DC’s Stargirl 3×05 Review: “Chapter Five: The Thief”

Courtney grows closer to Cameron, but the rest of the JSA is not thrilled with their developing relationship in “Chapter Five: The Thief.”

Though Cindy (Meg DeLacy) insists that she’s trying to change, she continues to look suspicious. In addition to her DNA being found in the Gambler’s trailer in “Chapter Four: The Evidence,” the opening flashback of “Chapter Five: The Thief” shows her standing over the Gambler’s body on the night of the murder with her blade unsheathed.

Despite the overwhelming evidence, it feels like there is a twist coming, particularly as we don’t see Cindy kill the Gambler and it feels too early to reveal the murderer. Though it’s not clear what exactly Cindy is up to, she apparently stole the Gambler’s laptop to locate the hidden laboratories of the Dragon King.

In the present day, Courtney (Brec Bassinger) and Cameron (Hunter Sansone) continue their budding romance as he walks her home. Though their moments throughout the episode are cute, it’s clear that Courtney is distracted. She barely seems interested in Pat’s (Luke Wilson) update on the murder investigation, becoming more focused on researching how to help Cameron with his powers than Justice Society of America (JSA) business.

Sylvester (Joel McHale) leads Yolanda (Yvette Monreal) and Rick (Cameron Gellman) into the underground tunnels to investigate the Dragon King’s supposed resurrection. Their investigation leads them to the old Injustice Society of America (ISA) headquarters, and Sylvester bursts into a rage upon seeing the ISA photo on the wall. Though Sylvester has had some nice moments this season and this episode, there must be more to his sometimes-erratic behavior.

Thankfully, Sylvester can admit the error of his ways when he has a nice conversation with Barbara (Amy Smart), who encourages him to try his best with the young JSA members. The next morning, he bonds with Mike (Trae Romano), encouraging him to convince the JSA to take him seriously by proving himself to them. Mike hasn’t got a lot of screen time this season, and it’s nice to see him get more to do in this episode.

Mike’s plan to prove himself with Jakeem’s (Alkoya Brunson) help is put on hold, as they are confronted by school bullies. Though Jakeem wishes the bullies to be nicer to them, Thunderbolt (Seth Green) humorously makes it so the boys politely ask for their lunch money. Cindy comes to the rescue, and it’s clear that Mike and Jakeem have a crush on her. They later attempt to recruit her to their superhero group, the Young All-Stars, but Cindy laughs before declining.

Sylvester goes to investigate one of Dragon King’s old labs, enlisting Beth (Anjelika Washington) to help hack into a lock on the entrance. Beth is in a math test at the time, but reluctantly agrees to help him. In another great moment, Sylvester compliments her by telling her that McNider was right to pass on the goggles to her.

Cindy is surprisingly supportive of Courtney’s relationship with Cameron as they bond as lab partners. Despite how suspicious Cindy appears to be, it’s impressive how far the two have come in their dynamic. The rest of the JSA reacts to Cameron with hostility, and Courtney gets mad at them for attacking him because of who his father is. She makes it clear that she’s defensive about it because of her own struggles with her own father, and it will be interesting if and how she will be able to resolve those struggles.

Despite her earlier support of Cameron, Cindy confronts him later. She brings up the facility he went to as a child to deal with his anger issues, and Cameron nearly loses control of his ice powers in anger. Cindy tells Courtney that Cameron has inherited his father’s ice powers but finds that she already knew. Though Courtney’s commitment to helping Cameron is admirable, there is no telling how he will react to the combination of the truth about his father and his grandparents’ influence.

Sylvester meets with the rest of the JSA, and surprisingly has good advice for each of them. He encourages the group to stick together and not fall apart like the original JSA. In addition, he urges Yolanda to follow her instincts and gives Rick a suggestion to fix the hourglass. The last piece of advice is for Beth, who is concerned about her parents (Kron Moore & Gilbert Glenn Brown). He reminds her of all the people who have gotten killed trying to help the JSA and encourages her to keep them at a distance. Beth tearfully tells her parents to back off, and Washington’s performance makes this one of the episode’s most heartbreaking moments.

Yolanda and Rick also take Sylvester’s advice to heart by the end of “Chapter Five: The Thief.” Rick removes the inhibitor from his hourglass, presumably allowing his abilities to manifest with zero limitations. Having zero limitations is likely going to backfire, but it’s still great to see his powers return.

Yolanda breaks into Cindy’s house, her suspicions confirmed when she finds the Gambler’s laptop in her bedroom. While the ensuing confrontation likely won’t end well, hopefully, it will lead to more answers regarding Cindy.

Author: Jessica Wolff

Jessica Wolff is a graduate of Drexel University with a BS in Film/Video. She has a passion for entertainment and representation in entertainment. She currently resides outside of Washington, DC.

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