The is pretty long in the tooth these days.

I don't think anyone would really disagree with that. it's based on ran for 8 years and ended its run in 2019 with one of the biggest events in TV history, Crisis on Infinite Earths. Something that's been teased since the first spinoff of the show, The Flash, had its first episode. Speaking of the first spinoff, that's going into season 7, and all the rest of the spinoffs are pretty old at this point. Several of them are going to be ending this year or next.

More recently though, there's been an attempt to give it new life through shows like Batwoman, Swamp Thing, Titans and others. However I think perhaps the best attempt to make the long running universe a renewal is Stargirl. The show has its own tone and story focus. But what I think gives it some of the best aspects is the way it leans into the idea of renewal.

While many of the other shows rely on its connection to the others within the universe, Stargirl doesn't. But that doesn't mean it's not obvious how it connects. Fundamentally, the show raises the idea of a new generation of heroes stepping in where an older generation ended. Specifically, the idea of taking over for the Justice Society of America. Ten years ago the old JSA was killed by the Injustice Society, and the show picks up with a new generation dealing with the consequences of the old. Because the old Injustice Society is still around, it requires a new generation to rise up and deal with them.

This isn't to say that Stargirl does everything necessarily right. Part of the problem being that because they're dealing with the older generation, the new generation doesn't always get its due. Stargirl on her own has a lot of potential as a character, but she is so intent on building a new JSA that the story doesn't take the time to really establish who Stargirl and Courtney herself is on her own. At times it feels like Justice Society of America featuring Stargirl, instead of her show featuring the JSA.

I know they only had 13 episodes to work with and a second season wasn't guaranteed, especially with the DC Universe platform going under. But I think the show might have worked better if Stargirl tried to go it on her own with Pat's reluctant help and after her encounter with Shiv in the middle of the season, she decides she has to have other people in her corner, building it from there. You could've still had Yolanda, Beth and Rick in the show and build a relationship with Courtney outside of the superhero world before she brings them in.

The other problem of course is that a new generation of villains wasn't quite put together either. Cindy is obviously the strongest of the new generation as a character. Despite being trapped behind a door for a large part of season 1, she makes her presence felt. However outside of that, there isn't really a serious attempt to build out a group to take over for their parents.

Perhaps the most obvious example of this is Henry Jr. He has so much potential as a character, and yet it didn't really amount to much in the end. He could've been a conduit to explore the idea of the sins of the previous generation being visited upon their children, and what the right choice for the new generation is. Do you follow your parents and the path they laid out for you? Or do you forge your own path?

Sadly, that was not to be.

But this doesn't necessarily conflict with the idea of renewal though. Often the process of renewal is a difficult one. Even if the new generation wants to do something, that doesn't mean that the older generation will let you. The conflict between Courtney and Pat as well as Cindy and her father are probably the best examples of this in the show. How do you get anywhere if you have someone looking over you, telling you not to do something?

It's hardly a simple process.

Thankfully, Brec Bassinger, Anjelika Washington and Luke Wilson make it easy to go along with it. Along with Meg DeLacy and the rest of the cast, they make it a joy to watch the conflict between the generations.

With the second season coming soon, I can't wait to see how things are going to evolve. Give yourself the joy of watching the Arrowverse evolve beyond its original series.

Originally Posted on Substack.