New show tonight called “Powerless”. The premise is a group of inventors working for “Wayne Security”, a subsidiary of Wayne Enterprises, that creates devices for regular people in a world with superheroes and villains.
I found it to be ok. I love the premise. At the start of the show, the train is derailed and everybody is saved by “Scarlet Fox” and the passengers are all bored because it happens. every. day.
I find that it maybe tried too hard to be quirky and funny. I find that shows are funny when they just are funny. I know, that’s pretty zen (or meta). I’ll definitely watch it again because sometimes pilot shows can be a significantly different than the remainder of the series.
I liked the ending, which I won’t spoil in case somebody watches it. I thought that was pretty clever.
I’ll give it a 2nd episode just to see if it was the pilot that was a little bit off. If it ends up not being that good after the 2nd episode, then it is out for me too. That would be too bad because I really like the premise.
He’s a hero, so I’m not sure why they chose him to fight the Fox.
I liked it, it was fun. My only real problem is I can’t see Bruce starting a company like this and not paying attention to it… Quite aside from the fact that it’d be a good source of bat-tech, it’s creating the kind of tech he would want to have his eye on.
Apropos of nothing, but I’m very angry at Powerless.
I was a part of a panel that asked my opinion on the poster for this show before it premiered and they picked the WRONG ONE. I mean, my opinion was totally right, who are they to do the opposite of that?
Well, Daniel Cormac, the first Jack O’Lantern, did work for Queen Bee and Rumaan Harjavti (both villains) for awhile. Marvin Noronsa, the second Jack O’Lantern, also worked for Queen Bee.
I thought the concept was great, and the episode improved as it went on. Unfortunately, the callbacks were the best part of it; the actual comedy was only so-so.
My reaction was similar to the OP’s: I was hoping for more of an early “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” feel, and less camp. Much less camp (though no one does camp better than Alan Tudyk). I’ll keep watching for now, though.
…wow. So they completely retooled this between the “first pilot” and the one they actually broadcast. For some insight into what Powerless used to be about read this:
I was looking forward to seeing the original concept: and while the retooled concept is “okay”, the original idea sounded much more interesting and a lot “less safe”. Oh well.
We watched the second episode last night though we missed the pilot last week. I found it to be fairly blah; a workplace sitcom without really any outstanding characters but with the added bonus of getting to throw in DC character names.
It definitely does have potential and the actors are all likeable in it. I thought the idea of having a super hero fantasy team was very funny. Hopefully they find some footing with the characters and it solidifies.
He might have been Eclipso’d. There’s one split second, right before we see the tracks ripped up that kinda look like it.
That said, it’s not DC’s Jack O’Lantern’s powerset. And ditto for Crimson Fox who’s either a low-grade Batman or a low-grade Captain America, depending on who’s writing her. Better than average agility and better than average (or very low-level super strength).
It felt like they REAAAAAAAAAALY wanted to do a Spider-Man/Green Goblin fight but couldn’t because they’re Marvel. But if you rewatch the fight, and imagine Spidey/Goblin in the obvious roles, it fits a whole lot better.
Nevermind–I just saw the rest of the episode: he’s not Eclipsed. But wouldn’t that have been cool?
Couple o’ thoughts:
It’s trying waaaaaay too hard to be Parks & Recreation. What’s her face–the woman who was hired this episode–is only missing binders to be Leslie from Parks and Rec.
Why wasn’t the female scientist fired on the spot for the kind of totally workplace-inappropriate comments she was making to whasthername-Emily? The “I’m not going to do anything you waaaaaant” crack among other things were totally uncool. I understand the Rule of Funny but she wasn’t funny, she was just a bitch.
I hate that they have a crapload of access to C and D list DC Characters, but don’t bother using them. “Van Wayne”? Stupid idea. Why not use pre-Infinite Crisis Max Lord or Funky Flashman or a half-dozen other characters of that type?.
There were some funny moments, but the big problem is that the lead is both too chirpy and too needy. She needs to tone that down a lot, especially since she isn’t very good at it.*
OTOH, Christina Kirk as Jackie is worthy of a sitcom on her own. The fantasy superhero game was a great concept (but I don’t want to see it every week; it will grow stale).
Alas, though, the R&D is an inferior version of the R&D in Better Off Ted.
*I’ve been watching Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23, which has a similar main character, but the actress knows how to play that sort of part.
It’s NBC. Wayne is recognizable, allows them to drop Bruce Wayne’s name, and then Van has instant character recognition to all, not just comic fans. The others - not so much. It’s not as much an issue with just name-dropping heroes and villains, as that is specifically for the super-fans.
That said, I agree - OK, but not great. I’ll keep watching because (a) it is on after Superstore and (b) I’m a sucker for superhero shows, even (most) bad ones. Superhero shows have a lower bar to clear to keep my interest.
RealityChuck, making R&D more like Better Off Ted would make this shine much, much more. Even better if they could get Lem and Phil to reprise their roles, but alas, both have steady gigs.
Oh well.