In the latest episode of Stargirl, we have the origin story of Wildcat, also known as Yolanda. We begin three months ago where she was the popular girl, running for class president, dating the popular jock (Henry), and targeted by the mean girl (Cindy). All seemed to be going fine until a topless photo of her is leaked to the school, thanks to Cindy.
Flash forward to the present day, with the family getting ready for the day and Courtney being insistent with Pat they get the new Justice Society formed quickly to go against Icicle and the Injustice Society. Pat reminds Courtney that the two of them couldn’t stop the Injustice Society, but when they do find them, authorities will be alerted, but what if the bad guys are the cops?
Later that morning at school, Cindy threatens Yolanda for speaking to Henry. Courtney sees this and decides to get involved, trying to help Yolanda in the process. Courtney follows Yolanda to the gym, telling her the suspicions of something going on in Blue Valle, and asking for her help. She invites Yolanda for dinner and that if she’s not interested, Courtney will leave her alone after that. After some back and forth between the girls, Yolanda reluctantly agrees. However, when she comes home she finds out she is still grounded until her mother says otherwise. The next day, after searching the yearbook from the previous year, Courtney confesses to blowing up Henry’s car and is on Yolanda’s side, agreeing that Henry never should have shared the photos.
At Pat’s mechanic shop, Denise brings her car in and Pat gives his condolences for losing her son and husband. Later Denise breaks down, seeing all that is left of her son is a box in the passenger seat. Pat is surprised when that same car is heavily aged in a junkyard later on while he is looking for parts from Zeke.
In the next scene, we meet Dr. Ito, who pledges his loyalty to the Injustice Society and Icicle, unlike others who have left him, like the Shade. The Doctor has been working on his daughter while Icicle promises to provide whatever he needs to build this New America machine. “One generation’s ultimate sacrifice will protect the next.” The doctor continues, stating he won’t fail like the Wizard did, asking for his body.
Later at Courtney’s house, she shows Yolanda the cosmic staff, explains the business of her being a superhero, and that her dad is Starman. She also got Yolanda a costume which makes her very unhappy. It is a sad cat suit, until she puts on the helmet. The girls look up the history of the original Wildcat and give the suit a test to see the things she can do now, including cut through steel and land on her feet with the agility of a cat — until it gets a bit too much when she thinks she can jump off a building. However, in this, Yolanda is discovering her confidence again.
The girls see Henry driving through town late at night. Surely he’s going to see his dad, Brainwave. The girls decide to break into the hospital where Brainwave is at, having Wildcat climb the outside walls to the seventh floor while Courtney provides a distraction. Yolanda finds the visitors log and then Henry in with his father. She is ready to take revenge with her literal claws out, but in a moment of humanity for Henry, she backs down. After Henry leaves, Principal Bowen comes in to play the violin for Brainwave. Somehow they are very connected. As the girls are leaving, Beth, who had dropped dinner off for her mother, sees the two of them outside the hospital climbing up to the roof. It seems someone’s secret is about to be exposed.
Courtney and Yolanda decided to bring the visitors log back with them to her home, and they see that Principal Bowen did not sign in either. Why would someone not sign a visitors log and leave behind an antique violin? It’s not like the patient is a supervillan or anything …
After some discussion, Yolanda declines to be Wildcat. She needs to get her own life together and be herself before she decides to be someone else. When Yolanda goes home to her family, she tells them that she knows what she did was wrong but she feels like she has learned her lesson and has been punished enough. She wants to learn and be the person she used to be and asks for forgiveness. Her parents tell her that she can never be that person again. She has disgraced the family. She is sent to her room where she finds the Wildcat costume from Courtney next to an open window. Yolanda changes her mind and decides to become Wildcat after all and immediately visits Courtney in costume.
Watch Stargirl on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET /7 p.m. CT on The CW.