Stargirl Season 1 Episode 4 Recap: Wildcat

In the fourth episode of DC Universe’s Stargirl, after realizing that she needs the extra help, Courtney sets out to recruit new members to the Justice Society of America, starting with Yolanda Montez.

Yolanda Montez

The episode begins three months prior centering on Yolanda as we learn more about her character, back when she was dating Henry and running for student council against Cindy, who has made her jealousy of their relationship clear. One night, Henry texts Yolanda asking her to send him a “sexy” pic just for him. Hesitant, Yolanda decides to takes a topless selfie and sends it to him. Sadly, Cindy gets a hold of the photo and sends it to everyone in the audience during Yolanda’s speech after becoming one of the newly elected class officials. Yolanda cries and runs off stage when she realizes what happened.

Back in the present day, Courtney is looking over each JSA artifact she took from the JSA headquarters. She clicks the pink pen Pat warned her was extremely dangerous but is underwhelmed when nothing happens. Pat cooks breakfast for the family and Mike asks if he can invite his friend Jakim over, serving as a reminder for Courtney that she hasn’t really made any friends yet. Before taking off for school, Courtney tells Pat she wants to recruit new members to take on the Injustice Society. Pat says he needs to find the other members of the Injustice Society that are in Blue Valley and then he’ll alert the authorities, but Courtney says they might be the authorities. At school, Courtney once more steps in to stop Cindy from bullying Yolanda, but Yolanda tells her she just wants to be left alone.

At a salvage yard, Pat picks up an exhaust pipe and takes it back to his shop. He runs into Denise who’s having car trouble and gives his condolences for the loss of her son and husband and offers to fix up her car as she goes for a walk.

Dr. Ito

At the Injustice Society, Jordan meets with Dr. Ito (Dragon King), who says that he will never betray Jordan/Icicle like The Shade apparently did. Jordan tells him that he is accelerating Project: New America and asks Ito to build his machine. Ito is pleased, saying one generation’s sacrifice will serve the next. He says he won’t let Jordan down the way The Wizard did, and reveals how much he didn’t like him anyway. Dr. Ito then receives permission from Jordan to take the councilman’s body.

Back at school, Courtney finds Yolanda hitting a punching bag and tells her she needs her help. Courtney asks Yolanda to come over for dinner so she can explain but Yolanda says she’s not promising anything. Yolanda does try to go over, but even after three months, she’s still grounded according to her mom. The next day, Courtney tells Yolanda that she’s the one who “accidentally” blew up Henry’s car and says he never should have shared the photos of Yolanda. Yolanda cries and says that Henry was so nice to her and that after a few months she thought things were getting serious but he apparently only saw her as the next girl. Her parents treat her like she doesn’t exist; they won’t take her to church or come near the school. Yolanda says she hates Henry, even though she doesn’t want to hate anyone.

Denise stops by the shop again with her packed up car to tell Pat that she’s leaving for good and warns him not to trust the town and implies she knows her husband was murdered. When Pat tries to ask more about the councilman, Denise quickly drives off.

Wildcat

Courtney convinces Yolanda to come over and after showing her the Cosmic Staff, she has her try on Wildcat’s costume. Once she puts on the cowl, the costume automatically becomes perfectly fitted to Yolanda. The two begin testing Wildcat’s powers, such as using the claws to cut through a toaster and testing out Wildcat’s agility and balance with the majority of these powers coming from the costume similar to the staff. Courtney tells Yolanda that Henry’s dad is a supervillain named Brainwave, and Yolanda wonders if the other Injustice Society members would visit him in the hospital. Courtney says she’ll create a distraction while Yolanda sneaks in to check the visitor’s log.

Using her new claws, Yolanda makes her way up the side of the building until she reaches the 7th floor where Dr. King’s hospital room is. The Cosmic Staff helps to create a distraction by tearing up a maintenance room full of supplies, giving Yolanda time to grab the visitor’s log. Yolanda ends up in Dr. Henry’s room, standing quietly behind a crying Henry who is sitting by his father’s bed. She raises her claws and appears to be about to strike Henry until he tells his unconscious father that he misses him.

After Henry leaves without spotting her, Yolanda hides in the room with Courtney floating just outside of the window on the Cosmic Staff as they see Principal Anaya Bowin come into Dr. King’s room and begin playing music to him on her violin. After he doesn’t respond, she leaves. Courtney and Yolanda wonder if that confirms she’s also a villain. Unbeknownst to the pair, fellow classmate Beth Chapel spots them as the girls leave.

Missing

Back in Courtney’s room, Yolanda and her notice that Principal Bowin never signed into the visitor’s log. When Courtney says they need to investigate, Yolanda tells Courtney she doesn’t think she’s her Wildcat. Yolanda feels like she needs to get her own life back before she puts on a costume and pretends to be someone else. She just wants to be her again. Yolanda gives back the costume before leaving.

At home, Yolanda confronts her family. She admits she made a mistake and trusted someone she shouldn’t have. Yolanda says what she did brought shame to her family, and she’s sorry, but that was months ago and she’s been punished enough. She’s not going to apologize anymore. She tells her family to forgive her and to help her move on with her life and be the Yolanda Montez she used to be. Her parents tell her she’ll never be the Yolanda Montez she used to be and send her to her room.

Crying, Yolanda sits on her bed before she notices the open window and realizes that Courtney left the Wildcat costume in her room with a note saying she can’t do this alone. Yolanda suits up and goes back to Courtney’s house. The next day, Pat goes back to the salvage yard looking for more equipment. While there, Pat comes across a black cat as well as Denise’s now damaged car with a few of her and her late son’s belongings still inside, but with no trace of Denise.

What did you think of the fourth episode of Stargirl? Let us know in the comment section below!