Sylvester insists on facing Icicle alone, and seems intent on deliberately alienating his friends and comrades to ensure they’ll stay out of harm’s way. Jakeem, Mike and Cindy track down the final of Dragon King’s secret labs and make a startling discovery.

Now this is what I’m talking about! After what has been an oddly uneven season, this penultimate instalment of the third and final series of Stargirl goes all out, delivering some gut-punching moments, some fantastic action and a fair few genuine surprises along the way.

Last time out, it seemed so obvious. Jordan’s attempt to appear to be the ally of the Justice Society of America was clearly bogus, especially considering how he’d murdered the Crocks in cold blood, and that final shot of him speaking with the Ultra Humanite just confirmed everything. Or did it?

No spoilers here, but the way the episode’s plot twists and turns here is clever not just because it’s unexpected, but because it builds on what we have seen organically and believably, rather than feeling like a bunch of random developments done to keep things interesting. Suddenly, so much of what we have seen so far makes sense, in the most horrifying of ways.

Before we get to all that though, there’s the small matter of Sylvester being hell-bent on a final confrontation with Icicle and getting his revenge for his death at the hands of the powerful villain all those years ago. On the way, he’ll offer sage advice to each of the young members of the new JSA, as well as delivering news that crushes both Pat and Courtney. It’s obvious he’s lying, trying to protect his friends and go it alone, and the ominous title of the episode feels increasingly appropriate with each passing moment. Can the rest of the team stop him in time?

Meanwhile, having decided to ally herself with Mike and Jakeem, Cindy continues her search for the answers she craves to reverse whatever awful things her father did to her. Thanks to Thunderbolt, they manage to find a final lab, but nothing can prepare them – or the audience – for what they find there.

In the background, we have Rick suffering increasingly debilitating side effects from exposure to the hourglass, while unable to remove it due to the physical symptoms that incurs. As the clock tocks ever onwards to the final instalment, will there ever be a happy ending for this troubled teen?

Verdict: Pacy, twisty and had me on the edge of my seat in open-mouthed shock more than once. 9/10

Greg D. Smith