'Stargirl' Episode 9: Brainwave Jr is a lost cause and Courtney should give up trying to recruit him for JS
With great power, comes great responsibility. We know the adage a little too well by now, even though our heroes rarely abide by it. In the latest episode of 'Stargirl', Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger) is determined to bring Henry King Jr AKA Brainwave Jr (Jake Austin Walker) to the side of the Justice Society of America, a league that espouses noble ideas of heroics. She wants him to use his newfound telepathic powers for good, rather than carrying on his father's sinister legacy. She does this despite Yolanda (Yvette Monreal) advising her not to, and reminding her of what Henry had done to her. For the unversed, Henry had shared a private photo of Yolanda to Cindy, which not only got her out of the running for Class President but led to her being ostracised by everyone in the school.
Brainwave Jr, who just spent hours watching his father's old videotapes where he talks about killing people and how they are all 'monsters', would rather choose the side of evil, than converse with her. Courtney gives him every good speech of love and virtue from the hero textbook and reminds him of the suffering he's had at the hands of his father Brainwave (Christopher James Baker). She tells him that the Injustice Society Of America had killed her own father, and many more. Brainwave Jr seems confused at this point but still maintains that they might have deserved it. Despite hearing this, Courtney still doesn't relent and continues being the paragon of virtue.
He finally loses it and tells her to leave, his mind waves shaking the entire hospital. Later, Yolanda tells him to stay away from her friends and that she knows he doesn't have a soul. Honestly, Yolanda is right. Later, He reads the thoughts of domestic staff and other nurses, who want to get his father off life support. This just adds weight to his belief that people are indeed monsters. At the end of the episode, he kills a lawyer, who was trying to fleece him. At the end of the episode, his father, the real Brainwave wakes up and sees that his son has dutifully inherited his powers. This means more trouble for Courtney, and she gives up the idea for now that he might join the JSA anytime soon unless the show decides to follow the villain-to-hero-villain-back-to-hero arc. There are points when the show seems to try and humanize Henry, especially when it comes to Yolanda. His feelings do flicker when he hears her thoughts on how she used to love him and he betrayed her. It might be a long wait.
In the comics, Henry King Jr tried to undo the evil his father had done. However, just when his father Brainwave was dying, he transferred some knowledge and power to his son, which later drove Henry King Jr insane. He founded the Legion Of Doom and took on the Justice League. Later, he had to be housed in a special insane asylum, which was founded by Green Lantern. He redeemed himself again but decided to retire to the jungles rather than risk hurting anyone again.
Brainwave Jr is actually a fascinating character. You never know which side he'll go. But it's easier to root for the comic-book counterpart rather than the TV character because at least the comic book character didn't share a girl's private photo to the entire school.
'Stargirl' airs on CW, Tuesdays at 8 pm.
