Static Shock – 20popsgirlfriend

Widower Robert is finally dating again, a police officer named TRINA
JESSUP. Try as they might, Virgil and Sharon are having a very hard time accepting their dad with anyone other than their mom. To make matters worse, circumstances lead Trina to believe that Virgil has something to do with a stolen briefcase containing a concentrated version of the Big Bang formula!

Media by Bird Boy
Review by Matt Zimmer

Voices:
Phil LaMarr as Virgil Hawkins/Static
Jason Marsden as Richie Foley
Kevin Michael Richardson as Robert Hawkins
Michele Morgan as Sharon Hawkins
Nestor Garbonell as Garcia
Dennis Haysbert as Chief Barnsdale
Rel Hunt as Frankie D’Amico
Sheryl Lee Ralph as Trina Jessup
Bumper Robinson as Royce Axelrod

Static gets in trouble with a police officer–who happens to be dating
Robert.

Two kids steal a high security briefcase which turns out to be holding vials of Bang Baby gas. After patrolling as Static Virgil changes back and is stopped by the police and asked to open his backpack because he fits the description of the kids. Virgil creates a distraction and runs off. At home Robert is excited because his new girlfriend is coming over to meet his family. Trina turns out to be the police officer that cornered Virgil and Robert goes through the roof.

Although he is grounded Trina meets with Virgil to tell him it was Bang
Baby gas that was stolen that is very unstable and will set off another
Big Bang in 24 hours and that she believes that he is hiding something.
Later she and Robert break up because of the cold shoulder Virgil and
Sharon were giving her. Meanwhile one of the kids smells the Bang Baby gas and accidentally drops some in wastebasket in the high school that some bugs get into. Richie calls Static for help against giant mutant bugs. Later the kid who smelled the gas transforms into a mutant that
Static must stop. First though as Virgil he clears out the school and calls Trina. Then as Static he finds the gas, sends it into orbit then incapacitates the mutant kid as Trina arrives with back-up. Virgil receives an award from the city, Robert and Trina get back together and
Virgil is still grounded.

Decent, solid episode. I have to say I was a little surprised at the implication that Virgil was stopped by the police because he "fit the description" of the other kids. This seemed to me a subtle way of the writers implying Virgil was stopped because he was black which is a very sobering message for a kids show. This show does things like that all of the time which makes it a lot more realistic than other cartoons.

I liked Trina and thought she was a good addition to the show. Depite being seen again in "Consequences" I wish she had stayed on the show longer. I think she had an interesting dynamic with Robert and the rest of the family that could have made other plotlines interesting. As it is, I really liked this episode for the character stuff which was great.

The animation was a little shaky (the mutant at the end looked like he belonged in Tiny Toons, not the DCAU) but for the most part it was serviceable. The episode was very decent and a good spotlight for
Robert.

Story: ***1/2
Animation: **1/2
Average: ***