran Hero Killers, and the whole climactic battle sequence is an absolute thrill to watch.
• The shot of the new Justice Society from Crisis on Infinite Earths (2019) is given context as the new Justice Society stares defiantly at Sportsmaster and Tigress. Despite spending the better part of the fight getting absolutely wrecked, they are still determined to fight against evil and refuse to back down. Then S.T.R.I.P.E. lands behind them, creating the iconic team shot that convinces the villainous duo they're outmatched and need to retreat.

Episode 7 - Shiv Part One

• After seeing Cindy treat everyone around her like crap, it is pretty satisfying for Jenny to stand up to her and break off their friendship. Cindy can only gape in surprise at this moment, and her feeble comeback clearly showcases how rattled she is by this.
• The entire fight sequence between Stargirl and Shiv. Despite Courtney's clear acrobatic skills, Cindy proves herself to be an incredibly fearsome opponent who can throw Courtney around with relative ease. With Shiv wielding her own staff in the form of a fire-breathing dragon rod, it's almost as if Stargirl is up against a deadlier, more powerful version of herself. Badly beaten by her newfound enemy, it seems that Stargirl is completely done for... until a sword-wielding Janitor Justin intervenes.

Episode 8 - Shiv Part Two

• Beth standing up to Rick and telling him firmly not to recklessly charge in. Despite her plan having several hitches, Beth was successful in finding the secret tunnel system the ISA use and that Dragon King is Cindy’s father.
• Despite being wounded from their last fight, Courtney did not hesitate to confront Cindy when she believes that something happened to her friends. Speaks volumes for her determination and how much she cares for her teammates. She even does better than their last fight, managing to toss Cindy around for a bit.
  • On the flip side, Cindy, despite being ambushed and missing her staff, manages to gain the upper hand against Courtney and would have killed her if it weren’t for Henry Jr.’s unintentional interference.

Episode 9 - Brainwave

• Henry Jr. gradually mastering his telekinesis to the point where he can simultaneously levitate multiple objects with ease.

Episode 10 - Brainwave, Jr

• The New JSA raiding the ISA's lair to get back the Cosmic Staff and possibly free Brainwave, assuming he can be reasoned with. Special moments:
  • Yolanda, Courtney, and Henry Jr face off against Dragon King's drones, and generally hold their own. Yolanda is basically a One-Woman Army and cuts through them like butter with her graceful yet vicious attacks, really living up to the 'Wildcat' namesake. Courtney, despite not having her staff, takes a normal spear and fights with that, demonstrating she's still a highly acrobatic gymnast and kick-boxer, with very Dance Battler moves. Henry, despite being completely untrained and very new to his powers, is still able to throw a few men around.
  • Though he's denied the chance, Rick is ready to face Solomon Grundy, and nearly tears off the door holding him at bay. What's impressive is that he actually causes damage to the door, bending the steel like foam, which considering that the door can hold back Grundy without any apparent damage, indicates that Rick is stronger than Grundy. He still gets to demonstrate however that he can kick ass, as he proceeds to punch four people at once, as the shockwave caused by his fist connecting with one drone knocks the others down.
  • Dragon King takes a katana and fights Courtney. While Courtney previously got her butt handed to her by his daughter, she still generally held her own; here Dragon King quickly knocks her around and is ready to finish her off until she gets her staff back. This, however, becomes an awesome moment for Court as she's able to take him down, despite the fact she had previously lost against his daughter.
  • Henry's last stand. Not only does he hold off his much more powerful father, get Courtney and co to safety, but he has enough time to genuinely apologise to Yolanda and plead with Courtney to not lose hope. His final act was showing how he is not like his father.
• Barbara recording the Mahkents’ conversation and translating it to reveal the ISA’s plans about the machine. Despite being an untrained civilian, she demonstrates sheer cunning and at least willing to help Pat stop them.

Episode 11 - Shining Knight

• After Sam reveals himself to be a swindling scumbag who would con his own daughter, Pat confronts him about his sleazy actions and demands that he never come visit them ever again. Sam obliges as he wasn't planning on coming back anyway... and then he makes a snide remark about Barbara, pushing Pat to give the prick a punch on his way out that knocks him to the ground!
  Sam: Hey uh, tell Barbara I said bye. She still looks good... not as good as when I had her.
  (Fed up, Pat turns around and decks Sam across the face.)
  Pat: You're lucky I'm busy.
  • Becomes even more awesome after what Pat does to Rick's uncle in Season Two. Turns out Sam has no idea just how lucky he was that Pat has bigger stuff on his plate.
• When the Cosmic Staff suddenly stops working for Courtney, she's convinced that it no longer wants to help her since she isn't Starman's daughter. Because of this, she nearly gives up on being Stargirl altogether, but when Brainwave reveals that he remembers her true identity, she tries awakening the Staff one last time, this time with Pat and Barbara by her side. In the end, not only does the Staff wake up, it glows even brighter than before, signifying that she is indeed a worthy successor regardless of her blood. As the lights around them burst due to the Staff’s overwhelming power, Justin enters the basement and is awestruck by the sheer amount of energy emitting from Courtney's hands.
  Justin: Aye... our queen has risen.

Episode 12 - Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. Part One

• Pat manages to land a few hits on the Sportsmaster who whilst dominating the fight, throwing Pat around like a rag doll and giving Pat tips on how to punch better is still surprised at Pat’s ability to hold his own. When Pat is eventually cornered in the garage by Larry, clearly overpowered. Who comes to the rescue? Mike, armed with only a drill and still ignorant of his father's double life. When Larry prepares to attack the boy, Pat gets up and tells him "Stay away from my kid." before knocking him off his feet with a jack.
• Courtney and Barbara are attacked by Paula, who is demonstrably a much better fighter than both. Despite this, the two hold their own, thanks in-part to the Cosmic Staff. Special points to Barbara, despite being completely terrified, actually getting the drop on Paula during the moments she has her daughter cornered.

Episode 13 - Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. Part Two

• After spending the entire season as an untouchable Smug Snake, the Gambler finally gets some comeuppance when Beth and Chuck attack him where it hurts the most: his wallet. As a means of distracting Sharpe, Chuck hacks into every single one of his financial accounts, allowing Beth to donate all his money to several charity organizations. Sharpe's pissed off reaction is satisfying, to say the least.
• The big showdown in the ISA headquarters, which pits Stargirl and S.T.R.I.P.E. against Icicle, Wildcat against Tigress, Hourman against Sportsmaster, and Sir Justin against Dragon King. The Slow Motion, Splash Panel-style shot of the JSA and ISA charging at each other is enough to hype you up for one hell of a fight.
  • As Justin clashes swords with Dragon King, the King gets the upper hand and knocks him to the floor, but before he could deliver the killing blow, Cindy freakin' Burman impales him through the chest with her wristblade, finally ridding herself of her father after years of abuse.
• In an effort to get the jump on Wildcat, Brainwave disguises himself as his own son and tries to lull her into a false sense of security. While Yolanda buys it at first, she immediately realizes he's a fake when he refers the JSA as "her friends" rather than "our friends", and ends Brainwave with a brutal slash to the throat, avenging her ex-boyfriend.
  Wildcat: I watched Henry die. Now I'm gonna watch you die.
• S.T.R.I.P.E. has his first proper battle since episode two against Grundy, and seeing two giants in a no holds barred fistfight is awesome, doubly so when you remember Pat was shunned from the action as The Team Normal on the old JSA and here is holding his own against Solomon Grundy, arguably the most powerful member of the ISA and even manages to temporarily get the upper-hand. Grundy equally reminds the audience how powerful he is by destroying S.T.R.I.P.E completely.
• After sending Pat off to help Barbara, Rick turns on Solomon Grundy and delivers this bad-ass line "I've got five minutes left, and it's all for you." And then manages to give Grundy, a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown despite being flinged by Grundy easily beforehand. Rick manages to nearly kill Grundy with his remaining five minutes and is about to do so before seeing in his eyes that Grundy isn’t truly evil and was simply under the control of the ISA granting him mercy and scaring him away.
• Before Icicle can throw Barbara off the side of the clock tower, Pat stops him in time and presumably prepares to fight him even without his mech suit which has been destroyed by Grundy. Icicle is quick to scoff at his efforts knowing he has no powers, but unbeknownst to him, Pat has another idea in mind...
  Icicle: What are you doing up here, Pat? You've got no powers, no S.T.R.I.P.E.
  Pat: I'm here to protect my wife.
  Icicle: With what, exactly?
  Pat: Our daughter.
  (Enter Stargirl, who sends Icicle to the ground with an aerial kick.)
  • After an intense fight, both Stargirl and Icicle wind up falling off the tower, but while Icicle lands hard on the pavement, Yolanda swoops in and catches Courtney in the nick of time. As a near-broken Jordan gets back on his feet to continue the fight, he's suddenly run over by a truck and swiftly shatters to pieces, all thanks to the person behind the wheel: Mike!
    Mike: Does this mean I get to be in the JSA?
• The Stingers:
  • The Shade an ex-member of the ISA and a very powerful villain warns that he’s coming to clean-up Jordan’s mess.
  • Cindy having escaped the fight in the ISA lair goes into the Wizard’s things to find a crystal containing Eclipso who comic book fans will know as a villainous counterpart to The Spectre.
  • Somewhere in North Hollywood, we see an unknown man approaching an apartment complex to find Pat Dugan. Right before the credits roll, we see the identity of this mysterious person: Starman himself, Sylvester Pemberton.

Season 2

Episode 7 - Summer School Chapter Two

• Seeing Bobbie smashing items in the house where she was forced to be Dragon King and Cindy's slave.

Episode 6 - Summer School Chapter Six

• Beth finally works up the courage to call out her dad for caring more about his job than his daughter or his marriage falling apart.
• The fight between the JSA and the new ISA is very well-done with highlights including Cindy vs Courtney in a nice battle.
  • Realizing she's outmatched against Artemis, Beth uses her brains by letting her goggles show holographic images of Sportsmaster and Tigress arrested. This distracts and rattles Artemis enough for Rick to attack her.
• Mike slamming his kidnapper Shiv over the head with a toaster.
  Mike: Who's useless now?
• Though brief, the Shade unleashes all his power against the newly freed Eclipso. Eclipso then turns it on his head by strolling through the shadows as if they weren't there and reminding the Shade that he gets his power from Eclipso's home dimension. Eclipso then uses his claws to stab the Shade in the sides, sending him packing in less than a second.

Episode 7 - Summer School Chapter Seven

• When Mrs. Montez tries to berate her daughter again, Father Thomas calmly shuts her down, insisting that Yolanda needs compassion, not condemning. Even for just a moment, Father Thomas was one of the first people to tell Mrs. Montez that he's had enough of her judgmental treatment towards her daughter Yolanda.

Episode 8 - Summer School Chapter Eight

• Holy crap does Beth ever get one here. Trapped in a house with the boogeyman they've been fearing all season, Eclipso himself, Beth goes after him, and in the face of taunts, jeers, and surprisingly racism, stands up to him. When he says she doesn't belong in the JSA and digs at the fact that, unlike Courtney, Rick and Yolanda nobody chose her to be Dr. Mid-Nite, she comes back at him with this: "That's what you need me to do? Give into my worst fear that I'm an outsider? I won't. I'm strong, proud and I chose myself to be Dr. Mid-Nite. I choose me." And she wins.

Episode 12 - Summer School Chapter Twelve

• Pat visits Rick's abusive uncle Matt at the hospital to convince him to drop the charges against his nephew Rick but Matt only responds by writing "Go to hell". This made Pat give out probably his most awesome moment yet when he calls out Matt for failing to take care of Rick and being a unpleasant spineless bully before he locks the door and closes the blind in order to give Matt an implied No-Holds-Barred Beatdown. Whatever it is, it's enough to cause Matt to drop all charges.
  Pat: Rick's parents asked you to look out for him but you did the opposite, didn't you? [Sits down and stares at Matt before looking down] You actually got a talent, you know that? You really do, it's for finding people that are weaker than you are... taking advantage of them. Whether it's a kid, some waitress, or your own nephew... [Stands up and glares at Matt] You're a bad guy... [Goes to the door and locks it] and whenever I run into somebody like you when I was growing up back in the army or today, makes me remember something about myself... [Looking out in the window] I got some bad in me too... [Closes the window blinds as Matt starts to panic]
  • It's also particularly awesome (and heartwarming) given that most of the time, Pat rarely enjoys causing harm to anyone, and almost always holds back. The fact that Pat is willing and able to do this shows just how much he cares about Rick, and just how far he is beyond caring about causing harm to others. Tranquil Fury at its finest.

Episode 13 - Summer School Chapter Thirteen

• After every monstrous thing Eclipso has ever done over the course of the season and in fact the course of his whole ancient existence, seeing him finally get his comeuppance after Courtney (with Starman's help) successfully expels him from her body followed by every single hero and villain attacking him at once with their attacks, culminating in the Thunderbolt transforming him into a piece of toast, at last giving the monster his just desserts once and for all and ending the long nightmare.
• The episode ends with the full reveal of the fan-favorite villain Mr. Bones. And if that wasn't awesome enough, they got Keith David to voice him. Nuff said.

Season 3

Episode 1 - Frenemies Chapter One: The Murder

• Artemis taking on the No Limit Gang all by herself is very impressive.

Episode 2 - Frenemies Chapter Two: The Suspects

• Sylvester teaches Courtney his Super Special Move, the Shooting Star.

Episode 3- Frenemies Chapter Two: The Blackmail

• Badass Normal Battle Couple Larry and Paula battle Starman (with his cosmic staff), and all three of them end up knocked to the ground multiple times.

Episode 6 - Frenemies Chapter Six: The Betrayal

• Cameron using his powers to create a statue of his father Jordan. The visual effects of the swirling snow and frost are worthy of Elsa.
• Yolanda's fight with Cindy is not only awesome in itself, but also in-universe catharsis after everything she suffered at Cindy's hands.

Episode 12 - Frenemies Chapter Twelve: The Last Will And Testament of Sylvester Pemberton

• Everything about what the Ultra-Humanite has done. He proves himself in the space about five minutes to be arguably the most terrifying villain the JSA has ever faced, boasting to Pat about all the ways he's manipulated the heroes.
• After overhearing "Sylvester" tell Pat that he's no hero, Courtney rightfully stands up for her stepdad, telling Sylvester that Pat's more of a hero than he'll ever be.
  Courtney: You know, since the day I found the Staff, you've been my hero. I even thought you were my father for a while. But when Brainwave came after me, it was Pat who saved me, and when Cindy hurt me, it was Pat who got me to the hospital, and when my dad came to take that locket and I was absolutely crushed, Pat was there for me too. He's been there for me every time I ever needed him. So... you're not my hero, Starman. Pat Dugan is my hero.
• When Pat thinks that Sylvester insulted him just to Shoo the Dog, he is determined to back him up even though his mech is disabled, stripping off one of S.T.R.I.P.E's wrist flamethrowers to carry as a weapon.

Episode 13 - Frenemies Chapter Thirteen: The Reckoning

• As Icicle is about to attack Stargirl, a familiar arrow strikes him right in the shoulder; did Artemis just arrive to save Courtney? Nope, it's Barbara who saved her daughter's life, wielding Paula's crossbow and honing the skills that her late friend had taught her.
  Barbara: Stay away from my daughter.
• Courtney disarms Ultra-Humanite of the Cosmic Staff by declaring that it no longer belongs to him, since the only reason he could control it in the first place was because she believed he should.
  Courtney: You're not worthy! But I am!
• S.T.R.I.P.E. vs. The Ultra-Humanite:
  • Pat commences the fight with an amazing Pre-Asskicking One-Liner.
    Pat: Know what I don't like? It's looking at you and seeing my best friend's face. So I'm gonna knock it off.
  • Ultra-Humanite proves to be a mighty force to be reckoned with in Starman's body, and effortlessly wields the Staff with deadly expertise. When Pat tosses an entire car at him, he spins the Staff like a helicopter blade and slices the car clean in half!
  • Ultra-Humanite tosses Pat out of the mech and mockingly chuckles, "No more robot!" Later on, after Stargirl takes Cosmo back from the villain, Pat approaches him for some mano a mano.
    Pat: No more staff, huh?
  • Even though it's not the real Sylvester, this fight proves that ol' Stripesy is perfectly capable of taking down Starman in combat. A "sidekick" he is not!
  • After three seasons of Pat being ridiculed as a sidekick, useless, not a real fighter, etc, it is just. So. Satisfying to see him beat down the Big Bad.
• Cameron finally stands against Jordan and teams up with Stargirl to take him down. Once Jordan threatens to kill Courtney, Cameron unleashes his frozen fury, riddling his father with ice shards and forcing him to retreat in a cloud of snow. Bonus points for Cameron finally forming his icy skin like in the comics!
• After escaping to Denmark, Jordan goes about his evening until he is beckoned by a mysterious voice calling his name. As he investigates the source, he unknowingly steps into a sticky path of petroleum, before coming face-to-face with a vengeful, fully-armored Artemis. Ready to avenge her beloved parents, she strikes up a flare and tosses it into the fuel, setting Jordan ablaze and ending him once and for all. He killed her parents by luring them into a trap, and now Artemis gets to return the favor.
  Artemis: This is for my parents.