While the final showdown between the Justice Society of America and the Injustice Society in the Season 1 finale of DC’s Stargirl was challenging for the entire team of young heroes, it was Yolanda Montez/Wildcat (Yvette Monreal) that has carried the heaviest burden in the months since. Not only did she witness the death of Henry King Jr. (Jake Austin Walker), but she killed his father, Brainwave (Christopher James Baker) when the villain tried to impersonate Henry to get to the JSA through Yolanda. Yolanda has been haunted by her guilt ever since. According to Monreal, heading into this week’s episode “Summer School: Chapter Seven”, Yolanda is looking for redemption for her actions before she can move on in the fight against Eclipso.
“She has a lot on her mind. There’s Cameron and Courtney who are forming this bond. There’s Eclipso. There’s the deaths of Cindy and Isaac,” Monreal told ComicBook.com. “She’s struggling a little bit. She does mention that Isaac and Cindy didn’t deserve to die, but Eclipso does. She has it out for Eclipso; she really doesn’t think he should be in Blue Valley. She’s on Courtney’s side, but before everything, she wants to seek redemption and she wants to make sure it’s okay that she can take someone out, that she can sacrifice this villain to save the rest of the people. So, that’s still on her mind. She wants to make sure that it’s morally correct. She’s trying to find a way to justify that.”
One of the ways we’ve seen Yolanda trying to determine if her actions are morally correct previously this season is that we’ve seen Yolanda going to church. Specifically, Yolanda has been going to Confession, though not really opening up about what’s been troubling her. For Monreal, incorporating religion and this aspect of who Yolanda is was something that she personally appreciated, both for herself and the character.
“I personally felt it was really beautiful because you don’t really get to see the exploration of religion on a TV show and religion is something that’s very big in my own family,” Monreal said. “My mom is Mexican. She’s Catholic and religion is huge in our household. So, to be able to dive into that I thought that was kind of like a once-in-a-lifetime kind of deal. You don’t see that often. And I could appreciate it, honestly. And I thought that if there’s a different perspective of some people who aren’t Catholic, it still gives that perspective. It means a lot to me and I really appreciate it.”
You can check out the synopsis for this week’s episode of DC’s Stargirl, “Summer School: Chapter Seven” below.
“YOLANDA FACES HER PAST – When the guilt over Brainwave’s (guest star Christopher James Baker) death becomes too much to handle, Yolanda (Yvette Monreal) is forced to make a heartbreaking decision. Brec Bassinger, Luke Wilson, Amy Smart, Cameron Gellman, Anjelika Washington, Trae Romano, and Hunter Sansone also star. Sheelin Choksey directed the episode written by Robbie Hyne.”
DC’s Stargirl airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on The CW. “Summer School: Chapter Seven” airs Tuesday, September 21st.
DC’s Stargirl: Yvette Monreal Previews Yolanda’s Search for Redemption in “Summer School: Chapter Seven”
