DC’s Stargirl Recap With Spoilers: It’s All About Family and Secrets in “Brainwave”

Last week on DC’s Stargirl, Courtney faced off with Cindy Burman, but in the process discovered that another of her classmates has ties to the ISA when Henry King Jr. showed up and got into her head telepathically. With it becoming clear that the extent of the ISA’s presence in Blue Valley goes well beyond simply villains in retirement as well as the fact that Courtney’s heroic identity is not so much a secret, the heroes are looking for all the help they can get — and Courtney thinks that Henry Jr. may just be that help. Read on to find out how Courtney’s attempt to recruit Henry Jr. works out in our spoiler-filled recap of “Brainwave” below.

Warning: Spoilers for this week’s episode of DC’s Stargirl, “Brainwave”, below.

The episode opens “decades ago” with a young scientist in a lab frantically searching for a bottle of medication. In the parking lot he struggles to open it, spilling the pills as he hears the thoughts of a man who comes to mug and murder him, but to the scientists surprise, he is able to use his mind to stop the criminal and kill him instead. The scientist is a young Henry King and he’s just discovered his powers, recording in a video diary that he thinks he just killed someone. In the present, Henry Jr. goes into that secret room in his father’s study and finds those video diaries and watches them which reveals that Henry experimented on himself, which is how he got his powers.

At home, Courtney tells Pat that she could hear Henry Jr.’s thoughts in her head and that she could not only hear him, but feel all his feelings, too — confused, lonely, sad. She realizes that he’s different from his father and Cindy and she wants to ask him to help the JSA. Pat is struggling with something else, though. He realizes that Cindy’s father is Dr. Ito/Dragon King which means the ISA is up to no good in Blue Valley. He explains that he knows this because before he and Sylvester (then Star-Spangled Kid) were part of the JSA, they were part of a different team, The Seven Soldiers of Victory, who stopped Dr. Ito from destroying New York. He reveals that he lost touch with the team years ago and wishes he knew where they were because the new JSA needs help.

At the school, Justin the Janitor has a vision of his mop as the Cosmic Staff, much to his confusion. Beth discovers that the Burman house is now empty, and that Cindy has mysteriously withdrawn from school to study overseas. In reality, her father has locked her up in his lab and gasses her until she falls asleep. He’s more interested in Henry Jr. now, who is continuing to watch his father’s video and learn more about his own powers as well as the fact that his father believed all humans to be monsters. At school, Courtney approaches Yolanda, Rick, and Beth about recruiting Henry Jr. Beth is for it, but the other two not so much.

Dragon King and Icicle assemble the ISA in their lair and reveals that Henry Jr. has his father’s powers and that he can be used to mind control everyone in a six-state radius with their amplifier, creating a New America. In his office, Barbara apologizes to Jordan for leaving due to Courtney’s “accident” and Jordan reveals that he’s just finished a “project” that took years, but he feels no sense of accomplishment. Barbara invites Jordan and his family over for dinner.

Henry Jr. hears his father in his mind and goes to the hospital for answers but doesn’t get any response. He does read the mind of the nurse, though, who doesn’t like Henry and thinks they should pull the plug, prompting the son to agree that people are monsters. Beth and Rick head to the garage. Yolanda is upset about the Henry Jr. thing and doesn’t show up. Pat wants to find out if there is a tunnel network beneath Blue Valley. Rick leaves Beth to figure out the tunnels while Rick wants to try to crack his father’s code.

Courtney visits Henry Jr. in the hospital and he realizes that Courtney is the one who hurt his father. Courtney appeals to him for help and Henry Jr. reveals that hearing everyone’s thoughts is “hell on earth”. She encourages him to look deeper. Later, Wildcat shows up to confront Henry Jr. and warns him to stay away from Courtney and Henry Jr. ends up trying Courtney’s idea of looking deeper, realizing Yolanda’s rage comes from a place of pain.

At the Whitmore/Dugan house, The Mahkents come over for family dinner. It’s a little awkward, but Courtney realizes something’s up with Jordan when he picks up a hot pan without potholders. She realizes he’s Icicle. At the garage, Beth figures out part of Blue Valley’s history that confirms the tunnel theory.

After dinner, Courtney goes to get the Cosmic Staff because she wants to investigate further. Pat wants to tell Barbara before they do anything else, but they don’t get the chance. Barbara comes downstairs and sees Courtney with the staff. At the hospital, Henry Jr. is visited by his father’s lawyer, claiming that his father had instructions to turn off life support, but Henry Jr. realizes it’s a lie and accidentally kills him. Henry Sr. suddenly wakes up.

DC’s Stargirl airs Tuesdays at 8/7 on The CW. New episodes debut Mondays on DC Universe.