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in: Episodes, Season 2

Chapter Eleven: The Haunting

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Chapter Eleven: The Haunting also titled Frenemies - Chapter Eleven: The Haunting is the eleventh episode of the third season of Stargirl, and the thirty-seventh episode overall. This episode aired on November 16, 2022 on The CW.

Synopsis[]

SEEKING FORGIVENESS — As Courtney, Sylvester and the JSA plot to take down a major threat, the arrival of someone from their past sends shock waves through the town.

Plot[]

One Year Ago

On the roof of The American Dream, Stargirl and Icicle clash. She tells him he can never save America because he is too full of hate. His powers burst out and collide with the staff. The blasts knocks Stargirl, Icicle, and Barbara off the roof. Barbara falls over the edge, but Pat catches her just in time. Stargirl falls towards the ground, the staff inactive and several feet from her. Wildcat appears and leaps over the edge without hesitating. She catches Stargirl mid-air and safely lands on the ground, her suit absorbing the impact of their fall. Winded, Stargirl exclaims that Wildcat saved her life, and the girl beams as she's just returning the favor. Stargirl hugs her friend tightly. On the road, Icicle sits up and lets out an angry shout, half his body covered in ice. He prepares to blast them when Pat's car smashes into him, breaking him into chunks of ice. Mike looks over at the JSA, asking if this means he gets to be in the JSA. Buddy barks from the passenger seat. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief. Pat and Barbara embrace happily, sharing a kiss. Stargirl smiles up at her parents. Hourman walks to his friends, pulling them all into an unexpected group hug.

The chunks of Jordan's body begin to melt, with cars and people stepping on the remains, oblivious to the true nature of the cubes. Once the cubes melt completely, the water retracts and forms a shape. It then flows down the road, slipping into a sewer grate.

Present Day

Two members of Ripped City head up to the gym and try opening the door which is locked. One of them asks what the hell is going on and the other one says that it's "leg day" disappointingly. The inside of the gym is empty, but in the tunnel passageway underneath the gym, Jordan Mahkent stands in his lair. He removes his glove and stares at his hand, which is still in ice form. It hasn't completely healed, leaving points where some of his fingers should be. He groans in pain as he focuses, forcing the hand to regenerate into a human form. He closes his healed hand, panting in pain. On the ground beneath him, Sportsmasters mask lays broken in half.

Across town at the Whitmore-Dugan House, Courtney leads a JSA meeting. Courtney concludes that the Ultra-Humanite killed The Gambler, destroyed his trailer, and stabbed him in the heart with his claw. Mike didn't see any claws, so it's more like it was his teeth. Jakeem adds they were big and sharp. Courtney dismisses the teeth, as however he was killed, this is exactly why she's been asking everyone to work together. Whether someone belongs to the JSA or the ISA, their town needs them again. She knows putting the past behind them has been challenging for everyone. Sylvester cuts her off, admitting that it's especially hard for him. Pat reassures him that he's working at it, and that's what matters. Courtney agrees as they've made progress - the Crocks are with them, and she thinks they can get Cindy back on board. Yolanda questions why they're bothering with Cindy again. It's because she's already on the hunt for the Ultra-Humanite, so she might know what he's up to. Jakeem admits that Cindy seemed pretty firm on working solo. If history has taught Pat anything, it's that whatever grand plan the Ultra-Humanite might have, it'll involve hurting a lot of people, including them. This "ain't no Donkey Kong". Sylvester chimes in that if they don't stop him, it'll be game over, imitating a losing video game sound from 1981. While Mike and Jakeem laugh, the rest of the team force smiles. Pat tells Sylvestser that he doesn't have to make a joke on top of every joke he does. Sylvester smirks that it's called banter - all superheroes use it during stressful situations to defuse tension. Pat knows, but it just seems like he always has to get the last work in on him. Sylvester doesn't know what he's talking about, and Pat points out that he's doing it right there.

A silence falls over the room. Sylvester asks if this is what he wants - no banter, just an overly serious conversation that scares the hell out of everyone. Barbara tells the guys to stop, and Pat apologizes to Barb. Sylvester does the same seconds later. Courtney shakes it off as banter aside, they need the Mahkents too. They need Cameron. Mike smirks that she means that she does. She ignores his comment, insisting he's as powerful as his father was. Mike worries that if they team up and then the Mahkents will put him on ice when they figure out that he ran their son over. Courtney assures him they won't, admitting they think she killed Jordan. Everyone questions this, but she dismisses it as not being important. A pounding on the front door casts a silence over the room. Courtney starts towards the door, with Pat telling her to be careful. She opens the door and is surprised to see Artemis Crock on the other side. She asks if Courtney has seen her parents.

Jordan stands outside the Mahkent house, looking at it. He has a sharp pain in his chest and clutches his torso. He breathes through the pain then approaches the home. He slowly walks up the front steps and rings the doorbell. He turns around until Lily opens the door. He greets his mother and she emotionally remarks that it's her son, her boy. She doesn't understand, holding his face then hugging him. Sofus emerges as Jordan tells Lily it will all be okay now. Sofus proclaims that it's by the gods, embracing Jordan. Cameron stands in the doorway, tearfully questioning his father. Jordan merely replies that he's home.

The Mahkents convene in the living room. Jordan looks at the snowglobes, holding one in his hand. Cameron's mother used to love how simple, and yet beautiful, the worlds inside of them are. Collecting them after she died was his way of honoring her. He looks over the shelves musing that one is missing. Cameron bluntly asks where his dad has been. Jordan admits that when he was hit, he not only lost his form, but all self-awareness. He had no consciousness, just dreams. Dreams of Cameron, of Christine, of their family. It took everything he had to reform. Cameron wonders why he didn't heal here, and why he let them think he was dead. Jordan was just trying to protect him, a statement Cameron questions. Jordan takes a seat on the couch next to Lily, assuming that his grandparents explained everything to him. Their family was hunted for generations. To bring him into that history would've put him in danger. He starts to explain what would happen once he knew, but a sharp pain interrupts him. The family looks at him with concern. When the pain passes, Jordan admits that he knows how hard it is to keep their secret from those he holds close. He told Courtney and then this happened.

Cameron, fighting back tears, reveals that Courtney told him that she was the one who killed Jordan. Lily proudly admits she failed. Jordan quickly corrects them, as it wasn't Courtney who did it, but her brother. This surprises Cameron who questions if it was Mike, and why she would tell him that it was her. Jordan assumes it was to protect Mike. But that's all in the past now. He's forgiven Mike and all of them, because they believe what they were doing was right. After what happened, his powers are somehow even stronger. He flexes his hand as Sofus nervously looks at Jordan. Cameron confronts him over Courtney telling him that he's killed people. Jordan looks up at his son - his goal was only ever to help people. He insists Cameron knows that because he knows him. Cameron thought he did. Jordan stands from the couch to hold his son's face. Almost losing his life, almost losing Cameron, and listening to Courtney Whitmore, it made him look at his past actions in a different light. Courtney's group and him want the same thing. They could just not never agree on how they should achieve it. But he thinks maybe now they can. Sofus, in Norwegian, asks if he wants peace. Jordan does want peace. He embraces Cameron who begins to cry.

Beth tells the team she picked up a signal from Sportsmasters mask. It's coming from under Blue Valley, and she thinks she's found an access point with the maintenance hole cover. Artemis lowers into the tunnel, with Beth telling her to wait up. Courtney, Yolanda, and Beth joins her in the tunnel. Yolanda asks where Rick is. Beth isn't sure as he didn't return her calls. Courtney shakes her head as they can't wait for him. Beth leads the trails as she scans the hallway. Yolanda wonders if the Mahkents did anything to the Crocks or maybe that animal did. If that white ape hurt her parents, Artemis is going to skin it alive. Beth's goggles pick up the signal being stronger. They're on the right path. They follow her down the hall and to a door. Yolanda suggests suiting up, and asks Courtney where the staff is. Sylvester has it as he's trying to get on the Ultra-Humanite's trail. Artemis rushes into the room, ignoring Courtney's attempts to make her wait. She calls out to her mom and dad, rushing into the room.

The room is full of monitors. They conclude this is command central for the peeping Tom, who can't be the Ultra-Humanite as this room is too small for a giant mutant gorilla. Beth spots remains on the floor covering the Sportsmasters mask. Courtney questions what it is, crouching next to Beth, who nervously reveals its human remains. Artemis lets out a breath as she picks up her fathers mask, trying to piece it together. She starts to sob and Courtney consoles her. Yolanda looks down at the sobbing girl who tries to gain her composure. She lets out a heartbroken scream that echoes through the tunnels. She emotionally screams again.

Pat turns on S.T.R.I.P.E. when his phone rings. He answers a call from Court, and his face falls at the news he's given. Mike looks up from the station where he's working. He looks over at Pat, asking what it is.

Barbara walks into The American Dream where she lowers her phone, emotions filling her face. An employee eagerly comes up to Barbara and happily tells her she won't believe it, but he's back. She leads her around the corner where Jordan turns around to face Barbara, greeting her as she stares in surprise.

Barbara walks into her office, with Jordan following her. She can barely make out his words from her state of shock. She saw him die, which he knows. She asks how he's back. He wasn't sure himself at first, but it seems his abilities extend beyond just creating ice. He can somehow become it. She asks what he wants. He wants his life back. His death can be explained away easily enough as misinformation after a tragic accident. She knows no one will believe it, but they already have. They want to believe it, because the people of Blue Valley love him. He's lost a year of his life. A year away from his son, his parents, his work. He knows he can't get that time back, but he can put the past behind him, start over, and rebuild. He asks her to trust him, as he's a changed man. She's seen who he is - pure evil who will never change. He argues that he has, and asks who she thinks they have to thank for that. It's ironic, maybe, or fitting. Her daughter, Courtney, showed him it was possible. She believes in people in a way that he never did. Barbara knows he never will, but he insists that he wants to. He wants to wipe the slate clean. To show he means business, he's willing to help the JSA take down the Ultra-Humanite. She asks how he knows about that, and he pauses before admitting he's been watching Blue Valley for some time. That creature followed Sylvester Pemberton here. The Ultra-Humanite hated the ISA just as much as the JSA, because they refused to accept him into their organization. Barbara realizes that the Ultra-Humanite didn't freeze Crusher and Paula, it was Jordan. The man barely takes a second to respond. He didn't want to, he didn't set out to. They came in, and it happened so fast. It was terrible, but it can end there, all of it. He tells her to let him know when she's ready to accept his help against the Ultra-Humanite. He starts to leave then looks back at her, pausing at the doorway. It really is good to see her. He leaves the office as she stares after him, unnerved.

Starman walks the property of the Etter Produce Farm, entering the barn with the staff. It warbles as he enters. He looks around, telling the creature to "come out, come out, wherever you are". He taunts the damn dirty ape. His comms ring and Courtney asks if he can hear her. She's been trying to call him. The reception is spotty out here, and he asks her what's up. She admits they found the Crocks, or what's left of them. Starman assumes it was the Ultra-Humanite, but Courtney states it wasn't. She looks over at the dining table where Pat is comforting Barbara. She then tells him that Icicle's back. The news lands hard for Starman, who thought Icicle was dead. He's already gone public, showed up at The American Dream, so they need to regroup. Starman goes quiet as the staff warbles in the background. She questions if he's still there, and he whirls around, screaming as he blasts the barn with a stream of heated cosmic energy. The barn goes up in flames, smoking billowing into the air.

Once he returns to the Whitmore-Dugan house, he swipes objects off the table in the basement. Pat tells him to calm down, but a raging Sylvester refuses. He's taking Icicle out the first chance he gets. Pat reasons that executing him is not the way to handle it, but Sylvester shouts back that the creep killed him. Pat knows, because he was there. Sylvester flips a table over. Jordan Mahkent put him in the ground. Pat buried him, and he doesn't want to do it again. Sylvester ignores him. All this talk about unity and second chances, they gotta draw the line somewhere, and Icicle is it. Pat wants to act together as a team, but Sylvester asks why they should bother. Pat tried that before and Icicle is, surprise, not dead. Pat reassures him that he, everyone else, thought Icicle was dead. Sylvester cruelly reminds him that he should have made sure, and he's gotta check his work. If he had, none of this would be happening. Pat's just saying they have to have a plan. There's a way to take care of Jordan Mahkent and handle the Ultra-Humanite. They're sworn enemies and they can use that to their advantage. Sylvester, in disbelief, hopes Pat isn't suggesting they lean into this nonsense Icicle's been spouting off about teaming up and letting things go. He shouts that it's bygones, his ass. That's not what Pat is saying. Sylvester cuts him off and tells him what the plan is. He's taking out Icicle himself whether anyone approves of it or not.

Cameron approaches the Whitmore-Dugan's front door, knocking gently. Courtney answers and steps outside onto the porch. She asks what he's doing there. He knows she's heard about his dad being back, which is a miracle. She agrees it's certainly surprising. She crosses her arms as she stands in front of him. To Cameron, it's unreal. It means that everything has changed. Nothing has changed for Courtney. Jordan's been back one day, and Artemis's parents are dead. He knows and that is awful. Jordan feels horrible about it, but it was self-defense. He thought they were attacking him. She asks why they would do that. He was wearing a mask, a suit that was helping him heal. They didn't know who he was, so they probably just jumped to conclusions. She shakes her head, interrupting him, as his father hasn't taken responsibility or accountability for any of his actions. Cameron questions where the accountability is for the Crocks or Cindy. He wonders how she can say they deserve a second chance, but his dad doesn't. She doesn't have an answer for him. After a moment of silence, Cameron continues. Jordan wants to live in peace, as a family. He asks if that's what she wants too. Courtney distrustfully asks if he sent Cameron here. He assures her that he didn't. He steps forward, closing the distance between them. He takes her hand in his. Whatever happened before, between them, with his dad, things can be different now. They can work together like she always wanted. Jordan told him that, and even his grandmother agreed. He wants them to just start over, please. She gazes at him, still unsure about her feelings. He asks her to think about it and she half nods, shifting her stance. He leans over and kisses her. When the kiss ends, their foreheads graze until he pulls away. They share a look before he slowly leaves. She watches him go from her spot on the porch.

Meanwhile, at Jakeem's house, he and Mike try to word the perfect wish. Jakeem's got a good one - he's going to wish that Icicle didn't have his powers. That is a great idea to Mike, because then he can't turn Mike into a popsicle, and the team will have no problem dragging his ass to jail. Jakeem holds up his notepad and wishes that, "I wish that Jordan Mahkent, the man also known more commonly by the Justice Society of America as Icicle, and currently residing in Blue Valley, Nebraska, did not have the ability to freeze me or my friends, because he was just a normal human being without powers of any kind. Amen." Thunderbolt apologizes, as he can't do that. Mike questions why not. If Thunderbolt takes Icicle's powers away, he'd kill him, and they know he can't kill anyone. Jakeem is astonished that his powers are keeping him alive. He asks Mike what he did to him. Mike admits he hit him with a truck, turned him into slush, but saved everyone. He turns away then looks back at Thunderbolt, telling the dumb pen to listen. He needs to take Icicle's powers away, and kill him, because if he doesn't take his powers away, Thunderbolt's killing way more people, probably including Mike. Thunderbolt apologizes as he can't do what they're asking. Jakeem sighs as they need to keep thinking.

From the doorway, Cindy remarks they're gonna need help with that. The boys are shocked to see Cindy, who informs them their doors were unlocked. She could have been Jordan Mahkent, and wonders where they would be then. Jakeem admits they'd probably be frozen. Mike asks what Burman is doing here. With everything going on, she decided it's a lot for anyone to do alone, especially the two of them. She sits on Jakeem's bed and forces a smile - she wants to team up. Thunderbolt gasps dramatically. Mike's unamused and points to her, asking if she's serious. She merely remarks sure, why not. Jakeem grins and excitedly steps forward, welcoming her to the Young All-Stars. She lets out a noise as they're gonna have to work on that name. He nods eagerly as that's fine. He looks down at her and, through his teeth, muses that she's sitting on his bed. Thunderbolt mockingly says, "smooth", while Cindy averts her eyes and grimaces.

Courtney walks down Main Street, which is quiet. She stops at Jordan's mural when sees Jordan gazing up at it. He muses that Cameron's a talented son, his boy. He takes after his mother. He looks over and greets Courtney. She maintains her distance but walks a bit closer. Whatever he's doing, whatever he's planning, they're going to stop him. Jordan knows that she and Cameron have been seeing each other. She scoffs as of course he does, he's been spying on them. His son is all that matters to him. If she's important to him, then she's important to Jordan. He doesn't want to be enemies, he wants to be allies. He approaches her so she moves around him, ultimately switching places. He really does think they could be a great team, the two of them. He'll be honest, revenge was the first thing that overtook him when he first regained sentience. But he sees now that vengeance has no purpose. It's misguided, primitive, even. She helped him see that, because the more he watched her, the more he saw who she truly is. She's changed countless hearts and minds. The Shade, Cindy Burman, the Crocks. She interjects that she did, right before he killed them. He admits he did, which was regrettable, and she cuts him off before he can justify his actions. He murdered the Zarick family. He tried to brainwash half the country and didn't care that it would kill millions. He murdered the JSA no one can just ignore that. He's not asking her to forget. He's just hoping she'll forgive so they can work together, all of them. Then she and Cameron can start again. She looks down so he thanks her for hearing him out. He walks away and she looks up at his mural.

Jordan returns home and looks at the snowglobes he's collected. After a minute, he walks out of the room.

Artemis stands in her room, pacing as she tries to stop crying. She picks up a kettlebell and holds it as she paces. She stands in the center of the room and takes a few deep breaths. She then whirls around and throws the object into the wall, shattering her certificate. She grabs the end of her bed and shakes it, screaming violently. She kneels on the floor, resting her hand on the bars as she sobs. Barbara walks in, calling out to the broken girl. She puts a hand on Artemis's back, telling her to come back over as she can't be alone here. Artemis lets out a choked sob as she falls into Barbara's comforting arms, sobbing.

Yolanda paces in Courtney's room. She takes a deep breath and calls her mom. She sits on the bed and her mom answers. Yolanda tries to hide her tears. Maria asks, in Spanish, if Yolanda is there. The girl replies that only lied to protect her. Maria asks what she's talking about and Yolanda moves the phone so she can cry into her arm. She puts the phone back to her ear as Maria questions her daughter. Yolanda loves her Mama very much. She hangs up and puts her head in her hands, crying.

Sylvester leans on the porch railing and Pat joins him. Courtney should be here any minute. Sylvester remarks that she has to agree to this, she just has too. Pat shakes his head as she doesn't have to do anything. Courtney walks up the steps, asking what it is she's supposed to do. Pat says they're just talking. Sylvester admits he wants to go after Icicle. Courtney, tired, says Jordan wants to work together. Sylvester scoffs, they all know that's a lie, but she wonders if it isn't. Sylvester lets out a sigh, telling Courtney that after everything she's been through since she picked up that staff, he wonders how she can be so naive. Pat protectively starts to tell Sylvester something, but is cut off. Sylvester's just saying that Jordan's just playing them like he always has. If he's sworn enemies with the Ultra-Humanite, then Jordan Mahkent is using them to save himself from that monster. Hell, for all they know, it came back to Blue Valley looking for the ISA, not them. He steps closer to her. After all the support he's given her, he's asking her to let him take the staff and face the man who killed him and his friends. Courtney looks up at him and then over to Pat.

Cameron walks into the living room looking for his dad, to no avail.

In the woods around Blue Valley, Jordan emerges from the treeline into a clearing. He looks around the area. The ground shakes and trees break as heavy footsteps approach. With a growl, the Ultra-Humanite stomps into the clearing, rumbling slowly at Jordan. They stand a few feet from one another. Jordan remarks that it's time.

Cast[]

Starring[]

Special Appearance by[]

Special Guest Star[]

Guest Starring[]

Co-Starring[]

Uncredited[]

Notes and Trivia[]

  • The opening scene is footage from the Season 1 finale, "Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. Part Two". The only new footage is of Icicle's ice cubes melting, forming, and flowing into the sewage system.
    • The flashback confirms the fight took place one year ago, placing the timeline firmly in November of 2021.
    • The previous episode, "Chapter Ten: The Killer", had a calendar showing the present month as October. This is confirmed to be an error, since the JSA defeated Icicle in November, a few weeks after forming on October 31st, 2020.
  • When Jordan looks at the snowglobe collection, he muses that one is missing. This might be a reference to Cameron accidentally freezing and subsequently shattering a snowglobe in "Chapter Four: The Evidence".
  • Events in this episode regarding Courtney and Cameron are identical to the season one episode “Brainwave”, as Courtney thinks Cameron is good and she can convince him to join the JSA, but then fears that she’s too late, and Cameron has gone bad after finding out Icicle is alive; whereas in “Brainwave” Courtney though Cameron was a normal kid, but after finding out his dad is Icicle, she fears Cameron is a bad guy too.

Gallery[]

Photos[]

Videos[]

Screenshots[]

All Screenshots are courtesy of Screencapped.net. For a complete image set, see their gallery.


Behind the Scenes[]

Soundtrack[]

References[]

Navigational[]

Season 3 - Frenemies
"The Murder" • "The Suspects" • "The Blackmail" • "The Evidence" • "The Thief" • "The Betayal" • "Infinity Inc. Part One" • "Infinity Inc. Part Two" • "The Monsters" • "The Killer" •" The Haunting" • "The Last Will and Testament of Sylvester Pemberton" • "The Reckoning"
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