WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Stargirl Season 2, Episode 1, “Summer School: Part One,” which aired Tuesday on the CW.
Stargirl Season 1 was not short on villains, with some intentionally playing the role of the big bad, while others were more so forced to do this. The latter is the case for Solomon Grundy, a classic villain in the comics. In DC Comics, Solomon Grundy is practically a zombie, but he is even more dangerous than that, as he is reborn every time he dies with varying personalities, so sometimes he is a mindless beast, and other times he is an intelligent but deadly villain. He is also often an antagonist for the heroes; however, Stargirl Season 2 seems to be changing this.
In the first season of Stargirl, Solomon Grundy is the major muscle of the Injustice Society, and they used him to kill the original Hourman and his wife. While he eliminated a Justice Society of America hero, he is not treated well by the other Injustice Society members, as he is kept locked away until he is of use for them again. Regardless, the new Hourman, Rick (Cameron Gellman), blames the death of his parents on Solomon Grundy, deciding to take up the mantle to exact his revenge.
He gets his opportunity in the Stargirl Season 1 finale, as The Gambler (Eric Goins) lets Solomon Grundy out to deal with the new JSA. Rick decides now is the time to kill Solomon Grundy, going toe-to-toe with him. Despite killing the first Hourman, Rick appears to have the upperhand here. When he is about deliver what could’ve been a devastating blow, Solomon Grundy expresses fear, and seeing that this “monster” has a human side reminds Rick that he is not a murderer; he is a hero who cares about others.
It’s remarkable to see Rick move past his desire for revenge, as they were his driving force for most of Stargirl Season 1, and it appears this is only the beginning for his change of heart. In Stargirl Season 2, Episode 1, “Summer School: Part One,” Rick explores the town’s woods, coming across a huge footprint and destroyed tree. It’s also revealed on the radio that someone is stealing huge amounts of food from restaurants, so it seems like Solomon Grundy is back and behind this.
However, this is only partially true. While Solomon Grundy has yet to make another onscreen appearance, it’s more than likely he’s the one in the woods. As for the food, Rick is actually the one stealing it, as he is later seen leaving several buckets of food in the woods for something — presumably Solomon Grundy. It was one thing to see Rick let Solomon Grundy go; it’s another to see him actively take care of him, even if it is from a far.
After being mistreated by the Injustice Society, Rick’s kindness is surely jarring for Solomon Grundy. He was a loyal servant of the villains despite how they treated him. Now that someone is treating him like a living being, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him become Rick’s ally, and in turn, the JSA’s ally. With Stargirl Season 2 already setting up some major threats, the JSA could use all the help they could get in the upcoming episodes, which air Tuesdays at 8/7c on the CW.
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