Courtney’s romance with Cameron continues to cause friction within the JSA after she is thrown under the bus. Cindy and Courtney are this week’s subject; betrayal. After Yolanda recovers The Gambler’s laptop from the Burman house, Shiv’s secret of her transformation into Dragon Queen is revealed. But it gets worse.
How? Courtney is also outed for helping her boyfriend Cameron learn control over his powers, and it’s Cindy who throws her under the bus. Then, after Yolanda forces a fight on her longtime rival after returning the laptop, Rick joins the fray, having tested his 24-hour super strength by breaking into Crusher’s gym, Ripped City.
Cindy’s Transformation Becomes Public, And She Throws Courtney To The Wolves
During the fight, Cindy’s sleeve rips, revealing her lizard skin, and her eyes start flickering like her dad’s. She explained that she took the laptop because she needed to know where her dad’s labs were. When Courtney shows up, having been alerted by Beth, Cindy explains that her transformation started after she and Courtney were pulled out of the Shadowlands.
Courtney attempts to get Cindy to talk to them, resulting in an argument. Cindy, out of spite, questions whether she has told the team about Cameron. Yolanda jumps in and says they already know about Courtney dating Cameron.
Cindy pulls the betrayal wound open further; Courtney has been training Cameron to use his powers. So naturally, this comes as news to the JSA. Shiv then leaves the team, telling Courtney that she hopes Cameron finds out about how his dad died and went after her.
The Rift With The JSA Widens For Courtney And Sylvester Shares His Views About Merry
The betrayal only widens further when Rick takes a swipe at Cameron when the team gathers at the Pit Stop. Yolanda pokes the bear, saying that Courtney chose her boyfriend over the group. Even Beth can’t defend Courtney this time. Stargirl takes some time off the team and puts Sylvester in charge, with Yolanda adding he’s already been leading the team.
At home, Courtney sits in her room, upset, when Sylvester enters. Despite his back and forth, Starman is gentle with her and tells her that he understands her predicament all too well as he goes through it with his sister, Merry, Henry’s mother.
Sylvester explains that Merry, like Courtney, could see the good in everyone. However, he felt at the time that Brainwave was manipulating her. For a time, Starman realised that his sister was in love with Henry Snr. He even reveals that while he knew of Henry Jr, he never had the chance to know him. He adds that there everything was peaceful until Icicle got involved.
Betrayal And Love Are The Central Themes Of The Episode
Looking at this, we can see that love is a central theme for the episode, especially considering that the lead betrayal is from Courtney, thanks to Cindy’s secondary betrayal. Courtney is one of the most loving characters on the show. She has come to love Cameron because of his big heart, not his powers.
Courtney’s desire to help those who need it, regardless of their background, is what pulls people towards her. However, her friends don’t want to accept that everyone is somewhat redeemable. Cameron is not the threat they believe he is. Yes, he’s Icicle’s son, but not all the ISA legacies are bad. Joey Zarick was a prime example of this. He had a bright future that was taken from him because of Jordan. Joey couldn’t help that his dad was The Wizard.
Like Cameron, Joey had no clue that his dad was a villain. However, the difference is that Cameron is slowly learning the truth, whereas Joey is in the dark. They aren’t their fathers, and the JSA needs to stop comparing the legacies to their parents.
The JSA Need To Look Themselves
Rick and Yolanda need to look at their past actions before they judge Cameron for something his dad did. While Rick doesn’t like Cameron purely because he’s Jordan’s son, Yolanda is doing the same thing to Courtney that her parents are doing, judging her because of her actions.
While Yolanda did something wrong, trusting the wrong person and unwittingly having her nudes leak, all Courtney did was fall in love. Yes, Yolanda fell in love with Henry, but how was he supposed to know Cindy would swipe his phone?
It’s a double-edged sword. There is also no guarantee that Cameron will follow in Jordan’s footsteps. It will depend on who tells him the truth and their motivations. By the sounds of it, Cindy might betray Courtney again and tell Cameron the truth about Mike’s involvement in Jordan’s demise.
Also, Yolanda must stop thinking she’s protecting Courtney when she can’t defend herself against her parents. Rick, on the other hand, is full of hot air. He hates anyone who even smells of ISA. Does he believe in forgiveness? He forgives Grundy for killing his parents. Cameron has no clue that the ISA existed or that Jordan was involved. He’s more innocent than Rick; by extension, Yolanda thinks he is.
The Grandparents Paradox
Lily and Sofus. Sofus and Lily. Cameron’s grandparents have always scared us. Well, more Lily than Sofus. Season 2 showed that Sofus only wants Cameron’s happiness. Lily wants their enemies to pay. The couple’s involvement in this week’s episode confirms what we suspected last season; that the two are on different sides of the equation regarding their grandson.
It’s clear from Lily’s interactions with Barbara that she’s still pissed at her for not dumping Pat and being with Jordan. Barb is terrified of her, and it shows. What makes this even more awkward is that Cameron and Courtney walk into the room during the conversation.
Courtney and Cameron were visibly uncomfortable with the adults in the same room. Again, this was more Courtney than Cameron because she knows Lily and Sofus see the truth about Jordan. After all, Cindy told her that Lily had the same powers as Jordan, and she [Court] pieced it together that her boyfriend’s grandparents know more than they’re letting on. Also, it shows that Sofus might end up sparing Cameron from some sort of pain as he’s very firmly in his grandson’s corner.
Barbara And Pat’s Conversation
Barbara and Pat have the same discussion before they arrive at the Mahkent house and after they leave with Courtney. They both agree that Lily and Sofus are dangerous in their own right, and this is when Court mentions what Cindy told her last episode.
Pat and Barb, we don’t believe, are too worried about Cameron, but they’re terrified of what his grandparents may do if they tell him about Mike’s involvement in their son’s death.
In conclusion, this episode does an outstanding job of highlighting the hypocrisy of the JSA and its actions. It also shows what happens when you trust someone you know shouldn’t be given the time of day but do so anyway, and it comes back to bite you.
