Stargirl – Frenemies Chapter Six: The Betrayal review S3 E6
Stargirl’s patience in developing a romantic subplot for Courtney continues to pay off in Frenemies. Most importantly, The Betrayal didn’t have any abrupt out of character moments. Everything that’s playing out falls in line with what the characters have done over the previous seasons now with new dynamics at play.
Last season, Eclipso devastated the JSA as they got engulfed by their various demons. This left Courtney without much of a team to rely on, which is ironically playing out in a different manner this season as the team keeps feeling like they can’t rely on her.
Rick is testing his limitless time-restraint on his powers. Beth keeps pushing her parents further and further away while Yolanda is in the confessional seeking for forgiveness — not for what she’s done, but what she’s about to do.
Oblivious to the happenings with her friends/teammates, Courtney continues training Cameron. He’s now advanced to creating art not through pencil and paintbrush, but just with his hands in the forms of ice sculptures like the statue size version of his father. This kind of creeps Courtney out, but she plays it off enough that he’s not suspicious.
Meanwhile, Pat and Barb want to spend a little time with Cameron’s grandparents, rightfully suspecting they’re not the kind, caring guardians they seek to portray. Cameron’s grandmother questions why her husband didn’t poison the snacks he brought for Barb and Pat. This episode featured a greater focus on the mysterious, heavy breathing figure watching the various surveillance footage while they work on a puzzle.
With their faithful leader absent, Yolanda tells Rick, Beth and Sylvester about the laptop. Sylvester suggests Beth hack it and Yolanda to return it so she doesn’t get suspicious.
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This is probably the one area where I wish the show cast an actor younger than Joel McHale to play Sylvester. As he takes more of a leadership role with the JSA, we’re missing that sense that the young kid who joined the original JSA now finds himself as the experienced hero leading the new generation. Visually, it’s just like Pat helping the others when Courtney isn’t around.
From one team to the next, Mike and Jakeem keep trying to recruit Cindy to their team — the Young All-Stars. Wow that’s going way back to the confusing, but still entertaining post-Crisis era of the All-Star Squadron.
Cindy does catch Wildcat creeping in to put the laptop back. Even when she insists on her innocence, Cindy comes off guilty. That’s all Yolanda needs to fight a teammate she never warmed up to. I’d forgotten how fun the fights can be on Stargirl. Rick comes to help and they see Cindy’s scaly arm, but Stargirl’s arrival actually ends the fight.
Courtney tries to get Cindy to calm down, but she is exhausted from trying to be a hero. Cindy noticed her skin changing upon returning from the Shadowlands and thought The Gambler’s laptop might have some secrets from her father’s notes detailing a cure.
But Cindy is over it and starts dropping bombs. First, she tells the JSA that Stargirl is helping to train Cameron and casually threatens that she’s gonna tell Cameron what happened to his father.
Courtney doesn’t get much sympathy from the others. “You turned your back on us for him.” Ouch. Courtney suggests Sylvester should lead the JSA until things calm down, but Yolanda says he already has been. Down in the dumps at home, Sylvester gives Courtney a pep talk. He does keep saying all the right things, but it feels like something isn’t quite right.
And for a big thing that’s not right, Beth discovers the surveillance feed that’s been spying on everyone. She plays it off while visiting Courtney and Pat using the loud juicer to drown out her big reveal. Now at least some of the JSA realizes they’re being watched. How will they play it? Should make for a fun episode next week.
The Betrayal didn’t opt for some big flashy, showy dramatic moment. Instead, the more restrained approach worked much better allowing for the show’s slow burn to keep building to an inferno. Unless Icicle cools everything down…
Rating: 8 out of 10
Photo Credit: The CW
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