Since my go-to superhero TV show The Flash has finished their season, I decided to try out a new superhero series to replace the void. Enter the Powers TV series, which does superheroes right.
Powers is another TV series that was green-lit thanks to the popularity of online streaming, produced by Playstation and based on the marvel comic book of the same name. You can watch the pilot episode for free on youtube if you live in America.
Powers is set in a world where normal people and those with super powers (referred to as Powers) co-exist. One of the great points about the show for me is that the setting has been set, and we don’t have the same old cliched “them vs us” arc or even worse, an origin story. I love that some people have powers, and no one feels the need to shove an explanation in. It’s what I wanted to happen in Heroes, another TV series about people with superpowers, but which I never got.
Not only are people with powers just accepted, so are superheroes and villain and their ridiculous costumes. I love all the hero costumes in the show, especially the retro ones of past heroes you occasionally see in background art. They’re cheesy, but exactly how costumes are drawn in real comics.
The story follows Christian Walker, played by Sharlto Copley, who is a detective on the “Powers Devision” of the police, an ex-superhero who lost his powers to the supervillain Wolf, played by Eddie Izzard. He uses his inside knowledge of being a Power to help take down rogue Powers with the police.
The plot is fun, with enough intrigue to keep you interested and a few twists to keep you surprised. A lot of it at the start does feel a little predictable, but the show picks up it’s pace later on. The characters are well fleshed out, and the setting is very colourful.
I have to admit, one of my favourite parts of watching the show is to simply find out what other powers people have and watching them be displayed. The graphics might not be the best ever, but it’s the showcase of superpowers that I love so much about The Flash, X-Men and other comicbook franchises. There’s certainly plenty of it in the Powers TV series.
Eddie Izzard gives a fantastic performance as the villain, acting well in a non comedic role, which is refreshing. I love Noah Taylor’s role as Johnny Royalle who I think stole the show for me, and I also loved his assistant Simons who only plays a side character.
My one irk with the show are the female characters, who for whatever reason, always seem to annoy me. From Callista who makes the most stupid choices to Zora who is ridiculously naive. Despite me finding them annoying, they are certainly good characters that have realistic decisions, if stupid ones.
I don’t want to give too much away, but you should go watch the first season which is all out, and the second season has just started and will be aired every Tuesday. It satisfies my craving for superheroes, it’s got a well driven plot and fleshed out characters. It is a bit cheesy, and I think it has a lot of room for improvement, but I’m looking forward to waiting and seeing.