There were a lot of things I really enjoyed about Stargirl. I really liked that the show stayed true to its roots, and spent a lot of time with the legacy of the Justice Society of America, which was the first superhero team. Legacy has been a big part of the show, and it takes some unexpected directions in the finale. While I really wish the show wasn’t going, “The Reckoning” went out on a really good note. Since this is a finale that come out some time ago, there will be spoilers in this review.

The episode opens with a flashback from nine months ago. Dragon King and Icicle indulge in a bit of grave robbing. This leads us to a really ugly scene as we see how Starman’s body ended up as the very unwilling host for the Ultra-Humanite’s brain. It is touching and says a lot about the hero that one of the last things he says is to ask about his partner/sidekick Stripesy. In the present, “Starman” walks away from the grave we saw him bury Stripesy in last episode.

Courtney leads her team in a planning session as they realize the extent to which the impostor Sylvester has been manipulating all of them for so long. Credit where it’s due, the bad guys really had a masterful plan here. Over at the Mahkents’ place, the plan continues as fake Sylvester keeps trying to manipulate Cameron into working against Courtney. There really were entirely too many people on this show whose name started with “C.” Cameron isn’t someone lacking in will, so he’s not falling for everything right off the bat, while the split in attitude between his grandparents keeps getting wider. While both groups of people worry about everything going on, Pat works his way free from his own grave. The man is filled with quiet determination; this is just the most recent example of how he’s been through the entire series.

Elsewhere in Blue Valley, yet another group is heard from as Cindy, Mike, and Jakeem emerge from the tunnels that really make the entire town a prime candidate for some major sinkhole issues. They get in some banter before an echoing roar keeps them moving. At Zeke’s junkyard, where several scenes have happened on this series, the fake Starman keeps spinning lies as both the JSA and the Mahkent clan meet up. After he finishes lying about Pat’s death, Pat himself shows up in the repaired STRIPE, the impostor in Sylvester’s body finally loses his temper, and a huge fight kicks off.

There’s a lot of brain-hopping in this storyline, and now the Dragon King, who we thought was dead a while ago, is running around in the white ape body must often associated with the Ultra-Humanite (who is in Starman’s body). He’s still trying to convince his daughter Cindy to join him, but Shiv has other ideas, and fights her father to help defend Mike and Jakeem. Cindy has come a long way, from Mean Girl to Supervillain and now she’s acting like a hero. At the junkyard, STRIPE squares off with Starman, while the ongoing would-be alpha male nonsense between Hourman and Cameron makes a tense and complicated situation even harder to deal with. As this goes on, Wildcat and Dr. Midnight do their best to deal with the elder Mahkents.

The Ultra-Humanite keeps using Starman’s body to fight STRIPE and ranting in fine supervillain style. As they battle, Dr. Midnight and Grandfather Mahkent come to an understanding, which the utterly unforgiving Grandmother just can’t handle. She keeps attacking, manages to bring about her own death, and give us a nod to the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz. While Cindy battles the Ultra-Humanite/Dragon King hybrid, Mike and Jakeem have a very intense discussion about how to handle the wishes from the genie. Jakeem finally shows he has a handle on it and the monster they’ve been fighting ends up in a new and much less dangerous form.

As the big fight rages on, Barbara unexpectedly gets involved, clearly having learned something from her late friend Paula. I really feel like the Crocks getting killed the way they did was an ugly twist that didn’t necessarily need to happen. When Icicle is about to end Barbara’s involvement, and her life, Cameron finally makes a decision and sides with Courtney and her team. The second Icicle in the comics also ended up becoming a good guy, at least for a while, so once again, a nice nod to the source material. As if that wasn’t enough of a tide-turning moment, Courtney makes her own stand. Having learned the truth about what’s been going on, and what the villains have been up to, she summons the Cosmic Staff back to her, shutting down the Ultra-Humanite’s power. That great scene, complete with swelling music, is followed by Cameron defeating his father after a nice call back to some of the more surprising events from earlier seasons of the show, specifically the moment when Brainwave killed his son. Cameron wins, but it’s not without cost, and he leaves on a dramatic note, seeking help for his grandfather.

Later, a very battered Pat compares notes with Courtney, and talks about some of his early adventures with the real Starman. They have a very tender moment, and it’s a great father/daughter scene, no “step” involved. Rick makes some amends with the Chapel family, and asks for help with the addiction to the hourglass’ power he’s developed. They accept his apology, and the parents are thrilled as they are designated sidekicks (even if they did it themselves). On a much more somber note, Sylvester’s body is fine, but the Ultra-Humanite’s brain seems to be fried. Dr. McNider, returning to offer his special expertise again, says all they can do at this point is keep the body on life support, just in case. In the world of superheroes, that “just in case” is a lot more likely than ours. In a brief and ugly elsewhere scene, we see what actually happened to Sylvester’s brain, which is in a jar in another hideout, and the hero is stuck in a loop reliving his anguished defeat and worry about Pat.

We got some assorted “wrap up loose ends” scenes of various different kinds. Mike has his actual talk with his real mother, as Pat and Barbara look on from out in the car. Courtney tracks down the Gambler’s daughter, Becky, and tells her about her father. In the comics, she eventually becomes the supervillain Hazzard (who, oddly, shows up over on the Flash show). Rick goes to Solomon Grundy’s grave, lamenting that everyone else got second chances, and we see a familiar pale fist smash up through the earth, making Rick give a very rare smile.

Later at the Dugan/Whitmore home, which really was the heart of the series, there’s a gathering of most of the major characters, even the (mostly) reformed Cindy, On her way to the dinner, Courtney gets surprised by Cameron, who is finally ready for her help, and we look like we’re set for a happily ever after.

That happens, after a fashion, but we get two end scenes to really cement a few things. Icicle once again managed to reform and escape after his apparent death, and is wandering Europe some three months later. However, he let himself get overconfident, and isn’t paying anywhere near enough attention. Artemis ambushes him in a really well thought out takedown that’s worthy of a certain Dark Knight, although a lot more lethal than he gets. She gets her revenge, and a very evil man finally can’t do any more harm. I generally don’t support heroes killing their foes, but then, Artemis is more of an anti-hero, and I’ll take that loophole in this case.

Then we get the big jump with the biggest changes. 10 years later, the JSA is a famed team, doing so well that there are actual tours of their headquarters. The resident docent/tour guide is the Shade, who has been one of my favorite characters throughout the series. Between his patter for the tour and assorted signs in the background, we learn about how the JSA has grown, our young heroes having become very successful, and added more to their ranks. Among the tidbits are that Hourman and Dr. Midnight are about to get married, that the 7 Soldiers of Victory were rescued (not seen or mentioned since season one), and that Starman’s brain was rescued from that jar we saw him in.

Shade’s speech about the legacy of the JSA is cut short when a glowing portal opens and the Golden Age, original, Jay Garrick Flash runs in to the room. He says that the JSA is needed, and that he was sent to get Shade to help them. Flash comments that their adventures aren’t over, and Shade, unflappable as ever, asks “Are they ever?” for a great final line, as we see “NEVER THE END” on screen.

A few things about that final scene. It showed how much more story there was to tell in that world, and made the show’s cancellation even more frustrating, although it was a great scene and I’m glad they did it. This sophisticated Shade is based on the James Robinson version of the character from his amazing run on the Starman comic book, which took the Shade from a generic bad guy to a character with impressive depth and history. And, finally, this Flash is played by John Wesley Shipp, which is a great example of how the Arrow-verse honored its history. Shipp played the Flash on the 90’s tv series, which was wonderful, then Barry’s Dad on the Flash, then came back as the 90’s Flash on that show before cameoing on Stargirl once before, and again now. It was such a great way to wrap up the series.

What I Liked: Pretty much everything. It was a great wrap up with some hints at what might have been if they let the series continue. Courtney standing up to the false Starman was fantastic, as was her scene with Pat shortly afterwards. I’m glad everyone who deserved to lived happily ever after. I thought Artemis’ ambush of Icicle was well done and snipped that loose end really, really well. And that final scene was fantastic. John Wesley Shipp has got to have set a record for playing the most different versions of a superhero character in live action.

What I Didn’t: I’m really annoyed that the behind-the scenes chaos at the CW killed off the Arrowverse, ending a fantastic era in hero television. And I’m really displeased that this show ended with so much potential to keep going.

I’ll give the finale the rare 5 out of 5, and the series a high 4 out of 5. They had some rough moments, but things really came together as they went.

I’ll miss Stargirl and this version of the JSA.